Yu Xiaogang pressed his lips tightly together. The veins at his temples throbbed faintly, and the deep-set hollows of his eyes burned with fury at being slighted and neglected.
For the sake of these gifted disciples, and to prove his theories, he had swallowed his pride and brought the entire Shrek Academy to "seek refuge" at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. That alone was a humiliation he could scarcely put into words.
He had thought that with Qin Ming's connections and the talents of Shrek's students, they would quickly receive attention and be accommodated. Instead, first they were told they needed a prince's signature, and now they were expected to wait indefinitely for an exceedingly busy crown prince to grant them an audience?
These repeated evasions and slights were like a series of slaps across his extraordinarily sensitive, arrogant yet insecure pride.
"How long are we supposed to wait? Until the year of the monkey? Until the tournament begins and our slot is forfeited?" Yu Xiaogang's voice was icy. Every word seemed to be forced through clenched teeth.
"I, Yu Xiaogang, brought these exceptionally talented children here after swallowing my pride. We didn't come to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to wag our tails and beg, or to line up and wait for scraps!"
He took a sudden step forward, his gaze sharp as a blade as it swept over the three members of the Education Committee and Flender, before fixing firmly on Meng Shenji. "Chief Meng, Committee Member Bai, Committee Member Zhi! I respect you as my elders, and I believe Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the empire's foremost institution! But what happened today is truly chilling!"
"Our Shrek Academy may be small, but every student we've taught is one in ten thousand! Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong!" He pointed at his disciples one by one, his voice trembling faintly with emotion.
"Which one of them wouldn't be a top talent at Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Which one isn't worth recruiting immediately, at once, at any cost?"
"And what happened?" Yu Xiaogang's voice suddenly rose, filled with indignation and resolve.
"A prince dies, and the process comes to a standstill? The crown prince is busy, so we have to wait indefinitely? Is this how the empire's foremost institution treats its guests? Is this how you show respect for talented people?"
"Grandmaster, please calm down. The situation..." Meng Shenji tried to soothe him, sweat beading at his temples.
They had heard of Yu Xiaogang. His reputation as the "Unrivaled Theoretician" might have been somewhat exaggerated, but someone who had taught a student like Qin Ming and brought up the monstrous youngsters before them was certainly no fraud.
If a man like him was angered, the consequences would be troublesome.
"That's enough!" Yu Xiaogang cut him off sharply. He flung back his sleeve as if to cast off all the humiliation and evasion in the room. "If Heaven Dou Royal Academy is too grand to accommodate us, then I, Yu Xiaogang, and Shrek Academy won't force the issue! Flender, Zhao Wuji, we're leaving!"
"Xiaogang!" Flender panicked. He understood his friend's anger, but if they stormed out like this, all their previous efforts—and Qin Ming's painstaking work—would be for nothing. He tried to grab Yu Xiaogang by the arm.
"Boss Fu!" Yu Xiaogang wrenched himself free and looked at Flender with unwavering resolve. "How much longer are you going to put up with this? Shrek has its dignity!"
"I, Yu Xiaogang, refuse to believe that in all of Heaven Dou City, there isn't a single place willing to take us in and give us a tournament slot right away! Even if there isn't, I'll take the children to another kingdom or duchy. We can still compete! Let's go!"
Without another glance at the three committee members, whose faces were awkward and troubled, he turned and strode toward the meeting room exit. His back radiated the stubborn pride of a man who had been deeply wounded.
Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others exchanged glances. They thought the Grandmaster's reaction was somewhat excessive, but the frustration that had built up from all the slights and difficulties they had faced along the way welled up in them too.
Seeing how resolute their teacher was, they followed at once without hesitation. Xiao Wu even turned and gave the committee members a displeased pout.
Flender watched Yu Xiaogang's resolute retreat, then looked at Qin Ming, who wore an anxious, helpless expression, and the three awkward committee members. He heaved a heavy sigh, his face full of bitterness and exhaustion.
He cupped his hands toward the three committee members, his voice filled with apology and helplessness. "Committee Members, I'm truly sorry. Xiaogang, he... sigh! We'll take our leave for now."
Zhao Wuji patted Flender on the shoulder and said in his deep, rumbling voice, "Dean, let's go. The Grandmaster's right. Shrek won't put up with this humiliation!"
He, too, cupped his hands toward the committee members before following Flender out.
The vast meeting room of the Education Committee was suddenly left with only the three highest-ranking administrators of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Meng Shenji sank back into his chair, took off his glasses, and wearily rubbed his brow. "Sigh... What a mess..."
Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin exchanged rueful smiles, their faces full of helplessness and regret.
A group of exceptionally rare young talents had just walked away before their eyes, all because the procedure had hit a snag and Yu Xiaogang's pride was so sensitive.
"Xiaogang! Wait!" Flender's voice was weary, with a hint of barely perceptible pleading. "I know you're angry. I'm frustrated too! But we can't let our tempers jeopardize the children's futures!"
"The tournament slot is right in front of us. Are we really going to give it up and start over in some remote little kingdom? Time waits for no one!"
Yu Xiaogang stopped. His chest heaved, and his face was still livid, but the fire in his eyes had dimmed somewhat. Flender's words had struck at what mattered to him most.
Flender took a deep breath and looked around at the Shrek Seven Monsters and their teachers, all of whom shared his frustration. Then he said in a low voice, "The Royal Academy isn't the only option in Heaven Dou City."
"I can think of one place—Blue Tyrant Academy. Its dean, Liu Erlong, is an old friend of mine. The academy is quite capable, and most importantly, they should currently have an open slot. Besides, Erlong... will give us this chance."
At the name "Liu Erlong," Yu Xiaogang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. A remarkably complex emotion flashed through his eyes: pain, guilt, and even a hint of deeply buried fear.
He fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded with difficulty, his voice dry. "...Then let's go take a look."
In the end, he couldn't let his anger gamble with his disciples' futures.
With Flender's introduction, the group from Shrek Academy was soon warmly welcomed by Liu Erlong, the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy.
Though fiery-tempered, this dean was deeply loyal, and she seemed to share a profound history with Flender and Yu Xiaogang.
When she saw Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong's expression was just as complicated, but her admiration for Shrek's talented students—and her immediate willingness to grant Flender's request—were even more evident.
Blue Tyrant Academy became Shrek's new home, and the problem of securing a tournament slot was resolved.
Once they had settled in, intensive training and study began at once.
One evening, after finishing their classes for the day, Tang San and Xiao Wu walked side by side along a quiet path through the woods behind Blue Tyrant Academy.