Little Roast Chicken

[Today was another beautiful day.]

[It felt so good not to be in Zhou Yi's class! The lessons were much easier than Class One's, and Mr. Mu Jin gave his students plenty of help and guidance too. He really was much better than Zhou Yi.]

After taking his customary jab at Zhou Yi, Aoyao walked out of the classroom with Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

Over the past few days, Aoyao had explored most of Shrek City. Just as he had expected, Shrek City did not permit pleasure establishments like official courtesan houses.

Although he had anticipated it, learning the truth still left Aoyao somewhat disappointed. He even lost the desire to leave Shrek Academy and stroll around Shrek City.

Shrek Academy had two dining halls, one for the Inner Court and one for the Outer Court. The Inner Court dining hall was open only to Inner Court students and teachers and was completely free, while the Outer Court dining hall served the entire academy's students and staff, charged for its meals, and was slightly more expensive than the establishments in Shrek City.

Of course, only some of its offerings were more expensive.

Apart from the relatively costly Soul Beast meat and assorted delicacies, which were priced a little higher, ordinary meals cost about the same as they did outside. So Aoyao still preferred the closer Outer Court dining hall.

It absolutely was not because walking through the city reminded him that such an enormous place did not have so much as a courtesan house, filling him with sorrow.

"A serving of stewed Armored Demon Crocodile and a bowl of medicinal Wind Spirit Bird soup, please. Thank you."

There were advantages to spending time with a young lady from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan like Ning Tian. At the very least, he did not have to spend his own money on meals.

As for whether he felt ashamed about spending a girl's money... Aoyao had absolutely no qualms.

Getting a girl to spend money on him was a talent in itself!

I earned these meals with my own ability. Why should I feel guilty?

What? You say people will despise and scorn me for acting like this?

No... they're just jealous.

Who wouldn't want to land a rich woman these days?

Just as Aoyao was digging into his food, an inexplicable commotion suddenly broke out in the dining hall.

Looking toward the source of the noise, he saw a fiery-red figure standing at the entrance.

She had a graceful figure, and her blood-red Inner Court uniform stood out sharply in the Outer Court. With long, blood-red hair and a slender frame, she radiated a fierce, chilling menace like a terrifying Soul Beast, actually creating an empty zone around her that no one dared approach.

Aoyao noticed that the air around her seemed slightly distorted. Wherever she passed, wisps of mist even rippled out beneath her feet.

Her figure was undeniably scorching hot. Her towering breasts stretched her already fitted uniform into a somewhat exaggerated curve. The only pity was the red veil covering her face, making it impossible to see what she really looked like.

"She's actually a senior from the Inner Court!"

"Why would an Inner Court senior come to our Outer Court dining hall?"

"What a figure she has! If I could spend a night with her..."

"Hiss... do you have a death wish? She's Senior Ma Xiaotao, the Flame Maniac, one of the two famous active volcanoes of Shrek Academy's Inner Court! If she hears that, she'll burn every last hair off your body!"

[Hmm? She's Ma Xiaotao?]

[That figure... she really does live up to being a little roast chicken!]

Little... roast chicken?

Ma Xiaotao, who had sneaked out of the Inner Court and into the Outer Court dining hall, paused slightly, and her expression beneath her veil stiffened.

That did not sound like a flattering description!

Ma Xiaotao's temper flared instantly. But remembering the pain of ten thousand arrows piercing her heart and the rampage of her evil fire she had suffered before, she merely raised an eyebrow and forcibly suppressed her anger. She picked a serving window at random, got some food, and sat down.

She had actually come to try her luck.

Even if she did not admit it aloud, she was deeply tempted by the diary's rewards.

Whether it was increased Soul Ring ages, increased Soul Power, or a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone, any of them would significantly improve her strength. Moreover, the diary's rewards could potentially unlock the ultimate prize-if she received the Martial Soul Evolution reward, perhaps she would no longer have to suffer the torment of evil fire or bitterly endure this pain.

[Ma Xiaotao... judging by her surname and martial soul, she should be a descendant of Ma Hongjun, one of the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago. Ma Hongjun ascended to the Divine Realm, but failed to inherit the God Position of the Fire God, a First-Level God. He had to settle for the next best thing and inherit the God Position of the Phoenix God, a Second-Level God.]

[But Second-Level Gods weren't entitled to bring anyone into the Divine Realm, so he and his wife, Tang San's cousin Bai Chenxiang, were left separated across the mortal and divine realms. Looking at it that way, it's perfectly normal for Ma Hongjun to have descendants.]

[The problem is that by the time Ma Hongjun met Bai Chenxiang and had children with her, he had long since resolved his martial soul's flaws. He was no longer affected by evil fire, and had successfully evolved his martial soul into a Fire Phoenix. Even if he had descendants, they would most likely inherit a pure Fire Phoenix rather than the flawed Evil Fire Phoenix.]

[In that case... Ma Xiaotao is more likely descended from children Ma Hongjun fathered with brothel women while venting his evil fire in his early years. Back then, Ma Hongjun was nothing but a seven-spotted ladybug-a seven-star whoremonger, whoring around everywhere. There really was a good chance he left offspring behind. Descendants born that way inheriting Ma Hongjun's original evil fire phoenix martial soul... makes perfect sense!]

[By Ma Xiaotao's generation, her evil fire problem had become very serious. If Yan Shaozhe hadn't brought her back from outside, she probably would have died from evil fire invading her body before reaching her current level of cultivation.]

[Although Yan Shaozhe has done plenty of stupid things in other matters, bringing Ma Xiaotao back to Shrek Academy counts as one of his few bright spots.]

Ma Xiaotao paused in the middle of eating, a slight chill running through her heart.

Aoyao really did know a great deal about her situation!

Her ancestor was indeed Ma Hongjun, one of the Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago, but she was not descended from him and his wife. Her evil fire problem had also become extremely serious, just as Aoyao had said.

Still, hearing Aoyao disparage her teacher like that left Ma Xiaotao rather displeased.

Ever since her teacher had brought her back from outside, he had cared for her attentively and guided her. After her evil fire problem emerged, he had also worked tirelessly to find a solution. Although his efforts had produced little success, Ma Xiaotao had always loved and respected her teacher.

In her heart, Yan Shaozhe was both a teacher and a father.

Aoyao, you...

Don't you dare spout such nonsense about my beloved teacher!