You slapped me, and now you want my approval?

"Who is it now?"

Anger covered Zhou Yi's face as she spoke in displeasure.

She was the teacher. These people before her were merely students!

It's only right for a teacher to punish students. What have I done wrong? Let's see who dares...

Thinking this, she looked toward the voice. But the instant she recognized the newcomer, she abruptly fell silent, her pupils contracting.

It's him!

He's already joined Shrek Academy?

Her thighs began trembling involuntarily. The terror of being dominated-no, intimidated-by him was still vividly etched in her memory.

No, why would I be afraid of him...

My husband is a Soul Douluo.

Zhou Yi pressed her lips together, yet her heart remained just as panicked.

If her husband were beside her, she would have had nothing to fear. The problem was that he wasn't here!

Although she was a powerful Soul Emperor herself, what could she possibly amount to before someone who could utterly crush her?

"Why are you here?"

Forcing down her emotions, she looked at the man before her and spoke through gritted teeth.

Since he had joined the academy, that actually made things easier. She would find her husband later and make sure this man paid!

He dared act hostile toward her? He deserved to die!

"Does it matter why I'm here? What matters is..."

"Your temper hasn't cooled since last time, Teacher Zhou."

Chu Ge walked up to her with a dangerously friendly smile and spoke calmly.

Then he turned his gaze toward Huo Yudie and Tang Wutong beside her, giving them a reassuring look.

"Master's here."

Huo Yudie quickly nodded, visibly moved, while Tang Wutong beside her also smiled.

"N-no, I'm only bringing the students out for class. This is how the first lesson goes... right, this is a fitness test."

"Don't you see the ones running over there? They're all my students. This is their first lesson's test."

"As students of Shrek Academy, how could they go without strong, fit bodies? I'm doing this for their own good."

Zhou Yi forced a smile onto her face, her brain racing as she instantly cobbled together a crude lie to explain herself.

"For their own good..."

"What a fine excuse."

"Do you take me for an idiot?"

But as those words reached her, Zhou Yi instantly shuddered.

"You want to expel my student, do you?"

Chu Ge stood quietly beside Huo Yudie and spoke coldly.

The moment his words fell, an invisible aura of suppression swept over her, nearly choking her breath away and making her pass out.

Again...

Zhou Yi unleashed her cultivation, but could barely resist. She clenched her teeth, fury rising in her heart.

This is going too far...

She had merely come to punish her disobedient students, yet this man was making things so difficult for her!

And worse still, she couldn't beat him!

Just then, a familiar figure appeared a short distance away and caught her attention. It was Du Weilun, director of the Martial Soul Department.

"Director Du!"

"I need your help."

Her eyes immediately lit up, and she couldn't help calling out.

Although she had little affection for this man whose position outranked hers, he was the only one who could help her now.

"Hm?"

"Teacher Chu's here! Wait. Zhou Yi and Teacher Chu are... uh."

Du Weilun froze, then hurriedly looked toward the voice. Seeing Zhou Yi apparently facing off against Chu Ge, he sank into thought.

Seriously, what is wrong with this Zhou Yi? Does she ever stop? She only just picked a fight yesterday, and now she's at it again?

Does she have any idea what she's doing...?

Black lines seemed to gather across Du Weilun's forehead.

Especially when he saw that she was actually trying to enlist his help, he couldn't help sinking deeper into thought.

"Teacher Zhou, Teacher Chu is now an Inner Court teacher. You're colleagues now, so I won't interrupt your exchange..."

"Please, carry on."

Under Zhou Yi's hopeful gaze, Du Weilun gave a friendly smile, waved to Chu Ge, and left.

They were merely having an ordinary sparring match.

Why would he meddle?

Besides, he and Elder Yan had already prepared the paperwork to expel Zhou Yi from the academy. They were just waiting for her to stir up trouble over the next couple of days, so he certainly wouldn't intervene.

A young Titled Douluo-no matter how you look at it, nobody would willingly offend one. Teacher Zhou...

Heh, you really are a fucking piece of work.

Du Weilun disappeared from view, quietly retreating elsewhere as these thoughts ran through his mind.

"...Du Weilun, you fucker."

Watching Du Weilun hurry away, Zhou Yi completely lost her composure. She might never have liked him, but they had been colleagues for years. How could he treat her like this?

Pah!

And he calls himself a teacher? Is he even qualified?

Du Weilun is completely unreliable. Unbelievable.

I'll have to reason with him.

She snorted coldly as she thought this.

"Hey, listen. All I did was offend you before. Do you really have to treat me like this? Are you proud of yourself for bullying a woman?"

"Are you even a man?!"

"Are you really saying you've done nothing wrong?"

Fury filled Zhou Yi's heart as she glared fiercely at the man before her.

Setting the facts aside, what had she done wrong?

And had Chu Ge truly done nothing wrong himself?

"Huh?"

Huo Yudie and Tang Wutong were utterly bewildered. Big Brother Chu was in the wrong? What was that supposed to mean?

A question mark slowly rose in Chu Ge's mind as well. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to say anything like that.

Fine, fine, fine. Playing the gender card now, are we?

The words had barely left her mouth when a palm landed across her face with a smack. Caught unprepared-or perhaps preparing would have made no difference-she went flying.

Chu Ge hadn't even used soul power in that slap, yet she still flew through the air.

She landed covered in dirt, disbelief written all over her face.

That slap was for her spouting nonsense.

"You dare hit me?"

Zhou Yi was dumbfounded and couldn't help demanding an answer.

"Even if you hit me again, I'll still say it."

"All I did was make demands of my students."

"What have I done wrong?"

She was practically boiling red as she snapped at him.

"What have you done wrong? Not only have you failed to recognize your mistake, you're actually proud of yourself?"

A chill settled over Chu Ge's face. She had somehow found pride in expelling students. So this was Shrek's teacher of doom!

He raised his hand and delivered another slap.

That slap was for her ignorance of a teacher's duty.

"You dare hit me again..."

"My husband is Fan Yu, director of the Soul Tool Department, the future Vice Dean! How dare you treat me like this!"

"If you keep this up, he'll never let you off."

Clutching her face, Zhou Yi pointed at the man before her and hurled threats.

"You really can't read the situation..."

"Zhou Yi, do you honestly think..."

"Having a Soul Douluo husband makes you invincible?"

Chu Ge was almost speechless at her antics and sighed.

The woman before him was far too weak. The slightest real attack would kill her, but slaps wouldn't. So...

He intended to keep slapping her, and not just once.

"You..."

"I..."

Zhou Yi tried to say something, but beneath his relentless barrage of slaps, she couldn't get a single word out.

Before long, a woman with a hugely swollen face stood before them. She still had a nose and eyes, but there was no recognizing her as Zhou Yi.

"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me..."

"I won't say anything else. I won't..."

Zhou Yi's face was streaked with tears as she wept.

In her heart, however, Chu Ge had already made her must-kill list. She would make this hateful man pay!

Damn him, damn him to hell, aaaargh...

System, I've already beaten her this badly.

Is the mission still not complete?

Confusion rose in Chu Ge's heart.

He had beaten Zhou Yi until she no longer resembled herself, and she still hadn't submitted?

[Novice host]

[You have not yet demonstrated sufficient sincerity and qualifications to earn Zhou Yi's approval. Please keep up your efforts.]

[Earning your homeroom teacher Zhou Yi's approval is very important to you.]

Approval?

Chu Ge looked thoughtful, astonishment crossing his face.

Of the reasons he had gone so far with her, nine points were for the system mission. The remaining ninety-one were simply because he wanted to hit her.

Oh, crap. I remembered the mission wrong.

"Zhou Yi."

"I see you still haven't recognized your mistake."

Chu Ge spoke coldly.

"I..."

Zhou Yi wanted to cry, but had no tears left. She fucking hadn't recognized it in her heart, sure, but her body had sincerely felt it!

"What would you consider recognizing my mistake...?"

Zhou Yi gritted her teeth, forced out a smile, and shamelessly asked.

"Approve of me."

Chu Ge said it bluntly.

Zhou Yi: ?

You hammered me with those sandbag-sized hands twenty times, and you still want my approval?

Is there any justice left in this world?

Is there any law left at all?!!!

(End of chapter)