"You!" Han Ruoruo had finally had enough. She made a move to throw Huo Yuhao off the carriage.
"Ruoruo, sit down first. Don't be rash." Zhang Lexuan spoke up, stopping Han Ruoruo just as she was about to explode.
"But, senior sister..."
Zhang Lexuan gave Han Ruoruo a look. Han Ruoruo could only snort and sit back down.
"Little brother, may I ask your name and where you're from?" Zhang Lexuan's expression was complicated.
Huo Yuhao's face remained calm. "My name is Huo Yuhao. I'm just an ordinary civilian Soul Master, with no background to speak of."
Zhang Lexuan turned toward him. "Yuhao, I won't comment on whether what you just said was right or wrong, but I do want to say that although some of Shrek's systems are less than perfect and have caused a degree of unfairness, it is fundamentally different from the Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago.
"The peace on the continent today actually has a great deal to do with Shrek. I don't know whether you've heard of Evil Spirit Masters. They use cruel methods and often prey on innocent people. Over the past ten thousand years, Shrek has devoted tremendous effort to fighting these Evil Spirit Masters hiding in the shadows. That's what kept the people of the Douluo Continent from being plunged into misery. I can say with certainty that Shrek has played a positive role in maintaining peace on the Douluo Continent."
Huo Yuhao hadn't wanted to bring this up, but the moment she mentioned Evil Spirit Masters, he burst out laughing.
"Heh."
"Brat, what are you laughing at? Do you have any idea how much the Shrek Inspectorate has contributed to peace on the continent? Countless Shrek students sacrificed their lives for it!"
Han Ruoruo glared at him, her beautiful eyes wide.
"Heh heh. Forgive my bluntness, but the rampant spread of Evil Spirit Masters has a great deal to do with Shrek Academy." Huo Yuhao let out a cold laugh.
Han Ruoruo furrowed her brows. "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you saying Shrek secretly nurtures Evil Spirit Masters?"
Of course it does. Didn't your Shrek secretly nurture the Holy Spirit Cult's Supreme Elder and Phoenix Saintess?
Huo Yuhao silently grumbled to himself.
"It's not directly responsible, but Shrek has indirectly caused Evil Spirit Masters to proliferate."
Without pausing, Huo Yuhao continued, "As far as I know, there was no concept of Evil Spirit Masters ten thousand years ago. They only truly appeared after the first generation of the Shrek Seven Devils became gods. And the reason for that has a great deal to do with Sea God Tang San, one of the Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago.
"Ten thousand years ago, those called Evil Spirit Masters were all concentrated in a place on the continent called the City of Slaughter. But when Sea God Tang San left the City of Slaughter, he blew the place apart, allowing the Evil Spirit Masters to pour out in full force. From then on, the Douluo Continent knew no peace.
"That's only one part of it. Another very important point is that the definition of Evil Spirit Masters changed, and Shrek Academy was the one that led that change.
"After Martial Soul Awakening, people in the past didn't talk about evil Martial Souls. But now, Martial Souls that could rapidly increase Soul Power were labeled evil.
"The idea of evil Martial Souls was largely pushed along by Shrek Academy. Most of those who possessed these so-called evil Martial Souls were found in remote regions. They were civilian Soul Masters.
"They longed for power. They longed to change their circumstances. If they were properly guided from the start, they might have been able to stay on the right path. But let's be honest: could their talents ever be realized?"
"They couldn't be realized at all. Why? Because of the label 'evil Martial Soul.' It meant no academy would accept them. In the end, those talented civilian Soul Masters had only one path left: to fall and become Evil Spirit Masters. That was their only way forward.
"Since ancient times, wherever there is light, there is darkness. In this respect, Shrek Academy is even worse than the Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago. At least the Spirit Hall traveled to every remote corner of the continent to provide free Martial Soul Awakening. When they found a talented child, they took them in and guided them properly, keeping them from straying onto the wrong path. And Shrek? Its worldview has room only for good and evil.
"Is power good or evil? I believe only people can be good or evil.
"Are evil Martial Souls really evil? I think the upper classes of the Douluo Continent are simply afraid. They're afraid their positions will be threatened, so they label those Martial Souls evil.
"Are killing the only way to cultivate those Martial Souls? I don't think so. It's just that this world allows them no other path."
"So, you two, do you still think the rampant spread of Evil Spirit Masters has nothing to do with Shrek Academy?"
Huo Yuhao laid out the connection between Evil Spirit Masters and Shrek Academy in measured detail.
His accusations against Shrek were shocking, but Huo Yuhao wasn't talking nonsense or making baseless claims.
At the very least, Tang San was undeniably connected to the origins of Evil Spirit Masters.
As for the rest, that was Huo Yuhao's own analysis. It might have been a little extreme, but there was no doubt such things happened.
Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo's lips had gone pale.
How could two pure-hearted Inner Court students have ever been exposed to such conspiracy theories?
Besides, what he'd said wasn't entirely conspiracy theory. Most of it was reality; only some parts were his own opinions.
Before meeting Huo Yuhao, the two of them had been Shrek Academy's most loyal defenders.
Deep in their hearts, they had believed that Shrek was righteous and always in the right.
But after Huo Yuhao finished speaking, both of them were utterly at a loss.
Han Ruoruo, sitting nearby, couldn't utter a single word.
Zhang Lexuan was just as speechless. She could only quietly ponder his words.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Huo Yuhao heard the noise outside the carriage gradually growing louder.
"Everyone, we've arrived in Shrek City," the carriage driver called.
Huo Yuhao stood and said, "Thank you both for giving me a ride. I hope we meet again."
Then he climbed straight down from the carriage.
Han Ruoruo watched Huo Yuhao leave, her face full of dejection. "Senior sister, was everything that brat said true? Did Evil Spirit Masters really appear because of the Sea God from ten thousand years ago?
"And did those evil Soul Masters really keep appearing because of our Shrek? If so, what do all the sacrifices we've made for the continent over these ten thousand years amount to?"
Han Ruoruo felt that her values had been shaken to the core. Huo Yuhao's words today had made her pride in Shrek Academy waver, even if only a little.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes gradually regained their calm. "Although I don't want to admit it, what he said about the secret history of our ancestor, Sea God Tang San, is true. The Inner Court's library records that past, and it really was the direct cause of Evil Spirit Masters appearing. But what's strange is, how did he learn about this secret?"
"Doesn't that mean Shrek Academy really is responsible for Evil Spirit Masters appearing?" Han Ruoruo grew even more dispirited.
"That's not what it means, Ruoruo. Don't forget what kind of Soul Masters Evil Spirit Masters are—how deranged and bloodthirsty they are. Their Martial Souls determine that from the moment they awaken, they must embark on a path of harming living beings.
"Perhaps some of Shrek's policies unintentionally left them without a way to advance. But that doesn't excuse their harming living beings. Shrek isn't to blame." Zhang Lexuan tried to reassure her.
"Then, then what about Xiaotao's Martial Soul? She's had several accidents before, and even hurt several Outer Court students by mistake. Isn't that just like an evil Martial Soul..."
"Ruoruo, Xiaotao... Xiaotao is different."
Zhang Lexuan's voice grew quieter. It seemed she'd realized how unconvincing she sounded, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain herself.
"Huo Yuhao—he said his name was Huo Yuhao! First senior sister, why don't we find that guy and have him join Shrek? I want to prove that he's wrong, that Shrek isn't corrupt and backward, and that civilian Soul Masters have a chance to make something of themselves too! I'll prove him wrong!"
Han Ruoruo suddenly perked up and spoke excitedly.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes lit up too. "You're right. Let's find him."
The two of them stepped out of the carriage. Shrek City was teeming with people, and Huo Yuhao was nowhere to be seen.
Does anyone really read my book? Why does it feel like they're all bots? Could this whole world be one giant bot?
Before you continue