"Hehe, no need to be nervous." Mu En looked at the students in front of him and smiled kindly.
"I called you here because we're about to go to the Sun Moon Empire as exchange students. As the head of Shrek Academy, this old man is a bit worried, so I have some words of advice for you."
Inside the Sea God's Pavilion meeting.
The elders looked at the group with kind smiles.
Tomorrow they would set out, and this mission concerned the future of Shrek…
"Lexuan, go to the first room at the end of the corridor."
"Caitou, go to the second room on the left..."
"Beibei..."
As the twenty of them entered their rooms one by one.
Mu En sighed lightly.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the Sea God Pavilion became awkward, as if there was an unspoken tension.
"Cough, cough, Teacher Mu, this is a last resort," Qian Duoduo said with a bitter expression.
"That's nonsense!" Yan Shaozhe glared at him. "You can actually talk about stealing like that, you're really…"
"That's not stealing!" Qian Duoduo's eyes widened in anger. "I just want Lexuan to copy some missile and mecha blueprints. If we can't effectively counteract the Sun Moon Empire's current development, in less than a hundred years, Shrek will be finished!"
(P.S.: In order to counteract the Sun Moon Empire's development, Huo Guang might drop a few level nine bombs on Mingdu, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. In the end, Xuanzi only reproached them a little. Later, during the Three Kingdoms period, Shrek allied with the original Three Kingdoms and slaughtered civilians during Xu Tianran's ritual. This shows how low Shrek's moral bottom line is. This "theft," with the justification of counteracting the Sun Moon Empire's development and saving the continent, they would definitely do it.)
"..."
For a moment, even Yan Shaozhe turned his head.
Although Shrek Academy's honor wouldn't support them doing such a thing, the Sun Moon Empire's momentum was too strong now. Once Xu Cheng's missile and mecha designs came out, the entire continent would be quiet.
So, in order to prevent the evil Sun Moon Empire from taking control of the continent, and to stop ordinary civilians from living in such harsh conditions, Shrek... stealing is fine, as long as our original intentions are good.
"But if we get caught..." Elder Lin hesitated.
"There is no if!" Qian Duoduo smiled. "This is a copier I made overnight. It looks just like a storage soul tool, but only when a special metal is activated can it become a replica soul guide. This is an eighth-level concealed soul guide, just recently purchased from Mingde Hall."
"As long as Lexuan is careful, there will be no problems! Moreover, time is of the essence! If we really manage to get the missile and mecha blueprints—the cutting-edge technology of the Sun Moon Empire—I'm sure we'll catch up to them soon enough!"
"Why not let Caitou go?" Yan Shaozhe was still hesitating. "Caitou comes from the soul tool system and has sharper insight into design blueprints, which would make him more likely to succeed. Also, I heard he's from the Sun Moon Empire."
"He is the former prince of the Sun Moon Empire, and Xu Cheng has already discovered him. This time, they'll definitely be on high alert around him..." Qian Duoduo said expressionlessly.
Yan Shaozhe: "..."
After a long silence, Teacher Mu softly said, "I will personally speak to Lexuan. She's a sensible girl and will understand our good intentions..."
Inside the Golden Tree House.
The small room emitted a faint fragrance and a soft golden glow.
Beibei sat in the center, feeling Mu En's presence, and slowly opened his eyes.
"It's been a long time since we've spoken..." Mu En's voice was filled with emotion. "It wasn't until this old man was about to leave that I took the initiative to talk to you. This is the fault of my ancestors."
"Ancestor..." Beibei lowered his head, feeling guilty.
In fact, he had been avoiding Teacher Mu because of his childhood marriage arrangement, the death of his parents, and all his efforts for Shrek Academy. In addition, he had fallen in love with Tang Ya at first sight, so he had some attachment to Shrek, but it wasn't as strong as Lexuan's...
"I will soon be gone, and the future of Shrek will be handed over to you all." Mu En's voice carried a tinge of nostalgia.
"You are the descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and you are one of the few remaining bloodlines of the former second-ranked sect. My ancestors have sacrificed so much for Shrek Academy. Now, it's your turn to take responsibility."
"But, Ancestor..." Beibei was anxious.
He had volunteered to go to the Sun Moon Empire because that was where his beloved Tang Ya was.
In fact, if Mu En passed away, he was even thinking of staying in the Sun Moon Empire permanently.
"If Tang Ya can come to Shrek Academy, I wouldn't say anything. I wouldn't oppose your relationship, but she has joined the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult. She is our enemy..." Mu En spoke softly.
Looking at Beibei's lowered, dejected face, Mu En gently said, "I too have encountered a similar situation in the past, but back then, I firmly chose Shrek Academy because it's our home, the place that raised us. Even if it's not perfect, we can't abandon it..."
"Before I die, I will give you a part of my blood, so your martial soul will evolve into the Light Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. With your talent and potential, you'll become a high-ranking official in the academy, possibly even the martial soul dean, succeeding Shaozhe's position. Becoming an elder, or even the Sea God Pavilion's leader, is not out of the question."
"And the other side of you should be the academy's other senior officials, such as..."
"This time, go to the Sun Moon Empire and get along well with Lexuan. Don't act childish. After I am gone, I'll be at ease watching you all bicker in the Golden Tree."
"Yes, I understand..." Beibei lowered his eyes.
"Xiao Xuan, may I call you that?"
"Of course!"
"Hahaha, with this old body of mine, I still have some influence. Never mind, let's not talk about that. After going to the Sun Moon Empire..."
"Xiao Xiao, can you tell me why you have such resistance towards me?"
"You don't have to speak if you don't want to. This old body of mine won't force students to do anything they don't want. It's just a pity that I don't have much time left. I wanted to see the future of Shrek before I left..."
"Xiao Tian, how are your family's elders?"
"Make sure to send my regards when you get back. I'm not going in person. I don't have time. Is Ning Feng still alive? Haha, I knew it. He used to be like that, always so cocky, even though I'm a few years older than him. He was always the one who acted like he was above others..."
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is still going strong."
Finally.
Mu En arrived at the last room.
Inside, a beautiful woman dressed in a pale purple gown sat cross-legged. She had long, smooth black hair gently draped over her shoulders. Her expression was calm, her breathing steady, exuding a sense of serenity. This was his final gift to Shrek, even though the events from the past still lingered... but some secrets, once hidden, no longer had anyone to uncover them.
"Mu Lao!" Zhang Lexuan, sensing Mu En's presence, hurriedly stood up to greet him.
For the elder who had taken her in and raised her from a young age, teaching her many things, she had long regarded him as family.
"Hehe, sit." Old Mu's ethereal form materialized with a gentle smile.
"In the blink of an eye, you've grown so much... so graceful. No wonder the boys in the inner courtyard can't stay still. Whoever marries you will truly have a fortune for several generations."
He looked at Zhang Lexuan, growing more and more pleased.
Her appearance was stunning, graceful, and serene, aware of boundaries and propriety, with strength that made her the top student in the inner courtyard. Even now, taking on the position of the deputy director of the Martial Soul System, no one would dare question her.
"Old Mu." Zhang Lexuan smiled lightly without being coy or pretentious.
"Forget it, forget it. The younger generation will have their own fortune. I regret the past matchmaking, but if you're unwilling, the promise about Beibei will remain between the two of us. It can be canceled anytime." Mu En chuckled.
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan slightly tilted her head, a hint of confusion on her face.
After a long while, she gave a small nod.
Mu En: ???
Wait... what does this nod mean?
I was just testing the waters. I was thinking that since you had a slight liking for Beibei before, this would be a good opportunity to withdraw.
But what he didn't know was that Zhang Lexuan had never had feelings for Beibei. At first, she saw him as a child and only took care of him. Later, as they spent more time together, she began to appreciate Beibei's resolute character and his sense of justice, but she didn't like him.
And Beibei's actions—kneeling and begging for Tang Ya in the Star Dou Forest—Zhang Lexuan knew everything. If Tang Ya had mutual feelings for Beibei and their emotions developed naturally, Zhang Lexuan might have been moved, but Beibei's actions...
What's the difference between that and being a simp?!!
Zhang Lexuan... isn't that kind of person.
So when Old Mu spoke, she took the opportunity to release herself from this burden.
After all, Beibei didn't like her, and there was no point in them torturing each other.
Mu En opened his mouth, almost losing control of his facial expression, but after a while, he finally smiled and nodded.
"Hahaha, well, it's good to resolve this misunderstanding... but you're still young, and these matters of love and affection can be confusing. It's normal."
"Anyway, I still have one last request to make of you."
"Old Mu, please speak. I will not disappoint the academy's expectations!" Zhang Lexuan said solemnly.
"It's like this... The academy is just starting in the field of soul tool, and there are many places where we're lacking, especially with the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology being thousands of years ahead of us. There are many cutting-edge technologies that we can't even approach, so..."
Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at the two rings in her hands.
She recalled Old Mu's earlier instructions.
Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
This burden was heavy on her shoulders, like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.
Isn't this just theft?
Even Old Mu
What happened to the justice the academy taught us?
Zhang Lexuan shook her head, trying to suppress the thoughts in her mind.
She still had other plans for this mission...
Her beautiful eyes stared blankly out the window.
Xiao Tao, are you doing well in the Holy Spirit Cult
Will you still recognize me when we meet again?
(End of this chapter)