Sparring with Xu Sanshi

Everyone studied all afternoon, then ate at the Shrek Academy cafeteria that evening before returning to their dorms to rest.

The next morning.

Jiang Wu and Gu Yue were reading and studying in their dorm room when Wang Dong'er strode in.

Wang Dong'er looked at Jiang Wu and Gu Yue. "Mom, Gu Yue, let's go to the east gate of Shrek City and support Yutong."

Gu Yue looked at Wang Dong'er and asked, "What's going on? What's Huo Yutong selling at the east gate of Shrek City?"

Shrek Academy's main gate was the east gate of Shrek City, and plenty of vendors had set up stalls along the road outside.

Hearing Wang Dong'er, Jiang Wu remembered that Huo Yuhao had gone there in the novel to earn money for living expenses and tuition.

This brought to mind the must-eat food in Peerless Tang Sect: Huo Yutong... bah, Huo Family Grilled Fish.

Jiang Wu was quite curious about how Huo Family Grilled Fish tasted. After all, plenty of Shrek Academy students liked it.

In the era of The Legend of the Dragon King, Huo Family Grilled Fish still existed and had even become a chain.

"Grilled fish," Wang Dong'er answered. "I wanted to help Yutong out with some money, but she wouldn't take it."

Jiang Wu smiled. "Then let's all go support her."

The three left through the academy's main gate and walked along the long street outside Shrek City's east gate.

Before they got close, they saw a small crowd gathered by the roadside outside the east gate. A simple grilled fish stall stood in the middle, its charcoal fire burning brightly. Several cleaned and gutted fish lay in a row on an iron rack, sizzling with oil, their fragrance carried far away on the wind.

Huo Yutong was crouched behind the stall, turning the fish. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and there was a smudge of charcoal ash on her face. When she saw Jiang Wu and the others approaching, her eyes lit up. She stood and waved.

Tang Ya stood beside her, one hand on her hip and the other guarding the stall, looking just like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

Bei Bei stood in front of the stall, blocking the way with his body turned sideways as he spoke to a tall youth.

The youth looked fifteen or sixteen. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, tiger-like eyes, a straight nose and a square mouth. Broad-shouldered and sturdy, he stood half a head taller than Bei Bei. His Shrek uniform was perfectly neat, and he was handsome and dignified, though his expression wasn't pleasant.

"Bei Bei, stay out of this," the youth said in a booming voice. His tone wasn't particularly harsh, but it carried an unwillingness to back down. "I've got a score to settle with the girl selling fish. It has nothing to do with you."

Bei Bei didn't move. His tone was gentle, but he stood his ground. "Xu Sanshi, whatever it is, talk to me. She's a member of my Tang Sect, and I'll stand up for her."

Jiang Wu and the other two squeezed into the crowd. Wang Dong'er spotted Tang Ya standing guard over Huo Yutong and immediately went over. "Sister Tang Ya, what's going on?"

Tang Ya turned and saw them. She curled her lip and lowered her voice. "That big idiot is Xu Sanshi. He came to buy fish just now, and Yutong was too busy to keep up, so she asked him to wait a bit. But he couldn't keep a lid on his mouth and said some nasty things. Yutong talked back, and he dug his heels in."

Jiang Wu looked at Huo Yutong. The girl was crouched behind the stall, lips pressed together. Her eyes were a little red, but she wasn't crying. She was still clutching the iron tongs she used to turn the fish, her knuckles white.

Bei Bei was still arguing with Xu Sanshi. "You're a three-ring Soul Elder, and you're picking a fight with a one-ring freshman who just enrolled. Aren't you ashamed?"

Xu Sanshi snorted and stood with his arms folded. "I never said I wanted to bully her. I just want her to apologize, and that'll be the end of it. She smacked the back of my hand with her tongs. It's still red."

Behind them, Huo Yutong muttered, "Who told you to reach over and flip my fish..."

Xu Sanshi had sharp ears. He heard her and raised his voice again. "I was trying to help you see if it was cooked!"

"That was a fish someone else had already bought!"

Xu Sanshi choked for a moment, his face reddening slightly. He craned his neck. "Well, I don't care. You hit my hand, so you've got to admit it."

Bei Bei sighed, glanced back at Jiang Wu and spread his hands, meaning that the guy wasn't too bright, but he wasn't bad at heart, just stubborn.

Jiang Wu stepped forward and patted Bei Bei on the shoulder. "Brother Bei Bei, let me handle this."

Bei Bei turned to look at him. "You?"

"I'll fight him." Jiang Wu looked at Xu Sanshi. "You have three rings, and so do I. One on one. If I lose, Yutong will apologize to you, and I'll pay you back for the fish. If I win, we put this behind us, and you don't come looking for trouble with her again."

Xu Sanshi looked Jiang Wu up and down, his thick eyebrows drawing together. "Who are you?"

"Jiang Wu, her friend."

Xu Sanshi looked at Bei Bei again. Bei Bei thought for a moment, then nodded and stepped half a pace back, signaling his agreement.

Behind them, Tang Ya tugged on Wang Dong'er's sleeve. Wang Dong'er leaned over and whispered, "It's fine. Fighting a three-ring opponent is child's play for my mom." The corner of Tang Ya's mouth twitched.

Xu Sanshi considered it. He figured he couldn't lose out in a fight between two three-ring Soul Masters, so he nodded. "Fine! But I have one condition. Just fighting is boring. Let's put something on the line."

"Go ahead."

Xu Sanshi pulled a small porcelain bottle from his Storage Soul Tool and removed the stopper. A cool, clean medicinal fragrance wafted out. "A Mystic Water Pill. It can cleanse the tendons and transform the marrow, increase Soul Power and improve cultivation aptitude. It's particularly effective for Soul Masters below level twenty. If I lose, this bottle is yours. If you lose, what will you put up?"

Jiang Wu didn't have many valuables on him. The two hundred Gold Soul Coins he had just earned in the Soul Fighting Zone counted, but the odds and ends Su Yuehua had given him didn't.

Noticing that Jiang Wu was thinking, Bei Bei said, "Sanshi, I'll put up Jiang Wu's stake. If you win, I'll give you that thing from last time."

Xu Sanshi thought it over. "All right."

He had wanted that thing quite badly, and now that Bei Bei was willing to give it to him, he naturally wouldn't miss the chance.

"Thank you," Jiang Wu said quietly.

Bei Bei waved a hand, indicating it was nothing.

Huo Yutong packed up the stall, put the unsold fish back in her Storage Soul Tool and followed behind. She tugged on Jiang Wu's sleeve and whispered, "Jiang Wu, why don't we just forget it? I can apologize to him, and that'll be the end of it..."

Jiang Wu looked down at her and reached out to wipe the charcoal ash from her face. "You didn't do anything wrong, so what would you apologize for? He couldn't keep his hands to himself and flipped your fish. You were perfectly justified in smacking the back of his hand. Don't worry about this."

Huo Yutong pressed her lips together and said nothing more. She followed along, her steps a little lighter.

She felt her heart beating very fast, especially when Jiang Wu had just wiped the ash from her face.

She didn't know why, but lately she kept dreaming about Jiang Wu, and it left her unsure how to face him.

When they reached the Soul Fighting Zone, the staff saw that it was Jiang Wu again, and that he had brought a crowd with him. Their expressions turned a little strange.

Jiang Wu paid the arena fee. The stands of Soul Fighting Arena No. 3 soon filled with students who had heard the news and rushed over to watch.

The freshman who had won ten consecutive matches yesterday was challenging someone above his level again today, a four-ring opponent. Who wouldn't want to watch?

Xu Sanshi stood on the opposite side of the arena, rolling his neck.

"Martial Soul, Black Tortoise Shield."