Ice Emperor

Lu Ran had considered naming it Mousey Milk Tea, Mixue Ice City, Cha Bai Dao, Gu Ming...

He had also thought about names like Mixue Frozen City, Cha Qian Dao, Jin Ming...

After careful deliberation, he felt none of them were suitable, so he simply gave up.

He did not want the shop he poured his heart and soul into to have a pirated name, nor did he want to use someone else's brand.

Besides, the name "Milk Tea Shop" might sound casual, but in reality, it was anything but.

To put it colloquially, even if Pikachus were as common as weeds on the roadside, Ash would still call his Pikachu "Pikachu."

To put it poetically, there are millions of roses in the world, but the one that belongs to you is the most special.

And this shop was that very rose for Lu Ran.

After another half hour of organizing, the three Cloud Cluster Ground Rats stood on the preparation counter, attempting to shake milk tea according to the recipe Lu Ran provided.

It was all very simple:

chopping up apples, tangerines, oranges, watermelons, passion fruit, and so on.

In just a few minutes, ten cups of milk tea were lined up on the counter under the astonished gaze of Yan Shaozhe.

"Dean Yan,"

Lu Ran gestured for him to try, "Would you like to taste them?"

Yan Shaozhe's eyes were filled with wonder.

He had never imagined that one could actually hire soul beasts to run a shop; this was truly a bizarre tale!

Wait...

Hiring?

"Little Ran, how did you convince them to work?"

Lu Ran replied as if it were only natural:

"Compensation, of course."

"If you provide compensation, they will naturally be willing to work."

"I promised them one Blue Silver Green Wood Vine every day and forty catties of Delicious Nuts every month, with an extra catty of Sweet Honey for outstanding performance."

Blue Silver Green Wood Vines could not be eaten casually, but they worked well as payment.

He had also already stockpiled quite a bit of Sweet Honey.

"With so many benefits, why wouldn't they be willing?"

This was treatment they could never receive in the Star Dou Great Forest or the Small World.

Of course, the main factor was Lu Ran's Soul Beast Affinity constitution; otherwise, it would have certainly taken a lot more effort.

Yan Shaozhe's eyes flickered as he looked at the three ground rats on the counter, who were watching him with expectant gazes.

His heart was slightly touched.

So, the emotions of soul beasts were this rich?

He picked out a cup of orange juice.

Ice-blue, transparent ice cubes without bubbles floated on top, emitting an invisible chill.

He gave it a gentle shake, and the ice cubes clinked softly against the cup, making a faint clicking sound.

When he brought it to his lips, he could smell a fresh scent of orange peel.

Yan Shaozhe took a sip.

The freshly squeezed orange juice, mixed with pulp, entered his mouth.

The juice was slightly tart, refreshing, and invigorating. As he swallowed, a faint, sweet moisture rose in his throat, and the fruit bits burst with a fresh, acidic sensation as he chewed them between his teeth.

He nodded sincerely, "It is indeed quite good..."

"Zhi zhi zhi!!"

The Cloud Cluster Ground Rats squeaked happily, celebrating the customer's satisfaction.

But Yan Shaozhe pursed his lips slightly.

The taste of this Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice was indeed quite good, but it was merely just good.

Drinks like fresh-squeezed fruit juice had been made thousands of years ago, so there was no difficulty to it at all.

However, the fact that it was made by a Soul Beast could certainly attract many customers, which was not bad.

Lu Ran saw what Yan Shaozhe was thinking, and naturally understood that the Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice wouldn't be too astonishing; after all, this wasn't some glowing cuisine that could make people hallucinate.

He reached out and pointed to a cup nearby, smiling slightly:

"Please, Dean Yan, try this cup as well."

Seeing Lu Ran's confidence, Yan Shaozhe turned his gaze to the cup he indicated. It was also Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, but the color leaned toward red, and the Cloud Cluster Ground Rat had added something very strange to it, something he had never seen before.

Yan Shaozhe picked it up and took a sip.

The sweet and sour taste of orange juice hit his palate, followed by the gentle warmth of tea and milk, all melting together in his mouth.

His eyes lit up:

"What is this?!"

It was the most delicious drink he had ever tasted in his life!

Lu Ran smiled confidently, "An exclusive special blend."

"Pure fresh-squeezed fruit juice certainly lacks appeal; this is one of my core competitive advantages."

In truth, it was something he had concocted based on his memories, using a tea base made from milk, honey, rock sugar, and black tea.

Even if the taste wasn't exactly the same, it was close enough.

After all, it was called a milk tea shop;

if a milk tea shop didn't have milk tea, could it still be called a milk tea shop?

"One of?"

Yan Shaozhe's eyes narrowed slightly, keenly catching onto that word.

He turned his gaze to the third cup, and suddenly understood.

The third cup used the same ingredients as the second, but the difference was, it was emitting an extremely faint trace of soul power.

Yes, this was the second of Lu Ran's core competitive advantages:

the ingredients used could contain soul power.

Yan Shaozhe was suddenly enlightened.

So a Small World could be used in this way?!

At ten o'clock in the morning, the milk tea shop officially opened.

"Wow, what is that?!"

A long-haired girl in her early twenties wearing red clothes was so frightened she hid behind her male companion, clutching his clothes.

The male companion beside her was also startled, and not just him; the crowds passing by on the street were all taken aback, because, just a short distance ahead, a massive yellow Soul Beast had abruptly appeared.

It stood over four meters tall with a sturdy build, its amber-like scales shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight, and its sharp brown claws looked as if they could tear anything to shreds.

"Awoo~ awoo~"

It suddenly let out two very soft cries, Attracting the curiosity of those nearby.

"Is its cry so delicate?"

"How could there be a Soul Beast here?!"

"A dragon-shaped Soul Beast?! It looks so strong!"

Then, the crowd watched in astonishment as, A large cyan bird emerged from the shop, standing as tall as the dragon-shaped Soul Beast, Its sharp, long beak glinting with a chilling, metallic luster.

"Holy crap, what kind of Soul Beast is this too?!"

"What a huge bird!"

"What on earth is that?!"

Next, The crowd witnessed a scene that made their jaws drop:

The two Soul Beasts brought out two signs with thick, clearly hand-drawn lettering.

The yellow dragon-shaped Soul Beast held a sign that read:

"Grand Opening!"

The sign standing in front of the cyan bird Soul Beast read:

"Welcome to Taste!"

"Awoo~"

"Swoosh~"

Naturally, The crowd, mouths agape, looked up in unison at the plaque above: Milk Tea Shop.

Milk Tea Shop?

"Milk Tea Shop?"

"What is a Milk Tea Shop?"

People on the street exchanged confused glances.

Then, the two Soul Beasts walked back into the shop, leaving behind only the rattan chairs, small round wooden tables, and decorative greenery blooming with tiny white flowers.

"Why did they go back in?"

"Should we go in and take a look?"

"But we don't even know what a Milk Tea Shop is..."

"Forget it, let's just go in and see..."

The strange spectacle from moments ago spread quickly, And the crowd gradually began to pour into the shop.

To the right of the entrance was the ordering counter, where two adorable mice that could melt anyone's heart were standing, Their fur fluffy and soft, They must feel amazing to the touch!

"Wow..."

"So cute..."

Lu Ran stood behind the ordering counter and said with a smile, "Welcome."

Oh, so there was a person there too...

Only then did the people entering notice Lu Ran.

Regaining their senses, the crowd looked around.

The first floor was decorated quite simply: high stools, small round tables, and greenery—that was all.

The two Soul Beasts that had walked in were nowhere to be seen.

"The types of drinks we offer are listed up there."

Lu Ran reminded them.

The crowd looked up to see a glowing Soul Guidance Light Board displaying:

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice: One Gold Soul Coin

Ten-Year Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice: Two Gold Soul Coins

Double Passion Fruit: Two Gold Soul Coins

Ten-Year Double-Mix Passion Fruit: Two Gold Soul Coins

Strawberry Milk Tea: Three Gold Soul Coins

"..."

"It's this expensive?!"

"What even is Strawberry Milk Tea?"

"...Wait, Ten-Year Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice?!"