"Whoa, Sister Xiaotao, don't worry. She shouldn't have left the academy. Can't you sense her location using your Command Seals?"
Bei Bei quickly interjected to comfort her.
That Servant was truly a headache. Not only was Ma Xiaotao deeply troubled by her, but the rest of them had also suffered at her hands in one way or another.
He remembered the last incident: Elder Xuan's treasured vintage wine was secretly swapped with some kind of animal urine. Elder Xuan, unaware, picked it up, ready to drink, and immediately went ballistic on the spot.
Although Elder Xuan later insisted he smelled the foul odor before drinking and didn't actually consume it, his almost insane look of lost reason at the time made his claim hard to believe.
However, to maintain Elder Xuan's dignity and reputation, everyone tacitly agreed to believe his version of events—that he truly hadn't drunk the swapped wine.
Besides Elder Xuan, Zhou Yi, one of the outer court teachers, was also a victim.
The mischievous Servant, having transformed into Zhou Yi's young and beautiful disguised form, publicly kissed an outer court male disciple. This incident instantly ignited a gossip frenzy throughout Shrek Academy.
The scandal even drew out Fan Yu, who, thinking he had been cheated on, nearly pulled out an Eighth-grade Fixed Soul Tool Cannon Shell on the spot, ready to humanely destroy the scoundrels.
It was only later, with the help of Han Ruoruo and her Servant, and Ma Xiaotao's explanation as the Master, that the truth was finally clarified.
The offender possessed the ability to create clones; both the "true" appearance of Zhou Yi and the "male disciple" were actually one person, a transformation orchestrated by the Servant herself—a completely self-directed farce.
This farce nearly led to the collapse of Zhou Yi and Fan Yu's relationship, and Shrek Academy narrowly avoided an Eighth-grade Soul Tool bombardment.
It's fair to say that this Servant's actions were utterly egregious. She treated almost everyone in Shrek Academy as objects of amusement.
Unfortunately, though everyone was victimized, no one could retaliate, as her strength was simply too formidable; ordinary people couldn't touch her.
More importantly, even though her pranks caused chaos and headaches, the actual damage and harm were only temporary. They could be endured for a while.
And she never played the same trick on the same person consecutively, always seeking new, unpredictable targets.
"I really can't do anything about it! Her ability is too weird. I simply can't find her trace!"
Ma Xiaotao said with a frustrated, annoyed expression, glancing at the Command Seals on her hand with utter distaste—they were useless.
Normally, there was a close connection between a Servant and their Master. She should have been able to easily lock onto her Servant's location via the Command Seals.
However, the reality left her helpless. The Servant used some unknown method to completely block this sensing, making it seem as if she had vanished into thin air.
"Don't panic. This isn't the first time this has happened. Once she's had her fun, she'll naturally show up in front of us."
Yan Shaozhe wore a look of utter exasperation.
As the person responsible for the Servant's daily affairs, he had been tortured endlessly by this mischievous Servant, constantly having to clean up her messes and covering for her antics countless times.
It couldn't be helped. He was responsible for this area, and she was Ma Xiaotao's Servant, making their relationship even closer. He could only silently endure it.
"Have any of you seen my Servant? She ambushed me, that despicable brat! I am absolutely not going to forgive her!"
Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.
Immediately after, another "Ma Xiaotao," also dressed in red, walked in, likewise clutching her forehead, her face filled with annoyance and fury.
Behind this "Ma Xiaotao," Han Ruoruo and a figure radiating nobility, elegance, and sanctity followed closely.
This woman possessed flowing golden hair, like brilliant threads of sunlight.
She wore luxurious attire in a white and gold combination. The fabric seemed to glow softly, and every cut and decoration emphasized extreme opulence.
Her skin was like flawless, warm, and delicate white marble.
Her cyan pupils lacked highlights, giving her a blind appearance, yet conveying a mysterious aura.
She wore a hair band meticulously woven from olive branches and blossoms, seemingly a symbol of a goddess from ancient mythology.
A metallic necklace around her neck, cleverly combining geometric patterns and natural elements, exuded unique artistic charm.
She wore exquisite metallic patterned bracelets on her wrists, and gold threads and petals were wrapped around her arms, adding a touch of softness and grandeur.
Her long, flowing robe was tastefully cinched at the waist with a metallic belt, and a white sash was tied at her hips, perfectly outlining the graceful curve of her waist.
Leg loops, made of black leather and laurel leaves, showcased a unique style.
She wore high-heeled sandals, the straps on both sides of which were wrapped around her ankles and calves with seashells and olive leaves, seemingly merging the elements of the ocean and the forest.
She wore metallic rings on her fingers, and even her toes were painted with gold nail polish. Her entire being was noble, magnificent, and sacred, the epitome of a goddess—Aglaea, the Demigoddess of Romance, the Servant summoned by Han Ruoruo.
Aglaea also possessed outstanding leadership qualities. However, because Jing Yuan had proven to be overly powerful and excellent among the group, coupled with Aglaea's own disinclination to compete for leadership, the responsibility of coordinating the overall situation at Shrek Academy fell to Jing Yuan.
This "Ma Xiaotao" was complaining indignantly when she suddenly noticed everyone staring at her with strange eyes.
Subconsciously following their gaze, she discovered another Ma Xiaotao looking at her with an equally astonished expression.
Han Ruoruo looked at the two identical Ma Xiaotaos before her, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. She helplessly turned to Aglaea beside her and whispered, "A'Ya, can you tell who the real one is?"
"No. Her ability is very similar to that of a friend of mine—unpredictable and strange. It's truly difficult to determine the truth."
Aglaea gently shook her head, her expression still serene, as if all the turmoil in the world could not shake her inner peace and rationality.
"I'm sorry, Xiaotao, I can't help you." Han Ruoruo took a step back, widening the distance between herself and the two Ma Xiaotaos simultaneously.
She knew Ma Xiaotao too well. She knew that the matter wouldn't be resolved with simple dialogue, so keeping her distance was safer.
"You smelly brat, I've tolerated you for too long. Today, this old lady is going to burn your fur off!"
"You smelly brat, I've tolerated you for too long. Today, this old lady is going to burn your fur off!"
The two Ma Xiaotaos roared in fury almost simultaneously, and blazing Phoenix Flames instantly erupted around their bodies.
The high temperature released by the Ultimate Fire caused the surrounding air to twist and warp, as if space itself was groaning in pain under the scorching flames.
These two Ma Xiaotaos not only possessed the same Phoenix Martial Soul and the same Ultimate Fire, but even their Stigmata and Soul Rings were identical.
From personality to appearance, and down to their abilities, they were truly clones cut from the same mold.
Watching the two identical Ma Xiaotaos, Yan Shaozhe was instantly dumbfounded.
He had watched Ma Xiaotao grow up and knew her intimately, yet even he couldn't distinguish between the real and the fake in a moment.
Xuan Zi was so astonished that he spat out a mouthful of wine.
He had long known that the mischievous Servant could change her appearance, but he never imagined she could mimic abilities so perfectly. This ability was simply heaven-defying.
Being able to mimic Martial Souls and Soul Rings, combined with her excellent acting skills, meant she could transform into anyone she pleased.
Just like now, her impersonation of Ma Xiaotao was flawless. Whether it was the explosive temper or the various reactions following the fury, it was like a perfect copy, without a single flaw.
"Xiaotao, calm down first. Don't attack!" Cai Meier urged anxiously.
This was the Sea God Pavilion. If the two were to fight here, the Golden Tree could potentially be affected, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
Cai Meier had raised Ma Xiaotao as her own daughter; in her heart, Ma Xiaotao was as important as a biological child.
Thus, even though Ma Xiaotao was consumed by rage, upon hearing Cai Meier's dissuasion, she reluctantly suppressed the urge to strike.
Moreover, she knew clearly that she was no match for that despicable Servant.
"Lady Jeanne!"
Cai Meier turned her gaze to Jeanne, her eyes full of expectation, hoping that Jeanne could use her Revelation ability to help everyone distinguish the real Ma Xiaotao and put an end to this farce.
"I apologize!" Jeanne hesitated for a long time, eventually shaking her head helplessly.
Revelation did not always respond to her instantly, and at least in this situation, Revelation offered no reaction.
Of course, it was also possible that the opponent's bizarre transformation ability was too powerful, fooling even Jeanne's Revelation.
Not only Revelation, but her ability to see through True Names also failed to take effect; clearly, the opponent had been prepared.
Seeing that even Jeanne was powerless, Yan Shaozhe and the others wore troubled expressions, their heads aching.
Finally, Yan Shaozhe could only helplessly plead, "Miss Sparkle, please stop playing around. We beg you!"
"Beg her for what? This old lady is going to fight her!"
"Beg her for what? This old lady is going to fight her!"
The two Ma Xiaotaos roared in unison again, their eyes blazing with fire, glaring fiercely at each other, as if they were about to pounce and fight at any second.
"Pfft!" Qingque almost burst into laughter at this highly dramatic scene.
She then subtly glanced at the Ma Xiaotao who first entered the room.
"Ooh, did little Qingque figure something out?" Xueyi, wearing small sunglasses, quietly approached Qingque.
Perhaps due to the slight similarity in their names, their relationship was quite good.
One was a spiritualist who loved fortune-telling, and the other was an official augur; it wasn't strange for the two to be together.
"I am not, I did not, don't talk nonsense!" Qingque was startled, immediately issuing a triple denial.
Are you kidding? Leaving aside whether she could distinguish the real one, even if she could, she would never say it out loud.
With the character of that Masked Fool, if she were targeted, how could she ever live a leisurely life again?
Qingque always kept her distance from troublesome individuals like her.
Even if she truly saw some clues, she would firmly deny it, lest she attract the attention of that Foolish Lady. She certainly didn't want to become someone else's object of amusement.
"This is truly quite the farce!"
Cú Chulainn scratched his head helplessly. He simply couldn't understand the people who were so keen on creating fun. In his opinion, their way of thinking was completely on a different wavelength from normal people.
"Miss Sparkle, please stop this now. We are all companions; this is too impolite!"
Jeanne couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to mediate.
However, it was clear that Sparkle had no intention of listening to her, still immersed in her "acting," having the time of her life.
She was currently enjoying the amusement brought by this farce. Every reaction from Ma Xiaotao was within her control, and to her, it was simply too entertaining.
"Mister Jing Yuan!"
Bei Bei turned his gaze toward Jing Yuan.
In his heart, if there was anyone left who could see through Sparkle's disguise, it would probably be Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan remained quietly meditating with his eyes closed, as if everything outside had nothing to do with him.
In reality, he could indeed see through Sparkle's disguise, but he knew that the Masked Fool was a troublesome character.
He didn't want to interrupt the fun of this troublemaker; that would be too much hassle.
He felt that once the other party was done playing, the farce would naturally end.
Moreover, in his view, these were just harmless pranks, well within his tolerance range.
"Karna!"
Seeing no response from Jing Yuan, He Caitou couldn't care less about the rest.
Although he was also afraid of being pranked by the mischievous Sparkle, the mere thought of the miserable state his Master Fan Yu and Mistress Zhou Yi were in after being pranked by Sparkle made him want to vent some of their frustration.
"Fool, your jest should end here!"
Karna, having received He Caitou's request, slowly raised the golden spear in his hand, its tip shimmering with gold, pointing directly at the Ma Xiaotao who first walked in.
"Insight of the Poor"—this was one of Karna's many abilities. With it, he could pierce through superficial appearances and discern a person's true nature and the lies hidden beneath their words.
Sparkle's disguise skills were certainly superb, practically seamless, appearing completely identical to the real Ma Xiaotao. However, in the face of Karna's ability to directly perceive the essence, she had nowhere to hide.
In fact, Karna had long seen that Sparkle's personality carried somewhat dangerous elements, but he also understood she was by no means purely malicious.
That's why even though he saw through Sparkle's disguise immediately, he had remained silent and hadn't revealed it.
However, now that his Master had made a request, as a Servant, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
As Karna pointed, everyone's attention was simultaneously directed toward the Ma Xiaotao who entered first.
Before this, everyone mostly guessed that the second Ma Xiaotao was the imposter; no one expected it to be the first one.
"Aiya! You actually saw through me! Little Sun, your ability is really troublesome!"
Accompanied by a dazzling light and shadow effect, the figure of the first Ma Xiaotao gradually dissipated, and in her place appeared a small, cute girl.
She had playful black twin pigtails, was dressed in a vibrant red kimono, its delicate patterns swaying gently with her movements.
The girl possessed light pink eyes, as delicate as cherry blossoms blooming in spring, and the fox-shaped mask she wore on her forehead, which served as the symbol of her identity—Sparkle, the Masked Fool—added a touch of mystery.
"Little Fire Chicken, don't be so angry! I was just playing with you!"
Sparkle tilted her head playfully, agilely dodging a fire ball that suddenly shot toward her like a meteor, then smiled mischievously at Ma Xiaotao, who was enveloped in blazing flames.
"You bastard! I've told you how many times?! Your Granny is a Phoenix, not a Fire Chicken!"
Ma Xiaotao was furious, grinding her teeth. Other Masters and Servants got along so well, but her relationship with her Servant, Sparkle, was extremely strained, feeling like they were one step away from mutual annihilation.
"It's all the same! You shouldn't worry about it so much!"
Sparkle waved her hand dismissively, her casual attitude suggesting she genuinely believed there was no difference between a Phoenix and a Fire Chicken.
She then turned her gaze to Karna and He Caitou, a smiling expression still on her face, but with a hint of malice, saying, "Little Sun, and Black Head, you should know that Mistress Sparkle holds a grudge, okay?"
"Oh, and little Saintess, too!"
The moment her voice fell, Sparkle bounced and skipped like a cheerful little rabbit to Jeanne's side. The bells she wore jingled, emitting a series of crisp, pleasant sounds, as if performing a unique piece of music.
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