Clothes?
Upon hearing this, several people instinctively looked at the dark green sportswear worn by Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi once more. The style was quite plain and the fabric looked durable, but there were no flashy academy emblems, text, or unique patterns on the material. There was nothing that clearly shouted a prestigious origin.
However, a sharp light flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he made an instant calculation. Green was not a popular color for Spirit Master clothing in this era, and very few people chose to wear it as their daily outfit. But there was one legendary place that was the exception to that rule.
That place was Shrek Academy.
The uniforms of Shrek Academy had been centered around the color green for ages. It was a tradition and a symbol that carried a legacy of twenty thousand years. Thinking back to Ye Xinglan's elitist remarks and the blatant pride on her face, Huo Yuhao was certain of his conclusion.
He looked at her and asked directly, "Are you from Shrek Academy?"
"That is right!" Ye Xinglan admitted immediately. She lifted her chin even higher than before. The pride and sense of superiority she felt from her status seemed to radiate off her in waves. "Since you know we are from Shrek Academy, you should understand my reasons for doing this even better!"
She looked at the group in front of her, her tone becoming preachy and condescending. "You all must really want to get into Shrek Academy, don't you? Unfortunately, the enrollment quota every year is extremely small. Only the geniuses among geniuses are ever admitted. But there are always people with no talent or drive who have unrealistic fantasies about our school."
"When their dreams fail, these people often become bitter and dark. Since they cannot get in themselves, they try to find ways to ruin the chances of those who can. There have been many cases of this in the past." She looked at Mu Xi and then at the ruined biscuits on the floor. She snorted and added, "So, I don't think I did anything wrong at all."
Watching Ye Xinglan act so self-righteous made Mu Xi's blood boil. She couldn't stop herself from snapping back in a rage. "Who cares about going to your Shrek Academy anyway?"
Even though she said it because she was angry, it was the truth. Mu Xi knew her talent as a Spirit Master was not at the very top. She had already decided to focus on the forging skills she learned from her father for her future career. Shrek Academy was a holy land for Spirit Masters, but it was not the only path in life.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan had always looked at Shrek Academy with deep respect and longing. But after hearing Ye Xinglan's arrogant speech, they felt a wave of disgust and disappointment.
"Are people from Shrek Academy really like this?" This thought appeared in all of their minds at the same time. This girl was nothing like the legendary heroes they imagined. She didn't represent fairness or justice; she only represented ego.
Xie Xie, who had followed Huo Yuhao and always enjoyed a bit of drama, couldn't stay quiet. He shouted loudly, "Even if you are from Shrek Academy, you can't just bully people! We were being nice and offering food, and somehow you turn that into a crime?"
His shouting quickly caught the attention of other Donghai Academy students nearby. Since this was their designated gathering area, hearing a classmate being bullied by outsiders brought them running. Many students closed in on the group, staring at Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi with angry eyes.
Despite the growing crowd and the pressure of so many people, Ye Xinglan did not look afraid. Instead, she stood taller with a cold smirk on her face. She looked at the Donghai Academy students surrounding her and shouted, "What? Now you want to use your numbers to bully the two of us?"
Ye Xinglan's shout brought her own help. Five more boys and girls wearing the same dark green sportswear quickly pushed through the crowd. They were around fourteen or fifteen years old and stepped up to stand behind Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi. The two groups faced off just a few feet apart, and the air felt heavy with tension.
Young people are naturally hot-blooded, especially when their dignity and school pride are on the line. If this continued, the shouting match would definitely turn into a real fight. At that exact moment, a cold voice rang out from the distance. "What are you doing?"
Before the sound of the voice even died away, a figure in white moved through the crowd and stood between the two groups. It was Wu Changkong. His face was like ice, and he gave off a cold aura that made everyone want to step back. His eyes were as sharp as frozen blades as he looked at the students.
Under that gaze, Xie Xie immediately lost his bravery. He shrank back, his "justice" disappearing instantly. He shut his mouth and didn't dare make another sound. Huo Yuhao remained calm. He stepped forward to meet Wu Changkong's eyes. "Teacher, the students from Shrek Academy made unfair accusations against Senior Sister Mu Xi when she was only trying to help. That is what started this."
It was then that everyone noticed Wu Changkong was not alone. Behind him was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties. She had long, snow-white hair tied back, a beautiful face, and a very calm attitude. She wore a sharp outfit and had a powerful presence even though she wasn't speaking. This was Shen Yi, the lead teacher for the Shrek Academy youth team.
Shen Yi looked over Wu Changkong's shoulder at the students she had brought along. Her brow furrowed as she asked, "Xinglan, Lizhi, and the rest of you, what is going on here?"
The Shrek students who had just arrived looked at each other and stayed silent. They didn't actually know what had happened; they had just seen Ye Xinglan being surrounded and jumped in to help. Xu Lizhi opened his mouth to explain, but Ye Xinglan stopped him with a sharp look.
Ye Xinglan stepped toward Shen Yi. With a stubborn look on her face, she spoke quickly. "Teacher, we didn't do anything wrong. It is these people from Donghai Academy who are interfering and using twisted logic to blame us..."
Shen Yi looked at Ye Xinglan and frowned even deeper. Before the girl could finish, Shen Yi raised a hand to stop her. "That is enough. There is no need for an argument right now. The exhibition match is about to start. Everyone needs to return to their teams and get ready. We will talk about this after the match is over."
Ye Xinglan clearly wanted to keep arguing, but when she saw the look in Shen Yi's eyes, she stopped. She closed her mouth and looked away, clearly unhappy. Shen Yi then turned to Wu Changkong. They had been friends back at Shrek Academy, so she was checking to see if he agreed.
Wu Changkong's expression did not change. He said nothing, but he gave Shen Yi a small nod to show he agreed with her decision. Even though many of the students there were not in his class, everyone at Donghai Academy knew and feared the "Cold and Arrogant Male God." Seeing him nod meant the argument was over.
The conflict ended without a real resolution as Shen Yi led the Shrek Academy students away. Once the crowd had dispersed, Wu Changkong turned his cold gaze back to the members of Class Zero. He asked again, "Now, tell me exactly what happened."
Xie Xie had a lot to say and couldn't wait to start. "Teacher! It really wasn't our fault. Those Shrek people are just completely unreasonable!" He quickly told the whole story from start to finish. He was emotional, but he didn't lie about the facts of what happened.
After hearing the story, even Wu Changkong's frozen face showed a slight frown. Tang Wulin couldn't help but ask the question that was bothering everyone. "Teacher, are all the students at Shrek Academy this unreasonable? Are they always this... arrogant?"
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