Douluo Continent: Copying Ya Li, the Carefree King of the Sun and Moon

The murmurs in the square gradually subsided, and everyone stared at the girl on the platform holding up the blood-stained clothes, not daring to breathe.

"She died, she died for Shrek Academy, she died for the so-called 'protecting the peace of the continent'." Shen Muqing's voice suddenly rose, all the anger and grievances she had suppressed for three years surged out, "But how did Shrek Academy treat her family?"

She turned around abruptly, her eyes fixed on the direction of Shrek Academy, staring at Wang Yan and Xuan Zi.

"After my sister died, Shrek withheld all of her compensation money, citing 'unpaid tuition fees'!"

These words caused an uproar in the stands.

"What? They're even deducting the compensation?"

"That girl sacrificed her life for the academy's mission, and they still deduct her pay? That's just inhumane!"

Shen Muqing's voice grew louder, her face streaked with tears, but she didn't wipe them away, letting the tears just flow down her cheeks.

“That’s not all! They also want my sister to pay for three more years of tuition! My parents are just ordinary farmers, where would they get so much money? My parents sold their old house and scraped together the money from all sides to barely make it up. But after that, the house was empty. My father couldn’t take the blow and fell ill. He passed away in less than two months. My mother went with him.”

She held up the blood-stained clothes, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

"This blood-stained garment was bought back with my sister's life! Shrek Academy won't even return the clothes she wore. I had to ask many people for help and spend more than half a year to buy it back from a manager in the academy's logistics department!"

"I bought it! Listen to this! My sister's blood-stained clothes, I have to pay for them!"

Her voice floated in the air above the square, each word like a knife, stabbing painfully into people's hearts.

In the stands, someone was secretly wiping away tears.

"That's too much..."

How could Shrek do this?

"This girl is risking her life for the academy, and they're so heartless?"

Wang Yan's face was as white as paper, his lips trembled, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

Xuanzi sat there, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, gripping the armrests of the chair with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging out.

He wanted to refute, but Shen Muqing was telling the truth, and he couldn't say a word.

Shen Muqing hadn't finished speaking. She wiped away her tears, and her voice suddenly turned cold, so cold it sent chills down one's spine.

“I know some people will say that this is Zhou Yi’s fault alone, not Shrek’s problem.”

She scoffed.

"Then let me say something else."

She then took out a letter from her storage soul tool, unfolded it, and held it up in front of everyone.

"This is my sister's last letter, which she entrusted to someone to bring out. In the letter, she said that when she was on a mission, the equipment provided by the academy was all substandard, the protective soul tools were outdated, and there were not enough healing potions. She asked the logistics personnel, who said that the good equipment was reserved for the direct disciples of the inner court elders and noble members, and that the commoners in their inspection team were fine with what they had."

She read it aloud, word by word, her voice frighteningly calm.

“My sister fought the evil spirit master to the death wearing these substandard equipment. She died, but the inner court disciples, using the best potions, all returned safely.”

She put down the letter, looked in the direction of Shrek Academy, her eyes filled with hatred.

"This is the true face of your so-called number one academy! This is how you treat ordinary disciples, and those who risk their lives for the academy!"

The square fell completely silent.

It was so quiet that you could hear the wind blowing by.

Those who had originally wanted to say something good about Shrek all shut their mouths at this moment.

Shen Muqing stood there, holding up the blood-stained clothes, her face covered in tears, but her back was as straight as a drawn sword.

Xu Yanli looked at her, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes, but more so, relief.

He didn't go forward to comfort her; he just let her stand there, letting everyone see her clearly, see the blood-stained clothes in her hands, and hear the truth from her mouth.

There are some things he shouldn't say.

But Shen Muqing said it couldn't be more suitable.

In the midst of this deathly silence, yet another person emerged.

Zhao Tiesheng.

This usually quiet and unassuming boy walked up to Shen Muqing and took out a set of items from his storage soul tool.

A brand new Shrek school uniform, complete with the school badge, that looks like it's only been worn a few times.

Zhao Tiesheng looked down at the school uniform and remained silent for a long time.

Then, with a forceful pull of both hands, the school uniform was torn in two with a "ripping" sound.

The sound was extremely jarring in the quiet square.

He threw his tattered school uniform on the ground, looked up, and gazed in the direction of Shrek Academy. His eyes were red, but he didn't cry.

“My name is Zhao Tiesheng.” His voice was not loud, but each word was clear. “I am from the Star Luo Empire and a former freshman at Shrek Academy.”

He paused, his voice a little hoarse.

"On the third day of school, Zhou Yi expelled me. The reason? I didn't meet the physical fitness requirements."

He chuckled, a laugh filled with bitterness and irony.

“You don’t meet the physical requirements. My family is poor, I was always hungry as a child, and I’m physically weak. Is this something I could choose? But Zhou Yi doesn’t care about any of that. She only cares about the results. If you can’t do it, then get out.”

"My father sold the family's land and oxen to raise tuition fees, and also borrowed a lot of money. After I was expelled from school, the creditors came to our door. My father had no money to pay them back, and he was driven to his death. My mother couldn't take the shock and went insane. She passed away less than half a year later."

Chapter 133 What kind of number one academy is this? I think it's the number one pitfall academy in the world.

His voice remained calm, but everyone could hear the pain simmering beneath that calm, almost overflowing.

“I was a fourteen-year-old child who lost my parents and was sold into slavery in a mine by creditors. I worked in the mine for two years. I went down into the mine before dawn and didn’t come up until dark. The food was like pig swill, and the shacks we lived in leaked the wind and rain. The mine could collapse at any time. Several of my fellow workers died, and their bodies were thrown up on the mountain to be fed to the dogs.”

He raised his arm, revealing the dense scars covering it.

"These were all left over from the mine."

In the stands, some people covered their mouths, while others turned their heads away, unable to bear watching.

"Later, it was the people of the Carefree King who found me and ransomed me from the mine. They gave me food, clothes, taught me cultivation, and taught me how to be a person."

He looked down at the tattered school uniform on the ground and remained silent for a moment.

“I only stayed at Shrek Academy for three days, but I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. Shrek didn’t want me because I was poor, because I was physically weak, because I wasn’t a nobleman, and because I had no powerful backing.”

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the direction of Shrek Academy.

"I just want to ask Shrek Academy, do your 'education for all' principles, which you always talk about, and your school motto, 'select the best talents from all over the world to teach,' still hold true?"

These words caused an uproar in the square.

"That's right! Doesn't Shrek Academy say it selects the best talents in the world?"

"If a child is poor or has poor physical abilities, they're forced to drop out of school? Is that what you call selecting the best?"

"It's one thing to drop out of school, but to drive someone to the point of family ruin is just too cruel!"

"What do you mean by the number one academy in the world? I think it's the number one trap academy in the world!"

Wang Yan stood at the front of the Shrek team, his face as white as paper, his lips trembling violently. He wanted to explain, but swallowed the words back.

What could he say?

So Zhou Yi is dead? But Shen Muqing's sister is dead, and Zhao Tiesheng's parents are dead. These things can't be erased just because Zhou Yi is dead.

Xuanzi sat in the chair, trembling all over, whether from anger or anxiety, it was hard to tell.

He wanted to stand up and say a few words, but Long Xiaoyao's oppressive aura pressed down on him, and he couldn't even move. He could only watch helplessly as everything happened.

Dai Yueheng stood in the line, head down, his face extremely ugly.

Beibei lowered her eyes, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.

Xu Sanshi opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

Ling Luochen stood at the very back, his ice crystal staff trembling slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

They all knew in their hearts that what Shen Muqing and Zhao Tiesheng said was the truth.

These things have never been a secret at Shrek Academy.

But no one ever said it, and no one ever dared to say it.

Today, finally someone spoke up.

Xu Yanli stood at the front of the line, looking at Shen Muqing and Zhao Tiesheng, watching them finally speak out after holding back their words for so many years, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He had waited too long for this day.

"Is there anyone else who wants to speak?" he asked, his voice not loud, but it carried throughout the entire square.

Xiao Hongchen stepped forward.

“Although I am not from a commoner background, I have spent so many years at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and have seen many students rescued from Shrek.” He stood with his arms crossed, his tone sarcastic. “Guess what they said? Shrek’s inner academy prioritizes nobles and core disciples. Commoner disciples? Not even one in ten can get in.”

"You're talking nonsense!" A disciple from the inner court of Shrek Academy couldn't help but shout out.

Xiao Hongchen glanced at him and scoffed, "I'm talking nonsense? Then tell me, how many commoner disciples does your inner court have right now? Can you count them?"

The inner disciple opened his mouth, then closed it again, his face turning bright red.

Because he couldn't count them.

Meng Hongchen stood beside her brother without saying a word, but a needle of ice condensed from her fingertip and she flicked it gently.

The ice needles flew out with a "whoosh" and landed on the ground in front of the Shrek team. The cold air instantly dissipated, and a thin layer of frost condensed on the ground.

“I have nothing to say.” Her voice was cold. “I only know that in the Sun Moon Empire, in our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, no matter if you are a noble or a commoner, as long as you have talent and are willing to work hard, you will be treated fairly.”

She glanced at Xu Yanli, and the corners of her mouth slightly lifted.

"Because our Prince Xiaoyao never looks at status, only at strength."

Xu Yanli felt helpless under her gaze, so he coughed lightly, signaling her to stop talking.

Meng Hongchen pursed her lips and retreated back into the group.

Ji Juechen remained silent throughout, standing in the corner, holding his sword, coldly staring at Shrek Academy.

His hand was on the hilt of his sword, but he didn't draw it. However, everyone knew that he would draw his sword immediately at Xu Yanli's command.