"If you've come to seek justice for that student of yours who bullies the innocent, I can tell you plainly: letting him live was my greatest act of mercy."
Fu Ye didn't have much localized affection for Flender, a principal known for his extreme favoritism. Not only did he allow his disciples to frequent brothels, but he also turned a blind eye to them terrorizing others. Fu Ye didn't believe for a second that a Soul Saint level powerhouse couldn't keep an eye on his own students.
Not to mention the other teachers remaining at Shrek Academy: Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin, both Soul Saints, plus Li Yusong, a Soul Emperor. With four teachers at or above the Soul Emperor level and only three students, they couldn't manage them properly?
"You brat..."
A fierce glint flashed in Flender's eyes. He knew exactly what kind of character Dai Mubai possessed, but so what? He was his student, and the most talented student in Shrek Academy at that! Such severe injuries would undoubtedly affect his future achievements. As the Dean, he had to make this young man give his student an explanation!
But at that moment, a slightly playful voice echoed from the staircase.
"Brother Fu Ye, so this is where you were!"
Xiao Wu and Wu Ling had come downstairs. Judging by Xiao Wu's lighthearted expression, she had rested well last night. However, Fu Ye found it strange that Wu Ling, whose hand was held by Xiao Wu, wore a small, piteous expression.
"Hugs!"
(/≧▽≦)/
Xiao Wu unceremoniously gave Fu Ye a bear hug, completely ignoring the old, ugly, and dowdy middle-aged man standing nearby.
"You little rabbit, sigh..." Fu Ye felt helpless. His wife wanted hugs, and he could only indulge her.
After setting Xiao Wu down, Wu Ling suddenly darted to Fu Ye's side, a trace of fear in her eyes as she looked at her "master," Xiao Wu.
"Grandmaster... Master bullied me..."
First the master, now the little disciple.
(っ°Д°;)っ
Seeing the young girl cowering behind him, Fu Ye knew that Xiao Wu—that "Rogue Rabbit"—must have played some "new games" with her that scared her.
"Alright, your master was probably just joking with you. Don't be afraid."
Fu Ye gently handed Wu Ling back to Xiao Wu. However, when he accidentally noticed two small "plum blossoms" (red marks) on Wu Ling's neck...
("▔□▔)
Xiao Wu really knew how to play. It wasn't enough to leave marks on him; she was even "planting" them on her own disciple's neck.
"Master..."
"Heehee, be a good girl." Xiao Wu didn't have any bad intentions; she just liked planting little blossoms on her sweet disciple. After all, her disciple was fragrant and soft—perfect for it.
Flender was stunned when he saw Xiao Wu and Wu Ling. Their beauty was simply too high. How does this guy deserve this?! he thought. Now he understood why Dai Mubai had been beaten, but that still wasn't a valid reason to shatter every bone in his student's body.
However, as he sensed the aura radiating from Wu Ling, a sharp light flickered in his shrewd dark eyes.
"Old man, if there's nothing else, please step aside. We are leaving," Fu Ye said. He didn't want to deal with Flender anymore, but if the man dared to block him again for the sake of Dai Mubai, he guaranteed Flender's fate would be no better than his student's. He didn't want to look at Flender's ugly, outdated face for another second.
As he prepared to lead them out, Flender blocked their path once more.
"What is the meaning of this? Do you truly think I have a good temper?" Fu Ye's face turned frosty.
But Flender remained unyielding. "Boy, having a cultivation at or above the Soul King level at such a young age is indeed something to be proud of. But in my eyes, you are nothing more than that."
Flender looked solemn, but Xiao Wu and Wu Ling were both covering their mouths, stifling laughter. Soul King level? Something to be proud of? They didn't know what this ugly old man wanted, but claiming Fu Ye was only a Soul King showed his eyesight was truly abysmal.
"Please move."
"To tell you the truth, I am Flender, the Dean of Shrek Academy. I can overlook the fact that you injured my student, but you must allow that girl to join our academy."
Flender stared at Fu Ye like a merchant. He had sensed it—that young girl's cultivation was already at Level 27! If he could bring her into the academy, there was an 80% chance they could produce another peerless genius! With that thought, Flender was ready to use his Soul Saint cultivation to force her into Shrek.
"Hehe, you want my adorable disciple to go to your 'Shrek'?" Fu Ye was almost laughing at the absurdity.
"Exactly! Our faculty is extremely powerful. Including myself, there are three Soul Saint teachers and one Soul Emperor teacher. Our teaching quality is second to none!" Seeing Fu Ye speak, Flender thought he was agreeing and immediately began to boast.
Fu Ye decided to indulge him for a moment before making him a "roommate" for Dai Mubai in the infirmary. "Does your academy have Mimicry Cultivation Environments?"
Flender's face stiffened in embarrassment. "No... but our faculty is powerful!"
"Can you guarantee spiritual food for every meal?"
"Well... no, but I can guarantee they'll eat their fill."
"What about housing? Luxury single-room apartments?"
"We don't have that either..."
Fu Ye questioned him down the line. It turned out that besides the "trash" faculty of three Soul Saints and one Soul Emperor—two of whom were wanted criminals by Spirit Hall—they had nothing.
(⊙﹏⊙)
"So, this is the Shrek Academy you speak of?" Fu Ye was done talking. He prepared to strike.
Seeing Fu Ye step forward, Flender thought he was trying to flee and shouted loudly, "No! Today, she joins whether she wants to or not!"
Flender's expression turned fierce. As a Soul Saint, he had deigned to talk to a mere "Soul King" for this long. If the youth wouldn't appreciate the favor, he would use force. A girl with that talent would surely become a Title Douluo! Entrusting her to a mere Soul King was a waste of a god-given talent; he couldn't let such a seedling be ruined!
(T/N: If you enjoy the story, please leave a comment and a positive review, thank you!)
(Author's Note: Don't think Flender's character is collapsing here. Just think: someone who can get along with a criminal like Zhao Wuji, how good can he really be? Imagine seeing two people who look weaker than you with a peerless genius—would you just let them walk away? In 20 years, they recruited over 40 geniuses and only 14 survived; the highest level achieved so far is only Qin Ming. This shows the flaws in his teaching. As for the youngest Spirit Hall Elder? Please, besides Yu Xiaogang, elders are at least 60, and Shrek has only been open for a decade. Flender and Zhao Wuji were simply "beautified" in the original work; in reality, they are people who bully the weak and fear the strong. Li Yusong and Zhao Wuji are fugitives with many deaths on their hands; only Shao Xin has no black marks. Remember the Meng Yiran chapter: if the Dragon Duke hadn't been there, Zhao Wuji would have killed to steal the spirit ring... This is a fantasy world; killing between academies is normal. I'm just writing this to be more realistic.)