"I didn't expect even you would be alarmed…"
Top floor of the Sea God's Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe hurried off, leaving Mu En alone in his wheelchair, looking out toward Shrek City where specks of firelight flickered in the distance. He smiled warmly as he spoke.
Given time, he'd calmed down from the initial fright.
He recalled half a year ago, when the two girls first appeared before him—their terrifying, soul-shaking aura had nearly forced him to trigger his ultimate form; he had really thought the soul beasts were invading…
"Why are you so pleased with yourselves?" Gu Yuena's silver eyes reflected the flames. She tilted her head slightly, her voice cool and clear.
Her tone was even, but barbed.
"Because your student managed to survive a deadly crisis on his own? Because you 'forced out' more of his potential? Or because he revealed some trump card you didn't know about…"
"Mm…" Mu En froze.
His lips moved; a flash of guilt crossed his expression.
"You're treating it like a cat-and-mouse show, except the mouse is the disciple you're so proud of. Why 'test' him under the banner of forcing out potential? Do you think you don't know him well enough?"
"Calling it training the disciple—but in truth the old generation lounges like maggots. The human world really is hard to understand…"
Gu Yuena said lightly.
"You say he can stand alongside the Auspicious Beast of the soul beast world—then do you know the Auspicious Beast is guarded by the Scarlet King twenty-four hours a day? And Su Wen? Is this how you humans treat your juniors?"
"Perfunctory, careless, and dripping with condescension."
Gu Yuena tried to make herself sound indifferent, as if she didn't care.
She didn't know why, but when she saw a group of old undyings standing on the city gate tower, idly watching the spectacle, a surge of anger rose uncontrollably in her chest.
As if the life-and-death danger Su Wen faced was child's play…
Mu En took a deep breath.
A bitter curve tugged at his lips. "A lesson well taken. But… there's one thing you got wrong. This kind of thing only happens in Shrek Academy. Other human powers value their juniors no less than your soul beast world."
"…"
A flicker of surprise passed through Gu Yuena's silver eyes as she glanced at the old man in the wheelchair.
"I didn't expect you not to argue."
"Because you're right." Mu En's smile grew more bitter.
How many of the old ones resting on their laurels were there besides that man surnamed Cheng? The root of Shrek Academy's rot wasn't the outer court or the inner court, but the Sea God's Pavilion old guard.
They raised the banner of Shrek's millennial glory. Perhaps the first generation who birthed that banner strove to live up to it—but as time passed, that glory became a hollow slogan, even… a heavy shackle.
He wanted to change things, but was powerless. Subtly, even he had sunk into it.
"Lesson received."
Mu En turned his Golden Tree wheelchair, bowed slightly to Gu Yuena, and spoke again.
"If you have time to apologize, better to do something useful." Gu Yuena shot him a glance and vanished from the pavilion.
"Sigh…"
Mu En let out a long breath.
Xuan Zi's mindset was that of the other Pavilion Elders as well.
Just look at the mission completion ratio for the Inspection Team. The entire Sea God's Pavilion's Inspection Team was basically made up of young inner court disciples; they were the main force against evil soul masters. Over ten died every year. The inner court had only fifty or sixty people in total.
But the sacrifice of these young disciples—tragic to hear—what did it actually change?
Nothing. Evil soul masters still rampaged, and with the Sun Moon Empire's support, had become a force.
The only reason evil soul masters weren't so rampant across the continent now was that thousands of years ago, when they were at their peak, the nations joined forces and culled them once. That's all.
Shrek seemed to erect monument after monument, but only moved itself.
Letting the young blood be sacrificed where they least should be.
Since he took over Shrek Academy, storm-tossed and unstable, for the academy's stability, in his hot-blooded youth he fought Du Bisi to the death. The latter fell soon after returning, but from that day on, Mu En's health collapsed; he lingered on to this day, dragging his broken body to prop up Shrek Academy. The grand ambitions in his heart were ground away…
Now he only wanted—and only could—keep things steady.
If not for the prestige he had won when young, suppressing his peers among the old guard, the Sea God's Pavilion would already be wracked by endless infighting.
So before Su Wen grew strong enough, even when operating on Shrek's outer court, he tread carefully…
Before he died, he wanted to hand Shrek over, steady and secure, to the next successor.
Shrek couldn't withstand more shocks. Every wish, every malady—only Su Wen could address them. It was a mess, but it was all he could do.
…
"How are your injuries?"
In the dorm.
Mu Qiu'er touched Su Wen's pale face, fuming. "What are those Shrek Elders even good for? Back when I was in Star Dou Forest, the Scarlet King stayed by my side. Is this how they treat their geniuses?"
"They're used to laxity. It's in the bones; hard to correct." Gu Yuena leaned aside and said blandly.
She glanced at Su Wen.
"You okay?"
"Thanks…"
Su Wen forced a smile.
His whole body felt like it had come apart.
Killing a peak Soul Douluo—besides the exhaustion, he had a few minor injuries, but nothing serious.
…
Lights-out was near.
Gu Yuena and Mu Qiu'er left.
A fiery red figure burst in. She sat by Su Wen's bed at once, pulled him up, checked him over head to toe, and only after confirming he wasn't badly hurt did she exhale in relief.
"You scared me to death!" Ma Xiaotao leaned down, hugging his neck tightly, her voice with a trace of sobbing.
Her body fragrance teased his nose. Su Wen's pale face squeezed out a smile.
He patted the beauty's back.
"I'm fine. We tried a martial soul fusion technique tonight. Mostly just drained, haha…"
She kept sniffling and ignored him.
Su Wen grinned awkwardly.
"Do you know how much you mean to me?" After a long moment, Ma Xiaotao sat up, wiped her eyes—red—and then, huffing, heated a piece of whale gum and shoved it into his mouth.
It did have healing properties—but really it was just her habit; its main effect… was endurance.
"Oh…"
She quickly realized, and popped a Xuan Shui Pill in too. "Traded it from Xu Sanshi. Don't worry, I didn't rob him."
Su Wen was speechless and swallowed the pill.
It really was just a minor injury…