Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect: Starting with a Bond to God King Tang San

Chapter 61 An Accidental Encounter with Zhang Lexuan

After changing his clothes, Deng Mu went to the inner courtyard canteen. While completing the formalities, he asked for directions to the canteen.

He learned from his teacher that the meat in the inner courtyard canteen came from soul beasts and was said to be delicious, but he had never eaten it and did not know the specifics.

Deng Mu hurried along the winding bluestone path, past several ornately decorated pavilions, and finally saw the vermilion gate of the canteen, with the two large characters "Canteen" boldly engraved on the plaque above it.

Upon entering the dining hall, Deng Mu was somewhat surprised by what he saw. The hall's ceiling was adorned with grand scenes of numerous soul beasts hunting and fighting, which, under the bright lights, seemed to move about as if they were alive, adding to the fantastical atmosphere.

The tables and chairs are arranged neatly, and most of them are made of heavy solid wood.

I couldn't help but sigh that the outer courtyard and the inner courtyard were worlds apart. The outer courtyard didn't even have a single chair, while the inner courtyard was clearly the result of a lot of effort.

However, there weren't many students in the cafeteria; they were probably in class or training. This was somewhat similar to the daily routine of university in my previous life. However, here, there was significantly more free time to arrange things independently outside of studies and cultivation.

Deng Mu walked towards the food serving window, the sound of his shoes hitting the ground clearly echoing in the empty hall.

Behind the window, the chefs were busy working in an orderly manner. Steam rose from the stove, and various cooking utensils clattered together. The rich aroma of meat wafted through the air, wafting into the nostrils and making one's mouth water.

After ordering a few dishes, Deng Mu found a seat and sat down to eat.

"good."

Deng Mu took a few bites and silently evaluated the food in his mind.

If Wang Dong knew this, he would probably be extremely envious.

After finishing his meal, Deng Mu left the cafeteria and wandered aimlessly through the inner courtyard, trying to familiarize himself with the academy.

As they passed the training ground, one person caught Deng Mu's attention.

The other person had long black hair that reached her waist, a delicate face that was fair and flawless, and a quiet and gentle temperament.

"Senior Lexuan, you're amazing!"

"Of course, Senior Sister Lexuan is a genius of Shrek Academy."

Several students were whispering about Zhang Lexuan a short distance away.

Upon learning that the other person was Zhang Lexuan, Deng Mu looked at her with some surprise, not expecting to run into Zhang Lexuan by such a coincidence.

He remembered that Zhang Lexuan liked Beibei, but Beibei treated him like family.

Bei Bei's life is pretty much set in stone. She's destined to be one of the Seven Devils of the New Generation, then she'll go to the competitions to build her reputation, take the Inner Academy entrance exam, marry her senior sister, and steadily succeed Yan Shaozhe as the next leader of the Sea God Pavilion. If nothing unexpected happens, the next leader will either be Bei Bei or her senior sister.

Because Tang Ya suddenly appeared, and then Huo Yuhao appeared, all the preparations were ruined. Now, his appearance seems to have changed the situation.

These things are none of his business. He should just focus on doing his own thing and, incidentally, try to save the lives of those he's close to.

Moreover, the two of them probably won't have much contact in the future.

With that thought in mind, Deng Mu stopped looking at Zhang Lexuan and walked towards the dormitory area.

"Um?"

When Deng Mu was almost at his dormitory, he was slightly taken aback when he saw Ma Xiaotao standing at his door.

Ma Xiaotao's signature long red hair swayed gently in the breeze, like dancing flames. She stood at the doorway with her arms crossed.

After regaining his senses, Deng Mu approached Ma Xiaotao with a smile and said, "Sister Xiaotao, what brings you here?"

The last time they met was in the Star Dou Great Forest. They hadn't seen each other since then. At that time, Ma Xiaotao was reluctant to let him go and asked him to come to Shrek Academy to find her.

Ma Xiaotao looked at Deng Mu, a smile playing on her lips, and said, "What, can't I come and see you, kid? I heard you entered the inner courtyard, so I wanted to see how you're doing."

Deng Mu scratched his head and replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Xiaotao. I've just entered the inner courtyard and am still getting to know everything."

With that, he opened the dormitory door and invited Ma Xiaotao in.

Once inside the dormitory, Ma Xiaotao looked around before plopping down on the sofa. Her long, fiery red hair cascaded down her back, making her appear even more flamboyant and carefree.

Deng Mu stood to the side and said, "Sister Xiao Tao, I don't have much to offer you, just some ordinary tea." He then went to pour the tea.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Ma Xiaotao waved her hand and said with a smile, "Why are you being so polite with me? I'm not here to freeload. I just wanted to ask you if you're adjusting well to the inner courtyard. It's not as simple as the outer courtyard; there are tons of experts here."

Deng Mu handed the tea to Ma Xiaotao, sat down next to her, and said earnestly, "Yes, I know, Sister Xiaotao. I'm slowly getting used to the environment, and I can feel that the competition here is quite fierce, but I will try my best to keep up with everyone."

Ma Xiaotao took a sip of tea, put the teacup on the table, pinched Deng Mu's cheek, and said, "Thank you so much for that day. If it weren't for you, a few students might have died because of me."

Deng Mu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sister Xiao Tao, what are you saying? In that situation, I certainly couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Anyone else would have stepped in to help."

Ma Xiaotao gently shook her head, her eyes serious: "Don't say that. When that evil fire flared up, I couldn't control it myself. If you hadn't appeared in time and used that special method to suppress it for me, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Those students would have been in danger, and I would have felt so guilty."

Remembering what the teacher said to Deng Mu that day, his face flushed.

She had already woken up, but because her teacher and Deng Mu were talking about her, she pretended to be still asleep and eavesdropped on their conversation. She only woke up after Deng Mu left.

Seeing Ma Xiaotao suddenly blush, Deng Mu was a little puzzled and asked, "Sister Xiaotao, why are you blushing so much?"

Ma Xiaotao glared at Deng Mu and said reproachfully, "I'm not blushing, it's just that it's too hot."

Hearing Ma Xiaotao's obvious excuse, Deng Mu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Sister Xiaotao, it's quite cool in here, there's no hot weather at all."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's face turned even redder. She raised her hand as if to hit Deng Mu and said, "Hmph, you dare to tease me? I said it's hot, and that's it. Why all the nonsense?"

Deng Mu smiled and nodded in agreement with Ma Xiaotao, but inwardly he found her appearance both adorable and amusing. He didn't want to truly anger Ma Xiaotao, after all, when Sister Xiaotao got angry, she could be quite difficult to handle.

Seeing that Deng Mu no longer objected, Ma Xiaotao snorted and leaned back on the sofa, crossing her arms. However, the blush on her face had not completely faded, making her look rather charming.

(End of this chapter)