Tearing Away Shrek's Disguise

"I concede!"

Yu Xiaogang's voice was hoarse with panic, nearly cracking as he practically shouted.

At those words, Lin Yue stirred his thoughts slightly. The overlapping dragon scales on Luo Sanpao rapidly receded, and his body, swollen like a small hill, shrank back to its normal size.

But the charge had been an attack propelled forward by momentum, and it could no longer be stopped.

Bang!

With a dull crash, Luo Sanpao slammed squarely into Yu Xiaogang, sending him flying through the air. His back smashed heavily against the arena barrier before he landed with a muffled thud.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

Clutching his stomach, Yu Xiaogang curled up on the ground. Only after a long while did he manage to prop himself up and point a trembling finger at Lin Yue.

"You... you were clearly taking revenge on purpose! I had already conceded!"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow at him and said flatly:

"Don't slander me. When you conceded, didn't I already release both Gigantification and Scale Armor Barrier?"

"What about the first Soul Skill, Headlong Charge?!"

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, standing unsteadily with a hand over his abdomen as he demanded angrily:

"You clearly could have withdrawn the Martial Soul as well, but you didn't! You deliberately let him crash into me so you could humiliate me!"

Lin Yue froze slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

"Mm, I really didn't think of that."

After a pause, he continued with a somewhat nonchalant frankness:

"But... it was you, anyway."

"Consider it a little lesson, so you won't always be thinking about gaining an advantage through these petty tricks."

"You!"

Yu Xiaogang was left speechless, his face alternating between ashen and pale, his clenched fists trembling slightly. Only after a long while did he manage a cold snort.

Meanwhile, the system detected that he had conceded, along with his intense desire to leave, and a pale blue exit prompt appeared.

[Severe emotional fluctuations and strong resistance detected in player. Would you like to exit the Arena immediately?]

Looking at the prompt, Yu Xiaogang did not want to stay another moment. He pressed "Confirm" almost without hesitation.

The scene before him distorted and went black. His consciousness returned to reality, and the Game Pod's lid opened automatically. He pushed himself upright with his arms, his expression still dark.

Inside the small shop, the people who had long been waiting immediately burst into laughter when they saw him emerge, openly discussing him.

"Oh, the master of theory is out? Weren't you so good at scheming just now?"

"You thought you'd have an advantage because Luo Sanpao was your Martial Soul and you knew him better, only to lose that miserably anyway. You're killing me!"

"All you can do is spout theory. Your practical performance was a complete mess, worse than even your own disciple's. This so-called Grandmaster doesn't live up to his reputation. That's all he amounts to!"

The grating remarks surrounded Yu Xiaogang, every sentence striking at his pride.

But he merely gave another cold snort, ignoring them and not bothering to offer a single word of rebuttal.

Laugh. Laugh all you want.

From this day forward, I, Yu Xiaogang, will no longer be that useless wretch trapped by a trash Martial Soul!

As for his defeat in that match, it was not because his strength was lacking, much less because his theories were wrong. It was purely because that trash Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, had dragged him down.

Even though he had selected three of the strongest, top-tier Soul Skills for him, his foundation as a trash Martial Soul remained, making it impossible for him to unleash their proper power.

He clenched his fists, his gaze cold and hard as iron, and silently swore to himself.

Just wait.

As long as he had enough time to apply the Martial Soul Theory he had studied all his life to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul he had just obtained.

When that time came, they would ultimately pay for today's cold looks and mockery! They would learn that his theories were the true essence of the path of Martial Souls!

Immediately afterward.

Lin Yue rose from his Game Pod, stretched, and waved at the spectators around him.

"All right, you've had your fill of the show. Break it up and get back to whatever you were doing."

Hearing this, the spectators tactfully dispersed.

Only then did he turn his gaze toward the Shrek group. His eyes paused briefly on Yu Xiaogang's face, and he already had a fairly good guess.

Given his usual ways, he was simply plotting how to cause trouble with his new Martial Soul again. But with his habit of aiming high while lacking ability and doing nothing but spouting theory, he would only end up wasting yet another top-tier Martial Soul.

So, having no intention of offering advice, Lin Yue asked casually:

"So? You don't seem very eager to leave. Does anyone else want to try?"

At his words, the Shrek Seven Devils who had yet to obtain Twin Martial Souls all looked toward Flender and Zhao Wuji, their eyes practically overflowing with anticipation.

Seeing this, Flender cleared his throat twice, plastered a respectful smile on his face, and nodded and bowed repeatedly as he said with utmost deference:

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course we want to try. We'll pay you right away!"

As he spoke, he took out a heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins and offered it to Lin Yue.

"For those in Shrek who haven't obtained Twin Martial Souls yet, we'll follow your starting price of one Gold Soul Coin per person."

"As for the extra, please accept it as an apology for disturbing you today."

Looking at Flender's pained expression, Lin Yue accepted the bag and hefted it in his hand.

"You said it."

With that, he walked over to the counter, counted out seven Gold Soul Coins and placed them in the till, then casually tossed the bag into the arms of someone in a nearby corner.

Zhu Zhuqing, who was cultivating, paused. With her keen perception, she caught the bag without opening her eyes.

After she opened them, Lin Yue said without even looking back:

"Neither of those two wants it anyway. You keep it."

Hearing this, the Shrek group following close behind immediately wore complicated expressions and turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing.

But when their gazes fell on the slender figure beside Zhu Zhuqing, who had not had time to hide, they all froze in place, their faces filled with astonishment.

Oscar was the first to widen his eyes and exclaim in surprise, "Rongrong? Why are you here?!"

Knowing she had already been exposed, Ning Rongrong poked half her head out from behind Zhu Zhuqing and smiled sheepishly.

Dai Mubai folded his arms across his chest, his tone carrying a hint of suspicion. "You were about to hide just now, weren't you? Were you afraid we'd spot you?"

Ning Rongrong gave a dry cough to cover her embarrassment and rubbed her hands sheepishly as she explained:

"I... I didn't mean to hide it from everyone. Actually, after we were attacked by the Titan Giant Ape, Dad called me back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. That was when I was brought here."

As she spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter:

"Afterward, I was afraid you'd get angry if I told you. I really didn't mean to keep it from you."

Dai Mubai sneered, his words brimming with displeasure.

"Heh. You clearly benefited, yet you didn't say a word. And then you say you didn't deliberately hide it?"

"You certainly keep your thoughts well hidden!"

The Agility Attack System Soul Master beside him, who had replaced Zhu Zhuqing, also curled her lip and chimed in sarcastically:

"Exactly. Who knows whether she was afraid we'd take a share of her benefits if we found out?"

As the two took turns needling her, the atmosphere instantly grew delicate.

"What do you mean by that?"

Oscar frowned and stepped forward half a pace, taking the initiative to defend Ning Rongrong.

"Rongrong never said anything like that!"

"Don't you know perfectly well what I mean?"

Dai Mubai shot him a sidelong glance and said disdainfully:

"Oscar, you're just a Food System Soul Master. What makes you think you can back her up? Besides, she isn't interested in you. What are you getting so worked up about?"

As the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, Zhao Wuji finally barked with a dark expression, "All of you, shut up!"

He swept his gaze across them, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.

"What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket! Do you still count as Shrek comrades who fight shoulder to shoulder?"

As he spoke, he turned toward Dai Mubai and softened his tone somewhat.

"Besides, didn't Rongrong say she didn't mean to hide it from us? Mubai, say less. What ability are you showing by taking all your temper out on your own people?"

Dai Mubai snorted coldly and turned his head away, saying nothing more.

But the Agility Attack System Soul Master seemed to have no intention of letting the matter drop. Her gaze shifted toward Zhu Zhuqing, and a mocking curve rose at the corner of her mouth.

"Hello. Your name is Zhu Zhuqing, right?"

"My name is Xinya. I'm the Agility Attack System Soul Master who joined the Shrek Seven Devils after you left. Nice to meet you."

Zhu Zhuqing kept her eyes closed, not so much as a lash trembling, as though she had not heard Xinya. She remained in her cultivation posture, her breathing long and steady.

The smile on Xinya's face stiffened, and a trace of anger flashed in her eyes. Deliberately raising her voice, she said sarcastically:

"Some people really have no manners. Just because they were lucky enough to win the owner's favor, they look down on everyone."

"Heh. In the end, she's nothing but an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. The moment she found somewhere better, she readily abandoned the comrades who stood beside her. How shameful."

Every word was a deliberate attempt to smear and provoke her.

Zhu Zhuqing, who had been sitting quietly, rose without a word. Her cold, sharp eyes fixed on Xinya, a chill radiating from her entire body. Without wasting any words, she gave one icy command:

"Apologize."

Her heart tightening under the pressure of Zhu Zhuqing's icy presence, Xinya froze for a moment before letting out a sneer.

"Apologize?"

"Why should I apologize? Wasn't everything I said the truth?"

Slap.

A crisp slap abruptly rang through the little shop.

Xinya's head turned to the side, five red marks rapidly rising on her cheek. She stood rooted to the spot, stunned by the blow.

Only after a long while did she cover the side of her face and turn toward Zhu Zhuqing, her eyes wide with disbelief:

"You!"

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her hand, her expression still as unruffled and indifferent as before, and said flatly:

"Sure enough, Boss Lin was right. Like attracts like, and people flock together."

She raised her gaze slightly. Her cold, shadowed eyes swept over Xinya, then Dai Mubai, before finally settling on the rest of Shrek.

Her voice was not loud, but everyone could hear it clearly. "Listen carefully."

"I wasn't ungrateful, nor was I climbing to a higher branch. I saw Shrek's true face and disdained keeping company with it."

"And you are nothing but a maggot scrambling to burrow into a cesspit."

Clutching her burning cheek, Xinya was both shocked and furious, and was just about to argue back.

Flender hurriedly stepped forward and spoke first, displeasure on his face:

"Zhu Zhuqing! Since you've already left Shrek, why must you slander it like this!"

Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly and looked calmly at Flender, her tone easing somewhat.

"Dean Flender, I'm very grateful for the care you gave me during that time. But there are some things that won't do any of us any good if they're spelled out."

At these words, everyone from Shrek stiffened, inwardly pondering the deeper meaning behind Zhu Zhuqing's words.

While the others were still mulling it over, however, the unruly and impulsive Dai Mubai paid no heed to any of it.

He already resented Zhu Zhuqing for leaving so decisively without regard for their old ties.

So anything that could embarrass her delighted him, and he immediately spoke with a sneer.

"What do you mean, it won't do any of us any good if things are spelled out? Saying half and hiding the rest-I think you're just feeling guilty over what you've done!"

"If you've got the guts, say it! Acting as though you're so pure and noble."

After he finished, some of the other Shrek members silently nodded in agreement, while others remained silent. Not a single one was willing to say so much as half a sentence in her defense.

Seeing her former companions' cold indifference, the last trace of regard in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes completely vanished. She quietly drew a deep breath, and her cool face became completely covered in frost.

"Fine."

Her gaze was sharp as a blade as it swept across them one by one. "Then today, I'll spell everything out."

The next moment, she turned toward Flender beside her and asked in a low voice:

"Dean Flender, please tell me: has Shrek Academy ever completed any formal procedures to operate a school?"

Flender's expression stiffened. His lips moved, but no sound emerged, and he guiltily averted his gaze.

Zhu Zhuqing did not stop. She turned to Zhao Wuji:

"Teacher Zhao Wuji, can you tell me why you became a wanted criminal? Even now, you still haven't taken any responsibility for your actions, have you?"

Zhao Wuji's expression changed abruptly. He clenched his fists, veins twitching on his forehead, yet he too was unable to refute her.

Finally, her gaze turned toward the Shrek students present.

"Also, do you think that so-called saying, 'A Soul Master who doesn't dare cause trouble isn't a good Soul Master,' is right?"

Dai Mubai immediately snorted coldly:

"Of course it's right! Soul Masters should dare to challenge others and dare to act. Otherwise, what's the point of cultivating?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and directly exposed the truth.

"Fine. Counting the last time and this time, Boss Lin has humiliated you twice."

She paused briefly, her voice quiet but every word clear.

"Then tell me, why aren't you taking action now?"

That single sentence instantly shattered everyone's confidence.

Their expressions shifted uncertainly. Their mouths hung open, and they were instantly struck speechless.

Facing Lin Yue, whose strength was unfathomable and whose methods were inscrutable, they had felt nothing but awe and wariness from beginning to end. Let alone cause trouble, they did not even dare breathe too loudly.

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was piercing, her cool voice ringing in the ears of everyone from Shrek as she tore away its final disguise.

"To put it plainly, Shrek is nothing but a motley mob that bullies the weak and fears the strong, behaving like bandits. That so-called 'a Soul Master who doesn't dare cause trouble isn't a good Soul Master' is nothing but a cloth you've found to cover your shame. When you meet someone you truly can't afford to provoke, you cower more than anyone."

Having finished, she sat back down in the corner, closed her eyes, and resumed cultivating, as though her words had merely been a gust of wind that scattered after passing.

Yet those words were like the sharpest blade, brutally slicing open the most hypocritical and disgraceful side hidden in the hearts of everyone from Shrek.

[Thanks to reader Tako for the nine recommendation votes. Thank you for your support!]