Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Seeing this, Ling Yu quickly stepped forward and stood between the two without making a sound. His tone was calm and gentle, giving Zhou Yi a way out and also persuading Ma Xiaotao: "Sister Xiaotao, say less. She is indeed changing. I have seen her efforts these past few days."

Zhou Yi's transformation can be considered his first report card since coming to Shrek Academy, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it his work. Naturally, he would protect her—moreover, he also wanted to see if the transformed Zhou Yi could truly lead the class well and become a qualified teacher.

Hearing Ling Yu's words of defense, Zhou Yi suddenly raised her head, looking at him with astonishment in her eyes, her eyes slightly red—she had never imagined that the student who had once beaten her and refuted her teaching philosophy would defend her like this and be willing to believe in her changes.

In an instant, all the grievances and resentment vanished, leaving only a heart full of gratitude.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, bowed deeply to Ling Yu, and said in a sincere tone, her voice slightly choked with emotion, "Thank you, Ling Yu. Thank you for believing in me and for giving me another chance. I will definitely work hard, completely correct my past mistakes, and teach the students in Class One well. I will never let you down."

Ling Yu raised his hand, gesturing for her to stand up: "To err is human, to forgive divine. If I don't give you a chance, wouldn't you be just like Zhou Yi before? How can I change you then?"

But deep down he thought: It's not just you, how can we change the entire academy, the entire continent's soul master world, or even the whole world?

Zhou Yi slowly stood up, her eyes filled with determination and gratitude. She bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Ling Yu. I will remember your words. I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations, as well as the expectations of every student in Class One. I have something to attend to and need to go back to prepare for class, so I will take my leave now."

After saying that, she turned around and strode into the teaching building. Her back view was less assertive than usual, but more resolute and composed.

Once Zhou Yi's figure had completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, Ma Xiaotao pouted, her tone still carrying a hint of incomprehension and complaint: "This is outrageous! I only found out now that that old woman Zhou Yi actually looks like this. She hid it so well! And you, Ling Yu, you actually gave her a chance?"

Ling Yu shrugged and didn't offer any further explanation.

Explaining something too much actually makes it less beautiful.

Just then, a gentle, cheerful voice came from behind: "Ling Yu, Sister Xiao Tao, what are you talking about?"

The two turned their heads and saw Jiang Nannan standing under the sycamore tree, her golden hair reflecting the sunlight, her white clothes accentuating her slender figure. She was walking briskly towards them, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ling Yu.

She made sure to get ready early to accompany Ling Yu to sign the contract—she was overjoyed to have received Ling Yu's approval yesterday, and now she couldn't wait to see him every day.

Ma Xiaotao's expression said, "We didn't talk about much, just Zhou Yi. You sure know how to rush."

Jiang Nannan looked at Ling Yu with a happy and gentle smile, "I agreed with Ling Yu yesterday to go sign the contract together." She then explained to Ma Xiaotao, "I've already spoken to Sister Le Xuan about it."

Ling Yu nodded slightly to Jiang Nannan: "Thank you for your hard work. Let's go, don't be late."

The two left side by side. Jiang Nannan turned her head and whispered something to Ling Yu, her eyes smiling.

Ma Xiaotao stood there watching their backs, pouted, and muttered sourly, "What's so great about going to sign a contract together?"

After saying that, she glanced resentfully in the direction they left, a hint of barely perceptible jealousy hidden in her eyes.

……

Zhou Yi was writing lesson plans at her desk, preparing for tomorrow's class.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Please come in." She didn't even look up, still keeping her head down as she organized her lesson plans.

The door creaked open, and a familiar sound of footsteps came in, deep and steady, each step making a soft but clear sound on the floor tiles.

Zhou Yi paused for a moment as she organized her lesson plan, her fingertips resting on the pages. After a brief pause, she slowly raised her head.

Yan Shaozhe was standing at the door.

Today, the dean of the Martial Soul Department wore his usual navy blue suit. The well-fitting fabric made his figure appear even more upright. The gold patterns on the epaulets gleamed with a faint, muted luster in the dim evening light, understated yet exuding the aura of a superior.

His expression was calm, even gentle, but Zhou Yi had known him for too long. This gentleness was never meant to be a casual reminiscing; beneath it lay a subtle, unspoken warning.

"Dean Yan." Zhou Yi immediately stood up, gently cupped her hands at her sides, and smoothly closed the cabinet door with a soft "click," the sound steady and perfectly measured.

Yan Shaozhe walked into the office, but didn't touch the chair on the desk. He went straight to the window, stood with his back to Zhou Yi, and looked at the playground outside the window.

At this time, the freshmen had just finished class, and the noise gradually subsided. A few people were still strolling leisurely in the square, and occasionally a few words of laughter drifted in through the window, making the office seem even quieter.

"Teacher Zhou," he finally spoke, his tone as calm as if he were stating a trivial matter, "I've heard about what happened to you in Class One."

Zhou Yi pursed her lips and remained silent.

She knew Yan Shaozhe's personality; he didn't need to say much, and he would stop short of saying anything more. There was no point in her saying anything more at this moment, so she could only wait quietly for him to finish speaking.

Yan Shaozhe slowly turned around, his gaze falling on her, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he were scrutinizing her or confirming something.

"That Ling Yu," he paused, then continued, "is indeed quite talented."

After another brief pause, he added, "A three-ring Soul Master, capable of defeating a six-ring Soul Emperor. Shrek Academy has never seen such a promising talent in all these years."

Zhou Yi's back tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and her fingertips curled up slightly, pressing against her side.

She knew this way of speaking all too well: first praise, then criticize, and after the build-up, there would always be a turning point—she was waiting, waiting for that expected "but".

Yan Shaozhe didn't keep her waiting for long.

"But," he said, his tone still flat and without any inflection, as if he were merely commenting on the weather, "Mr. Zhou, how many years have you been teaching at Shrek Academy?"

"Eight years." Zhou Yi's voice was soft, but each word was clear, without the slightest hesitation.

These eight years have been eight years in which she went from a green new teacher to an outstanding teacher in the Martial Soul Department, and every day of them is etched in her heart.

"Eight years." Yan Shaozhe repeated the two words, nodded slightly, and his gaze held a hint of weight that was hard to detect. "In eight years, I don't need to say how many outstanding students you've trained. Of all the classes in the Martial Soul Department, the one with the highest graduation rate and the best reputation has always been the one you taught."

"I know what you're thinking." Yan Shaozhe's voice was exceptionally clear through the evening breeze that drifted in through the crack in the window. "That Ling Yu is too talented, and he speaks with such confidence. His words struck a chord with you, and you were moved. You even feel that you've been on the wrong path for the past eight years and want to try a new one."

He paused, then turned back, his gaze questioning yet still gentle: "Teacher Zhou, you're twenty-eight this year, in your prime, with another twenty or thirty years of teaching ahead of you. Just because of a few words from a student, you're willing to completely negate eight years of your hard work and dedication—are you sure this is clear-headedness, not a momentary impulse?"

"I didn't..." Zhou Yi finally couldn't help but speak, her voice a little hoarse. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't know how to continue her defense. She wanted to say that she hadn't completely denied it, but the words sounded particularly weak when they came out.

"I know you're not completely against it," Yan Shaozhe interrupted her, his tone as gentle as lukewarm water, yet like a dull knife, slowly cutting into her heart. "You just feel that the old methods were too harsh, too cruel, and inhumane, and you want to add something softer. Teaching according to aptitude, understanding principles and guarding one's heart—these words do sound beautiful and make a lot of sense."

He took a step forward, staring intently into Zhou Yi's eyes, his tone suddenly becoming serious, breaking the previous gentleness: "But have you ever thought that Shrek Academy has been able to stand on the continent for ten thousand years because of these 'beautiful' things?"

"Ten thousand years, Teacher Zhou." His voice was soft, yet heavy as a stone, pressing on Zhou Yi's heart. "The rules of this Soul Master world have always been like this—the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive."

His gaze swept across the desk as he continued, "The freshmen in your class might jump up and argue with you today just because you called them 'trash.' But what about tomorrow? The day after? When they graduate, enter the real world of Soul Masters, encounter real enemies, and face life-or-death situations, who will reason with them? Who will give them a chance to fight back?"

"Ling Yu beat you, so he can stand here and tell you those principles, and people listen to him." Yan Shaozhe's tone deepened. "But what if he had lost? What if he were just an ordinary student with mediocre talent, terrified by your six-ring Soul Emperor aura, not even daring to look you in the eye—would anyone still care about his words?"