Douluo Continent: My name is Lu Mingfei, and my martial soul is Lu Mingze.

Old Song patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, go back now. Get some rest, classes start tomorrow. You've missed quite a few lessons this holiday, you need to catch up."

Lu Mingfei's face fell immediately. "They said it's a holiday, so why am I missing classes?"

"Mr. Song, could you—"

"cannot."

Lu Mingfei turned and walked out dejectedly.

Old Song opened the door of the Sea God Pavilion, and Lu Mingfei walked out.

In the corridor, Yan Shaozhe was standing against the wall, his face showing obvious impatience.

When he saw Lu Mingfei come out, his eyes lit up, but before he could speak, Old Song pulled Lu Mingfei past him.

"Mr. Song, I—"

"Shao Zhe, Elder Mu is waiting for you inside," Old Man Song said without turning around.

Yan Shaozhe opened his mouth, but swallowed back all the words that were about to come out.

He watched Lu Mingfei's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, feeling as if something had slipped through his fingers.

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Elder Mu closed his eyes again.

Yan Shaozhe walked in and stood in front of Elder Mu. Just as he was about to speak, Elder Mu raised his hand.

"Shao Zhe, I know what you want to say."

Yan Shaozhe was taken aback: "Elder Mu, I haven't—"

"You want Mingfei to switch to the Martial Soul Department." Elder Mu opened his eyes and looked at him.

"You want him to become a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department, and you want to personally teach him, right?"

Yan Shaozhe remained silent.

Old Mu was right; that's exactly what he thought.

Four external soul bones over 100,000 years old, level 30 soul power, and the talent of the original martial soul that has begun to show.

A student like this would be highly sought after by any sect.

He said that Shao Zhe was the dean of the Martial Soul Department, a titled Douluo of Shrek Academy, and an elder. It was reasonable for him to want to take Lu Mingfei as his disciple.

But Old Master Mu's next sentence shut down all his reasons.

"Back then, it was you who didn't want to choose Lu Mingfei."

Yan Shaozhe's body stiffened slightly.

Elder Mu's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to strike his heart: "When I asked him before, none of you were willing to take him in. His cultivation speed was slow, and his innate soul power level was low. You all thought he had no future. It was Elder Song who took him in and gave him a chance."

"Now that he has four soul bones, his soul power is increasing by leaps and bounds, and his original martial soul's talent is beginning to emerge, you want to take him back?"

Old Master Mu stared at Yan Shaozhe with a calm gaze, yet it sent a chill down Yan Shaozhe's spine.

"Shao Zhe, you can't act like that."

Yan Shaozhe lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

He wanted to defend himself, to say that the situation was different at the time, to say that the resources of the Martial Soul Department were limited and that it could not accept just any student, and he wanted to give many, many reasons.

Old Master Mu sighed, his voice softening slightly: "Shao Zhe, I know you're doing this for the good of the academy. Everyone wants a good prospect. But have you considered what Old Master Song will think if Ming Fei switches sides to you now? What will Ming Fei himself think?"

"He is a person, not a commodity. You can't just get rid of him or take him whenever you want."

Yan Shaozhe's shoulders slumped.

"Elder Mu, I understand."

Old Mu nodded and closed his eyes again.

Lu Mingfei returned to his dormitory, lay on his bed, and let out a long sigh.

I can finally take a break.

Then a golden light, a white light, and a green light flashed between his eyebrows.

Three figures appeared out of nowhere in the dormitory.

Lu Mingze sat in his chair with his legs crossed, looking like a big shot; Xue Di remained aloof as ever.

Hyotei was the most direct. He plopped down on Lu Mingfei's bed, took out a bag of barbecue from his storage bag, tore open the packaging, and started eating.

Lu Mingfei looked at the oil stain on his bed sheet, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

It's no use talking to her; this ancestor simply won't listen.

"Brother, there's something I want to ask you," Lu Mingze said, swirling his wine glass.

"What is it?"

"Why did we tell that old man and woman about us?"

Lu Mingfei was taken aback: "You mean Elder Mu and Elder Song?"

"Yes." Lu Mingze looked at him through the rim of the wine glass, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"You can say you don't know how Hyotei and Yuki-tei exist, and the matter of soul bones can be explained by innate awakening. Anyway, there are people in this world who are born with soul bones. Although four is a bit exaggerated, it's not entirely unreasonable."

He took a sip of red wine and continued, "What good will it do you to tell them these things?"

Lu Mingfei did not answer immediately.

He looked down at his hands; the skin was very white, and the fingertips had a touch of icy blue—the marks left by the Ice Emperor's sting.

"I believe them," Lu Mingfei said earnestly, raising his head.

Lu Mingze raised an eyebrow.

"Old Mu and Old Song have been very good to me." Lu Mingfei scratched his head, revealing that slightly silly smile.

"You know what I was like before. Back then, nobody wanted me except for Old Song who took me away."

"She taught me cultivation, gave me resources, and never took a single copper soul coin from me. Although she was a bit strict during training, I knew she did it for my own good."

Lu Mingfei's voice wasn't loud, but what he said was very honest.

"Old Master Mu is the same. He didn't need to bother with a nobody like me. How many geniuses in Shrek Academy are waiting for his guidance?"

"If someone is nice to me, I'll feel guilty if I don't tell them the truth."

Lu Mingze remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he laughed.

That smile wasn't the wicked smile one usually gives when scheming against someone, but a very faint smile with a touch of warmth.

"Brother, you're still the same."

"What do you mean, 'the same old thing'?"

"A pushover idiot."

Lu Mingfei chuckled and said, "I know."

"Then you still believe it?"

"Because it's worth it?" Lu Mingfei thought for a moment and then added.

"Besides, even if something really happens—"

He looked up at the three people in the room, a slightly sly smile on his face.

"Don't I still have my two older sisters and my reliable younger brother?"

Lu Mingze's expression visibly brightened.

He picked up his glass of red wine, lowered his head and took a sip, unable to suppress the urge to smile.

Although he tried his best to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, his eyes were full of undisguised smugness.

"You know how to talk," Lu Mingze snorted, his voice clearly showing his satisfaction.

Xue Di stood by the window and turned her head slightly after hearing these words.

A soft light flashed in his deep blue eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Hyotei's reaction was the most direct.

With half a piece of roasted meat stuffed in her mouth, she waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Alright, alright, I know you're good at flattering. Just be a good lord from now on and don't embarrass us."

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but laugh at her carefree attitude.

Then his smile froze on his face.

When Hyotei stretched, his clothes rode up a little, revealing a section of his fair and tender belly.

There was a very obvious layer of excess fat on that part of her lower abdomen.

It just piled up softly above the belt, round and plump, like a small swimming ring.

Lu Mingfei's eyes widened.

He stared at that layer of excess fat, with only one thought in his mind—that's all my money.

How much did we eat on our journey to Hyotei? Grilled meat, candied hawthorn, fried cakes—

Just thinking about it made him feel like the gold soul coins in his storage bag were crying.

And all those gold soul coins have now turned into the layer of flesh on Hyotei's belly.

Hyotei was enjoying their meal when they suddenly felt a gaze fall upon them.

She looked up and saw Lu Mingfei staring blankly at her stomach, his expression very complicated, probably like, "My money is gone, my money has turned into fat, my money has been eaten up."

Hyotei followed his gaze and looked down, noticing the layer of fat on her stomach.

Her face flushed red instantly.

It's not a shy red, it's an angry red.

"Lu Mingfei!"

With a wave of his hand, Hyotei's belly fat disappeared at a visible speed, returning to a flat and firm appearance.

But her anger did not diminish at all; she jumped out of bed and pounced on Lu Mingfei.

Before Lu Mingfei could explain, Hyotei tackled him to the ground.

Then the two of them started fighting.

After being crowned monarchs, the Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor, as subordinate rulers, could no longer use any offensive abilities against Lu Mingfei, their master.

Soul power cannot be used, soul skills cannot be used, and elemental control cannot be used to fight him.

She could only resort to the purest form of hand-to-hand combat.

Hyotei straddled Lu Mingfei: "Let me show you! Let me show you! What's wrong with me eating some of your food! I am the King of the Ocean and Water, whom you have appointed! What's wrong with eating some of your food?!"

Lu Mingfei shouted while shielding himself with his hand, "I only glanced at it! Just one glance! Besides, I bought it with my own money!"

"What's wrong with your money! Your money is my money!"

"Why should I?!"

"Because I am the king of the ocean and water! You are the lord! The lord's money is my money!"

"What kind of twisted logic is that!"

Lu Mingfei grabbed Hyotei's wrist, and the two rolled around on the floor.

Xue Di stood by the window, watching this scene.

She raised her hand, gently covered her mouth, and let out a very soft laugh.

The laughter was like a thin crack in the ice, or like the rare sunshine in the far north, cool yet warm.

Lu Mingze crossed his legs, held a glass of red wine, and watched the two people wrestling on the ground with a gratified smile on his face, like an old father watching his children fight.

"fine."