บท 90: Chapter 89: When we were young
The sky slowly turned more brighter as noon came.
Skysea Stadium, box seven.
This seating belonged to the VIPs in attendance. A towering glass screen faced the stadium, allowing those within a clear view of the battles. The glass screen also doubled as a soul screen that let the occupants select any match to watch. It didn't matter if those battles were in progress or had ended.
Currently, two people stood in front of the screen. One was a man with long hair, snow white strands drifting in the wind and blending in with his pure white attire—Wu Zhangkong.
Standing beside him was a lady about twenty-six years old. She was extremely pretty with a head of exotic long white hair. She was clad in dark green sportswear. Her viridian eyes twinkled with both vitality and ferocity.
Her white hair and Wu Zhangkong's white robes seemed perfectly coordinated.
"Senior brother, just who was that disciple of yours?" The pale haired woman asked with a serious expression.
"...His name is Xiu Ye and he is my disciple, that's all you need to know." Wu Zhangkong indifferently said.
The snow haired girl was speechless.
She pouted, "Senior brother, don't be so cold and mysterious. I thought that phase of yours was gone when you dated Long Bing." she sighed. "Looks like I was wrong."
Wu Zhangkong's lips twitched. 'This girl...'
He let out a sigh. "Xiu Ye, age ten, almost eleven. Estimated soul rank is 31 and spiritual power is over nine thousand. His martial soul is called Flowing Blade-Like Flame, from what I had gathered up it's a sword type martial soul with a fire attribute. It is also a bit of a mystery since what we've seen in the competition, and during the rare times he uses a weapon, he's been using a soul weapon he personally forged and not his martial soul. I only know that his cousin, Tang Wulin and his former old classmates from two years ago, were the last people who've seen his martial soul. His martial arts, swordsmanship and combat experience are above mine as well, I also theorized that he also have skills in weapons other than the sword as–"
"Wait! Wait. Wait. Wait! What?!" The lady waved her arms around in a panic, interrupting Wu Zhangkong. She stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Senior brother, Zhangkong, what the hell?! Please tell me you're joking. Or your drunk, high or exaggerating?"
Wu Zhangkong raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Do I look and act like someone which you just described?"
"...What about the time when we were still Shrek outer students and you came into the classroom, drunk as hell, and started bragging about getting a double BJ from a pair of hot twin upperclassmen?
"...I was both young and dumb. And I thought I told you to never talk about that!" He looked away, ashamed.
The snow haired lady giggled. "Hehe. Sorry. I still can't believe that you're still a virgin with all the crap you did during your youth. Which, by the way, I'm still surprise that Long Bing didn't beat your ass up for doing those."
Wu Zhangkong turned rigid, a flash of pain, bitterness and longing appeared in his eyes. "Long Bing was a very forgiving and patient woman, she was someone who saw the best in me and the reason why..." he bit his lower lip, no longer saying anything.
"Senior brother..."
Wu Zhangkong shook his head, his expression turning back to indifference. "Forget about it. Shen Yi, get to the point on why you called for me here."
The lady named Shen Yi stared at her senior brother for a moment, remembering the time when he wasn't so cold and distant; a time when he was so bright and easygoing. Oh how time and certain circumstances changes people.
She sighed and her expression turned serious. "Senior brother, I have two very important things to tell you. What I'm going to tell you involves your students."
Wu Zhangkong narrowed his eyes and nodded, telling her to go on.
"The first is that I want those students of yours to be enrolled into the Shrek Academy through our special recommendation, you know what that is right? After all, you did enter the academy through a special recommendation as well."
Wu Zhangkong nodded. "I agree."
Shen Yi was surprised. "Eh? I would have thought that you would have disagreed and have them enroll into Shrek normally."
"Yes. I would have them do that but their talents and abilities are just too absurd, especially Xiu Ye, and when they take the enrollment tests in three years time there is no doubt in my mind that they would pass the tests with flying colors and probably even set a new record. That's what they could do with my teachings in three years, Shen Yi. Think about the academy training them in three years instead of me? I may have my pride, and issues of what happened in the past, but I wouldn't hesitate to beg for our teacher to take my students in through the special recommendation."
Shen Yi was stunned. She knew the issues Wu Zhangkong had with not only their teacher but the entire staff of Shrek Academy; for he partially blamed them for the death of Long Bing. But for him to swallow his pride and bitterness...
She took a deep breath in to calm down her emotions. "Ok, I'll tell the academy that we'll be getting some new students and a new teacher."
"Thank-"
Wu Zhangkong raised an eyebrow at the last words she said before his eyes widened in realization. He spun in his heel to face his junior sister and took a step forward. His form trembling.
"Shen Yi, what did you say?"
A sad smile appeared on Shen Yi's face, tears in her eyes. "Teacher misses you senior brother and so do I. Please, come back to the academy."
Wu Zhangkong shook his head and looked away. "I told you Shen Yi, I'm not going back there."
Shen Yi's eyes hardened. "Then I won't mention your students to the academy. They can try their best in three years time when the enrollment begins."
He tried to hide his wince but Shen Yi knew him long enough to see through his tough act. He balled his hands into fists for a brief moment, hesitation and frustration in his eyes, before his fists went slack. Letting out a sigh he faced her once more.
"...Alright, I'll go back to the academy." He said with a resigned tone of voice.
Shen Yi's expression softened and a flash of guilt appeared in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something to him, to apologize maybe, but she shut her mouth after seconds of silence between them.
She stared into his eyes and so did he, both remembering a time when everything was simple. A time when the most that they would be concerned about was building their own Battle Armors and fighting against their classmates or schoolmates to pass their exams.
It was a time when they spent the best years in their lives.
'You haven't changed.' Wu Zhangkong thought.
'But now... you changed.' Shen Yi felt tears in her eyes. She didn't know when but she had stepped closer to Wu Zhangkong, standing in front of him, and holding his left hand with both of her hands between them.
It was cold as ice. His porcelain like white hand, looking fragile yet masculine at the same time. It was like holding onto the hand of a ice doll than a very alive man.
Yet as she hold his hand, eyes closed and head lowered, Shen Yi could only feel the familiar warmth she remembers dearly.
'Senior brother...'
Thump...Thump
Ahh...Why?
Thump...Thump
Even when many years passed.
Thump....Thump
Even when his heart is already set on a woman long dead.
Thump....Thump
Even when she promised to herself that she would moved on.
Thump...Thump
Her heart would always beat loudly for the man in front of her.
"Shen Yi..." Wu Zhangkong muttered lowly, his expression twisted into pain. He already knew what her feelings was for him. She told him after all, and he rejected her. He already had his heart set on Long Bing even before they had met. He closed his eyes. 'If my heart hadn't already been frozen... Yi'er.'
They remained in that position as silence down upon them.
"Ahh! Just let go of each other already!" Unknown to both, a certain brunette ghost was biting down hard on a napkin as she glared daggers at the two.
Shen Yi snapped out of her thoughts and immediately let go of Wu Zhangkong's hand. She turned her head away, cheeks flushed.
'W-What was I doing?!'
She coughed into her fist.
"Senior brother, um, sorry."
"Ah." Wu Zhangkong glance to the side, his ears strangely pink. He tucked both of his hands into pockets and he seem to stand straighter. "Don't worry about it."
Strangely that did the opposite and made her feel even more embarrassed.
"Ah, how about let's pretend that didn't happen just now?"
"Hm."
She let out a relieve sigh. She didn't know why but if she hadn't snapped out of her thoughts, something dangerous would happen to her.
Her expression soon however turned serious.
"Senior brother. About the second matter that I would like to talk about... This not only concerns about your students but everyone in this tournament."
Wu Zhangkong raised his eyebrows. "And that's because?"
"We received word from certain channels that a dangerous evil soul master has been spotted here in the tournament."
...
"Winner!"
Was announced by the referee as soon as the teen male body of one of the three-man team of Seasonal Team dropped down on the ground unconscious. Soots and burn marks clear on his body as well as his other two teammates, who were all down on the floor unconscious.
"Yay! We won!" Both Mu Xi and Xu Xiaoyan excitedly proclaimed as they threw their hands up in the air, their lips peeled back to reveal their perfect pearly white teeth smiles.
Xiu Ye clapped his hands as he walked towards them with a smile. "Good work girls."
Mu Xi spun around in her heel, facing Xiu Ye, she stuck out her tongue. "Bleh! Well, of course. We were the only ones who fought after all, you lazy teacher!"
"Senior sister is right! Go girl power!" Xu Xiaoyan gigglingly said.
Xiu Ye rolled his eyes as they turned to walk out of the stage. "You both know just how much of a hack I am. I could finish that match, any match for that matter, in a matter of seconds with my martial skills. Not to mention my spiritual power–"
His eyes widened and froze. What was that?! He whipped his head around towards the audience, his eyes sharply focused. A surge of his spiritual power burst out of his body and covered the stadium.
In a brief moment ago, Xiu Ye had sensed a powerful aura. Although it was for a moment, it was one that he haven't ever sensed before.
It was thick, black and loud. It was a complete mass of sounds mashed together if the sounds were strings and put together into a ball of yarn.
He has never sensed this kind of aura before but he could easily guess the nature of the aura being evil.
Cold sweat dropped down Xiu Ye's face.
'What's an evil soul master doing here?!'
Unnoticed by him, a red haired, tied into twin tail, teenage girl was smirking in his direction.
'I. Found. You.'
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