Seeing that Huo Yuhao seemed off, Ye Guchen knew what was going on, but still pretended not to and asked through a mental transmission, "What's wrong, Yuhao?"
Huo Yuhao felt only gratitude toward Ye Guchen; there was no friendship between them. He didn't want to tell Ye Guchen about something like this.
So Huo Yuhao quickly regained his composure and replied through a mental transmission, "Brother Guchen, I'm fine."
The stiff expression had appeared for only an instant before giving way to his earlier smile.
"Big Brother Dai Yueheng."
Dai Yueheng didn't know that Huo Yuhao already had someone he should call Big Brother. This was a case of a happy accident.
"If you ever run into any trouble, Yuhao, you can come to me."
Looking at Dai Yueheng's smiling face, Huo Yuhao felt sick. At that moment, he hated everyone in the Duke's Mansion equally.
After they'd eaten their fill, everyone tactfully left, leaving only Ma Xiaotao and Ye Guchen behind. Although their relationship hadn't been made public, everyone already knew about it.
"Yuhao, make sure you prepare well for the new student assessment in a little over two months. You can put the grilled fish aside for now. When you have time, go to the library and find some books about Soul Tools to learn the basics."
At that, Huo Yuhao grew excited.
"Don't worry, Brother Guchen. I absolutely won't disappoint you in the new student assessment!"
Then Huo Yuhao told him everything about how he and his roommate, Wang Dong, had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
After all, there was no need to hide something like that from Ye Guchen.
"Also, when the two of us are together, our cultivation speed increases a lot. In the ten-odd days since we enrolled, my Soul Power has already reached level fourteen. Then Senior Brother Beibei gave us two Mystic Water Pills, and after I took one, my Soul Power rose to level fifteen!"
Hearing this, Ye Guchen was startled. If I remember right, they should've discovered their Martial Soul Fusion Skill around the time of the new student assessment. They've found it early!
Still, it seemed Tang San was focused on him for now, which would buy him quite a bit of time.
Moreover, judging by his level alone, Huo Yuhao was already three levels higher than he'd been at the same point in the original story.
"I've always had faith in you!"
Ye Guchen patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, then left with Ma Xiaotao.
Before going, he didn't forget to remind Huo Yuhao, "Remember what I told you. Make time to study the basics of Soul Tools."
"I will!"
At Shrek Inner Court, Yan Shaozhe stood before an old man who looked close to death, yet radiated a powerful aura.
Even Yan Shaozhe, dean of Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department and a Super Douluo, bowed to the old man like a child.
"Teacher, Ye Guchen has settled on his fifth pet beast. It's a support-type Soul Beast, a Rainbow Butterfly."
The old man in the wheelchair slowly opened his eyes, his face full of warmth.
"A support type? It looks like he intends to take an all-around path."
"Shaozhe, look up everything you can about this Soul Beast and send it to that child, Guchen. It seems these are about the only things we can do to help him."
With that, he closed his eyes and returned to his feigned doze.
Yan Shaozhe bowed slightly. "Yes, Teacher!"
Meanwhile, Ye Guchen was wandering between twin peaks.
He used the most primitive method to help Ma Xiaotao purge her Evil Fire.
...(One million words omitted here)
"What? What do you need such a huge plot of land for?"
Inside the City Lord's Mansion in Shrek City, City Lord Shi Xing looked at Ye Guchen, utterly confused.
"I want to build a commercial building in Shrek City. I don't need much land—ten mu will do."
But Shi Xing acted as if he hadn't heard Ye Guchen at all and rejected him outright.
"No. You're a future pillar of Shrek Academy. If you need something, why not ask the academy? Your main task right now is to cultivate. Don't waste your time on business!"
Ye Guchen had known the city lord wouldn't agree before he came, so he'd prepared for this.
"Then I'll just go through the approval process like any other merchant."
Shi Xing's face darkened. He hadn't expected Ye Guchen to pull this move. Still, he had the right to refuse a merchant permission to do business in Shrek City.
"I'll tell you plainly: your application won't be approved. Go back and focus on your cultivation."
He'd thought Ye Guchen had just gotten carried away for a moment and would back down when faced with a refusal.
But Ye Guchen clearly didn't do things the usual way.
He spread his hands, looking unconcerned. "Well, in that case, I'll just do business in another city."
He even deliberately drew out the last words.
City Lord Shi Xing didn't know what to do with Ye Guchen's attitude. He couldn't really let him go to another city.
If Ye Guchen left, the old fellows in Sea God Pavilion would never let him off.
"Fine, fine, fine. There's a plot of land east of the city. I'll report it to Sea God Pavilion as it is. If they approve, you can go build your whatever-you-call-it commercial association there."
"Thank you for making this possible, City Lord!"
"What? He wants to start some kind of commercial association? Isn't that ridiculous?"
When Xuan Zi heard the news from Shi Xing, he was the first to laugh in exasperation.
"Why not just focus on cultivation? Why go and start some useless commercial association?"
"Ahem! Xuan Zi!"
Lin Huiqun, the head of Treasure Pavilion, coughed softly.
"I don't think it's a bad thing at all. Young people always have ideas of their own. And who says doing business is bad? Doesn't most of Shrek's income come from Treasure Pavilion?"
"But—!"
As the two argued, Mu En lightly tapped the table.
"Let him do it. Shrek Academy has never done much for him. We might as well take this chance to give him more help and help him feel a greater sense of belonging to Shrek."
But Xuan Zi still thought it was a waste of time. "He can always go into business later, when his cultivation becomes difficult to advance!"
Mu En still didn't agree with him.
"He's young. Even if it delays him by a few years, it won't matter. It's settled."
Hearing that, Xuan Zi stopped objecting.
Mu En turned his gaze to Elder Lin.
"Huiqun, you know more about this. Give him more help in the early stages."
"Understood!"
Elder Lin nodded.
Compared to the timeline of Dou II, buying land in the era of Dou I was more troublesome.
After arriving in Heaven Dou City, Ye Guchen went through the approval process as usual, but ran into obstacles at every turn. With no other choice, he had to use money to clear the way.
But he couldn't let too much money show, or given Ye Guchen's standing in the Dou I era, he'd be beset by trouble before he could even get his business started.
He wasn't afraid of trouble, but having a few flies buzzing around him all the time would still be annoying.
With no other choice, Ye Guchen bought several courtyards first. After some simple renovations, they became the beginnings of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
It seemed that in any world, without great personal strength or a powerful background, you had to tread carefully in everything you did.
But Ye Guchen was a transmigrator. His various talents might not surpass those of the natives of the Douluo Continent, but besides his Martial Soul, he had another major advantage they lacked: he knew the broad strokes of how the story would unfold.
If he wasn't strong enough himself, he could simply get strong people to work for him.
Ye Guchen had chosen the location with great care: it was near Dugu Manor.
That's right. The first person Ye Guchen thought he could easily win over was Dugu Bo.
Before you continue