Shrek City, inside an upscale restaurant.
A VIP private room.
Yan Shaozhe sat at the head of the table, with a pot of fine Longjing Tea before him, its fragrance drifting through the air.
Holding a teacup, he looked at Tang Wen across from him with a gentle smile in his eyes.
Mu Tianyi sat beside Yan Shaozhe, also holding a teacup, though his eyes kept darting around the private room.
One moment he looked at Tang Wen, the next at the street outside the window, as though plotting something.
Tang Wen sat opposite them. Hearing this, he gave an awkward smile and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Dean Yan, it has been a long time."
"This matter with the Tang Sect was fortunate to have Shrek's assistance. Otherwise..."
He did not continue, but the implication was plain.
The Tang Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation had nearly been wiped out overnight. As its sect master, he had been utterly disgraced.
That night raid had ended with the intervention of the Shrek Supervisory Corps.
The Iron Blood Sect had come quickly and fled just as quickly. The moment Shrek revealed its identity, Tie Li had led his people away in disgrace, not even daring to leave behind a threat.
But the matter had not truly been resolved.
Shrek Academy had established itself at the heart of the continent with a status almost akin to an "independent nation," not merely because of its strength, but because of its stance.
Shrek Academy would not actively interfere in the internal affairs of other nations, including conflicts where the strong preyed on the weak, such as the Iron Blood Sect's attack on the Tang Sect.
After this incident, Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, took the lead in issuing a carefully worded statement on Shrek's