Another Kind of Genius

"Xiao Shen?" Flender asked.

She looked up. "My father was Huo Wushuang."

"Huo Wushuang, wasn't he Huo Wu's older brother?" Yu Xiaogang asked.

Flender and Liu Erlong nodded. Watching them, Ru Shenqi asked, "I- I have an aunt?"

"Yes," Yu Xiaogang answered. "Huo Wu should be a teacher at the School of Four Elements. She's from their Chi Huo¹炽火 - "Blazing" Branch."

"I- I can't believe it. I- I have an aunt," she murmured. "I still have family."

"Xiao Shen, who's your mother?" Liu Erlong asked softly.

"My mother was Ru Zuanshi²茹钻石 - given name meaning "Diamond"."

All three spirit masters faces paled.

Flender spoke hurriedly, "Xiao Shen, never tell anyone else who your mother was. Do you understand me?"

"Dean, why? What's wrong?"

"We will tell you when you're older and can understand better," Yu Xiaogang cut in. "But for now, promise us that you won't tell anyone."

Seeing she had no chance, she nodded. "I promise."

"Good. Erlong, take Xiao Shen to meet the others."

Liu Erlong stepped forward with a gentle smile on her face. "Come, I will take you to the dormitory."

Ru Shenqi followed her back to the school. On the way, she asked, "Vice Dean Liu, will the others accept me? I- I didn't really get along with the children at Vast Sea City Primary Academy."

"All of you children are monsters. You are just a little more so. Don't worry, if I can't keep others from bullying you, then my name isn't Liu Erlong!"

Feeling reassured, Ru Shenqi entered the dormitory area with the tyrannical Slaughtering Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle. She was placed into Dormitory Three, which housed three other female students.

Walking inside, another sense of relief washed over her. Liao Suyin turned around and smiled. The other two girls, though, stared at her in surprise. Liu Erlong cleared her throat.

"This is Ru Shenqi. She'll be your new roommate. I'll leave her to do her introductions."

Then, Liu Erlong rested a hand on Ru Shenqi's shoulder. "Don't be scared, Xiao Shen."

She exited the dorm room, closing the door behind her. Liao Suyin stepped forward. "What a coincidence! You're actually our new roommate."

After knowing everything and gotten to know her somewhat well, Liao Suyin had no qualms about Ru Shenqi staying in Dormitory Three. Ru Shenqi bowed slightly.

"Hello, Senior Sisters, you can just call me Xiao Shen."

The other two girls, not more than eleven years old, eyed her warily. They could sense a tyrannical power emanating from her.

"How old are you?" one of the two girls asked.

Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail by a black ribbon. Her yellow eyes were sharp and keen.

"I'm eight this year."

"Only eight?" the other girl asked. "Shouldn't you be with the Junior Sisters?"

"I don't know why Vice Dean Liu placed me here."

Liao Suyin cut in, "It's because we're sorted based on connections. Since you and I know each other, Xiao Shen, you were placed here in Dormitory Three. I entered Shrek Academy with these sisters. We all came from the same Primary Academy."

"Oh, I see."

The other girl hmphed. She had raven black hair with a small white streak down the left side. Her light brown eyes were alert and cold.

"Uh, let me introduce these Senior Sisters to you," Liao Suyin spouted quickly, trying to reduce the tensions in the room. Pointing to the girl with raven black hair, she said, "This is Shu Jiaxiang³舒假象 - given name meaning "Illusion"."

Shu Jiaxiang tipped her head ever so slightly. "Shu Jiaxiang, spirit Shadow Cheetah, twenty third ranked Power Attack and Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

"This is Bai Shanxin⁴白善心 - given name meaning "Benevolence"."

Bai Shanxin, the other girl, stepped forward. "Bai Shanxin, spirit Needle-Tailed Swift, twenty third ranked Agility Attack Battle System Spirit Master."

"Suyin, these Senior Sisters are even more impressive than you are!" Ru Shenqi catered.

Liao Suyin chuckled. "Yes, I had a slight setback in cultivating, so I reached twenty first ranked slower than them."

"Mei mei," Shu Jiaxiang began. "What's your spirit?"

Ru Shenqi smiled. "Ru Shenqi, spirit Clear Crystal Eyes, forty eighth ranked Control System Battle Spirit Master."

Bai Shanxin and Shu Jiaxiang's eyes widened in unison. They cried in disbelief, "FORTY EIGHTH RANK?!"

Grinning, her spirit rings released. Four black rings.

Liao Suyin turned to her sisters. "Xiao Shen truly is a monster among us. If we can all be friends, that will be great. Our ages aren't that far apart."

Silence.

The other two couldn't find their words. It was really too much of a shock to them. A knock on the door jolted them from their daze.

"Who is it?" Bai Shanxin called.

She got two answers.

"Yong."

"Youyou."

Liao Suyin walked over and opened the door. "Yong, Youyou, look. Xiao Shen lives with us."

The two boys entered the room. "Xiao Shen."

"Yong-ge, Youyou-ge."

They waved it off. "We're classmates now, and maybe even teammates in the future."

"You can just call me Yong."

"You can just call me Youyou."

Happiness blossomed inside Ru Shenqi. "Okay!"

Realizing that they were outnumbered, Bai Shanxin and Shu Jiaxiang stepped closer.

"Xiao Shen, is it alright if we call you that?"

She nodded.

"Xiao Shen, welcome to Dormitory Three."

<><><>

Meanwhile, back in the Dean's office, Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, and Zhao Wuji were planning for the future.

"Xiaogang," Flender began. "If Xiao Shen can get along with the others of Shrek's great new generation, what will our team force be like in the future? Won't the coins be raking in then?"

Liu Erlong looked like she wanted to slap him. She roared, "Is that all you see Xiao Shen as? A money making tool?!"

"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! Of course I care about her, I'm just saying."

Yu Xiaogang sighed and shook his head. "This child really is too rare. Her strength at such a young age is unparalleled. But that also comes with consequences. The Advanced Spirit Master Battle Competition comes upon us in four years. Xiao Shen will only be twelve then, two years younger than Zhuqing was. Will she be exploited? How many will want to eliminate her, like with Xiao San? It's too risky to have her join this group. If she trains with the children her age, perhaps things won't be as frightful."

"Plus," Zhao Wuji added. "There's only six of them right now, including Xiao Shen. That's not enough to fulfill the team requirement. Perhaps... another genius will pop up in the not too distant future."

"We also don't want to show our full strength, just like with the Shrek Seven Devils. These kids, after what you've been saying Flender, really are too tyrannical this time around. I'm afraid the other academies will also try to defeat us as early as possible, just because of the last time with Xiao San and the others. There hasn't been an Advanced Spirit Master Battle Competition since their generation," Liu Erlong commented.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in agreement. "We'll need to find them substitutes, just like before. Suitable ones."

"Shrek Academy is not lacking in students!" Flender cried. "Surely we have some good little monsters! Or otherwise, why did I start Shrek Academy?!"

Everyone chuckled, placating him.

"Our first priority now," Yu Xiaogang sighed. "Is to find the last member suitable for this generation's team."