Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Chapter 210 Lu Jun: "Please, put away your love-struck brain!"

Just as Lu Jun's slender fingers were about to touch the heavy door, he paused slightly.

He didn't turn around, but his clear and calm voice echoed distinctly in the room:

"Dean, actually... if you just publicize the resources and treatment that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy truly invests in its students, the effect will probably be more direct and impactful than any exhibition match."

The dean's smile froze for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Lu Jun's voice continued:
"After all, looking across the entire continent, I have never seen any academy that is as willing to invest so much in cultivating truly useful talents for the Federation as the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."

"The students are grateful for this boldness and this genuine cultivation."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned slightly to the side and bowed solemnly to the old man behind him who held the reins of the academy.

This bow, neither humble nor arrogant, is both an expression of gratitude and a sign of acceptance.

Straightening up without another word, Lu Jun pushed open the door and left, his figure disappearing into the light and shadow of the corridor outside.

Silence fell once again in the office.

The dean stood there, gazing at the empty doorway, and after a long while, he let out a long sigh, filled with endless complex emotions.

He slowly walked back to the spacious chair, sat down gently, and the boiling passion that had just been fueled by Lu Jun's agreement gradually cooled, replaced by a deep bitterness.

“You’re right, Mr. Lu.” The old dean’s deep voice murmured to himself in the empty room, “Resources, treatment, investment… the academy has never been stingy, and it is by no means inferior to Shrek Academy.”

“But…” A trace of helplessness and resentment flashed across his cloudy eyes, “There are always some people whose eyes are only fixed on Shrek’s illusory halo of glory, as if only by being recognized by them can one be considered to have entered the inner circle.”

"The talents we've poured our hearts and souls into nurturing always seem to be inferior in their eyes..."

"There will always be people who want to trample our Sun Moon Academy underfoot and chase after that unattainable Shrek myth."

A heavy sigh echoed in the room. The dean leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the distant sky outside the window. His thoughts seemed to be drawn by invisible threads, flying towards the legendary academy located in the heart of the continent, shrouded in countless halos.

Competition, obsession, unwillingness to accept defeat...

A mix of emotions left this veteran, who had been in charge of the academy for many years, feeling deeply weary and somewhat lost.

……

As soon as Lu Jun stepped out of the dean's building, a figure suddenly darted out from around the corner of the corridor, rushing towards him with a gust of wind.

"Brother Lu, Brother Lu, something terrible has happened!"

Xie Xie's face, which usually carried a roguish air, was now deathly pale, with fine beads of sweat even seeping from his forehead, and his eyes were filled with panic.

Lu Jun did not stop walking; he merely glanced at him indifferently, his tone calm and unperturbed:

"Huh? What's the big deal? Has the sky fallen?"

"It's Sister Gu Yue!" Xie Xie's voice cracked with anxiety as he gestured wildly. "Sister Gu Yue is at the school gate, blocked by people from the Spirit Pagoda. There's a huge crowd of them, and the one leading them... I think his name is something like Qian Gu Zhang Ting!"

"That arrogant idiot who always brags that he's the number one genius in the Spirit Pagoda!"

"Oh?" Lu Jun raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, a hint of understanding flashing deep in his eyes. Then, a smile of interest curved his lips, as if he had heard some amusing news. "Qian Gu Zhang Ting? Heh, what a coincidence?"

He turned and walked straight toward the academy gate.

"Let's go watch a show together." Hilarious! What trouble could possibly threaten a mere Silver Dragon King?
So when Lu Jun heard that it was Qian Gu Zhang Ting, he knew there was some good gourd to eat.

This is too exciting to miss!

"Watching...watching a show?" Xie Xie's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, wondering if he'd misheard. He grabbed Lu Jun's arm, his voice rising even higher, filled with disbelief, "Brother Lu, are you crazy? That's Sister Gu Yue! She's being harassed by that narcissist! Aren't you...aren't you even a little bit nervous?"

"Aren't you afraid that toad surnamed Qian Gu will actually... steal Sister Gu Yue away?"

Xie Xie's mind was clearly filled with countless melodramatic scenarios of a forced marriage.

Lu Jun was pulled so hard that she paused slightly, rolled her eyes dramatically in exasperation, as if she were looking at a hopeless, late-stage love-struck patient.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers and pried Xie Xie's hands off his arm one by one.

“First,” Lu Jun said calmly, raising his index finger, “Gu Yuena is an independent individual. She has her own thoughts and personality. She is not my private collection, not my property, and certainly not a trophy that can be stolen.”

"Where she wants to go and whom she wants to meet is her freedom."

"Secondly," Lu Jun then raised his middle finger, "what's yours can't be taken away by others. If it can be easily taken away, then it never belonged to you in the first place."

Even if you forcibly hold onto it, if your heart isn't in it, leaving just an empty shell is exhausting for both yourself and others. What's the point?

These words were like icy snow water, instantly extinguishing half of Xie Xie's anxiety.

“Third.” Lu Jun also raised his ring finger, his tone carrying an undisguised disdain.

"Xie Xie, be more clear-headed. Don't drag every little thing into love and romance. Gu Yuena and I are friends, partners, and like-minded people who recognize each other's interests. That's all."

"Stop having all those messy, pink bubbles in your head."

Xie Xie was stunned by this series of logically clear and insightful Lu family maxims. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

After a long while, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, he nodded vigorously, the lingering panic on his face replaced by a look of sudden realization that he had learned something.
"Oh...oh, I see, it's only because of your insightful and incisive observation, Brother Lu!"

He scratched his head, his anxiety instantly dissipating, and eagerly followed Lu Jun's steps.

……

The grand entrance of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was now packed with people, a scene of bustling activity.

A large number of students came upon hearing the news, forming a large circle three layers deep. Excited, curious, and whispering gazes were all focused on the center of the circle.

A fairly large area was cleared in the center of the crowd.

Qian Gu Zhangting was dressed in a well-tailored and expensive uniform from the Spirit Pagoda, which made him look tall and handsome.

At this moment, however, his carefully styled hair was slightly disheveled, and the deliberately maintained, self-proclaimed dashing smile on his face was so stiff that it was about to collapse.

He held in his hands a large, extremely gorgeous bouquet of rare soul-guided flowers that almost submerged his upper body. The petals were still covered with morning dew and emitted a refreshing fragrance.

The value of this bouquet of flowers is enough for an ordinary Soul Master to strive for for several years.

His gaze was intense, filled with undisguised infatuation and determination, fixed on the solitary, beautiful figure just a few steps away.

(End of this chapter)