Watching Li Mu's movements, Wang Dong parted his lips, and the cold sensation against his neck vanished in a flash.
He fell silent for a moment, then likewise gently unfastened his Shrek Academy uniform.
Only this time, he gently laid the uniform on the floor.
Then he looked at Du Weilun, a trace of apology flashing through his eyes. "The two of us are good friends. The very best of friends."
"If he's leaving, I won't stay here either. I'm withdrawing from Shrek Academy too," Wang Dong said through somewhat gritted teeth.
Naturally, he did not want to leave. After all, he had been doing perfectly well at Shrek Academy, and this place even gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
But now that Li Mu had left, he could not possibly stay.
So he could only take off his uniform with such reluctance and follow him out.
As he watched Wang Dong likewise set his uniform on the floor, Du Weilun's initial astonishment had already given way to coldness and murderous intent.
His eyes remained fixed on the two departing figures.
Unfortunately, he did not know what to say. After all, he was the one who had not put the other party on the core disciple list.
Normally, ordinary students were not allowed to withdraw from Shrek Academy in any form or by any means.
But the other party did not hold core disciple status and was not one of Shrek Academy's priority disciples.
Under these circumstances, requesting to withdraw from Shrek Academy was entirely reasonable.
In fact, if Li Mu had gone to plead with him or Yan Shaozhe after class, either of them would have granted him core disciple status.
Because this was precisely Yan Shaozhe's arrangement. He wanted Li Mu to come and beg him.
To beg him for core disciple status, benefits, and resources.
Then he would use that to keep Li Mu under his thumb, making Li Mu help Ma Xiaotao and even become his disciple.
Yet neither Yan Shaozhe nor Du Weilun had expected Li Mu to do something like this.
And he had shown them no respect whatsoever, simply throwing everything down before turning and leaving.
This could practically be called slapping him in the face in public.
Never mind Du Weilun-even Yan Shaozhe's expression had turned utterly dark.
But there were students all around them now, countless students standing there.
Asking a dean like him to step forward and demand an explanation was something he could not do, nor did he know how to go about it.
So he swept a glance over Li Mu, his expression growing a little colder, then turned and left.
As they watched Li Mu and Wang Dong return to their dorm room and start packing, quite a few people's expressions began to change.
The matter had not been particularly significant at first. It was only at noon that it truly erupted.
The first-place winner of the first-year selection had failed to secure core disciple status and was now leaving Shrek Academy.
Almost instantly, the matter caused an uproar throughout Shrek Academy.
After all, there were already many unfair aspects to the core disciple selection.
Many people did indeed rely on their teammates to achieve good results in the core disciple selection.
But they also had their own traits or specialties, just like Huo Yuhao in the original timeline.
Both his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul and his own ability to command battles were quite good.
Add to that the fact that he and Wang Dong could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and he was still deemed unworthy of even core disciple status.
To be honest, this was like a joke, nothing but sheer nonsense.
And this clearly was not the first or second time something like this had happened at Shrek Academy.
Almost every class had students like this, and there were quite a few of them.
Some teams had already made the top ten, only for every other teammate to receive core disciple status while they themselves got nothing.
Such things happened from time to time, but they could not possibly give up the resources and social standing Shrek Academy provided.
So they could only swallow the humiliation and stay.
As a result, once this incident fully erupted, it stirred up a vast uproar and commotion.
Countless people were discussing it, and the matter was even showing signs of spreading to the inner court and the Sea God Pavilion.
Meanwhile, in the room, Li Mu, the instigator of the entire affair, did not feel there was any problem at all.
He sat there silently with nothing to do, while Wang Dong packed their belongings in humiliation.
Watching him pack up both their belongings all by himself, Li Mu stretched lazily.
Faced with Li Mu's utterly indolent manner, Wang Dong truly ground his teeth.
But he did not know what to do with someone like this.
After all, the other party had no moral bottom line and cared nothing for such things.
It was fine as long as you did not provoke him, but once you did...
Or rather, once you touched his fundamental interests, the young man before him would turn against you without the slightest mercy, leaving no room whatsoever.
This was what made Li Mu most frightening: his indifference, or perhaps his unpredictability.
He would not care about other people's status or position.
As long as you touched his interests, he would take you head-on. This was the real reason Wang Dong feared Li Mu.
Another half hour or so passed. Wang Dong finished organizing everything and reached up to rub his waist.
His exquisitely beautiful face bore a look of shame and indignation, and then he glared at Li Mu.
"Everything's packed. Can we leave now? I've finished packing everything," Wang Dong said, a little trace of grievance flashing through his eyes.
But Li Mu acted as though he had not heard Wang Dong.
Only after stretching lazily did he raise his hand, and with a casual wave, all their belongings were stored in the space.
He rose to his feet, then led Wang Dong straight toward the outskirts of Shrek City.
Meanwhile, in the teaching building, Du Weilun kept watching the dormitory building.
Seeing that Li Mu had actually come out, his eyes flickered for a moment.
Many of their senior officials knew that Li Mu had a mysterious powerhouse protecting him.
And Shrek Academy's senior officials valued Li Mu quite highly.
Of course, it was not him as a person they valued, but his potential and strength.
Someone like him had a chance to leave his name in Shrek Academy's history in the future, so they naturally paid him considerable attention.
If Li Mu truly left now, certain things would be difficult to explain.
But a student wanted to leave, and the problem lay with the academy.
Shrek Academy could try to persuade him to stay, but Shrek Academy could not compromise.
This was the glory of their ten-thousand-year-old academy. Even Yan Shaozhe would not dare compromise.
Once they compromised and damaged Shrek Academy's ten thousand years of glory...
The consequences were not something deans and directors like them could bear.
As he thought, he watched Li Mu slowly walk in his direction, then watched him head into the teaching building.
He let out a soft sigh.
Less than five minutes later, the door to his office opened.
He watched Li Mu enter with Wang Dong, the young man's expression as calm and composed as ever.
Only now, Du Weilun's expression had become somewhat helpless.
"We can discuss core disciple status again. You definitely can't receive it this time, but we can consider granting you core disciple status next time."
Du Weilun spoke with a slight sigh.
But Li Mu merely glanced at him, then calmly held out his hand. "Stop dragging this out. Give it to me."
"Let me guess. I've been expelled from Shrek Academy now, haven't I?" Li Mu said, looking at Du Weilun with a smile.
Shrek Academy could not possibly let him leave normally. After all, if he withdrew on his own, the fault lay with Shrek.
Shrek was simply unwilling to shoulder that responsibility, nor could it possibly do so.
So whatever was ultimately written would most likely say that the problem lay with him, and that this was why things had come to this.
But they could write whatever they liked. He did not care.
In two years, or perhaps a dozen or so years, the only one people would mock would be Shrek Academy, not him, Li Mu.