She Couldn't Afford to Feed Him Anymore: Leng Yaozhu Told Tang Wulin to Learn a Second Profession

Tang Wulin looked at the little girl carrying a sword before him, and his heart blossomed with joy.

Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizhi. He knew those two names all too well.

The future Stargod Sword Douluo and the Food System Genius Soul Master were both top disciples of Shrek Academy. Once they grew into their potential, each was more formidable than the last.

If I take them in as followers before they develop, I'll have a solid core of supporters in the future.

Ye Xinglan, however, clearly didn't see it that way.

She stood in the open space in the middle of the restaurant, arms folded and chin slightly raised, looking at Tang Wulin with a hint of disdain.

It had been more than half a year since she awakened her Stargod Sword Martial Soul. Her family had poured resources into nurturing her, and her soul power had already reached rank sixteen.

As a top-tier Tool Martial Soul, the Stargod Sword's offensive power was practically unmatched among her peers. How could she possibly lose to someone who looked even younger than her?

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Ye Xinglan asked again, a trace of pity in her voice. "There's still time to surrender. I can let you be my follower."

Tang Wulin smiled. "We'll know who follows whom after we fight."

Ye Xinglan wasted no more words. With a thought, the Stargod Sword on her back shot out of its sheath.

A dazzling streak of swordlight sliced through the air. Starlike radiance flowed along the blade, which exuded a fierce sword intent. A yellow soul ring appeared beneath her feet and slowly revolved, lending her an extraordinary presence.

The surrounding diners gasped in admiration. What a powerful presence! She was no ordinary girl.

Ye Xinglan held her sword with its tip pointed straight at Tang Wulin, confidence shining in her eyes. "Come on."

Tang Wulin calmly released his martial soul.

A pair of fluffy rabbit ears sprouted from the top of his head, their pink-and-white fur gleaming softly beneath the lights.

His body seemed to grow a little lighter, and his overall appearance was... how should one put it? Adorable!

The surrounding diners froze for a moment, then erupted into good-natured laughter.

"Isn't that martial soul a little too cute?"

"A rabbit martial soul? Is this little fellow here to make us laugh?"

Ye Xinglan also froze, the corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily. She had thought Tang Wulin must have some powerful martial soul to dare act so arrogantly, but this was it? A rabbit?

Yet the next moment, her smile froze.

A purple soul ring slowly appeared beneath Tang Wulin's feet.

Purple. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

His first soul ring was already a thousand-year one?

The restaurant instantly fell silent. Everyone's gaze focused on the purple ring beneath Tang Wulin's feet, their faces filled with disbelief.

A child who looked five or six years old actually had a thousand-year first soul ring? How was that possible?

Ye Xinglan's pupils contracted slightly. She finally realized that this harmless-looking little fellow might not be as simple as she had imagined.

But she still didn't think she would lose. The offensive power of her Stargod Sword Martial Soul reigned supreme among her peers, and her swordsmanship, honed under renowned instructors from her family, rarely met its match among children her age.

So what if he has a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? My sword strikes like the wind. One hit will decide the outcome.

Ye Xinglan drew a deep breath and suddenly lunged forward. The Stargod Sword traced a vicious arc through the air, thrusting straight toward Tang Wulin's chest.

Her swordsmanship was indeed seasoned. The thrust came from a tricky angle at tremendous speed, carrying an unstoppable edge.

Tang Wulin stood where he was, watching the swordlight hurtle toward him, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Then he moved.

Teleportation.

Ye Xinglan's sword pierced the air but struck nothing. Her vision blurred, and Tang Wulin vanished. Her heart jolted. Almost instinctively, she drew her sword back to defend, but it was already too late.

A hand covered in golden scales reached out from beside her and caught her blade firmly. Its strength was astonishing. Ye Xinglan felt as though she had thrust her sword into a mountain; the blade wouldn't budge.

She snapped her head around. Somehow, Tang Wulin had already appeared beside her. Dense golden scales covered his right hand, and his fingertips gleamed with a razor-sharp chill. His rabbit ears trembled slightly, and an easy smile rested on his face.

"Your sword... is a little slow."

Tang Wulin tightened his grip and pulled the Stargod Sword straight out of Ye Xinglan's hand.

Deprived of her weapon, Ye Xinglan froze completely. She stared blankly at her empty hands, her mind a complete void.

What happened?

I'd already struck. I'd clearly aimed at Tang Wulin's position. How did my sword end up in his hand in the blink of an eye?

And that wasn't all. The next moment, his Golden Dragon Claw was already at her throat.

A sword cultivator was a sword cultivator. Without a sword, more than half her fighting strength was gone. There was no fighting this.

Ye Xinglan sighed helplessly. "I lost!"

Tang Wulin handed the Stargod Sword back to her.

Ye Xinglan took the sword and remained silent for a long while before asking quietly, "You... what's your soul skill? How did you suddenly disappear?"

"Teleportation." Tang Wulin didn't hide it. "Within twenty meters, I can go wherever I want."

The corner of Ye Xinglan's mouth twitched. Teleportation? What kind of absurd soul skill is that? The swordsmanship I spent half a year practicing is practically a joke against Teleportation.

No matter how fast your sword is, he can use Teleportation to appear behind you. How are you supposed to fight that?

And isn't his strength ridiculous too? When she had been holding the sword's hilt, it had felt as though an iron clamp had locked it in place. She couldn't pull free at all. Where did a little brat who looks even younger than me get that much strength?

Looking at Tang Wulin's grinning face, Ye Xinglan felt a deep sense of defeat well up within her. The swordsmanship she took such pride in, the Stargod Sword Martial Soul she took such pride in—neither had given her the slightest chance to fight back against him.

"I lost." Ye Xinglan took a deep breath and lowered her head, her voice somewhat muffled. "Boss."

Standing nearby, Xu Lizhi watched Ye Xinglan concede, then looked at Tang Wulin. He swallowed and followed her lead. "Boss..."

Tang Wulin nodded in satisfaction and patted both of them on the shoulders. "All right. Stick with me from now on, and there'll be meat to eat."

He turned and returned to his seat, picked up his chopsticks, and resumed digging in. Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi exchanged a glance, then silently followed and sat beside him.

They were somewhat unwilling to accept it, but a loss was a loss. Neither of them was a sore loser.

Having gained two promising followers, Tang Wulin was in an excellent mood.

Day after day passed, and Tang Wulin gradually became famous in Shrek City—not because he was particularly powerful, but because he could eat so much.

He ate his way through every restaurant in Shrek City, large and small. Wherever he went, he swept through the food like a gale scattering clouds, refusing to leave until he had emptied the place of ingredients.

The title of Big Eater spread like wildfire.

Tang Wulin didn't care about any of that, though. The more he ate, the faster his soul power rose. In just half a month, it increased another rank, reaching rank nineteen.

At this rate, he would soon break through to rank twenty and be able to obtain his second soul ring.

But the good times didn't last.

That day, Tang Wulin was feasting in a restaurant, with more than twenty empty plates piled before him. He was still clutching a roasted chicken drumstick, gnawing away with grease all over his mouth, when a figure in red suddenly appeared in front of him.

Leng Yaozhu.

Dressed in a long red gown, she stood with her arms folded, looking down at Tang Wulin with a complicated expression.

"Master?" Tang Wulin called indistinctly around the drumstick in his mouth. "Do you want some too? My treat!"

Leng Yaozhu didn't answer. She simply gazed at the pile of empty plates before him, then at the roasted drumstick in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

"Tang Wulin." At last, she spoke, her voice filled with profound helplessness. "Your master... can't afford to feed you anymore."

Tang Wulin froze, and the drumstick fell from his mouth.

"Huh?"

Leng Yaozhu sighed, sat down opposite him, and counted off the expenses on her fingers.

"Do you know how much you ate in the Spirit Pagoda's cafeteria last month? Those rare spiritual ingredients alone, converted into federal coins, would feed an ordinary family for a hundred years. And you've been eating out for the past half month. You've nearly eaten every restaurant in Shrek City out of business. Your master may have some savings, but even those can't withstand this kind of spending."

Tang Wulin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, only to find himself at a loss for words. He really did eat too much. The combined demands of his Golden Dragon King bloodline and Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit Martial Soul meant he needed to consume an enormous amount of energy every day.

The Spirit Pagoda might have abundant resources, but it couldn't supply him alone without limit.

"Then... what am I supposed to do?" Tang Wulin began to panic. He didn't want to go hungry.

Seeing him like this, Leng Yaozhu didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. She rubbed her temples and said helplessly:

"You're not a little child anymore. It's time you learned to support yourself... You need to learn a way to make a living, such as a Second Profession!"