บท 81: Yu Xiaogang's Humiliation
As the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe was often preoccupied with important affairs and had little knowledge of the Shrek Academy.
Who was Yu Xiaogang? He had never heard of him. However, he had some vague familiarity with Four-Eyed Owl Flender. The old man, often called "the Grandmaster," was thought to be some sort of formidable figure. Yet, upon observing his true power, Xue Qinghe noted that Yu Xiaogang was merely at the rank of Soul Elder (around level 30). After witnessing the recent disgraceful events, Xue Qinghe struggled to understand why this man was so highly regarded.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances, then looked toward the direction where the Grandmaster had fled in humiliation. Ultimately, they did nothing and remained where they stood.
Among the seven members of Shrek Academy, the two who were most often scolded and punished were Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. Seeing Yu Xiaogang embarrass himself today filled them with a sense of satisfaction, a small bit of schadenfreude.
"He brought it on himself," Chen Xuan remarked with a chuckle, his voice filled with disdain.
In front of important figures, Yu Xiaogang had fabricated stories and twisted facts to elevate his own disciples. His arrogance had finally caught up with him.
The others from Shrek Academy said nothing. They knew of the tension between Chen Xuan and the Grandmaster. And in this case, it was indeed Yu Xiaogang who had humiliated himself.
From now on, Yu Xiaogang's authority and credibility would crumble. His future teachings would undoubtedly be questioned, and he would never regain the respect he once commanded.
Chen Xuan felt no sympathy for him. This was self-inflicted; Yu Xiaogang had brought this upon himself, and there was no one else to blame.
Throughout this entire ordeal, Chen Xuan hadn't intentionally done anything to scheme against him. The current outcome had nothing to do with him.
Ning Rongrong, standing beside her father Ning Fengzhi, was unconcerned with how the Grandmaster might feel. Even if this incident led to Yu Xiaogang hating her father or caused friction between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Shrek Academy, she didn't care. The clan was powerful and had no reason to fear a mere Soul Elder.
"Master Yu's theoretical knowledge is indeed impressive, that much is undeniable," Ning Fengzhi remarked politely.
It was the sort of diplomatic statement one would expect, though it was unclear if he truly meant it.
"Teacher, it's getting late. We should be going," Xue Qinghe interjected.
Flender and Tang San had already gone after the Grandmaster, and Ning Fengzhi's business was concluded, so there was no need to linger.
Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly and said, "Brother Chen, you must visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan when you have time."
"Definitely," Chen Xuan responded with a fist salute.
Ning Rongrong pouted unhappily. "Father, you've only just arrived, and now you're leaving already? It's a shame I can't compete in the promotion matches. Otherwise, I'd show you how strong I've become."
"There's no need for that. I have complete confidence in Flender's ability to guide you," Ning Fengzhi said as he affectionately patted her head. "You are the future hope of our clan. The elders have already discussed it, and once you graduate from Shrek, you will officially be named the next clan leader."
After centuries, someone had finally evolved the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit. Ning Rongrong had become the shining hope of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"I don't want to be clan leader," Ning Rongrong muttered, sticking out her tongue playfully, clearly resisting the idea.
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened, and his expression became stern. "Stop being childish. You are my only daughter. If you don't take on the role of clan leader, who will? With my health, I can probably hold on for a few more decades. Isn't that time enough for you to have your fun?"
Ning Rongrong's expression grew heavy. She glanced instinctively at Oscar, feeling a pang of sorrow.
Oscar's face paled as Ning Fengzhi's words shattered his hopes. He had been training tirelessly, day and night, just because of Ning Rongrong's comment that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's spouse must be an assault-type soul master.
Oscar said nothing, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Ning Fengzhi's words had torn apart his dreams. He now realized that he could never be with the one he loved. The anguish he felt was indescribable, a pain that cut straight to his soul.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong's heart grew even more conflicted.
Ning Fengzhi's sharp gaze narrowed. He had lived long enough to easily recognize the budding affection between the two. Oscar was a gifted soul master, but unfortunately, he was of the food-type—a support role, not suited to a girl like Ning Rongrong.
Ning Fengzhi's face hardened. He could not allow his precious daughter to be with a support-type soul master. If, in the future, Ning Rongrong were in danger, would she flee alongside Oscar? If Oscar couldn't protect her, then what was the point of being with him?
"Rongrong, remember your duty. When I'm gone, the position of clan leader will fall to you. Many decisions will have to follow the rules, and even if you make mistakes, the elders will be there to guide you," Ning Fengzhi said with veiled meaning, clearly alluding to her relationship with Oscar.
His words deepened Ning Rongrong's internal struggle. On the one hand, she had developed some affection for Oscar after his persistent pursuit. But on the other hand, she wasn't truly fond of him, and guilt gnawed at her.
Chen Xuan picked up on the subtle hint. Ning Fengzhi was urging Oscar to abandon his unrealistic hopes.
And it made sense. Not only within large clans like theirs, but also among many support-type soul masters, choosing a powerful assault-type partner was common—someone with strong combat abilities could offer better protection.
Even if Ning Fengzhi approved, the clan elders would never agree to the match.
"I understand, Father," Ning Rongrong finally said, though her heart wasn't in it.
"Good, focus on your cultivation. Xue Qinghe and I will be heading back now," Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction. He then bid farewell to the rest of the Shrek Academy group and left with Xue Qinghe.
Afterward, Oscar's dreams were shattered. His confidence was utterly destroyed, leaving him broken.
Previously, he had naively believed that if he worked hard enough and became strong enough, he could be with Ning Rongrong. Now, he realized that it had all been wishful thinking.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never achieve the strength of an assault-type soul master. His efforts had all been in vain.
"I'm exhausted. I'm going to rest," Oscar said, turning away quickly to hide the tears he could no longer hold back.
He had been so close to having Ning Rongrong, to making her his, but now he felt as if the heavens were punishing him. Life seemed unbearably unfair.
"Little Ao!" Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged a look and followed their brother, ready to comfort him.
Xiao Wu, dressed in her signature pink, shot a glance at Chen Xuan and snorted coldly before leaving, her pink silhouette vanishing in the distance.
Chen Xuan, bewildered, felt that the situation made no sense.
Zhu Zhuqing walked over, warned him not to look around too much, and then gracefully returned to her tent.
Chen Xuan: "???"
Elsewhere, Flender and Tang San had already caught up with Yu Xiaogang, trying to console him and his wounded pride.
"Xiaogang, Clan Leader Ning was just joking. You shouldn't take it so seriously," Flender said, attempting to calm him down.
Tang San stood quietly by. He had deep respect for the Grandmaster, but he also owed a great deal to Ning Fengzhi and couldn't afford to take sides.
"Joking?"
Yu Xiaogang snorted in anger, his face twisted with indignation. "Ning Fengzhi is a clan leader, yet he chooses to insult me behind my back. Flender, you expect me to believe this is a joke?"
Furious and humiliated, Yu Xiaogang's heart burned with resentment. It was bad enough that someone like Chen Xuan disrespected him, but now even Ning Fengzhi had dishonored him.
Flender sighed. He knew that Yu Xiaogang was too angry to listen to reason. And to some extent, Flender shared the sentiment. Yu Xiaogang had indeed embarrassed himself today. It was only natural for Clan Leader Ning to lose some trust in him.
Besides, Ning Fengzhi had only hoped that his disciples would receive better instruction. His outward deference to Yu Xiaogang was a mere formality. How could that be considered an insult?
"Little San, you should head back. You have a match tomorrow, and you need rest," Flender said, not wanting the young Tang San to be drawn into the matter.
"Yes, Dean," Tang San replied reluctantly, before leaving.
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