Ye Que glanced back at Yu Mengdi, whose face was streaked with tears. He reached out, ruffled her hair, and said softly, "Silly girl, we came from among the common people ourselves. Of course we should stand up for their interests."
"Without the common people, how could there be Angel's Glory?"
Yu Mengdi's slender body trembled slightly. She had never imagined that words like these would come from their young master.
He was so righteous and dependable—a true leader.
Ye Wuqing and the others were moved by his words, and for some reason, felt like crying.
We came from among the common people, and we stand up for their interests...
Was this the remnant of Spirit Hall, the Spirit Hall Empire that deserved to be destroyed?
The Angel Clan's very Martial Soul was sacred. How could they all be beasts like Qian Xunji?
Then Ye Que strode forward, helped the owner to his feet, glanced at the Dai brothers, and said coolly, "Is this how people from Shrek Academy bully the common folk?"
"After all, without ordinary people, how could you Soul Masters enjoy your lofty lives?"
"Shrek Academy has always prided itself on protecting peace across the continent, yet behind the scenes, you act like Evil Soul Masters. What's the difference between you and them?"
His words left the restaurant's customers stunned.
Those two were... from Shrek?
No way. Since when had Shrek's people taken to acting like Evil Soul Masters? They even ate at a little restaurant and skipped the bill. That was just too much.
It seemed Shrek Academy wasn't full of heroes after all. There were plenty of parasites among them.
When the owner heard they were from Shrek, his face went pale with fright. He turned to Ye Que and said, "Young man, I don't want the money anymore. Let's not get ourselves into trouble."
The owner couldn't afford to offend anyone from Shrek. He was worried the group of children might get dragged into this.
Shrek Academy was the greatest academy on the continent. Ordinary people like them couldn't afford to offend it, and neither could most Soul Masters.
Even the Heavenly Soul Royal Family had to show it some respect. Shrek was the true ruler behind the scenes.
Ye Que immediately reassured him. "Don't worry, brother. I'll get you justice. This is the Heaven Dou Empire, not their Shrek City."
Yu Mengdi, Ye Wuqing, and the others stepped forward, making it clear they would back the owner up.
Dai Yueheng wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze, though in his heart he wanted nothing more than to kill Ye Que and plant him in the ground like a ginseng root.
Where had this Soul Master come from, and how had he exposed their identities? How would they explain this to the dean when they returned?
There was no way this would end peacefully.
Beside him, Dai Huabin had a six-ringed elder brother, the White Tiger Duke Mansion, and the academy backing him up. He said coolly, "That's right, we're Shrek students. But the academy has already paid. Didn't he know he could go ask the Heaven Dou Royal Family for the money?"
Dai Yueheng immediately scolded him. "Huabin, watch your tone."
Then he smiled amiably. "We were in the wrong this time. We were trying to complete an urgent assignment for the academy and never expected to cause such a commotion. Young man, you truly have a chivalrous heart. I admire your courage."
"But don't go playing the hero just because you see others do it. Today, you ran into people from Shrek. If you'd encountered an unreasonable Evil Soul Master, things might not have gone so smoothly."
"We were in the wrong this time. We'll pay."
Dai Yueheng took a bag of Gold Soul Coins from his Storage Soul Tool. He just wanted to settle the matter as quickly as possible, while reminding Ye Que not to play the hero when he didn't have the strength to back it up.
Ye Que looked at the bag of money and let out a mocking laugh. "Your academy certainly has a pure and wholesome school spirit. Now you're resorting to threats. But I've never been one to back down from trouble—or, rather, I've long been fed up with the way you people act."
"If I hadn't stepped forward, would you have been so quick to pay up? And you, Dai Huabin—your tone is certainly grand. It seems to tower above the empire and the common people. You think you're some lofty emperor ruling from behind the scenes."
"When have Soul Masters from your noble class ever cared about the common people's suffering? When have you ever truly gone among the masses? You rely on your ancestors' legacy to run wild, using your status as Soul Masters to bully ordinary people and treating neither the royal family nor the common people as worthy of your notice."
"Without a country, how could you Soul Masters live your lofty lives? And yet you use your status to bully the common people. Do you truly have no regard for them—or for the empire?"
"As I see it, Shrek Academy doesn't want to be an academy at all. It wants to rule the continent, treating the empires as puppets and sucking the people dry, doesn't it?"
Those accusations made Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin's faces change instantly.
The brothers had never imagined that a dispute over an unpaid meal would earn them labels like "rulers behind the scenes," "bullies of the common people," and "tyrants."
If anyone with an agenda spread these words, Shrek Academy would be plunged into a maelstrom, and the great empires would start keeping a close watch on its every move. It would lose the people's support.
The blond man in front of them truly had a sharp tongue.
The atmosphere turned strange.
The onlookers didn't dare speak or choose sides lightly. Ye Que's words were simply too dangerous.
He was openly targeting Shrek Academy and its students.
If they were punished for it, they'd be finished.
Shrek Academy was a power even the Heavenly Soul Royal Family didn't dare provoke lightly.
Thousands of years ago, when the Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy had been the one to rally the Soul Masters of the continent and lead them against the Sun Moon Empire's army. In the end, they had driven it back, securing victory for the continent.
It could be said that Shrek Academy had given most people their backbone. The common people all owed Shrek a debt.
Ye Que's words were truly dangerous.
How could a mere Soul Master like him dare speak so recklessly about Shrek Academy?
But some people had long been fed up with Shrek's ways. They raised their hands to stand with Ye Que and denounce the academy.
"The young man's right. Shrek's a ruler behind the scenes, a lapdog for the nobility, always bullying us common folk."
"If you eat without paying, you're in the wrong. I don't care if you're from Shrek or even the emperor's crown prince—they need to be taught a harsh lesson."
"Damn Shrek! They want to unite the whole continent under their rule. We can't let them get away with it."
As more and more people took sides, their voices grew louder. The people gathered behind Ye Que, but no one dared stand with Shrek.
This was the Heaven Dou Empire, not Shrek Academy.
Those who had been bullied by Shrek's students and teachers also stepped forward.
A faint smile appeared on Ye Que's face.
This was the effect he wanted.
When you go among the common people and do everything you can to win them benefits, naturally they'll support you.
This wasn't manipulation. It was sincerity.
Ye Wuqing and the others were also dumbfounded.
Ye Que was incredible with words. Just a few sentences had stirred up the crowd and forced everyone to take sides.
Was this the power of rhetoric?
Yu Mengdi shook her head and said bluntly, "Senior Ye Wuqing, this isn't the power of rhetoric. The noble class has oppressed everyone for too long, and now all their pent-up resentment is exploding."
Ye Wuqing smiled bitterly. "That's true. We've all ignored the common people's interests. They're the foundation of the Soul Masters. Without them, how could we enjoy our lofty lives?"
"This time, I support Ye Que. Shrek has truly gone too far."
Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin were drowned out by the curses and denunciations. Their faces grew paler and paler, and they were even driven out of the restaurant, provoking the people's intense anger.
They didn't know what to do.
Shrek had already been branded a lapdog of the noble class.
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