"Xiao Wu, Heaven Dou City is dangerous. For one thing, the three members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's board of education are all powerful Soul Douluo. They'd see through your identity at a glance."
"Exactly. You'd better not go."
At that, Xiao Wu showed no trace of panic. She simply looked quietly at Ye Qiong.
"Ye Qiong, can I stay in your secret realm long-term? I want to keep Da Ming and Er Ming company."
Ye Qiong understood at once.
So the girl planned to squat in his secret realm and never come out.
That made sense. Her family had been taken into the secret realm, and the world outside was so dangerous. Now that someone could carry the secret realm around and let her pop out to visit the human world whenever she liked, it was only natural she'd choose that.
However...
"I can't let you stay for free."
Ye Qiong folded his arms and said sternly, "Da Ming and Er Ming can stay in my secret realm because they can serve as my muscle. But you, Xiao Wu—what can you offer me that would make it worth my while?"
Xiao Wu hurriedly replied, "I can take care of the courtyard! Once you leave the secret realm, you won't have much time to come back and look after it, right? Leave that job to me. I'll help you!"
Ye Qiong gave her a doubtful once-over. "You? Can you handle it?"
"I-I can learn!" Xiao Wu puffed out her chest and patted it with confidence.
"If taking care of the courtyard isn't enough, I can also—"
"Enough, enough." Ye Qiong cut her off.
"Then take care of the courtyard. I'll teach you how later."
"Yay!" Xiao Wu was so happy she nearly jumped for joy. Now she could finally relax.
Ye Qiong turned his gaze to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing simply nodded, calm and composed. "I'm going too."
She had completely lost faith in Dai Mubai's sorry state and no longer wanted to drag him along to change their fate.
To hell with her fiancé. She could change everything on her own.
Just you wait, Zhu Family and Dai Family. I will never bow to fate.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
At the Shrek Academy camp, Tang San slowly came to.
He looked at the Shrek students gathered around him, utterly confused.
"I... How did I get here? Wasn't I taken by that Titled Douluo...?"
"Xiao San, you're finally awake!" Dai Mubai breathed a sigh of relief.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun crowded around too, explaining everything over one another.
As it turned out, just as they had lost track of Tang San and were growing frantic, a mysterious person had sent them a message telling them where he was. That was how they found Tang San, unconscious.
"Who sent the message?" Tang San pressed.
"I don't know." Dai Mubai shook his head.
"He had his back to us when he came. All I know is that he wore a tattered black hooded cloak."
At the side, Zhao Wuji heard this and instinctively hunched his shoulders, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
A hood? A tattered black cloak?
Could it be...
A towering figure instantly appeared in Tang San's mind.
It was his father! Dad, was it you who saved me this time?
It had to be. That Titled Douluo had said his father was the Clear Sky Douluo.
"Forget all that for now." Dai Mubai sighed. "Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing... The three of them are still missing, their lives unknown."
"Missing, their lives unknown? That means they're dead, then," Ma Hongjun chimed in thoughtlessly. Dai Mubai rapped him hard on the head.
"No! My Xiao Wu!" Tang San cried, as if struck by lightning.
Zhao Wuji hurried over to comfort him. "Don't panic. They might not be dead! If we hurry, we may still make it in time. The most important thing now is to find you a suitable Soul Ring so you can break through quickly. That'll give us a better chance."
It was only meant to comfort him.
Everyone present understood that so much time had passed that the three girls were likely doomed.
Zhao Wuji was also feeling uneasy. Ning Rongrong had died in Star Dou Forest. He wondered whether the two Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and their sect master would go berserk and tear down their academy.
But they couldn't be blamed for this. The Titan Giant Ape had played dirty, coming all the way to the outer perimeter to trick and ambush them.
It was fate. There was nothing he could do.
Three days later, in a small town.
Ye Qiong was leisurely strolling through the streets with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing. Xiao Wu was in the secret realm.
He had asked Ning Rongrong to use her status as a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to write a letter to Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of Heaven Dou City.
As Ning Fengzhi's disciple, Xue Qinghe would naturally do them this favor.
A few days later, they successfully secured a three-story building in the busiest part of Heaven Dou City's downtown.
Ye Qiong turned the first floor into a shop, planning to open a small business.
"Ye Qiong, what kind of shop are you planning to open?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"I'm going to..."
"Open a milk tea shop!"
"Milk tea? What's that?" The three girls looked at Ye Qiong curiously.
Ye Qiong didn't explain. He simply pulled four cups of milk tea out of his backpack and handed them to the girls. "Here, this is it. Give it a taste."
The three girls accepted the drinks dubiously and took a sip.
The next second, their eyes lit up.
A sweet, silky flavor burst across their taste buds, accompanied by a refreshing hint of tea. It was so delicious they wanted to spin in place.
Ning Rongrong exclaimed excitedly, "Ye Qiong! Something this novel and delicious is bound to fly off the shelves!"
"Of course." Ye Qiong nodded with a smile.
"With the right advertising and a prime location in the city center, there's no way it won't be a hit."
"I've got several other flavors, too." As he spoke, he produced several more varieties of milk tea as if by magic.
"I'll have to trouble you all to help run the shop. Don't worry, I'll give each of you a special commission: 3,200 Stellar Jade a month. How does that sound?"
Three thousand two hundred Stellar Jade!
Between the three of them, that meant 9,600 Stellar Jade a month—that was sixty pulls!
This job was an absolute steal!
"Then... how are we supposed to run it?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Ye Qiong began assigning tasks, brimming with confidence. "You can each take a different role."
"Rongrong, you're articulate, pretty, and elegant. You're perfect for sales, so you can attract customers."
"Zhuqing, you're quick with your hands and focused, so you can handle the drinks at the counter."
"As for Xiao Wu... Why not have her manage the shop's storeroom?"
"Huh? I'm managing the storeroom?" Xiao Wu, listening from inside the secret realm, sounded a little dejected.
"Xiao Wu, you're a Soul Beast. It wouldn't be safe for you to be out in public. Ye Qiong is probably thinking of your safety," Ning Rongrong advised.
"But I still have to take care of Ye Qiong's courtyard..."
Before you continue