He grabbed a plank and a pen, then swiftly wrote out an advertisement.
"Yuhao's Grilled Fish—Special Promotion!"
"Ten Copper Soul Coins each!"
"Twenty Copper Soul Coins for three!"
"Thirty Copper Soul Coins for five!"
This kind of ordinary promotional trick had been extremely common back on Blue Star in his previous life.
Though common, it was also very effective.
The more you bought, the bigger the discount, which made it more appealing to customers.
Most importantly, Mu Chen himself was a walking advertisement.
Just standing there was enough to catch the eyes of the passing female students.
And Huo Yuhao was genuinely skilled at grilling fish, so it didn't take long for a crowd of customers to gather.
The rich aroma swept down the entire street, nearly overpowering the smells of the other stalls' delicacies.
"Boss, one grilled fish!"
"I want three!"
"Give me five!"
The more you bought, the cheaper each one was, so most customers started with three.
Huo Yuhao was grilling so frantically he was nearly flying, but the smile on his face only grew brighter.
He didn't make much money from grilled fish, but over time, it would be enough to cover his meals and tuition.
In less than half an hour, the fish in the basket were almost gone.
Huo Yuhao clapped his hands. "That's a wrap, that's a wrap! I'll grill the last few for you guys."
Tang Ya had specifically told him to save one for her, and Huo Yuhao had also saved one each for Mu Chen and Bei Bei.
Mu Chen hadn't tried Huo Yuhao's grilled fish before, and he was curious about how it tasted.
There were no other customers in front of the stall, so Huo Yuhao began grilling fish for the three of them.
"Boss, could you make one grilled fish a little cheaper? Ten Copper Soul Coins is a bit too expensive. How about five?"
At her words, Mu Chen looked up at the person standing in front of the stall.
Long golden hair and a pair of exceptionally long legs; a hint of melancholy in her eyes, set off by a breathtakingly beautiful face. She was every inch a beauty.
He didn't even need to hear her name to guess who she was.
Jiang Nannan, hailed as the most beautiful girl in the Outer Academy.
"Sorry, Senior Sister. We've sold all the fish for today. These last three are for my friends."
Jiang Nannan wasn't unreasonable. Hearing Huo Yuhao say that, she turned to leave, looking a little disappointed.
Whoosh!
A golden glint shot toward them.
Mu Chen raised his hand and caught it firmly in his palm. It was a Gold Soul Coin.
"Kid, don't push your luck! Nannan wants your grilled fish, so hurry up and sell it to her!"
Jiang Nannan looked at the newcomer with disgust.
He had short red hair and wore the uniform of Shrek Outer Court. His face was full of arrogance.
He walked up to Jiang Nannan, his expression full of ingratiating smiles. "Nannan, don't worry. I'll make sure I buy you some grilled fish."
There was no need to guess. This was Xu Sanshi.
Huo Yuhao looked at Xu Sanshi with a displeased expression. "Senior, I said the last three are for my friends."
Before Xu Sanshi could say anything, Tang Ya walked up to him with her hands on her hips.
"Xu Sanshi, are you blind? Can't you see I'm standing right here? How dare you bully a disciple of my Tang Sect!"
"Tang Ya, I'm not bullying him. I just want to buy Nannan a grilled fish. Besides, I offered him a price many times higher than the listed one."
Tang Ya didn't listen to Xu Sanshi's excuse at all. "Yuhao saved those for us. Why should he sell them to you?"
"Tang Ya, don't think I won't lay a finger on you just because Bei Bei's got your back!"
Just as Xu Sanshi looked ready to make a move, Bei Bei stepped in front of him. "Xu Sanshi, if you're not satisfied, let's settle it in the Arena."
Just like in the original story, the two challenged each other to a match.
"Fine, let's do it. It's not like I'm afraid of you! But let's agree on the stakes first: they have to be worth one Mysterious Water Pill."
Bei Bei nodded.
Just then, Mu Chen stepped forward.
"Brother Bei, let me fight him."
"Mu Chen, this is me, as your senior disciple, standing up for my junior."
Mu Chen looked at Tang Ya. "Didn't Tang Ya say earlier that she wanted me to join the Tang Sect? Now that I've joined, I'm one of the Tang Sect's members too."
Tang Ya was delighted. "All right, Mu Chen, go fight Xu Sanshi!"
She had seen Mu Chen's strength for herself. He'd killed a thousand-year-old Datura Snake with one move; Xu Sanshi's turtle shell wouldn't stand a chance.
Bei Bei watched Xu Sanshi with a sly smile. "Xu Sanshi, this is my new junior brother, a first-year student in the Outer Academy. What do you say? Dare to fight him?"
"Why wouldn't I? He's a first-year, right? Don't say I, Xu Sanshi, am picking on someone weaker. If he wins, I'll put up three Mysterious Water Pills! If I win, Bei Bei, you still only have to put up one."
"It's a deal."
Bei Bei felt no guilt at all about setting Xu Sanshi up.
And so, news of the Outer Academy's strongest defense facing off against a first-year student spread like wildfire. That night, Mu Chen and Xu Sanshi stepped onto the arena.
"Kid, if you can't beat me, surrender quickly. That way, no one can say I, Xu Sanshi, bullied a new student!"
Mu Chen wasn't in the habit of talking tough before a fight. After all, villains died from talking too much.
He beckoned to Xu Sanshi. "Let's begin."
Xu Sanshi immediately released his Martial Soul.
A dark green shield appeared in his hand.
The Mystic Turtle Shell Shield was a defensive Martial Soul that contained the Black Tortoise Bloodline.
Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared beneath his feet.
"Xu Sanshi, Mystic Turtle Shell Shield Martial Soul, thirty-eighth-level defensive Battle Soul Elder!"
He looked at Mu Chen smugly. In his eyes, a first-year student from the Outer Academy could at most be a high-level Soul Grandmaster. He was sure to win this fight.
Just then, Mu Chen released his Martial Soul.
Waves surged, and the breath of the ocean swept toward them.
A sea breeze gusted through the entire Arena.
A Trident appeared in Mu Chen's left hand, followed by four Soul Rings.
Yellow, purple, purple, black.
Four Soul Rings in three colors!
In the stands, Bei Bei looked at Xu Sanshi with a hint of sympathy. "Poor Xu Sanshi. Junior Brother Mu Chen's going to beat him to a pulp."
"Mu Chen, Ocean Martial Soul, forty-third-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor!"
Xu Sanshi felt as if his brain had crashed.
He looked toward the stands, where Bei Bei was sitting.
"Bei Bei, you set me up!"
Mu Chen didn't care that Xu Sanshi was freaking out. He raised his Trident and charged.
Though the gap between them was enormous, Xu Sanshi wasn't about to back down without a fight.
He raised the Mystic Turtle Shell Shield in his hand and met Mu Chen's Trident.
The Trident slammed into the shield with a violent crash.
Xu Sanshi was sent flying straight to the edge of the arena, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
The defense he'd always been so proud of hadn't even withstood one move from Mu Chen.
It wasn't that Xu Sanshi's defense was poor; Mu Chen's attack was simply too powerful.
How could a shield with the Black Tortoise Bloodline compare to a divine weapon? Add in the difference in their cultivation, and of course it couldn't match Mu Chen.