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Two days later, it was the first day of school.
"Five minutes until class begins. All new students of the Soul Academy should proceed to their classrooms. Latecomers will not be allowed entry."
"One minute until class begins."
The announcements continued to blare over the intercom. At the classroom entrance, two figures were anxiously waiting.
One was an incredibly handsome young man, muttering incessantly to himself. "Honestly, that guy Huo Yuhao—this morning I saw him meditating and didn't want to disturb him, but how could he forget about the time? Being late on the very first day—he really isn't afraid of being expelled?"
The other figure was none other than Xiao Xiao, the little loli, pacing back and forth in worry. "Oh my goodness, Yuwen Tuo, you always make me so anxious! Normally, I wouldn't mind if you stood me up, but today is our first class with Teacher Zhou Yi! She's infamous for being strict!"
Just as the countdown to class began, they finally saw the two stragglers rushing toward them—though Yuwen Tuo was walking casually, while Huo Yuhao was sprinting.
"Hey, buddy, don't be so carefree. If you don't hurry, you'll miss the chance to get inside," Huo Yuhao called out as he passed by Yuwen Tuo.
Yuwen Tuo chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't be late. I'm an expert at cutting it close."
In the end, Huo Yuhao entered the classroom just five seconds before the bell rang, while Yuwen Tuo stepped in at the very last second.
Xiao Xiao's face turned red with frustration. Sure, Huo Yuhao had almost been late too, but at least he looked panicked. How could Yuwen Tuo act as if he were out for a leisurely stroll?
"I'll scold you later. For now, come sit down quickly—the teacher's about to arrive!" Xiao Xiao grabbed Yuwen Tuo's arm and rushed him to their seats.
At the entrance of the large lecture hall, a middle-aged female teacher adjusted her glasses and muttered under her breath, "Yuwen Tuo and Huo Yuhao, huh? So these are the problem children—one is a specially recruited student from the Tang Sect, and the other… received a personal recommendation from the principal himself. Let's see what makes the two of you so special."
By now, the tiered lecture hall was packed with students. The classroom was massive, accommodating nearly a hundred students per class. With around a thousand new students this year, there would likely be about ten classes for the freshmen.
Not long after, an elderly woman entered through the doorway. Her appearance was rather unattractive, even slightly fierce, fitting the stereotype of a stern old teacher. She wore a long white robe and had an average build.
Despite her advanced age, she carried herself with perfect posture, striding briskly to the podium. Clearly, she was the instructor for this freshman class.
As soon as the teacher entered, the noisy chatter in the classroom immediately fell silent. All eyes focused on her.
Her gaze swept across the room from left to right. Under her piercing stare, every student felt an invisible pressure weighing down on them.
"My name is Zhou Yi, and I am your homeroom teacher—for now, at least. Because I don't know how many of you will remain in my class. Allow me to make one thing clear: in my class, trash will not pass my evaluations. I cultivate monsters, not ordinary people, and certainly not fools."
Teacher Zhou's voice was hoarse and already unpleasant to listen to, but combined with her icy, mocking tone, it sent chills down everyone's spines.
Upon hearing her words, anger flickered across the students' faces. They had earned recommendation letters from city lords to attend the academy, which meant they were carefully selected talents from various nations. Among their peers, they were undoubtedly exceptional. Yet, in Teacher Zhou's eyes, they were nothing more than fools and garbage.
"On another note," Teacher Zhou continued, her next statement baffling everyone. "All those who have gotten into fights since enrollment, stand up."
What kind of question was that? Who asks about fighting on the very first day of school? As freshmen, who would dare start a fight at Shrek Academy? And even if someone did, who would admit to it?
While the entire class remained silent, one person stood up—it was Huo Yuhao. He wasn't just being honest; he also sensed that the teacher might have ulterior motives.
Seeing Huo Yuhao rise, Wang Dong let out a snort and immediately stood up as well. If Huo Yuhao dared to admit it, why shouldn't she?
Out of the hundred students in the class, only these two stood up, instantly drawing all eyes toward them.
"Wow, so cool!"
Huo Yuhao's appearance didn't attract much attention, but Wang Dong was the kind of person who naturally became the center of attention wherever he went.
"Ah, I was so worried about Yuwen Tuo earlier that I didn't notice—Wang Dong is this good-looking too! He's no less handsome than Yuwen Tuo, and his charm is of a completely different type!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed in amazement.
Since Wang Dong was cross-dressing, his beauty leaned toward elegance and softness—the kind often labeled as "pretty boy" in Yuwen Tuo's previous life. He was the epitome of a classic handsome man.
On the other hand, Yuwen Tuo exuded a sunny, radiant aura. With his Flame Soul and the presence of the Xuanyuan Sword, his sharp eyebrows and starry eyes gave him a bold, striking demeanor. His attractiveness was entirely different from Wang Dong's.
"What? Are you spellbound, Xiao Xiao? Could it be you're into guys like Wang Dong?" Yuwen Tuo teased with a laugh.
He couldn't wait to see the look on the little loli's face when she realized the person she liked was actually a girl.
To his surprise, Xiao Xiao hurriedly denied it. "No, no, Yuwen Tuo, don't misunderstand! I'm not interested in Wang Dong at all!"
"Not interested?" Yuwen Tuo was taken aback. This twist in the plot was unexpected—she hadn't fallen for Wang Dong at first sight like in the original storyline.
"No, not at all! I just thought he looked good, so I glanced a few more times," Xiao Xiao insisted firmly. Inwardly, she mused, Elegance is desirable, but so is masculinity. When forced to choose between the two, I'd rather go for masculinity and abandon elegance.
Though Xiao Xiao was still superficially drawn to appearances, when faced with two equally attractive individuals, she found Yuwen Tuo's bold and masculine charm far more appealing than Wang Dong's feminine grace.
Moreover, Yuwen Tuo was skilled in music. Their duet on the qin and se instruments the other day still lingered vividly in her memory.
Rather than liking someone like Wang Dong, whom she hadn't even exchanged a word with, Xiao Xiao decided to seize the opportunity while everyone's attention was focused on him. She resolved to claim Yuwen Tuo for herself before others came to their senses and realized there was someone just as captivating nearby. After all, once the competition heated up, things would get much harder.
"Only two of you?" Teacher Zhou raised an eyebrow. "What a bunch of useless trash. Don't you know that avoiding trouble is a sign of mediocrity? Everyone else—get out of my sight and run one hundred laps around Shrek Plaza. Anyone who doesn't finish will be expelled immediately. Get out of Shrek Academy!"
Her words caused an uproar in the classroom. It was only the first day of school, and they hadn't even started class yet—how could they be punished for not getting into fights? Who could accept this?
But Yuwen Tuo's eyes lit up. "One hundred laps, and expulsion if we don't finish? Is there really such a good thing in the world?"