Chapter 69 Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Xue Beng
The next morning.
Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, shining onto the somewhat dilapidated playground of Shrek Academy.
Flander stood on the high platform, looking down at the seven remaining little monsters and a few teachers, took a deep breath, and announced the difficult decision:
"From today onwards, Shrek Academy... is moving!"
"Target: Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
Although everyone had already learned the news from Qin Ming last night, it was only when the dean announced it in person that the real feeling of "losing a home" truly surged into their hearts.
Just when everyone was feeling a bit down, Yu Xiaogang seemed unusually excited.
He strode over to Flander, patted his old friend on the shoulder, and said in a lighthearted tone:
"Flander, cheer up!"
"Think about it, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is funded by the Heaven Dou Empire, which is famously wealthy!"
"Once there, there will be the best environment for simulated cultivation, an endless supply of delicacies, and all expenses will be covered by the royal family."
"You no longer have to cheat and swindle for a couple of gold soul coins, and you no longer have to lose sleep worrying about the academy's livelihood!"
"This is a good thing!"
Upon hearing this, Flander's lips twitched.
Good news?
Yes, for someone like you who only cares about theoretical verification, this is certainly a good thing.
But for me, saving money is painful, and haggling over a single copper soul coin is shameful, but it's the meaning of my life's struggle!
The sense of accomplishment from watching the academy gradually survive under his careful management, the bittersweet motivation, all vanished overnight.
I won't lack money anymore, but I, Flander, will become a lazy bum who just loafs around and waits to die.
Flander felt a pang of bitterness, but seeing the expectant eyes of the children below the stage, he didn't want to spoil their fun.
"Heh... hehe..."
Flander forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, pushed up his glasses, and laughed loudly with feigned magnanimity:
"That's true!"
"I've suffered half my life, it's time for me to enjoy myself!"
"When we get to Heaven Dou City, don't call me 'Stingy Flander' anymore, call me 'Generous Flander'! Just tell me what you want to eat, someone else will pay! Hahaha!"
...
After quickly packing their belongings, the group set off for the Heaven Dou Imperial City.
This journey can be described as trekking through mountains and rivers, enduring wind and rain, and sleeping in the open.
Instead of hiring a luxurious carriage, the group opted to march on foot at a rapid pace.
Two weeks later.
When the majestic walls of the Heaven Dou Imperial City appeared on the horizon, the Shrek group looked utterly pathetic.
Their clothes were covered in dust and grass clippings, their faces showed signs of fatigue from being exposed to the wind and sun, and their hair was a mess.
Standing at the bustling city gate, surrounded by well-dressed people, they looked like a group of refugees who had just emerged from the mountains.
"Wow... is this the Heaven Dou Imperial City?"
Ma Hongjun stared wide-eyed at the towering city walls and the guards in gleaming silver armor at the gate, his mouth practically watering.
"This is so grand! It's a hundred times better than that tiny place, Soto!"
Oscar was also stunned:
"Wow, these floor tiles are all made of granite? How much did that cost?"
Passersby entering and leaving the city cast disdainful or curious glances at the group of disheveled fellows, but this did not dampen their spirits in the slightest.
Only Ning Rongrong.
At that moment, she seemed like a completely different person.
She reached out and tidied her slightly messy hair, straightened her back, and all the cautiousness she had shown in the academy vanished, replaced by the confidence and nobility of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess.
"Cough cough."
Ning Rongrong stepped forward, pointed to the bustling city, and declared with great pride:
"Alright, stop acting like you've never seen anything like this before."
"Once we arrive in Heaven Dou City, we've entered my territory!"
She patted her chest, her eyes bright:
"Once you're settled, I'll show you around! I know all the best restaurants and the most exciting auction houses!"
"That's right!"
Ning Rongrong's gaze swept over everyone, finally lingering on Ye Liuyun for a moment, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes:
"Once we've finished our business, I'll take you to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
"Now that we're here, we should at least familiarize ourselves with the place!"
Upon hearing the words "Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," Oscar and Ma Hongjun jumped up excitedly.
"Go! We must go!"
"That's the richest sect in the world! They say their floors are paved with gold?"
"Rongrong, from now on you're my older sister! Please take care of me!"
Amidst the jubilation, only Xiao Wu's reaction was completely different.
She pretended to be dead and didn't say anything, trying to minimize her presence.
"Alright, we can talk about the tour later."
Flander glanced at the sky, interrupting everyone's reverie.
"Our top priority now is to report to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Qin Ming is already waiting for us there."
"Let's go, don't keep them waiting."
With a wave of his hand, Flander led this group, which looked like refugees fleeing famine, through the bustling streets towards the Royal Academy, the premier academy of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy is located deep in the mountains, twenty kilometers outside Heaven Dou City.
The scenery is extremely beautiful, with clear waters and lush mountains.
A towering main peak, over a thousand meters high, stands beside the rippling blue lake, with winding stone steps leading straight up to the clouds.
Looking at this magnificent scene, Ma Hongjun once again exclaimed in amazement, "I've never seen anything like this before!"
"Good heavens, this isn't an academy, it's practically a palace!"
The group followed the steps to the courtyard gate halfway up the mountain.
Flander straightened his collar and stepped forward.
He spoke politely to the gatekeeper, who stood there with a look of disdain.
"Please inform us that we are teachers and students from Shrek Academy, and we have come here for exchange and learning at the invitation of Professor Qin Ming of your esteemed academy."
Shrek?
The head gatekeeper sized Flander up and down, then glanced at the group of "beggars" behind him, and sneered, covering his nose:
"Where did this country bumpkin come from? Shrek, my foot! I think he's a 'dung beetle'! Go away, this is the Royal Academy, not a refugee camp."
A flash of anger crossed Flander's eyes, but he forced it down and said in a deep voice:
"Teacher Qin Ming should have explained this to you."
Upon hearing the name "Qin Ming," the guards' expressions instantly changed.
Qin Ming was a popular figure in the academy, the leader of the Royal Fighting Team, and held a very high position.
The head security guard was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening, and his attitude immediately changed 180 degrees, and he said with a fawning smile:
"Oh my! So you are Teacher Qin's guests! I was so blind to your greatness. Teacher Qin did indeed mention that we would have distinguished guests visiting in the next few days. Please, please come in!"
As he spoke, he bowed and led the way.
Flander breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, Qin Ming was reliable.
Just as everyone was about to step into the courtyard, a frivolous and arrogant voice came from the side abruptly.
"Stop."
"Who gave you permission to let these beggars in?"
Everyone stopped and turned to look.
A group of elegantly dressed noblemen emerged from the path through the woods.
The leader was about twenty years old and quite handsome, but he was pale and had sunken eyes, clearly showing signs of excessive indulgence.
He walked up to the group, scanned them with a look of utter contempt, and finally, pinching his nose, said in an exaggerated manner:
"This is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the face of the empire. If we let these beggars who reek of poverty in, where will we nobles put our faces?"
"Get out of here! Don't defile my territory!"
This person is none other than Xue Beng, the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Who are you calling a beggar?!"
Dai Mubai instantly exploded.
Although he is now down on his luck as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, his royal pride, which is ingrained in his bones, remains.
How can you tolerate being pointed at and called a beggar by a guy who looks like a poor, weak man?
"I told you you're a beggar, so what?"
Xue Beng raised his chin, looking utterly smug and provocative:
"In our Heaven Dou Empire, without a title and without money, you're just a lowly commoner. What are you looking at? Want to hit me?"
"You're asking for it!"
Dai Mubai's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he moved to rush forward.
"Wow? This beggar's pretty arrogant!"
Xue Beng was startled and quickly retreated, shouting to the lackeys behind him.
"What are you all standing there for? Get them! Teach these arrogant country bumpkins a lesson!"
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
And at the very back of the line.
Ye Liuyun neither made a move nor got angry.
He simply watched Xue Beng, whose acting was exaggerated and who was frantically drawing hatred, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Strange.
The butterfly effect has changed so much, and our journey and time are different from the original story, so why would we still coincidentally run into Xue Beng?
A world correction? Or a coincidence?
Ye Liuyun stroked his chin, his gaze deep.
Qin Ming's invitation to Shrek Academy must have been reported to the Academy's Academic Committee, and the news must have spread.
Xue Beng isn't just wandering around aimlessly; he's staking out a specific spot.
Xue Beng is inherently "self-defiling".
In order to survive under Qian Renxue, who was disguised as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, he had to pretend to be an ignorant and troublesome playboy to lower Qian Renxue's guard.
Moreover, he not only had to play dumb, but also had to prevent anything that could strengthen the "princelings".
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Crown Prince.
If the Shrek Academy's geniuses join the academy and achieve success in the competition, the credit and prestige will ultimately go to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Therefore, Xue Beng must drive these geniuses away.
No matter when Shrek arrives, he'll rush out like a mad dog, biting people and driving them away.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Ye Liuyun shook his head, looking at Xue Beng as if he were looking at a fool.
Those who work hard in secret pretend to be foolish; that's called biding one's time and concealing one's abilities.
But Xue Beng is just pretending to be stupid, and actually chose to push away the top talents that were delivered to the door!
In order to prevent the crown prince from gaining power, he did not hesitate to jeopardize the future of the empire.
After all these years of feigning ignorance, he has only managed to cultivate a single truly capable talent, surrounded by a group of useless lackeys who only know how to flatter and fawn.
They only know how to fight amongst themselves, not the bigger picture.
They only care about their own interests and disregard the fate of the nation.
How did this kind of person end up becoming the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire by sheer luck?
It is unacceptable to have such a narrow-minded, short-sighted, and incompetent person as emperor.
No wonder the Heaven Dou Empire eventually declined; it was truly a tragedy for an empire.
It would be better to let Qian Renxue go up.
"Liuyun, aren't you going to help?"
Beside him, Ning Rongrong watched Dai Mubai beat up a group of people on the other side and asked excitedly.
Ye Liuyun didn't mind Ning Rongrong calling him so affectionately and withdrew his gaze:
"Not interested."
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[end of the chapter]