Rose Hotel

Lima Plain, Balak Kingdom, Suotuo City.

A boy and a girl walked along the city's central avenue, both around five feet three inches tall. The boy's long hair flowed behind him. He wore a plain-looking black robe that was, in fact, made of precious Black Cloud Satin. Fine patterns shimmered across the fabric with every step. Black Silk Thread edged his collar and cuffs, while a flawless Black Jade pendant hung at his waist, a single speck of Silver Sand at its center. It was probably worth as much as a small courtyard. The girl wore a white Shimmering Brocade dress that rippled with iridescent light as she walked. A moon-white sash tied in tassels held a Mutton-Fat Jade ring at her waist. Her long hair was braided into a scorpion's tail, and a pair of pink-and-white rabbit ears made her look all the more charming.

They were Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu. Three years had passed, and they had graduated early from Nuoding Academy. They had little choice: both had surpassed the academy's Four-Ring Soul Ancestor headmaster. How were the other teachers supposed to teach them? They would be better off learning from the two of them.

When Qin Muchu broke through to level thirty, he used a discount card to buy a metal-attributed Million-Year Soul Ring from the shop. It granted him two Soul Skills. The first, Thousand Blades Dustless, was a wide-ranging sword attack: with a sweep of his blade, hundreds of golden sword arcs poured into a fan-shaped area ahead of him. The second, Steel-Cutting, was a powerful close-range attack against a single target. He poured his Soul Power into the Dancing Shadow Sword and flicked its edge upward in a simple diagonal stroke, compressing all its metallic force into a razor-thin, razor-short line. This Soul Skill ignored thirty percent of an opponent's armor. If he combined that effect with his first Soul Skill, Soul Power barriers, armor, and defensive Soul Skills would be little more than decorations before his sword. Qin Muchu had even composed a bit of doggerel for it: "Thousand blades sweep the dust and break ten thousand troops; one Steel-Cutting stroke kills one man."

As for his fourth Soul Ring, Qin Muchu had lacked the Gold Soul Coins for anything better than a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. It granted only one Soul Skill, Great Sword, Blunt Edge. When he used it, the sword in his hand grew enormous. Its power was roughly equal to Steel-Cutting's, but unfortunately, it had no armor-piercing effect. Qin Muchu reckoned the Soul Rings and Soul Skills granted by the system favored quality over quantity: one skill for a hundred-thousand-year ring, two for a million-year ring.

Mystery Box Opening, meanwhile, seemed to have exhausted his luck. It brought him no more surprises. His level-thirty box yielded a hundred-thousand-year Leg Soul Bone, which he casually tossed to Xiao Wu. He had not intended to let her absorb it, but she said she would use it for now and worry about it once Qin Muchu had more Million-Year Soul Bones. At worst, she could break her own leg and take it back out. Hearing those alarming words, Qin Muchu had felt a dull ache in his right leg.

At level forty, he had opened a box and found a flower. He searched his memories and every book he could find, but never learned its name. Knowing nothing about it, he tossed it into his Soul Tool and paid it no further attention.

Xiao Wu, like Qin Muchu, had now reached level forty-seven. Qin Muchu had spent nearly two hundred million Gold Soul Coins raising her third and fourth Soul Rings to the hundred-thousand-year level. If outsiders learned of such a Soul Ring Configuration, Soul Masters across the continent would turn their eyes on her. But with the Disguise Soul Tool, it would not matter much so long as she kept it hidden. Xiao Wu had always disguised her rings as Two Yellow, Two Purple.

Half a year earlier, knowing a million-year fourth Soul Ring was out of reach, Qin Muchu had bought two Immortal Herbs from the shop. Xiao Wu received the Moonlit Azure Dream Orchid, while he took the Nine-Turn Chaos Lotus. After consuming them, both jumped straight from level thirty-four to level forty-four. The system's earnings reached twenty Gold Soul Coins per second—more than 620 million a year. He now had almost four hundred million left. When he broke through to level fifty, his Soul Ring would once again be Million-Year Tier.

"Xiao Chu, where's that shabby Shrek Academy you mentioned? Why did we come all this way to attend it?" Xiao Wu was curious. Qin Muchu clearly looked down on Shrek Academy whenever he spoke of it, yet he insisted they enroll there.

"You don't understand. Shrek Academy may be shabby, but its students are no ordinary people. There are only three students there now. One is a prince of the Star Luo Empire. He loves the Brothel District, so stay away from him, Xiao Wu. Another is the first Food-System Soul Master in the continent's history born with Innate Full Soul Power. And in a year, a little princess from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will arrive. Those are connections worth making."

"I see." Xiao Wu looked enlightened. After all these years, she had grown used to Qin Muchu seeming to know everything. She truly wondered whether there was anything he did not know.

Xiao Wu's attention soon shifted to the dazzling array of goods and shops along the street. Suotuo City was far livelier than Nuoding City. In this short walk alone, she had seen many things she had never seen before.

Suddenly, she spotted a hotel in the distance with a striking design. The whole building resembled a rose magnified countless times. Its rose-red exterior stood out among the street's blue-and-white buildings.

"Xiao Chu, let's stay at the Rose Hotel." Xiao Wu pointed at its sign.

"Uh, so there's no avoiding it?" Qin Muchu rubbed his nose. "Xiao Wu, do you know what kind of place the Rose Hotel is?"

"A place to stay, of course. What else would it be, a place to eat?" Xiao Wu looked at Qin Muchu as though he were an idiot.

"Uh, you're not wrong." Qin Muchu smiled awkwardly. He wondered whether staying at the Rose Hotel meant they would run into Dai Mubai. Probably. That guy came here practically every day. In that case, he might as well meet him ahead of time.

Qin Muchu had no particular feelings about Dai Mubai. He neither liked nor disliked him. The man might be a womanizer, but this world was much like the ancient era of Qin Muchu's previous life. Such establishments were perfectly legal, so he could hardly judge them by modern standards. Besides, whatever lay between Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing was their private affair. He had no right to interfere. He only needed to mind himself.

The moment they entered the lobby, Qin Muchu caught the rich scent of roses. No wonder young couples loved coming here. The hotel's decor was simple, yet it created an intimate, comfortable atmosphere. Its owner had clearly put a great deal of thought into it. It deserved its reputation as Suotuo City's finest hotel.

"Hello. We'd like a room. Red Ocean, please," Qin Muchu said to the attendant as he led Xiao Wu to the counter.

"Welcome, honored guests. I'm terribly sorry, but Red Ocean is always reserved for another guest. Could I offer you a different room? Pink Tenderness would suit the young lady very well." The attendant wore a polite smile.

Qin Muchu waved impatiently. "If it's only reserved, it hasn't been booked. We'll take Red Ocean. Money's no problem, and I won't shortchange you." He tossed a bag of Gold Soul Coins onto the counter. At a glance, it held several hundred. "We're only staying one night. Keep the rest as a tip."

"Well..." The attendant hesitated. After the cost of one night's stay, the tip would nearly equal a year's wages. But then he remembered who had reserved Red Ocean...

"Enough talk. Get us the room. I know Young Master Dai, the man who reserved it. If he gives you trouble, bring him straight to me." Qin Muchu released four Soul Rings—two white, one gold, and one purple—for an instant before drawing them back in. The force of his presence drove the attendant backward.

"A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor!" The attendant wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "Please don't be angry, honored guest. I'll check you in at once." He quickly arranged Qin Muchu's room. "Your room is on the top floor. I hope you both enjoy your stay."