Chapter 97: Destroy it, I'm Tired
After the team suffered losses twice before, his abilities were almost completely questioned by Elder Mu, and those old elders looked at him with suspicion.
But in the end, he was still the pillar of Shrek—the only rank ninety-eight Super Douluo besides Elder Mu. However, things are different now; he not only lost the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament but also stopped at the semifinals.
If it had gone according to Elder Mu's previous arrangements, even if he had lost with the team this time, he wouldn't have faced much punishment. But he insisted on being clever and, in a moment of hot-headedness with Yan Shaozhe, privately brought academy members to support him.
Now it's good—he couldn't win the championship, and he couldn't even protect these young ones himself.
Coupled with Dai Huabin's death and Ma Xiaotao's evil fire spiraling out of control, Shrek's reputation was questioned like never before, and he didn't even know if he had the face to return to the academy.
When the news of the tournament reached the academy, Dai Hao and the Xuanming Sect would surely come knocking. How would he explain himself?
"Alas~~"
Countless thoughts turned into a sigh; how did it come to this?
Xuan Zi knew that even if Shrek had won the championship with divine favor, the previous heavy losses would probably still earn him a major demerit upon returning.
But at least he could balance—offset the merits. Now, everything was a mess, and there was nothing worse than this situation!
"Xuan Zi, don't be too sad. The academy had anticipated Xiao Tao's situation; it can only be said that none of this is your fault."
Elder Zhuang offered comfort. What else could he say now? If this old fellow's emotions became unstable and he did something reckless again, there would be nowhere to turn.
To put it bluntly, he shouldn't have come. This old fellow Xuan Zi was like a giant baby. Why did he wade into such muddy waters?
No matter how annoyed he was, at this moment, he was the only one who could make decisions. Relying on Xuan Zi was out of the question.
Little did he know, Xuan Zi wasn't sad at all; he was just troubled about how to explain himself to Mu En and the others.
Wang Dong, Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, and the others looked at Xuan Zi with meaningful expressions. They had developed deep doubts about this elder of the academy.
If Teacher Wang Yan were still here, would the situation be different?
Previously, when they were eradicating evil Soul Masters, they suffered unimaginable losses because Elder Xuan wasn't present. But even in the competition, things didn't improve.
Even with Elder Xuan present, Dai Huabin was not protected, and Senior Sister Xiao Tao's evil fire went out of control. Is this person truly reliable?
Of course, they didn't have much friendship with Dai Huabin or Ma Xiaotao; they just felt that since things could happen to others, one day, it might happen to them.
At this moment, Xuan Zi felt the gazes of these young ones—like Wang Dong—so sharp. Considering Dai Hao just now, he even suspected that if he weren't a rank ninety-eight Super Douluo, Dai Hao might have torn him apart.
This was blatant questioning—without any concealment. He, a rank ninety-eight Super Douluo, had never endured such humiliation before!
Immediately, he grew irritable—just as Elder Zhuang thought: a giant baby, fitting description indeed!
"Damn it, it's all because of Kong Deming and Du Busi! If it weren't for those two old fellows, how could I watch the Sun Moon Empire be so arrogant?"
He had intervened during the competition, but who would have thought that Huo Yuhao would dare to kill someone in a public contest—and it was someone from their own Shrek Academy.
He also didn't know that Huo Yuhao had such a formidable background.
Kong Deming of the Sun Moon Empire and Du Busi of the Body Sect both came down to threaten him. What could he do? Ignore everything, start a fight, and let these young talents of Shrek perish here?
Enough had already died; if more accidents occurred, he would truly have nowhere to stand. Elder Mu and the others would definitely cripple him, and even his own power wouldn't help.
"Alright, what's the point of saying all this now? Why were you so agitated back then? Now look—you've put yourself in an awkward position."
If this old fellow hadn't spouted those ridiculous words about giving it their all in the arena and that casualties were inevitable, Shrek would have had the moral high ground.
But because he said those words, it provoked many to attack him. Shrek couldn't possibly slap its own face. Now, their fists are bigger—and you, old fellow, aren't so arrogant anymore, are you?
"Shrek has always protected the Star Luo Empire's safety. So why didn't the Star Luo Emperor come forward to speak for Shrek during the arena? Is it just because Huo Yuhao is Dai Hao's illegitimate son? How infuriating!"
Many in the room at this moment were speechless. This old man had confused a fact: as the organizer of the tournament, Star Luo Empire, no matter how you look at it, had to stand for fairness—at least overtly.
Moreover, when Huo Yuhao appeared, Emperor Xu Jiawei did say a few words to support Shrek, and Huo Yuhao's identity was exposed after Shrek's defeat. How are these connected?
The tournament is for the entire continent; if you lose, you lose. Better to admit your shortcomings frankly. What's with all this blame-shifting? The world doesn't revolve around Shrek.
Compared to Xuan Zi, Wang Dong and the others couldn't grasp the profound meaning of Shrek's ten thousand years of glory. Uh, note—it's not that profound. It doesn't mean they haven't been poisoned; they've just come to their senses. It was Xuan Zi who was humiliated in the arena—what does that have to do with them?
Instead of worrying needlessly, they should consider how much criticism they'll face when they return to Shrek.
(In the original storyline, winning the tournament could offset merits and demerits. You still expect Shrek to let it go lightly? Dream on!)
"No, this old man cannot swallow this insult. I'm going out for a bit."
Xuan Zi left the room without a word—so quickly that Elder Zhuang's raised hand didn't even have time to stop him.
What is this old fellow planning to do? Is he going to cause more trouble for Shrek?
Ma Xiaotao's situation is critical. Now, this old fellow isn't rushing her back to the academy—what other tricks is he pulling?
Heart tired—true heart tired. It's not about making a fuss. Now Elder Zhuang finally understood what it meant for rotten wood to be uncarvable. If Elder Mu were to pass away in a hundred years and temporarily hand Shrek over to Xuan Zi, he wouldn't dare imagine what Shrek would become.
"Little ones, rest for a bit. When Elder Xuan returns, I will have him take Xiao Tao, Bei Bei, and Cai Tou back to the academy."
"For tomorrow's competition, if you're interested, stay and watch. If not, follow Elder Xuan back to the academy."
At this point, he couldn't do much more. When it rains, it pours. One step at a time.
"Elder Zhuang, I want to stay and watch tomorrow's competition."
Wang Dong was the first to step forward, followed by Su Tong and Ning Tian. "Zhuang Lao, we'll stay too."
Jiang Nannan hesitated for a moment but decided to stay. As for Xu Sanshi, she was worried, but deep down, she felt more relieved.
The previous accident was just a transaction. She was heartbroken that Xu Sanshi suffered an injury, but there was nothing she could do. Tomorrow's final was more important. Who knew if there would be another chance to participate in the tournament in the future?
The two had no relationship after that transaction. Now, perhaps she will be much more relaxed in the future.
This wave—this wave—is still the same: 'Simps won't have a good end.' Serves him right!
"Alright, be careful and stay safe. I will secretly stay behind to protect you. Star Luo City is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers now, so don't cause trouble."
The lesson that academies shouldn't cause trouble for mediocrity has a long history. He was really afraid these young ones wouldn't know their place and would stir up trouble later.
Times are different now. It's foreseeable that as time passes, everything that happened on the field today will spread continuously, and Shrek's reputation will plummet.
Those onlookers don't care what actually happened behind the scenes. With rumors spreading, he really didn't want to imagine what Shrek would be portrayed as.
Still the same saying: Let it be. Destroy it—I'm tired.
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End of Chapter