Extortion

The days at Shrek Outer Court flew by, and before he knew it, a week had passed.

"Seven days, and Xiaoya still hasn't returned."

Wang Xiao could not help feeling worried.

Logically speaking, no matter how distant the Sun Moon Empire was, with a Titled Douluo's speed, she should have been on her way back by now.

Could that proposal have been too valuable? Had Tang Ya been detained because of it?

Wang Xiao tossed aside the water ball in his hand. He was in no mood to continue training, so he decided to put the Rasengan's progress on hold for now.

He had been far too exhausted lately.

Over these seven days, he had been incredibly busy. He rose earlier than chickens and slept later than dogs, climbing out of bed before dawn to train the Eight Gates under heavy weights.

There was no shortcut for this technique; he could only rely on hard work.

In the mornings, he studied theoretical knowledge, learning about Soul Beast age ranges and habits, Soul Bones, Soul Power cultivation, and every other related subject.

In the afternoons, he trained ninjutsu at the Outer Court: the attributeless Rasengan, Lightning Release's Chidori, Fire Release's Great Fireball, Majestic Destroyer Flame, Phoenix Flower Fire, and other techniques.

At night, Wang Xiao set up his stall with Jiang Nannan. Through casual probing, he learned a small part of her childhood background.

Xu Sanshi had once threatened to smash up his and Huo Yuhao's stall.

Every night, Wang Xiao borrowed chakra from the Nine-Tails and prepared to show off his skills. Yet after waiting seven days, that turtle man had never once appeared.

He really was all talk and no action.

After closing the stall, Wang Xiao still had to return and cultivate his Soul Power. He put himself through more in a day than a mule.

"I can't take it anymore. This back-and-forth routine is even more exhausting than a soul-crushing assembly line!"

Wang Xiao decided he had to get rid of the night-stall business. Either Jiang Nannan could take it over, or Huo Yuhao could run it.

What concerned him most was still Tang Ya. She had been gone for eight days without returning, and he was even more anxious than Bei Bei, her boyfriend.

After all, this had started because of him.

If he had sold it to Shrek's Soul Tool Department, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Wang Xiao headed to the dean's office and found Yan Shaozhe.

Cai Mei'er was Yan Shaozhe's wife. He refused to believe Old Yan was not worried at all.

"Old Yan, you really are something. Teacher Cai has been away from the academy for so long, yet you don't care in the slightest. A man in a high position indeed—truly a role model for us all."

"Enough. Stop trying to provoke me, you little rascal. You're worried about Tang Ya, yet you're still pretending otherwise."

Yan Shaozhe shot him an irritated glare. "Don't worry, kid. Shrek's standing in the Soul Master world is second only to the empires. Would the Sun Moon side dare lay a hand on us? Only if they were tired of living."

"As long as you're happy." Wang Xiao had actually wanted to tell him that the Sun Moon Empire did not take Shrek seriously at all, but after thinking it over, he let it go.

No one would believe him anyway.

"Tang Ya will return safely. If you have nothing else to do, go back to class. Don't disturb me while I drink tea." Yan Shaozhe fiddled with his tea set and began shooing him away.

Seeing that Old Yan did not mention Cai Mei'er at all, Wang Xiao thought for a moment and guessed that he probably did not care much about his wife's safety.

Even with mind-reading abilities, Wang Xiao could never have known that the person Yan Shaozhe truly liked was Qian Duoduo's wife.

What a melodramatic and bizarre marriage and romance.

As Wang Xiao walked out the door, an alarm bell rang in his heart. Even if he married two or three wives in the future, he had to make sure he cared properly for every one of them.

He smacked his forehead. "I almost forgot! Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao asked me this morning to catch fish by Sea God Lake for tonight's sale."

Wang Xiao hurried toward Sea God Lake.

Boom!

With five hundred meters left, he heard an explosion. Looking up, he saw red light flare by the lake as though a raging fire had ignited.

"That aura... it seems like Ma Xiaotao!" Wang Xiao's heart tightened. He had been too busy lately to help suppress her Evil Fire.

Those two could not have been so unlucky as to run into an out-of-control Ma Xiaotao, right?

Wang Xiao activated his incomplete Lightning Body Flicker and pushed it to the limit. Within a few breaths, he had arrived at the lakeshore.

The beach was in ruins, pitted with craters and covered in a layer of ice shards.

Both Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao had fallen unconscious. A few lingering flames surrounded them, melting the extreme ice. It was hard to imagine just how high the temperature had been.

Wang Xiao scanned the area several times but saw no sign of Ma Xiaotao. He activated the sensory ninjutsu the Nine-Tails had taught him, and every Soul Power fluctuation within a hundred meters became transparent to him.

Soon, he sensed a familiar aura beneath the lake.

After considering it for a moment, Wang Xiao still walked over to Wang Dong'er. There was too great a disparity in strength between them, and he was more worried that Dong'er might be hurt.

"Thank goodness, she's only unconscious. It seems Tian Meng is pretty reliable after all. Even after becoming stronger, Ma Xiaotao can still suppress herself."

He grasped Wang Dong'er's arm and poured the immense life force unique to the Blue Silver Emperor into her, waking her up. As for Huo Yuhao, he could use a little tempering.

After all, he was a man!

Wang Dong'er slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw upon waking was Wang Xiao's delicate face, darkened by the sun, as he kept watch beside her.

"Wang Xiao, did you save us?"

Wang Dong'er spoke weakly.

Ma Xiaotao's Soul Power shockwave had sent her flying, knocking her unconscious on the spot. She did not know who had intervened and assumed Wang Xiao had arrived in time to save her and Huo Yuhao.

Just as Wang Xiao was about to explain, a white-robed elder suddenly appeared behind him. He was so fast that even Wang Xiao had failed to react.

"Student Wang, it was me." The white-robed elder revealed a kindly smile.

Wang Xiao turned around and recognized him. He was the Soul Saint expert who stayed by Old Yan's side.

The elder looked around at the devastated beach. Seeing that only two new students had fallen unconscious, he finally sighed in relief.

"Wang, you've grown stronger again. You could even stop Xiaotao when she lost control. We truly have you to thank for acting this time, or a terrible disaster might have occurred." The white-robed elder still felt lingering fear.

"That's right, Brother Wang. Thank you for saving us."

At that moment, Huo Yuhao suddenly woke up, timing it perfectly.

Wang Xiao gave him a deep look. Left with no choice, he could only accept the credit.

"Xiaotao is here. She's all right." By the lakeshore, a green-robed elder had already pulled Ma Xiaotao from the water.

The white-robed elder said goodbye and intended to leave immediately.

With one arm holding Wang Dong'er and the other grabbing the elder, Wang Xiao said, "Elder Bai, my two good brothers have suffered serious injuries. They'll need at least several months of recovery. What if this delays the freshman assessment?"

The white-robed elder turned around, his expression somewhat stiff. "Student Wang, what do you suggest?"

"We need more money!" How could Wang Xiao possibly let such a perfect extortion opportunity slip away?

At those words, Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao silently gave him a thumbs-up. As expected of Brother Wang—he even dared to fleece a Soul Saint.

The white-robed elder was also worried about the enormous consequences of this matter, so he reluctantly took out two boxes.

"There are two Soul Ascension Pills inside. Consider them compensation for these two young friends' injuries."

"Elder Bai, even if I have no merit, I still put in effort. Shouldn't you reward me too?" Wang Xiao put on a smiling face.

The white-robed elder's eyelids twitched wildly as he painfully took out another Soul Ascension Pill.

Wang Xiao said, "Elder Bai, do you know something? Lately, someone at the Outer Court has actually been discussing Old Yan, saying Dean Yan is the stingiest Titled Douluo. I deeply hate people like that..."

"Stop!"

The white-robed elder raised a hand to stop him and let out a heavy sigh. "Student Wang, and you two young friends, this is a small token from this old man. Please keep this matter confidential."

He took out three gold cards from his robes and handed one to each of them, his heart bleeding as he gave away a full thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins at once.

After doing all that, he gave Wang Xiao no chance to speak again. With a whoosh, he vanished directly from where he stood.

"Why'd he run? I only wanted a little compensation." Wang Xiao was speechless.

Huo Yuhao's face, however, was full of excitement. "Brother Wang, you're amazing! Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins! I couldn't earn that even if I sold grilled fish for a lifetime."

This time, he admired Brother Wang from the bottom of his heart.

"All right, hurry back and absorb the pill. That's the truly valuable thing."

Huo Yuhao hugged the wooden box and excitedly rushed back to the dormitory.

When Wang Xiao returned to his residence, he saw half a room full of luggage. They stared at each other, and he almost thought he had gone to the wrong place.

"No, Huo Yuhao isn't exactly messy. Do you really dislike living with him that much?"

"Hmph! Don't ask!"

Wang Dong'er said as if it were only natural, "Who told you this place has a private bathroom? I've decided to live here!"

"Really?" Wang Xiao always felt there was another reason.

"Of course it's true. If you didn't have a bathroom here, who would want to live with you?"

Next, the two of them took the Soul Ascension Pills together.

After one night, the medicinal power was completely absorbed. Wang Xiao rose three levels in one go, his Soul Power breaking through to level nineteen as he entered the Soul Grandmaster realm.

Wang Dong'er likewise rose three levels, reaching level twenty-four in Soul Power.

Huo Yuhao next door was exceptionally lucky. He actually rose four levels in one go. Combined with the two levels he had previously gained from the Mysterious Water Pill, he was now a level-seventeen Soul Master, nearly catching up to Wang Xiao.

Another three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Tang Ya and Cai Mei'er finally returned to Shrek Academy.

Seeing that both of them were in good condition, Wang Xiao sighed in relief. Nothing unexpected had happened.

"Little Wang Xiao, you're incredible! You have no idea how many Gold Soul Coins I got this time. You'd be scared to death if I told you!"

Tang Ya was overjoyed. The moment she landed, she threw herself into Wang Xiao's arms. This trip to the Sun Moon Empire had truly been far too enjoyable.

She swore that she had never seen so many Gold Soul Coins in her life. It would have been enough to buy ten Level-Seven Soul Tools without any problem.

Tang Ya truly did not know how she could thank her little Wang Xiao this time.