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Chapter 83: The Reason for Bloodshed and Suffering
By the time the four of them had finished dinner and returned to the academy, the sky had already darkened.
After bidding farewell to Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena made their way toward the pristine white dormitory for new students.
As they walked, Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke.
"You seem to be in a particularly good mood today."
Though he couldn't pinpoint why, the tacit understanding built over years of companionship allowed him to clearly sense that Gu Yuena's mood today was unusually bright.
For instance, when she held his hand, she would occasionally give it a gentle squeeze, and the way she swung her arm was more relaxed than usual. Thinking carefully, this change seemed to have started after their encounter with Tang San at noon.
"Really?"
Gu Yuena blinked innocently, her calm expression shifting the conversation. "By the way, you still owe me a hug. When do you plan on making it up to me?"
"?"
Huo Yuhao froze. "Didn't we already…?"
"I said I wanted a trial hug first, with the reward doubled afterward," she explained, giving him a sidelong glance. "Or are you trying to go back on your promise?"
Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. After scanning their surroundings subconsciously, he lowered his voice.
"You were the one who said we could hug a little longer before… this time, it's clearly more than double the usual time."
"That was your choice. Besides, it was a long hug, so it only counts once," Gu Yuena said evenly.
Seeing her expressionless composure, Huo Yuhao felt a few dark lines form on his forehead.
He couldn't tell if Tang Ya had somehow influenced her, but over the years, Gu Yuena seemed to be growing increasingly… strange.
This feeling had intensified ever since they joined Shrek Academy.
Yet, unlike Tang Ya, he had never sensed the Sin of Lust in Gu Yuena. Feeling confused, he could only attribute it to her curiosity.
Just as he was about to continue negotiating, his eyes caught a sight ahead: on the open space in front of the new student dormitory, lounged a frail, elderly figure.
It was Mu En, the current Head of the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy.
Gu Yuena also noticed the figure and paused, seemingly surprised by the elder's strength.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, fixating unwaveringly on the seemingly frail old man.
Mu En, truly appearing like a man in the twilight of his life, struggled to push himself up from the lounge chair. His dim eyes scanned the two of them before finally settling on Huo Yuhao.
"Does this young man have a moment to spare? Would you accompany this old man for a chat?"
The familiar voice sent a shiver down Huo Yuhao's spine. Seeing his former teacher appear before him once more, his body involuntarily tensed.
After a brief silence, Huo Yuhao glanced at Gu Yuena. No words were needed; she understood.
After giving Mu En a long, steady look, Gu Yuena walked past him and seated herself quietly on the steps near the dormitory entrance, watching Huo Yuhao attentively.
Mu En's eyes carried a hint of amusement as he looked at Huo Yuhao, his tone laced with meaning.
"It seems your young lady is still wary of this old man."
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, noncommittal. "I wonder what the old master wants to discuss?"
"Merely to see what makes a person cared for by Lexuan so special," Mu En replied, his intentions clear.
"Honestly, there have been many freshmen this year who piqued my curiosity. Among them, your companion is the most enigmatic and the only one who instills a sense of fear in me."
"But that, in turn, made me notice you, Huo Yuhao. Being followed by such a presence, perhaps you are the truly extraordinary one here."
Even as an Ultimate Douluo, he could detect no fault in Huo Yuhao—yet that was the very problem.
Simply by observing Huo Yuhao, Mu En could clearly sense the abnormal intensity of his martial veins, the overwhelming spiritual fluctuations far beyond a Spirit Grandmaster, and the spiritual power that exceeded his own spiritual power, painstakingly detected.
These seemingly impossible traits, to Mu En, were perfectly reasonable. A prodigy surpassing all others, endowed with unique opportunities and secrets—it was only natural.
Otherwise, if everyone were a genius, why would one surpass the rest?
Gu Yuena, however, was entirely different. To Mu En, she appeared as a perfectly ordinary spirit master. Her spiritual fluctuations, martial veins, and spiritual energy were all completely typical of a Spirit Master at the Spirit Elder level.
All signs pointed to her being astonishingly average, yet somehow she possessed three purple spirit rings.
Some might claim her cultivation and spirit rings were fake. Yet Gu Yuena could manipulate various elements to defeat Xu Sanshi, the strongest defensive-type student in the outer academy.
Absurd.
Even with his centuries of insight, Mu En found this incomprehensible, almost terrifying.
Either she possessed hidden treasures, or this young lady was far stronger than he.
The unexplainable sense of awe and the reverent aura emanating from her, reminiscent of the Light Holy Dragon bloodline, left no doubt: it was the latter.
Such a presence, merely appearing at Shrek, posed a significant security risk.
He could not simply ignore her because she seemed harmless; that would be neglectful toward the academy's safety.
Fortunately, there was the connection of Zhang Lexuan to rely on; otherwise, he would not even know how to gauge her intentions.
"I heard from Lexuan that you let an evil spirit master go. Can you tell me why?"
"Because....?"
Huo Yuhao paused briefly before calmly explaining his reasoning.
"Because I believe kindness and righteousness should never be reasons for bloodshed or suffering."
Mu En remained silent. With just this statement, he understood why Zhang Lexuan was so deeply impressed by this boy.
Self-interest had become the sole standard; the strong preying upon the weak was the natural law in this world.
This world, everyone cried out about the cruelty of reality, and then threw themselves into it without hesitation.
Yet amidst such an environment, a youth like this appeared—how could one not be hopeful?
After a long pause, Mu En shook his head in admiration.
"You are truly the most extraordinary child I have ever seen."
Before he could finish, a contemptuous voice rang from afar.
"Empty words, boy! We all know what you are saying, but these are sacrifices necessary for the stability of society. Evil spirit masters are humanity's public enemy. We must eliminate danger at its cradle. Let one go today, and countless innocents may suffer tomorrow!"
Huo Yuhao tilted his head, his eyes calm as he gazed at Xuan Zi, who was striding toward them, holding a drumstick and a wine gourd. He asked evenly,
"Even if, over ten thousand years, tens of thousands of innocents have been condemned as Evil Spirit Masters and killed?"
"This is a necessary sacrifice for societal stability!"
Xuan Zi scoffed. "Do you think the inner academy students of Shrek Academy did not suffer during their battles with evil spirit masters?"
"I've seen the mission records Lexuan submitted regarding encounters with evil spirit masters. And yet, it's you again."
"Do you know why she was there? Every year, the continent faces incidents caused by evil spirit masters. Who do you think handles them?"
"I'll tell you: our inner academy students at Shrek Academy!"
Mu En frowned, his voice tinged with anger. "Xuan Zi!"
But the brief warning did not silence him. Having previously been insulted by this boy in the Star Dou Great Forest, he seized the moral high ground and pressed on.
"Do you know the horrific consequences of letting evil spirit masters roam unchecked? To prevent such tragedies, we must make ruthless choices!"
"Inner academy students die every year battling evil spirit masters. Has Shrek ever complained?"
"Or do you think because inner academy students can die, innocents cannot?"
His eyes locked on Huo Yuhao, the tone rising.
"Are those people more noble than our inner academy students?"
"Of course not. But sacrifice and slaughter are two different things."
Huo Yuhao's expression turned icy. His voice rose in tandem with Xuan Zi's hysteria.
"Sacrifice is walking into death with awareness and resolve. Slaughter is forcing the innocent to face death against their will."
He recalled the expression of the young man before him. His voice cut through their soul:
"They did nothing wrong. They merely wanted to live, yet some claim moral authority to push them into graves!"
Xuan Zi froze. Before he could respond, Mu En's voice, thrice as stern, rang out.
"Xuan Zi!"
Sensing the fury in the words, Xuan Zi reluctantly shut his mouth, though his gaze toward Huo Yuhao still carried reluctance.
Mu En then turned to Huo Yuhao, apologetic.
"I apologize on behalf of Xuan Zi, child."
Xuan Zi's face changed drastically, seeing Mu En apologizing to a child.
"Elder Mu En!"
Before he could continue, Mu En's piercing gaze silenced him entirely.
Huo Yuhao shook his head lightly, neither acknowledging nor rejecting the apology. As he walked toward the dormitory, Mu En's voice stopped him again.
"I've considered the questions you raised. But this isn't something a single person or faction can change. What you see now is unavoidable, yet also the most efficient way to deal with evil spirit masters."
"You can't let the world's flaws justify becoming corrupt yourself, right?"
Huo Yuhao paused, turning to the two. His voice was gentle but firm.
"The so-called most efficient way to fight evil spirit masters is also the most efficient way to breed them."
"Contradictions never vanish—they only hide, waiting to erupt."
Mu En's eyes narrowed, staring at the boy with an unexplainable intensity.
"You want to change evil spirit masters? Child, I can tell you: that is nearly impossible."
"Even if some among them are those you speak of, they are few. Many still willingly fall for power."
"I will not do that, nor do I have the ability," Huo Yuhao said, shaking his head, each word deliberate.
"What I seek is merely to give those willing to change one more option."
"One that allows them to live without committing evil."
Mu En pressed further: "What if far fewer are willing to change than you think?"
"Then I will descend my final mercy, burning everything to ashes, ending it all before dawn," Huo Yuhao said calmly, lowering his gaze.
"I once heard a story of a God about to punish a sinful city. Someone pleaded, and God promised: If ten righteous remain, the city shall not be destroyed."
"But I think, if only ten remain…"
"Then destruction is the best choice."
Huo Yuhao shrugged, his voice steady.
"Such a world only torments the few who remain good."
With that, he bowed to Mu En lightly and strode toward the dormitory without another glance.
From the silence, seemingly just recovering from Huo Yuhao's words, Mu En turned to look at Xuan Zi, whose face was somewhat gloomy.
"Feeling embarrassed by a junior's lesson?"
"I—"
Xuan Zi opened his mouth to protest, but could not form words.
"Enough," Mu En said coldly. "The boy is correct. Don't let others laugh at us. Shrek never claims righteousness. We merely correct past mistakes. Reflect on today's actions after returning."
Xuan Zi's expression flickered before he muttered silently.
"Yes."
Looking at Xuan Zi's appearance, Mu En snorted again.
"I won't blame you for the spirit beast matter, but if you continue to act recklessly and arrogantly, the academy will eventually fall. Now, tell me why you come at this hour?"
Xuan Zi finally lifted his head, speaking softly.
"It was Shaozhe who came to the Sea God Pavilion to see you."
(End of Chapter)