Build New Shrek Academy Rules! Full Standardization!

Flender was silent for a long time.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, set it down, then picked it up again and took another sip.

Finally, he raised his head and looked at Ma Hongjun.

"What's your suggestion?"

Ma Hongjun knew Flender was relenting, and he quietly let out a breath of relief.

"I suggest revising the academy rules. Not just this one rule, but reviewing every unreasonable rule."

He paused before continuing. "'A Soul Master who doesn't cause trouble is mediocre' should be changed to—'Do not cause trouble, but do not fear it either. Anyone who deliberately provokes trouble or bullies the weak will be expelled from the academy.'"

Flender said nothing, merely signaling for him to continue.

"Also, I suggest adding several new academy rules."

Ma Hongjun pulled a sheet of paper from his robe. It was densely covered in writing.

"First, respect teachers and unite with fellow students. Do not use Martial Souls to bully the weak."

"Second, do not deliberately provoke trouble while outside the academy. If provoked, prioritize leaving the conflict. If leaving is impossible, legitimate self-defense is permitted, but the academy must be notified immediately. Excessive self-defense will be handled according to the severity of the circumstances."

"Third, private fighting is forbidden within the academy. Sparring must be supervised by a teacher and stop at the proper point."

"Fourth, do not use Martial Souls or soul skills to oppress commoners. Offenders will either be confined or expelled from the academy, depending on the severity."

"Fifth, the academy will implement a points system. Daily conduct, cultivation progress, and compliance with academy rules will all count toward points. Those with high points will be rewarded, while those whose points fall below the standard will be punished."

After Ma Hongjun finished reading, he placed the paper on the table.

The people in the office stared at the paper, and no one spoke for a long while.

Zhao Wuji was the first to break the silence. "I agree."

Li Yusong nodded. "Agreed."

Lu Qibin pushed up his glasses. "Agreed."

Shao Xin said with a smile, "Agreed."

Everyone's gaze fell on Flender.

Flender picked up the paper from the table and read it from beginning to end.

He stood up, picked up a pen, and wrote a line at the bottom of the page—

"The above academy rules shall take effect immediately."

He set down the pen and looked at Ma Hongjun.

"You proposed these rules, so you'll oversee their implementation."

"Yes, Teacher."

Ma Hongjun put away the sheet of paper, feeling a sense of solidity rise within him.

The academy rules mattered far more than repairing the walls or making uniforms.

Repairing the walls fixed the exterior; revising the rules fixed the foundation.

An academy could slowly improve its appearance, but its foundation could not be crooked.

Once the academy rules had been settled, the academy's renovation began in earnest.

Zhao Wuji hired the best team of craftsmen in Suotuo City. The foreman's surname was Zhou. In his forties, he was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a pair of rough hands like iron clamps. He had worked construction in Suotuo City for twenty years, handling everything from private homes and shops to noble estates. But this was his first time renovating an academy.

"Headmaster Flender, these drawings are incredibly detailed." Foreman Zhou flipped through the construction plans Ma Hongjun had organized overnight, clicking his tongue in amazement. "I've worked for twenty years, but I've never seen work this meticulous. Even the size of the stones at the wall corners is marked out. Who drew these?"

"My student," Flender said flatly.

Foreman Zhou glanced at Ma Hongjun standing beside him, his eyes full of disbelief. How old was this child? Six? Seven? Yet the lines and annotations on the plans truly did not seem like something a child could have drawn.

"The younger generation is formidable." Foreman Zhou gave him a thumbs-up and asked no further questions.

The construction team entered the site the next day.

The old earthen walls were torn down. Amid billowing dust, the old walls that had accompanied Shrek Academy for so many years came crashing down. Oscar stood nearby, watching with some reluctance. He had cultivated beneath those walls, sheltered from the rain beside them, and been punished by Zhao Wuji to stand there. There were crooked words he had carved into the walls, as well as lines he had drawn to mark his height.

"Out with the old, in with the new." Ma Hongjun stood beside him and saw through his thoughts.

Oscar nodded without saying anything more.

Cartload after cartload of stone was hauled in. The bluish-gray stone blocks were each cut into neat squares, piled outside the courtyard like a small mountain. The craftsmen first dug the foundation, then laid the stone walls. Their movements were quick, and they worked in seamless coordination. Foreman Zhou paced back and forth around the construction site, offering instructions from time to time. His voice was so loud it could be heard from half a street away.

Zhao Wuji voluntarily took on the job of supervising the work. The moment he stood at the site, his burly frame and fierce appearance became a natural deterrent. The craftsmen never dared slack off, because one sweep of Zhao Wuji's gaze was more effective than any overseer.

"Teacher Zhao, do you really need to watch them this closely?" Oscar once asked quietly.

"You don't understand." Zhao Wuji crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "When these people work, if you loosen up by one foot, they'll loosen up by ten. You have to keep a close eye on them from the beginning. Once they form the habit, it'll be fine."

Oscar nodded as though he understood.

The courtyard wall took five days to build. Five days later, a two-meter-tall bluestone wall rose from the ground, enclosing the entire academy. The wall was smooth, its corners straight, and a layer of waterproof stone slabs covered its top. Compared to the crooked earthen wall from before, riddled with gaps and holes, it was practically a different world.

Flender stood before the courtyard wall and looked at it for a long time.

He recalled how, many years ago, he had come to this village alone. There had been a few rundown houses, an earthen wall, not even a proper academy gate. Back then, he had thought, Take it slowly. Everything will come in time. Yet many years had passed, and the earthen wall was still an earthen wall, the rundown houses still rundown houses. He had thought nothing would ever change in this life.

But now, change had come.

"Not bad." Flender said only those two words before turning and leaving.

Zhao Wuji watched his retreating back, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. He had followed Flender for so many years and knew that Flender never said pleasant things, but no one was happier than him.

Construction on the academy gate began on the sixth day.

According to Ma Hongjun's design, the gate had to be "imposing" rather than "ostentatious." Two square stone pillars stood on either side, each thick enough to require two people to wrap their arms around it and more than three meters tall. Their tops were carved with simple geometric patterns. The two ironwood gates were heavy and sturdy, painted a deep blue. Their panels were set with copper rivets that gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

A bluestone plaque stretched across the lintel, bearing four large characters—

Shrek Academy.

Flender had spent two bottles of fine wine to invite Suotuo City's most famous calligrapher to write them. The strokes were bold and vigorous, every brushstroke carrying an awe-inspiring air of righteousness.

On the day the academy gate was completed, everyone stood in the courtyard and looked at it for a long time.

Zhao Wuji said, "This gate is even more imposing than I imagined."

Li Yusong said, "With this gate, it finally looks like a proper academy."

Lu Qibin pushed up his glasses. "This is only the beginning."

Shao Xin said with a smile, "From now on, I can set up a stall at the entrance and sell Candy Beans."