I'd Rather Ye Lin Swept Liu Erlong Off Her Feet

Tang San ducked into an alley with one hand covering his crotch.

Only then did he bend over, rummage through his bundle for a spare pair of pants, and hurriedly pull them on over the first pair.

The hole in his crotch was finally hidden, but he was covered in dust from head to toe, as if he had just crawled out of a ditch.

He wiped the grime from his face and tried to calm himself.

He had walked the streets of Suotuo City countless times in his previous life. He could find his way with his eyes closed.

Tang San turned down two streets, cut through a narrow alley, and stopped outside a small shop with a battered sign.

This was Flender's general store. Inside waited the first opportunity Tang San had found after arriving in Suotuo City.

A piece of Slab Crystal. From it, he could make a powerful hidden weapon, the Dragon Whisker Needle, which would be a great help against Zhao Wuji during Shrek Academy's entrance exam.

In his previous life, he had paid a full five hundred Gold Soul Coins for it. That old geezer Flender had clearly fleeced him.

This time, he would get the best item for the lowest price.

Creak!

Tang San pushed open the wooden door and went in.

Behind the counter stood an old reclining chair. A thin, middle-aged man lay in it with his eyes closed.

Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy.

Tang San glanced at Flender and thought,

It's been a while since I've seen the stingiest man on the entire Douluo Continent.

Flender's eyes snapped open.

He shot upright in his chair, his small eyes gleaming in the dim light.

"What did you say?"

Tang San's hand froze.

He turned around. "I didn't say anything."

Flender watched him for a moment, decided he must have been half asleep, and slowly leaned back. He waved a hand.

"Oh... Must've heard wrong. Look around."

He closed his eyes again, and the chair began to rock.

Tang San turned back to his search for the Slab Crystal.

His mind, however, kept running, and another thought surfaced.

What's that old miser making such a fuss about?

Go back to guarding your shabby little shop, you money-grubber. What's the point of making all that money if you won't live to spend it? Are you saving up to get married?

As if Liu Erlong, that tigress, gives a damn about you. She doesn't.

Flender's eyes opened again.

This time, he narrowed them and fixed his gaze on the back of Tang San's head.

He had heard it clearly. That voice had definitely come from the boy, yet the boy's mouth had not moved.

How strange. Why could he hear words the boy had never spoken?

And how did the boy know so much?

There was something else.

That line about Liu Erlong being a tigress who didn't give a damn about him made his teeth ache with anger.

The boy looked so young. Why did he have such a foul mouth?

And how on earth did he know about Liu Erlong?

No one had mentioned that name in years.

Right then, Flender wanted nothing more than to kill Tang San where he stood to vent his anger.

He stared at the back of Tang San's head and began to make plans.

Buy whatever you like. Once I see what you want, I'm going to fleece you for every coin I can.

Tang San rummaged through the display shelf for quite a while.

At last, he pulled out a palm-sized yellow crystal.

Slab Crystal. The hair-thin crystals inside were perfect for making Dragon Whisker Needles.

He casually set the Slab Crystal beside him and picked up an unremarkable little piece of copper.

"Boss, how much is this?"

"Two hundred Gold Soul Coins."

Tang San cried out, "That much? Two hundred for a lousy lump of copper?"

He picked up the Slab Crystal beside him as though it were an afterthought.

"How about this? One hundred Gold Soul Coins, and you throw this in. Then I'll buy it."

Flender sneered inwardly.

Keep pretending. I've spent decades as a crooked merchant. You think I can't tell that yellow crystal is what you really want?

Trying that trick on me? I was using it forty years ago.

He was about to raise the price when Tang San's thoughts drifted into his head again.

Last time, Xiao Wu and I had to pool our money just to come up with the five hundred Gold Soul Coins it cost. This time, I only have three hundred. I wonder if it'll be enough.

Good thing I haven't let that old fox Flender see what I'm really after.

Otherwise, he'd jack up the price as high as he could.

Flender raised an eyebrow.

Last time?

What does that mean?

Could he have been reborn?

And I've happened to discover it?

Well, he's guessed exactly what I'd do. Now that I know, I'm absolutely going to jack up the price!

And I've learned something else.

The boy only has three hundred Gold Soul Coins on him. What a pauper.

But he is a Soul Grandmaster.

As long as Spirit Hall stands, he'll have a steady source of money.

Flender leaned back.

"Eight hundred Gold Soul Coins. I'll let you write me an IOU. You can pay me twelve Gold Soul Coins in interest each year on the balance."

Tang San's expression cracked.

"Eight hundred?!" His voice shot up an octave.

"How is that any different from robbery?! Eight hundred for a lousy crystal?!"

Flender kept his eyes closed and rocked in his chair.

"Buy it or don't. That's how things work in my shop. No haggling."

Tang San's chest heaved.

In his previous life, he had shown his hand and bought it for five hundred Gold Soul Coins.

This time, he had kept his intentions hidden, and the price had somehow risen to eight hundred?

What kind of world was this?

"What if I only want the Yellow Crystal?"

"Still eight hundred."

Tang San clenched his fists.

"Crook!"

He seethed inwardly,

You didn't get Liu Erlong in your last life, and with me around, you can forget about getting her in this one.

I'm going to stop that bastard Yu Xiaogang at every turn, too. He ended up with Liu Erlong last time. It won't happen again.

I'd rather see Liu Erlong, an unmarried woman, swept off her feet by that pig Ye Lin than let either of you have her!

Just you wait. Tang San won't forget this!

Flender heard Tang San's thoughts.

Once again, he was stunned.

What? Xiaogang and Erlong ended up together last time!

And this time, Tang San plans to stop it at every turn?

Fine, Tang San. I'll remember you!

At your age, with your Soul Power Level,

you'd better not be on your way to Shrek Academy.

Otherwise, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!

In the end, Tang San gritted his teeth and agreed. The Slab Crystal was too important to him.

"Fine. Eight hundred it is!"

"I'll buy it, but I only have two hundred on me right now. I'll write an IOU for the rest. The interest will be as you said."

Flender opened one eye, glanced at him, and gave a faint smile. "Deal."

A few minutes later, Tang San put the Slab Crystal into his bundle and left Flender's shop in humiliation.

He had a little over a hundred Gold Soul Coins left, and he still needed to set aside a hundred for tuition.

He took a Silver Soul Coin from his bundle and headed toward a thoroughly dilapidated inn nearby.