Future God of Food, Give It Here

Unlike Tang San, who had been able to attend Nuoding City Primary Academy as a Work-Study Student right after awakening, Ma Hongjun and Oscar simply did not qualify for those Work-Study Student slots at Soul Master Academies.

Because Holy Soul Village had once produced a Soul Saint, it received one Work-Study Student slot every year. But the villages near Suotuo City were different—several villages combined only had one slot per year.

As it happened, those villages also had one or two children with Soul Power every year. Even if their initial Soul Power was only One or Two levels, or Two or Three levels, it still meant that Ma Hongjun and Oscar, both orphans, were basically destined to miss out on that slot.

Where there were people, there were classes and circles of interest. Not every village chief was as kindhearted as Old Jack. Besides, places that could reliably produce Soul Masters were always much wealthier than Holy Soul Village, so the small amount of authority in their hands could bring them far greater benefits.

This was, in fact, the reality for the vast majority of Commoner Soul Masters.

After awakening their martial souls, they attended a primary Soul Master academy. Those with poor luck, like Oscar, might even waste another two or three years before getting in. They then cultivated bitterly for six years, received the most ordinary soul ring with help from academy teachers, and graduated. Once they entered society, they continued struggling to cultivate with Spirit Hall subsidies. They might only become Soul Grand Masters in their entire lives, while the luckier ones might break through to Soul Elders.

That said, who could truly let go if there was even the slightest chance? After all, even a one-ring Soul Master was considered a noble figure in the eyes of ordinary people.

In the Original Work, Ma Hongjun was not discovered and taken in as a disciple by Flender until he was nine. Oscar's background before entering Shrek was never mentioned in the Original Work, so he had probably wasted several years in the village as well. If he had been able to attend a primary Soul Master academy, the major powers would likely have fought to reserve him the moment he enrolled.

From far away, the people of Spirit Food Village spotted Spirit Hall's luxurious convoy and reported it to the village chief.

This village chief was clearly someone who knew how to handle things. He had come out early to welcome them at the village entrance.

The moment they arrived, Xia Tianling saw a fat man with a bloated face and belly looking at him with a fawning smile. He immediately frowned.

Before he could speak, the fat man beat him to it.

"Esteemed lords of Spirit Hall, this humble one is the chief of Spirit Food Village. May I ask how I may serve you?"

He did not ask why a child was speaking, nor did he foolishly ask what Spirit Hall's group was doing in his little village. Important people did not need to explain their business to him. All he needed to do was provide good service and make the lords sent down to handle matters feel comfortable.

"Your village has a child named Oscar, around eight years old, correct? Go invite him here. Remember, invite him." Xia Tianling could not be bothered with nonsense and went straight to the point.

The fat man's expression froze for a moment before he hurriedly shot a look at one of his lackeys.

"Did you hear the lord? Hurry up and invite Little Ao here!" Then he turned toward the carriage and smiled. "My lord, why not rest for a while at my humble home first?"

"No need. I'll wait here." Xia Tianling flatly rejected the fat village chief's attempt to curry favor and lowered the curtain.

Oscar, Oscar. In the Original Work, his talent truly made him the number one of the younger generation. After becoming Titled Douluo, a god had come looking for him on its own initiative and had even given his wife a divine position.

In terms of talent alone, even Little San was far inferior to him.

And now, this precious gem was about to come under my command!

Xia Tianling felt faintly excited. Whether it was to gain another capable assistant, eliminate a potential threat, harvest a large amount of Fate Power, or simply make up for a regret from his past life, this was something worth celebrating.

Very soon, Oscar was politely invited by the village chief's lackey to the Spirit Hall carriage.

Oscar, who had just been brought over, still looked utterly confused. He was only a poor boy who made a living selling sausages in the city. How could he possibly be worthy of the attention of Spirit Hall's important figures?

Xia Tianling pushed open the carriage door and got out. The first thing he saw was Oscar's distinctive Peach Blossom Eyes. Oscar had only just turned eight this year, so he did not yet have the scruffy beard he had in the Original Work. Dressed in plain cloth garments, he already possessed a rather handsome air.

He stopped in front of Oscar, bowed first, and only then spoke.

"Oscar, first, on behalf of Spirit Hall, I apologize to you. Due to the negligence of our lower-level personnel, you received unfair treatment. I hope you can forgive us. The people responsible have already been punished and had their Soul Power crippled. They're locked up over there."

Before he had even finished speaking, the dozen or so guards following behind the carriage all bent at the waist in unison.

"Please forgive us!"

Xia Tianling had instructed them to do this on the way here. Of course, he was not making them shout for nothing. Each person who came received ten Gold Soul Coins. More than a hundred Gold Soul Coins was barely anything to him now, but for guards who generally only had one ring, it was nearly half a year's wages!

Forget shouting an apology once—they would have shouted it a hundred times!

They were all workers trying to make a living. Who would have a problem with Gold Soul Coins?

Oscar was only an eight-year-old kid who made a living selling sausages. So many Spirit Hall guards were bowing and apologizing to him together, and there was also this "child" before him who was obviously a major figure. It completely overwhelmed him.

Not just Oscar—even the village chief and his lackey stared in stunned disbelief.

That was the Vice Hall Master of a Third-Class Main Hall! He was a major figure even across the entire Balak Kingdom! Yet now he had been thrown into a cage like a dead dog. Having become an ordinary person, he was now not even comparable to the village chief, a one-ring Soul Master!

Oscar hurriedly waved his hands and stammered, "I-It's fine, it's fine. I'm already very grateful that the lords of Spirit Hall awakened me. Now that I have a martial soul, I don't have to go hungry so often anymore, and I can even eat meat. I'm doing well, really well. Thank you, thank you, my lords."

Sigh.

Xia Tianling secretly sighed. Oscar was still just a child, after all. Look how overwhelmed the kid was—one apology had made him so grateful he was nearly in tears. It seemed there was no need to use the follow-up measures he had prepared. He could simply continue according to the script he had written.

Before Oscar learned that he could directly enter Spirit Hall Academy and receive extensive training, Xia Tianling could take the opportunity to build another wave of goodwill.

"Thank you for your forgiveness. Then there is one more matter." Xia Tianling deliberately paused. "I hope to invite you to join Spirit Hall Academy and become my companion. From now on, I will personally cover all of your resources!"

He was Bibi Dong's disciple, and perhaps even half of Qian Daoliu's disciple. It was not really wrong to say that Spirit Hall's resources were his. He was merely using them in advance.

Oscar's mind went blank the moment he heard this. His eyes widened as he swayed slightly and pointed at himself.

"Y-You mean... I can attend Spirit Hall Academy?"

"Yes, you, Oscar. Also, don't address me as 'sir.'"

"F-Free?"

"Yes, free."

"Do they provide meals?"

"Of course!" Xia Tianling laughed. "Not only will they provide meals, they'll provide lodging, clothes, money, and even help you obtain soul rings suited to you!"

After confirming again and again that this "child" was truly talking about him, Oscar let out a howl under the village chief's incredulous gaze. With a thump, he dropped to his knees before Xia Tianling and excitedly hugged his leg.

"Brother! From now on, you're my real Elder Brother! You're too good to me!"

Black lines covered Xia Tianling's forehead as he hurriedly pulled him up.

"Get up, get up. We don't do this. And I'm not your Elder Brother—you're two years older than me!"

"Fine, then you're not my Elder Brother. From now on, you're my Boss! I'll follow you from now on!"

Oscar was an orphan with nothing but bare walls at home, so there was nothing to pack. He immediately decided to leave with Xia Tianling.

Amid this relaxed atmosphere, Xia Tianling brought him into an empty carriage behind them and let Ghost Douluo ride alone.

Not everyone had the nerves to share a carriage with a Titled Douluo when they were not familiar with each other.

I had always found it absurd that Spirit Hall never discovered talents like Oscar and Little Fatty. The Original Work even mentioned that Little Fatty was only discovered by Flender in the village at age nine and brought back to Shrek to study. Honestly, it was rather forced, but I did my best to patch it up. Other than dereliction of duty by subordinates, I truly could not think of any reason why Oscar would not have entered Spirit Hall. Could it be that an orphan with no background somehow awakened his martial soul for no reason and then simply waited for Flender to come take him away? If Oscar had attended school as a Work-Study Student like Tang San, then as long as the academy teachers were normal people, Oscar would definitely have shone brilliantly. An unprecedented Food System Spirit Master with Innate Full Soul Power—what sect or faction could possibly refuse him?