Stop causing trouble, my old bones can't take it

Shrek City, New Shrek Academy, first-year dormitory of the Outer Courtyard.

"What did you say?"

Lying on a rattan chair, Mu En slowly opened his eyes, a rare flash of sharp light cutting through his cloudy, aged pupils.

"Shaozhe... got into a fight with them?"

"And... he was taken down?"

Standing below him, Bei Bei and Tang Ya kept their heads bowed, not daring to even draw a full breath.

"Yes, Grand Ancestor..."

Bei Bei steeled himself and spoke with extreme caution.

"Dean Yan... did not follow your instructions to communicate with them properly."

"Instead, a conflict broke out the moment they met, and then... he ended up fighting that senior, Zhuo Shi."

"In the end... not only the Dean, but I heard that Elder Xuan... was also detained by them."

"Bang!"

Mu En's withered palm slammed against the armrest of the rattan chair with a crisp crack; fortunately, he hadn't used much force, or the chair would have shattered to pieces.

"Absurd!"

Mu En's voice was low and filled with rage, his chest heaving violently.

"I had given him a hundred warnings before he left!"

"I told him he must maintain a humble attitude!"

"And yet! Did he treat my words as nothing but wind in his ears?!"

Mu En was so angry that his gray beard trembled.

"Shaozhe is usually so steady, how could he be so muddled at such a critical moment!"

"I see he's been spending too much time with Xuan Zi! He's picked up that irritable, impulsive temper of his completely!"

"Look at this mess! He's dragged the reputation of our Shrek Academy through the mud!"

Hearing Mu En's harsh rebuke, Bei Bei felt a wave of helplessness.

He recalled the scene at the site, where Yan Shaozhe was pinned to the ground and thrashed by Zhuo Shi; it was simply... too gruesome to watch.

"Grand Ancestor, please... please don't be so angry."

Bei Bei cautiously tried to console him.

"Dean Yan... after all, he was only trying to uphold the dignity of our academy."

Of course, there was half a sentence Bei Bei didn't dare to say out loud.

Although the Dean's intentions were good, the result, however...

Not only did he fail to uphold their dignity, but he was beaten up in front of so many people, making the loss of face even worse!

One could even say that the prestige Shrek Academy had built over ten thousand years was shattered into pieces in that single battle!

Mu En took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fire in his heart, and turned to look directly at Bei Bei.

"Bei Bei, tell me the truth."

"Did the people present... all feel that our Shrek Academy... is inferior to that upstart New Shrek Academy?"

"Uh..."

A polite yet awkward smile appeared on Bei Bei's face, his eyes darting away.

"Well, about that..."

"There was... indeed a slight tendency toward that opinion."

In truth, it was far more than a "slight tendency"!

The onlookers at the time had their eyes wide with shock!

Many had even openly called their original Shrek Academy the "knock-off," while claiming that the new one was the true "authentic" version!

If Mu En heard those words, the old man would likely pass out from the sheer fury of it.

Therefore, Bei Bei wisely chose to keep his mouth shut, not daring to utter those heart-stabbing remarks.

"Sigh..."

Mu En let out a long, weary sigh, his entire being seeming to age several years in an instant.

"Truly... a misfortune for our house."

"To think that Shrek Academy has stood tall on this continent for ten thousand years, only to suffer such a humiliating disgrace today."

"Ancestor Xuan..."

Seeing Mu En's dejected appearance, Bei Bei felt a pang of sorrow and quickly changed the subject.

"Then... what should we do next?"

Just then.

"What's going on here?"

A deep, resonant voice drifted in from outside the door.

Immediately after, a burly, middle-aged man with a glowing, ruddy complexion strode inside.

It was none other than Qian Duoduo, Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department at Shrek Academy.

He had been tinkering with new gadgets over at the Soul Tool Department and just happened to be passing by.

"Oh? Bei Bei and Tang Ya are here too?"

Qian Duoduo greeted them with a cheerful grin, but his gaze fell upon Mu En and he was instantly startled.

"Elder Mu, what happened to you? Why is your complexion so poor?"

"Did that fellow Yan Shaozhe make you angry again?"

Mu En lifted his eyelids to glance at him, but remained silent.

Bei Bei had no choice but to offer a bitter smile and explain the sequence of events once more.

"What?!"

After hearing Bei Bei's account, Qian Duoduo's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Shaozhe and Elder Xuan... were detained by someone?!"

"And they were detained after being defeated?!"

"Good heavens... just what kind of background does this opponent have? How could they be so fierce?"

Although Qian Duoduo usually didn't get along with Yan Shaozhe and often undermined him, he knew how to distinguish right from wrong when it came to matters of great importance.

This was no longer just about Yan Shaozhe's personal honor; it concerned the survival and reputation of the entire Shrek Academy!

"Elder Mu!"

Qian Duoduo wiped the playful grin from his face, his expression turning solemn.

"This matter cannot just be left as it is!"

"We must go and bring them back!"

"Otherwise, if word gets out, how will Shrek Academy ever hold its head high on the continent again?"

Mu En looked at Qian Duoduo, a glimmer of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

Yan Shaozhe's impulsive nature had already botched the situation.

The most urgent priority now was to find someone steady and capable of flexibility to clean up the mess.

Although Qian Duoduo usually appeared boisterous, as the head of the Soul Tool Department, his mind was actually more meticulous than anyone's, and he was thick-skinned enough to read the room.

Perhaps... he was the right candidate.

"Duoduo."

Mu En spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of earnest gravity.

"I want you to go to that Shrek Academy on my behalf."

"Ah? Me?"

Qian Duoduo pointed at his own nose, looking somewhat surprised.

"That's right."

Mu En nodded.

"Shaozhe has already narrowed the path; the current situation is at a stalemate."

"You need to go and ease the tension."

As he spoke, Mu En's cloudy eyes stared fixedly at Qian Duoduo.

"You are one of the more measured people in our academy."

"You should know... what ought to be done and what ought not, right?"

"When you go this time, remember not to act as impulsively as Shaozhe!"

"You must prioritize harmony and bring the people back first!"

Hearing Mu En place such trust in him, Qian Duoduo felt the weight on his shoulders grow significantly.

Yet, he straightened his back and patted his chest firmly.

"Rest assured, Elder Mu!"

"You know you can trust me to get things done, right?"

"I'm definitely better than that hotheaded fool Shaozhe!"

"I won't go there to fight; I'll go to reason with them! If that doesn't work, I'll offer an apology!"

"In any case, I guarantee I will bring Elder Xuan and Shaozhe back to you in one piece!"

"Even if I have to empty out my entire fortune to ransom them, I won't hesitate for a second!"

Watching Qian Duoduo's solemn vow, Mu En felt his heart settle just a little.

"Fine."

"Go get yourself ready, and head back out with Bei Bei and Tang Ya."

"They know the way."

"You got it!"

Qian Duoduo agreed, turning around to wave at Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

"Let's go!"

Watching the three figures depart, Mu En leaned back into his rattan chair, his gaze deep and inscrutable.

"I hope this time..."

"There won't be any more unexpected trouble..."

"These old bones of mine... simply cannot take much more of this."