A week passed, and soon it was time for Mu Guiyun and the others to set out.
It wasn't a holiday at Shrek Academy, but Mother Jiang's illness couldn't wait. Mu Guiyun had no choice but to go butter up Yan Shaozhe.
As a prospective elder of the Sea God Pavilion, this counted as a small indulgence of power.
Watching the ground grow farther and farther away, Tang Ya cheered excitedly. "Wow, wow, wow! We're flying!"
Jiang Nannan, beside her, was just as curious, gazing all around.
The minimum requirement for using a Flying Soul Tool was to have reached the Soul Elder rank, with three rings. Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya, who were only Soul Grandmasters, naturally couldn't use one.
Fortunately, there was the Beast Taming Technique. Mu Guiyun had gone out of his way to find Gong Changlong and borrow a thousand-year Condensed Water Flying Luan from the Beast Fighting Arena.
Their destination was quite a distance from Shrek City: Lingdou City, the capital of the Dou Ling Empire.
As they entered the Dou Ling Empire, the scene below left Mu Guiyun with mixed feelings. Since arriving in this world, this was his first time seeing how ordinary people lived on the Douluo Continent.
Seeing their ragged clothes and gaunt, sallow faces was hard for Mu Guiyun, who had grown up under the red flag in his previous life, to accept.
Shrek Academy was a mess, but Shrek City, under its rule, was at least thriving.
Compared with the original three empires, which were completely ruled by nobles, it was like heaven and earth.
As for the Sun Moon Empire, they were probably putting on a grand show of brotherly devotion, paternal love, and filial piety right about now.
"Gui Yun, my home is rather... run-down. I hope you and Xiao Ya won't mind."
Jiang Nannan's face turned pink as she thought of her family's circumstances, and she grew a little embarrassed.
"How could we?"
Tang Ya put an arm around Jiang Nannan and pulled a small pouch of Gold Soul Coins from her Soul Tool. "Nannan, take this money. Once your mother's better, make sure you help her recuperate."
"This..."
Looking at the pouch in her hand, Jiang Nannan was touched. She knew Tang Ya's circumstances all too well.
She was about to refuse, but Tang Ya cut her off again. She blinked mischievously and said sweetly, "Don't worry, Nannan. I still have money. Besides, even if I can't afford to eat, Gui Yun will take care of me!"
"Right, Gui Yun?"
After speaking, Tang Ya shot Mu Guiyun a playful, impish look.
As dusk fell, Mu Guiyun studied the small town ahead and turned to ask, "Let's rest here for the night, shall we?"
At that, Tang Ya, who had been nodding off, perked right up. Looking down at the town glowing with lights, she nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! I'm so bored I could die!"
Jiang Nannan nodded as well.
Since neither of them objected, Mu Guiyun guided the Condensed Water Flying Luan down outside the town.
The moment they entered, the bustle of daily life washed over them.
"Stop looking around. Our top priority is finding somewhere to stay. Tang Ya, I'm sure you don't want us sleeping on the street, do you?"
Mu Guiyun grabbed the excited Tang Ya and said helplessly, "If you want to look around, Nannan and I will go with you later."
"Oh!"
Tang Ya's little face fell, and she followed Mu Guiyun reluctantly.
The three of them made a round of the town and managed to find a decent hotel.
Ignoring the lovestruck look in the receptionist's eyes, Mu Guiyun took out a few Gold Soul Coins and calmly said, "Three of your best rooms, please."
"Of course, sir!"
When she saw that Mu Guiyun had no interest in talking to her, disappointment welled up in the receptionist's heart.
After a quick look around the rooms, Mu Guiyun let Tang Ya hurry him over to the commercial street.
The Dou Ling Empire truly deserved its reputation as the weakest of the four great empires. There weren't even any Soul Tool streetlamps...
No wonder that after Lao Huo ascended to the Divine Realm, the Sun Moon Empire had driven him straight into becoming an island raider.
Unlike Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan, who were having a grand time, Mu Guiyun wasn't interested in any of this. He simply trailed behind them, keeping a little distance.
In a daze, Mu Guiyun suddenly sensed an undisguised gaze fall on the two girls up ahead. His brows drew together.
Well, well. Someone's practically sticking their face out to get slapped?
Mu Guiyun narrowed his eyes. His spiritual power surged out like a tide, and in the blink of an eye, he found the source of the gaze.
A young man in an ornate robe was staring fixedly at Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan in the distance, with several attendants following behind him.
A noble of the Dou Ling Empire?
Sensing that the man's soul power was only a little higher than Tang Ya's, Mu Guiyun's expression turned strange.
Good grief. For one of the four great empires, the quality of its nobles was pretty awful.
You're not even as good as Gangzi!
With that thought, Mu Guiyun calmly waved to the two girls ahead and called with a smile, "Nannan, Xiao Ya, come here!"
Tang Ya, who had been having a wonderful time, looked puzzled, but obediently led Jiang Nannan over. "What is it?"
"Nothing much. Just a little trouble."
Mu Guiyun's lips curled up. He nodded toward the two women behind them.
They turned and saw the nobleman walking toward them.
Seeing them look his way, the nobleman hurriedly put on what he thought was a charming smile.
He was fairly handsome, but paired with his obviously overindulgent complexion, he looked downright sleazy.
Ignoring Mu Guiyun, who stood beside the two women, the nobleman gave them a courteous bow and smiled. "Hello, beautiful ladies. I am Shen Xinghui, an imperial baron personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of the Dou Ling Empire, and the heir to the Shen Family of Qingyuan City."
"Would you two lovely ladies do me the honor of joining me for dinner?"
As he spoke, Shen Xinghui greedily looked the two of them up and down.
He had been hanging around Qingyuan City for years and had never seen women this exquisite!
Shen Xinghui's undisguised stare made Jiang Nannan uncomfortable. She took half a step back, hiding her delicate figure behind Mu Guiyun.
Tang Ya, on the other hand, had heard what Shen Xinghui was asking and immediately raised a hand to her brow, dramatically surveying the surroundings. Her face full of disdain, she said, "What good food could there be in this dump?"
At that, Shen Xinghui's face stiffened.
What did she mean, this dump? It was a city, for goodness' sake!
After that, Tang Ya still wasn't satisfied. She turned her fire on Shen Xinghui. "And look at you, with that kidney-drained face. Go home and take some tonics before you come out trying to pick up girls, Kidney-Deficiency Bro!"
Tang Ya's tongue was as sharp as ever, and she left Shen Xinghui's face flushing red and white with rage.