Chapter 80 Bearing Thorns to Plead Guilty? Mu En Wants Xuanzi to Go to the Body Sect and Kneel Before Liu Yuan?
Moon swung the golden whip in his hand dozens of times.
Each strike was accompanied by Xuanzi's painful spasms and violent fluctuations in his soul power.
Only when there was no intact spot on Xuanzi's back, and only when the brilliant golden soul power had dimmed slightly due to excessive consumption, did Mu En finally slowly lower his hand. The long whip that exuded terrifying pressure turned into specks of golden light and disappeared into the air.
His chest heaved violently as he exhaled a deep breath, as if to release the pent-up frustration and regret that had been building up in his heart.
At this time, all the elders of the Sea God Pavilion had arrived.
Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Old Song, Cai Mei'er, and others stood in a circle to the side, each with an extremely complicated expression on their face.
They looked at Xuanzi, who lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, barely breathing, and then at Mu En, whose face was ashen. They didn't dare to breathe.
Moon paused for a moment, standing ramrod straight, his gaze sweeping across the faces of every elder present.
"You must be very curious as to why I would use such private torture on a level 98 Super Douluo outside the sacred Sea God Pavilion."
Moon's voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable air of authority.
Then, with a trembling voice, he recounted in detail the truth that Xuanzi had discovered in the Heavenly Soul Imperial City, and how Xuanzi had forcibly expelled Liu Yuan from the school and stripped him of his status as a martyr's orphan because of his "broken martial soul and incomplete body."
"Listen to yourselves, which of these things he has done doesn't deserve severe punishment? Which of these things isn't undermining the foundation of Shrek Academy?"
Mu En pointed at Xuanzi on the ground, laughing angrily: "I've said it many times, Xuanzi, you need to have a broader perspective!"
"Especially since you hold a high position and are an elder of the Sea God Pavilion, your every word and action represents the academy."
"When doing things, one should consider both the consequences and the overall situation."
"But what about you? You're careless and negligent in your work, and arrogant and conceited!"
"Your actions are not only a desecration of the martyrs, but also a trampling on the academy's long-standing reputation. It is truly heartbreaking!"
After listening to Moon's account, the other elders fell into a long silence, and then all sighed helplessly.
On ordinary days, these senior scholars are mostly in seclusion, or are responsible for teaching and research in their respective fields.
They didn't really pay much attention to Liu Yuan, the freshman who was expelled back then.
In their minds, since Xuanzi had already dealt with it, there must be no need to keep the child.
But only today did they realize what kind of existence Xuanzi had lost.
A level 44 Soul Master slaying an evil Soul Master Soul Saint, and rising to prominence in just a few months, demonstrates a talent that far surpasses their definition of "genius."
Therefore, at this moment, these elders all agreed that what Moon said was correct.
Xuanzi has indeed "fallen seriously ill" this time.
This short-sighted behavior has caused immeasurable damage to Shrek.
Among the crowd, Yan Shaozhe's expression was the most unpleasant.
Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, and his eyes darted around, not even daring to meet Moon's gaze.
When Xuanzi decided to expel Liu Yuan, Yan Shaozhe, as the dean of the Martial Soul Department, was aware of the decision, even though he did not directly participate. He even nodded in agreement when Xuanzi said, "That child is useless; keeping him in the academy is a waste of resources."
Yan Shaozhe wiped his sweat, forced himself to step forward, and said in a weak voice, "Teacher, things have come to this. Elder Xuan has already been severely punished. Since it has already happened, no matter how angry we are, we cannot turn back time."
"The key now is that the punishment has been imposed, so we should first think about how to resolve this stalemate."
Mu En snorted coldly, his icy gaze lingering on Yan Shaozhe for a moment, making Yan Shaozhe's heart pound with fear.
"It really should be dealt with properly."
Mu En lowered his head and looked again at Xuanzi kneeling in the pool of blood.
Xuanzi's body was still trembling slightly, but he had stopped wailing and was just staring blankly at the grass on the ground.
"Xuanzi, I ask you, do you know you've made a mistake?" Mu En asked in a deep voice.
Xuanzi felt a piercing pain coming from his back; it was a law-related injury left by the soul power whip, which was difficult to heal.
He closed his eyes, and a hoarse voice came from his throat: "Xuanzi... I know I was wrong. I've been senile, and I've ruined the academy."
Moon took a deep breath, the coldness in his eyes slightly diminished, replaced by an extreme determination: "Since you already know you were wrong, I will now give you a chance to make amends."
"Although Liu Yuan has now become the heir of the Body Sect and is engaged to the Heavenly Soul Royal Family, we cannot give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope."
Moon paused, his tone becoming extremely stern: "Since you caused this trouble, you're the one who has to lose face."
"I demand that you, carrying a bundle of thorns on your back, personally go to the Body Sect. Kneel and kowtow before Liu Yuan, publicly begging for his forgiveness!"
"When the time comes, I will force myself to go with you, even though I'm an old man."
"You take care to apologize properly, and I'll take care to figure out a way to persuade him to come back, considering the relationship with Liu Yuan's parents."
"Even if we can't persuade them to come back, we must resolve this feud."
These words shocked the entire audience.
Xuanzi's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his head, which had been hanging low, was instantly raised, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Should he carry thorns on his back to apologize? Should he kneel down and beg for forgiveness?
Who is Xuanzi?
He is the number two figure at Shrek Academy, a level 98 Super Douluo with the Gluttonous Divine Ox Martial Soul!
In the world of Soul Masters, he represents the prestige of Shrek Academy.
If he were to actually run to the gates of the Body Sect and kneel before a mere thirteen-year-old boy in front of everyone, wouldn't he lose all face for the rest of his life? That would be even more painful than killing him.
The other elders immediately erupted in discussion when they heard the suggestion.
"Elder Mu, this is absolutely unacceptable!" A senior elder hurriedly intervened.
"Elder Xuan is, after all, a senior member of our Sea God Pavilion. His status is extremely noble. He represents the face of the academy."
"Making him kneel before a junior, what will the outside world think of Shrek Academy? How will we maintain our standing on the continent in the future?"
Xian Lin'er frowned and said, "Yes, Elder Mu, there are many ways to apologize."
"We can offer him massive resources as compensation, and even promise him a future seat in the Sea God Pavilion, but kneeling... is indeed going too far."
As Moon listened to the crowd's attempts to dissuade him, his gaze grew even colder. He suddenly flicked his sleeve, creating a gust of wind.
"Face? For the sake of so-called face, we have already missed out on a once-in-a-millennium genius. Isn't that a wake-up call?"
"Can saving face bring in a future Limit Douluo? Can saving face ensure the long-term stability of Shrek Academy's millennia-long foundation?"
Mu En's words were forceful and resounding, leaving everyone breathless: "Xuan Zi was wrong in this matter. Not only was he wrong, but he also broke the heart of a martyr's orphan!"
"If Shrek Academy doesn't even have the courage to admit its mistakes and apologize, then what right do we have to call ourselves the holy land of the Soul Master world?"
"Xuanzi must represent Shrek Academy and express his stance with the utmost sincerity."
After saying that, Mu En ignored everyone else and stared intently at Xuan Zi.
"Xuanzi, I'll only ask you one question: what do you say? Do you want your old face, or the future of Shrek Academy?"
Xuanzi opened his mouth, his heart in turmoil.
He really wanted to refuse firmly, to say that a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. But he knew Moon's temperament all too well.
Don't be fooled by Moon's amiable demeanor; it's mainly because he's old and his temperament has matured.
In Xuanzi's memory, Mu En in his youth was a recognized "Dragon God" with an extremely fierce personality.
Xuanzi knew that Mu En was now truly enraged.
If he dared to say "no," given Moon's current state, he would definitely get another beating, and in the end, he would still have to go.
so.....
Under Mu En's gaze, which seemed to pierce through one's soul, Xuanzi's last shred of pride crumbled completely.
He closed his eyes, letting tears mingle with blood stream down his face, gritted his teeth, and answered with all his remaining strength:
"Xuanzi…is willing."
(End of chapter)