In a small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest—
Zhao Wuji spoke to Li Xiaoyao.
"Kid Li, it'll be dark soon. Entering the Star Dou Great Forest now is too dangerous."
"How about you come with me to find a hotel nearby? We can eat and get a good night's rest, then split up after entering the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow?"
Li Xiaoyao considered it for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure! No problem!"
"Let's follow Teacher Zhao's arrangements!"
Ning Rongrong had already chosen the target for her third Soul Ring, so he was in no rush. This was also a good opportunity to inspect the Blazing Heaven Earth Cover.
After thinking it over, Li Xiaoyao added.
"Teacher Zhao, how about we go to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel together?"
Star Dou Town—
Although this town had been established because of the Star Dou Great Forest and was not as large as Suotuo City, it had everything one could need. Food, drink, entertainment, and facilities for Soul Masters were all readily available.
Naturally, a place like this, where money flowed in every day, would have businesses owned by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Before setting out, the two of them had already planned this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.
However—
At Li Xiaoyao's suggestion, Zhao Wuji fell into thought.
"Uh..."
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel?"
It was not that his relationship with Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong was particularly bad.
On the contrary, seeing how exhausted these children were after traveling all the way here, he wanted them to rest properly as well.
But when he thought of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel's prices, even the straightforward Immoveable Ming King found himself in a difficult position.
Because—he was truly poor!
Zhao Wuji rubbed his rough palms together, his tone carrying a trace of awkward embarrassment.
"Hehehe! Kid Li!"
"It's not that Old Zhao wants to spoil the mood, but I really can't afford the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel!"
Zhao Wuji lowered his voice—
As if afraid someone else might overhear, he added.
"Last time, I heard that stingy bastard Flender mention that even their most ordinary vegetable dishes cost dozens of Gold Soul Coins. Meat dishes with even a little soul beast meat start at several hundred."
"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but that stingy bastard Flender has owed me several years' worth of wages without paying up."
"The Gold Soul Coins I have left are only enough to make do at an ordinary hotel for a few nights."
Feeling Ning Rongrong's speechless gaze—
Zhao Wuji hurriedly added.
"Of course—"
"That doesn't mean Rongrong's family hotel is ripping people off."
"It's mainly because for an ordinary, not-so-well-off Soul Master like Old Zhao, spending at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel once would make my heart ache for over half a month."
As he spoke, Zhao Wuji touched his storage Soul Tool, which contained very few Gold Soul Coins, further strengthening his resolve to go somewhere else.
"Kid Li, Rongrong, listen!"
"Let's find a hotel with better value for money. As long as we eat our fill and sleep well, there's no need to waste money."
Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, then rolled their eyes at Zhao Wuji together.
Li Xiaoyao spoke.
"Teacher Zhao, don't worry!"
"With Sister Rongrong here, how could we possibly make you pay?"
"Besides!"
"Brother Mubai warmly invited me to visit Shrek Academy back then, and he's taken care of me in every way these past few days. I can't keep eating and drinking for free without even treating everyone to a meal in thanks, can I?"
"This meal is both Sister Rongrong's way of cherishing the friendship between classmates and letting everyone taste her family business's signature dishes."
"And it's also my chance to properly thank Brother Mubai for his warm invitation and hospitality during this time."
"When we get to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel, just eat to your hearts' content. You don't need to worry about the cost."
A few thousand Gold Soul Coins were nothing. Even without Ning Rongrong, Li Xiaoyao could afford to treat them.
"Hahaha!"
"Good, good, good!"
"Since this is Kid Li and Rongrong's kindness, then Old Zhao won't stand on ceremony!"
The embarrassment on Zhao Wuji's face instantly vanished. His hearty laughter made the surrounding air tremble faintly.
"To be honest, I've long heard that the soul beast meat medicinal dishes at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel are incredibly nourishing. I just couldn't bear to spend the money to try them."
"Since you two are being so generous, then Old Zhao will gladly accept!"
Thus, at Zhao Wuji's call, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others answered weakly before dragging their exhausted bodies forward.
Within minutes, the group staggered into the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel and ordered a huge tableful of dishes.
The moonlight was dark as ink.
Inside a private room at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel.
Faced with a table overflowing with delicious food, Ma Hongjun acted like a starving ghost reborn, picking up dish after dish and stuffing them directly into his mouth.
Everyone present frowned at the sight.
Did Ma Hongjun not understand even the slightest bit of table manners?
Zhao Wuji's face darkened. He slapped the back of Ma Hongjun's head and roared.
"Hongjun! Watch your image!"
"Even if you're a starving ghost reincarnated, you still need to eat with some manners!"
Humiliating!
Utterly humiliating.
Ma Hongjun had completely thrown Shrek Academy's reputation away!
"Uh..."
"Teacher Zhao! You can't blame me for this!"
"Wasn't I just too hungry?"
The slap made Ma Hongjun stagger. Half a piece of roasted meat was still stuffed in his mouth as he mumbled indistinctly.
Zhao Wuji's tiger eyes widened.
"Hey! You little brat, you still dare talk back?"
"Eating like a starving wolf is embarrassing Shrek Academy!"
"You make it look like us old folks have been mistreating you—does the academy cafeteria not give you enough to eat?"
"How did you end up so hungry that you look like you've never seen the world?"
Li Xiaoyao gave the farce a faint glance, without the slightest ripple in his eyes.
Fortunately, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel's round table was large enough. Ma Hongjun was seated beside Zhao Wuji, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others, still some distance away from him, so he did not affect Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong.
"Sister Rongrong, eat some more too."
"Brother Xiaoyao, this is the mushroom stewed chicken you like. You should have some too!"
Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong fed each other, and Xiao Wu watched Tang San eagerly—she wanted Third Brother to feed her too, so she stared at Tang San with longing eyes.
But—
Before Tang San could react, Ma Hongjun finished the last piece of roasted meat in front of him. Sauce still hung from the corners of his glossy, greasy mouth. His eyes rolled, making him look like a petty thief who had found a new target.
His gaze swept across the feast before finally settling on the plate of crystal crab before Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong, which they had only taken two bites from—the crab meat was plump and sweet, coated in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel's special honey, and looked utterly delicious.
Just as Ma Hongjun reached out to snatch the dish before them, he met Li Xiaoyao's calm glance.
There was not the slightest anger in that gaze, yet it was like icy jade tempered by frost, carrying an invisible pressure that made his entire body stiffen. It was as though Soul Power had locked him in place, leaving him unable to move.
Then they heard—
Before you continue