Balak Kingdom, Suotuo City.
After several days on the road, Chu Sheng arrived safely in the city known as the empire's granary.
Judging by their ages, the main cast should be joining Shrek Academy this year.
As for exactly when, or whether they had already joined, he had no idea.
Qian Renxue was twenty-two this year, three years older than Hu Liena and nine years older than Tang San.
Tang San had entered the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament at fifteen. When he joined Shrek Academy, he had been twelve, not quite thirteen.
There were still two and a half years until the tournament began.
"Hmm..."
Chu Sheng rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"I almost forgot. I've got a damn mouth-I can just ask!"
Finding information about Shrek Academy hadn't taken much time.
After all, Chu Sheng had asked Flender.
Flender's "general store" was a shop that fleeced its customers.
"Kid, Shrek Academy only accepts monsters under thirteen. You're too old to get in."
Reclining in his rocking chair, Flender glanced at Chu Sheng before closing his eyes again.
Did Chu Sheng look like someone under thirteen?
Scarlet hair, red eyes, just over six feet tall, and a handsome face with a faintly wicked air.
After fusing with the Nüba and Dijiang martial souls, Chu Sheng's appearance had changed somewhat.
The biggest changes were his hair and eye color. As for his looks, he had already been outrageously handsome!
"When does Shrek Academy start accepting students?"
Join Shrek Academy?
What the hell was Flender talking about?!
Upon hearing this,
Flender opened his eyes again and looked at Chu Sheng in confusion.
Could it be... he had guessed wrong?
Or did this young man have a younger sibling who wanted to join Shrek Academy?
"In the next few days."
Flender answered honestly.
With his answer in hand, Chu Sheng nodded, then casually picked up a piece of "broken" crystal from the table.
The moment he saw that crystal, he had guessed roughly where things stood.
But he still hadn't been certain of the exact timing.
"How much for this?"
Flender paused, glanced at the "broken" crystal, and shook his head.
This kid had asked a few questions and wanted to offer some "payment," but had chosen to do it this way.
Quite the gentleman!
Too bad he was a little too old...
"One Gold Soul Coin."
With that, Flender closed his eyes again.
Chu Sheng gave Flender a surprised look.
One Gold Soul Coin?
What had Flender dreamed up in his head?
Taking a Gold Soul Coin from his Storage Soul Tool, Chu Sheng set it on the table, put away the "broken" crystal, and turned to leave.
His starting package had consisted of three things: a martial soul, soul power, and soul rings.
The Storage Soul Tool and Gold Soul Coins had nothing whatsoever to do with the system.
Those... had all come from living off Qian Renxue!
After leaving the general store, Chu Sheng looked around, suddenly at something of a loss.
He had been on the Douluo Continent for so long, yet he had barely explored it.
At first, all he had wanted was to finish his mission quickly and claim the system's rewards.
That was why he had prepared a "love at first sight" script!
No drawn-out approach. A swift battle and a swift victory!
After getting together with Qian Renxue, he hadn't explored Heaven Dou City much either, owing to her special status.
All along his journey, he had hardly stopped anywhere...
Suddenly, Chu Sheng felt someone tugging his sleeve. Almost instinctively, he slapped at whoever had done it.
He hadn't used much force, but he hadn't held back much either.
One had to remember that unless he deliberately restrained his strength, even a casual slap from him was a disaster for a low-ranking Soul Master!
Smack...
A lovely figure flew backward, knocking over several stalls before the force finally diminished enough for her to stop.
But her... HP had hit zero!
"Uh..."
Chu Sheng went numb, at a loss for words.
Could he really be blamed for this?
He had been pondering the meaning of life when she suddenly "attacked," and he defended himself...
Nothing wrong with any of that, right?
But she was just too weak...
Before any cries of panic could ring out, Chu Sheng silently opened his save file!
"Load!"
In an instant, the street returned to its original state, and someone tugged Chu Sheng's sleeve again.
Chu Sheng: "..."
Without the Reload System, this girl would have been beyond saving!
In broad daylight, beneath a clear and open sky, what was she doing tugging a man's sleeve?
"Handsome, do you know which hotel nearby is the best? I need somewhere to stay!"
The girl was around five foot three, with delicate, pretty features and a dress. Her timid voice made her seem like a sweet, well-behaved girl.
After speaking, she somehow felt as though her face hurt, though she had no idea why...
Chu Sheng looked down at her thoughtfully.
Wanting the best hotel, her looks, her personality...
It fit. Every detail fit!
This girl was most likely Ning Rongrong!
One casual slap just now, and Ning Rongrong had been gone...
"Sorry, this is my first time in Suotuo City too. I don't know anything about the place."
Chu Sheng spread his hands as he spoke.
The best hotel in Suotuo City was most likely the Rose Hotel.
But what sort of place was the Rose Hotel?
Was it appropriate to recommend it to a young girl?
Ning Rongrong was no sweet, well-behaved girl. She had plenty of unsavory traits and schemes up her sleeve!
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong nodded.
The handsome man before her probably wasn't lying. If he wanted to deceive her, there was no reason to claim he didn't know.
He could easily take her to a hotel, and then...
Ning Rongrong was very confident in her looks.
"Then... do you have somewhere to stay?"
"???"
Ning Rongrong's question left Chu Sheng utterly bewildered.
What was this Little Demoness getting at?
Was she trying to prank him?
He hadn't wanted to bother with Young Lady Ning, but since she wanted to play...
"No. I'm looking for a hotel too."
"Since we're both looking for a hotel, why don't we go together?"
"You're the first person I've met since coming to Suotuo City. I trust you!"
Ning Rongrong continued to maintain her sweet-girl image.
Now she was even playing the innocent, naive sweetheart!
There was a reason so many people had fallen victim to her pranks.
She truly was a "master of playing innocent"!
Chu Sheng "hesitated slightly," rubbed his chin, and finally nodded.
"All right. Traveling together means we can look out for each other."
When Chu Sheng agreed, Ning Rongrong narrowed her eyes slightly, a gleam flashing within them.
There was certainly nothing wrong with this "big brother's" looks. He was very handsome.
And those "distinctive" features-scarlet hair and red eyes-were definite bonus points.
She just didn't know how his strength and character measured up.
Ning Rongrong had no idea that she had already tested his strength...
On the street, Chu Sheng walked in front while Ning Rongrong followed about half a step behind.
As the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had no trouble with basic etiquette.
However awful her personality might be, a young lady still had to learn what was expected of her.
"Handsome, are you a Soul Master?"
The entire way, Chu Sheng hadn't uttered so much as half a sentence. He simply looked here and there, as though he were out for an ordinary stroll.
For Ning Rongrong, this was genuinely something of an ordeal.
She preferred conversation to silence.
"Yes."
Chu Sheng nodded and continued taking in the sights along the way.
"Then are you strong?"
"Decent enough."
It was much as Ning Rongrong had guessed. Could someone who looked like Chu Sheng possibly be an ordinary person?
Chu Sheng really was a Soul Master, but she hadn't managed to find out his rank.
As they walked, Ning Rongrong finally understood: Chu Sheng truly wasn't interested in her in the slightest!
Otherwise, why would he look at the buildings instead of her?
Before you continue