"Asshole, you dare call me useless? I'll teach you a lesson today!" Wang Dong roared, struggling violently. With a forceful shove, he threw Huo Yuhao aside. In an instant, the goddess of light possessed him, and blue-gold wings sprouted from his back, stretching wide.
"Stop!" A low, commanding shout rang out.
"The teacher is here!" someone from the crowd called out.
The students quickly parted to make way for Du Weilun, his face dark with anger. He was accompanied by several other teachers, all of whom were headed straight for Han Yu and the others.
"Save Zhou Yi first!" Du Weilun instructed urgently, pointing to the fallen teacher.
One of the male teachers in white, his expression serious, stepped forward. Soul rings began to appear beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black—seven in total. The crowd gasped at the sight of his seven-ringed soul power.
With a swift motion, the male teacher raised his hands, and soft green light emanated from his palms. His seventh soul ring shimmered with black energy, and he suddenly vanished from sight. In an instant, emerald green leaves erupted from the ground around him, and his entire body transformed into a towering Tree of Life.
A gentle breeze seemed to blow as one of the large green leaves detached and drifted over to Zhou Yi's motionless form. The leaf landed softly on her, and the transformation was immediate. Her pallid face quickly regained color, the blood stopped flowing from her wounds, and her breathing became steadier.
As the leaves of the Tree of Life turned into glowing green particles, they vanished into the air, and the male teacher reappeared in front of the group. His expression was now clouded with concern, as he surveyed the scene around him.
Just as the male teacher finished speaking, a man suddenly appeared, running toward Zhou Yi with urgency in his step.
"Zhou Yi, how are you?" His voice was filled with concern.
The man was powerful, with short, sleek hair and a strong, metallic scent emanating from him. He rushed forward, his expression filled with distress.
Du Weilun and the other teachers quickly moved to stand in front of Zhou Yi, and the male teacher who had been treating her gently pulled the man's sleeve.
"Teacher Fan Yu, her injury has almost healed," the teacher said softly. "That's all."
He hesitated for a moment, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at Fan Yu. There was something unsaid, and the teacher seemed reluctant to explain further.
Fan Yu, however, was too preoccupied with concern to notice the hesitation. His gaze remained fixed on Zhou Yi as he spoke without raising his head, "But what? Please, explain clearly."
Upon hearing that Zhou Yi was stable, Fan Yu sighed in relief. The weight on his shoulders seemed to lift.
The male teacher, however, gritted his teeth and continued in a more delicate manner, "Her chest was severely injured, and a powerful bolt of lightning destroyed the muscle tissue. I'm afraid she'll have some lasting imbalance in the future."
At his words, Du Weilun and the other teachers exchanged confused glances. They couldn't fully understand what the teacher was trying to convey.
The male teacher sighed, realizing the delicacy of the situation. "To put it simply, part of her chest is severely damaged. The muscle tissue is necrotic, and it can't be fully repaired. She won't be the same as before."
The teachers were visibly shaken as the implications of the male teacher's words set in. The severity of Zhou Yi's injuries was far worse than they had anticipated. The male teacher continued, his voice grim, "Even if the injury is treated, it may result in asymmetry, and any exertion could cause it to fall apart."
The mere thought of such a fate left the group of teachers unsettled. They couldn't bear to imagine the consequences and turned away from the disturbing idea.
Fan Yu, realizing the full extent of the situation, was struck by a mixture of concern and anger. His expression darkened, and his gaze fell on Zhou Yi, who had heard the grim prognosis. The idea that she might never recover fully seemed to break her, and in a moment of despair, she passed out.
When Fan Yu saw Zhou Yi lose consciousness, his expression turned stormy, his face clouded with fury. His voice was low, but full of menace as he demanded, "Who did this to her? Tell me now."
The students, uneasy under the heavy atmosphere, turned their gaze toward Han Yu. The air around him seemed to crackle with an ominous tension. Fan Yu followed their gaze and approached Han Yu, his stride purposeful and filled with authority. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "Did you do this to Zhou Yi?"
Han Yu didn't respond directly to the question. Instead, he glanced at Du Weilun, his eyes betraying no hint of guilt or fear. "Director Du, don't you have something to say?"
Du Weilun winced at the mention of his name. The weight of the situation pressed down on him. He had already gathered the details from the students, and it was clear that Han Yu was not entirely to blame for what had happened. But there was still a delicate balance to maintain.
With a deep sigh, Du Weilun muttered under his breath, "Damn Zhou Yi, always causing me trouble. If you didn't have such a powerful husband, I would've fired you long ago."
Internally, Du Weilun was seething with frustration. His role as the director of teaching was a difficult one—constantly caught between the higher-ups and his subordinates, never fully able to please either side.
Although Du Weilun secretly favored Han Yu, he was well aware that Zhou Yi's identity was not to be underestimated. She was not just any teacher—she was Fan Yu's wife. In terms of status, Du Weilun was beneath Fan Yu, and because of this, he often turned a blind eye to Zhou Yi's actions. However, the current situation was much more complicated. A student had physically injured a teacher, and not just any teacher—this was Fan Yu's wife. If the situation wasn't handled carefully, Du Weilun, as the dean, could find himself in serious trouble.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Du Weilun turned to a teacher standing nearby and whispered a few instructions. The teacher nodded and quickly left to carry out the task. Once that was done, Du Weilun plastered a smile on his face and addressed the group, "Teacher Fan Yu, classmate Han Yu, please follow me to my office. This is not the place for this conversation."
Fan Yu, his anger still simmering, responded with a cold humph. "You must give me an explanation today, or else…" His voice trailed off as he swiftly turned to pick up the unconscious Zhou Yi. He was determined to get her to the infirmary as quickly as possible.
Du Weilun's face twitched slightly at Fan Yu's lack of respect, but he quickly masked his irritation with a smile. "Let's go." He gestured toward Han Yu, signaling for him to follow without stressing too much. Du Weilun also recognized Han Yu's talent—anyone who could inflict that kind of damage on Zhou Yi was no ordinary student. He was confident that the higher-ups would support Han Yu, regardless of the situation.
Han Yu observed Du Weilun as he navigated the situation. In just a short amount of time, Du Weilun's expression had shifted countless times, a mix of concern, tension, and politeness. Han Yu couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for the man. It was clear that being the dean of a place like Shrek Academy was no easy task, especially when it meant constantly balancing the interests of the students, teachers, and higher-ups.
As they followed Du Weilun to the office, Han Yu couldn't help but notice the small but tidy space. The organization and cleanliness spoke volumes about Du Weilun's disciplined nature. Han Yu casually took a seat on one of the sofas, leaning back and crossing his arms. He had no plans to be intimidated by the unfolding drama.
"Classmate Han Yu, don't worry," Du Weilun began, his voice more reassuring now. "I've looked into the situation thoroughly. The responsibility does not lie with you, and I'm confident the academy will not take sides unfairly."
Before Han Yu could respond, the door to the office suddenly slammed open with a loud bang, and Fan Yu stormed in, his fury almost tangible.
"Really? This student, Han Yu, is so arrogant and cruel to his own teacher! This behavior shows his evil intentions, and the academy should punish him severely!"
Du Weilun's expression darkened as he heard Fan Yu's words. His patience was clearly wearing thin, and his voice grew sharp as he retorted, "Teacher Fan Yu, I think you should be aware of the entire process. It was Zhou Yi who was in the wrong first. Why should we place all the blame on Classmate Han Yu?"
Fan Yu's face twisted with anger. "Even if Zhou Yi was at fault first, that doesn't excuse this level of cruelty! No teacher should ever be treated like this!"
Han Yu, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up. "So, Teacher Fan Yu, if you were to fight a Title Douluo and you lost, would you blame them for being stronger than you?" Han Yu's tone was cold, and his eyes locked with Fan Yu's.
The challenge was clear. Han Yu had had enough of this farce. It seemed that the adults around him were more concerned about protecting their egos than understanding the real issue at hand.