What now?

Five days later and no news of the attack, he went to the Tang sect to join them as he needed a spirit soul and his relations to Spirit Pagoda were not exactly good.

But one thing was to be celebrated that he had somehow succeeded stopping Qiangu Dongfeng from doing anything that he may have wanted to do.

'Or maybe Qiangu Dongfeng never planned to harm Shrek and his actual priority was something entirely else. Something that I don't know.'

'No point crying over spoiled milk, let's focus on the present.'

Fan Lin gave a simple combat demonstration that was the same as the protagonist Tang Wulin and became a verified member on the same date due to Shrek's recommendation.

Now that he was a part of the Tang Sect, he got a basic layout of the Tang Sect of the Legend of the Dragon King. It was split into the inner and outer sects. The outer sect had nine classes, all given the title of 'associate'. The inner sect was divided into five halls: the Power Hall, Speed Hall, Defense Hall, Enforcement Hall, and Elder Hall.

Moreover, the outer sect took on the form of a company called the Dazzling Era Tang Sect Corporation. A class four associate would then be the equivalent of a company manager, while a class five associate would take on the role of a department director.

The Tang Sect was very strict when it came to recruiting disciples. Every single candidate needed to have a field they specialized in, as well as a recommendation from an outer sect associate of class six or above. One could only take the entrance exam after fulfilling these requirements.

Fan Lin didn't know this before but he now did and he didn't give a single thought about it. He had his own reasons for joining it and he will follow it up. He had to finish what he had started.

As for who might have recommended him, he wanted to know but had no way to and if he knew, he would act in a more polite way to Elder Cai.

When she was informed that he went to the Tang sect without anyone's recommendation. She contacted the Tang Sect to take him in on her behalf. That's why he was accepted quite easily. Backdoor entry was always possible.

Since he had gotten in the Tang Sect quite easily, he also went forward and chose his purple demon eyes as his first free Tang sect technique. He wanted to increase his spirit power as soon as he could. Alas! He didn't know of the things that were done to him but soon he will. In a few years or so.

He then opened up the resource list and checked the price of the hundred thousand year old spirit souls.

'Can I use my money?'

Fan Lin thought, went to the missions hall, selected all the resources mission at 50000 contribution points, and Mecha designing tasks at 150k and left the Tang Sect. Turns out hundred thousand year old spirit souls were really costly and they were not accepting his money.

He then returned to his students dormitory, ordered all the resources from the suppliers outside the Shrek city and began to design some of the tasks. The resources will be delivered in a few days and he will submit the designing tasks on that day as well.

In a few hours all the news channels will show the 'corrupt government officials live'. It had already been 9 hours since the document was sent and purposely forged. The Federation should had already taken action and the media might be already on their way to those people's houses. The world will be a little chaotic once again but this time for the better.

All was going as planned.

At least that seemed to be the case until a few hours later, the supposed scenarios didn't happen. 

There were no news, no commotion and no coverage of the corrupt. Nothing happened. 

'Hmmmm'

'Betrayal it seems. Okay. Let's use the toxin. ' 

He took out a small candy and ate it. His eyes calmer that it should be. He looked at the small forest that surrounded him and his body delved into unconsciousness. He was asleep. Will be for a long while.

.....

Nine days later.

Afternoon.

Fan Lin woke up from his beauty slumber and silently stared at the bright sunlight that was shining on him.

"My eyes are burning." 

He apathetically spoke after an hour of staring like wasn't the obvious thing.

He took a deep breath and left the area. The toxin was released and now he needed to check if he was actually betrayed or not and then on how much time he actually had till the destruction of Shrek since the situation was such that it wasn't making any sense.

If his men hadn't betrayed him, then the news should have been out and his body should have been surrounded by Shrek's upper staff when he awakened from his slumber.

"Qiangu Dongfeng also hadn't made any move so either he needed more preparation and I just assisted in only a small portion of it and I am making a hill out of nothing or..."

"Qiangu Dongfeng may have nothing to do with the destruction of Shrek and he was just another Bad guy and his men had either died or betrayed him for a completely unknown third party."

"Whatever."

He got up, did some ineffective stretches and casually took out some water to dump on him. He then casually walked away to the working students dorms to on the world since a lot of time has passed between his 9 days of cutey sleep.

"Why am I even joking at this? The joke's good though."

.....

Food Hall.

'So apparently, my trustworthy men had been brought of by Qiangu Dongfeng and he had been threatening me for the ledger for all this time I was sleeping. My workers changed sides before my though.'

'And obviously they didn't do the work and even erased the evidences that I provide. Even though they were fake it took effort to create them, okay?' 

"But I am kinda in a hard place now, ain't I?"

'That Quality Dongfeng had put the Holy Spirit Cult on my back saying that I am a soul beast incarnation. Really? That's the best lie bait that you could prepare. Just tell them the amount of money that I have and what they could use if for and I am pretty sure they will attack Shrek just for me. Pathetic.'

"So contrary to what I have thought, he truly played me."

'I was thinking that I was making a profit by asking him for Battle Armour and Spirit Ascension Platform but while I was focused on those, he stole my men, crippled my intelligence network and had legitimate proof that I am the actual massacre.'

"And all I was paying attention was the Battle Armour. Can't say I underestimated someone and got the smaller end of the stick. One more plate of sliced apples." 

'But even ignoring all that, I still got some small wins. I have money, better soul skills and the animosity of the Spirit Pagoda and the Holy Spirit Cult. The sarcasm in my thoughts really hurts me a lot.'

"On a completely unrelated note, at least I know who to put my trust in now. I am never trusting myself again."

'Now now, no need to be so pessimistic about myself just this yet. I had somehow stopped Qiangu Dongfeng from doing anything. Okay it wasn't my doing and he just somehow hadn't done anything and probably won't do anything for a long time. He either must be waiting for the opportune time where some special destiny gate will open and he will blah blah his way to it but now, everything was smooth.'

'On that note, Ain't I basically trapped in this city till its destruction as well. Qiangu Dongfeng knows about me but so do I. He definitely won't do anything to me outside this city, right?'

'Then the Holy Spirit Cult and the possible chance of the Federation as well....'

"Whatever. Not like I could be absent for more than three days in a year anyways. I will survive here. Thrive here. I will use their skins to wipe the tears that I would cause them later on."

"Here's your order." 

"Thanks." 

"I need some fresh honey as well. Do you have some?" 

"We do. How much?"

"50 kgs."

"...we don't have that much."

"Then however much you have." 

I said to the chef and ate the apples that I was given. I should stop talking to myself in the public. 

'I will burn those traitors as well.'

...

A few days later.

The 15 days of the exams were over and since it was the protagonist's class all of them passed.

And despite the hundreds of weird things that the hundred other students had done during the 15 days of their semester exams, only one student was fined for immoral behaviour, property damage and terrorism. Guess who?

"At this point, you just want money from me, right?" 

I looked at the ever stern and stiff Elder Cai.

"I am punishing you fairly my child... and don't bring Tang Wulin's example, you don't want to go there."

She said to me while taking a sip of her unknown tea and just gave her a thumbs up and paid the fine. Considering nearly two organisations are after me, it won't hurt to back down and not create any more enemies that I already have. 

Money wouldn't be transferrable to my next life anyways.

"What do you want to do now?" 

As I was leaving the office, Elder Cai asked me. 

"What would you like me to do?" 

I asked in return, with not my emotionless tone but the apathetic one. My question was not a taunt or sarcasm. I had genuinely asked her that considering even I don't have a rough idea on what do I do next. 

Every step I took could pretty much destroy everything that I have worked hard for and I don't know anymore. My desires are big but my strength is nowhere enough to achieve it.

"Take a break and achieve mental growth that matches your strength." 

Elder Cai after after a sip. I nodded my head and left.

"He didn't answer my question." 

All alone in the room, Elder Cai whispered while taking another sip.

"Children are quite eccentric nowadays."

...

15 days later.

After fifteen days of free classes, the children were allowed to go on holidays and they did. At least most of them with a live and family did. The rest stayed at Shrek Academy and toiled through their days.

Fan Lin slept through it in his training area. A month of holidays was nothing to him who used his Superior Energy Body skill to passively collect energy while he was in lying like a log with grass, bugs and a few birds eating those bugs covering him by the time he woke up a month later.

.....

Note to self- Always binge read my works.