"Let's go to the Star Dou Great Forest. It's just the right place to hunt a third Soul Ring for Ye Guyi," Xu Yanli said.
"Little brother, do you know where we can find a horse stable around here?" Xu Yanli asked Huo Yuhao with a smile.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and handed Xu Yanli a simple map. "My mother bought this before. It should be fairly clear. Please don't call me little brother. My name is Huo Yuhao."
"Hello, then. I'm Xu Yanli, the current Pavilion Master of Xiaoyao Pavilion," Xu Yanli said with a faint smile. "This is Ye Guyi, my younger sister. I see you're at level ten. Why don't you come with us to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Gratitude flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly nodded.
With the map Huo Yuhao had given him, Xu Yanli found a horse stable. After renting a carriage, the group set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Brother Yanli, you're not from the Star Luo Empire, are you?" After about three days, just as they reached the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Xu Yanli asked with a smile.
"Your Soul Tools are far too advanced, and Elder Kong's skin..." Huo Yuhao said after hesitating for a moment.
Xu Yanli chuckled. "Teacher, were you praising him for his pure bloodline?"
Kong Deming lightly patted Xu Yanli on the head, then smiled at Huo Yuhao. "Are you going to report us?"
Huo Yuhao's gaze was firm, and hatred flashed in his eyes. "Are you enemies of the Duke of White Tiger? I want to join you."
Xu Yanli paused, then smiled. "All right. The Sun Moon Empire welcomes you."
Before long, the group reached a small stream about three meters wide. Its water looked crystal clear.
Kong Deming had gone off to scout the surroundings. After all, the Star Dou Great Forest was fairly close to Shrek Academy, and he didn't dare use his Soul Tools too freely.
If I'm remembering right, isn't this where Huo Yuhao grilled fish in the original story? Xu Yanli thought.
Xu Yanli tapped his Storage Soul Tool twice and took a fishing net out of it.
Ye Guyi looked at him in disbelief. "Brother Yanli, are you a walking treasure chest?"
"Please call me Doraemon," Xu Yanli said with a smile.
"What's Doraemon?" Ye Guyi asked, utterly confused.
Xu Yanli smiled. "It's a little divine beast that can pull all kinds of treasures out of its pocket."
"He must be amazing, then," Ye Guyi said with a smile.
After seeing him haul in fish with the net, Huo Yuhao started a fire and prepared to grill them.
"Brother Yanli, let me grill these. I'm pretty good at it." Seeing how clumsily Xu Yanli was gutting the fish, Huo Yuhao hurried over.
Xu Yanli immediately handed him the fish. "I'm counting on you, little brother. I haven't the faintest idea how to do this."
Ye Guyi looked at Xu Yanli in exasperation. "I thought our four-limbed-and-lazy Prince Xiaoyao knew how to grill fish."
"Prince Xiaoyao!" Huo Yuhao had always assumed that the man before him was a noble of the Sun Moon Empire. He hadn't expected him to hold such a high position.
"Huo Yuhao, would you like to become my disciple?" Xu Yanli leaned close to Huo Yuhao's ear and asked with a smile.
"I, I... My Martial Soul isn't any good, and my Innate Soul Power is really poor, too." Huo Yuhao gutted the fish as he spoke, stammering with nerves.
"Ah, whatever else you can say about the Sun Moon Empire, even if your talent is poor, we can build it up. Besides, you have a rare Mental Attribute." Xu Yanli poked Huo Yuhao's cheek and smiled. "You've finally put on a little weight these past few days."
"I'm willing to become your disciple!" Huo Yuhao cried, overwhelmed with excitement. He forgot all about the fish in his hands, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed to Xu Yanli twice.
Xu Yanli smiled and used his Soul Power to help him up. He patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "From today on, you're my first disciple. Once we get back to Xiaoyao Pavilion in Shrek City, I'll give you some cultivation resources. I didn't bring much with me."
"Shrek Academy... Mother said it was a wonderful and powerful place." A trace of longing showed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Xu Yanli rubbed his chin. Should I let Huo Yuhao spend a couple of days at Shrek Academy?
Give him a shock and tell him Shrek Academy isn't wonderful at all. After all, how could he hate it if he never experienced it?
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Xu Yanli's eyes. After all, Huo Yuhao would later steal plenty of their information for Shrek Academy...
Forget it. I'll have Huo Yuhao go as an exchange student when the time comes. If Shrek Academy brainwashes him, it'll be a terrible loss.
The fish Huo Yuhao was grilling on the rack nearby had begun to give off wave after wave of crisp, savory fragrance, along with a mouthwatering aroma that was hard to describe.
It smells so good.
Xu Yanli dashed over to the grill, excitement all over his face, and waited. He licked his lips a few times, feeling as though he was about to start drooling.
"Little brother, are you selling that grilled fish? It smells amazing! How did you make it?" A young woman suddenly burst out of the forest and came up to them.
Xu Yanli hesitated. Since he didn't want to reveal himself just yet, he said, "It's mine. I'm not selling it."
Wait, that makes me sound pretty unpleasant toward them...
No. Nobody's taking my food.
"Hello. Could we catch a couple of fish and have this young brother cook them for us? We'll pay him for his work." Bei Bei gently held Tang Ya back and asked them with a smile.
Huo Yuhao saw Xu Yanli nod and replied nervously, "S-sure."
"Are you here to hunt Soul Beasts, or are you heading to Shrek Academy?" Tang Ya asked, sitting down nearby while the fish had a few minutes left to cook.
Xu Yanli felt that something was off. They had arrived three days earlier than in the original story, but Bei Bei and Tang Ya seemed to be waiting here, like NPCs stationed at a fixed point.
But hadn't the God of Destruction said that he had blocked Tang San's view?
Xu Yanli rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on.
"Brother Yanli, yours is ready," Huo Yuhao called when he saw Xu Yanli spacing out again.
Xu Yanli immediately got up and took a skewer, intending to pass it to Ye Guyi, only to find that she had already started munching away.
Xu Yanli sighed and went off to munch on his own. He had to admit, it was pretty delicious, though it could've used more seasoning.
Not spicy enough.
Only then did Xu Yanli remember Bei Bei and Tang Ya. He smiled and replied, "Ah, sorry about that. I was lost in thought. We're going to Shrek Academy, and those two are here to hunt Soul Beasts."
"It's all right, it's all right. Where are the adults in your group? Didn't they come with you?" Tang Ya looked around in confusion and asked.
Before you continue