Chapter 159: Bringing the Black Tortoise Sect into the Church of the Water God
"Now, all freshmen, follow your respective homeroom teachers back according to the latest class placement rules. The freshman assessment champions—Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong—you three, come with me."
Du Weilun's voice echoed across the plaza. Once he had finished reading through the entire list of names, the homeroom teachers of the four classes were already in position. Finally, he waved his hand and dismissed all the other students who had now officially become first-years, along with the teachers—save for Huo Yuhao's trio, whom he called to stay behind.
Clearly, it was time to deliver the reward for taking first place in the freshman assessment—that secret method soul bone.
Huo Yuhao's trio exchanged a glance, then followed Du Weilun's steps toward the direction of the Shrek teachers' offices.
Furina remained where she stood, watching them disappear into the distance. There was still some time before class started, and the class monitor elections wouldn't begin for a while yet. She couldn't be bothered to go back to the classroom and sit around doing nothing—after all, she was a food-type support soul master, so she wouldn't be elected class monitor of Class One no matter what. Even if they really tried to give her the position, she'd absolutely refuse. Troublesome, and no real benefit to speak of.
She might as well take a walk outside and relax a bit.
She turned and headed beyond the plaza, yet another thought drifted through her mind.
Ma Xiaotao was nowhere to be seen.
That woman who, in the original story, should have appeared right around this time to stir up trouble—this time, there hadn't been so much as a shadow of her. It seemed Yan Shaozhe had truly taken her advice and sent someone to escort her to the Far North for cultivation.
Furina couldn't help but click her tongue inwardly.
What a madwoman. Already in a condition where she could lose control at any moment, and she's still thinking about cultivating. If you're not insane, who is? If you don't fall and become an evil soul master, who will?
If it weren't for the fact that her teacher was the Dean of Shrek, with the entire academy as her backing; if it weren't for the fact that her martial soul was the Evil Fire Phoenix of Ma Hongjun, one of the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils—
If it were anyone else, anyone without such backing, they would have been dealt with as an evil soul master long ago.
Still, even having gone to the Far North—if she couldn't purify that evil fire, or transform it into ultimate fire or something of the sort—it ultimately wasn't a long-term solution.
Furina shook her head and tossed these thoughts out of her mind. Other people's problems were not hers to manage so much.
After leaving the plaza, she walked toward a small wooded area not far away. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the path. The air carried the clean fragrance of grass and trees—it truly did lift one's mood.
A pity this tranquility couldn't last long.
A figure emerged from behind a tree, blocking her path.
Xu Sanshi.
Furina's steps slowed slightly. Inwardly, she wasn't too surprised.
This time, Huo Yuhao hadn't set up a grilled fish stall in Shrek City like in the original story, so naturally, the storyline with Xu Sanshi had never been triggered. But she had long anticipated that this person would come looking for her sooner or later, and it was bound to be because of Jiang Nannan.
After all, this was the Douluo Continent—a land overrun with love-brains. Villains were love-brains, heroes were love-brains, there wasn't a single one who wasn't a love-brain. In their eyes, love was the greatest thing in the world, something for which one could cast aside everything.
Just as well. She was rather curious to see, in Xu Sanshi's case, just how great a price "love" could make him pay.
"Hello there, Student Furina!" Xu Sanshi raised a hand in greeting, his face beaming with smiles. "First time we've met—very pleased to make your acquaintance! My name is Xu Sanshi, a third-year student."
"Oh, the pleasure is mine." Furina smiled faintly. "I've heard Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya, and Bei Bei mention you before. So you're that... somewhat annoying Xu Sanshi."
The smile on Xu Sanshi's face froze.
He coughed twice and scratched his head awkwardly, laughing it off with forced cheer: "Haha... is my reputation really that bad..."
"Alright, alright, Senior Xu Sanshi." Furina waved a hand, regarding him with a half-smile. "No need to beat around the bush. Let's cut straight to the chase. What exactly is your business in seeking me out?"
Xu Sanshi let out a sheepish chuckle, for once showing a trace of embarrassment: "Well... I'd like to join your Church of the Water God. Would that be possible?"
Furina laughed inwardly. Just as I thought.
In the original story, he'd joined the Tang Sect precisely because Jiang Nannan had joined it, hoping to get closer and improve her impression of him. Now that Jiang Nannan had entered the Church of the Water God, and the Tang Sect had become a subsidiary of the Church, it was only too natural for him to come to the Church.
She deliberately put on a surprised expression: "Oh? I've heard that you, Xu Sanshi, are the young master of the Black Tortoise Sect. The dignified heir of a sect—you'll certainly be inheriting the Black Tortoise Sect in the future. The Black Tortoise Sect is renowned for producing Profound Water Pills, with vast wealth to its name. Its martial soul is the Black Tortoise Shield, which is said to carry the bloodline of the Black Tortoise and can evolve into the true Black Tortoise, making it the pinnacle of defense-type martial souls."
She leaned a step closer: "You, joining my Church of the Water God? Won't your old man beat you to death? Or is it... that you have ulterior motives?"
Xu Sanshi coughed lightly a couple of times to hide his embarrassment, but to his credit, he was candid: "Indeed... there are ulterior motives. Since you know Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and Jiang Nannan, you must also be aware of the relationship between us, I imagine?"
Furina played dumb and blinked: "Oh? What relationship? I wouldn't know. All I've heard from them is that you're rather annoying."
Xu Sanshi: "..."
He coughed twice more: "Ahem... well... something happened between Nan... between her and me in the past. I wronged her, but I'm also... very fond of her. Only now she utterly detests me and doesn't want to see me."
He sighed, his tone carrying a mix of helplessness and earnestness: "But after all, something like that did happen. I can understand her attitude. Ah... in short, I heard she joined the Church of the Water God, so I'd also like to join the Church of the Water God—or join the Tang Sect under the Church's umbrella, that would be fine too. I just want to get closer to her, to have more chances for contact, so that her impression of me might slowly improve."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Furina nodded with sudden understanding.
Also feigned, of course.
She immediately shifted gears: "But my Church of the Water God is not a venue for you to conduct your romantic pursuits. Putting that aside—what can you offer me? Your status is no ordinary one. As the young master, sooner or later you'll have to go back and inherit the position of Sect Master. When that time comes, will you be a member of my Church of the Water God, or will you go back to inherit your Black Tortoise Sect?"
"Ah, well..." Xu Sanshi scratched his head and admitted honestly, "Truth be told, I haven't thought it through yet. I just very much want to be with Nan... with her. But I guarantee, after joining the Church of the Water God, I will absolutely never leak any of the Church's secrets, nor do I need the Church to do anything for me. In fact... every year I could offer the Church ten thousand gold coins and one Profound Water Pill as tribute. As long as... as long as I can be with her."
Furina nearly burst out laughing.
Good heavens. Paying to work? Does having deep pockets mean you can do whatever you want?
She shook her head: "That won't do. My Church of the Water God isn't short on such things."
She paused, narrowing her eyes slightly, and finally steered the conversation toward the direction she truly wanted:
"How about this—you directly bring the Black Tortoise Sect into my Church of the Water God, just like the Tang Sect, and become a subsidiary sect of my Church. What do you say?"
Xu Sanshi, upon hearing this, stood completely dumbfounded.
"WHAT?! The Black Tortoise Sect becoming a subsidiary sect of the Church of the Water God?!"
His eyes flew wide, his voice completely changing pitch: "If I did that, my old man would absolutely murder me! Your appetite... is a bit too enormous, isn't it?!"