In Suotuo City, My Word Is the Law!

"This is Shrek Academy!"

Flender turned to introduce it to Qin Jiuxiao and the others.

They looked over. A few wooden poles had been stuck in the ground by the entrance, with a wooden board hung across them. A vivid green emblem that looked like some kind of school crest was painted on it, and beneath it were the words "Shrek Academy."

That was the school gate.

As they took in the shabby little entrance, their temples began to twitch.

Was there really nothing wrong with joining this school?

Even a junior academy would be better than this.

Even Tang San could barely keep a straight face.

With his talent, he could get into any advanced academy. And his teacher had recommended he come to this backwater place?

Had he really been thinking of Tang San's best interests?

For the first time, Tang San began to doubt Yu Xiaogang.

Flender acted as if he hadn't noticed their expressions. He led them straight through the queue to the front.

There, a lazy-looking old man was handling admissions, looking perfectly relaxed.

"Ten Gold Soul Coins to register!"

"If you want to sign up, step forward!"

A child and his parent slowly came forward. Gritting their teeth, they put ten Gold Soul Coins into the box.

They were villagers from a nearby town. They had heard that anyone who graduated from this academy could become a viscount of the Heaven Dou Empire.

So they had come to take a look and, while they were at it, enroll their child.

"Teacher, could you see if our child can join the academy?"

The parent humbly nudged his child forward.

"Hold out your hand."

The old man felt the child's wrist, then shook his head.

"Too old. Leave."

"Our academy only accepts students under twelve with at least 21 levels of Soul Power."

The smile froze on the parent's face. His child had just turned thirteen the day before.

Unwilling to give up, he tried to plead for his child again.

"Teacher, my child has a pretty good Martial Soul. Couldn't you make an exception?"

But the old man ignored him.

Grinding his teeth, the parent looked at the old man and hesitantly asked:

"If my child can't register, then what about the registration fee?"

"Once you've registered, there are no refunds!"

"What! You're robbing us! I'm reporting you!"

The parent's eyes reddened. Under the Qin Family's rule, people in Suotuo City had enough to eat, but ten Gold Soul Coins were still no small sum for an ordinary family.

Qin Jiuxiao narrowed his eyes at Flender and murmured beside him:

"I remember the Qin Family set rules: anyone establishing an academy needs proper permits and a complete set of clearly displayed admission requirements that people can see at a glance."

"Besides, my Qin Family waived the fees for establishing academies and even offered support."

"Shrek Academy was included."

"Flender, you're making dirty money, aren't you?"

Qin Jiuxiao's voice turned cold. This was tarnishing the Qin Family's name.

Flender heard the chill in Qin Jiuxiao's voice and grew a little uneasy.

"I set rules, of course. Those guys must've started messing around while I was away."

"How could I possibly break the Qin Family's rules?"

Just as he was about to step in and stop the old man, the old man waved his hand.

"Mubai, someone's making trouble. You deal with it. Don't let it hold up admissions."

Dai Mubai emerged with his arms crossed. At nearly two meters tall, he was an intimidating sight.

Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—lit up around him. For ordinary people, a Soul Master like him was someone they couldn't afford to provoke.

Zhu Zhuqing watched him, the contempt in her eyes growing more pronounced.

Using his strength as a Soul Master to bully commoners—he really was disgusting.

Good thing she had met Qin Jiuxiao.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Qin Jiuxiao, her eyes full of affection.

Qin Jiuxiao let out a cold laugh and stopped Flender from stepping forward.

When the Qin Family took charge of Suotuo City, they had clearly stated that Soul Masters were forbidden from bullying commoners.

Did this guy really think being a prince of the Star Luo Empire meant he could do whatever he wanted?

"Flender, your academy doesn't seem to put much emphasis on teaching good character."

Flender gave an awkward smile. He wasn't a proper teacher to begin with, and he had left Dai Mubai and the others to do as they pleased.

As long as they didn't die, that was good enough.

What good-character education could there be?

In the Soul Master World, strength had always come first. He had never paid much attention to such things.

Now it seemed he might not be suited to managing an academy after all.

"Since I'm here, I'll take charge of their character from now on."

"I'll teach them the fine virtues of a Soul Master in no time."

Qin Jiuxiao strode forward. Flender wanted to say something, but held his tongue.

He knew his students. They were involved in just about everything—drinking, womanizing, gambling.

They were hardly paragons of virtue.

He could protect them now, but there was no telling what might happen in the future.

If they ever provoked an enemy they couldn't overcome, Flender might get dragged down with them.

He had founded the academy to nurture geniuses, then give his old brothers a place to settle down and enjoy their later years.

Now it was time to make some changes.

He could no longer ignore the matter of character, either.

Since Qin Jiuxiao was stepping in, Flender could see what he was capable of, too.

"You're going too far!"

The parent pulled his frightened child behind him and glared at Dai Mubai through clenched teeth.

Seeing that the man still wouldn't back down, Dai Mubai decided to teach him a lesson.

After all, he got a share of the registration fees in that box.

He had little money left after paying for the Rose Hotel.

It had been a while since he'd gone to spend time with the Twin Sisters.

"Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"

Dai Mubai gave a low shout.

The parent shut his eyes, while those nearby scattered, afraid they might get caught in the blast.

The white orb of light in Dai Mubai's mouth was just about to shoot out.

Suddenly, a large hand slapped in from the side.

"Eat this, you bastard!"

Qin Jiuxiao cursed and slapped the White Tiger Intense Light Wave straight back into Dai Mubai's mouth.

A thunderous boom rang out.

Dai Mubai went flying. His handsome face was now covered in soot, and the blond hair on his head stood on end.

"Who—who ambushed me?"

He got to his feet, furious, and glared around at the crowd.

Qin Jiuxiao stood with his arms crossed, blocking the father and son.

"You, Qin Jiuxiao!"

"What are you doing here? And what was the meaning of attacking me?"

Dai Mubai demanded.

The people around them widened their eyes when they heard Qin Jiuxiao's name.

The Qin Family had given every household a life where they no longer had to go hungry or freeze.

In Suotuo City, they trusted the Qin Family more than anyone else.

They had heard that the young master of the Qin Family had extraordinary talent, but none of them had ever seen him.

They hadn't expected to run into him here.

Qin Jiuxiao gave Dai Mubai an unfriendly look.

"My Qin Family has made it clear: Soul Masters are not allowed to bully commoners."

"Violators will be dealt with under city law."

"The Qin Family now has complete authority over Suotuo City. The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire granted us that privilege, and you still dare attack a commoner right in front of me."

"So why don't I just hand my position as young master of the Qin Family over to you?"

He looked at the old man, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Refund the registration fees for students who weren't accepted, and put up the admission requirements where everyone can see them."

"My Qin Family may not be able to change the world, but while Suotuo City is in my hands, I won't allow things like this to happen!"

"In Suotuo City, my word is the law!"

The old man had been about to say something, but then he spotted Flender in the queue, frantically signaling to him.

As an old friend and a seasoned hand, he immediately understood what Flender meant.

He promptly returned the Gold Soul Coins, then went to stand behind Flender as if nothing had happened.

The father and son stared at the Gold Soul Coins in their hands, hardly able to believe it.

Then the father pressed down on his child's head, and they both bowed to Qin Jiuxiao.

"Thank you, Young Master Qin, for standing up for us!"