A Demonic Den?

The middle-aged man hurriedly hoisted his child onto his shoulder, turned, and fled.

He never mentioned the registration fee again.

"Why is that fat guy bullying people? What a tyrant..."

Seeing this, Xiao Wu instinctively felt some disgust.

After several years under Ye Fan's influence, she might not have become a model youth, but she at least understood right and wrong in human society, and what she should and should not do.

At this, Ye Fan chuckled.

"Xiao Wu, there's a saying: a dog throws its weight around with its master behind it. He got that old man's permission, so of course he's acting like a tyrant."

"Robbing people of even ten Gold Soul Coins really is shameless."

Tang San was somewhat stunned by this.

When Yu Xiaogang had told them to come, he had never mentioned that Shrek had such distinctive characteristics.

What was he supposed to do? Xiao Wu was already starting to feel disgusted.

Ye Fan and Xiao Wu had only come to take a look in the first place.

If this guy took away everyone who would belong to him in the future... what would he do?

Would he have to leave too?

That wouldn't do!

That Great Useless Gang had said that ordinary teachers at small academies couldn't help him obtain his subsequent Soul Rings. As far as the teaching staff at Advanced Soul Master Academies went, none could compare to Shrek apart from the top academies.

Let alone go to the trouble of finding Soul Beasts for him out of regard for Yu Xiaogang.

Tang San was just about to go against his conscience and make excuses for Shrek when Ye Fan's inner voice reached him too.

[Who would've thought... after Tang San crippled Dai Mubai, Whoring Worm No. 2, Ma Hongjun, would take over threatening and beating people?]

[After all, Dai Mubai is from this academy too. He and this Ma Hongjun really are birds of a foul feather.]

[The kind of academy you have determines the kind of students it produces. These two offer a glimpse of that.]

[Although the academy is poor, refusing noble funding and interference does show some principles. But reaching into commoners' pockets is truly contemptible.]

[Fortunately, Shrek won't be here anymore after taking in this batch of students.]

[Otherwise, who knows how many more families they'd swindle?]

[The families of students who can come here to register aren't as poor as the villagers, but... they might not be able to save ten Gold Soul Coins in an entire year.]

[For a large portion of them, the registration fee is essentially the Soul Master allowance that the children with Soul Power in their families saved by scrimping on food and necessities.]

Ye Fan wasn't slinging mud at Shrek when he said these things.

Anyone coming to register at an academy like this couldn't have a particularly well-off family.

Their clothing made that especially clear. They all came from ordinary families.

Tang San: "..."

Hearing Ye Fan expose these things in his mind, he suddenly couldn't think of any excuses for Shrek.

His teammates kept feeding the enemy.

There was simply no winning.

Short on money himself, he certainly knew how important ten Gold Soul Coins were...

Used sparingly, that would at least cover Xiao Wu's spending for a week.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's and Ning Rongrong's emotions were stirred as well, and they began to feel somewhat disgusted with Shrek.

They hadn't expected this. Was Shrek really so shameless?

Although neither lacked money and they couldn't appreciate how difficult earning ten Gold Soul Coins was, they had traveled away from home and still knew what ten Gold Soul Coins could buy.

Yet the people at this academy refused to lay out their admission requirements, insisting on waiting until people paid before explaining them. That was no different from outright robbery.

Just then, Li Yusong stood up and addressed some of the applicants farther back who were shrinking from the prospect.

"Everyone, Shrek's admission requirement is to possess rank twenty Soul Power at the age of twelve. If you don't qualify, there's no need to waste your time and money."

Li Yusong said this as though he were being considerate of everyone else.

But in truth, if he didn't say it, no one would dare step forward anymore to gamble on whether they could pass, and naturally, he wouldn't be able to swindle them out of those ten Gold Soul Coins.

It was merely an annual tradition.

Hearing this, even more people left the line, leaving only a handful who continued to register.

Ten Gold Soul Coins was still too expensive.

Those at rank twenty would at most feel the sting, but for those below rank twenty, it was enough to make them back out.

Then Ye Fan continued inwardly.

[Actually... if the most important members of my Dragon King Hall weren't all here, I couldn't be bothered to come either.]

[Shrek's admission requirements are partly because it's poor and can't afford to support students, so it wants to swindle more money... and partly because that Flender wants to gamble, staking the futures of talented commoners on Shrek's future.]

[Unfortunately, this academy has nothing. Even the teachers contribute very little, and often even have a negative effect. It's all held up by the students' own talent.]

[Given these admission requirements, if these talented students went to normal academies, their achievements would definitely be considerable.]

[Shrek hasn't admitted all that few students, but only a handful have graduated successfully. In the end, they could only fade into obscurity. Its record is riddled with stains...]

[The only one who's done a little better is currently nothing more than a team-leading teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.]

After hearing Ye Fan's words, everyone's heart sank.

From what he was saying, Shrek was practically a man-eating demonic den!

Ning Rongrong glanced at the others, her eyes darting about.

Should I lure them all home right now?

"Hey, you lot! Are you registering or not?"

Just as Ning Rongrong was thinking about luring everyone away, Li Yusong tapped the table and looked at them impatiently.

Judging by their clothing, these people were prime fat sheep for the fleecing in Li Yusong's eyes.

Hearing him, they exchanged glances and stepped forward one after another.

Tang San, meanwhile, tugged at Ye Fan somewhat awkwardly.

"Ye Fan, lend me another ten Gold Soul Coins..."

He had only just remembered that he had one Gold Soul Coin left on him, and even that was one Ye Fan had lent him yesterday.

"Sure. We're buddies, so what's all this talk about borrowing... just put in a little more effort later."

Smiling, Ye Fan paid ten Gold Soul Coins for Tang San as well.

"Okay..." Tang San nodded.

Put in effort?

Although Tang San didn't know what Ye Fan meant.

He couldn't go wrong by agreeing.

After checking everyone's bones and examining their Martial Souls, Li Yusong registered them.

Anyone younger than twelve could pass his check.

As for how much Soul Power they had, that was none of his concern.

"Hongjun, take them inside."

Li Yusong called to Ma Hongjun.

"Hehe... what pretty little chicks... don't worry, Teacher Li. I'll make sure to take them to the back properly."

Standing behind Li Yusong and facing the beauties, Ma Hongjun opened his beady eyes wide, nearly drooling.

Feeling his lecherous gaze, the girls all felt somewhat physically ill.

No wonder Ye Fan had called this guy Whoring Worm No. 2.