Oscar the Sausage Seller

Seeing the strength Youquan had displayed, the elderly man, who had previously remained calm, instantly rose to his feet and stared at Youquan excitedly. "A twelve-year-old Soul Elder! And a level 39 Soul Elder!"

Dai Mubai was even more astonished. He had never expected Youquan's Soul Power to be so high, or her talent to be so exceptional. No wonder she had been able to defeat him that day.

Tang San and Xiaowu also looked at Youquan in shock.

Tang San could not help thinking to himself, Thankfully, she's a student of the same academy. Otherwise, with talent like hers, if she became an enemy, she would surely be a huge threat.

Xiaoxiao and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance. They were equally surprised, but unlike the others, they were astonished by how a mere Soul Elder had managed to kill three Soul Ancestors in succession without using her martial soul. She must have had some way of concealing her true strength.

Neither of them said anything more, but they became even more curious about Youquan and her real abilities.

"Mu Bai, hurry and take these little monsters inside," the old man said excitedly.

"Come with me." Dai Mubai gave Youquan a deep look. Seeing that she showed no intention of bringing up what had happened that day, he could not help letting out a sigh of relief before speaking to Tang San and the others.

The group followed Dai Mubai into the village. As far as the eye could see, there were only simple wooden buildings, and the village itself was exceedingly plain.

Before long, Dai Mubai brought them to an open area. Plain wooden houses surrounded it, and the clearing covered roughly five hundred square meters. It was located right in the center of Shrek Academy.

"Wait here for a while. Someone will soon bring you to the second assessment," Dai Mubai told them.

Just as Dai Mubai finished speaking, a soft, limp voice drifted over. "Sausages for sale, sausages for sale! Take a look, have a look! Don't miss out if you pass by! Oscar-brand sausages—delicious and sweet, cheap too! Five Copper Soul Coins each!"

Tang San and Xiaowu turned their heads and saw a man pushing a cart as he hawked his wares. Waves of meaty fragrance wafted through the air.

"Xiaowu, do you want a grilled sausage?" Tang San asked thoughtfully.

Youquan looked at Xiaoxiao and Ning Rongrong. "Do you want some? I'll go buy them."

Dai Mubai hurriedly stopped them. "Absolutely not. If you're hungry, once you finish the assessment, I can treat you to food in the city or at the cafeteria. But forget about his sausages."

Dai Mubai sighed. "His name is Oscar. He's a student of Shrek Academy."

Ning Rongrong asked in surprise, "That bearded uncle is also a student of Shrek Academy? Don't you only admit students under thirteen?"

Oscar heard their conversation just as he was walking over. The moment he heard Ning Rongrong's words, his entire body stiffened. He pointed at himself in disbelief and asked, "You're calling me an uncle? You can't question my age just because I have a little more body hair!"

Then Oscar got a clear look at Ning Rongrong's face, and his heart instantly fluttered. Even his tone unconsciously turned coy. "Beauty, would you like a sausage? It's on the house."

"Get lost!" Dai Mubai grabbed Oscar and yanked him behind himself. Only after glaring at him did he turn back to explain, "Don't eat his sausages."

Then he looked at Oscar and snapped, "I warned you long ago! You're not allowed to sell your grilled sausages in the academy. Are you trying to make everyone throw up? Or are you trying to ruin Shrek Academy's reputation?"

Oscar wore a miserable expression. "I've been wronged, Boss Dai."

Tang San asked doubtfully, "Why? Is there something wrong with his grilled sausages?"

Dai Mubai's expression became somewhat strange. "Xiao Ao, make a fresh grilled sausage."

Oscar immediately looked extremely embarrassed. "Boss Dai, there's no need for that, right? We've been classmates for years. The new students are going to hold a grudge against me if you do this."

Dai Mubai snorted. "I'm just giving everyone a warning. Tang San is my brother. I don't want him falling for your tricks. Hurry up, don't make me do it myself."

After shouting that, Dai Mubai turned his head and quietly warned Oscar, "See that white-haired witch? She's a Soul Elder, and she's not someone to mess with. If you offend her, I won't be able to save you."

Youquan's soul perception was immensely powerful, so she naturally heard every word. She could not help feeling speechless. It seemed Dai Mubai had really held a grudge against her. Calling her the white-haired witch was something else.

Oscar shuddered and could only follow Dai Mubai's instructions, releasing his martial soul.

Oscar extended his right hand, and two yellow Spirit Rings shone as they circled around him.

The group heard Oscar call out in his soft, limp voice, sounding somewhat lewd, "I, your father, have a big sausage."

Yellow light gathered in Oscar's hand, and a sausage appeared in his palm.

"Uh..." Tang San looked extremely embarrassed, then grew somewhat angry. He had intended to buy that sausage for Xiaowu. Hearing such an ambiguous phrase, he thought of what might have happened if Dai Mubai had not stopped him and Xiaowu had eaten that sausage. Tang San practically wanted to kill Oscar.

Seeing Tang San's furious expression, Oscar hurriedly explained in a panic, "I can't do anything about it. When a Food System Soul Master uses their martial soul, if they want their food to change and become edible, they have to use different Soul Incantations. It's not like I want to shout that incantation. Besides, there is absolutely no issue with the quality of my sausages."

The more Oscar spoke, the more aggrieved his voice became.

After hearing Oscar's explanation, Tang San's expression finally eased somewhat.

Youquan stepped forward, took out five Gold Soul Coins, and handed them to Oscar. Then she picked up a steaming sausage from the cart and took a bite.

A rich meaty fragrance burst across her mouth. Since the sausage had been grilled over charcoal, its skin was slightly charred. With one bite, it was crisp on the outside and tender within. Youquan already loved food, and not only was the grilled sausage delicious, its effect in restoring Soul Power was no less effective than the Qi Recovery Pills she refined. Youquan narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

Then she looked at Ning Rongrong and Xiaoxiao. "Rongrong, Xiaoxiao, do you want some? It's really delicious. I'll treat you."

Xiaowu hurriedly said to Youquan, "Didn't you hear what he said? You can still eat that?"

Youquan looked at Xiaowu in confusion, feeling somewhat speechless. She could understand herself being an old woman who had lived two lives, but why were children like Dai Mubai and Xiaowu so precocious?

Still, Youquan politely explained to Xiaowu, "The sausage really does taste good, and it restores Soul Power very effectively. We'll be classmates in the future, companions who fight side by side. If your Soul Power is depleted on the battlefield, would you choose to accept your teammate's support, or would you pick and choose until you die? Besides, it's only a Soul Incantation. What exactly are you all thinking about?"

After hearing Youquan's words, Xiaoxiao stepped forward and took a grilled sausage as well. "Thank you for the treat, Sister Youquan."

Ning Rongrong also wanted to experience the supportive abilities of a Food System Soul Master, but after Tang San and Dai Mubai had said those things, she had been unable to get past the mental hurdle. If she ate one, it would make her seem like... that. Now that Youquan had put it this way, Ning Rongrong immediately stepped forward and took a grilled sausage. "Thank you for the treat, Sister Youquan."