Inside the Confinement Room.
Yan Shaozhe's gaze fell upon Xuan Zi. The other man's head was lowered, his disheveled white hair covering most of his face. Only half of a cheek, swollen like a pig's head, and the blood constantly seeping from the corner of his mouth were visible.
On the ground before him, over a dozen bloody teeth lay scattered about.
Those had just been slapped out by Long Yeyue.
"Elder Xuan..."
Yan Shaozhe hesitated for a long time before finally being unable to resist speaking, his tone full of concern.
"Are... are you alright?"
This was a redundant question.
With teeth all over the floor and a face swollen to such a degree, how could he possibly be alright?
But Yan Shaozhe felt he had to ask.
When Long Yeyue had struck earlier, he had been frightened by that single slap. For a dignified Super Douluo to be terrified by a slap was clearly somewhat ridiculous, but now that it had actually happened, it wasn't funny at all.
Furthermore, Mu En had been present at the time, and his expression had been grim—clearly angered by Xuan Zi's arrogant words.
So at that moment, Yan Shaozhe had wisely chosen to shut his mouth and play dead, fearing that if he said one word too many, that hot-tempered old woman might conveniently give him a slap as well.
Now that the outsiders were gone and only their own people remained, as a junior and a subordinate, he had to show sufficient concern.
Seeing this, Qian Duoduo also hurriedly leaned over, his face full of worry:
"Indeed, Elder Xuan, how are your injuries? Are they serious?"
"Th... that old woman's hand was far too heavy!"
Facing their inquiries, Xuan Zi did not speak. He kept his head lowered, staring fixedly at the blood-stained teeth on the ground.
Those aged eyes, which were usually cloudy, were now filled with bloodshot veins, his gaze terrifyingly sinister.
A dense resentment, almost thick enough to materialize, continuously radiated from his body.
That aura was cold and tyrannical, not at all like a Venerable Elder of Shrek Academy, but rather like an Evil Soul Master.
Those who knew would know this was the aggrieved Gluttonous Douluo.
Those who didn't might have thought he was some Supreme Elder of the Holy Ghost Cult.
Seeing Xuan Zi remain silent, the atmosphere became awkward once again.
Yan Shaozhe's eyes darted around, and he quickly understood where Xuan Zi's mental knot lay: pride.
As a powerhouse of the current age, being slapped in public was a humiliation more painful than being killed.
To soothe Xuan Zi, he had to help him reclaim that pride, even if only verbally.
"Elder Xuan, don't take it to heart."
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath, an expression of righteous indignation appearing on his face.
"That crazy hag—she was only relying on her numbers and the fact that this is their territory!"
"If you hadn't already exhausted your Spirit Power before being brought in, and if you weren't restricted by this strange Spirit Tool, how would that old woman have dared to raise a hand against you?"
"This was clearly taking advantage of someone in peril! It was an unfair victory!"
Yan Shaozhe spoke these words with absolute certainty.
He was giving Xuan Zi a way out, and providing a fig leaf for Shrek Academy's dignity.
"You are a Rank 98 Super Douluo! You possess the top-tier Spirit, the Taotie Divine Bull! You are one of the strongest individuals in the world!"
"In a head-on confrontation, how could that old woman possibly be your match?"
"Those people play too dirty!"
"It's simply shameless to the extreme!"
It had to be said that Yan Shaozhe was truly worthy of being the Dean of the Spirit Soul Department of Shrek Academy; his ability to deflect and downplay was indeed masterful.
Xuan Zi, who had been maintaining a dark expression and saying nothing, reacted upon hearing these words.
The muscles on his swollen, pig-like face twitched slightly.
Though it still hurt immensely, his heart felt much better.
Indeed!
That's exactly what I was thinking!
If my Spirit Power hadn't been sealed, how could that old woman have harmed me? I am the dignified Gluttonous Douluo, with astonishing defensive power; how could I have teeth slapped out of my mouth?
Thinking this way, the sense of shame in Xuan Zi's heart lessened significantly, replaced by a tragic sense of a hero being bullied by dogs in his moment of downfall.
"Hoo..."
Xuan Zi exhaled a heavy breath of turbid air, making a 'hissing' sound because of the gaps where his front teeth used to be.
His complexion improved slightly as he looked up at Yan Shaozhe, a hint of appreciation showing in his eyes.
Truly worthy of being the disciple of my Junior Master, and worthy of being the Dean of the Spirit Soul Department.
His words were pleasing to the ear and showed high caliber.
Seeing this, Qian Duoduo immediately understood.
If he didn't flatter him now, when would he?
"Shao Zhe is right!"
Qian Duoduo slapped his thigh, spit flying as he immediately chimed in:
"Elder Xuan, you must never question your own strength because of such a small matter."
"That bunch is just a group of despicable people who only know how to use unorthodox methods!"
Qian Duoduo extended five fingers, boasting with conviction:
"If Elder Xuan were allowed to break the seal, return to his peak state, eat and drink his fill, and activate his Spirit Avatar..."
"Hmph!"
"Never mind one crazy hag."
"Even fighting five crazy hags wouldn't be a problem!"
"You'd slap her into meat paste with one hand!"
Xuan Zi clearly bought into this, and the gloom in his eyes dissipated quite a bit.
However, when his gaze swept over the broken teeth on the floor again, the fire of rage burned anew.
Although he had psychological comfort, the teeth were truly gone.
Xuan Zi squeezed these words through the gaps in his teeth, his voice muffled but filled with heaven-shaking hatred:
"This grudge... I have recorded it."
"That arrogant old woman, and this pathetic academy..."
"Sooner or later, I will make them pay the price!"
Xuan Zi's expression was quite hideous. Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart. He had to give Xuan Zi a reminder; they were still prisoners after all.
Yan Shaozhe coughed twice, hurriedly changing the subject and beginning to manage expectations:
"Elder Xuan, as for revenge, we can talk about that later. It's never too late for a gentleman to take his revenge."
"The priority right now is to leave this place first."
"When Teacher comes to get us out later..."
"Elder Xuan, you must endure it."
"Even if you have a massive fire in your heart, you have to hold it in for now."
"Lest it cause trouble for Teacher."
"After all, this is their territory, and they have the numbers."
"If a conflict arises again, Teacher alone might not be able to protect all of us. If you were in good condition, Elder Xuan, that would be one thing, but since your current state is a bit poor, it's better to avoid their edge."
Yan Shaozhe subtly flattered Xuan Zi again, fearing that if Xuan Zi's stubborn temper flared up, he wouldn't be able to resist cursing Long Yeyue once they were out.
If that happened, things would truly be beyond salvaging.
Hearing this, Xuan Zi nodded slightly and then spoke.
"Rest assured."
"I... know my limits."
"Since Elder Mu is here, I naturally won't make things difficult for him."
"That's good, that's good."
Yan Shaozhe breathed a sigh of relief, nodding repeatedly. Having one's teeth slapped out in public was hard for even himself to endure, let alone the even more hot-tempered Xuan Zi.
Now he just hoped Xuan Zi truly knew his limits.
Just then, the door opened. Those who entered were naturally Mu En and the others. Mu En's gaze fell upon them as he slowly spoke three words.
"Let's go back."
"Teacher..."
Yan Shaozhe's voice choked up, a massive wave of gratitude and guilt surging in his heart.
Mu En was indeed as reliable as ever.
No matter how big the incident, no matter how much trouble they caused, as long as Elder Mu was there, the sky would not fall.
----------------------------------------------
A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.