Chapter 56: Selling Hooks?!

By this point, anyone with a bit of sense had already figured it out.

How could there be so many coincidences in the world?

If at first, they thought this was just someone messing with the Shrek Academy deans, now they felt it was necessary to take these two books seriously.

Shrek Academy's scandals…

In a certain small third-tier city.

A middle-aged man walking through a dimly lit alley suddenly stopped, silently staring at the corner ahead.

Suddenly, he smiled—a grin stretching to his ears—revealing a terrifying, eerie smirk. "As expected of Shrek Academy, their response is surprisingly fast."

At the corner, a slender leg covered by a moon-white gauze skirt quietly appeared. The fair, jade-like foot stepped into the light, wearing delicate embroidered shoes with moon patterns. Then, a tall and elegant figure walked out.

The dim alley, with her presence, seemed to brighten as if bathed in the glow of a rising full moon, making her appear otherworldly, like a celestial maiden.

Unfortunately, to the so-called middle-aged man, who was not actually human, Zhang Lexuan's flawless beauty was no more remarkable than the ordinary blue silver grass growing everywhere.

Swish—

Swish…

More figures emerged silently—men and women alike—surrounding the middle-aged man from all sides. Unlike Zhang Lexuan, they all wore dark green robes, their faces hidden beneath hoods. The only thing visible was the rings on their right hands—each adorned with a blood-red emblem of Shrek's monster insignia.

Shrek Monitoring Group, Inner Court Disciples.

"Speak. Where did you obtain the books you've been selling? What is your goal? Who are the people behind you?" Zhang Lexuan's voice was cold and detached.

"Don't even think about escaping. You have nowhere to run. This city is already surrounded. Give up—Shrek's people are everywhere outside."

The middle-aged man remained unfazed, his eerie grin growing even more unsettling.

Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan calmly walked toward him. Soul rings rose one by one from beneath her feet, encircling her. Behind her, a radiant moon suddenly appeared, forming a perfect full moon.

The inner court disciples surrounding the man also released their martial souls and soul rings, locking onto his vital points from all angles.

"Hahaha… Hahahahahaha!" The middle-aged man burst into wild laughter. "This is Shrek! Overbearing tyrants! Another Wuhun Hall that stands above the four empires!"

"You will all be destroyed. And from the ruins, a new order will rise—an order that will make all kneel before the divine throne, gazing up at the supreme god!"

Zhang Lexuan's eyes turned sharp in an instant. In a flash, she appeared before the middle-aged man, her fair hand clamping around his throat like an iron vice.

"Speak! What exactly is your objective?!"

"Heh… It's useless… The plan to destroy Shrek… was set by… that great one!" The middle-aged man choked out his words, his expression becoming even more crazed and twisted.

"Your end is coming! It won't be long now!"

Zhang Lexuan wanted to press further, but in the next moment, her grip suddenly lightened. The eerie and mysterious middle-aged man, as if ignited from within, instantly turned to ashes, scattering onto the ground.

"Senior Sister, what's going on?" Wu Ming rushed forward, looking curiously at the grayish-brown ashes on the ground.

"I don't know, but it seems like this person wasn't actually here in the flesh, more like some kind of clone or projection," Zhang Lexuan shook her head, her tone serious.

"Collect these ashes and take them back to the academy. Maybe we'll find something. Notify the others—the mission has failed!"

"Yes, Senior Sister!"

The Douluo Continent was far from peaceful, and neither was Shrek Academy.

The two books, Dragon and Phoenix Entwined and Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony, had caused major upheaval within the academy. Dragon and Phoenix Entwined not only targeted Shrek's four deans but also attacked the close friendship between Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi.

Before Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony was published, these two couldn't go anywhere without receiving strange looks. People kept their distance wherever they walked. But after the book came out, they were suddenly showered with everyone's blessings…

Except for Tang Ya.

Tang Ya was on the verge of losing her mind. After dating Bei Bei for so many years, she obviously knew he and Xu Sanshi had no such relationship. But rumors were relentless, and no matter how much they explained, it was useless!

Then, after Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony was released, the people of Shrek collectively slapped a giant green hat onto Tang Ya's head—courtesy of Xu Sanshi!

She was even asked: "Are you just a cover-up that Bei Bei found to hide his real relationship with Xu Sanshi?"

How was she supposed to take this lying down?!

Bei Bei, Tang Ya, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan.

Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei'er, Qian Duoduo, Xian Lin'er.

Oh, great—history repeating itself.

Bei Bei's temperament was quite similar to Yan Shaozhe—both were refined and gentle scholars. Meanwhile, Xu Sanshi and Qian Duoduo were both relentless bootlickers. No wonder the people of Shrek were overthinking it. Anyone would start making those kinds of associations!

But if anyone was the most panicked after Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony went viral across the Douluo Continent, it was definitely Zhou Yi.

Because that vicious teacher at the beginning of the book… was her!

Zhou Yi didn't think there was anything wrong with her teaching methods, but her students had already made their stance clear—they couldn't stand her!

Besides the twenty or so students she had already expelled, another two-thirds of the remaining seventy-plus students left on their own. In the end, only about twenty students remained in her class, while the rest went straight to Du Weilun to request a transfer.

Faced with what was basically a mutiny, Du Weilun had no choice. "The law does not punish the masses"—this principle applied even at Shrek Academy. More importantly, the students weren't in the wrong. They simply wanted to switch classes.

Du Weilun had no valid reason to reject them.

If he refused, they'd just drop out voluntarily! And if this group really left, it would only cement the rumor that Shrek Academy had a cruel and toxic teacher. Du Weilun didn't even dare to imagine how much damage that would do to Shrek's reputation.

Yan Shaozhe would probably break every bone in his body.

The next day, when Zhou Yi stepped into her classroom and saw that only twenty-something students remained—especially when she immediately caught sight of Lin Yun's mocking, gloating gaze—the old woman nearly had a stroke out of sheer rage.

Zhou Yi wasn't stupid. She could already foresee Shrek Academy possibly bowing to pressure and firing her.

Wouldn't that mean Fan Yu's sacrifice of selling hooks to get her this teaching opportunity was all for nothing?!

…Wait.

Since when did Fan Yu go sell hooks?!

Damn that Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony! Even I'm getting brainwashed by it!

Zhou Yi was utterly stunned.

(End of Chapter)

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