License Matters, Yun Tian Offers a Plan

After the academy renovations were complete, Shrek Academy was transformed from top to bottom.

The walls stood neat and orderly, the training ground was level, the cafeteria bright and spacious. Even the new flag seemed more spirited as it fluttered in the wind.

Every day, Ma Hongjun would walk along the brand-new brick walls and give them a couple of strokes, muttering, "We're an academy with some style now."

But one matter had always weighed on Flender's mind.

That afternoon, he sat alone in the newly renovated office. Before him lay a stack of yellowed files and several rejection letters bearing the official seal of the Balak Kingdom.

The edges of the papers had curled and frayed, and the writing had faded with age. They had clearly been sitting there for many years.

Flender stared at the red stamps on those rejection letters and, unusually, remained silent for a long time.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

Yun Tian pushed the door open and entered.

He carried two cups of tea. He set one on Flender's desk, then held the other as he sat across from him.

He did not rush to speak. One glance at the rejection letters on the desk told him most of what was going on.

"Dean, is something troubling you?"

Flender pushed the rejection letters aside, lifted his tea, took a sip, and sighed. "The academy looks respectable now, but the underlying problem is still there."

After all these years, Shrek had never obtained the Balak Kingdom's official certification as an advanced academy.

Without that license, we're just some unrecognized academy. The name we submit won't be acknowledged by the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

He turned one of the rejection letters over so Yun Tian could see its red stamp. "I applied through people in Barak before, but some old conflicts caused a falling-out. After that, every application I submitted vanished without a trace."

The matter had dragged on like this for nearly ten years.

After reading the letter, Yun Tian fell silent for a few breaths. Then he set down his tea and looked up at Flender.

"Dean, no one in this world turns down money."

Flender paused. "What do you mean?"

"The old conflict was nothing more than a matter of pride."

Either they thought your shabby academy wasn't qualified, or someone simply had a grudge against you.

Yun Tian's tone remained calm. "But things are different now."

Shrek had a group of outstanding students, a fully renovated campus, and—

He paused, lightly tapping the table twice with his fingers. "The academy has money now."

Flender's eyes narrowed slightly.

He set down his cup, folded his hands on the desk, and gestured for Yun Tian to continue.

"First, submit a formal application letter. Clearly lay out the academy's current situation: the campus size, teaching staff, students' cultivation levels, and recent results at the Soul Fighting Arena."

Especially Yun Tian's battle where he defeated a five-ring Soul King despite the difference in rank. The news had already spread throughout Suotuo City, so Barak could not possibly have missed it.

Speaking with tangible results was far more useful than begging empty-handed.

Flender nodded. "And then?"

"Then bring gifts and pay them a personal visit."

Yun Tian said, "It doesn't need to be bribery. Just a normal courtesy visit."

Lower our stance a little and make it clear that Shrek sincerely wants the license and is willing to comply with every teaching and assessment standard set by the Balak Kingdom.

At the same time, imply something.

If the license is approved, the academy and Barak can consider future cooperation—such as giving priority to local students or regularly holding exchange competitions within the kingdom.

Flender leaned back in his chair and pondered for a long while.

His fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop as his gaze shifted between the rejection letters and Yun Tian's face.

"You brat... you're quite the businessman too."

"It has nothing to do with strength. It's about experience."

Yun Tian smiled. "I saw plenty of similar cases while traveling outside. Some small academies only gradually grew because they knew how to smooth things over. Pride isn't worth anything. What matters is getting what you want."

Flender drew a deep breath, gathered up the stack of rejection letters, and put them away in a drawer.

He rose to his feet, took the gray cloth robe he wore year-round from the coat rack in the corner, draped it over himself, and straightened his collar.

"Fine. I'll make a trip to Barak City."

"I'll go with you."

Yun Tian rose as well. "Some things are inconvenient for you to say alone. It'll go more smoothly with someone beside you to chime in."

Flender looked at him, then suddenly smiled. "You really do think everything through."

Fine. We leave first thing tomorrow morning. You're coming with me.

Before dawn had fully broken the next day, Flender and Yun Tian left the academy gates.

Barak City lay north of Suotuo City, roughly two hours away by carriage.

The two went over their lines once more in the carriage. Flender repeatedly considered his wording, while Yun Tian helped fill in the details.

As they neared the city gate, Flender suddenly asked, "If they set conditions, what's the most we can accept?"

"The license itself won't involve a purchase fee."

Yun Tian considered it. "But if they demand annual assessments, regular reports, or shared funding for joint events, we can allocate a budget of five to eight thousand Gold Soul Coins."

It was not a large amount, but to Barak, it meant an additional source of operating funds. They had no reason to refuse.

Flender smacked his lips. "Five to eight thousand Gold Soul Coins... that's half of everything we have."

"You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing bait."

Yun Tian said, "Once we have the license, the money we earn later will far exceed that."

Flender said nothing more. He merely watched the fields and distant mountains flash past beyond the carriage window, his eyes holding an indescribable anticipation.

The carriage stopped outside the administrative hall in Barak City.

Flender adjusted his robes, drew a deep breath, and strode inside.

Yun Tian followed at an unhurried pace, his expression composed.

An hour later, the two emerged from the hall.

Flender clutched an approval document stamped with an official seal. Standing on the steps beneath the afternoon sun, he read it three times.

Yun Tian stood beside him with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

"It worked?" Yun Tian asked, though he already knew the answer.

"It worked."

Flender carefully folded the approval document and tucked it into his robes. He looked up at the blue sky above Barak City and took a deep breath. "Ten years... I finally got this damned license."

He turned to Yun Tian, his gaze somewhat complicated. After a few breaths of silence, he suddenly laughed. "When you first came to enroll at Shrek, I knew you were trouble. Now I'm sure of it."

"Sure of what?"

"Sure that you really are a monster."

Flender turned and walked down the steps, his stride far lighter than when he had arrived. "Not only are you monstrous in a fight, you're monstrous at getting things done too. Let's go, back to the academy! We'll have another good meal tonight. My treat."

Yun Tian followed behind him, smiling as he shook his head. "Dean, you said last night that we needed to spend carefully."

"Careful my ass! I'm happy today!"

Their figures gradually receded beneath the afternoon sun. Carriages and pedestrians flowed through the streets of Barak City, and no one noticed that those two simply dressed figures had just accomplished something that could change Shrek's fate.

And far away at Shrek Academy on the southern outskirts of Suotuo City, the youths still running around the training ground had no idea.

They were no longer students of some unrecognized academy.