A Modest Contribution

Shrek Academy.

Xuan Zi, his hair a complete mess, sat on the steps, gulping down wine bottle after bottle. Judging by the scattered bottles and jars around him, he had clearly already drunk quite a lot.

Just then, Yan Shaozhe, the Martial Soul Department Dean, entered from outside the courtyard. Seeing the scene before him, he merely sighed softly.

With his disheveled hair and reeking of alcohol, Xuan Zi looked more than a decade older than he had before heading to the Star Dou Great Forest. There was not the slightest trace left of the Gluttony Douluo he had once been.

Was this really the high-spirited, peerless number one genius of Shrek, the one who possessed a divine Beast Martial Soul?

"Elder Xuan."

Xuan Zi's body trembled. He raised his head to glance at the man, then lowered his gaze again and continued drinking by himself.

"What is it?"

"The Sea God Pavilion meeting is ready. Your attendance is required."

"..."

At those words, Xuan Zi's hand holding the bottle suddenly froze. Even the sounds in the courtyard seemed to vanish in an instant. After a moment, he let out a soft sigh.

"Is it time already? Fine. Let's go."

He rose to his feet and staggered toward the courtyard entrance. Seeing him like this, Yan Shaozhe hesitated before speaking again.

"Elder Xuan, it's been a year since that incident. Don't blame yourself too much. No one could have expected them to encounter a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast in the Mixed Region. Besides, Shrek Academy still needs you."

Although his teacher, Mu En, was still alive, with his body so gravely ill, how many more years could the Dragon God Douluo protect Shrek?

No one brought it up in daily life, but everyone knew perfectly well. Once Elder Mu passed away, only Elder Xuan had the strength to barely shoulder the burden of Shrek as it stood. If they let him continue sinking into such despair, Shrek might truly decline beyond recovery.

Yet Xuan Zi seemed not to have heard him and simply continued forward in silence.

Before long, the two arrived at the Sea God Pavilion. The instant Xuan Zi saw the scene inside, his entire body shuddered, and a deep look of guilt appeared on his face.

Apart from several Sea God Pavilion Elders and the chief and deputy deans of both academies, the Inner Courtyard Disciples who had survived the Star Dou Great Forest incident were all unexpectedly present in the Sea God Pavilion.

Other than Zhang Lexuan, who sat at the lowest seat beside Cai Meier, the deputy dean of the Martial Soul Department, the remaining Inner Courtyard Disciples all stood respectfully beside the long table with their heads lowered.

Once Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe took their respective seats, the Sea God Pavilion meeting officially began.

"Everyone should know why this Sea God Pavilion meeting has been convened, so I'll get straight to the point."

From the shadows at the head of the long table, Mu En, reclining in a chair, spoke slowly.

"Xuan Zi, when you returned from the Star Dou Great Forest a year ago, you said you wished to resign and accept responsibility. I gave you a year to consider it. Today is the deadline. Tell us what you have decided."

Hearing Mu En's blunt words, Xuan Zi instinctively glanced at the Inner Courtyard Disciples. Then he stood up, his eyes filled with pain as he spoke in a sorrowful voice.

"Elder Mu, please stop trying to persuade me. I've made up my mind. Six disciples died. I'm truly heartbroken. Since Shrek was founded, such a terrible incident has never happened before. I cannot escape responsibility for this matter—"

The moment those words came out, the elders present became anxious, especially Yan Shaozhe, who hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Elder Xuan! We've discussed this several times at meetings already. No one could have foreseen something like this happening. Everyone has seen your abilities with their own eyes. No one blames you for this!"

As he spoke, he shot a meaningful look at the Inner Courtyard Disciples standing nearby. Receiving the signal, the four disciples bent their knees and dropped to the floor with a thud, tears streaming down their faces as they spoke.

"Elder Xuan, what happened back then was too sudden. None of us ever blamed you. Please stop blaming yourself. You must know that we were able to win the previous Soul Master Competition precisely because of you!"

"You all..."

Hearing the heartfelt words of the four disciples, Xuan Zi's lips trembled, and tears began streaming down his aged face. Yan Shaozhe immediately pressed on while the moment was right.

"Elder Xuan, you can't break these children's hearts! We've already given sufficient compensation to the families of the six disciples who died, so stop blaming yourself. People have to look forward. You must at least consider Shrek's future!"

"That's right!"

One of the Inner Courtyard Disciples raised his head and looked earnestly at Xuan Zi. "Elder Xuan, if you don't agree, we won't get up."

"You children, you children..."

Xuan Zi lifted his grimy sleeve and wiped the hot tears from his eyes, his voice choked with emotion.

"Get up quickly. I'll agree. Though I no longer have the face to remain here, since Shrek still needs me, I'll stay and offer what little strength I can."

At that, smiles appeared on the faces of the elders, deans, and even the four Inner Courtyard Disciples. They celebrated excitedly at the return of the Level Ninety-Eight Gluttony Douluo. Yet Zhang Lexuan, who had remained seated throughout, looked at the absurd scene before her, a trace of confusion flashing through her eyes.

She felt as though she had just witnessed a ridiculous farce.

It was over?

Just like that?

It seemed as if no one had suffered any loss, aside from the six dead Inner Courtyard Disciples whom everyone deliberately forgot and refused to mention.

He had committed dereliction of duty while on assignment, ultimately causing several Inner Courtyard Disciples who had once won championships for Shrek Academy to die tragically in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Yet Xuan Zi had received no punishment whatsoever. Instead, over the past year, he had picked up a little hobby called alcoholism.

Oh, and a tiny bit of guilty conscience.

It was absurd and laughable.

Had he truly learned a lesson from this incident?

Would he make the same mistake again next time?

Perhaps.

For some reason, Zhang Lexuan recalled Huo Yuhao's cold glance before he left a year ago. His icy words rang in her ears once more.

"If you're really as guilty as you claim, then resign. That way, you won't harm anyone else in the future."

Those certain words sounded as though he had already foreseen what would happen.

Did he know something?

Should she ask him the next time they met?

Watching the matter end just like that, Zhang Lexuan felt as though something were lodged in her throat.

Rather than feeling relieved, she found an anger of unknown origin rising in her heart.

After the meeting ended, Zhang Lexuan returned to her dorm in a daze. Even when she encountered other Inner Courtyard Disciples greeting her along the way, she only nodded instead of replying with her usual smile.

After taking a simple bath, she lay on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, replaying the scene from the meeting room over and over. Then she thought of Huo Yuhao, who had saved her life in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"I should keep an eye out for missions in Heaven Dou City these days."

As she considered using the opportunity of taking on a mission to visit Huo Yuhao in Heaven Dou City along the way, Zhang Lexuan closed her eyes.

And gradually fell into a deep sleep.