Balak Kingdom, Suotuo City.
This place was closer than Nuoding City to Heaven Dou City, the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.
It was also closer to Spirit Hall and stood in the heart of the Lima Plain.
Both its location and its urban development made it more prosperous than Nuoding City.
People streamed along the streets, and vendors' cries rang out without pause.
"Wow! This hair clip is so pretty! That cotton candy looks delicious too!!"
Looking at the stalls on either side of the street, the little girl wearing a rabbit-ear headband had stars in her eyes.
She darted from stall to stall, wishing she could buy the entire street and take it home.
But with her purse painfully light, she could only look, never quite daring to buy anything.
"You've almost spent your entire allowance for this month, and you still want to shop?"
A boy's voice came from behind her, and the rabbit-eared girl's face immediately fell.
Her little lips pouted, making her look as aggrieved as could be.
"Mo~! Lend me some money, please~ How about I walk on your back for you? I guarantee top-notch footwork!!"
The girl skipped over to the boy, wrapped her arms around his, and shook it as she wheedled.
She looked so cute and playful that many passersby couldn't help stealing another glance.
Several women among them also cast admiring looks their way.
Naturally, they weren't looking at the girl.
They were looking at the handsome boy beside her with crimson-gold eyes.
This boy and girl were none other than Lin Mo and Xiao Wu, who had graduated from Noding Academy not long ago.
After returning to Soul Emperor Village to visit Grandpa Old Jerry, they had wandered and enjoyed themselves all the way to Suotuo City.
"I could lend you some money. One back-walking session every day, plus a shoulder massage."
Lin Mo held up two fingers and waved them, speaking with a beaming smile.
He looked just like a big bad wolf coaxing a little rabbit into a trap.
"Then... how many massages would it take to pay you back?"
Xiao Wu bit her red lip and asked hesitantly.
If she hadn't been truly short of money, she would never have agreed!
"Of course, it ends whenever you pay me back~"
Lin Mo pinched the little rabbit's cheek and answered with a wicked grin.
The girl jumped in agitation at his words, her fair cheeks instantly flushing hot.
"That's not fair!! Wouldn't I have to give you massages for the rest of my life?"
Xiao Wu shouted, red-faced and puffing with indignation.
Her monthly Soul Master allowance wasn't even enough for her own spending.
How could she possibly have money left to repay a debt?
If it only ended when she paid him back, she would be a massage therapist for life!
"So, do you want the loan or not? Once we pass this street, we'll be out in the countryside~"
Lin Mo unhurriedly took out a Gold Soul Coin and toyed with it in his hand, tempting her.
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought a rich young master was forcing an innocent girl to sell herself.
Of course, it wasn't really all that different.
Smelling the delicious scents in the air and gazing at the little trinkets displayed nearby, the girl wavered.
She faced the hardest decision of her entire rabbit life.
"Aaaah! Whatever!!"
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth, snatched the gold coin straight from the boy's hand, and turned around to buy, buy, buy.
She gave herself neither the chance nor the room to regret it.
As for selling herself, she would worry about that after eating and drinking her fill!!
Seeing this, the corners of Lin Mo's mouth curled up slightly.
Then he followed her in and enjoyed a hearty meal too.
After all, the place they were heading to next was terribly remote.
Shrek Academy.
A thoroughly battered signboard hung from an archway built out of wood.
Weeds grew thick all around, and a casually erected ring of wooden fencing passed for its walls.
This wasn't a proper academy at all.
It was nothing more than a handful of teachers gathered together in a village.
Even so, a few people were still registering for admission at the village entrance.
"Th-this is the academy we're going to attend? Mo~ Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"
Looking at the dilapidated scene before her, Xiao Wu widened her eyes and asked in disbelief.
Wasn't this far too shabby?
Even Noding Academy was a hundred times more luxurious than this place!!
"More or less. This is where we'll be staying for a while."
Now that he had actually seen Shrek Academy, Lin Mo was somewhat speechless himself as he nodded and spoke.
After all, he still needed to copy the cards of the remaining members of the Shrek Seven Devils.
He would have to stay here for at least three years or so.
He wondered whether Dai Runaway had enrolled yet at this point.
"Come on, big brother~ Your taste is terrible! You actually want to study somewhere like this~"
Beside him, Xiao Wu couldn't help complaining.
There were so many beautiful, luxurious schools he could have chosen, yet he insisted on coming to a village school to experience rural life?
If he hadn't been her big brother, she would probably have run off long ago.
"Little girl, enough nonsense. Go register!"
Seeing that the girl actually dared to question his taste, he decided to teach her a lesson.
Lin Mo reached out with his wicked hand and gave her pert little bottom a hard pinch.
Still, he had to admit that perhaps she had been eating too well while following him around.
Or perhaps the little rabbit was simply developing well; after three years, her curves had grown increasingly pronounced.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Feels pretty good~
"Ah! Ow, ow, ow~! You big meanie, be gentler!!"
Feeling the painful pinch on her little bottom, Xiao Wu couldn't help crying out.
Her little cheeks were flushed, making her look utterly adorable.
"You two! A good dog doesn't block the road! Move aside! Don't hold up my registration!!"
Just as Xiao Wu and Lin Mo were fooling around, an angry shout came from behind them.
Both frowned and turned to look at the same time.
They wanted to see who was being so arrogant, and whether he had grown tired of living.
What greeted their eyes was a boy roughly 1.7 meters tall.
He had flowing blond hair and strange, defiant eyes.
One look was enough to tell he was a delinquent!!
He was clearly a few years older than Lin Mo.
Yet the two were almost the same height.
[Target: Dai Mubai] [Second soul ring: Obtain a 620-year Striped Tiger Soul Ring!] [White Tiger bloodline: Obtain a pure Evil-Eyed White Tiger bloodline!] [Storage Soul Tool: Obtain one Storage Ring with a capacity of fifteen cubic meters!]
Lin Mo activated his Innate Soul Skill almost instinctively.
But when he saw the other boy's name, he was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected to run into Dai Runaway right at Shrek's entrance.
Once he discovered that the boy didn't have anything particularly good on him, however, his interest waned.
The second soul ring was trash. The White Tiger bloodline was decent, but unfortunately, it didn't suit him.
The Storage Ring was, at best, a little bonus.
Even if the other boy was trash, Lin Mo still picked through his options and pocketed the comparatively most valuable ones: the White Tiger bloodline and the Storage Ring.
After all, even if they were useless now, they might come in handy later.
While he was copying the cards, Xiao Wu beside him had already opened fire at full force.
"What the hell are you? Neither a man nor a woman! The road is so wide, and you just have to walk between us?"
The little rabbit was no pushover; at the slightest provocation, she fired back.
Pointing at the ridiculously wide road beside them, she unleashed a torrent of abuse.
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