Shrek City Food Street

The illusion vanished, and Ziyang and Na'er crashed onto the floor. It was cold and hard.

They panted heavily as sweat streamed down their temples.

Han Tianyi stood to one side, looking down at them and repeatedly shaking his head. He muttered to himself, Why do these two children have no courage or drive at all? Kids these days really don't have the fighting spirit of our generation.

Na'er shook her dizzy head and was the first to scramble up. She lunged at Ziyang indignantly.

"Ziyang, why didn't you call for me when you ran away?"

Ziyang looked at Na'er. "I did call you. Didn't you say not to drag you into it if I got beaten?"

"That counted as calling me?"

"Didn't it?"

Na'er choked on her words. She glared at Ziyang, her eyes as round as bells, filled with anger and grievance.

"Anyway, anyway..." She turned around huffily, presenting him with her back. Her voice was muffled. "Anyway, you just didn't call me."

Ziyang looked helplessly at Na'er's angry back.

The floor was still cold. Yet it somehow did not feel quite so cold anymore.

"You did well today."

A cool voice came from the side. Leng Yaoyu looked at the two children, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She walked over with light steps. First, she ruffled Na'er's hair, then Ziyang's.

"Enough, don't be angry anymore. It's about time for dinner."

At that, Na'er's ears twitched. She spun around, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"Finally, food? What are we having tonight?"

All her previous grievance and anger vanished in an instant.

Ziyang looked at her back without the slightest surprise. Then he sighed softly. Han Tianyi truly deserved to be called the Phantom Brain Douluo; his martial soul was his brain. He thought completely differently from everyone else.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the dining hall.

The lighting in the dining hall was warm. Several home-cooked dishes sat on the long table, steam curling upward and twisting into strange shapes in the light.

Na'er shoveled rice into her mouth, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster's. She simply could not stop eating.

Ziyang sat across from her, and watching Na'er eat gave him quite an appetite.

Leng Yaoyu picked up some food with her chopsticks and suddenly said, "All your future training will take place in the True Illusion. The Phantom Brain Douluo will oversee your cultivation."

"Huh?" Ziyang's eyes widened. Han Tianyi's way of thinking was truly beyond ordinary people's. He had made two one-ring Soul Masters fight three Limit Douluos.

Was his mind even working properly?

Na'er stopped chewing as well, her cheeks still puffed out. When she heard that Han Tianyi would be training them from now on, panic also appeared in her eyes.

Seeing their alarm, Leng Yaoyu reached out and gently placed a hand on Ziyang's head.

"Alright, this time was just an accident."

She rubbed Ziyang's little head. "Tomorrow, I'll take you and Na'er outside the tower to relax."

Ziyang looked up and asked doubtfully, "Where are we going?"

Leng Yaoyu withdrew her hand. "Just out for a stroll. Where else would we go?"

Na'er's eyes shone at those words. "Finally, no classes."

But disappointment soon followed.

They were going out to have fun, but they still had to attend class.

The following evening arrived quickly.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Leng Yaoyu led the two children out of the Spirit Pagoda. Shrek City's streets awakened in the dusk, lights illuminating one after another as though someone had brought the river of stars down from the heavens.

The snack street was squeezed between two main roads, a narrow alley packed with stalls on both sides. Greasy smoke mingled with sweet aromas in the air, while voices clamored and footsteps jostled.

Leng Yaoyu walked in front, wearing an elegant long dress and moving at an unhurried pace.

Ziyang and Na'er followed behind her, looking around in every direction. Their eyes could barely keep up, and they wanted to try everything they saw.

Passersby kept glancing over, captivated by Leng Yaoyu's beauty.

Some stopped walking, while others whispered among themselves.

The trio was simply too eye-catching: two half-grown children following an ethereal woman through the busiest market street. It was impossible not to stare.

What was more, a small black beast followed behind them.

But before long, someone recognized the woman at the front.

"That's the Sky Phoenix Douluo."

Before the words had even faded, those probing gazes receded like the tide. People lowered their heads, quickened their steps, or turned and ducked into nearby shops.

The street corner, bustling just moments ago, abruptly fell quiet for an instant.

Leng Yaoyu seemed not to notice and continued onward.

Na'er tugged at Ziyang's sleeve and whispered, "What's wrong with these people? They seem really afraid of Teacher Leng."

Ziyang nodded. "Teacher is a Limit Douluo, after all. Not just anyone can dare to covet her."

Na'er gave an uncertain "Oh." "Then if I become a Limit Douluo, you won't dare bully me either."

"When have I ever bullied you?" Ziyang was speechless. Wasn't it always Na'er using her overpowered build to bully him?

His own build was only T1. He could only bully some adults by accusing them of bullying children. Na'er, on the other hand, was a solid T0 build.

"Every training session, you hide behind me," Na'er said with her hands on her hips.

Ziyang was a little embarrassed, but then he declared righteously, "I was making sure your rear was safe so no one could flank you."

Na'er looked unconvinced, but her gaze was soon drawn to the sugar figurines at a roadside stall.

Leng Yaoyu stopped and looked back at them. Lantern light fell across her face, softening her features.

"Hurry up. There's something ahead that you both like."

She reached out, taking Ziyang's hand with one and Na'er's with the other. The three linked hands passed through the bustling crowd.

The three of them sat down at a barbecue stall. Ziyang naturally ordered some of his favorite foods, then ordered a ten-catty grilled fish for Austin Griffin. Finally, he looked at the menu and told the owner to bring ten portions of everything.

Hearing that, the owner blinked. "Customer, can you finish all that? Don't waste it later."

Ziyang did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head and glanced at Na'er. Na'er sat primly, her back straight and her chin slightly raised, like a little peacock about to spread its tail feathers.

"Don't worry. This much only counts as a snack."

Na'er also wore a proud expression. At last, it was time for her to show what she could do.

"As long as you don't waste it."

The owner shook his head, muttering as he turned toward the grill. The charcoal crackled, and a puff of blue smoke rose whenever grease dripped onto it.

As they waited, Na'er lightly tapped her toes beneath the table. Waiting always put people in a good mood.

Ziyang's gaze fell on the distance. A chubby little boy of around six was wobbling over from the street corner. He walked slowly, every step seeming like a battle against gravity. His belly was round and protruded in a clear curve beneath his thin clothes.

"Grrrrowl..."

The sound was loud, clearly audible even amid the noisy market.

The chubby boy stopped at the neighboring table, stood on tiptoe, and laboriously climbed onto a bench. He spread open the menu and poked at it with a finger.

"Boss," he said in a childish voice that nevertheless carried unquestionable certainty, "this, this, and this..."

"Bring twenty portions of each."

Hearing that, Ziyang shifted his gaze in that direction. "Is that the Shrek Academy uniform? It's poop green."