The Old Man by the Lake, I'm Waiting for Someone

Before he knew it, Bai Ran, the protagonist himself, had arrived before Sea God Island, the symbol of Shrek Academy's inner courtyard.

Bai Ran had originally planned to go to the teaching building and see what classes were actually like for the disciples of Shrek Academy's outer courtyard.

But on second thought, he would experience it sooner or later next year anyway, so what was the rush? Was he in such a hurry to see how his seniors served their time?

Standing on the shore and looking at the lake before him, Bai Ran suddenly felt a little lost.

As a food-type soul master, even if soul tools could make up for his combat strength, compared with the soul tools over on the Sun Moon Continent, the soul-tool technology on the Douluo Continent was clearly several eras behind.

In the current Douluo Continent, even Shrek Academy, known as number one on the entire continent, did not yet have a single true rank-nine soul engineer.

"For a food-type soul master like me, I still need to find a strong and reliable other half to protect me."

Start a harem?

When the women were strong and the man was weak, starting a harem really could get your legs broken.

(Three-Eyed Ruishou: Keep talking. I'm listening.)

But life-changing matters like that were still far too distant for the current Bai Ran.

Rather than think about those things, he might as well consider what else needed improving for his first Luckin Coffee shop in Shrek's outer courtyard.

For example, he could customize a batch of packaging bags printed with the Luckin Coffee logo, or order a few advertising boards to place in front of the shop explaining the benefits and effects of coffee as a drink.

Aside from that, the simplest and most direct method was to have his uncle help promote it for him.

But if he did that, Bai Ran was afraid he really would become a miserable corporate beast of burden.

Therefore, the moment that thought popped up, Bai Ran ruthlessly rejected it.

"Little kid, what are you doing here?

"The lake is deep. Don't accidentally fall in."

Just as Bai Ran sent a voice transmission to his uncle and waited for him to come pick him up...

Suddenly, an old man's voice sounded by his ear.

Bai Ran hurriedly looked in the direction the voice had come from, only to see an old man leaning back in a recliner, a newspaper in his hand.

Bai Ran had more or less met all of Shrek's inner courtyard higher-ups, apart from Mu En.

Barring any surprises, this person should be Elder Mu, Mu En.

But something did not seem quite right. Because Mu En had been poisoned by the previous sect master of the Body Sect, he could basically only sit in a wheelchair.

Yet this old man was lazily sitting there with one leg crossed over the other. No matter how Bai Ran looked at him, he did not seem like Senior Mu.

"I'm waiting for someone here. Grandpa, what are you doing here?"

Although Sea God Island had the word "sea" in it, at the end of the day, it was only an artificial lake.

Sitting by the lake sunbathing at the hottest time of the day?

Feeling that there might be something more or less wrong with some part of the other party, Bai Ran quickly shifted two steps to the side.

"Oh, what a coincidence. Grandpa is waiting for someone too."

"Grandpa, who are you waiting for?"

His damned curiosity still made Bai Ran unable to resist asking further.

"Look, here he comes."

The moment the old man finished speaking...

A figure Bai Ran was familiar with landed steadily on the shore.

It was none other than Bai Ran's uncle, Ye Tian.

"Hm? Little Master Ye, why did you come in person?"

Seeing who had arrived, the old man, who had originally been somewhat casual and sloppy, immediately stood up, while putting away the recliner and everything else.

"Since Senior Tianyang came in person, how could this junior dare be negligent?"

Facing this old man, Ye Tian was still rather respectful.

He had originally thought the Douling Empire would casually send a Soul Douluo over. Unexpectedly, not only had they sent a Titled Douluo, but it was also the strongest Titled Douluo in the Douling Empire, the "Tianyang Douluo," known as the guardian deity of the Douling Empire.

Of course, Shrek's rules could not be broken. As the core of Shrek Academy, the inner courtyard was not a place non-Shrek-related members could enter lightly.

Even though Tianyang Douluo was a rank-97 Super Douluo, he could only stay within Shrek's outer courtyard area.

Unless there was something urgent and he had received an invitation from the inner courtyard's higher-ups.

But clearly, Tianyang Douluo had come for a private matter.

If there really had been something urgent, he would not have been bored enough to bring out a recliner and read a newspaper while sunbathing.

"Uncle, this old—"

Before Bai Ran could finish speaking, his uncle Ye Tian covered his mouth with a hand.

Ye Tian: This nephew of mine doesn't even need to open his mouth. I already know what he was going to call him. Either old thing or old bastard.

"Little Master Ye, this child?"

"My nephew. My blood nephew."

"No wonder his features look so much like little Master Ye's."

Tianyang Douluo knew a little about Ye Tian's past, so he did not say much more.

"Senior Tianyang, this is what you wanted. It works best if eaten within three days."

Ye Tian took an insulated lunch box from his storage ring and handed it over.

"Thank you, little Master Ye."

After accepting it, Tianyang Douluo prepared to take his leave.

"Come visit Douling City when you have time, little Master Ye. The gates of the Douling Empire will always be open to you."

After taking the item, Tianyang Douluo slowly made his way out of the courtyard.

Members who were not from Shrek Academy were forbidden from flying inside the academy.

Tianyang Douluo was not bored enough to challenge someone else's rules for no reason.

The Douling Empire was already the weakest of the three great empires on the Douluo Continent, and it needed to maintain good relations with Shrek Academy the most.

Even the son of the former princess, Xue Lingxun, was studying at Shrek Academy. (Who else could it be besides Xu Sanshi?)

Watching Tianyang Douluo leave, Bai Ran, who was heading to the inner courtyard with his uncle, once again asked a question under the influence of his curiosity. "Uncle, what's inside that insulated lunch box?"

"Is it something you can't say?"

Seeing that his uncle did not respond for a long time, Bai Ran asked again.

"Not really. It's just that you're too young, so it's better if you don't know about this sort of thing."

In truth, there was not much in that box.

The current emperor of the Douling Empire had no sons. In order to beget an heir, he had sought out all kinds of famous doctors. Now that he had heard Shrek Academy had a "divine chef" skilled in medicinal cuisine, he had come asking for help.

Given the relationship between Shrek Academy and the Douling Empire, there was no way they would refuse such a matter.

And so, Ye Tian used the virility-boosting parts of a ten-thousand-year soul beast along with eight thousand-year soul beasts to make a powerful tonic.

As for why it worked better if consumed within three days?

That was entirely because the insulated lunch box could only keep it warm for three days. Once the time was up, though the nourishing effects of the food inside would not be affected much, the flavor would be greatly reduced—especially that rank, musky stench. With the Douling Empire's emperor's usual debauched and dissolute temperament, there was a one-hundred-percent chance he would waste it.

"Ranran, did the coffee sell well at noon?"

Because he had spent the past two days cooking that powerful tonic, Ye Tian had not paid much attention to this nephew of his.

The main reason was that Bai Ran had said beforehand that there was no need to come support him. He was afraid business would be too good and he would not be able to handle it.

"It was all right."

"No, seriously, there are really people who like drinking that bitter stuff?"

Ye Tian, who had never tried Raw Coconut Latte, sighed helplessly. The world really was full of wonders.

"Uncle, once you try the Raw Coconut Latte coffee I make, you won't say that anymore."

"All right, all right. Uncle will definitely have a proper taste later.

By the way, Ranran, are you used to the food in the outer courtyard cafeteria? If you aren't, I'll have someone deliver meals to you starting tomorrow."

Bai Ran: Uh, actually, I didn't eat any at all.

Since he did not know how to answer, he simply responded with silence.