Douluo Continent: Rebirth of Ma Hongjun, Phoenix of Ultimate Light

Chapter 39: Is not causing trouble a sign of mediocrity? We must eliminate this unhealthy culture!

It was late at night, but the lights were still on in the courtyard of Shrek Academy.

After returning from the library, Ma Hongjun did not go for a medicinal bath as usual, but went straight to Flander's office.

"Teacher, there's something I want to say."

Flanders was organizing the ledgers when he heard this. He looked up, saw his serious expression, and put down his pen.

"explain."

School rules.

Flander raised an eyebrow: "What about the school rules?"

"Some school rules need to be changed," Ma Hongjun took a deep breath, "especially that one—a Soul Master who doesn't cause trouble is mediocre."

Flander frowned.

Zhao Wuji happened to walk in from outside and heard these words, so he paused in his steps.

"This school rule," Ma Hongjun's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "if it continues to be kept, it will eventually ruin the academy."

The office fell silent for a moment.

Flander did not immediately express his opinion, but leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and looked at Ma Hongjun with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Go on."

Ma Hongjun knew he needed to give sufficient reasons to persuade these stubborn teachers. He took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.

"Teacher, I understand the original intention of this school rule—to encourage students to be courageous, daring, and unafraid of trouble. But the conditions of the college are different now, and the number of students will increase in the future, so the hidden dangers of this school rule will become greater and greater."

Zhao Wuji frowned, seemingly unconvinced.

Ma Hongjun knew that simply talking about theory was useless; he needed to give examples. After thinking for a moment, he gave an example that even he himself found absurd.

"Let's say, hypothetically speaking, that the academy later admits a student with a very strong martial spirit, high talent, and innate full soul power—stronger than me. But he has some mental issues; he interprets 'a soul master who doesn't cause trouble is mediocre' literally—meaning he'll pick a fight and provoke everyone he sees."

"One day he went to Soto to eat, and because he waited too long for his bowl of noodles, he smashed up the noodle shop. The noodle shop owner called the police, and when the city guards came, he was indignant and beat them up."

"There are Soul Masters in the city defense force, and he injured several of them. So the Spirit Hall intervened and discovered they were students from Shrek Academy. The Spirit Hall came knocking on our door. Teacher, how will you handle this?"

Flander's brow furrowed even more.

"This is just the beginning." Ma Hongjun didn't stop. "Who will compensate the noodle shop owner for his losses? Who will pay for the medical expenses of the city garrison soldiers? How will we explain this to the Spirit Hall? If the students are stubborn and refuse to admit their mistakes, and things escalate, will the Heaven Dou Empire's officials have a negative view of the academy? Will future graduates of the academy be hindered from entering the Imperial Army or government departments because of this criminal record?"

"This is just one incident. What if this student keeps repeating the same mistakes? What if he's not the only one? What if the academy grows larger and produces several such students every year, making a bunch of enemies? Then the teachers will be too busy cleaning up their messes."

Ma Hongjun paused, his voice turning somber.

"Teacher, let me give you another example. What if this student didn't mess with an ordinary person, or the city's defense forces, but instead offended the grandson of a Contra player?"

The air in the office suddenly turned cold.

"What does it mean to be a Soul Douluo? Eight rings, level 80 or above, someone who can become a high-ranking member of the Spirit Hall. If he knew his grandson had been beaten up, what would he do? He'd come knocking on our door demanding an explanation."

"Our academy's strongest fighters are you and Teacher Zhao, both seven-ring Soul Saints. If a Soul Douluo comes from the other side, can the two of you team up and defeat him? It's not certain."

"What if a Title Douluo comes?"

Ma Hongjun's voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced the ears of everyone present like nails.

"There are no more than twenty Title Douluos on the entire continent. Each one stands at the very top of the pyramid. If our students offend a direct relative of a Title Douluo, and that Title Douluo comes knocking on our door in a fit of rage—Teacher, are we going to be wiped out?"

Zhao Wuji clenched his fists.

Li Yusong's knuckles were white as he gripped the dragon-patterned staff.

Behind Lu Qibin's glasses, his gaze was solemn.

Shao Xin's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Flander's face turned ashen.

He wasn't angry; he knew that everything Ma Hongjun said was the truth.

"Even if you've offended a Soul Douluo or a Title Douluo, but just a Soul Emperor, if they come to your door, can you beat them up every time, teacher? If you do, they'll hold a grudge and might resort to dirty tricks when they encounter your students outside."

Tripping them up. Students graduate, enter society, and find themselves targeted everywhere because of the trouble they caused in school. Who will take responsibility then?

"If we make too many enemies, what if they graduate and leave, and then come after the academy for revenge? The academy is right here; they can't run away. If a bunch of enemies block the gate, how can we run the school? Will the students even dare to come?"

Ma Hongjun looked at Flander with a calm gaze.

"Teacher, we only have two students right now, just me and Xiao Ao. You, Teacher Zhao, and Teacher Li can handle things when we need them. But what about the future? Shrek Academy won't always have only two students. More people mean more problems. If every student uses the excuse that 'a Soul Master who doesn't cause trouble is mediocre' to cause trouble outside, can you protect everyone? Will the academy even be able to exist?"

Flanders remained silent for a long time.

This school rule was set by him when he was young. Back then, he had nothing, he was reckless and fearless, neither afraid of causing trouble nor afraid of trouble causing him. But now, Shrek Academy doesn't belong to him alone anymore. There are students, teachers, and walls and buildings under construction.

These are all things he cannot afford to lose.

Zhao Wuji stood there for a long time before finally managing to stammer out, "So you mean to tell the students to all cower in fear?"

"I'm not a coward." Ma Hongjun shook his head: "Not causing trouble doesn't mean being afraid of trouble. If someone bullies you, of course you should fight back. But you can't go looking for trouble. Just because you waited too long for a bowl of noodles, you smash up someone's shop. That's bullying the kind-hearted, not showing backbone. If you bully the young and then the old come along, and you mess with people you can't afford to offend, and in the end everyone is ruined, that's even less showing backbone."

Zhao Wuji paused for a moment, thought about it carefully, and felt that it did make sense.

"Hongjun is right," Shao Xin's voice came from outside the door.

He came in carrying a pot of tea and poured a cup for everyone.

"I've worked in the cafeteria for so many years and seen all sorts of people. Some Soul Masters have very high cultivation levels, but they have bad tempers and are quick to resort to violence. On the surface, no one dares to mess with them, but behind their backs, many people hate them with a vengeance. When they fall on hard times, everyone will kick them while they're down."

Shao Xin put down the teapot and sighed.

"When we teach students, we must not only teach them cultivation, but also how to be a good person. No matter how high their cultivation level is, if their character is flawed, they won't go far. If they offend the wrong people, they'll lose their lives."