Chapter 472: Xuanzi's Misdirection
At that moment, Xian Lin'er asked with some confusion, "Xu Sanshi isn't at the academy? That's impossible. I remember that just a few days after Shrek Academy's team was eliminated from the competition, he immediately chose to return to the academy." She paused, frowning. "But now that I think about it, something does seem off. Based on my observations, Xu Sanshi is completely devoted to Jiang Nannan. He practically revolves around her and has never shown interest in other women. In that regard, he's much better than someone."
Hearing her words, Yan Shaozhe's expression became awkward, and he avoided looking directly at Xian Lin'er. He knew that he was the "someone" she was referring to. In the past, he and Xian Lin'er had been madly in love, admired by everyone as a perfect couple. However, he had been unable to suppress his restless nature, constantly flirting with other women and repeatedly hurting Xian Lin'er, ultimately leading to their breakup.
In truth, he deeply regretted his past actions. If he had cherished Xian Lin'er back then and remained faithful, they would likely be married by now.
Meanwhile, Cai Mei'er, Yan Shaozhe's wife, remained composed. She had never been bothered by his past because his reputation as a notorious playboy was well known throughout the academy. Even while he had been in a relationship with Xian Lin'er, he had been involved with multiple female students.
In the end, she had been the victor among them, successfully becoming his wife. In a way, she had been the one who had come between Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe.
Qian Duoduo, who had been silent, suddenly let out a cold snort. It was his way of expressing his discontent with Yan Shaozhe. After all, it was because of Yan Shaozhe's unfaithfulness that Xian Lin'er had eventually chosen to marry him. However, in Qian Duoduo's eyes, the emotional scars Yan Shaozhe had inflicted on Xian Lin'er had never truly healed.
Song Lao glanced between Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, Cai Mei'er, and Yan Shaozhe. Many thoughts swirled in her mind, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she found she couldn't put them into words. In the end, she simply let out a long sigh.
At that moment, Xuanzi spoke, deliberately steering the conversation back on track to mislead the elders. "Alright, let's focus on the matter at hand. We are here to discuss Xu Sanshi's disappearance. Any unrelated personal issues can be discussed privately after this meeting."
He continued, "Xu Sanshi isn't just an outstanding student of Shrek Academy he's also the son of the Xu Clan's patriarch. If this matter isn't handled properly, it could affect our relationship with the Xu Clan. Though the Xu Clan is much weaker than Shrek Academy, as the continent's number one soul master academy, we are constantly under scrutiny. If we fail to handle this well, it could disappoint the Xu Clan and others who are paying attention to this matter.
"Lin'er was right. Xu Sanshi did return to the academy, and he did so earlier than most of the other students."
"No matter why he returned, we must find him. I suspect that his disappearance might be related to the Sun Moon Empire's actions. They've likely been plotting for some time, targeting talented individuals from other nations to force the Three Empires into submission. If Xu Sanshi was unlucky, he could have been captured by either the Sun Moon Empire or the Holy Spirit Cult on his way back."
He then analyzed the situation further. "Given Xu Sanshi's identity, neither the Sun Moon Empire nor the Holy Spirit Cult would outright kill him. A dead Xu Sanshi holds no strategic value. But a living Xu Sanshi? That's another story. So, my conclusion is that he is still alive but being held captive."
Xuanzi was doing everything in his power to shift the blame onto the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult.
After all, he couldn't admit that he had been the one who captured Xu Sanshi. If that truth came to light, his entire operation of weeding out spies would be thrown into disarray.
Considering the longstanding hostility between the Sun Moon Empire and Shrek Academy, as well as the Empire's recent attempts to detain Shrek students, pinning this on them seemed perfectly reasonable.
Xuanzi knew that misleading the elders like this wasn't ethical. But in his heart, he justified it as being for the greater good of the academy without any personal agenda.
"Elder Xuan makes a strong point!" Song Lao nodded in agreement, deep in thought. "It's highly possible that Xu Sanshi was captured by the evil Sun Moon Empire or the Holy Spirit Cult. I believe we need to assemble a team to rescue him. After all, our academy's guiding principle is that we do not abandon any student as long as there is hope. Since Xu Sanshi is likely still alive, it is our duty to bring him back."
The other elders also voiced their support, agreeing with Xuanzi and Song Lao's reasoning.
A moment later, Mu En made the final decision. "Shaozhe, contact the leaders of the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire. Discuss with them the possibility of a joint rescue operation. The teams from these three nations were also captured in Mingdu and need rescuing. Since we share a common goal, Shrek Academy should cooperate with them."
Of course, Mu En himself couldn't go. His health was deteriorating, and his priority was to safeguard Shrek Academy and its people. If he ventured deep into the Sun Moon Empire's territory, there was a very real chance he wouldn't make it back alive.
He wanted to protect the academy for as long as possible, and taking reckless action would only jeopardize that goal.
"Yes, Teacher!" Yan Shaozhe nodded solemnly.
Mu En then added, "We must also prepare for war against the Sun Moon Empire. They have stationed a large number of soul engineer legions near Mingdu, preventing foreign teams from leaving and capturing numerous competitors. This is clear evidence that their ambition is growing unchecked. They will launch a war that will engulf the entire continent!"
"We don't know exactly when the war will begin, but we must be ready. If we are caught unprepared, both the academy and the Three Empires will be in grave danger. Everyone, speak freely share any ideas you have. I will carefully consider the feasibility of each suggestion."
The elders fell silent, each deep in thought. Although they sometimes had their disagreements, when it came to the survival of Shrek Academy, they always stood united.
After serious contemplation, they presented their suggestions.
Mu En listened attentively and, after weighing their words, selectively adopted some of their recommendations.
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