Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

"Dr. Xiaoyu, what are you still doing here?"

A soft, slightly anxious female voice rang out, interrupting Ling Yu's steps as he was about to walk towards the dormitory building.

Ling Yu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jiang Nannan carrying a stack of what looked like brand-new quilts and pillows, running towards him.

Her long golden hair swayed slightly as she ran, and her fair cheeks were flushed with a faint blush from the exercise.

Almost simultaneously, Tang Ya's curious voice came from beside them: "Nan Nan? You know him?"

Tang Ya had been watching Ling Yu and Huo Yuhao complete their exchange, and now, seeing her friend Jiang Nannan, the most beautiful girl in the outer academy, come to find this freshman whose behavior was a bit strange, her curiosity was immediately piqued.

Jiang Nannan then saw Tang Ya and Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao beside her. She stopped and took a slight breath: "Xiao Ya, Bei Bei? You're here too."

Her gaze lingered on Huo Yuhao for a moment, a hint of doubt in her eyes, clearly indicating that she had never seen this boy who was with Tang Ya and Bei Bei before.

"Yuhao is my newly accepted disciple of the Tang Clan, he's incredibly skilled." Tang Ya pointed at Huo Yuhao and gave a brief explanation, then steered the conversation back to Ling Yu, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Jiang Nannan, "You call him Doctor Xiao Yu? What's going on? Do you two know each other?"

Jiang Nannan immediately understood Tang Ya's doubts. She carried the bedding and walked to Ling Yu's side, solemnly introducing him to Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and Huo Yuhao: "Xiao Ya, Bei Bei, this is Ling Yu, Doctor Ling. Back in Ling Dou City, it was Doctor Ling's miraculous healing that relieved my mother's long-standing illness. He is a great benefactor to our family."

Her tone was full of gratitude and respect, and her gaze toward Ling Yu was exceptionally gentle.

"Oh—!" Tang Ya suddenly realized, her gaze towards Ling Yu instantly shifting from confusion and scrutiny to surprise and admiration. "So you're the 'Little Divine Doctor' that Nan Nan mentioned before, the one who practices medicine using healing-type Soul Master techniques on Wutong Street in Lingdou City! So young? And... and you even came to Shrek Academy?"

She found it hard to completely reconcile the handsome young man in front of her with the "Dr. Xiaoyu" who was described by Jiang Nannan as a highly skilled and reliable doctor, but Jiang Nannan's gratitude and respect were genuine.

Beibei also showed a gentle and enlightened smile, and nodded slightly to Ling Yu: "So it's Dr. Ling, I've heard so much about you."

Huo Yuhao also showed a surprised expression. He did not expect that the classmate who switched dorms with him because the "number was unlucky" was actually a doctor with superb medical skills.

His gaze toward Ling Yu held a newfound respect.

Ling Yu nodded politely to Bei Bei and Tang Ya in response, "Senior Bei Bei, Senior Tang Ya, you flatter me. I just have some medical knowledge, which happened to be of assistance. I am also a freshman this year."

"Oh, I see! What a coincidence!" Tang Ya, with her lively personality, immediately became enthusiastic after all her doubts vanished. "Junior Ling Yu, right? I never imagined you and Nan Nan had such a connection, and now you're Yu Hao's next-door neighbor. What a remarkable fate!"

She clapped her hands, looking very happy: "Since we're all acquaintances and going the same way, let's go to the dormitory area together! Nan Nan, what's this...?" She looked at the brand-new bedding that Jiang Nan Nan was holding in her arms.

Jiang Nannan blushed slightly and explained, "The academy doesn't allow insults, so I was worried... worried that Doctor Xiaoyu might have forgotten to prepare, so I went and bought a better set myself and sent it over. I didn't expect to run into you here."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, but did not loosen her grip on the blankets.

Ling Yu felt a warmth in his heart and was somewhat surprised by Jiang Nannan's thoughtfulness. Knowing that refusing would seem too distant, he sincerely thanked her, "Sister Nannan, you've gone to so much trouble, thank you."

"Oh, Nan Nan's kind gesture!" Tang Ya chimed in with a smile. "Come on, let's go to the dorm together. We can also take Yu Hao there and get familiar with the place!"

Tang Ya became even more interested in the somewhat mysterious Ling Yu in front of her. This little guy had clearly captured the heart of Shrek Academy's number one beauty.

So the group of five walked towards the freshman dormitory building, the atmosphere was even more lively than before, but Tang Ya was the one doing most of the talking.

On the way, Tang Ya couldn't contain her curiosity and asked Ling Yu some more questions about medical skills and Ling Dou City. Ling Yu answered selectively, Jiang Nannan occasionally added a few words in a low voice, Bei Bei maintained a gentle smile, and Huo Yuhao listened quietly.

Soon, they arrived at the dormitory building.

Under the shade of a tree next to the building entrance, there was a very old-looking recliner. An elderly man, dressed in ordinary gray cloth and with a thin, hunched figure, was lying on it with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. His breath was so faint that it seemed to blend into the surrounding air.

Most of the new students were in a hurry, and almost no one noticed this inconspicuous old man.

Ling Yu's gaze lingered on the old man for a fleeting moment before he and Huo Yuhao politely greeted the Shrek Academy "sweeping monk" before entering.

The group entered the dormitory building.

The building was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the distinctive smell of wood and old books.

They quickly found the corresponding room on the first floor.

"108...this is it!" Jiang Nannan pointed to a door on the left, with a bronze plaque that read "108" hanging on it.

"My 107 is right across the street," Huo Yuhao confirmed, looking at the door across the street that also had a bronze plaque hanging on it.

"What a coincidence that we're right next door!" Tang Ya laughed. "Ling Yu, Nan Nan, shall we take Yu Hao inside first, and then come over to help you get ready?"

Ling Yu shook his head: "No need to trouble you seniors, I can pack myself. Sister Nannan, just bring in the bedding for me. You guys go and help Huo settle in first."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nannan nodded quickly, grabbed her new bedding, and followed Ling Yu into dormitory 108.

Seeing this, Tang Ya didn't insist. She and Bei Bei, together with Huo Yuhao, used key number 107 to open the door to the dormitory across the street.

Dormitory 108 is small, about 20 square meters, and the furnishings are extremely simple.

Two single wooden beds against the wall, two old wardrobes, a shared desk, and two chairs.

However, the air in the room wasn't very good, clearly indicating that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

As soon as Jiang Nannan came in, she naturally started helping with cleaning and making the bed.

Ling Yu originally wanted to do it himself, but seeing how enthusiastic she was, he didn't want to discourage her, so he let her do it. He then walked to the window and casually looked around at the environment outside the window and the backyard, but in reality, he was highly focused and sensing every inch of the dormitory space.

"Boss, are there still that guy's hands and feet in this room?" Ling Yu asked in his mind.

"No, not really. I wonder what that guy was up to, leaving a trace of his aura on such a small key?" Volibear said regretfully. "But there are definitely more in this academy. I can smell that nasty insect."

Ling Yu shrugged slightly, guessing that it must be the power of Tang San's faith that was present in the statue.

As Jiang Nannan was cleaning, she seemed to remember something, paused in her work, looked up, and asked with a hint of worry in her voice, "Dr. Xiaoyu, I just remembered... you were assigned to Class One, right?"

Ling Yu turned around, feigning a thoughtful expression. "Yes, it's Class One. What's so special about this class?"

Jiang Nannan frowned slightly and lowered her voice: "Class One... the rest of Class One is fine, but the homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhou Yi, she... she is known throughout the academy for being very strict, even... a bit abnormal."

She seemed unable to find a more suitable word to describe it; her fair cheeks flushed slightly from the gossip about the teacher behind her back. "She has extremely high standards for her students, her training methods are very strict, and her dropout rate is the highest among the freshmen. Many people are afraid of her."

Ling Yu listened quietly, without any surprise on his face.

He was certainly aware of Zhou Yi's reputation. Her teaching philosophy and methods were indeed quite different from those of most teachers in this era, and some of her ideas and practices conflicted with certain principles in his mind.

Looking at Jiang Nannan's worried eyes, he suddenly smiled. There was no fear in that smile, but rather a calm certainty: "It seems that this Teacher Zhou is indeed quite special."

He walked to the desk, his fingers lightly tracing the rough wood grain, his voice steady yet carrying a subtle sharpness: "However, Sister Nan, isn't my purpose in coming here to confront and resolve these issues?"

"Shrek Academy, and even the wider world, has many rules and phenomena that we consider 'wrong' or 'unreasonable.' Teacher Zhou Yi is perhaps just one prominent example. These are problems we will encounter sooner or later."

"The reason we established the 'Akatsuki' organization is precisely to unite our strength, identify these irrationalities, and then... try to change them little by little. From seeing it clearly, to understanding it, and then to finding the possibility of changing it. This Teacher Zhou Yi may be the first 'typical' case that we, the 'Akatsuki' organization, need to face and analyze within Shrek Academy."

Jiang Nannan listened intently, her golden eyes widening slightly.

Ling Yu's words connected the specific person "Zhou Yi" with the seemingly distant and grand mission of "changing the world" of the "Akatsuki" organization, making her suddenly feel that those lofty goals were not illusory, but could be realized in these specific people and things.

Her worries were gradually replaced by a strange sense of mission, and she nodded firmly: "I understand, Dr. Xiaoyu. Lexuan and I will face this together with you."