"Master, apart from this..."
"I can't think of anything else."
Tree Elder spoke frankly.
"I suppose this must be it."
Hearing this, Tang Luochuan smiled and nodded. In truth, whether the answer was correct or not, it wasn't a truly important matter.
"Let's go."
"Tree Elder, check where Lan Fozi is currently located. We'll go meet her."
Tang Luochuan smiled faintly as he spoke slowly.
As long as they met her and observed whether she showed any reaction in his presence, then all answers...
Would naturally become clear.
Whether she had come because of him...
Would be evident at first sight!
"As you command, Master."
Tree Elder replied respectfully.
"Her current location is..."
"..."
Outer Academy.
"The students of Shrek Academy are indeed stronger than those outside. So many young Soul Ancestors, and even Soul Kings and Soul Emperors..."
"That Titan Giant Ape girl from the other day was quite remarkable."
Lan Fozi sat in a small pavilion, lost in thought.
During this time, she had seen many people at Shrek Academy, so-called geniuses. Many of them were merely different from ordinary people and didn't live up to their reputations, but the true geniuses...
Did exist.
For example, Yuanen Yehui whom she had met before, a third-year girl named Wu Siduo, and even a tall, bald guy who looked incredibly strong...
"But that boy I met the other day..."
"I've only seen him once."
Lan Fozi blinked, unable to help muttering to herself.
In her mind, the image of that extraordinarily elegant young man she had seen at the dormitory building resurfaced.
That boy wasn't just handsome—though that was the most ordinary thing about him—what truly mattered was...
The aura he exuded, in every aspect, made her unable to remain indifferent. A Soul Sage-level cultivation! And...
That unparalleled presence within him.
"He..."
"Is different from everyone else!"
Lan Fozi couldn't help but conclude in her heart.
"But for now..."
"I should go eat first."
As hunger struck, Lan Fozi immediately made up her mind. She turned her gaze toward the direction of the food street, stood up, and headed that way.
As a top-tier Soul Master, she technically didn't need to eat—her mother and other powerful figures were like that—but she was an exception, often seeking out delicious food.
In the outer academy, there was a grilled fish shop called Yuhao Grilled Fish, which was quite tasty. It was said to have been founded by the legendary Dai Yuhao, though the authenticity of that claim was dubious.
Not long after placing her order at the grilled fish shop, a voice reached her ears.
"Boss, um..."
"I forgot to bring enough money this time. Could I owe you for this meal?"
At the counter, a chubby boy in green clothes looked dejected as he spoke, holding a wallet with only a pitifully small amount of money inside.
"This shop doesn't allow credit..."
Hearing this, the boss's previously smiling face stiffened as he replied coldly.
In all his years in Shrek City, this was the first time he'd encountered someone trying to eat without paying. Since when was there such a Reason?
The key issue was that if the person before him had only eaten one or two, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But damn it, he ordered forty top-grade Millennial Yellow Croakers—even the shop's stock wasn't that plentiful...
And now he says he has no money after eating?
What kind of person is this!
"No, it's not like that!"
"I don't mean to not pay, it's just that I really didn't bring enough money this time. I... I didn't mean for this to happen!"
The chubby boy's face flushed red as he spoke anxiously.
He thought he had brought enough money, but who knew he was short...
"Talking won't help now."
"Call your family or friends right away and have them bring the money."
The shop owner's expression was far from friendly as he spoke bluntly.
"Boss, I'm a student at Shrek Academy. I'll definitely become a strong cultivator in the future—how could I possibly skip out on the bill? Just let me owe it this once..."
The chubby boy's face showed reluctance as he pleaded.
This chubby boy was none other than Xu Lizhi.
Once before, just because he had skipped out on a small meal with Tang Luochuan's younger brother, his good friend Ye Xinglan had coldly cut ties with him, leaving him heartbroken for years...
Now, how could he possibly ask someone else to pay for him again?
He absolutely couldn't let others think of him that way again.
"A student of Shrek Academy?"
The shop owner looked at him, his expression growing even more unkind.
"Yes."
Xu Lizhi, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, nodded quickly.
"Do you think in this Shrek City!!!"
"Most young people here aren't students of Shrek Academy?"
The shop owner was practically laughing in anger, his voice rising in frustration.
"Either call your friends or family to bring the money, or have your teacher come pick you up."
The shop owner's face was as sour as if he'd eaten something foul, his tone icy.
"I understand..."
Xu Lizhi gritted his teeth, as if remembering something, and reluctantly pulled out his Soul Guidance Communication Device to call the same person who had bailed him out last time...
His homeroom teacher after entering the outer academy, Shen Yi.
"A student of Shrek Academy..."
"Yet eats without bringing money."
Lan Fozi observed the scene, muttering to herself. This chubby boy looked like he could eat a lot, but could he really do something like this? Or was it...
Just a simple case of skipping out on the bill?
"Here's your grilled fish, ma'am."
Soon after, an employee brought two plates of grilled fish to Lan Fozi, smiling politely.
The reason for such friendliness was simple—this customer was the complete opposite of the chubby boy who had angered the boss.
She had paid upfront for her meal!
"Alright..."
Just as she was about to happily dig in, a familiar figure in the distance suddenly caught her attention.
"Is that..."
Lan Fozi immediately set down her chopsticks.
Not far from her, a man's figure came into view—what an unbelievably handsome face!
Flawless, with no imperfections to be found. Perhaps there wasn't a second face like this in the entire world.
But what drew her even more was the aura around him!
"A familiar aura, a familiar person!"
"That's the young man from that day!"
Lan Fozi couldn't tear her eyes away, murmuring in awe.
"My Lord, Lan Fozi is right here!"
"My Lord, Lan Fozi is looking at you."
"Master, Lan Fozi is staring straight ahead!"
Tang Luochuan certainly noticed Lan Fozi's gaze at this moment, but he wasn't fully focused on it. Instead, he was somewhat contemplative as his attention fell on the chubby figure before him.
"Xu Lizhi?"
The next instant, a silent voice suddenly spoke up—yet it didn't come from Tang Luochuan, but from the person accompanying him, who had come here to buy grilled fish...
Ye Xinglan!
PS: While chatting with friends earlier, I was reminded of two particularly unpleasant characters from the original work—the Light and Dark Dragons, Long Yeyue.
Then there's Xu Lizhi, who shamelessly chased after Ye Xinglan, even inviting her to meals without paying, yet couldn't be bothered to lose weight.
In the original, he had a massive belly weighing two to three hundred pounds, proclaiming his love to Ye Xinglan while looking like a ball—it genuinely traumatized me as a kid.
Long Yeyue hasn't been written much in this book yet, but she's definitely going to die later because she's truly repulsive...
In this book, I didn't even portray Cai Yue'er as she was in the original, because at least she stayed and died when Shrek was bombed.
Long Yeyue...
A real expert at hiding in bomb shelters.
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