Handling Miscellaneous Matters

"I'll work hard at cultivating... and pass the academy's entrance examination."

Huo Yuhao scratched his head awkwardly.

Not only had Big Brother En Zuo brought him into Monster Academy, he had even arranged for Long Yue, the strongest student, to look after him. Yet he was still too weak to repay En Zuo.

That made him feel somewhat ashamed.

But when it came to giving up grilled fish, he was genuinely reluctant.

Huo Yuhao wanted to make a living with his own two hands, without relying on anyone.

The conflicted expression on Huo Yuhao's face laid all his thoughts bare. How could En Zuo fail to understand?

He sighed inwardly.

He decided not to hurt Huo Yuhao's pride.

"I'll arrange for someone to watch over this stall for you in the future. You only need to teach him all your techniques. From then on, he'll sell grilled fish in your place."

"The profit from grilled fish isn't much... I don't have money to pay his wages... I can handle this stall by myself. I don't need anyone to help me, Big Brother En Zuo," Huo Yuhao protested quietly.

En Zuo merely answered calmly.

"He doesn't need wages."

Given En Zuo's current status, even before enrolling, if he wanted someone to do something, even if it violated the academy's bottom line, Monster Academy's senior students would grit their teeth and do it.

So what if they ended up locked away for a few years? Once they got out, they would lack neither wealth nor glory.

There was no other reason: En Ci spoiled this disciple far too much. Even when Long Yue had robbed fellow students after enrolling, En Ci had been able to suppress the entire matter despite public opposition and take responsibility for it.

This matter had always been a forbidden topic of private discussion within Monster Academy, as it damaged the academy's image.

En Ci had gone that far for Long Yue.

His favoritism toward En Zuo would only be greater.

It was merely selling grilled fish each day. Trading that bit of time for the friendship of Monster Academy's headmaster's disciple—wasn't that worth it?

With En Ci's status, it was equivalent to currying favor with the Imperial Preceptor. For ordinary but somewhat opportunistic soul masters, it was an opportunity they could only dream of.

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. He had not expected En Zuo to ask for nothing in return. Still inexperienced in the ways of the world, he did not understand the stakes involved.

"Isn't this a little inappropriate?"

Huo Yuhao felt that such behavior was immoral.

But he soon paid the price for it.

En Zuo merely posted a recruitment notice on the academy's official website. His conspicuous administrator status added considerable attention to the post.

Seconds later, messages began flooding the forum one after another.

A small number of people on the street who were checking their phones immediately sensed that something was up. Some, concerned about appearances, merely glanced in Huo Yuhao's direction and remained silent.

But others hid blazing eagerness in their eyes. This was the perfect chance to get to know En Zuo, even if they could only exchange a few simple words with him.

They quickly settled their bills and hurried toward Huo Yuhao's grilled fish stall, which he had not yet had time to completely close up.

Before long, a dense crowd surrounded the grilled fish stall. Though the atmosphere was fervent, everyone consciously avoided rashly stepping into the central area.

That would have been far too presumptuous.

They merely kept asking Huo Yuhao to let them stay and take charge of everything here in the future.

"Junior Huo, pick me." A thin man dressed in a fitted red outfit waved excitedly at Huo Yuhao. "I've had thirty years of experience grilling fish. I've been grilling fish since I was in my mother's womb."

"I don't want wages. I have nothing else to offer—I'm just especially enthusiastic and helpful."

"Give it a rest. Everyone knows you're the meanest person around. You've offended plenty of people in your year," someone in the crowd sneered, showing him no mercy.

Huo Yuhao found himself in a difficult position. He did not really want to choose anyone, but if he failed to make a choice today, it would be too disrespectful to Big Brother En Zuo.

With so many people before him, Huo Yuhao was at a loss.

He looked to En Zuo for help, but the latter gave him a look that said he could do nothing.

En Zuo had never interacted with any of these people. Huo Yuhao could only choose based on his first impression.

In the end, Huo Yuhao chose a boy with a rather youthful face. The boy was holding the hand of a rugged-looking middle-aged man wearing an apron.

Huo Yuhao did not know the boy, but he recognized the middle-aged man. He was the owner of a restaurant on this street, and he had helped a great deal when Huo Yuhao set up his grilled fish stall.

Seeing Huo Yuhao point at him,

the boy grew excited and pulled his father toward Huo Yuhao. He introduced himself generously, "My name is Fang Zhou. My martial soul is Fish Bone, and I'm a Rank 28 food-type soul master. This is my father, Fang Yu. His martial soul is Black Carp, and he's a Rank 46 battle soul master."

"Junior Huo, your grilled black carp is the same as my father's martial soul." Fang Zhou patted his chest. "My father is the soul master with the deepest understanding of black carp."

"I can say that no one understands better than my father how black carp should be prepared."

"Leave it to my father. You and En Zuo can rest easy. Business will definitely boom in the future."

At the side, En Zuo pulled the brim of his hat lower. "A Fish Bone martial soul... a food-type soul master..."

Why was there such a bizarre martial soul classification? It was even more unusual than He Caitou's cigar food-type martial soul.

When Huo Yuhao heard that Fang Zhou's martial soul was Black Carp, his eyes lit up. He truly was the most suitable person to make grilled black carp.

Though Huo Yuhao felt some regret at no longer being able to grill fish himself, there was nothing to be done. He still had to balance cultivation, and with Big Brother En Zuo's arrangements, he presumably could no longer spare energy for such matters.

Huo Yuhao also had his own plans for dividing the profits.

"Thank you so much for the trouble. From now on, let's split the grilled fish stall's earnings eighty-twenty... I'll take twenty, and you'll take eighty."

As he said this, Huo Yuhao felt somewhat guilty. He would only be teaching them the recipe and grilling techniques, doing nothing else, yet directly taking twenty percent of the profits.

He even felt he was taking too much.

But according to Huo Yuhao's calculations, that was barely enough to cover his living expenses at Monster Academy.

Fang Zhou was somewhat surprised. En Zuo's post had clearly stated there would be no wages, and he had already discussed those terms with his father.

It was only an extra food stall. Though there would be no wages, Fang Yu had readily agreed to Fang Zhou's request if it meant his son could establish a connection with En Zuo.

The two of them looked at En Zuo in unspoken agreement, instinctively seeking his opinion.

Ultimately, En Zuo still had to nod. Otherwise, they would not dare accept this share of the profits.

En Zuo knew this was already the result of Huo Yuhao compromising. The goal of allowing Huo Yuhao to devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation had been achieved, so he could not press further. He immediately nodded in agreement. "Since Yuhao has said so, accept it. You don't need to feel uneasy."

"This is what you deserve."

Of course, this was only the visible income.

Privately, En Zuo would still offer the two of them some support. For example, he could arrange relatively easy routine academy assessments for Fang Zhou, or even help Dragon King pass the Inner Academy's future examination.

Or he could direct more Monster Academy students to Fang Yu's restaurant and bring in more business.

These were merely trivial resources En Zuo could freely mobilize with his status, not worth mentioning.