Xuan Zi: I fought five, defeated three before losing!

"Click—"

Accompanied by the heavy sound of metal grinding against metal, the doors to the Confinement Room slowly slid open to both sides.

Yan Shaozhe, Er Ming, and Xuan Zi all raised their heads at almost the exact same time, their gazes snapping toward the entrance.

Their eyes were filled with a hint of eager anticipation.

"They're here?"

Yan Shaozhe felt a surge of joy in his heart.

In his view, this must be because Bei Bei had successfully relayed the message back, and the academy had sent someone to negotiate.

After all, given the foundation and prestige of Shrek Academy, even this mysterious "pirate" academy had to show them some face, right?

While the act of paying a ransom didn't sound particularly pleasant, as long as they could get out, everything else was negotiable.

Xuan Zi, standing to the side, thought the same.

"Hmph, these fellows know their place, knowing to fear Shrek Academy..."

Xuan Zi muttered to himself, already fantasizing about devouring a massive meal of chicken drumsticks once he got out to make up for the mental anguish of the past few days.

Meanwhile, Er Ming was feeling smug, thinking that Da Ming must have swindled money out of that fool Qian Duoduo and was planning to pay his ransom.

However.

The next second.

When they saw the figure walking through the door, everyone froze.

They saw Zhang Yang walk in with an expressionless face, dragging a rather disheveled Qian Duoduo behind him.

"Behave yourself."

Zhang Yang said coldly, then skillfully pulled out a silver metal collar and, with a "click," fastened it around Qian Duoduo's neck.

It was a specialized Soul Tool designed to suppress soul power.

Immediately after.

"Bang—!"

Zhang Yang tossed him aside like trash, throwing Qian Duoduo into an empty cell nearby.

Then he turned around, closed the door, and locked it—the entire sequence of movements was smooth and fluid.

It wasn't until the series of metallic locking sounds echoed that Yan Shaozhe suddenly snapped back to reality, his eyes widening as he stared at the Qian Duoduo sprawled on the floor, shouting in disbelief:

"Old Qian?!"

"Why is it you?!"

"How... how did you end up in here too?!"

Yan Shaozhe simply couldn't believe his eyes.

He had just been fantasizing about Qian Duoduo coming to pay their ransom, yet in the blink of an eye, the person meant to pay the ransom had been thrown in as a hostage himself?

And...

He looked absolutely miserable.

"Cough, cough..."

Qian Duoduo struggled to roll over, clutching his still-aching chest, and looked at the shocked Yan Shaozhe in the adjacent cell, offering a bitter smile that looked worse than crying.

"Shao-zhe..."

"This... this is a long story..."

Before Qian Duoduo could finish his sentence, Er Ming, in the single cell next door, suddenly burst into a loud, booming laugh.

"Hahaha!"

"So you have a day like this too!"

"Aren't you supposed to be rich? Aren't you supposed to be so arrogant?"

"How did you end up in here anyway? Hahahaha!"

Er Ming laughed with such schadenfreude that he pointed at Qian Duoduo, tears nearly streaming from his eyes.

But.

As he laughed, Er Ming's laughter suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Wait...

Qian Duoduo is in here?

Then... then what about him? The original plan was for Da Ming to rob Qian Duoduo of his money, but now that Qian Duoduo is locked up, how is Da Ming supposed to rob him?

Doesn't that mean...

He won't have the money to get out either?

"We're screwed..."

Er Ming plopped down onto the ground, his face instantly shifting from gloating to a bitter grimace.

Qian Duoduo ignored Er Ming's mockery; his mind was currently entirely occupied with how to salvage a shred of his reputation.

Facing Yan Shaozhe's gaze filled with suspicion, Qian Duoduo's eyes flickered as he spoke vaguely.

"Sigh, don't even mention it."

"I was ambushed."

"I was careless, I didn't dodge."

He couldn't very well tell the truth, could he? Tell Yan Shaozhe that he, a dignified rank 94 Titled Douluo equipped with top-tier Soul Tools, had been one-shotted by a rank 92 Titled Douluo?

How would he ever show his face in Shrek Academy again?

Did he even want his reputation anymore?

"Ambushed?"

Yan Shaozhe frowned, seemingly weighing the credibility of those words.

Just then, Xuan Zi, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up, his voice booming and laced with indignation.

"I knew it! The people in this fake academy have no sense of martial virtue!"

As he spoke, Xuan Zi scratched his messy hair, his tone turning deep and reminiscent.

"When I first arrived at this school to pay a visit."

"Acting on the principle that harmony is precious, I wanted to reason with them."

"And the result?"

"These guys wouldn't listen to a word I said and actually sent five Super Douluo to gang up on me!"

Xuan Zi held up five fingers, waving them in front of Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo, bragging without a hint of shame.

"Although I am heroic and invincible, I defeated three of them on the spot."

"However..."

"Two fists are no match for four hands."

"In the end, I had no choice but to retreat because my soul power was exhausted."

Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo exchanged a glance, both unable to help but show expressions of profound respect.

"As expected of Elder Xuan!"

"To fight five and still take down three!"

"Such a battle record is truly terrifying!"

Qian Duoduo nodded repeatedly, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and chimed in:

"Yes, yes, Elder Xuan is absolutely right!"

"These people just love to bully the few with the many and resort to sneak attacks!"

"I was just caught off guard and fell into their trap!"

Only Yan Shaozhe sighed silently in his heart.

Compared to Elder Xuan's "fighting five and taking down three," his own defeat at the hands of that man named Zhuo Shi—and in a one-on-one fight at that—was truly too embarrassing to mention.

However...

"Old Qian."

Yan Shaozhe seemed to recall something suddenly; his expression turned tense as he lowered his voice to ask:

"You coming here this time... was it Teacher who sent you?"

"To negotiate with this academy and get us released?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo's face stiffened, but he bit the bullet and nodded.

"Yes... that is what Mu En instructed."

Hearing this definitive answer, Yan Shaozhe's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

It's over.

Everything is over.

"Since even you have been brought in, what are we supposed to do?"

Yan Shaozhe's voice trembled slightly.

He had originally thought Qian Duoduo was here to put out the fire, but now, not only had he failed to save them, he had gotten himself trapped as well.

Now, who else could possibly come to save them?

Qian Duoduo's expression was equally bitter, but he forced himself to stay upbeat and offered comfort:

"Don't panic, don't panic."

"Although I've been brought in, Bei Bei and Tang Ya are still outside."

"The two of them must have seen all of this, and they know the gravity of the situation."

"Presumably... they will definitely return to notify Elder Mu."

Upon hearing the name "Elder Mu," Xuan Zi, who had remained very composed until now, saw his eyes suddenly light up.

"Elder Mu is coming?"

"That's good, that's just great!"

Xuan Zi smacked his lips, casting a look of utter disdain at the surrounding environment.

"This dump doesn't even provide a chicken leg; there's nothing but cold buns and lukewarm water."

"It's simply inhumane!"

"When Elder Mu arrives, this old man will make sure he gives these ignorant, arrogant fools a proper lesson!"

Watching Xuan Zi's nonchalant, and even somewhat expectant, demeanor, Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo felt cold sweat trickling down their backs, their clothes practically soaked through.

A lesson?

They had no heart left to think about teaching anyone else a lesson!

Their minds were entirely consumed by how they would explain this string of "suicide missions" once Elder Mu arrived!

When Elder Mu had sent them here, he had given them repeated, earnest instructions to not be impulsive, to remain steady, and to handle the matter properly.

And the result?

One, two, three—they had all been locked up!

It was just like the Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandfather; they had delivered themselves in such an orderly fashion!

If Elder Mu were to find out about this...

Even if Elder Mu had the best temper in the world, he would likely be angered into a state of collapse, wouldn't he?

"Sigh..."

This time...

They had truly lost face in the most spectacular way possible!