Shameless Scoundrel

Mu En remained as calm as ever and said with a chuckle:

"I thought you admired the ancestors of our Shrek Academy and wanted to steal them back to worship, basking in the glory of our academy's forebears."

"Busi, now that you've broken through to become a Limit Douluo, you ought to possess the character and dignity of one. Stealing the statue of another family's founding master is hardly an honorable act. Even if you don't consider yourself, you should consider the Body Sect. If the other forces on the continent find out, won't they laugh at the Body Sect for behaving like scoundrels? What if they misunderstand and think you also admire Shrek's ancestors?"

"Bullshit!"

Du Busi's face turned green. Yet from appearances alone, stealing statues really was somewhat immoral, much like digging up someone else's ancestral graves.

Seeing that he could not outargue Mu En, Du Busi was about to act, replacing words with force, when Lin Ran tugged at him, signaling for him to remain calm.

Lin Ran spoke loudly. "Greetings, Dragon God Your Excellency. What you said is not quite right, Senior. My teacher did not steal Shrek's statues. He took them—reclaimed them. I was the one who asked my teacher to do it, all to vent this anger."

Mu En shifted his gaze to the junior before him, a sharp gleam in his eyes.

He could sense this junior's extraordinary nature. The vitality and blood energy within Lin Ran surged powerfully; even ordinary Soul Kings and Soul Emperors fell short of him.

What startled him even more was that he wanted to see further, but Lin Ran's Soul Power and blood energy had fused into a unified whole, instinctively shutting out his probing gaze and leaving him unable to see through him.

The Body Sect had worthy successors.

Thinking of Shrek Academy's current lack of promising talent, Mu En could not help but sigh inwardly, and another thought arose in his mind.

If the chance arose, he hoped Lin Ran could study at Shrek Academy. Could Du Busi's disciple not join Shrek?

Lin Ran continued, "Tang Ya of the Tang Sect is my friend. Not long ago, the Tang Sect suffered a sudden calamity and was wiped out. As the Tang Sect's sole survivor, she traveled thousands of miles to Shrek Academy to seek help. She thought that Shrek, which shared the same ancestors and had ten thousand years of friendship with the Tang Sect, would help avenge them and seek justice. Yet Shrek refused, claiming that it did not interfere in disputes between the continent's various factions."

"Ten thousand years of friendship—what a joke. Shrek Academy has let down its ancestors and betrayed ten thousand years of friendship. For such ungrateful, shameless people—those who forget their roots and are as heartless as wolves and dogs—it would be better to take away your ancestors' statues, lest you disgrace both your own ancestors and the ancestors of the Tang Sect. Otherwise, people might think you inherited your ancestors' fine virtues."

Lin Ran's words rang like thunder.

Du Busi did not know how to seize the moral high ground and point fingers at others, but Lin Ran did. In his previous life, if one could not even manage this most basic skill while surfing the internet, then one's parents would surely be cursed and one's ancestors disgraced.

After hearing his words, Lin Ran had not expected Tang Ya to have the strongest reaction.

Tang Ya's eyes had already reddened. Her beautiful Phoenix Eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at him, her face full of emotion.

If the situation had been different, Tang Ya might already have thrown herself into his arms.

Even so, her soft, slender hand had tightly clasped his as she said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Xiao Ran. Ever since I escaped, you've been the only one who has taken care of me and stood by my side."

Lin Ran's words had truly struck her heart.

After months of drifting from place to place, never knowing whether she would survive the next day, she had come to Shrek only to be rejected. How could she not feel wronged and disappointed? Though she believed Shrek's actions were understandable—people leaving and relationships fading was only natural—she could not help but harbor resentment.

Lin Ran: "..." Actually, all of this was just an excuse. The real reason was to complete a system mission.

But seeing the girl's moved gaze—

Forget it. I asked Teacher to do this precisely to stand up for Tang Ya!

Du Busi suddenly slapped his thigh.

That was right! Why had he not thought of using the Tang Sect's matter against them? The kid really was quick-witted.

Watching the expressions of the Shrek group across from him, Du Busi's smile returned.

What he wanted to see was the displeased looks on Shrek's faces. Especially seeing Mu En lose his usual composure and have his expression change from the scolding, Du Busi felt utterly refreshed.

Everyone from Shrek darkened their expressions, even Mu En.

"Boy, shut your mouth! Our Shrek Academy has always upheld neutrality and refrained from interfering in continental affairs. We have always done our utmost to fight Evil Soul Masters. What could a brat like you possibly understand?"

Xuan Zi had the most impulsive temperament and could no longer hold himself back. He spoke in fury, his voice turning into rolling soundwaves that crashed toward Lin Ran.

Du Busi snorted coldly, and a barrier of Soul Power blocked the soundwaves.

"Xuan Zi, you've truly lived backward. You actually attacked a junior! Have you no shame at all? Besides, was my disciple wrong?"

"Regarding the Tang Sect, Shrek did act improperly! Our Body Sect is different—we love to speak up for justice and right wrongs. What Shrek does not dare to handle, we dare to handle! It was precisely because I could not stand your shameless conduct that I confiscated Shrek Academy's statues!"

With Lin Ran's demonstration before him, Du Busi immediately pressed his advantage, mercilessly mocking Xuan Zi.

"Cough, cough!" Mu En finally spoke. He looked at Tang Ya and let out a faint sigh. "Regarding the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy truly has wronged you. But with our founding master's teachings binding us, we can only remain neutral and cannot act directly."

Du Busi sneered. "Everyone here understands perfectly well, so don't use that as an excuse. It might fool those who know nothing, but don't fool yourselves as well. Shrek has interfered in the internal affairs of the Douluo Three Kingdoms plenty of times. How many officials from the three kingdoms have died at Shrek's hands?"

Xuan Zi replied in a muffled voice, "Those officials were all corrupt! Shrek eliminated them for the people."

Du Busi curled his lip. "Whether you eliminated them for the people, or because those officials obstructed Shrek's interests, only you yourselves know."

Xuan Zi still wanted to say something, but Mu En waved a hand and stopped him. Xuan Zi could only close his mouth helplessly.

Mu En looked at Tang Ya. "Little girl, Shrek Academy is indeed constrained by our ancestral teachings and cannot act. I deeply regret what happened to the Tang Sect. Thus, I sent my grandson to join the Tang Sect, so that he could grow up and help you revive it. Do you remember?"

Tang Ya recalled the youth who had ruined her plans that day and nodded hesitantly.

Mu En said gently, "It is not that I am unwilling to help you. It is that there must be a proper way to help."

At that moment, Lin Ran spoke. Pointing at Zhang Lexuan beside Mu En, he said flatly, "I happen to have heard about her situation. If I recall correctly, like Tang Ya, she also bears the hatred of her family's destruction. Has Shrek Academy avenged her?"

The expressions of Shrek's people changed, and Zhang Lexuan bit her lip.

Back then, after her family was destroyed and she had barely escaped, she encountered Mu En. Mu En promised to avenge her in exchange for her joining Shrek Academy and becoming Bei Bei's child bride.

Looking at it now, seeking that vengeance had actually violated Shrek Academy's ancestral teachings.