Chapter 41: Thunderous Applause from the Crowd
Just as Lin Yun was about to return to class, feeling refreshed and relaxed, he was stopped by an old geezer.
The man wore white robes, had a kindly face, and radiated a bright and gentle aura—seemingly approachable, yet faintly tainted with an almost imperceptible sense of insincerity. He stood there smiling at Lin Yun.
Lin Yun immediately halted and stared directly at the man—big eyes locked onto small eyes in a silent standoff.
The old man didn't blink. Lin Yun didn't blink either.
Three minutes passed.
Yan Shaozhe couldn't hold it in anymore. How could this kid not say a single word after such a majestic and benevolent entrance? I've been smiling so long my face is starting to cramp!
Seeing Lin Yun still wearing that clueless expression, Yan Shaozhe finally gave in with a helpless sigh. "Young man, getting into a fight with a teacher on your first day, and even injuring them severely… that's not exactly good behavior, is it?"
Hearing him finally speak, Lin Yun blinked subtly to ease the strain in his eyes after such prolonged staring.
As a Titled Douluo, Yan Shaozhe naturally noticed the little motion. This kid… that blink nearly made me laugh out loud.
In just a few minutes, Yan Shaozhe had already formed an assessment of Lin Yun: Stubborn mule!
He had been keeping an eye on Class One ever since Zhou Yi joined, mainly because Lin Yun—who possessed the Golden Dragon martial soul—was an absolute monster. Even though Mu En had strictly ordered him not to act rashly toward Lin Yun…
That didn't stop him from trying to build goodwill!
So on the very first day, Yan Shaozhe couldn't wait to rush over to the Outer Court. And upon seeing the three spirit rings on Lin Yun's body, he was utterly astonished.
Even his own teacher, Mu En, had followed the standard yellow-yellow-purple configuration for his first three spirit rings. Yet even so, Mu En went on to absorb three 100,000-year spirit rings after his seventh.
And Lin Yun?
Purple-purple-black!
Judging by that, Yan Shaozhe suspected Lin Yun might even absorb a 100,000-year ring by his sixth, and breaking through the limits would be effortless.
This kid is Shrek Academy's dream candidate!
When it came to persuasive education—let's say, "gentle psychological guidance"—Yan Shaozhe was far more skilled than Zhou Yi. After witnessing the conflict between Lin Yun and Zhou Yi, he immediately categorized Lin Yun as the type of student who absolutely must not be suppressed.
Soul masters like Lin Yun thrived on an unstoppable, invincible momentum.
With that understanding, Yan Shaozhe had no intention of punishing Lin Yun for the incident. Compared to Zhou Yi, Lin Yun—the future pillar of Shrek—was the far more valuable asset.
And Zhou Yi?
Just a low-level teacher in the Outer Court. If she had to go, so be it. The only complication might be with Fan Yu and Qian Duoduo.
But it didn't really matter. The relationship between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department was already strained. This incident would only further the rift, making it even less likely for Lin Yun to be poached by the Soul Tool Department.
I, Yan Shaozhe, have won big today!
With that thought, the smile on Yan Shaozhe's face deepened.
"Huh? Conflict with a teacher?" Lin Yun scratched his head in feigned confusion. "I didn't! Teacher Zhou Yi said we weren't even brave enough to fight, said those who don't stir trouble are worthless, called us trash. So I was just helping her prove her point!"
"I've always admired Shrek Academy. Naturally, I want to uphold the school motto: Those who don't stir trouble are mediocre!"
Looking at Lin Yun's self-righteous expression, Yan Shaozhe suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
First lesson of the semester, and Zhou Yi already ruined a promising seedling, turning him into a brute. If I hadn't seen the entire thing unfold myself, I'd probably be questioning the truth of Lin Yun's words.
Zhou Yi really deserves a beating.
She got what she deserved—from her own student no less!
"Alright, I'm the Dean of Shrek Academy. I witnessed the entire incident. Don't worry, I'm not here to cause you trouble. In this matter, Teacher Zhou was indeed at fault. Let's just leave it at that," Yan Shaozhe said, rubbing his temples with a headache.
There was nothing else he could do—couldn't scold, couldn't punish. All he could do was raise his hand high and bring it down lightly.
"So it was the Dean himself!" Lin Yun responded with a look of 'solemn respect', a perfect touch of admiration flashing in his eyes.
Hmph, finally put this little rascal in his place, Yan Shaozhe thought, beaming as he stroked his beard happily.
"Return to class," he said. "I'll arrange for another teacher to temporarily take over as Class One's homeroom instructor. Once Teacher Zhou recovers, she'll return to her post."
"Keep this in mind—don't get into conflicts with your teachers again. Despite what happened, Zhou Yi's teaching ability is still excellent. I'll also be having a word with her."
"Yes, Dean Yan!"
...
After Yan Shaozhe left, Lin Yun smiled faintly and reentered Class One.
Nothing about Yan Shaozhe's reaction had surprised him. At Shrek Academy, if you had talent, you could do whatever you wanted. The academy would go to great lengths to keep someone like him within their ranks. A mere fight with a teacher?
Even if the teacher lost, Yan Shaozhe would only conclude that Zhou Yi was too weak and Lin Yun was too brilliant. He would never reprimand Lin Yun over something like this.
After all, it was Zhou Yi who started it!
So when she challenged him, Lin Yun didn't hesitate to give her a good beating, letting her know exactly who the real kings of Class One were.
What did surprise Lin Yun, though, was that Yan Shaozhe didn't directly transfer Zhou Yi out of Class One. Instead, he arranged for a temporary replacement, allowing her to return once her injuries healed.
Still…
That decision gave Lin Yun the perfect opportunity for what he planned to do next.
Heh heh heh heh…
With a sly grin on his lips, Lin Yun had just stepped through the classroom door when he was met with an explosion of thunderous cheers that nearly startled him.
All one hundred or so students in Class One looked at him with worship in their eyes.
Word had quickly spread after the incident. Nearly everyone in Class One had learned of Zhou Yi's nickname—the twisted, iron-hearted old witch—and her love for tormenting and expelling students. Among a hundred students, there were always a few who were well-informed.
Thanks to their whisper campaign, the entire class now knew Zhou Yi's reputation.
And with her delivering a power play on the first day, everyone quickly understood—Lin Yun had freed them!
After working so hard to get accepted into Shrek Academy, who wanted to be expelled before even finishing the freshman assessment? So when Lin Yun struck Zhou Yi down, he won their unanimous gratitude.
And that was why the classroom had erupted into thunderous applause.
"Strongest Freshman King!"
No one knew who shouted it first, but the next moment, the entire Class One echoed it in unison.
The frenzy of their voices was so loud that even the entire first-year teaching building could clearly hear those five words—
Strongest Freshman King!
[End of Chapter]
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