The Flying Sausage Takes Off!

The crowd erupted.

"Impossible! How could anything like that exist?"

"Sausages? You mean the kind made by Food-type Soul Masters?"

"They let you fly? At the speed of a Sharp-Tailed Rain Swallow? What a joke!"

"And for a whole hour!? Even a nine-ring Titled Douluo couldn't catch up!?"

Manager Gu clapped his hands.

"Whether it's a joke or not, you'll know once you've tried it."

"Please welcome our Soul Master to the stage for a demonstration."

Oscar took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

Every eye in the audience turned to him.

Two Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.

"Second Soul Skill: Flying Sausage."

Oscar brought his hands together, and five sausages glowing blue appeared in his palms.

Delicate wing patterns adorned their surfaces, and light shimmered across them in a dazzling display.

He handed one of the sausages to a staff member beside him.

The staff member ate it, and blue Light Wings suddenly unfurled.

The entire auction hall fell silent.

The staff member tried flying a lap. He moved so fast that all that remained was a blue blur.

The people below stared, mouths agape.

"Th-this is real?"

"So fast! Unbelievably fast!"

"Even a Soul Saint couldn't catch up at that speed, could they?"

Manager Gu spoke at just the right moment:

"Bidding for the Flying Sausage starts at two Gold Soul Coins."

"The highest bidder wins. Quantities are limited; we only have five today."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone raised a paddle.

"Ten!"

"Twenty!"

"Thirty!"

"Forty!"

The price soared, quickly breaking past fifty.

Backstage, Fu Wen's lips curved into a faint smile.

It was exactly as he'd expected.

In the end, the first Flying Sausage sold for fifty-five Gold Soul Coins.

The second went for fifty-two.

The third went for fifty.

The fourth went for fifty-three.

The fifth went for sixty.

All five sausages sold for a total of two hundred and seventy Gold Soul Coins.

After deducting the auction house's ten-percent commission, they took home two hundred and forty-three.

Oscar clutched the heavy money pouch, his hands trembling.

"Brother Wen, is this... is this real?"

"It's real."

Fu Wen patted his shoulder. "Your sausages are worth that much."

Back at the Academy, Flender looked at the money pouch on the table, unable to stop grinning.

"Two hundred and forty-three Gold Soul Coins! In one go!"

"Xiao Ao, these sausages of yours make money faster than printing it!"

Oscar scratched his head and gave a silly grin.

"It was Xiao Wen's idea. I just did the work."

"Workers deserve a share, too."

Flender took out thirty Gold Soul Coins and handed them to Oscar.

"This is yours. Keep it for yourself."

Then he took out another thirty and handed them to Fu Wen.

"This is yours. You came up with the idea."

Fu Wen didn't refuse. He took the coins and put them away.

Flender locked the rest of the money in the Academy's storeroom.

"This money will be the Academy's reserve fund from now on."

"When we have more students, we can use it to buy medicinal herbs and equipment."

Leaning back in his chair, Zhao Wuji sighed.

"Who'd have thought Shrek Academy would one day be living off its students?"

"That's called having talent."

Flender adjusted his glasses, looking pleased with himself.

"Other people's students spend money. Mine make it."

"That's the difference."

Listening nearby, Ma Hongjun grew fired up.

"Master, when will I be able to make money for the Academy, too?"

"First, get your Evil Fire under control."

Flender patted his head. "With the type of Martial Soul you have, making money this way is nearly impossible. We'll take it one step at a time."

"Okay!"

Ma Hongjun nodded vigorously.

Fu Wen sat off to the side, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The Flying Sausage was only the first step.

There was still a long road ahead.

Early the next morning, Flender called the three boys into the courtyard.

"Yesterday's auction was a success, but this is only the beginning."

With his hands behind his back, Flender paced before the three of them. "Xiao Ao's Flying Sausages can be sold at most five times a week for now, with five sausages each time. At yesterday's prices, that's over a thousand Gold Soul Coins a week. More than fifty thousand a year."

He stopped and looked at Oscar. "But there's a problem. Your sausages only keep for one day, which means you have to make them fresh at the auction house every day. You could manage that for a day or two, but no one can keep it up for long."

Oscar scratched his head. "Dad, what should I do?"

"Two things." Flender held up two fingers. "First, raise your Soul Power. As your level increases, the sausages' shelf life will naturally get longer. Second, look for medicinal herbs. Some rare treasures of heaven and earth can extend how long Food-type Soul Masters' products can be stored. Keep an eye out for them."

Oscar nodded. "Understood."

"And you, Xiao Pang." Flender turned to Ma Hongjun. "Your Phoenix Holy Light Strike can attack and purify, but it's not powerful enough yet. You saw what happened at the auction house yesterday. Xiao Ao can make money because his ability is one of a kind. If you want to contribute to the Academy someday, you have to train until you can do what others can't."

Ma Hongjun puffed out his chest. "Master, I'll do my best!"

"Xiao Wen." Flender finally looked at Fu Wen. "You have the heaviest responsibility. Xiao Ao and Xiao Pang's progress depends on your guidance. Also, someone at the auction house may have their eye on us. I want you to come up with a plan in advance."

Fu Wen nodded. "Understood."

"Enough. Time to train." Flender waved a hand.

In the days that followed, all three lines of work advanced at once.

Every morning, Oscar trained in close combat with Fu Wen. In the afternoon, he went to the auction house to make Flying Sausages.

By the end of the week, all five auctions had been packed, and the Flying Sausage had made a name for itself throughout Suotuo City.

Merchants even came all the way from out of town just to bid on one and try it.

The prices had stabilized, too.

Each sausage went for between fifty and sixty Gold Soul Coins, occasionally spiking to seventy.

Flender grinned from ear to ear every day as he tallied the accounts.

Ma Hongjun was making rapid progress as well.

His Phoenix Holy Light Strike had improved from three hits out of ten to eight, while his Evil Fire stayed firmly under control and never once flared up.

Every night after soaking in the medicinal bath, he'd seek Fu Wen out on his own and ask, "Brother Wen, can I make my flames even purer?"

Fu Wen patiently answered him every time.

Fu Wen didn't neglect his own cultivation, either.

The Innate Divine Crocodile Art circulated day and night, and his Soul Power steadily climbed.

He trained the other two during the day, cultivated on his own at night, and never missed a medicinal bath.

After more than twenty days, he had already touched the threshold of level eighteen.

That night, after soaking in the medicinal bath, Fu Wen sat cross-legged on his bed and circulated the Innate Divine Crocodile Art.

His Soul Power flowed through his body, each circuit faster than the last.

He could feel the barrier right before him. He was only one step away.

No rush.

Fu Wen took a deep breath and steadied his mind.

He understood that haste made waste.

Flender pushed the door open. Seeing Fu Wen cultivating, he didn't disturb him. He sat nearby and waited.

Only after Fu Wen opened his eyes did Flender speak. "Xiao Wen, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"Manager Gu from the auction house came to see me today."

Flender's expression was somewhat grave. "He said someone's taken an interest in the Flying Sausage and wants to find out where it comes from."

Fu Wen raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Not sure. Manager Gu didn't say, but he warned me to be careful."

Flender paused. "I was wondering if we ought to put things on hold?"

Fu Wen shook his head. "We can't stop. If we do, it'll only make us look guilty."

After a moment, he said, "Dad, I'll go to the auction house tomorrow and take charge. If anyone wants to make trouble, they can come find me."

Flender looked at Fu Wen in silence for a moment, then smiled. "All right. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

Fu Wen's lips curved into a faint smile.

As the heir of the China Divine Crocodile, was he supposed to fear someone taking an interest?

If one came, he'd bite him. If two came, he'd bite them both.