A True Gentleman Emerged from the Academy of Petty Men

Upon hearing Zhang Lexuan's words, the dark-purple blade of light in Qian Jue's hand did not disperse. Instead, it slowly spun in his palm, radiating a chilling, eerie glow.

"Out of respect for Elder Mu? Out of respect for Shrek Academy?"

Qian Jue seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world and let out a low laugh.

The laughter was soft at first, then gradually grew louder, echoing through the quiet Star Dou Great Forest with a bone-piercing chill.

"Little girl, have you gotten one thing wrong?"

Qian Jue's laughter abruptly stopped, and his gaze instantly turned as cold as a blade.

"Ten years ago, that 'highly respected' Mu En you speak of led three Super Douluo, including Xuan Zi, in an encirclement against me at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest."

Zhang Lexuan was struck dumb as if by lightning, her entire body frozen, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Elder Mu... had personally led an operation against him?!

"If I hadn't been lucky enough to survive back then, I would have been a corpse ten years ago."

Qian Jue slowly took a step forward. The terrifying pressure forced Zhang Lexuan to unconsciously retreat half a step.

"And now you want me to spare one of the people who hunted me down because of my enemy?"

Qian Jue leaned forward slightly, bringing his handsome yet cold face close to Zhang Lexuan's.

A dangerous gleam flickered in those deep, abyss-like eyes of his.

"What makes you think the mere name of Shrek Academy can make me set aside my killing intent? Or do you think your life is enough to repay his debt?"

Zhang Lexuan was completely stunned by Qian Jue's words.

An encirclement ten years ago?

Three Super Douluo, with even Elder Mu personally taking action?

Yet there was not a single record of this secret in the academy!

If Qian Jue was telling the truth, then Shrek Academy and he did not merely share "some history." They had an irreconcilable blood feud!

Cold sweat instantly soaked Zhang Lexuan's back.

Only then did she realize that invoking "Elder Mu" and "Shrek Academy" had not calmed his anger in the slightest. Instead, she had stomped hard on a land mine.

"I..." Zhang Lexuan opened her mouth, only to find herself unable to utter even one word of rebuttal.

Just as Zhang Lexuan was trapped between advancing and retreating, sinking into despair, Qian Jue suddenly straightened up. The killing intent in his eyes miraculously receded somewhat.

Looking at the girl before him, who was forcing herself to remain calm in order to protect her elder, he suddenly found it rather dull.

Kill Xuan Zi?

With his current mastery over the power of the Word Spirit Demon, crushing Xuan Zi to death would be as easy as crushing an ant.

But if he truly did that, Shrek Academy would inevitably pour out in full force like rabid dogs.

He was not afraid of them, but he had only just awakened and had more important matters to attend to.

Such as adapting to the Word Spirit Demon's power and laying plans for the future, rather than wasting time playing cat and mouse with Shrek Academy's pack of hypocrites.

Besides, keeping an idiot like Xuan Zi—one who ruined more than he accomplished—among Shrek Academy's upper ranks was, in itself, a disaster for Shrek Academy.

"Your name is Zhang Lexuan, right?" Qian Jue clenched his palm, and the dark-purple blade of light instantly dissolved into specks of radiance.

Zhang Lexuan froze for a moment before nodding instinctively.

"You're a smart person, far better than that fool on the ground who only knows how to eat chicken legs."

Qian Jue looked down at Xuan Zi, his tone filled with condescending contempt. "Today, I can spare him."

At those words, Zhang Lexuan's tightly wound nerves finally loosened, and she nearly collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

"But—" Qian Jue abruptly changed tone, his shadowy gaze locking onto Zhang Lexuan. "Death may be spared, but punishment cannot. I must collect some interest on the suffering I endured back then. Since you are willing to plead for him, you will pay the price."

"What does Senior want?" Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth. "So long as it does not violate righteousness, Lexuan is willing to bear it all!"

"Righteousness?" Qian Jue sneered. "Shrek Academy's righteousness is worthless in my eyes. What I want is very simple..."

Qian Jue slowly raised his hand and lightly tapped the air with his fingertip.

The power of the Word Spirit activated once more. "Contract, bind."

A strange dark-purple rune appeared out of thin air, turning into a streak of light that shot into Zhang Lexuan's brow before she could react!

"Mm—!"

Zhang Lexuan felt a faint sting deep within her soul. Then the rune completely vanished into her sea of consciousness, as though it had never existed.

"You... what did you do to me?"

Zhang Lexuan touched her forehead uneasily.

"Just a little trick.

From today onward, you will be my eyes within Shrek Academy."

Qian Jue stood with his hands behind his back, a demonic smile curving his lips.

"Don't be nervous. As long as you obediently listen, this Word Spirit Contract will not cause you any harm.

But if you try to play any tricks, or attempt to have someone remove it..."

Qian Jue paused, and his voice suddenly turned cold.

"In an instant, it will shred your soul and sea of consciousness into pieces."

Having witnessed Qian Jue's thunderous methods,

Zhang Lexuan merely took a deep breath and asked again, "Then... can Elder Xuan leave now?"

Seeing Zhang Lexuan stand so righteously, even willing to stake her life and freedom to save Xuan Zi, Qian Jue could not help but sneer inwardly and let out a mocking sigh.

"A true gentleman has emerged from an academy full of hypocrites..."

Then Qian Jue slowly turned his head, his icy gaze settling on the immobile Xuan Zi on the ground.

"Xuan Zi, Xuan Zi. If you had even a shred of backbone, if you had spoken up firmly just now, I might have respected you a little.

Who would have thought that when disaster struck, you would truly sit there with a clear conscience and let a weak woman bear your crimes for you.

What a spineless turtle. A worthless old bastard who bullies the weak and fears the strong!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Qian Jue raised his foot and ruthlessly stomped down on Xuan Zi's face.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dull sounds of flesh being struck echoed one after another through the silent forest.

Watching Elder Xuan, usually so lofty and untouchable, get pinned to the ground and beaten like a street thug, the Shrek students in the distance bit their lips tightly and remained silent.

Because they knew perfectly well that only if Elder Xuan took this vicious beating and let the other party vent his anger would they have any chance of walking out of the Star Dou Great Forest alive today.

Moreover, after calming down and thinking it over carefully, this mysterious Senior Qian Jue did not seem to have done anything wrong.

From beginning to end, he had shown no hostility toward them juniors. He had even killed the hundred-thousand-year Bloodthirsty Dragon Lizard at the most dangerous moment and saved all their lives.

It was Elder Xuan who had started by shouting about killing, then continued to provoke him despite being weaker... They really had judged a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind.