Huo Yuhao was a little surprised that his grilled fish was so popular.
Xiao Wu looked at the money in her hands, even more excited, her eyes practically sparkling.
The fish cooked quickly, and Huo Yuhao finished his work for the day before nightfall.
After seeing off his last customer, Huo Yuhao smiled at Xiao Wu and produced four more fish. Naturally, they were for himself and Xiao Wu.
Before long, the two of them were wandering around the market with grilled fish in hand.
Having scouted the place yesterday, Huo Yuhao already had a general idea of where to find the materials he needed. With a plan in mind, he bought everything on his list, finishing much faster than yesterday.
The money he had earned from selling grilled fish over the past two days was enough to buy materials for a few low-level Soul Tools. He could use them himself or sell them for some extra money.
That night, Huo Yuhao worked until midnight again, finishing the final engraving.
He blew gently on it, then infused it with Soul Power. As he looked at the small, hollow sphere in his hand, glowing faintly, Huo Yuhao nodded with satisfaction.
He had made three Soul Tools that night. Two were identical daggers, about ten inches long, designed after the White Tiger Dagger from his previous life.
Once infused with Soul Power, a faint layer of it coated the blade, greatly increasing its sharpness while also protecting it from damage.
The other was called an Oscillation Gauntlet. As the name suggested, it was worn on the fist and used to punch people.
It could drive a force into an enemy's body and effectively disrupt the circulation of their Soul Power. In simple terms, it could interrupt someone else's Soul Skill.
Although its function was impressive, it was only a Level Two Soul Tool. At most, it could affect a Soul Elder; against a Soul Ancestor, its effect would be negligible.
Exhausted, Huo Yuhao returned to his bed and fell asleep moments later.
During the night, Xiao Wu rolled over and wrapped herself around Huo Yuhao like an octopus. Her pursed lips turned into a faint smile.
"Grilled fish... hehehe..."
When Huo Yuhao woke early in the morning and saw Xiao Wu hugging him again, his body stiffened a little. Thankfully, she was still asleep.
He gently moved her hand away, feeling as if he had done something wrong.
Today, he planned to sell the Soul Tools he had made the previous night. He would soon be entering the Star Dou Great Forest and needed money to buy some supplies.
After thinking it over, he decided to sell them to Spirit Hall. After all, the only person he knew there was Su Yuntao, and he had some connections.
Standing by the window and watching the pale light of dawn in the distance, Huo Yuhao began practicing the Purple Demon Eye.
When Xiao Wu woke, Huo Yuhao briefly explained what he was doing. Hearing that he was going to Spirit Hall, Xiao Wu didn't insist on coming along.
"Then I'll leave today's cleaning duty to you."
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth. "Tang San's not here, and neither are you. You might as well work me to death!"
As she spoke, she grabbed Huo Yuhao by the neck with both hands and shook him vigorously.
"Come back early."
"Mm."
Nuoding City's Martial Soul Branch Hall wasn't hard to find. It was the tallest building around, and from a distance it looked just like a noble's palace.
Even in an obscure little city, the Martial Soul Branch Hall was imposing, its grandeur proclaiming its lofty status.
As Huo Yuhao entered the main hall, he immediately spotted Su Yuntao.
"Master Su Yuntao."
Su Yuntao looked toward the voice and saw Huo Yuhao. A faint smile crossed his face.
"What brings you here, kid? Don't tell me you're joining Spirit Hall. And don't be so formal—just call me Brother Tao."
"I came here to study and have been here for a few days. I came today because I have a few things I'd like to sell, and I wanted to ask if you knew of any way to do that."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took out a dagger and an Oscillation Gauntlet. Since he would soon be entering the Star Dou Great Forest, he had decided to keep one for himself as a weapon. It would at least be enough to deal with Hundred-Year Soul Beasts on the outskirts.
After he briefly explained what they did, Su Yuntao's eyes lit up. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell they were very practical.
"Not bad, kid. These two things are pretty good. Where did you get them?"
"One time, I went to catch fish and happened to see a broken-down carriage in the woods. I found them there. There were bloodstains nearby, and I didn't dare stick around, so I grabbed them and ran."
Huo Yuhao made up a story on the spot, even putting on an appropriately frightened expression.
"Looks like someone carrying goods was robbed. That sort of thing happens all the time. You were brave, and lucky, too."
Su Yuntao nodded without probing further. He liked the two items more and more. As a Battle Soul Master himself, he found both of them extremely suitable.
"Name your price. No need to look for a buyer—I'll take them."
"Since you want them, Brother Tao, how about one hundred and fifty Gold Soul Coins for both?"
"Sure, I'll get them for you right now. By the way, have you reconsidered what I said before? If you join Spirit Hall, we can definitely give you better instruction, far better than what you'd get at a junior academy."
Although a Soul Grandmaster could only receive ten Gold Soul Coins a month, Su Yuntao was an official of Spirit Hall and earned a handsome salary. The price wasn't much for him.
After taking the money, Huo Yuhao waved his hand. "I think I'll pass, Brother Tao. I don't have any plans to join."
Su Yuntao didn't press him. He patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and smiled. "Come by whenever you have time. If anyone bullies you, just tell me."
"Thanks, Brother Tao. I should get going. See you."
Huo Yuhao thanked him sincerely, touched by his kindness.
After leaving Spirit Hall, Huo Yuhao glanced back at its imposing entrance and sighed inwardly. Even though history portrayed Spirit Hall as utterly wicked, there were still kind people like Su Yuntao within it.
With his wallet bulging, Huo Yuhao began shopping for supplies to prepare for entering the Star Dou Great Forest.
He strolled through the market, buying whatever came to mind.
"Let me think... a tent, flint, and some insect repellent... This repellent is so ineffective, nothing like what they have ten thousand years from now. I'd better buy some herbs and mix my own..."
The shopping went smoothly. After wandering around, he had gathered everything he could think of and even bought plenty of Soul Tool materials.
Since there was no Soul Tool-making craft at this time, materials that would fetch exorbitant prices ten thousand years later were now very cheap.
By afternoon, Huo Yuhao returned to the academy, satisfied.
Classes had just let out, and plenty of students were heading toward the dormitories.
They were chatting about the latest hot topic. "Have you heard? A Work-Study Student actually challenged Boss Xiao!"
"Seriously? Boss Xiao's already a One-Ring Soul Master. Who's dumb enough not to fear him?"
Only then did Huo Yuhao remember. He slapped his forehead, quickly turned around, and headed toward the teaching building.
As he approached, he spotted Wang Sheng and Xiao Wu in the distance. The two of them had brought the Work-Study Students and were already waiting outside the teaching building.
A group of students stood opposite them. At their head was a tall young man with rather handsome features, though not as handsome as Huo Yuhao.
His gaze swept over the Work-Study Students, brimming with disdain. He was presumably the Xiao Chenyu Wang Sheng had mentioned.
The standoff was broken when Xiao Chenyu spoke first.
"Little rabbit, why hasn't the person you mentioned shown up yet? I see he hasn't even been attending class. Don't tell me he's scared out of his wits?"
His companions burst into laughter, playing the part of a pack of toadies to perfection.
Xiao Wu was about to snap back, but caught sight of Huo Yuhao approaching from the corner of her eye. Her face lit up, and she waved to him.
Seeing Xiao Wu ignore him, Xiao Chenyu's expression darkened. He followed her gaze and spotted Huo Yuhao, looking him up and down.
"So you're Huo Yuhao, the one who challenged me? You don't look like much."
Huo Yuhao nodded to Xiao Wu and the others, then glanced at Xiao Chenyu and headed straight for the field.
"Let's hurry up. I'm in a bit of a rush."
Of course he was. He needed to get this over with quickly so he could go back and prepare his herbal remedies.
Xiao Chenyu had never met anyone more arrogant than himself. He had never been treated with such contempt before. Gritting his teeth, he followed.
"You arrogant brat. Just wait till I beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you."