"Tang Sect?"
"It was nothing but dust swept into the dustbin of history long ago, yet you still dared to parade it around and swindle people. You really think honest folks have never seen the world."
On the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, the air was filled with the aroma of grilled fish, but the atmosphere was freezing.
The speaker was a young man dressed in black. His expression was cold, and his lips curled in undisguised mockery.
The young man was named Gu Yuejin. He had been in this world for eighteen years.
Just moments ago, as he passed by, he had unexpectedly come upon Tang Ya and Beibei "preaching" to Huo Yuhao, who was just about to take the bait.
And at that very moment, the golden finger that had been eighteen years late finally arrived.
There was nothing flashy about it, just a simple panel.
[Main Quest: Take Huo Yuhao as your disciple, change his fate, and reshape his worldview. The greater the contrast, the richer the rewards. Completion: 0%.]
It was because of this quest that Gu Yuejin had chosen to show up at this particular moment.
To be honest, he had no fondness for Shrek or the Tang Sect.
In his eyes, the so-called "Shrek Glory" was nothing but another name for hypocrisy.
They claimed to champion fairness and justice, yet allowed and even encouraged cheating in competitions; they proclaimed that they were protecting peace across the continent, yet suppressed their rivals for personal gain.
As for Huo Yuhao, in the Original Work he was a naturally gifted child of destiny, yet in the end he was brainwashed into a watchdog who only knew how to obey. He even had his surname taken away.
Put those two together, and it was no wonder he ended up living like a joke.
"Y-You're talking nonsense!"
Having had her sore spot exposed in public, Tang Ya flushed with anger. Her chest heaved, and even the finger she pointed at Gu Yuejin trembled.
"Nonsense?"
Gu Yuejin let out a cold laugh. His gaze swept over the "perfect couple" before him, then settled on Huo Yuhao's bewildered face.
"The Tang Sect was wiped out long ago. It doesn't even have a headquarters anymore. All that's left are a few stragglers."
"Are you recruiting him to help you reclaim your legacy, or do you just want him to work for you for free?"
Beibei frowned deeply and stepped in front of Tang Ya, trying to maintain his refined, affable image.
"My friend, that was rather harsh. The Tang Sect may be in decline, but we still have Shrek Academy behind us."
"If Junior Huo joins the Tang Sect, I can get him a special admission slot at Shrek Academy."
Beibei had brought out the prestigious name of Shrek. He thought it would be enough to cow the insolent young man before him.
Sure enough, when he heard the words "Shrek Academy," a glimmer of hope flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
It was the sacred place his mother had told him about before she died.
"Shrek Academy?"
Gu Yuejin seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. His laughter brimmed with disdain.
"Beibei, that might fool a country boy who's never seen the world."
"I have three questions. Do you dare answer them?"
Before Beibei could respond, Gu Yuejin raised one finger, his words sharp and forceful.
"First, Shrek has spent ten thousand years proclaiming, 'There are no useless martial souls, only useless Soul Masters.' But what's the reality?"
"You've never accepted an ordinary person with mediocre talent. Your so-called 'monsters only' policy is just picking the best of the best and patting yourselves on the back."
"If your theory is so unbeatable, why not accept a few people with useless martial souls to prove it? You're all reputation and no substance."
Beibei's breath caught, and his expression shifted. He was just about to retort when Gu Yuejin pressed on without giving him a chance.
"Second."
Gu Yuejin's sharp gaze fell on Huo Yuhao.
"Huo Yuhao's martial soul is Spirit Eyes. It's a Body Martial Soul."
"Shrek has been around for ten thousand years, yet you know next to nothing about Body Martial Souls. You could even say you're completely ignorant."
"You'd send someone with a Body Martial Soul to an academy that knows nothing about Body Martial Souls. Are you trying to make him a guinea pig?"
His words came like a barrage, leaving Beibei and Tang Ya speechless.
It was true that Shrek had no systematic instruction on Body Martial Souls.
"Third, and most importantly."
Gu Yuejin stepped closer, staring into Beibei's eyes. His voice was as cold as a blade.
"Do you dare tell him what will happen with his current cultivation and talent, even if he gets in with a special admission slot?"
"In less than three months, the freshman assessment will begin."
"Shrek's elimination rate is over fifty percent. Given his circumstances, he won't pass."
"When that happens, he'll be expelled without a second thought and sent packing in disgrace."
"That's your so-called academy for the nobility. For a commoner Soul Master with no connections and no resources, there's simply no chance."
Without the cheat of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, as in the Original Work, someone like Huo Yuhao—an orphan with just ten levels of Soul Power and a frail body—would be going to Shrek to get himself killed.
"Utter nonsense!"
Tang Ya finally lost her temper and snapped, "How could Shrek be so heartless?"
"Whether it's nonsense or not, don't you know the answer?"
A mocking smile tugged at Gu Yuejin's lips as he gave Beibei an amused look. "Beibei, can you guarantee he'll pass the freshman assessment?"
Beibei opened his mouth, his face quickly reddening as he froze in place.
He couldn't guarantee it.
Shrek's assessment system was ruthlessly strict. Its requirements were nonnegotiable. Even though he was Mu En's great-grandson, he couldn't change the rules.
The longer he stayed silent, the more obvious it was that he had no confidence.
Seeing Beibei stand there stammering, his face flushed and words caught in his throat, Huo Yuhao's once-burning hope slowly died.
He was young, but he had endured endless contempt at Duke Mansion. He was good at reading people.
Beibei and Tang Ya's evasion told him everything.
So the sacred place his mother had spoken of also cared about one's background and talent.
If he really followed them like a fool, only to be expelled a few months later, wouldn't that make him the biggest joke of all?
The feeling of being given alms by the powerful, only to be casually cast aside, reminded him of the nauseating faces at Duke Mansion.
"Although... although the assessment is difficult, the academy has a ten-thousand-year legacy and a deep foundation. Surely there's a way to cultivate a Body Martial Soul!"
Beibei took several deep breaths and forced himself to calm down, trying to salvage the situation with empty words.
"As long as Junior Huo is willing to work hard..."
"Enough."
Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke. His voice was still childish, but it carried a chill unlike anything before.
He took a step back, putting distance between himself and Tang Ya and Beibei. The hope in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by wariness and disappointment.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't want to join the Tang Sect, and I don't want to go to Shrek."
At that moment, he felt a deep disgust toward this kind of condescending charity from the powerful and privileged.
At the sight of this, the panel before Gu Yuejin's eyes finally flickered.
[Huo Yuhao has begun to question Shrek. The reshaping of his worldview has begun. Quest completion: 5%.]
"What, you still aren't leaving?"
Gu Yuejin glanced at the two standing there dumbfounded, his tone contemptuous. "Or do you need me to show you the way out?"
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