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Before dawn the next day, Ning Tianchen and three others gathered together.
"Rongrong and I will go to the principal first to handle our withdrawal. Xiao Ao, follow shortly after. Zhu Zhuqing, just leave a letter, and you can leave with us," Ning Tianchen instructed.
Zhu Zhuqing hadn't been at the academy for long, so withdrawing didn't require a complicated process.
Before Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong had arrived at the academy, Ning Fengzhi had sent a handwritten letter. If they were leaving, failing to notify Flender in advance might result in him refusing to let them go.
"I'll wait for you all at the restaurant from last night." Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly and placed her handwritten letter on her desk.
Once Xiao Wu woke up, she'd see it immediately.
Flender's martial soul was the Owl, a beast-type martial soul that was nocturnal by nature.
Influenced by his martial soul, Flender wouldn't be resting at this hour.
Knocking on the door of the principal's office, sure enough, Flender's voice came from inside.
Entering the office, Flender looked at Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong in surprise. "You're here so early—what's the matter? Today is the first day of Master Yu's special training; don't delay it."
"Principal, the sect has summoned Rongrong and me back. We've come to withdraw from school," Ning Tianchen stated bluntly.
"Withdraw?" Flender abruptly stood up.
Reaching for his glasses on the desk, he put them on and scrutinized the two.
In Ning Fengzhi's letter, he had only mentioned disciplining Ning Rongrong properly. But now, Ning Rongrong didn't exhibit any unruly behavior aside from her conflict with Dai Mubai. In other aspects, she performed well.
However, Ning Fengzhi hadn't explicitly forbidden their withdrawal in the letter.
With the special training about to begin, their departure at this time might affect the morale of the others. Forcing them to stay wasn't an option either—Flender didn't have the guts to offend the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.
"Is your matter urgent? If not, I'll grant you both a leave of absence. You can return home first and come back later," Flender proposed.
Deep down, he didn't want to let them go.
Such talented individuals would be highly valuable to the team. With them, Shrek Academy's team could advance further in future soul master competitions.
"We…" Ning Rongrong started to object but was interrupted by Ning Tianchen.
"Principal, we'll request about two months of leave. Once the sect's affairs are settled, we'll return immediately."
Once they left Shrek Academy, the sky would be the limit. At that point, they could send a formal withdrawal letter under the sect's name.
Flender thought for a moment and ultimately approved their leave.
After leaving the academy gates, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but whisper, "Big brother Tianchen, we're clearly withdrawing, so why did it become a leave of absence?"
Shrek Academy wasn't a formal institution. Even if they left without notifying anyone, it wouldn't have any real consequences.
"If we insisted on withdrawing outright, the principal might not have let us go. After we return to the sect, whether or not we come back to the academy is entirely up to us," Ning Tianchen said with a light laugh, his tone gentle.
Ning Rongrong's brows lifted in delight as she understood his reasoning.
After they left, Oscar requested a short leave from Flender, citing a family visit.
Flender didn't connect the dots that these three were actually withdrawing. Instead, he assumed they were protesting Master Yu's special training by taking a leave of absence.
Recalling how Yu Xiaogang had privately kept Ning Tianchen behind the previous night, Flender speculated, "Could it be that Xiaogang said something to provoke Ning Tianchen?"
Oscar and Ning Tianchen were close friends, and it wasn't impossible for them to act in unison in such matters.
Flender rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
What exactly had Yu Xiaogang said to provoke such a strong reaction from them?
Without fully considering how to address the issue, he didn't rush to confront Yu Xiaogang, fearing it might strain their relationship.
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At daybreak, Yu Xiaogang stood on the main training field, waiting for each student to arrive.
Tang San, who had always been an early riser, was the first to arrive at the training field.
After a short wait, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun arrived together.
The two had been woken up by Tang San. As for Ning Tianchen and Oscar…
Ning Tianchen had a habit of morning exercises, so waking up early wasn't an issue. On the girls' side, Zhu Zhuqing also typically rose early.
With everyone calling each other, they should have all arrived on time.
But even after class time had begun, only the three of them were present on the training field.
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened immediately.
Being late on the first day of special training was a blatant show of dissatisfaction with his program. Especially since Ning Tianchen hadn't shown up, it only reinforced Yu Xiaogang's suspicions.
"This is outrageous! Being late on the first day of special training—do they even respect me as their instructor?"
Furious, Yu Xiaogang was ready to storm into the dormitories to confront them.
Tang San quickly intervened. "Teacher, please calm down. Let me go check the dorms."
He was worried that Xiao Wu might get implicated and volunteered to investigate.
Yu Xiaogang trusted his eldest disciple and nodded in agreement.
Just as Tang San turned around, Xiao Wu came running in, panting heavily.
"Teacher, Xiao Wu is here. There must be a reason for this. Let's hear what she has to say first."
Yu Xiaogang's anger subsided slightly.
Xiao Wu, out of breath, held up a letter and said, "Third Brother, Master, something's wrong—Zhu Zhuqing has withdrawn from school!"
This letter was left behind by Zhu Zhuqing.
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai exploded in anger. "That wench! How dare she!"
"Master, give me an hour—I'll drag her back."
Yu Xiaogang had some understanding of the Shrek group. With Zhu Zhuqing gone, the team would undoubtedly become more harmonious. In future team duels, he wouldn't need to worry about deciding who participated and who didn't.
(Note: Yu Xiaogang trained the team according to the standards of the Soul Master Competition.)
After Zhu Zhuqing left, the fusion skill she shared with Dai Mubai would no longer exist.
Even if she were still here, forcing the fusion skill might not yield the desired results.
All in all, Zhu Zhuqing's departure from the academy was more beneficial than harmful.
"What about Ning Rongrong, Ning Tianchen, and Oscar?" Yu Xiaogang named the three.
Only then did Xiao Wu recall that when she woke up, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's beds and personal belongings had already been packed.
"Master, it seems Rongrong has also left," Xiao Wu said softly.
"Xiao Wu, what's going on?" Tang San grabbed her arm anxiously.
"I don't know—they didn't tell me," Xiao Wu shook her head, looking lost.
If both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had withdrawn, Xiao Wu would be the only girl left in the female dormitory.
With no one to talk to, how would she endure the days ahead?
Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot, his breathing heavy like a bull. "So, this is how they protest my special training! Fine, very good! Shrek Academy truly cultivates a group of arrogant geniuses!"
"Teacher, let me go check the dorms."
Tang San moved quickly, returning within a minute.
Ning Tianchen and Oscar's dorms were completely empty—their personal belongings were already gone.
Upon hearing this news, Yu Xiaogang stormed furiously toward Flender's office, demanding an explanation!
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