Jiang Qingtong looked calmly at Mu En and said,
"If I were to be swayed by the conditions you've offered today and join Shrek Academy, then what happens in the future if someone else offers me something even better? Should I go with them too?"
It was a simple truth.
Mu En nodded in understanding and added,
"Still, I must advise you to stay at Shrek Academy. When it comes to cultivating twin martial souls, no one on the continent understands it better than we do."
Shrek Academy had produced many famous soul masters with twin martial souls, most notably Tang San—revered across thousands of years as one of the original Shrek Seven Devils.
If she were a normal twin martial soul holder, Mu En's argument might have worked. Even if she didn't join Shrek, just learning the best cultivation method would be reason enough to consider staying.
But the truth was, Jiang Qingtong didn't genuinely have twin martial souls—she was just particularly good at "borrowing" them. Which meant Shrek's expertise was of no use to her.
The so-called "Number One Academy on the Continent"?
Let's be accurate—it was the number one soul master academy.
But in the future, soul tools would inevitably become the mainstream.
"Thank you, Senior. I'll think about it," Jiang Qingtong nodded politely. "If there's nothing else, I'll return to the dorm."
Mu En waved her off. After she left, Xuan Zi appeared beside him gnawing on a chicken leg. He said,
"Mu En, that girl looks young and innocent, but every word she says is airtight. If someone like her ends up holding power in the Sun Moon Empire, it would spell disaster for the Three Former Douluo Nations."
Mu En gave him a look. "What are you getting at, Xuan Zi?"
Eyes narrowed, a chill radiating from his body, Xuan Zi said coldly,
"Why not detain her? Don't send her back to the Sun Moon Empire—or better yet, cripple her. No matter what, we can't allow the Sun Moon Empire to grow stronger."
Mu En waved his hand dismissively,
"Stop that line of thinking. With those ninth-level soul tools on her, unless I act personally, none of you can guarantee she'll be stopped. And if we did detain her, do you think the Sun Moon Empire wouldn't find out? They'd spread the news, accusing Shrek Academy of pettiness and discrimination. Our reputation would suffer."
Xuan Zi nodded silently.
Mu En continued,
"For now, we can only hope the academy's environment softens her heart toward Shrek. As long as her heart turns toward us, it won't matter if she stays or not."
"I understand. Don't worry, I've already instructed Zhou Yi and the other instructors to look after her more closely," Xuan Zi said respectfully.
Mu En nodded. "By the way, since she stood up for Jiang Nannan, they must be close. Keep an eye on Jiang Nannan too. And as for Xu Sanshi… even if his martial soul naturally causes that behavior, it sounds terrible. Tell him not to bother Jiang Nannan anymore."
"Yes, Mu En," Xuan Zi agreed.
As the two were talking, Bei Bei arrived angrily at the girls' dormitory.
"Isn't that Bei Bei? What's he doing here?" Mu En asked. He motioned for Xuan Zi to bring the boy over.
Bei Bei approached and bowed.
"Ancestor Xuan, you asked for me?"
"What are you doing here?" Mu En asked.
Bei Bei clenched his fists and answered through gritted teeth,
"Xiao Ya… Xiao Ya is gone."
"Gone?" Xuan Zi was surprised. "She went back to Tian Dou City?"
Bei Bei shook his head, voice full of anger and pain:
"She went to the Sun Moon Empire!"
Mu En and Xuan Zi both froze briefly. Mu En said,
"Tell us everything, Bei Bei. Start from the beginning."
When Bei Bei explained how Tang Ya had used a ninth-level spatial soul tool to vanish right in front of him, Mu En glanced at Xuan Zi and remarked,
"What did I say earlier? Qingtong's escape and survival tools are so advanced, even a Super Douluo may not match her."
Xuan Zi sighed in frustration.
"Mu En, is this really the time? Tang Ya is the head of the Tang Sect! If she's gone to the Sun Moon Empire, you know what that means."
"It's Jiang Qingtong! She tricked Xiao Ya into going!" Bei Bei growled, fists trembling.
But Mu En had another view. After a moment of silence, he said,
"No… perhaps it was Tang Ya's own decision."
"Ancestor?" Bei Bei was stunned.
Xuan Zi looked at Mu En as well. "What do you mean?"
Mu En sighed deeply.
"After the fall of the Tang Sect, when Tang Ya came to Shrek alone, we discussed helping her. But we didn't act. At most, we gave her a place to stay in Shrek City. She must have developed resentment toward us. Yes, Qingtong likely influenced her, but the choice was ultimately Tang Ya's."
The room fell silent.
Back when the Tang Sect was overrun and forced out of its ancestral home, Tang Ya fled to Shrek Academy. The Sea God Pavilion debated whether to help her rebuild the sect—but in the end, worried about its public image, the academy chose inaction. They gave her shelter, but no support.
Even Bei Bei had joined the Tang Sect on Mu En's suggestion.
"I'll go to the Sun Moon Empire and bring her back!" Bei Bei declared.
"I should go instead," Xuan Zi interjected. "The Sun Moon Empire is dangerous for you. With my strength at Rank 98, no one there can threaten me."
Mu En shook his head.
"What good is it to bring back someone whose heart is no longer here? She would only return more resentful."
"But Tang Ya is the head of the Tang Sect! If the sect is rebuilt in the Sun Moon Empire, it will be a disaster for the Three Former Douluo Nations!" Bei Bei insisted.
Mu En countered:
"How many people still care about the Tang Sect anyway?"
He raised his head toward the sky and said,
"You're blocking my sunlight, Xuan Zi."
Mu En was clear-eyed. As someone born and raised in Shrek Academy, his loyalty was to the academy above all else. He could admit the academy wronged the Tang Sect—but that didn't change anything.
Because Shrek Academy must remain as bright and pure as the wind and moon—fair and just in all things.
PS: Access advance chapters at
https://www.patreon.com/c/NanamiTL