"Auspicious Beast, you really have made a good friend."
Hearing the Silver Dragon King's praise, the Auspicious Beast proudly raised its little head.
"Of course! Just whose friend do you think he is?"
The Silver Dragon King did not respond. She took the Storage Soul Tool the Scarlet King had brought.
"I'm tired. If you have nothing else to discuss, go attend to your own affairs."
Di Tian bowed his head respectfully, and the Scarlet King lowered all three of his heads as well, intending to leave after paying their respects.
The Auspicious Beast glanced at them, hesitated briefly, then raised its right forepaw.
"Um... my lord, I have something to say."
"What is it?"
"I have a way to get us a few more than those twenty-five hundred Pure World Overlord's Legs."
"Oh? What way?" the Silver Dragon King asked curiously.
"Just let me go to Shrek Academy with Uncle Scarlet King."
At those words, Di Tian nearly had his nose twisted crooked with rage. He could not help cutting into the conversation.
"Auspicious Beast, do you really want me to break your legs?!"
The Auspicious Beast shook its head repeatedly and hurriedly said, "I don't want my legs broken! Di Tian, hear me out first!"
"Di Tian, let the Auspicious Beast finish before deciding whether to break its legs."
"As you command," Di Tian said respectfully.
The Auspicious Beast poured out its idea in one breath. "My plan is to tell Shrek Academy that Di Tian really likes Gao Ren's drumsticks too.
"If they're supplying drumsticks for Di Tian, they certainly can't give us so few. Five thousand won't be enough for him."
Di Tian froze for a moment, then knitted his brows. "But what does that have to do with you going to Shrek Academy? Auspicious Beast, don't just make up some excuse to fool us."
"I'm not fooling you!" the Auspicious Beast declared with complete conviction. "If I don't go, Gao Ren might not agree.
"He treats me well because we're friends, but he doesn't know you, Di Tian.
"What makes you think that if you tell Gao Ren you want drumsticks, he'll definitely agree to increase the quantity?"
Gao Ren: I would. Absolutely.
After that, coming to the Star Dou Great Forest would be just like coming home. I'd even dare to visit the Great Ferocious Land.
This was a Food System Soul Master's trust in his diners.
Although the Scarlet King was very reluctant to admit it, he still nodded at the Auspicious Beast's argument.
"Di Tian, the Auspicious Beast does have a point. You're the Beast God. If word gets out that you like the Overlord Drumsticks too, Shrek Academy might indeed refuse to keep supplying them long-term for 'free.'
"They'll definitely propose new conditions. I sensed humanity's greed the moment I sat down at the negotiating table. It truly was layer upon layer of malice.
"However, as a matter of principle, I don't agree with the Auspicious Beast going along. If anything happens to it among the humans, the fortune of the entire Star Dou Great Forest will suffer a severe blow."
Hearing the Scarlet King's words, Di Tian wavered.
Important as the Auspicious Beast was, no matter how important, it still could not compare to the Silver Dragon King in his heart.
What he hoped for was for the Silver Dragon King to return to her peak, become the Dragon God once more, revive the Dragon Race, and allow Soul Beasts to attain godhood.
But the affection he had developed over his years with the Auspicious Beast was not false either. He truly did not want to put it in danger, however slight.
Unsure what to do, Di Tian turned to ask the Silver Dragon King's opinion.
"My lord, what do you think?"
"Since the Auspicious Beast has such courage, let it go." The Silver Dragon King sighed softly, then revealed a trace of killing intent. "If the humans dare harm it, once the dust has settled, we'll settle accounts with them after the harvest!"
At noon the next day, Gao Ren was busy in the Outer Court cafeteria's kitchen, just as usual.
"A-Ren, stop frying for a moment and come out." Gao Wei poked his head in from the dining hall and beckoned to Gao Ren, who was frying drumsticks. "Xuan Zi wants you in the dining hall. It's yesterday's guest again."
Hearing that, Gao Ren knew without even thinking that the Scarlet King had returned.
He answered, then went straight to the cafeteria's dining hall through the staff passage.
There, at Xuan Zi's exclusive VIP table, he saw Xuan Zi, the Scarlet King in his humanoid form with entirely red hair, and a young girl sharing their table.
The girl was quite young, with long, golden, wavy hair that cascaded like a waterfall.
Her features were so exquisite that she hardly seemed human. Only the words "Beauty Goddess" could describe her.
Her superb figure and graceful curves drew involuntary glances from many Outer Court students.
Even Gao Ren could not help staring for a moment at the sight of someone so beautiful.
When did someone like her show up at our Shrek Academy?
Gao Ren interacted with plenty of students in his daily life and knew practically everyone in both the Outer Court and the Inner Court by sight, but he could swear he had never seen this face before.
"Scarlet King..."
He glanced at the Scarlet King sitting beside the girl, and an absurd possibility suddenly occurred to him.
Could this freaking girl be the Auspicious Beast in human form?!
Come on, girl, none of us linked destinies with you, and you haven't gained any human memories. Why did you suddenly transform and come to Shrek Academy?
Surely it couldn't be because of me?
As Gao Ren noticed the girl, she spotted him too. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she raised her hand, waving vigorously at him. "Gao Ren! Over here, over here! Hurry over!"
Gao Ren: ...
That waving feels just like a wagging tail. It really is the Auspicious Beast!
"You're the Auspicious Beast?" Gao Ren asked as he approached.
The girl tilted her head, her lovely face filled with confusion.
"Huh? How did you know?"
Gao Ren pointed at the Scarlet King. "Do you think someone who can sit beside the Scarlet King would be an ordinary person?"
"Uncle Scarlet King, this is all your fault!" the girl said indignantly. "If I'd known, I would've sat next to Xuan Zi."
"My little ancestor, how can you blame me for this too?" The Scarlet King was at his wits' end.
"Of course I have to blame you. You said I couldn't go more than a meter away from you."
"So, Auspicious Beast, why did you come to Shrek Academy?" Gao Ren asked in puzzlement. "Don't you have the Scarlet King running errands for you? Why did you come in person today?"
"Don't ask about that yet." The Auspicious Beast stood up and slowly turned in a circle. "Gao Ren, do you think my human appearance looks good?"
"It does." Gao Ren nodded. He could not possibly lie about something like this.
Pretty was pretty, ugly was ugly. Telling bald-faced lies would get you struck by heavenly lightning!
"I think it looks good too!" the Auspicious Beast said, raising its head proudly. "I used Auntie Bi Ji, Auntie Zi JI, and my lo... other female Ferocious Beasts as references. It took me a lot of effort to sculpt this face!"
Gao Ren: Did it just say 'my lord'? Could the Silver Dragon King have sent it?
At this point in time, the Silver Dragon King should still be sleeping to heal her injuries... wait, healing her injuries?
My Pure World Overlord's Legs?
Gao Ren turned it over in his mind, but that was the only possibility he could think of.
After all, the only person who could change the original story's plot was essentially him, the transmigrator.
Before you continue