If he had just taken Xu Sanshi to the Disciplinary Office for punishment, would things have spiraled out of control like this?
If he had been more cautious when obtaining his soul ring back then—if he hadn't given Xu Sanshi the chance to interfere—would the situation have turned out differently?
Shi Yu was brought to Sea God Island by Yan Shaozhe. Shi Yu himself hadn't expected that his first visit to Sea God Island would be for such a reason.
After briefly explaining Shi Yu's situation to an elder, Yan Shaozhe handed him over to that elder's care and went to summon the other elders for an emergency high-level meeting.
Half an hour later, more than a dozen figures from Shrek Academy's leadership gathered in the Sea God Pavilion's secondary conference room.
This was not the highest-level meeting of the Pavilion, but a step below it.The fact that they convened even this level of meeting over Shi Yu showed how seriously they took the matter.
The meeting was chaired by Yan Shaozhe. He described Shi Yu's situation, emphasized his unparalleled talent, and also mentioned that Shi Yu had killed someone in a fit of rage.
"Shi Yu's talent is unmatched. I'm very optimistic about his future. If he reaches his peak, he'll be unbeatable.He doesn't even need to reach the peak—once he becomes a Title Douluo, he'll be extremely difficult to defeat.With the space abilities he's displayed, as long as he doesn't want to be defeated, almost no one will be able to touch him," Yan Shaozhe explained.
"You mean you don't want to hold him accountable for killing another student because of his talent?" an elder frowned.
Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment before saying, "Shrek Academy's rules clearly state that if students kill each other, the punishment is expulsion at the very least, and execution in serious cases.But rules are dead—people are alive. I believe Shi Yu's talent warrants an exception."
He was normally a stickler for rules, but he believed that in special circumstances, flexibility was needed.
"He tried to kill someone in public. If we don't punish him severely, it will send the wrong message. What if other talented students start imitating this behavior? The Academy's order will fall into chaos," Elder Song argued.
Some elders nodded in agreement, while others stayed silent, weighing whether Shi Yu was worth the exception.
"Then what do you propose, Elder Song?" Yan Shaozhe asked.
Song Lao hesitated. Expelling or executing him would be a waste, but letting him go without punishment was unacceptable. Students must not think that talent allows them to act with impunity.
At that moment, the conference room door opened. Xuan Lao entered, pushing a wheelchair.
Yan Shaozhe and the others stood to greet them.
"Mu Lao, Xuan Lao."
Mu En gestured for them to sit, then was wheeled to the main seat by Xuan Lao, who then sat to his right.
With the arrival of these two, the meeting's atmosphere changed immediately—this had now become an official Sea God Pavilion meeting.
"I heard Xuan Zi talk about this. Tell me your thoughts," Mu En said directly, surprising many. It seemed he was also deeply concerned about the matter.
"I think he can be given a light sentence," Yan Shaozhe stated again.
"How light?" Mu En asked calmly.
"As long as he isn't expelled," Yan Shaozhe replied after a pause.
Mu En said nothing and looked at the others.
"I think we must follow the rules. Expel him, or even execute him, to prevent similar incidents in the future," Song Lao insisted.
"Shi Yu's talent is unmatched. Losing him would be a great loss to the Academy," Yan Shaozhe countered.
The two were at an impasse, each firm in their stance.
Everyone turned to Mu En, waiting for his decision. Some also looked to Xuan Lao—his opinion carried great weight as well.
"This child's talent is the most remarkable I've ever seen. His future is bright, and his temperament has no major flaws.
I've investigated the feud between him and Xu Sanshi—it was mainly due to Xu Sanshi's jealousy and repeated provocations.Shi Yu doesn't usually cling to grudges, but Xu Sanshi pushed him too far. His intent to kill was excessive, but not unforgivable.
It doesn't warrant severe punishment. If you're worried about his future temperament, this old man is willing to take him as my disciple and personally guide him, ensuring he becomes Shrek Academy's most perfect successor," Xuan Lao said with a faint smile.
Shi Yu's talent made him eager to accept a disciple—good ones were rare.
Yan Shaozhe felt pressured; this was clearly a rival trying to snatch his student.
Xuan Lao's stance made Song Lao and the other hardliners frown.
"Xuan Lao, was Xu Sanshi saved?" Song Lao suddenly asked.
Xuan Lao shook his head. "His heart was pierced. The chances of saving him are slim. I have little hope."
Yan Shaozhe and the others were disappointed. If Xu Sanshi had survived, this would have been much easier to resolve.
Everyone's eyes turned back to Mu En.
"Bring Shi Yu here. I want to speak with him," Mu En instructed.
"Alright," Yan Shaozhe replied, leaving to fetch him.
Shi Yu followed him into the conference room, unbound and free—for now. Escape was unrealistic, so he didn't even consider it.
The fact that nothing had been done to him yet meant the situation wasn't hopeless.
As he entered, he scanned the room until his eyes landed on a familiar face—Mu En.
Mu En smiled.
"Old man, still hiding your identity?" Shi Yu said, feigning surprise.
"Don't be rude. This is the Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion," Yan Shaozhe scolded.
"It's fine. If he wants to call me that, let him," Mu En said casually.
Everyone was surprised—was Shi Yu really this familiar with the Pavilion Master?
"Shi Yu greets the Pavilion Master," Shi Yu then said respectfully.
"You killed a fellow student. You may face severe punishment, perhaps even death. Do you regret it now?" Mu En asked.