"I know you must all be curious about what I mean."
Xu Jiawei smiled faintly. At that moment, he truly looked less like the ruler of a nation and more like a neighbor.
"There is nothing I cannot speak openly about. It is simply the two incidents that have caused such an uproar recently: the match-fixing between Shrek Academy and the Tianling Team, and the deaths of Yunluo Academy's dean and the members of both its Main Force Team and Substitute Team."
As Xu Jiawei finished speaking, the entire arena erupted.
"Could there be more to those two incidents?"
"Perhaps. His Majesty does seem very sincere."
"I would like to hear what sort of explanation our emperor gives us."
The spectators buzzed with discussion.
In a seat near the front, Qin Xiao straightened slightly. He wanted to hear how Xu Jiawei would talk his way out of this.
How he would paint black as white.
"Everyone, please hear me out."
At that moment, Xu Jiawei spoke again from the stage.
Immediately, everyone fell silent of their own accord.
Their eyes remained fixed on Xu Jiawei, their ears practically pricked up for fear of missing a single word.
"Since everyone is so curious, let me first discuss the matter involving the Shrek Team and the Tianling Team."
"Before that, however, there is something else I must mention. I originally promised Shrek Academy that I would not reveal it, but I believe they have suffered grievances they should never have had to bear. I must speak."
"Before the Soul Master Tournament began, Shrek Academy's competing team was still fighting to help the Xingguo Empire eliminate Evil Soul Masters. Unfortunately, they encountered a powerful enemy and fought a battle to the death. Although they ultimately won, they paid a terrible price."
"The original