The Wager

The Dean of Instruction's Office, Martial Soul Department.

The spacious, brightly lit office was filled with the Class Teachers of the ten freshman classes, each wearing a different expression.

Du Weilun, the Dean of Instruction, sat at the head of the table, feeling through the thick stack of documents in his hands with an unreadable expression.

After three days of fierce competition, 150 groups of students had emerged victorious and successfully passed the Freshman Assessment. They now had the chance to remain at Shrek Academy for further study and training. The Class Teachers' results were also partially reflected in this.

"Teachers, you've worked hard these past few days." Du Weilun's opening pleasantry did not relax some of the freshman Class Teachers. Holding the roster, he began sorting it as he said, "The Round Robin in this Freshman Assessment is now over, and the students performed exceptionally well. Mu Jin's class was especially outstanding, with a full thirty teams."

Du Weilun picked up the thickest roster and praised it without reservation.

"An advancement rate of around sixty percent."

"Truly impressive."

"Director Du, you're too kind."

Mu Jin replied respectfully, but the smile on his face was impossible to suppress.

That was because an advancement rate exceeding fifty percent was enough to raise the classroom's rating.

Sure enough, the next moment—

"After all these years, your teacher rating should be raised as well." Du Weilun's expression returned to its usual calm as he made the remark directly. The other eight Class Teachers looked envious, while also beginning to consider Mu Jin's teaching methods.

They wondered whether they should promote them as well next time.

After that, Du Weilun continued announcing the other teachers' advancement rates. However, among the remaining Class Teachers, not one had an advancement rate above fifty percent. Most hovered around the forty-percent range. Until—

"Class One's Zhou Yi..."

"An advancement rate of around eighty percent."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the entire office turned strange. Her advancement rate was more than twenty points higher than Mu Jin's, yet not a single teacher offered congratulations. Even Du Weilun's expression had turned somewhat livid.

That was because the roster in his hands contained only a few thin sheets.

Almost instinctively, all the Class Teachers looked toward where Zhou Yi of Class One was standing.

An old woman stood there, dressed in a simple and elegant white robe. Her hair and skin were both white with age, and her gray hair was coiled atop her head. She listened to everything with an expressionless face. Only after Du Weilun finished did she take one unhurried step forward and say calmly, "Thank you for the praise, Director Du."

"Bang—"

The deafening sound reverberated throughout the entire office!

The desk had been shattered by the palm strike of a furious Soul Douluo powerhouse.

A powerful wave of air swept outward!

It sent the many rosters flying!

The strange expressions on many of the Class Teachers' faces grew even heavier. Only Mu Jin, who had always been at odds with Zhou Yi, revealed a trace of mockery at the corner of his mouth. Even he did not dare say anything directly at that moment.

"Zhou Yi! Do you think I was praising you!?"

Du Weilun abruptly waved the roster in his hand, but Zhou Yi reached out and calmly took it from him, a stiff expression appearing on her face.

"Isn't my Class One's advancement rate high?"

"Not high?"

Du Weilun nearly laughed from anger as he looked at the roster before him, containing only four teams and twelve people. Leaving aside this year's exceptionally outrageous Class Nine, the advancement rosters of the other classes were a full three or even four times the size of Class One's!

"If we're only looking at the advancement rate, you! Zhou Yi!"

"You wouldn't still be merely a freshman Class Teacher here!"

Yet Zhou Yi's expression did not change. She remained composed as she said, "I'm a Class Teacher here only because I received complaints from those useless upper-year students. They couldn't endure my teaching, that's all." Facing the furious Du Weilun, Zhou Yi refused to yield an inch. "The academy's rules only look at advancement rates."

"Fine, fine, fine—"

Du Weilun forcibly suppressed his anger. If Fan Yu, the Dean of Instruction of the Soul Engineer Department and the future Vice Dean of the Soul Engineer Department, had not been protecting Zhou Yi, he would have fired her long ago!

How could he still allow her to cause trouble here?

Fire her! Fire her! Fire her!

How many times had he, the Dean of Instruction, been left to clean up her messes?

Your results might look good, Zhou Yi!

But what about his reputation?!

"Get out!"

Zhou Yi was not polite either. She directly gave Du Weilun "face" and slammed through the door with a bang, leaving in a remarkably practiced manner. Clearly, this was far from the first time.

The other Class Teachers looked at one another, already accustomed to it.

They silently withdrew, lest the anger their superior had kindled against Zhou Yi spread directly to them.

Once Du Weilun saw everyone leave, the good mood that had arisen from Mu Jin's excellent results vanished completely.

He glanced at the wrecked office and sighed softly.

Then he squatted down with practiced ease and began cleaning up...

Meanwhile, outside in the corridor—

After leaving their superior's sight, the other Class Teachers relaxed considerably and even began chatting.

The relatively senior Class Teacher of Class Two was the first to shake his head. "Sigh! It's the same every time. As long as Zhou Yi becomes a freshman Class Teacher, something like this happens every year."

"Ha, freshmen."

Mu Jin, who had always disliked Zhou Yi, let out a cold laugh. "It's not just freshmen. The upper-year students are the same. As long as they're in Zhou Yi's class, she expels them no matter what year they're in. She even expels some Reserve Core Disciples without hesitation. She's completely reckless. If Director Du weren't busy cleaning up after her in the back, I think..."

"Ha!"

"All right, Teacher Mu Jin. You should say a little less."

The Class Teacher of Class Two offered a token word of advice, then joined the other Class Teachers in congratulating Mu Jin.

Of course, some of the Class Teachers were also filled with envy.

After all, a single Class Nine had produced two Seed teams with Soul Elder cultivation.

What incredible luck.

At that moment, Zhou Yi emerged from around the corner.

Her eyes were already ice-cold.

Clearly, she had heard every word Mu Jin had just said.

The congratulations gradually ceased. When Zhou Yi's and Mu Jin's gazes met, sparks seemed to flicker between them, yet they were not scorching. Instead, they were like the ice of the Extreme North.

"Ha. Can you only gossip about people behind their backs?"

Zhou Yi sneered, her face full of disdain.

"Behind your back? I'd dare say it to your face as well."

Mu Jin's lips curled into an identical sneer. Remembering that his younger brother had been arbitrarily expelled by this reckless "old hag," he felt his anger flare up once again!

"Your advancement rate—what Class Teacher here couldn't achieve it? But why don't they do it? Because they know they have to take responsibility for the students who joined Shrek! Doing everything possible to help them remain at Shrek Academy, carving poor timber into exquisite wood sculptures—that's our responsibility as Class Teachers."

"Not like you, who only select the finest wood, decorate it a little, and call it done! Then what purpose do you serve!?"

Zhou Yi's expression immediately turned ugly.

"My teaching methods are none of your concern."

"Hehe, have you got nothing left to say?"

As her old rival, Mu Jin understood Zhou Yi best.

With one glance, he saw straight through her.

Mu Jin's mocking smile made Zhou Yi's already unpleasant expression turn even uglier. But before she could say anything, Mu Jin suddenly asked, "Do you dare make a bet with me?"

"What do you want to bet?"

"Don't you always think your teaching methods are very successful?" Mu Jin looked at Zhou Yi and continued provoking her in an even tone. "Then let me see just how much confidence you truly have in the teams you've taught."

"Is that so?"

Zhou Yi stared at Mu Jin.

She naturally knew this was Mu Jin's provocation.

She also clearly understood the strength of Mu Jin's Class Nine.

If the target was set too high...

Heh, I wasn't stupid.

"The Top Four."

In the end, she named a result that she could accept.

Zhou Yi folded her arms across her chest. Her right index finger tapped against her left arm as she said in a deep voice, "One Soul Bone. Do you dare?"

At the words "Soul Bone," Mu Jin's pupils suddenly contracted. Even the other Class Teachers hurried forward to dissuade them when they saw how high the stakes were, stepping between the two and trying to mediate between the women facing off against each other.

Yet how could two equally stubborn people who loathed the sight of each other be willing to let it go?

Moreover, Mu Jin had absolute confidence in the team from Class Nine! Two of the Top Four spots were already "reserved" for Class Nine, while the other two would basically belong to Class Two and Class Five. Where would there be room for Class One?

"Deal!"

With that word, the wager between them was established.

Both had exceptional confidence in their own judgments!

At that moment, a voice rang out. "Then I'll serve as the witness!"

The Class Teachers looked over and saw the door to the Dean of Instruction's Office open. Du Weilun, the Dean of Instruction, slowly walked out.

Their argument had been loud enough to attract Du Weilun's attention long ago. Yet he had no intention of stopping them.

That was because Du Weilun knew that if he intervened, Fan Yu would come running. So he might as well use Mu Jin's hand to knock Zhou Yi down a peg.

Then, after she lost, he would see whether she still dared act this way in the future.

As for whether Mu Jin would lose...

Du Weilun had tremendous faith in the quality of this year's freshmen.