"Hmph. I already said, this is for the honor of Shrek Academy. Trash has no right to enter my class. Besides, in every class I've ever taught, the inner court admission rate has always been first place."
The so-called little fairy, Zhou Yi, forced down the unease in her heart and said coldly.
"Heh… inner court admission rate first place…"
Neuvillette shook his head, almost unable to keep a straight face.
"You take a class of ninety students, and by the time you're done eliminating them, fewer than thirty remain. Students who make it into Shrek are already one in ten thousand talents — and from among those, you hand-pick only the very strongest few. Of course, your inner court admission rate will be high."
"I suppose only an incompetent piece of trash in the teaching field would think of such a loophole to cover their shortcomings."
"All the other teachers work hard to teach, but you — you spend all your time on crooked tricks to raise the inner court admission rate…"
Neuvillette's expression gradually grew colder.
"Those students you expelled — all of them were one-in-ten-thousand geniuses, coming to Shrek Academy full of beautiful dreams. And you, a garbage teacher, expelled them just to secure your future."
"You—you dare call me trash!"
Zhou Yi's face twisted, but all she could do was tremble in impotent rage. Her body shook slightly — whether from fear or anger, it was unclear.
"Heh."
Neuvillette shook his head.
"You said Shrek Academy does not take in trash, and used that excuse to expel hundreds of students. Then let me ask you — compared to the talent of those you expelled, how many can you match?"
"As a teacher, you're thirty-three years old, and yet only an ordinary Soul Emperor."
"With such mediocre aptitude, in Shrek Academy, you are nothing more than the most ordinary of the ordinary."
Neuvillette looked into Zhou Yi's slightly evasive eyes.
"Tell me, Teacher Zhou — do you count yourself among the 'trash' you speak of?"
"I… I…"
Zhou Yi opened her mouth, but suddenly realized… what he said wasn't exactly wrong.
Still, the thirty-three-year-old "little fairy" refused to yield.
"How can you compare me to them? I've worked harder than anyone else to become a teacher at Shrek Academy."
Neuvillette pressed his lips together, giving Zhou Yi a look of pity.
"Heh… hard work? Among your peers, there were plenty far better than you — you weren't even in the middle tier."
"As for how you became a teacher in Shrek's outer court… I think you know that better than anyone."
"I've walked this path through nothing but effort!" Zhou Yi said angrily.
"How dare you deny another's hard work!"
"In that case, let's have Director Du tell us exactly how you managed to stay in Shrek's outer court…"
Neuvillette suddenly turned toward the treeline outside the training field.
"Alright, I'll leave the rest to you."
Elder Xuan held the half-eaten chicken leg in his hand and glanced at the tall middle-aged man beside him.
"You know what Elder Mu means, and you know that boy's stubborn temper. So you know what to do — I don't need to say it."
"Rest assured, I'll handle this impartially," Du Weilun said solemnly.
"No."
Elder Xuan gave Du Weilun a strange look.
"What I mean is — you bear responsibility here too. Did you think that boy called you over today just to uphold justice?"
"Heh… you'd better watch out, or you might find yourself being judged right alongside her…"
With that, Elder Xuan's figure flashed and vanished, leaving behind a completely dumbfounded Du Weilun.
"Wait—"
"This…"
"Huh?"
A rough voice called from behind the trees.
The burly figure of Du Weilun stepped out into view of everyone.
"You set me up!!!"
Zhou Yi's eyes widened, pointing at Neuvillette.
Then, suddenly thinking of something, she glanced sideways at him, her gaze carrying a trace of schadenfreude.
"Heh… my issue isn't that big. But you insulted a senior of Shrek Academy — Director Du heard it. Just wait, you'll be reported and expelled!"
Neuvillette's expression was calm as ever, still leaning on his long staff, his gaze fixed lightly on Du Weilun approaching from the distance.
But in Du Weilun's eyes, there was another meaning entirely.
Is he going to drag me down with him?
The longer Du Weilun met Neuvillette's serene gaze, the more uneasy he felt, his steps even starting to falter.
"Director Du, you were here just now, you must have heard this brat insulting—"
Seeing Du Weilun "marching in aggressively," Zhou Yi smiled, quickly stepping forward to complain.
"Get lost!!!"
Already irritable, Du Weilun's temper flared even more at the sight of Zhou Yi sidling up to him.
In the past, out of respect for Fan Yu, he'd put up with her. But look at where things were now — the Sea God's Pavilion! The Holy Son himself had come for a covert investigation.
To be honest, even Neuvillette being assigned as Zhou Yi's teaching assistant was something Du Weilun had only learned about today.
A once-in-a-millennium genius of Shrek Academy — forget being an assistant, if the Academy wanted to make him a full teacher or even put him in charge of an entire department, it would be entirely possible.
And yet he'd come to work beside Zhou Yi… his purpose was obvious.
And now she still wanted to cozy up to him? Cozy up to your damn self!
With a surge of anger, Du Weilun's huge hand swung. A resounding slap, backed by the power of a Soul Douluo and catching Zhou Yi completely off guard, sent her body flying into the air.
She spun three times before slamming hard into the ground.
Blood, mixed with several teeth, flew from her mouth and landed on the dirt beside her.
"You… Du Weilun!"
Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment, then glared at him with a twisted expression.
"Aren't you afraid that when Fan Yu finds out you hit me, he'll stop treating you as a friend?"
"Heh… Fan Yu…"
Du Weilun gave a cold snort and glanced disdainfully at the woman on the ground, clutching her swollen face.
"He can barely protect himself right now. As his friend, I truly feel sorry for him — sorry that he has a wife like you."
"What did you say?!"
"On what grounds do you say I'm not worthy of him? He's just a man who buries himself in research with zero emotional intelligence. If I hadn't married him back then, who else would have?"
"Heh. Back in the day, plenty pursued him," Du Weilun said coldly.
"From the sound of it, you think you've been wronged. Yes, as his friend, I admit Fan Yu is a bit withdrawn — but his talent and research ability in the Soul Tool Department are matched by very few. Many sought him out back then, but he rejected them all himself, and asked us not to tell you."
"What? With emotional intelligence that low, unable to charm a girl, why would anyone chase him?"
"Heh."
Du Weilun gave her a look of utter disdain.
"All these years, you've been able to remain an outer court teacher — even after expelling so many students — and still sit securely in that position. Who do you think made that possible?"
Zhou Yi's expression faltered, a hint of panic creeping in.
Word by word, Du Weilun said:
"If it weren't for Fan Yu… you'd be nothing but trash."
"Utter, complete, worthless trash!"
(End of chapter)