A Perfect Betrothal Gift!

"Heh, in the end, it was my Body Sect, an outsider, that helped them avenge themselves."

Then Du Busi continued.

After saying that, he suddenly turned to the Inner Court students of Shrek Academy and said earnestly, "Children, Shrek Academy is getting worse and worse these days, more and more rigid. It only cares about that little worthless reputation and does none of the serious work."

"Most of the missions are handled by you Inner Court students. You're nothing but laborers."

"It's stifling, and it wastes your talent. I think you should graduate and leave as soon as possible."

"Go out into the world and make your way. Bring blessings to the common people. Perhaps you might even establish a great legacy and leave behind an immortal name."

"???" Xuan Zi, who had just been thinking, was completely stunned and left speechless.

"And you." Du Busi had already turned to Zhang Lexuan. "Little girl, your circumstances are special. You're the only one left in your family now, with no relatives or support."

"My disciple's talent is astonishing, even greater than yours. He is also honest and dependable—a fine match for you."

"Why don't you consider it?"

"That Soul Bone would be just right as a betrothal gift!"

Naturally, he did not expect the two to actually get together. He simply wanted to disgust Xuan Zi and Shrek Academy. If he could force Shrek Academy to make a choice and offer up a Hundred Thousand Year Fearful Demonic Dragon Wisdom Skull in exchange, that would be even better. It would be mutually beneficial.

Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Attribute Soul Beasts were far too difficult to find, and suitable Soul Bones were even rarer. Since he had this chance to obtain a fitting Soul Bone directly for his disciple, he did not want to let it slip away.

"???" Minghui's mind was full of question marks. Teacher, what are you talking about? He was having trouble keeping up with his teacher's train of thought.

Zhang Lexuan was equally stunned, and a faint blush unconsciously appeared on her pretty face.

"..." Princess Vina looked at the Sect Leader, then at Xuan Zi. She tugged at Long Aotian's sleeve and remained silent.

She also understood just how extraordinarily rare Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Attribute Soul Beasts—and especially their Soul Bones—were.

How had things suddenly taken such a turn? The other Shrek Inner Court students stared dumbfoundedly, somewhat unable to make sense of the situation.

Du Busi did not give Xuan Zi any chance to interrupt and swiftly continued:

"Ah, speaking of which, if not for my disciple speaking up for justice back then, this Old Man probably would not have resolved to deal with those several noble factions that had committed countless evils, despite the risk of meddling in Heaven Dou Empire affairs and offending the Imperial Royal Family and other old noble houses."

There was nothing wrong with that statement. If not for his disciple, the Body Sect would never have emerged from seclusion.

Having known the Sect Leader for many years, Sixth Elder realized that Du Busi was using the opportunity to pressure Shrek Academy while also disgusting them. He immediately nodded. "Indeed. If Xiao Ming had not said back then that wrongdoing should not be judged differently based on one's status, that evil was evil, leaving us old fellows deeply ashamed, our Body Sect truly could not have made a decision so quickly. We would probably still be debating it now."

"..." Zhang Lexuan fell silent. In that sense, Xiao Ming had been the source of it all, and he had also done her a tremendous favor.

"So what if the age gap is a bit large? With your talent, you will both become Titled Douluo anyway. Living one or two hundred years will be no problem at all. Does this little difference even matter?" Seventh Elder chimed in, his eyes already darting back and forth between Minghui and Zhang Lexuan.

If they could truly make this girl, who possessed a Hundred Thousand Year eighth Soul Ring, part of Little Hui's family, he certainly did not think it would be a loss.

"Exactly, exactly!" Du Busi nodded repeatedly.

"Shut up, you shameless old thief!" Xuan Zi finally came back to his senses and seized the chance to roar.

Zhang Lexuan had yet to apply for graduation and had remained at the academy because she had been picked up from the outskirts by an academy instructor years ago. After that, Mu En had kept her by his side and raised her as his great-grandson's wife, teaching her with great care. She owed them a debt of gratitude. Now, not only had the Body Sect helped Zhang Lexuan avenge her family, but they had also saved her life this time. Combined, the debt she owed them was far greater than what she owed Shrek Academy.

More importantly, Mu En had already told Zhang Lexuan that she no longer needed to uphold the oath. Without that connection, she really might be lured away!

No, absolutely not!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He glared furiously. "You old bastard, at your age, how can you take advantage of someone's plight like this!"

"What, you can't accept it when this happens to you?" Du Busi retorted without the slightest change in expression.

"Besides, you cannot just say whatever you please!"

With a solemn expression, he said, "Old Fellow, have you forgotten that Shrek is an academy, not a Sect? There is no such thing as betraying the Sect. Students are free to stay or leave. That is the most basic principle of running an academy."

"And at this girl's age and cultivation, she has long met the requirements for graduation."

"Furthermore, I merely asked her to consider it. Where is the coercion?"

"On the other hand, you sound rather unwilling. What, do you intend to use the so-called debt of education to morally blackmail her?"

Xuan Zi was left speechless. Shrek Academy truly had no reason to force Zhang Lexuan to remain.

"Furthermore, even if there was a debt of education, or even some other karmic bond, she repaid it last night." Du Busi continued, "If this Old Man had not intervened, she would have fought to the death last night to protect her teammates. The person she was before already died, died protecting your Shrek Inner Court students. Understand? The current her has been reborn. Even if she owes anyone anything, it is only this Old Man."

"Oh, and my disciple as well. It no longer has half a thing to do with your Shrek Academy."

"And all of this was caused by your dereliction of duty!"

The boomerang had come back around once again.

"I!" Seeing the matter get dragged back onto himself again, Xuan Zi nearly exploded. His old face reddened once more.

Old bastard, are you targeting me on purpose?!

Something about this seemed a little off. The Shrek Academy students glanced at Elder Xuan and suddenly felt that the atmosphere was rather pungent.

Especially when they recalled Du Busi's earlier remark that he would properly lecture Elder Xuan the next time they met and vent their anger for them.

They immediately began to suspect that Du Busi might not truly be trying to marry their senior sister to Xiao Ming. He was targeting Xuan Zi and the academy instead—the former to vent their anger, the latter to vent his own. After all, Du Busi's brother, Dú Bìsǐ, had been defeated, severely injured, and ultimately killed by Mu En back then.

Was he trying to vent all his anger at once?

Zhang Lexuan thought even further. Her gaze swept toward Minghui, and she recalled Du Busi's earlier statement that he would only accept the Fearful Demonic Dragon Wisdom Skull as the academy's exchange.

"Could Xiao Ming's Body Martial Soul be of the Spirit Attribute?" she could not help but wonder.

"So Senior Du Busi used me as an excuse to make an issue of this in order to pressure the academy?"

"Perhaps he was not simply trying to pressure them into accepting the exchange of the skull!" A different thought suddenly occurred to her.

"This is an open scheme. If the academy refuses, the younger brothers and sisters present may truly believe that the academy does not value them and cares more about its own interests."

Why not report it to the empire's emperor? Du Busi's words unconsciously surfaced in her mind.

If Shrek Academy had truly reported the matter to the empire's emperor back then, then with Shrek Academy's influence at the time, its prestige in the Soul Master World, and the Victorner Family's past crimes being proven—

She had to admit that even if His Majesty had been unwilling, he would have been forced by domestic and foreign pressure to severely punish the Victorner Family.

Instead, they had merely kept a lower profile afterward. Once they learned that she had joined the academy, they had not dared to do anything to her.

So the academy, including Mu En at the time, had only valued my Innate Full Soul Power talent? Was that oath also meant to bind me to the academy because of that talent? Only later, upon reconsideration, did they feel it was inappropriate and tell me I no longer had to uphold it?

At the thought of this possibility, her heart inexplicably tightened, and confusion flashed through her eyes.

And Du Busi's mention of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone as a betrothal gift might not have been a casual remark either.

Perhaps he also valued my talent. He was simply not as direct as Mu En had been back then, making me swear an oath as a condition in exchange for the academy's help.

Du Busi was more simply expressing his intentions. It would be fine if she did not agree. The important thing was using her to pressure the academy and obtain the Soul Bone he needed.

Otherwise, when she had knelt and said she wished to repay his kindness, Du Busi could have asked her to repay it through marriage.

From what the Body Sect had done over the past few years, as well as Du Busi's earlier intervention to save her, she could see that he genuinely hoped she would make good use of her talent and strength to do more for the people of the continent. As for everything else, he did not care as much. Otherwise, given that Dú Bìsǐ had died because of Mu En back then, Du Busi would have had no reason to help her obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and cultivate an opponent for himself.

He was an old senior worthy of respect. That was what Zhang Lexuan thought.