Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

At Shrek Academy, after feeding the injured Shrek members his special healing candies, Food-type Soul Saint Shao Xin reassured Flender,

"Boss Flender, don't worry. Their injuries aren't too severe. With my soul skill, they'll be back on their feet in no time."

Oscar, looking at the injured group with concern, asked,

"Headmaster, who beat them up so badly? Was it a Soul Ancestor bullying them?"

Flender sighed.

"If only it were just a Soul Ancestor. For the first time in years, I'm questioning my own teaching abilities. I never expected my students to be defeated by a mere Grandmaster-level Soul Master... Even if he did have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's support."

Oscar suddenly realized something. Noticing that Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were absent, he stammered,

"F-Flender… Could it be that Rongrong helped someone beat them up? And that person… was that kid with the sword from the other day?"

Flender silently nodded.

Oscar gasped. Is this guy even human?!

And from the way Flender spoke, it sounded like this "kid" had fought alone—against four opponents! Even with Ning Rongrong's support, it was still two versus four.

Moreover, Oscar had heard of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's buffs. With Ning Rongrong's soul power in the low twenties, her attribute boosts would be at most 30%. And yet, even with just that, the four Shrek members had been utterly crushed!

Oscar cautiously asked,

"Headmaster… That guy… He must've suffered some injuries too, right? Maybe lost an arm or a leg?"

Flender rolled his eyes.

"His soul power was overexerted, and his blood circulation was disturbed. Does that count?"

Oscar was speechless. He wanted to say something but held back. After a moment, he asked,

"Headmaster, will Rongrong be coming back to school?" His eyes held a hint of hope.

It was only natural for a young man like him to be drawn to Ning Rongrong's stunning beauty.

Flender shook his head slowly. Firstly, given how badly things had turned out, Ning Rongrong might not want to return. Secondly, even if she had fallen for Shen An, she would never be interested in Oscar—a support-type soul master.

Just then, Zhao Wuji stormed in, his face full of concern as he looked at the four injured students on the bed, especially Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun—his personally trained pupils.

"Dee! Mubai still hasn't recovered from his old injuries, and now he's got new ones?! Flender, who did this? Did you at least avenge them?! This is a slap in Shrek Academy's face!"

Zhao Wuji bellowed.

Flender could only give a bitter smile. If it had been a higher-ranked opponent bullying them, he wouldn't have hesitated to step in. But the problem was that the one who did this was just a Grandmaster-level soul master… So he had no choice but to explain the situation again.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Wuji wasn't even surprised. Instead, he fell into deep thought.

Flender raised an eyebrow.

"You're… not shocked?"

Zhao Wuji spoke in a heavy voice,

"Remember when that kid first fought Mubai? At the end, I threw a punch at his sword."

"I didn't use soul power, but he still felt the impact. And yet, my fist was pierced straight to the bone. His martial soul is too overbearing—I've never seen anything like it."

"In fact… I suspect even the famed Seven Killing Sword might not be as formidable."

Flender fell silent.

If a high-level Soul Saint like Zhao Wuji could be injured by a mere Grandmaster-level sword user—without even breaking his skin but piercing to the bone—then Flender wasn't sure if his students could ever reclaim their dignity.

Sigh…

Early in the morning, Chef Tom donned his chef's robe and tall hat, working diligently in the kitchen. Since the household had gained another mouth to feed, he prepared extra dishes.

Shen An had been too exhausted the previous night and had gone to bed early. When he woke up, he instinctively checked his fame points.

Wait… How many?!

From zero, his fame points had skyrocketed to thirty thousand!

With his teahouse already well-known in Soto City, its fame had begun to plateau. But just two battles in the Soul Arena had brought him such an overwhelming increase in reputation!

Of course, much of this was thanks to Pang Tao's promotions. Before leaving, Shen An had struck a deal with him regarding future collaborations with the Soul Arena.

Pang Tao valued the prestige of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Shen An's undefeated record among peers. Shen An, on the other hand, saw the Soul Arena as a goldmine for earning fame. It was a perfect match.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong lazily got out of bed. After a quick wash, she was immediately greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of food, making her eyes sparkle with excitement.

Just the smell alone is so delicious… I didn't expect Shen An to be so good at cooking. A man who can cook is definitely attractive!

But as she walked downstairs, she realized—Oh, it was actually Tom…

The hardworking, all-purpose house-cat butler.

At the dining table, Shen An had initially planned to discuss their situation with Shrek Academy. After all, they had beaten those guys so badly that reconciliation was impossible.

However, because Tom's cooking was too good, the two girls were too busy stuffing their faces to pay attention to him.

Shen An had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks, using them like a sword—executing precise, swift strikes to snatch food before it was all devoured.

By the time the dishes were wiped clean, Ning Rongrong leaned back in her chair, rubbing her slightly round belly with satisfaction.

"Shen An, no wonder you refuse to sell Tom. There's no way another cat like him exists on this continent!"

Shen An coughed.

"Even if Tom was completely useless, wrecked the house every day, I still wouldn't sell him."

Hearing Ning Rongrong's praise, Tom first grinned smugly, ready to modestly wave it off as if he were just an ordinary house cat.

But then, upon hearing Shen An's words, he turned to look at his owner with teary, emotional eyes.

Boss… If you say things like that, I'll be so happy! My biggest fear is getting thrown out or sold off…

Zhu Zhuqing, watching Tom's dramatic reaction, twitched at the corner of her mouth.

This dumb cat… Shen An just said a few words, and you're already this touched? Are you that easy to fool?

Still, she believed that no matter what, Shen An would never actually sell Tom. The bond between them was something inexplicable.

"Anyway," Shen An finally brought the conversation back on track, "are you two really planning to continue attending Shrek Academy?"

Before they could answer, he continued,

"The Shrek members already had problematic personalities. Even before any grudges existed, they nearly injured Zhuqing with a sneak attack in the Soul Arena."

"And yesterday, I beat them so badly that if you go back, even if the teachers don't hold a grudge, your time there won't be pleasant."

"Not to mention, they're not weak. If they hold a grudge and ambush you while I'm not around, it could be dangerous."

His words were mainly directed at Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong had the backing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—Shrek wouldn't dare go too far. But Zhu Zhuqing was different.

Moreover, Ning Rongrong had only joined on a whim. Now that conflicts had arisen, she would likely return to her clan. But Zhu Zhuqing? She wanted strength above all else. If she left Shrek Academy… where else could she go?

As expected, Ning Rongrong shrugged indifferently. She didn't really care.

But Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip, hesitating.

Everything Shen An said was right—he was thinking entirely for her sake.

Her heart wavered.