As Jiang Qingtong's thoughts wandered, her eyes landed on He Caitou, who stood off to the side. He didn't seem to care about any of this.
But that didn't surprise her—after all, he didn't really consider himself a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire to begin with.
But Jiang Qingtong did.
At least, her character background said she did!
So, while she was quietly amused on the inside, she raised her hand with a deliberately puzzled expression and asked, "Elder Xuan, I have a question!"
Her voice immediately drew everyone's attention. Both Xuanzi and Beibei, who was standing among the crowd, looked toward her. Xuanzi said, "Go ahead."
Jiang Qingtong asked, "Elder Xuan, you said earlier that the Sun Moon Empire has always been trying to stir up an evil war across the continent. But… I don't understand—why is a war started by the Sun Moon Empire necessarily evil?"
As soon as she posed the question, Xuanzi realized this was a perfect opportunity to educate Jiang Qingtong and plant a seed of hatred toward the Sun Moon Empire. So, he cleared his throat, dialed down his usual lackadaisical attitude, and looked at her with a serious expression.
Like a professor giving a lecture, Xuanzi began to vividly recount the wars between the Sun Moon Empire and the former Three Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent—embellishing every detail. He painted a glowing picture of the Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy, portraying them as selfless defenders who fought for the peace and welfare of the people.
Jiang Qingtong listened with an outwardly respectful expression, just like everyone else. But inside, she was scoffing.
The Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy waged war against the Sun Moon Empire for the people's sake?
Don't make me laugh. If you went to war to maintain your own rule, just admit it—why dress it up with moral superiority? The holier-than-thou act of these so-called righteous forces is downright nauseating.
When the Sun Moon Continent first collided with the Douluo Continent, were the Three Kingdoms not salivating over all that new land? The only reason they didn't make the first move was because the Sun Moon Empire had soul tools and struck first.
They're all feudal empires. Who's more "pure-hearted" than whom?
But now, under the influence of Shrek Academy, the entire continent had adopted the same narrative:
The Sun Moon Empire launched a heinous war and must bear eternal guilt.
That's what happens when you don't control the narrative.
Still, even though she thought all this, Jiang Qingtong put on a look of sudden understanding and muttered, "So that's how it was…"
In this life, everything came down to acting.
Sorry, but someone get her a trophy.
Seeing her reaction, Xuanzi asked, "Qingtong, during your years in the Sun Moon Empire, how was that war described over there?"
Everyone turned to look at her, curious and expectant.
After listening to Xuanzi's speech, figures like Dai Huabin and Beibei found their dislike of the Sun Moon Empire intensifying. Wang Dong remained noncommittal. As for Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan, thanks to Jiang Qingtong's presence, they didn't feel much hostility.
Why? Because both of them were commoners. Even though Xiao Xiao came from a far better background than Jiang Nannan, neither of them held positions of power. Naturally, they weren't going to see things from the rulers' point of view.
And Jiang Nannan, even less so. She might very well think it would've been better if the Sun Moon Empire had conquered the Three Kingdoms back then—at least for the common folk, life couldn't have been much worse.
That's why, among everyone present, the ones most immune to Xuanzi's preaching were Jiang Qingtong, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao.
Jiang Qingtong pretended to reflect seriously. Meanwhile, Jiang Shengyu casually pulled aside a staff member from the Soul Hall and asked about that war from thousands of years ago. After tweaking the account slightly to fit the narrative, he passed it along to Jiang Qingtong.
She then relayed the story, tailoring it just right to match the biases Xuanzi and the others already held against the Sun Moon Empire.
After listening, Xuanzi put on a "Just as I thought!" expression and declared,
"See? The Sun Moon Empire's ambitions haven't disappeared even now! That's why all of you must strive to protect the peace of the continent and suppress the Empire's schemes!"
He spoke these words to the group, and although he had originally planned to say more to Jiang Qingtong, he remembered Mu En's advice—don't provoke her into outright rebellion.
Just subtly steer her to believe the Sun Moon Empire is bad, and that Shrek Academy is good—that would be enough.
After all, Jiang Qingtong was here now, in the Academy's territory.
Time, was on their side.
Xuanzi took a deep breath and continued,
"But the Sun Moon Empire fears Shrek Academy—they don't dare start a war right now! Still, their testing never stops."
"The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy is a clear example—it's a tool they use to gauge our strength. In this upcoming Soul Master Tournament, they'll be probing the true power of our next generation!"
"How despicable!"
Dai Huabin clenched his fist and growled, "The Sun Moon Empire is really that scheming!"
"But don't worry—the Academy has measures in place. In every tournament, the Shrek Seven Monsters from the inner court are sent to compete. That ensures we can crush any ambitions the Royal Soul Engineering Academy might have."
Xuanzi then began explaining the legend of the Shrek Seven Monsters.
"Since ten thousand years ago, a new group of Shrek Seven Monsters is selected every five years to represent the Academy in the tournament. The current official team members are mostly drawn from the previous preparatory team."
At this point, Xuanzi swept his gaze across the group and said,
"So, all of you have a chance to become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters!"
Even Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao, who had remained relatively calm up until now, couldn't help but feel excited.
Jiang Nannan had worked hard in order to prove herself—and to give her family a better life. Xiao Xiao didn't have such lofty goals, but the legend of the Shrek Seven Monsters was so famous that she'd never dreamed she could be part of it one day.
Jiang Qingtong looked at the excited faces around her, her own expression calm.
She was from the Sun Moon Empire. If she acted too eager about the Shrek Seven Monsters at a moment like this—that would be suspicious.
Xuanzi raised a hand to quiet the crowd and continued:
"Today's selection doesn't decide everything. Over the next five years, you'll be under constant evaluation. Only those with true strength will earn the right to represent the Academy!"
"Yes, Elder Xuan!"
Everyone responded loudly.
Elder Xuan was pleased with their reactions. He nodded and said,
"Beibei, Qingtong, you two stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed. Also, you're not allowed to reveal your status as preparatory team members. Doing so will result in disqualification."
"Understood!" the group replied in unison.
As the others dispersed, only Jiang Qingtong and Beibei remained. Beibei turned to Elder Xuan and asked,
"Elder Xuan, is there something else you wish to tell us?"
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