"Please forgive me, Sect Master. There is at least one Soul Saint and several Soul Emperor-level experts inside Shrek Academy. I was unable to infiltrate and investigate. However, the letter you instructed me to deliver was given to a teacher at Shrek Academy — it will certainly end up in the hands of their Dean."
A faint smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face. "Flandre, Flandre — you really are an idealistic man. I'd very much like to see what kind of person you can turn my daughter into. Perhaps, only by leaving home will that little demoness finally learn some manners. Very well, you may withdraw."
"Yes, Sect Master." The young man stepped back quickly and departed.
A vigorous, powerful voice echoed through the great hall, seeming to come from every direction at once, rattling the hall until its walls trembled. "Fengzhi, are you really so willing to let Rongrong stay out there on her own? Could it be that this Shrek Academy teaches better than we do? No — I'm going to bring Rongrong back. I won't rest easy as long as she's out there."
Along with the voice, an elder with hair and beard as white as snow, yet with a face as smooth and delicate as a baby's, strode out from the back hall. He plonked himself down without ceremony in a chair beside Sect Master Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Fengzhi wore a helpless expression. "Uncle Jian, precisely because of you and Uncle Long, I cannot let that girl remain in the clan. You spoil her far too much — she's become completely unmanageable at home. Perhaps going out into the world and receiving some proper education will change her."
Uncle Jian said indignantly, "Who says we've been spoiling Rongrong? You only see the side of her that likes to play around — you never see how well-behaved she can be. You have plenty of sons, but only one daughter. Can you really bear to send her away?"
Ning Fengzhi said firmly, "Uncle Jian, no matter what, I will not go fetch her this time — and neither can you nor Uncle Long. There is absolutely no need to worry about Rongrong's safety. The Dean of Shrek Academy is none other than the first vanguard of the old Golden Iron Triangle. There's no way he wouldn't recognize the Martial Soul of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. With his protection, Rongrong will be perfectly fine."
Uncle Jian snorted in a huff. "If anything happens to Rongrong, you'll answer to me. My body's feeling a bit stiff — I'm going to find Old Bone Dragon to stretch out."
Let alone within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, but across the entire Soul Land, there were precious few who dared speak to Ning Fengzhi this way. The old man before him was clearly one of them. Although Ning Fengzhi appeared to be in his forties, his actual age had long since surpassed sixty. Ning Rongrong was his youngest child, and his only daughter.
…
Night fell. Shrek Academy's Dean, the Four-Eyed Cat Eagle Flandre, stood in the center of the main training ground, gazing at all seven students before him.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and the cold-faced yet neatly composed Zhu Zhuqing had all prepared themselves for the evening's lesson, each one brimming with energy.
However, Flandre's attention was not on them. He was looking at the other two students.
"Oscar, have you finished your twenty laps?" Flandre's gaze carried a sharp edge that made it difficult to meet his eyes.
For some reason, none of the other teachers had appeared all day — not even Zhao Wuji. It seemed as though the only people in the entire academy were these seven students and the Dean himself.
Oscar coughed once, then nodded. "Dean, I've finished running."
Flandre snorted coldly. "I asked if *you all* finished, not just you."
Oscar turned to look at Ning Rongrong, who was already looking back at him, her beautiful big eyes brimming with an innocent expression.
Oscar gritted his teeth and nodded. "Yes, we've all finished."
Flandre smiled — and if Tang San had been asked to describe that smile, the word "sinister" would have been perfectly appropriate.
"Very good, Oscar. I didn't expect such a strong sense of camaraderie from you. Come here." Flandre pointed to the spot in front of him.
A bitter smile crossed Oscar's face, but he didn't look back at Ning Rongrong. He strode up and stood before Flandre.
Flandre slowly raised his right hand and lightly patted Oscar's shoulder. "I appreciate your spirit of camaraderie. Since that's the case, go run another twenty laps — let me see just how deep your camaraderie truly goes. No eating until you've finished. I've sealed your Soul Power, so don't even think about undoing it. Go."
Oscar said nothing. He simply nodded silently, turned, and ran off toward the track.
Flandre's gaze swept over to Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others. "Do you all understand why I did that? Why I made him keep running?"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were well acquainted with Flandre's temperament and said nothing. Zhu Zhuqing, naturally cold, merely regarded him with an indifferent look. Tang San and Xiao Wu, however, instinctively shook their heads. They genuinely didn't understand why Flandre had done this.
That unnerving smile still lingered on Flandre's face. "Because he lied. Even if it was out of camaraderie or some other reason, it was still a lie. You're all still children, and dishonesty is the worst of virtues. I want you to understand that."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted from the five of them to Ning Rongrong, who stood looking innocent and pitifully wronged. "Tell me — did you complete the training I assigned you this morning?"
Ning Rongrong honestly shook her head. "I didn't. The distance was too far, and I was too hungry. I couldn't keep going."
Flandre smiled faintly. "So instead, you went off to Sotuo City by yourself, gorged yourself on a big meal, strolled around the shopping district, and only just came back and found Oscar — isn't that right?"
Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes went wide. "You had me watched?!"
Flandre's expression turned cold instantly. "As Dean, I am responsible for every single student at this academy. If Oscar's lie was born out of an unwillingness to see you punished, that is at least understandable. But your offense is unforgivable. Leaving the academy without permission, defying the academy's arrangements, and having a senior student lie on your behalf — not a single one of these is a mistake a proper Soul Master should make. If this were a battlefield, there would be only one outcome for you: execution under military law. Nothing less."
(End of Chapter)