Yeah! What Should We Eat?

Zhou Yi had not expected eleven-year-old Huo Yuhao to have such insight into Soul Tools.

Only after a long pause did she say to him, pleased,

"What he said was right. The advent of Soul Tools has gradually blurred the boundaries between the six traditional types of Soul Masters."

Ring, ring, ring! The bell echoed through the classroom and corridor.

The tense atmosphere in the classroom eased as Zhou Yi dismissed the class.

"Wow! Class monitor, you're amazing!"

As soon as class ended, the petite Xiao Xiao turned around and fixed her bright eyes on Huo Yuhao.

She had never met anyone her age with such a high Soul Power Level and such broad knowledge. Most importantly, Huo Yuhao was handsome, especially with those two horns on his head. They gave him a charm all his own.

Just as the three of them were about to leave the classroom, Zhou Yi called out from behind.

"Huo Yuhao! You... Never mind. Go on ahead."

Huo Yuhao turned and saw Zhou Yi standing at the lectern, looking as though she wanted to say something. In the end, she waved for him to leave.

Watching them go, Zhou Yi felt torn. After hearing Huo Yuhao's explanation of Soul Tools in class and seeing his attitude toward them, she wanted to recommend him to her husband, Fan Yu, so he could study Soul Tools.

But just as she was about to speak, she remembered the information on Huo Yuhao's enrollment form.

Twin Martial Souls, an Ultimate Martial Soul, and Soul Power approaching level forty. With talent like that, the Martial Soul Department at Shrek Academy would never let him go.

So she abandoned the idea of recommending him for Soul Tool studies. What she could never have imagined was that, at just eleven years old, Huo Yuhao was already a peak fourth-rank Soul Engineer.

They had left the classroom, but Xiao Xiao still fluttered around Huo Yuhao like a little bird.

"Class monitor, class monitor, how did you fly just now? Why didn't I see any wings on your back?"

As she spoke, Xiao Xiao sneaked a glance behind him.

"Could it really be what they said—that you're just so strong you can launch yourself into the air with a tap of your toes?"

Huo Yuhao was not quite used to Xiao Xiao's chattering. He had never met a girl so enthusiastic.

Wang Dong'er was watching him curiously too. He had flown so fast, and she had been flapping her wings with all her strength, so she had not seen how he had taken off.

"It was the cloud!"

"Cloud?"

Both girls cried out at once.

"Yeah. When my Martial Soul manifests, it can gather an Auspicious Cloud beneath my feet. Right now, it can barely cover them, but it'll grow as my Soul Power increases."

As though worried they might not understand, Huo Yuhao manifested his Four-Not-Like Martial Soul. A white Auspicious Cloud appeared beneath his feet.

"Wow! Class monitor, can your cloud carry other people?"

"I'm afraid not yet."

"Oh. I see."

Xiao Xiao's little head drooped in disappointment.

Thanks to Shrek Academy's peculiar dormitory arrangements, the three of them took the same route back. They walked side by side all the way.

Several times, Wang Dong'er turned toward Huo Yuhao as though she wanted to say something, only to swallow the words.

At last, with the dormitory drawing closer, she made up her mind.

"Huo Yuhao!"

"Hmm?"

Huo Yuhao turned to find Wang Dong'er's usually proud, spirited face flushed bright red.

"Um... I was wrong about what happened that day. I'm sorry."

"Oh, that? It's nothing. Don't take it to heart. We're classmates; little disagreements happen."

To Huo Yuhao, what had happened in the dormitory was only a minor episode. Besides, the scene of Wang Dong'er and the ice man competing was still saved on the Recording Soul Tool.

He did not want Wang Dong'er too close to him, but he did not want her so far away that he could no longer observe the wisp of Tang San's divine consciousness inside her.

Listening beside them, Xiao Xiao was baffled. Had Huo Yuhao argued with Dong'er's younger brother, only for Dong'er to confront him later and discover her brother had started it?

Wang Dong'er's lie had led Xiao Xiao astray, but her guess was already remarkably close to the truth.

She was about to ask when a gurgle came from her stomach.

Blushing, she covered her stomach and said to them,

"Class monitor, Dong'er, why don't we get something to eat first?"

Xiao Xiao's suggestion broke the awkwardness between the other two.

Wang Dong'er's eyes lit up. She had an idea.

"Um, Huo Yuhao, why don't I treat you both to a meal? To make it up to you. How does that sound?"

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up too, and she happily wrapped her arms around one of Wang Dong'er's.

"Yes, yes! Dong'er, I knew you were the best!"

"Then, Wang Dong'er, what are we eating? Not at the cafeteria, I hope?"

Huo Yuhao's words made both girls grimace.

Their absurd experience at the cafeteria a few days earlier sprang to mind: no tables, so they had to eat standing up, and they were not even allowed to take food away.

"Yeah, Dong'er. What are we eating?"

Their questions left Wang Dong'er torn. She did not know what food was available at the academy either.

Seeing her expression, Huo Yuhao offered her a way out.

"How about this, Wang Dong'er? You get some fresh ingredients, and I'll cook. What do you think?"

"A cultivation fanatic like you has time to cook?"

Wang Dong'er was skeptical. When she had gone to Room 108 that morning, Huo Yuhao had been meditating as though he had stayed up all night.

And given how high his Soul Power was at such a young age, he was clearly the sort of person who would replace sleep with meditation if he could.

"I'm not some pampered young lady who's never lifted a finger, like you. My cooking's so good that even my sister wanted me to teach her!"

Huo Yuhao added silently,

Though Sister Jiujiu never managed to learn, no matter how hard she tried.

Remembering Xu Jiujiu's cooking, which could have poisoned a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, Huo Yuhao shuddered.

Wang Dong'er bristled at his words. Judging by the luggage he had brought, he was hardly from a humble family himself. How did he have the nerve to call her a pampered young lady?

"Fine. Let's see if you're just boasting."

With that, they changed direction and headed out of the academy.

Perhaps because freshman registration had ended, the outskirts of Shrek Academy were much quieter than they had been a few days ago.

There were far fewer street vendors too. The three of them had to visit quite a few stalls before they had all the ingredients they needed.

Just then, a warm, lively voice rang out behind them.

"Little brother Yuhao, is that you?"