Yan Shaozhe silently dismissed his stray thoughts. No matter how he looked at it, none of this was Qian Ran's fault.
The last time, Qian Ran had helped Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier improve their cultivation, which was a significant boon to Shrek Academy. This time, Qian Ran had selflessly donated those precious ninth-level soul tools.
Blaming Qian Ran for any of this would have been laughable, even to Yan Shaozhe.
Though Qian Ran might be shameless when it came to women, he always demonstrated a sense of the bigger picture.
"Since Duoduo has agreed, I'll report this to the Sea God Pavilion tomorrow for discussion," Xian Lin'er said. "But Duoduo, just because Qian Ran is becoming deputy dean doesn't mean you can slack off. You've held the position for years; you'll need to help Qian Ran with the administrative work."
Cai Meier smirked. Xian Lin'er, ruthless as ever.
Qian Duoduo was being demoted, yet Xian Lin'er still expected him to do the same work. In other words, Qian Duoduo would lose the title of deputy dean while Qian Ran would take the credit for the position, leaving the actual workload to Qian Duoduo.
"Of course, Lin'er. Don't worry; Qian Ran is your disciple, which makes him mine as well. I'll make sure he's well supported," Qian Duoduo said magnanimously, though not without a heavy sigh, as he downed another bitter drink.
"Women are terrifying," Qian Ran thought, shaking his head.
Fortunately, he wasn't like Qian Duoduo or Yan Shaozhe. They were the fools, not him.
"I, Qian Ran, will never in this life, or the next, or the one after that, be the fool!"
Though he felt a pang of guilt seeing Qian Duoduo's plight, the position of deputy dean was too tempting to pass up.
Shrek Academy was his base of operations. Many of his women studied here, and having an official position would make it easier to call them over for tea—among other things—all under the guise of professionalism.
"Since Duoduo has agreed, we can leave the rest for the Sea God Pavilion meeting tomorrow," Cai Meier suggested.
"Still, I'm curious—how did you get those soul tools, Qian Ran? Don't tell me Jing Hongchen really sees you as his grandson-in-law?" Yan Shaozhe asked, his expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief.
After all, they had seen Meng Hongchen earlier in the day and knew she was Jing Hongchen's granddaughter. As the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the head of Mingde Hall, and a duke of the Sun Moon Empire, Jing Hongchen wielded considerable influence. It wasn't entirely impossible for him to procure ninth-level soul tools.
"Dean Yan, do you think that's likely?" Qian Ran asked with a faint smile.
"Even if he were willing to give them to me, he wouldn't have the means. Ninth-level soul tools aren't exactly cabbages. If Mingde Hall suddenly lost a few, it would quickly be noticed. Even Jing Hongchen couldn't cover that up."
"Are you saying your ninth-level soul tools didn't come from Mingde Hall?" Everyone was stunned.
If not Mingde Hall, then where?
Outside the Sun Moon Empire, the only eighth-level Soul Engineers were at Shrek Academy. The other nations were even further behind.
"The Death God Douluo, Ye Xishui," Qian Ran said, dropping the name like a bombshell.
"Ye Xishui?" At the mention of this name, everyone's faces changed.
Ye Xishui was a legend. Back when she was renowned across the continent, most of them had been nobodies.
Qian Ran briefly recounted his encounter with Ye Xishui, leaving everyone awestruck.
"The Holy Spirit Church, Ye Xishui, a Rank 99 Titled Douluo. And Long Xiaoyao, also a Rank 99 Titled Douluo," Yan Shaozhe said, his expression grim.
Both Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao had been peerless geniuses of the same era as Mu En.
That these two were still alive, deeply tied to the Holy Spirit Church, and possibly collaborating with the Sun Moon Empire was dire news for Shrek Academy.
While Yan Shaozhe grappled with the implications, Cai Meier and Xian Lin'er exchanged a knowing look.
From the way Qian Ran spoke, his relationship with Ye Xishui seemed far from simple. Otherwise, why would she have handed over such valuable soul tools?
When it came to women, no one escaped Qian Ran's grasp.
Qian Ran had no intention of revealing his deeper connections with the Holy Spirit Church.
However, Yan Shaozhe was visibly unsettled by the knowledge that the church boasted two Limit Douluos. This alone tipped the scales entirely in their favor against both Shrek Academy and the Body Sect.
Even with Shrek's deep foundation, they couldn't withstand the combined might of two Limit Douluos and numerous Titled Douluo-level evil soul masters.
"These revelations are critical. We need to discuss them thoroughly in tomorrow's Sea God Pavilion meeting," Yan Shaozhe said solemnly.
The room fell into silence as everyone retreated into their own thoughts.
Whether it was about the Holy Spirit Church or Qian Duoduo's position, the night passed without further discussion.
After dinner, Qian Ran was, unsurprisingly, invited to stay over by the enthusiastic Cai Meier.
"Meier, with all this noise, do you think Yan Shaozhe will hear us?" Qian Ran asked, smirking as he held Cai Meier close, his hands firmly smacking her ample rear.
Mature women were truly the best. Their curves had a bounce and softness that no slender girl could match.
"You're overthinking it. Even if he does, what can he do? Ahhh…" Cai Meier moaned unabashedly, her eyes filled with mischief. She enjoyed teasing Qian Ran, knowing their room was soundproofed.
No matter how wild things got, no sound would escape.
After who knows how long, Cai Meier finally woke Qian Ran in the early hours.
"Get back to your room before Yan Shaozhe wakes up," she urged. "If he catches you sneaking out, it'll be too awkward for everyone."
"Fine, fine. Next time, let's just meet in your office. I really hate waking up early," Qian Ran grumbled, yawning.
No matter how bold he was, he wouldn't dare walk out of Cai Meier's room in front of Yan Shaozhe.
"My dear Meier, don't forget to hang the photos I took of you in your room," Qian Ran teased, pinching her cheek.
Last night, Cai Meier, overcome with desire after reuniting with Qian Ran, had been especially wild. Naturally, he hadn't missed the opportunity to capture some memories.
Now, Qian Ran's collection of photos and videos was ever-growing—a treasure trove of passion.
Every time he looked at them, he couldn't help but smile. After all, what man wouldn't love a wife who only showed her wild side at home?
"I got it. Now go," Cai Meier replied, shooing him off.
"Don't worry about tomorrow's meeting. With Lin'er and me speaking on your behalf, both Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo will fall in line. You've got this deputy dean position in the bag. The other elders don't care much about internal appointments."
"Got it. Soon, we'll be colleagues—it'll be easier to visit," Qian Ran said with a sly grin. After kissing Cai Meier's forehead, he hurried back to his room to freshen up.
(End of Chapter)
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X