Chapter 57: Mu En’s Gradual Change in Thinking

"Lexuan, come to me."

Just as Zhang Lexuan stepped through the gates of Shrek Academy after completing her mission, she heard an aged yet gentle voice in her ear.

"Yes, Elder Mu!" Zhang Lexuan bowed slightly, then took the ashes left behind when the mysterious middle-aged man self-immolated, which Han Ruoruo had preserved. With them in hand, she headed toward the freshmen dormitory.

Before long, Zhang Lexuan arrived at the dormitory and stood before the elderly man.

Sunlight fell upon Mu En's face as he slightly opened his eyes. His dim pupils, usually lifeless, now glimmered faintly under the light. However, no amount of sunlight could hide the fact that the flame of his life was on the verge of being extinguished.

"How did the investigation go?" Mu En asked warmly, looking at the tall and graceful Zhang Lexuan.

"No leads," Zhang Lexuan shook her head gently and handed over the box of collected ashes to Mu En. "Following several clues, we tracked down someone selling the books, but he provided no useful information."

"After we surrounded him, he said some very strange things. In the end, his entire body turned into the ashes inside this box."

"Strange things?" Mu En murmured softly. He slowly opened the box in his hands. As he looked at the ashes inside, his eyes grew brighter, and a sharp glint flickered across them.

The moment he saw Zhang Lexuan, Mu En had already noticed an unusual aura lingering around her. Only after opening the box did he confirm the source of that aura.

"Yes. He said, 'The plan to destroy Shrek was devised by that lord.' He also claimed that Shrek is just another Spirit Hall and will eventually be destroyed. On Shrek's ruins, a new order will rise, guiding people to worship the true god."

Although she found the mysterious middle-aged man's words utterly ridiculous, Zhang Lexuan still repeated them to Mu En exactly as they were spoken.

It wasn't her job to make judgments—that was for Mu En to decide. Her duty was to relay every detail so that he wouldn't be misled.

"A new order… the true god…" Mu En pinched a bit of ash between his thumb and forefinger, his gaze flickering unpredictably.

"That lord…?" His voice was low. "It seems this matter is far more complex than we imagined. Return to the inner court for now. Leave the rest to us old bones." Mu En gave her a gentle smile.

"Understood, Elder Mu. I take my leave." Zhang Lexuan bowed again and turned to leave.

Once she was gone, Mu En stared at the box of ashes in his hand, and his expression instantly sharpened.

A puppet clone… capable of self-immolating remotely… and the ashes carried strong mental fluctuations and an eerie aura.

An evil soul master…?

Having battled evil soul masters for his entire life, Mu En instinctively suspected them first. At the same time, an old acquaintance's figure surfaced in his mind.

"Could it be you?" he muttered to himself.

With such limited information, it was hard to blame Mu En for jumping to conclusions. Scheming and backstabbing were always affairs of humans. Only humans would go to such lengths for internal strife.

Unification… division… civil war… and then unification again.

A cycle that repeated endlessly.

Let's not forget what the Myriad Demon King's true form was—the Demonic Eyed Devil Tree. Those four words alone perfectly described its nature.

Although the Myriad Demon King disdained the crude devouring methods of evil soul masters and soul beasts, in its hundreds of thousands of years of life, it had…

Having undergone countless experiences and possessing the Demonic Eyed Devil Tree as his true form, his aura naturally made the light-attribute Mu En feel hostility.

No different from an Evil Soul Master.

Unlike Xuan Zi, Mu En had once come into close contact with Evil Soul Masters—he had even almost married the leader of them. He understood that after being hunted by Shrek for thousands of years, Evil Soul Masters had undoubtedly formed their own powerful organization.

Moreover, the words Zhang Lexuan repeated were clearly filled with cult-like fanaticism. Who else, besides those Evil Soul Masters who craved blood and souls daily, would be mentally deranged enough to obsess over a so-called "new order" and an utterly irrelevant "true god"?

Aside from the Seven Shrek Monsters, where else in the Douluo Continent would there be gods? (Mu En's perspective)

Most importantly, the Evil Soul Masters had an irreconcilable blood feud with Shrek Academy. They had every reason to make a move against them!

Ye Xishui: ?Long Xiaoyao: ?Zhongli Wu: ?

"They lurk in the shadows, while we stand in the light. Without knowing their true intentions, we must not lose our composure." Mu En tapped his fingers against the armrest of his recliner in deep thought. Initially rhythmic, the tapping gradually became erratic as his mind grew increasingly restless.

For the first time, the pillar of Shrek Academy found himself caught in a dilemma.

Allowing these books to spread freely across the Douluo Continent was out of the question, but launching an all-out ban against them would be equally problematic.

If they let them spread, who knew what further tricks their enemies would use to smear Shrek's name? How much filth would they pour onto Shrek?

On the other hand, outright banning the books would only make those so-called "clever" yet half-witted people suspect Shrek of trying to cover up some deeper scandal—only making things worse.

"Evil Soul Masters… I have been far too lenient with you all. I'm not even dead yet, and you already dare act so recklessly."

As Mu En's thoughts continued to spiral, his killing intent gradually filled his heart.

"…And that little girl from the outer court."

Originally, Mu En had no intention of making an issue out of Zhou Yi. To him, she was just a hot-headed young woman. Although her methods were extreme, she still possessed a strong sense of duty toward Shrek. With proper guidance, she could have become an excellent teacher who nurtured talented students.

He had tolerated Zhou Yi because she was a direct disciple of Shrek, with a clean background. After graduating from the outer court, she remained at the academy, eventually becoming a full-fledged teacher.

But that was no longer an option.

The entire Douluo Continent now knew about Zhou Yi's actions. There was no longer a chance for Mu En to correct her mistakes in private.

Back then, Zhou Yi hadn't even qualified for the inner court. She graduated from the outer court with just a four-ring Soul Ancestor cultivation and remained as an assistant instructor. It wasn't until a decade ago, after reaching Soul Emperor, that she officially began teaching.

Yet, in just these ten short years, she had expelled more students than some teachers had even taught.

Mu En… had decided to make an example out of her.

To this aged yet far-sighted man, Shrek Academy had long since become rotten to the core.

From the Sea God Pavilion elders to the students of Shrek, everyone had been blinded by the so-called "ten thousand years of glory."

A severe illness requires a drastic cure.

Only swift and ruthless action could ensure Shrek's survival.

Mu En, along with his recliner, silently vanished.

(End of Chapter)

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