Ling Luochen's Love Luck Was Five Stars

Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul was the Evil Fire Phoenix, the same Martial Soul Ma Hongjun had possessed ten thousand years ago.

What had Ma Hongjun been like in the beginning?

Anyone who had read the original Douluo Continent story knew that all too well.

He had needed women to help him suppress the backlash from his Martial Soul.

Ma Xiaotao was Ma Hongjun's descendant, and her Evil Fire Phoenix suffered the same backlash.

But she was a woman, and one who respected herself.

She could not suppress the backlash the way Ma Hongjun had.

Once the Evil Fire could no longer be contained, Ma Xiaotao would lose her reason and become unable to tell friend from foe.

That was what they meant by "exploding."

Looked at that way, Ma Xiaotao was rather pitiful.

With elders around, Gao Ren did not worry about Ma Xiaotao exploding. Someone would surely be there to handle it.

But he would never dare be alone with her.

Because he really had been alone with Ma Xiaotao before.

His uncle had once entrusted him to Ma Xiaotao's care for an entire afternoon.

Nothing had happened, but he had been wound tight the whole time, terrified that one careless moment would be his last.

That was why Gao Ren was not eager to see Ma Xiaotao.

"Xiaotao, your drumstick."

Ma Xiaotao took the freshly fried Overlord Drumstick and bit into it on the spot.

Then she froze.

The expression was familiar. Gao Ren knew she was just like everyone else who tried one for the first time: she loved it.

"Little Ren, give your big sister a few more!"

Ma Xiaotao quickly finished it, licked her lips as though she could still taste it, then smiled at Gao Ren.

"One per customer." Gao Ren's face was expressionless.

"After everything we are to each other, you're imposing a limit?" Ma Xiaotao leaned over the serving window and winked at him. "Dean Yan is my teacher, Mu En is my teacher's teacher, and Xuan Zi is Mu En's junior martial nephew... Work it out, and we're proper martial siblings!"

Hearing her put it that way, Gao Ren could only give in.

He knew her too well.

Ma Xiaotao would not stop until she got what she wanted.

Gao Ren chose to numb himself with Gold Soul Coins: However many she eats, that's how much the academy has to pay me.

After that, Ma Xiaotao received twenty fried Overlord Drumsticks.

After the cafeteria took its cut, Gao Ren made a net profit of three hundred and twenty Gold Soul Coins from that one order.

"Little Ren, your big sister will be back tonight!" Thoroughly satisfied, Ma Xiaotao carried off the iron tray, patted Gao Ren on his little head, and strode away from the serving window.

Don't come back... No, do come back. Who ever complained about having too much money?

Not long after Ma Xiaotao left, a cool, quiet voice sounded outside the window.

"Hello. One fried Overlord Drumstick, please."

Before Gao Ren could return to the kitchen, he looked up and saw a beautiful young woman approaching.

She stood like a plum blossom in the depths of winter.

Her skin was very fair, and she walked as though she weighed nothing.

If Ma Xiaotao's beauty was fiery, this young woman was the other extreme.

She was Ma Xiaotao's classmate, the cool and aloof Ling Luochen.

One had an ice attribute and the other fire. They were practically born to clash.

"Of course. Please wait a moment." Gao Ren went back into the kitchen.

Before long, he returned and handed her the order.

Ling Luochen took the iron tray and studied Gao Ren.

This little boy is rather good-looking. Shame he's a bit too young.

Carrying the drumstick, Ling Luochen found a corner of the cafeteria and sat down.

Before leaving that morning, she had checked her horoscope.

The book had said her love luck was five stars today and that she would meet the man destined for her.

So she had spent the day watching people.

Ling Luochen had arrived at the cafeteria at almost the same time as Ma Xiaotao.

She had hidden behind the entrance and quietly observed everyone inside.

The first person to catch her eye was naturally Ma Xiaotao, with whom she did not get along.

Her gaze lingered for an instant on Ma Xiaotao's striking curves. Then she looked down at herself, her brow furrowing slightly.

What's she trying to prove, strutting around with her chest thrust out every day?

Next, she turned her attention to Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

Refined, handsome, and seems decent enough. But... the good ones are already taken. I don't think I stand a chance.

Then there was Xuan Zi.

One glance was enough for her to look away.

How could Xuan Zi possibly be my prince on a white horse? He's far too old!

Next came Gao Wei at the serving window.

Head Chef Gao is handsome and mature, with that special charm older men have. Unfortunately, he's already married.

Finally, there was Gao Ren, about whom she had already reached a conclusion.

He's much too young. If I actually made a move, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon would probably electrocute me.

Ling Luochen sighed inwardly, picked up the Overlord Drumstick, and took a small bite.

The savory chicken and the crisp fried coating burst across her tongue at once.

Wow! This drumstick is so, so, so good!

With that thought, Ling Luochen soon finished it.

Still wanting more, she could not help looking toward the serving window. Gao Ren happened to come out to hand over another order.

Could the man destined for me be this little guy?

The thought had barely surfaced before Ling Luochen shook her head.

If I were a little older, I could practically be his mother.

She pulled out her horoscope book, turned to today's page, and stared at the five stars beside her love luck for a long while. At last, she gave a soft sigh.

As if a romance would just appear out of nowhere...

Thanks to the draw of Xuan Zi's name and the word spread by Bei Bei, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochen—three core disciples—Gao Ren made a small fortune on his first day.

Even with a limit of one Overlord Drumstick per person, his net profit reached three thousand Gold Soul Coins. He had pulled far ahead of children his age financially.

After settling the accounts with his uncle and collecting his day's wages, Gao Ren went to the shore of Sea God Lake and began warming up.

Xuan Zi had not made many arrangements for his training.

Aside from having Gao Ren work on his cooking, he taught him some things about Soul Beasts, such as which ones tasted good and where.

After all, Gao Ren was only six years old and a food-type Soul Master. There was not much he could train yet.

For now, there was only one thing he could practice a little: Shrek's ancestral teaching—running!

(＃＞＜)

Running might be a bit ordinary, but it really was useful.

If trouble came along, all that running might just help him escape.

Once he had warmed up, Gao Ren started running around Sea God Lake.

During his very first lesson, Xuan Zi had told him that cultivation was his own responsibility.

Xuan Zi would tell him what to do, but he would not supervise him.

Everything Gao Ren did now was something he genuinely wanted to do.

But it was not long before he wanted to stop running. He even deeply regretted not going straight home... A wild Ma Xiaotao had appeared!