With Everyone Down, I Could Only Step In Personally

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, Bei Bei and Tang Ya were hurrying back with worried expressions, their steps as heavy as lead.

They had only just walked a short distance and had yet to recover from the despair of everyone getting taken out.

Rustle, rustle—

The bushes ahead suddenly shook violently.

Then—

A tall, burly figure shot out like a ghost without warning, blocking their path.

It was a man dressed in a green robe, with resolute features and an intimidating pressure about him.

It was Da Ming!

Da Ming had originally been lying in wait nearby, planning to wait for that "idiot" Qian Duoduo to come out before robbing the robber and taking his money to ransom Er Ming.

After all, it was currently the only way to get money quickly.

Yet after waiting and waiting, Qian Duoduo never appeared. Instead, the two people traveling with him did.

Da Ming froze slightly, his gaze sweeping over the area behind them. His brows immediately furrowed, and surprise flashed through his eyes.

"Hm?"

"Just the two of you?"

"Where's that guy?"

Bei Bei and Tang Ya's hearts skipped a beat at the sight of Da Ming suddenly appearing before them.

They were finished!

What rotten luck!

They had just escaped the wolf's den, only to stumble straight into a tiger's lair!

Bei Bei immediately sensed that things were bad. Qian Duoduo had just offended Da Ming and Er Ming; Da Ming had clearly come looking for trouble.

Bei Bei forcibly suppressed his fear, quietly shielding Tang Ya behind him. He drew a deep breath and tried to look as calm as possible.

"Senior..."

Bei Bei gave a bitter laugh. He had no intention of hiding it, since there was no way to conceal this matter anyway.

"Dean Qian... he didn't make it out."

"He lost the wager, and now... he's been locked in that academy's Confinement Room too."

As he spoke, Bei Bei cautiously watched Da Ming's expression, silently praying that Da Ming would not attack them.

Hearing this, Da Ming's frown deepened, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"What?"

"He got locked up too?"

"He's that useless?"

Da Ming curled his lips speechlessly.

He had been counting on getting some money out of that fat sheep, gathering enough ransom to get Er Ming out.

Now, the fat sheep was gone. Where was he supposed to get the money?

Without money, wouldn't Er Ming be locked up in there until the end of time?

No!

Absolutely not!

Da Ming's mind raced, and before long, his gaze fell upon Bei Bei and Tang Ya again.

He had no interest in bullying two juniors and even felt it was beneath him.

But...

Desperate times called for desperate measures!

For Er Ming's sake, he could not worry about such things now!

"Since he isn't here..."

Da Ming took a step forward, releasing a trace of his aura. It was not enough to crush them, but it was more than enough to leave them unable to move.

"Then you can repay his debt for him."

"Hand over all the money on you."

"Robbery!"

Da Ming said it with complete righteousness.

"Huh?"

Bei Bei was completely stunned.

However, seeing Da Ming's expression that plainly said no money, no leaving, Bei Bei knew better than to fight a losing battle.

If he dared say the word "no" at a time like this, today next year would probably be the anniversary of his death.

"O-okay... okay..."

"Senior, please don't act rashly. Money is merely an external possession. I'll give it to you. I'll give it to you right now!"

As he spoke, Bei Bei hurriedly pulled Gold Soul Coins out of his Storage Soul Tool.

Clatter—

A pile of glittering Gold Soul Coins spilled onto the ground.

"Senior, this is all the savings I have on me."

"Could you... let us go now?"

Da Ming said nothing. With a sweep of his spiritual power, he instantly finished counting them.

"Six thousand Gold Soul Coins?"

Da Ming's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at Bei Bei in surprise.

Well, well!

This kid looked ordinary, yet he was actually a hidden little tycoon?

An ordinary Shrek Academy student carried six thousand Gold Soul Coins with him?

Were Shrek Academy students all this rich?

Da Ming could not help feeling a little sour, lamenting that he was truly dirt poor.

But that sourness was quickly swept away by joy.

Combined with the money he had previously scraped together, these six thousand Gold Soul Coins would be enough for him to find a decent house, pay the remaining fine, and ransom Er Ming out!

"Alright."

Da Ming waved a hand, and the Gold Soul Coins on the ground instantly vanished into his possession.

Now that he had the money, he could not be bothered making things difficult for these two juniors.

"You can go."

With that, Da Ming flashed away and vanished into the depths of the forest, clearly in a hurry to rescue Er Ming.

Watching Da Ming's departing back, Bei Bei and Tang Ya exchanged a glance, both feeling weak with relief after surviving a disaster.

"This... this is way too ridiculous..."

Tang Ya said, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Don't say it, Xiaoya."

Bei Bei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and grabbed Tang Ya's hand.

"Let's go!"

"Before anything else goes wrong, get back to the academy!"

"We have to report this to Grand Ancestor immediately!"

The two did not dare linger any longer. They ran all the way back, nearly exhausting every ounce of strength they had, and finally returned to Shrek Academy.

Shrek Academy's Outer Court.

Mu En lay quietly in a recliner with his eyes closed, resting.

Though he appeared calm, his withered hand kept unconsciously tapping the armrest, showing that his heart was far less peaceful than it seemed.

Just then—

"Grand Ancestor!"

Accompanied by hurried footsteps, Bei Bei and Tang Ya rushed in, gasping for breath.

Mu En slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze immediately fell behind them.

There was nothing there.

No Yan Shaozhe, no Xuan Zi, and no Qian Duoduo, who should have returned with good news.

There were only two bedraggled children, their faces full of anxiety.

Mu En's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding instantly rose within him.

"Only the two of you?"

Mu En's voice remained gentle, though it now carried a trace of heaviness.

"Where is Duoduo?"

"Where are Shaozhe and Xuan Zi?"

Bei Bei drew a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, then lowered his head and spoke with difficulty.

"Grand Ancestor..."

"Dean Qian... he failed too."

"He couldn't bring Elder Xuan and Dean Yan back either."

"And..."

Bei Bei gritted his teeth but still voiced that cruel fact.

"And because he lost the wager, Dean Qian is now... locked in that academy's Confinement Room as well."

Even with Mu En's composure, the corner of his eye twitched slightly upon hearing that.

He went in too?

And because of a wager?

This... this was utterly absurd!

Including Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe from before, three of Shrek Academy's top experts had now fallen into the hands of that little-known New Shrek Academy!

If word got out, Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year reputation would likely be destroyed in one stroke!

Seeing Mu En's grim expression, Bei Bei had not wanted to say more, but there were some things he had no choice but to mention.

"Grand Ancestor..."

"Those people at the academy said... if you want to meet their dean, you need to go personally."

"Good. That was my intention as well."

Mu En spoke. Because of his physical condition, it had been inconvenient for him to move around, so he had planned to let his juniors handle it. Who would have thought...

Alas...