"Your Eminence, this old man failed to recognize you. I have offended you greatly. Please forgive me."
The old man knelt on the ground, bending deeply at the waist and cupping his fists in a salute, his tone humble and sincere.
He adopted such a posture only because, as a Soul Emperor, he understood all too well the weight a Titled Douluo carried.
For a Soul Emperor like him, with no powerful backing, saying he was no different from an ant in a Titled Douluo's eyes was no exaggeration.
Crushing him to death would be child's play. He could not resist, and no one else would dare demand an accounting.
But Liu Hao was not someone who enjoyed bullying the weak. Having successfully shown off, he withdrew his oppressive aura and recalled his martial soul and soul rings into his body.
Only then did everyone present feel the weight lift from their bodies and regain the ability to move.
"Everyone, get up." Liu Hao smiled, then turned toward the blond man beside him. "Dai Mubai, you just said that anyone who defeated you could get their registration fee refunded, right?"
???
Dai Mubai looked utterly bewildered. Defeat me? Who? You?
"Your Eminence, I... I meant that he had to defeat me before... before his registration fee could be refunded."
Dai Mubai bowed and cupped his fists, but still steeled himself and pointed toward the father and son who had requested a refund.
The elderly Soul Emperor's expression changed drastically at the sight, and he hurriedly spoke up. "Your Eminence, Mu Bai doesn't know any better. Please forgive him. We'll refund the registration fee right away. Please calm your anger and don't take it out on a child."
With that, he hurried back to the registration desk, took out ten Gold Soul Coins, and personally handed them to the father and son.
Liu Hao chuckled twice at this, but offered no response. Still looking at Dai Mubai, he said, "Dai Mubai, the third prince of the Star Luo Empire. Because of the imperial family's gu-raising system, only one prince can survive to inherit the throne. You saw that your eldest brother, Dai Weisi, was no less talented than you and had started cultivating several years earlier. Knowing you could never catch up, clever as you were, you chose to abandon the fiancée who was supposed to fight by your side. You left her alone to bear the pressure and terror of fighting your eldest brother and his wife to the death, while you fled here on your own."
Ignoring Dai Mubai's repeatedly shifting expression, which finally turned crimson with shame and anger, Liu Hao continued, "After arriving here, you forgot the responsibilities you carried and forgot your fiancée. You spent your days frequenting brothels, drinking and carousing, so happy in your pleasures that you forgot home. You were cowardly and incompetent, gave up on yourself, fled from reality, and abandoned your fiancée. You had none of a man's sense of responsibility!"
His voice was not loud, but it carried soul power, reaching the ears of everyone present clearly-especially Zhu Zhuqing.
Indeed, Liu Hao's purpose in saying all this was to lower Dai Mubai's standing in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.
At the same time, he could improve her impression of him along the way.
Two birds with one arrow. Delightful.
"No! That's not how it was! You don't understand! You don't understand how desperate I was! This was never a fair competition! He started cultivating years before me! Why should I have to compete with him? Why should I stay there and wait to die?" Dai Mubai's eyes filled with bloodshot veins as he suddenly growled hysterically.
"Then why did you abandon your fiancée and run away alone? Why didn't you take her with you? Did she deserve to die?"
A cool female voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked over and saw a slender, long-limbed girl in a close-fitting black combat outfit step out of the long queue.
Her features were delicate and beautiful, her black eyes still and unruffled. Long, raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her entire bearing warned strangers to keep their distance.
Most importantly, her fitted combat outfit traced a perfect S-shaped curve.
This was precisely what people meant by slender branches bearing plump fruit.
"You... you're..." Hearing the questioning voice, Dai Mubai turned and saw such a beautiful girl that he froze for a moment. Then he sensed a faint, remarkably harmonious resonance between his martial soul and hers, allowing him to guess her identity.
The girl ignored him, however, and bowed to Liu Hao instead. "Your Eminence, my name is Zhu Zhuqing. I am the fiancée this man abandoned. I dare to ask whether you would accept me as your disciple, teach me your skills, and grant me protection. Would you be willing?"
Liu Hao was somewhat surprised, but upon thinking it through, he found it entirely reasonable.
After all, in the original story, one of Zhu Zhuqing's reasons for studying at Shrek was to grow stronger and gain enough strength to protect herself.
As for Dai Mubai, she had only gradually accepted him and developed feelings over time because they had spent so long together at Shrek Academy, and because he had genuinely changed for her, allowing her to see hope.
At present, Zhu Zhuqing felt nothing but disgust and disappointment toward Dai Mubai. Especially after hearing Liu Hao describe how he had forgotten his responsibilities over the years, indulged in drinking and debauchery, and made no effort to improve, her disappointment had become absolute. She had completely given up on him.
With a powerful Titled Douluo like Liu Hao appearing to speak up for her and publicly rebuke Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing naturally felt grateful. In her heart, another, better path had opened.
After all, as long as she successfully became Liu Hao's disciple, even if he could not train her into a powerful Soul Master, no one would dare touch her under his protection.
Liu Hao did not answer immediately. Instead, he silently summoned the system in his mind.
System, get to work. Simplify the difficulty of winning Zhu Zhuqing over.
Ding! The system has detected no difficulty in winning Zhu Zhuqing over. Simplification failed. The host has been granted permission to view Zhu Zhuqing's affection, notifications of changes in Zhu Zhuqing's affection, and a mechanism ensuring that Zhu Zhuqing's affection will never decrease after reaching its maximum.
What the heck?
Liu Hao froze. This was the first time he had encountered a failed simplification.
But what did the system mean by saying there was no difficulty in winning Zhu Zhuqing over?
System, check Zhu Zhuqing's affection.
Zhu Zhuqing's current affection: 75.
Holy crap! That high?
No wonder the system said winning her over posed no difficulty. She was only twenty-five points away from the maximum.
So I really am quite charming, Liu Hao thought, secretly delighted.
"Your Eminence?" Seeing Liu Hao staring at her in a daze, Zhu Zhuqing spoke in confusion.
"Ahem... Of course. From now on, you'll be my first personal disciple," Liu Hao said with a smile.
"Thank you, Your Emi... Thank you, Master."
"Mm."
He had to admit, being called Master by such a pretty young disciple felt rather nice.
Especially when he imagined that, once Zhu Zhuqing's affection reached its maximum, she might turn into a rebellious disciple who made a move on her master. That made him look forward to it even more.
"Master, where are we going next?" Zhu Zhuqing asked when Liu Hao remained silent.
"To join Shrek, of course." Liu Hao revealed a meaningful smile.
"Huh?" Zhu Zhuqing looked thoroughly puzzled. "Master, you're already a Titled Douluo, yet you still want to join Shrek? Is there really something extraordinary about this academy?"
"You'll find out later."
Liu Hao smiled, then looked at the elderly Soul Emperor handling registration. "Old man, my disciple and I want to join Shrek. Register us."
"Yes, Your Eminence." The old man was not angry at how Liu Hao addressed him. Of course, perhaps he simply did not dare be angry.
Nor did he bother questioning Liu Hao's request to join Shrek. He agreed outright.
He was only an ordinary teacher, after all. Whatever motives a Titled Douluo might have for joining the academy, he would leave that headache to the dean.
"Your Eminence, what are your name, age, and soul power level?"
Before you continue