Zhang Lexuan's Wavering

Two women walked in from outside the Cultivation Room. One had a somewhat fiery temperament, while the other was gentle as water.

They were Zhang Lexuan's two friends: Wu Ming, the "Golden Crow Saintess," and Han Ruoruo, the "Golden Fairy."

"Lexuan, time's up." Han Ruoruo spoke softly, her voice carrying a trace of reluctance.

The halo around Zhang Lexuan slowly receded. Her long lashes trembled as she opened her eyes.

This one-month seclusion had raised her cultivation to Rank 69. Yet there was no joy at her breakthrough in those eyes, nor any relief at the end of her confinement—only a deep, unshakable exhaustion and silence.

She silently rose to her feet. Without saying a word, she merely gave her two friends a slight nod before walking outside.

Watching her back, Wu Ming could not help quickening her pace to catch up, her tone indignant.

"Sister Lexuan, if you ask me, you did nothing wrong! That bastard relied on the fact that his father was an elder. How many filthy things has he done?

"He drove students working to support themselves to death and still got away with it! Killing him was getting rid of a scourge for the people!"

Han Ruoruo also gently took Zhang Lexuan's arm and comforted her softly. "Yes, Lexuan. Don't take it too hard. Although the dean and the elders put you in confinement, everyone knows you were right."

Zhang Lexuan's steps paused, but she remained silent. Right? Wrong? Her heart was a mess.

Her family had been destroyed by the rampage of Evil Soul Masters. Because of that, ever since Mu En adopted her, she had regarded Shrek as her only home.

Here, she cultivated in peace, made friends like Ruoruo and Wu Ming, and spent several simple, happy years. She had thought this place was a pure land, a symbol of light and justice.

Yet her impression of it had begun to change over a year ago.

When she had accidentally found some vague clues about her origins, she had investigated out of curiosity. Instead, she had unexpectedly discovered shadows hidden beneath the so-called "glory of Shrek," shadows she had never noticed before.

She discovered mentors withholding students' resources, upperclassmen bullying lowerclassmen, and even more shameful dealings.

At first, she firmly believed the Academy was fair. Every time she discovered something, she chose to report it.

In the beginning, those reported were indeed punished, and she had once felt relieved. But she soon discovered that those punishments were often merely superficial. Before long, those people would reappear in another capacity, sometimes even in higher positions.

She had protested and questioned them, but what she usually received were vague responses from the higher-ups and advice to "consider the bigger picture." Then, when she reported a Logistics Director who had embezzled student resources, the matter was handled with great fanfare but little consequence.

Unwilling to accept it, she went straight to Mu En, and only then was the matter dealt with seriously. At the time, she thought it was merely an isolated case, that as long as those at the top were upright, everything would be fine.

But similar incidents grew more and more frequent. Then, this time, she uncovered a teacher responsible for part of the Academy's logistics procurement who had long bullied and exploited commoner students struggling to survive through work-study programs.

His methods had been vicious, ultimately driving several students beyond endurance until they chose to end their lives one after another.

As usual, she gathered evidence and reported it. Watching the man get taken away by the Enforcement Squad, she thought justice had been upheld once again.

But that day, when she received a notice from the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce to collect a Soul Tool she had ordered to assist her cultivation, and also planned to check on the information about Moon Martial Souls that she had previously asked the Merchant Guild to investigate—

She saw that teacher, who should have been under punishment, at the entrance of the most luxurious restaurant near the Merchant Guild! He had his arms around others' shoulders, his face glowing with pride. There was not the slightest hint of remorse.

As if possessed, she followed him. Hidden in a private room next door, she listened to him boast smugly.

"...Getting locked up for a few days is just for show. My old man's an elder—who in Shrek dares touch me? Those poor bastards were mentally weak. They deserved to die. The money saved is enough for us to have fun for a year or two..."

At that moment, she truly could not endure it any longer. Under the eruption of emotions that had been piling up for so long, she revealed herself and questioned him directly. Yet he seemed to have drunk too much; he did not bother to disguise himself in the slightest, showed no remorse, and instead hurled vicious insults at her, arrogantly declaring that he would be out again before long.

Unable to hold back, she finally attacked. Then... amid his final curses, full of malice and contempt, she failed to stop herself...

What followed was the Academy's Judgment.

Dean Yan Shaozhe did not report the matter and directly suppressed it. However, many elders—especially the man's father—were extremely dissatisfied with her actions of "acting first and reporting later" and "disrespecting her elders."

In the end, her merits and faults canceled each other out, but she was required to undergo confinement and reflect on her actions.

She did not understand. Why could those lofty elders turn a blind eye to the evil deeds of their own descendants? Why could they trample upon the most basic justice for the sake of so-called "face" and "stability"?

She suddenly felt that Shrek, the place for which she had once been willing to give everything, had become somewhat unfamiliar and cold...

She took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her churning emotions. Turning around, she managed a smile. "I'm fine now. A month has passed, so the Soul Tool I ordered from the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce should be ready. I'm going to pick it up."

Wu Ming and Han Ruoruo exchanged a glance. They said nothing more and simply followed her.

Within Shrek City, compared to the Academy's more or less resistant attitude toward Soul Tools, the appearance of the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce had undoubtedly brought a new trend.

All kinds of convenient, useful civilian Soul Tools had begun to spread among ordinary people and some Soul Masters.

Of course, this had little to do with Shrek. Seemingly due to the Martial Soul Department's so-called traditions and educational philosophy, Shrek Academy had not introduced them on a large scale.

However, there were rumors that the Soul Tool Department had been unable to replicate the core components of these Soul Tools, which was why it had not made any moves.

Still, many young students had long been attracted by these novel and practical Soul Tools, and quite a few came secretly to purchase them.

The entrance to the Merchant Guild was bustling with people. Just as Zhang Lexuan stepped inside, her gaze casually swept over the crowd before stopping slightly on its own.

Not far away, a figure inexplicably drew her attention. He was a Youth who looked rather young yet was almost excessively handsome. His temperament was calm and gentle, completely out of place amid the surrounding bustle, making him seem unlike someone his age.

Beside the Youth, a Girl with short light-purple hair was holding his arm and chattering about something, looking exceptionally curious.

This strange pairing, combined with the indescribable quality about the Youth, made Zhang Lexuan instinctively look at him a few more times.

Wu Ming followed her gaze and immediately brightened. Nudging her with an elbow, she lowered her voice and laughed. "Wow! What a handsome little brother! Sister Lexuan, so this is your type?"

Zhang Lexuan came back to herself, a trace of awkwardness flashing across her face as she immediately denied it. "Don't talk nonsense. I just thought he seemed a little unusual."

Wu Ming chuckled, clearly unconvinced. She appraised the Youth a few more times. "He is rather unusual. So young, yet already taking little girls out to have fun... Tsk, what a pity he's too young. If he were older, I might not be able to stop myself from making a move."

Zhang Lexuan looked at her Best friend with faint helplessness.

Wu Ming was like that—her mouth was always so bold, but in reality, she kept her distance from every male student. If one came close, she would immediately greet him with a fireball... all talk.

Zhang Lexuan thought this, but she gave the direction where that Youth had been one final glance before pressing down that inexplicable concern in her heart and entering the bustling Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce with her two friends.

At the other end of the Merchant Guild, Kong Ming'an, who was being pestered by Xu Tianzhen with question after question, seemed to sense something. His gaze lightly swept toward the entrance before slowly withdrawing.

It seemed like they could both be poached?

Sure enough... poaching people was the kind of thing where there was only zero times or countless times. It was genuinely addictive.