Back at the shop, Chu Feng began cleaning up.
The aftermath of the fight had caused considerable damage to his shop, probably amounting to more than seventy or eighty thousand Gold Soul Coins. Several Soul Tools had been destroyed, too.
His shop was insured, so he should receive a sizable payout. And since the damage had been caused by an Evil Soul Master, Shrek City should compensate him as well.
After rounding things off, not only had he suffered no loss this time, he might even make a tidy profit.
But that amount of money meant nothing to Chu Feng. He could earn it back just by selling a single Level 4 Soul Tool.
What he cared about most was the talent he had just acquired—Thousand Illusions.
Chu Feng gave it a quick look, and soon learned what Thousand Illusions could do.
Its first ability was to draw people into an illusion, making it a powerful control skill, though that was only a secondary ability.
Its main power lay in subtly invading other people's minds, gradually influencing their thoughts and emotions, and even their personalities.
With enough spiritual power, it could even alter memories!
It was pretty much what people in his previous life called hypnosis, only far more powerful.
There was no need for any flashy preparations. As long as the target entered a certain range, he could use Thousand Illusions to subtly guide them. Unless he went too far, they would basically never notice.
"Why does this ability seem so evil..."
"Hypnosis... hypnosis... Heh heh heh..."
Chu Feng grinned, thinking of the action movies from a certain country in his previous life. That was pretty exciting...
With his powerful spiritual strength, he could use this ability as easily as a fish swimming in water, without anyone noticing. He just didn't know what it would actually do, so he'd have to find someone to test it on.
Besides that, the super divine-level engraving knife, the Blade of Origin, was incredibly powerful.
An engraving knife was crucial for making better Soul Tools. Soul Tools engraved with one of the Ranked Engraving Knives all possessed special attributes.
Soul Tools made with the Blade of Origin could carry a trace of the power of origin—which was really the power of rules, such as wind, fire, thunder, lightning, destruction, and life.
For example, if a Soul Cannon carried even a trace of the rule of destruction, its power could increase by at least two levels.
If a Milk Bottle carried a trace of the rule of life, one sip would restore not only Soul Power but also completely heal injuries.
There were all sorts of uses waiting to be discovered. And since every Soul Tool he made would be one of a kind, he could corner the market. That was the best way to make money.
Chu Feng felt that his goal of opening a Soul Engineer academy was getting closer.
After finishing up at the shop, it was time for dinner, but Chu Feng had no plans to head back.
After all, he had arranged to eat out with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao today.
He was a rich man now. He couldn't spend every day cooped up in the dorm. Being waited on by Wang Dong felt great, of course, but he needed a change of flavor.
Besides, business at his shop had only started picking up over the past few days, and he had even rented two small rooms upstairs.
They were only rentals, but they were still his own little nest. He no longer had to squeeze into that dump of a Shrek dorm with Wang Dong.
He hadn't waited long when a surprised voice came from outside. "Chu Feng, you actually opened a shop here!"
As the voice rang out, a handsome young man in a white Shrek uniform walked in. He looked at the exquisite Soul Tools displayed around the shop, his bright eyes brimming with curiosity.
"Yeah, I'm the owner."
Chu Feng smiled faintly.
"Great! Then I'm the lady boss~"
Wang Dong beamed as she looked around, poking at things here and there, clearly delighted.
"Why are you the only one here? Where's Xiao Xiao? Why didn't she come?" Chu Feng asked, puzzled. He'd invited both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao said she wanted to cultivate, so she isn't coming with us." Wang Dong looked at Chu Feng sharply. "Do you know something?"
"I don't know?" Chu Feng spread his hands and leaned back in his chair, rocking it back and forth as he gave up trying.
Ever since what had happened last time, Xiao Xiao seemed to have been startled. She hadn't come to see him in ages. He felt he'd been a little too reckless last time, so he hadn't pushed things and had decided to give her time to calm down.
Over the past month, they'd barely talked except over meals, and he hadn't noticed anything different about Xiao Xiao.
"By the way, I saw Xiao Xiao wearing a ring. She said you gave it to her?" Wang Dong pressed on, hands on her hips, her accusatory tone unmistakable.
"Yeah, it's a Soul Tool that can increase cultivation speed." Chu Feng admitted it outright, without hiding anything.
"Hmph, you didn't give me a ring!" Wang Dong huffed, her jealousy practically filling the entire shop.
"You're a grown man. What would you want a ring for? So fussy~" Chu Feng scoffed, thoroughly unimpressed.
Wang Dong always presented himself as an energetic young man in public. Neither rings nor bracelets suited him. A pair of dangling earrings, though, would go well with her flashy pink-and-blue hair—she'd look like one of those delinquent bikers.
"Ahhh! I don't care, I don't care! I want one too!" Wang Dong went straight into a girl's unreasonable mode, clinging to Chu Feng's arm and acting coy.
"Creak, creak~" The wooden rocking chair seemed stuffed with too much public affection, groaning in protest under the strain.
"Fine, fine. I'll make you one when I have time. Stop shaking it, stop shaking it..." Seeing this, Chu Feng quickly gave in, feeling like she had him wrapped around her finger.
But what could he do? She'd kept him company, eaten and drunk with him, and was now clinging to his arm and acting cute. He couldn't exactly kick Wang Dong across the room. That would be rather embarrassing...
The main problem was that he hadn't figured out what to make for Wang Dong. She already had plenty of treasures, and her talent was absurdly good. Whatever he gave her would seem a bit shabby, so he hadn't prepared anything.
"Then I want the very best, even better than Xiao Xiao's..." Wang Dong puffed out her cheeks and stared straight at Chu Feng, as if she meant to see right into his heart.
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded, agreeing, though he looked a little troubled. Wang Dong seemed to have figured something out...
"Hehe~ It's a promise~" Wang Dong took Chu Feng's finger and hooked it with hers, satisfied at last. Then she leaned against him and gave him a big, smacking kiss.
After resting for a while, the two of them set off for the Bright Moon Pavilion.
The Bright Moon Pavilion wasn't as good as the Heavenly Star Pavilion, but it was still a decent restaurant nearby. Chu Feng had eaten there many times. The prices were reasonable, and the food was delicious.
The Bright Moon Pavilion served food made with real ingredients.
The Heavenly Star Pavilion served fancy frills.
He might have money, but he wasn't a sucker. By comparison, the Bright Moon Pavilion offered much better value.
The two entered the Bright Moon Pavilion. Instead of getting a private room, they went to the large dining hall on the second floor. The place was spacious and packed with customers, with every table separated by a screen. It was lively.
"Why didn't you get a private room?"
Wang Dong sat down and slumped over the table, pouting in displeasure.
With everyone around, she was still a man, so she couldn't kiss Chu Feng...
"I like the lively atmosphere here~" Chu Feng said with a faint smile, without explaining further.
Compared to being alone together, Chu Feng preferred this lively atmosphere. It reminded him of things from his previous life...
"Okay~"
Wang Dong gave a tiny pout, then started ordering. Before long, she had picked all the most expensive dishes on the menu.
She knew how good her own cooking was. It was fine once or twice, but any more than that would get old. Besides, the dorm's facilities were limited. Now that they were eating out, she might as well feast and satisfy her cravings.
Before you continue