Mu En's Decision

"Keep him! We absolutely cannot let him leave!"

"Damn Zhou Yi, ruining Shrek's great plans!"

The elders, who had been putting on the airs of lofty masters just moments ago, had now completely lost their composure. They wished they could execute Zhou Yi on the spot.

Of course, if Zhou Yi knew about this right now, she would feel quite wronged!

Hadn't this kind of "selection" of students always existed within the academy?!

In fact, among the elders present, who dared claim that the juniors working at the academy under them had never done such things?

It was just that compared to others, Zhou Yi's "selection" methods were a tiny bit more intense!

Naturally, as Shrek's "highly respected" elders, none of them would reflect on their own inaction and indulgence.

They would only dump every bit of blame onto Zhou Yi, whose actions had just been exposed.

Mu En, reclining in his chair, watched the chaos before him. His eyes held a trace of disappointment and helplessness that he could not conceal.

He had always known perfectly well about Shrek's problems, as well as the problems with these elders.

But his injuries were severe now, and he did not have much time left. Even if he wished to reform things, he no longer had the strength to do so.

All he could do now was ensure that Shrek could be passed down safely after his death.

As for these chronic ills, they could only be left for later generations to resolve!

"Enough. Quiet."

Mu En's words still carried great weight. Once everyone had calmed down, he turned to Yan Shaozhe and said, "Shaozhe, explain what exactly happened."

"Teacher, the specific sequence of events basically matches what we initially learned. Zhou Yi did indeed first threaten the student with expulsion to pressure him. Later, she was also the first to attack, declaring that she would cripple Lin Yan, which led to the fight between the two."

"As for Lin Yan... he..."

Yan Shaozhe paused there, an odd expression appearing on his face.

Seeing Yan Shaozhe hesitate instead of continuing, Xian Lin'er, who had already been deeply displeased with him, immediately grew impatient and urged, "Yan Shaozhe, spit it out if you have something to say. Stop dawdling!"

Yan Shaozhe opened his mouth, but ultimately chose not to argue with Xian Lin'er.

He still felt guilty toward Xian Lin'er. After all, he had been the one who cheated first...

"Lin Yan said that Zhou Yi frightened him, causing him severe emotional trauma."

"However..."

"In my opinion, he does not seem truly and completely disappointed in the academy. Rather, he seems to be using this as an excuse to ask for some 'compensation.'"

As soon as Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, everyone present instead breathed a sigh of relief.

"Haha, that little fellow actually tried to 'extort' Shrek."

Elder Lin—Lin Huiqun, who oversaw Shrek's Treasure Pavilion—was the first to lose her restraint, laughing as she teased him.

Indeed, over the years, there had been very few who dared to proactively demand compensation from Shrek, much less using such an absurd reason as "emotional trauma."

Yet despite that, no one present felt the slightest anger. Instead, they found the little fellow clever and bold!

After all, compared to Lin Yan himself, what were a few resources worth?!

"Shaozhe, the academy was indeed at fault in this matter."

"I'll leave the matter of compensation to you. Do not be stingy with resources. You must dispel the resentment in that child's heart."

"Yes, Teacher."

After reminding Yan Shaozhe of this, Mu En slowly nodded when he saw him answer respectfully.

His eldest disciple! His martial soul was the Bright Phoenix, and his talent was exceptional, yet his temperament was somewhat narrow-minded.

Otherwise, with his aptitude, how could he have remained stuck at Rank 95 for so many years, unable to break through?

Then, Mu En looked at the others present, his tone turning more solemn. "After this incident, I believe some of the academy's rules should also be changed."

"From now on, Outer Courtyard teachers may not expel students at will without legitimate reason."

"If a student is to be expelled, the matter must be reported to the academy, an application submitted, and approval and a seal obtained from the academy before it can be carried out."

"Shaozhe, Lin'er, the four of you should draft a specific set of regulations for this matter as soon as possible."

With Lin Yan's example before them, no one stepped forward to object. But under normal circumstances, even with Mu En speaking, there would have been some resistance.

Although this only weakened the authority held by Outer Courtyard teachers, most of those teachers had connections behind them.

And beneath those countless tangled relationships, someone would always seek out the elders present for the sake of their own interests.

At that point, even if Mu En could force the policy through, there would inevitably be a great deal of trouble.

This was Shrek's true state. After ten thousand years of development, the academy appeared prosperous on the surface, but internally, it had long been riddled with rot and had reached the point where the accumulated problems were beyond remedy.

To truly "recover," they would need to steel themselves, cut away the rotten flesh, and scrape poison from the bone.

But the academy's internal and external relationships were now intricately intertwined. A single move could affect the whole situation, and one wrong step might lead to irreversible ruin!

As he had said before, if Mu En could return to his peak condition and had sufficient lifespan, then perhaps, with his strength and prestige, he could still force through reform.

Unfortunately! Reality had no "if."

Thus, all Mu En could do now was make a few minor changes within a limited scope, guard the academy well, and pray that before Shrek was completely destroyed, a great talent would emerge to lead it through rebirth from the flames!

"Then it is settled. Next, let us discuss how to deal with the chief culprit behind this incident."

"Mei'er, you are primarily responsible for Outer Courtyard affairs. Tell us your opinion first."

"Yes, Elder Mu."

Cai Mei'er rose to her feet, respectfully bowed to Mu En, and then said, "Zhou Yi acted recklessly this time. Her conduct was vile, and she severely damaged the academy's reputation."

"My recommendation is suspension, expulsion, and a permanent ban on rehiring her!"

The elders seated above nodded slightly, raising no objections.

However, Yan Shaozhe took the opportunity to add, "On the Soul Guidance Department's side, Zhou Yi's husband, Fan Yu, also bears responsibility for shielding her. I suggest stripping him of his current position and barring him from any future promotion. Let him peacefully serve as a researcher at the academy from now on."

Upon hearing that, Qian Duoduo immediately became anxious.

He hurriedly looked to Mu En and pleaded, "Elder Mu, that cannot be done! Aside from me, Fan Yu is the academy's only other eighth-grade Soul Engineer. Handling him like this will chill his heart and affect the development of our Soul Guidance Department!"

At that moment, Xuan Zi, who had not stopped eating and drinking since the meeting began, tipped back a mouthful of wine, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and casually said:

"So what if he's an eighth-grade Soul Engineer?"

"Anyway, he's not that useful. If you ask me, after causing such a huge disaster, the fact that the two of them can remain at the academy at all means they should be endlessly grateful!"

"Do as Shaozhe said. Let Fan Yu become a researcher."

Qian Duoduo did not dare argue with Xuan Zi. He could only turn a pleading gaze toward Mu En, hoping that Mu En would show mercy.

After thinking briefly, Mu En pondered for a moment before slowly speaking. "Fan Yu indeed bears responsibility for shielding her. Strip him of his current position, but allow him to redeem himself through merit and retain his qualifications for promotion. As for Zhou Yi..."

"Handle Zhou Yi as Mei'er suggested. However, after she is dismissed, let her stay with Fan Yu. She is not to take a single step outside Shrek without cause."

"Also, according to what Lin Yan said, Zhou Yi previously abused her authority to suppress and coerce students, causing many of them to be injured or disabled."

"The academy must investigate every one of these students and provide appropriate compensation. Those who can be treated must receive every possible treatment. If necessary, Elder Zhuang may be asked to act!"

"As for those students who can no longer recover, give them greater compensation and do your best to make amends."