"I come from the Star Luo Empire. I think, no matter how strict Shrek Academy might be, it surely won't surpass the Star Luo Empire Army, right?"
Huo Yuhao glanced at Zhou Yi, preparing to begin his long discourse.
Zhou Yi nodded, not denying it.
The severity of the military was bound to far exceed that of Shrek Academy.
"The army of the Star Luo Empire has always treated military orders like mountains. This is the consistent command style of the White Tiger Duke, and it has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Military orders are supreme, and anyone who dares to disobey faces military law. The White Tiger Duke is completely impartial, and discipline in the army is strict as a result."
"Yet, even with such a strictly disciplined army, we have suffered near-constant defeats in the war against the Sun Moon Empire's forces."
"That is because they fundamentally do not understand where an army's combat effectiveness comes from."
Huo Yuhao paused, his calm tone quite serious.
"An army's combat effectiveness comes from its level of organization."
"High-level Soul Masters cannot participate in war, and the composition of the army is complex, filled with low- and mid-level Soul Masters of varying ranks, and even commoners. Individual strength and potential have been mined to the absolute limit, yet the commanders' minds only know how to formulate tactics and bark orders."
"Blindly giving orders certainly makes the army disciplined, but it is nothing more than an imposing exterior masking inner weakness. Resentment has been building up in the hearts of the rank-and-file soldiers, and they are suffering bitterly."
"Because the people at the top have never cared about them. In the eyes of those people, these soldiers are merely tools, numbers, and consumables. They don't need to know how to fight; they only need to obey and complete their missions."
"An army like this, even if it wins battle after battle, is nothing more than a well-trained band of bandits."
Huo Yuhao paused once more, his tone losing its severe edge and growing slightly more impassioned.
"However, the Star Luo army is different now. The soldiers are no longer mere tools executing missions; they deeply understand what they are fighting for and why they are fighting."
"They know they are not tools in the hands of their commanders, and that every single one of them is a hero resisting the enemy."
"They are fighting for themselves, for their families, and for their homeland!"
"They do not fear combat, nor do they flee from it. An army like this-though its strength might seem no different from a few years ago-has a completely transformed spirit."
"This is the ideological construction of the army, the source of the army's organization, and the guarantee of the army's combat effectiveness!"
"Right now, they can send the Sun Moon Empire packing back to where they came from!"
The corner of Huo Yuhao's curving smile twitched upwards, though he quickly returned to his cool demeanor.
"By the same token, students are not tools, nor are they numbers..."
"They are human beings, living, breathing people!"
He stared coldly at Zhou Yi, his tone ringing with conviction as his glowing blue eyes caused her to briefly lose her focus.
"Understanding this principle, do you still not know how to treat your students?"
Zhou Yi fell into a long silence, her aged face struggling to maintain its composure to conceal the trembling within her heart.
The teaching philosophy she had stubbornly adhered to for many years was shaken to its core at this moment.
Zhou Yi was a stubborn person. No matter how students pleaded, how the academy warned her, or how her husband advised her, she always insisted on her harsh teaching methods.
Yet at this moment, she truly began to doubt whether she was actually wrong.
She had been convinced by a boy who would be her future student.
After a long silence, Zhou Yi spoke. "I will relay these words to Teacher Zhou."
Huo Yuhao was still deep in thought.
The remarks he had just made sounded very reasonable, but they actually possessed two fatal weaknesses that he had tried his best not to mention. The moment those two flaws were pointed out, all his logic would instantly shatter and crumble under a single blow.
Governing an army required attention to all aspects, and the reason the Star Luo Empire could force the Sun Moon Empire to a standstill at the border relied on far more than just faith alone.
He was still worrying about how he should respond if the old woman before him pointed them out, but upon seeing her directly raise a white flag in surrender, a wave of relief washed over him.
Ha, these natives were truly easy to fool.
Zhou Yi looked closely into Huo Yuhao's eyes and sighed. "I really like your ideas. I hope you will study hard in Teacher Zhou's class and not become the first student to be expelled."
She sensed the other's Soul Power once more; it was indeed just past level 10.
With a student like this, no matter how much she liked him, it was impossible for him to pass the academy's other assessments.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao's mouth split open into a slightly excited, menacing grin.
"Teacher Zhou Yi, are you threatening me?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao address her directly by name, Zhou Yi's pupils violently constricted in profound shock. "You brat! When did you recognize me?"
"I recognized you right from the start."
"Unbelievable. I thought my disguise was pretty good. Have you met me before?"
"No, it's written on the badge on your chest."
"Ah? Oh..."
Zhou Yi couldn't help but chuckle.
To think she had been playing the innocent bystander and singing her own praises, only to find out the other party had known all along.
"Still, I'm quite curious, Teacher Zhou. Why are you dressing up like an old woman?" Huo Yuhao asked again.
Zhou Yi was startled once more. "How did you figure that out?"
Huo Yuhao replied, "The disguise was far too deliberate, and besides, an old woman who doesn't even bother to take care of her face wouldn't have hands that white."
Zhou Yi praised, "Your observation is truly sharp!"
With a fierce yank of her right hand across her face, she actually peeled off a layer of human-skin mask. Beneath the aged countenance lay an exquisitely beautiful face, one that looked at most twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old.
She said, "It's precisely because this appearance of mine lacks deterrence that I disguised myself to look doddering and old."
"No. I think it's because you knew deep down that your teaching philosophy was deeply unpopular, which is why you didn't dare show your true face."
Even after learning Zhou Yi's identity, Huo Yuhao showed not a shred of restraint, his smile brimming with provocation.
Zhou Yi narrowed her eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them as she said indifferently, "Knowing that I am your future head teacher, you still dare to speak to me like this. Aren't you afraid of offending me and getting yourself expelled?"
"If you expel me, it just proves you couldn't refute my words, and I still win!" Huo Yuhao showed no fear whatsoever.
"Sharp-tongued, truly an interesting freshman. I appreciate you, and you've convinced me. In the new school year, I'm going to try out some new teaching methods."
Zhou Yi gently clapped her hands in approval.
"However, Shrek Academy's goal is to nurture monsters. Your Soul Power level is too low, and if you don't work hard, you won't pass the grade assessments either. Next, prepare to properly accept my heartfelt cultivation."
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Nurture monsters? Teacher Zhou, you don't need to worry about me. You should care more about the other students."
"When I was at level two, I dared to chase down a level ten. When I was at level ten, I dared to curse at a ten-thousand-year beast. Am I a monster or not?"
He met Zhou Yi's gaze, amusement lingering entirely in his eyes.
Zhou Yi chuckled softly. "I look forward to your performance."
"Finally, let me introduce myself. I am the head teacher of Freshman Class One, Zhou Yi. Your name is...?"
"Huo Yuhao."
A little while later, Zhou Yi arrived at the admissions office and tapped on the desk of the dozing clerk.
"Old Li, get me the enrollment files for a freshman in our class named Huo Yuhao."
"Alright, Teacher Zhou. Ah? Why do you..." The clerk was extremely surprised to see Zhou Yi's original appearance.
Zhou Yi said, "It's nothing. I've decided to adjust my teaching philosophy."
"Fine, you must have been sick of playing an old woman for so long anyway. Here you go, this is Huo Yuhao's file."
The clerk still had an impression of Huo Yuhao and said, "That Huo Yuhao is a special-admissions student from the Star Luo Empire. Chances are he's just another aristocratic scion who pulled strings. You mustn't indulge him, Teacher Zhou."
"Naturally, I won't."
Zhou Yi flipped through Huo Yuhao's letter of introduction from the Duke's Mansion, which contained records of his background.
"The orphan of a fallen soldier?"
She looked over Huo Yuhao's family background, then recalled his earlier discourse, deep in thought.
She examined the letter of introduction from Star Luo City next, which featured an evaluation of him by the Star Luo City Lord:
This child possesses weaker cultivation talent and is young in age, yet his temperament is mature and extraordinarily resilient, with vast learning and an open mind. It is recommended that he be groomed as a senior military officer or official, and he may be included on the candidate list for the next Star Luo City Lord.
Those few brief sentences nevertheless conveyed the Star Luo City Lord's extremely high evaluation of Huo Yuhao.
Zhou Yi frowned slightly.
What kind of person was the Star Luo City Lord? Zhou Yi certainly didn't know him personally.
Yet Star Luo City was the capital of the Star Luo Empire, the largest metropolis, located right under the nose of the Star Luo Emperor.
A place like that demanded no simple level of capability and qualification from its administrators. Selecting a city lord capable of properly managing the entire Star Luo City was no less difficult than cultivating a Titled Douluo.
How old was this Huo Yuhao anyway?
Even the Star Luo City Lord praised Huo Yuhao so highly, which meant he truly possessed extraordinary qualities, and more than just a few.
"I hope you can bring me a different kind of surprise." Zhou Yi wore a smile, her eyes filled with anticipation.