Heading to Shrek Academy

"Senior, can you really guarantee a pass to the final round?"

Tang San stepped forward and cupped his hands, his eyes burning with excitement.

He had been eating and sleeping poorly these past few days, and his physical condition was far from optimal. If he could skip straight to the final exam, he would save a great deal of energy.

Those 20 Gold Soul Coins would be well spent.

"Of course. I am an old acquaintance of the academy's leadership; my recommendation is more effective than anything else."

"For 20 Gold Soul Coins, you won't be cheated or misled. It's an absolute bargain."

Flender continued to swindle him, feeling not a shred of guilt.

They say that merchants who know how to make money can never be good people.

Tang San gritted his teeth and pulled the last 20 Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Tool.

Before the coins could even warm up, they vanished from his hand.

By the time he looked up, Flender had already tucked the pouch of coins into his safe.

Only after finishing this did Flender notice the Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlight Night at Tang San's waist, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Your name is Tang San, right? Where did you get that belt, and what is your relationship to Grandmaster?"

Tang San instinctively touched the Soul Tool at his waist, relaxing only when he saw that Flender and Qin Jiuxiao showed no signs of greed.

"This was given to me by my teacher."

"You are actually his disciple!"

Flender felt a bit awkward; he had actually swindled his brother's disciple out of 20 Gold Soul Coins.

Cough, cough. Never mind, the deed was done.

He would just consider it tuition for his first lesson in the ways of the world.

"Senior knows my teacher?"

Tang San was somewhat excited. It seemed his teacher really did have a resounding reputation on the continent, just as he had claimed.

Flender did not reveal his relationship with Yu Xiaogang, instead turning his gaze toward Qin Jiuxiao.

That merchant-like grin appeared once more.

"Jiuxiao, do you and your group want to skip the trials and go straight to the final round? Uncle can help you, for only 20 Gold Soul Coins."

Flender held up two fingers, his voice dripping with temptation.

His gaze swept over Ning Rongrong and Qin Jiuxiao.

One was the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the other was the young master of the Qin Family; it would be a crime not to fleece them.

Besides, he figured they wouldn't care about such a small amount of money.

He could make a little profit on the side.

Flender was so excited he could have jumped for joy.

On this side, Ning Rongrong did indeed reach into her personal Soul Tool and pull out a golden card, just as he had expected.

It contained at least ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, and she had many more cards like it.

They were all pocket money given to her by Ning Fengzhi and the two Douluo.

Seeing the card, Flender's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Just as he reached out, Qin Jiuxiao blocked him.

"Uncle Flender, this isn't right of you."

Qin Jiuxiao threw an arm around Flender's shoulder and pulled him into a corner.

He spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your crummy academy allows anyone whose Soul Power far exceeds the standard to skip directly to the final round."

"I did my research thoroughly before coming here."

"And you, of all people, actually wanted to charge me 20 Gold Soul Coins."

"It's one thing to swindle Tang San, but you're trying to swindle me too?"

Flender's eyes widened. He glanced back at Tang San with a guilty conscience, exhaling only when he saw that the boy hadn't noticed.

He glared at Qin Jiuxiao.

"You little fox, my luck with money always turns sour when I run into you."

"You have such a massive family fortune, what's the harm in letting me earn twenty gold coins? You already made two thousand off me earlier with that piece of junk crystal."

"Speaking of which, that still makes me angry."

"I only dared to sell it for a few hundred, but you started the bidding at two thousand."

"As expected, no matter how black-hearted a merchant is, they can't compare to you capitalists."

Qin Jiuxiao chuckled.

From this brief contact, he had obtained a golden trait from Flender.

His Soul Power had leveled up once more, reaching level 54.

"Uncle, don't say I'm cheating you."

"With the lineup of my girlfriends and me, every single one of us is a genius I handpicked."

"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament in two years? The championship is ours for the taking."

"By then, there's no telling how much money you'll be able to make."

"If you want to make big money, you have to look at the long term!"

Qin Jiuxiao began painting a grand picture for Flender, making the man's mouth stretch wide with a grin.

Flender came back to his senses and coughed twice, putting on a serious facade.

"Actually, Uncle doesn't care about the money; I just cherish geniuses."

"But can you really win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"

Flender looked at him skeptically.

Qin Jiuxiao exerted a tiny bit of his physical strength onto Flender's shoulder.

Flender felt as if he were being crushed by a mountain, his eyes bulging.

"Do you think I can win now?"

Qin Jiuxiao looked at him playfully. Flender rubbed his shoulder, no longer doubting him.

"What did you eat growing up to have such strong physical power?"

"Fine, have it your way."

"But you certainly have a way with women, kid. Are you able to handle it at your age?"

Flender looked at Qin Jiuxiao with a hint of envy, his mind drifting to a certain person he had secretly loved for years.

Qin Jiuxiao said nothing, but he thought to himself:

Uncle, you underestimate me. Even if you added Aunt Liu to the mix, I could still hold my own.

You can spend your life with your money; I'll be taking Aunt Liu.

Qin Jiuxiao was actually speechless regarding Flender's secret crush.

If you like someone, you should confess. If you fail, you have no regrets; if you succeed, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

The fact that he let Yu Xiaogang have her was the most baffling part.

Flender turned and looked at the group.

"Ahem, after serious discussion, Jiuxiao will be responsible for the funds of the rest of you."

"Now, I will personally take you to Shrek Academy."

As he spoke, he walked toward the shop entrance with his hands behind his back, completely ignoring Tang San's expression, which looked as if he had just eaten something foul.

After Flender walked away, Xiao Wu and the others crowded around Qin Jiuxiao, full of curiosity.

"Brother Qin, how did you get that old miser to stop charging us?"

Zhu Zhuqing and the others were equally curious. They had seen clearly just how stingy Flender was.

Qin Jiuxiao repeated what he had said, and the girls suddenly understood.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why that profiteer would back down; it turns out we were exempt from the start."

"He really is a stingy old miser."

"If it weren't for Brother Jiuxiao, I really would have paid."

Ning Rongrong puffed out her cheeks and gritted her teeth with a huff.

Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun covered their mouths and giggled. Hu Liena was no longer carrying anything, simply following along beside them.

Watching this scene, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile of their own accord.

She enjoyed this relaxed atmosphere and felt a twinge of envy toward the others who could stay by Qin Jiuxiao's side.

She was, after all, a member of Spirit Hall. One day, she would return, and they might even become enemies.

Setting these emotions aside, she secretly resolved that once they entered this so-called Shrek Academy, she would whisper in Qin Jiuxiao's ear.

She would compare the resources of Spirit Hall Academy to this place.

Once the disparity became clear, would it still be difficult to win him over?

Once she revealed her identity as the Saintess of Spirit Hall, wouldn't that make Qin Jiuxiao look at her with new eyes?

Hehehe.

Thinking this, Hu Liena couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hearing the sound, Qin Jiuxiao looked over and remembered that Hu Liena was also in the group. She was nearly a Soul King by now; she could have graduated from Shrek already.

"Hu Na, since you're with us, you don't need to skip the trials. Just enter as my maid."

"Otherwise, your level is high enough to graduate."

Hu Na was the name Hu Liena had made up for them.

Qin Jiuxiao was naturally happy to play along.

Hearing this, she nodded quickly, leaving a mark behind her without anyone noticing.

As long as Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo saw it, they would be able to find her location.