"What is there worth going undercover for in Shrek? The organization I want you to infiltrate is the Holy Ghost Cult, the faction behind the evil soul masters. You can utilize the resources of the Holy Ghost Cult to grow stronger, but there is one condition: you are absolutely forbidden from harming ordinary people. To put it bluntly, you are to eat their food, drink their wine, and use their resources, and at the critical moment, stab them in the back. But under no circumstances are you allowed to actually do their bidding. If I find out that you dare to commit wicked deeds, I can assure you that your death will be incredibly painful."
Feng Piaoling smiled warmly as he spoke the most cruel words to Tang Ya.
Tang Ya's heart thudded violently. "And if I refuse?"
Feng Piaoling said decisively, "You will die. Because the Holy Ghost Cult already knows about your Dark Blue Silver Grass. If you do not leave with me today, they will eventually force you into their ranks through abduction and use drugs to control you, and the price will be a premature death."
"Conversely, if you voluntarily defect to the Holy Ghost Cult, you can not only avoid having your body eroded by drugs, but also use their resources to grow stronger. In fact, carrying out your revenge would be nothing more than a trivial matter."
"Aren't you afraid that I'll turn around and sell you out to the Holy Ghost Cult?" Tang Ya asked, taking a deep breath as she looked at Feng Piaoling's handsome yet ruthlessly cold face, which clearly belonged to someone quite young.
Feng Piaoling smiled and replied, "The Holy Ghost Cult possesses a secret technique that can rapidly make you stronger, but it carries the side effect of eroding your mind. If you don't mind eventually turning into a mere killing machine, then by all means, go ahead and betray me."
Tang Ya gave a sorrowful smile. "Do I still have any reason to refuse?"
"No." Feng Piaoling drew the Thunder Tribulation Sword from his waist. With a flick of his wrist, Tang Ya only felt several faint golden flashes of sword-light sweep past her body.
Her clothes and hair fluttered despite the lack of wind. In the next instant, the ancient trees within a radius of dozens of meters snapped cleanly at their roots.
Tang Ya swallowed hard, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, her expression turned resolute. "I can agree to your terms, but I have one more thing I need to confirm."
"Are you going to look for Bei Bei to confirm whether he has a fiancée?" Feng Piaoling massaged his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache coming on.
Even under these circumstances, her mind was entirely set on romance. This world was truly beyond saving.
"In return, I can share a piece of information with you," Tang Ya nodded and said.
"What information?" Feng Piaoling was taken aback.
"Information regarding Teacher Mu Jin," Tang Ya said.
"So that's what you meant. She was expelled from Shrek precisely because she stood up for me. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have gone to find her. Let's go. Although I won't let you see Bei Bei anytime soon for safety reasons, I can let you witness the truth of this matter for yourself. After all, no man would ever willingly admit to keeping a mistress."
With a flash of his figure, Feng Piaoling appeared right beside Tang Ya and wrapped his left arm around her waist.
Tang Ya let out a soft cry, her lovely face flushing crimson as she glared fiercely at Feng Piaoling.
Feng Piaoling acted completely oblivious. He patted his chest with his right hand to activate an Earth Escape Talisman, enveloping the two of them in a faint, earthy yellow glow. Within the blink of an eye, they sank into the ground and vanished.
This was a small forest path leading to an unknown destination.
Ever since Mu Jin left Shrek Academy, she had been walking aimlessly. She did not know where to go.
Having lived in Shrek City since childhood, entered Shrek Academy, and remained there to teach upon graduation, this was her first time truly leaving Shrek Academy. Only now did she realize just how unfamiliar the outside world felt.
As for returning to settle down in Shrek City, that was out of the question. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would never return there for the rest of her life.
"To think that I, Mu Jin, dedicated nearly ten years of conscientious teaching to Shrek, only to end up being swept out of the house like garbage in the end. Truly ridiculous." A self-deprecating smile appeared on Mu Jin's exquisite face.
Just as she reached a fork in the road, a familiar voice suddenly echoed from behind her. "Teacher Mu Jin."
Mu Jin assumed that one of her former students had come to see her off, but when she turned around, she was instantly rooted to the spot.
His waterfall-like black hair was casually gathered into a high ponytail. Dressed in green robes with a long sword hanging from his waist, his face was exceptionally handsome, and his aura was restrained yet noble. He looked precisely like a noble young master from ancient times.
Who could it be but Feng Piaoling?
"Piaoling, you're alive?" Mu Jin was filled with a mixture of shock and joy.
"I suppose I was fortunate enough to escape with my life," Feng Piaoling smiled faintly.
Standing to the side, Tang Ya felt entirely speechless. Not long ago, he had told her with absolute nonchalance that he had easily wiped out a Soul Emperor and five Soul Kings who were pursuing them. Yet, when speaking to Mu Jin, it suddenly became a fortunate escape with his life.
But Mu Jin did not care about such details. She immediately stepped forward to look Feng Piaoling over. After confirming he was unharmed, she asked with a nervous and apprehensive heart, "Then the others..."
"They are all perfectly safe and sound. Right now, everyone has made immense progress and is preparing to participate in the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament," Feng Piaoling said.
Mu Jin let out a long sigh of relief. "It's good that you're all safe, it's good that you're all safe. Knowing that you're unharmed puts my mind at ease... Wait, what did you say? You're preparing to participate in the Soul Master Tournament?"
Feng Piaoling dropped another bombshell. "Mm. I made a special trip here this time because, aside from handling a private matter, I wanted to invite you, Teacher Mu Jin, to be our team leader. Along the way, I would also like to invite you to join my sect, the Soul Hall."
Hearing these words, Mu Jin was so deeply moved that tears almost welled up in her eyes. She wiped her reddened eyes and nodded. "Alright. Since I've already been expelled by Shrek anyway, and this invitation comes from you—my former most outstanding student—there is naturally no reason for me to refuse."
"Jie jie jie... Teacher Mu Jin, on behalf of my position as the Hall Master of the Soul Hall, I welcome your arrival."
"Jie jie jie..." Mu Jin mimicked his laugh with a chuckle, but then, as if recalling something, she suddenly asked, "By the way, Piaoling, what exactly did you all encounter back then?"
Feng Piaoling did not hide the truth, recounting what they had experienced after leaving Shrek with a seemingly meticulous explanation. From establishing the Soul Hall and inviting everyone to join, to being pursued by a Soul Emperor and five Soul Kings, and how, after turning the tables and killing them, they had forced information out of the leading Soul Emperor, who claimed he was from Shrek.
"So it was the academy's upper echelon that sent people to make a move." Mu Jin instantly gasped. "No wonder there were instances in the past where outstanding students left because they were dissatisfied with the academy's rules and regulations, only to end up just like you all, vanishing as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth, never to be seen again. It turns out that when Shrek's upper echelon cannot retain someone, they secretly strike them down in cold blood."
A strange gleam flashed past Feng Piaoling's eyes. He had only thrown dirt on Shrek because they were his destined enemy. He hadn't expected Shrek to actually possess such a tradition.
It seemed that even if that fellow Dai Huabin hadn't sent assassins back then, once Shrek discovered that they couldn't retain them, they would have likely sent people to deal a fatal blow in secret regardless.
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