The three chatted back and forth like that.
Huo Yuhao also learned the basics about the other two.
Yang Lin was a little older than him and was already a rank thirty-seven Soul Elder.
The one named Wu Liuqi was indeed two months younger than him.
Huo Yuhao also learned that they were heading to Shrek Academy, the strongest academy on the Douluo Continent, to study.
He could not help feeling envious. That was Shrek!
When he was little, his mother had always told him legendary stories about Shrek.
Those stories had filled Huo Yuhao with longing for Shrek.
But... his talent was too poor. He simply could not meet Shrek's admission requirements.
If my talent were as good as theirs, could I get into Shrek Academy? Would I be able to avenge Mother then?
Huo Yuhao kept turning those thoughts over in his mind.
And Yang Lin's system kept doing some thinking of its own.
[Host received +777 Emotional Value from Huo Yuhao] [Host received +666 Emotional Value from Huo Yuhao] [Host received +999 Emotional Value from Huo Yuhao]
Yang Lin was practically blooming with joy. In just one hour, he had raked in over seven thousand Emotional Value.
That only strengthened his desire to keep fleecing this sheep.
As Yang Lin ate his grilled fish, he considered how to get even more Emotional Value.
He had to admit, Huo Yuhao's fish-grilling skills were truly first-rate.
There were barely any seasonings, yet the fish still made his mouth water.
He had already eaten three and still could not get enough.
Huo Yuhao was also delighted that his cooking had earned their approval.
"Brother Yang, Brother Wu, take your time. If there isn't enough, I'll grill some more."
Although Wu Liuqi was a little younger than him, he was much stronger, so Huo Yuhao still called him Brother Wu.
Just as Yang Lin was savoring his fish, his Six Eyes detected two more figures approaching.
If I'm not mistaken, those should be the two of them. Given how important they are, I should be able to squeeze quite a few Emotional Value points out of them.
"Mmm... what's that smell? It smells amazing!"
A clear, sweet female voice rang out.
The three looked toward the voice and saw two figures walking along the stream.
One was a boy and the other a girl, both around fifteen or sixteen.
The girl was lively and pretty, while the boy was laid-back and handsome.
They were none other than Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
"Wow! Grilled fish! Hello there! Are you selling your fish?"
Tang Ya came right up and struck up a conversation as though they were already friends, looking over the three of them.
Her gaze lingered on Yang Lin in particular. She had never seen such a good-looking boy before.
Watching Tang Ya stare fixedly at him, Bei Bei felt a little pang of jealousy.
Still, he had to admit that this white-haired fellow really was handsome.
"Xiao Ya, it's rude to keep staring at someone."
Bei Bei hurried forward and tugged at Tang Ya's sleeve.
They had only just become a couple. If Tang Ya got swept away by someone else already, he would have nowhere to go and cry.
Tang Ya snapped out of her daze, feeling a little embarrassed. Then she heard what Bei Bei had called her and immediately snapped, "What did you call me?"
Bei Bei spoke again helplessly. "Teacher Xiao Ya."
Then he turned toward the three and introduced them.
"Hello, I'm Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya."
"Wu Liuqi. Hey there, handsome and beautiful. Want a haircut?"
Wu Liuqi spoke as he noisily munched on his grilled fish.
"Hello, Brother Bei. Hello, Sister Xiao Ya."
Huo Yuhao greeted them politely.
Yang Lin simply nodded and introduced himself. "Yang Lin."
But the way he looked at the two was like someone gazing at a pair of treasure basins.
That was because the system's notifications had not stopped since they arrived.
[Congratulations, host received +333 Emotional Value from Tang Ya] [Congratulations, host received +222 Emotional Value from Tang Ya] [Congratulations, host received +555 Emotional Value from Bei Bei] [Congratulations, host received +444 Emotional Value from Bei Bei]
Although they did not give as much as Huo Yuhao, the amount was still considerable.
It was much better than the single-digit Emotional Value he got from other NPCs.
After everyone had exchanged greetings, Huo Yuhao and Yang Lin invited the two to join them for grilled fish.
Tang Ya dug in without the slightest concern for looking ladylike. "Wow, wow, wow! This is delicious! Little Yuhao, this is the best grilled fish I've ever had!"
Bei Bei ate more elegantly, occasionally observing Yang Lin and Wu Liuqi.
He was not as carefree as Tang Ya. Having grown up by Mu En's side, he had always been a good judge of people.
These two were definitely no ordinary fellows!
Judging by their Soul Power fluctuations, the white-haired one was probably no weaker than him.
The other had likely already reached the Soul Elder level as well.
Bei Bei could not help feeling surprised. He had never expected people they happened to meet in the Star Dou Forest to be such geniuses.
He also casually sounded them out as they talked.
After learning that both intended to apply to Shrek Academy that year, he finally let down his guard.
His smile grew a little more sincere. Since they were both joining Shrek, they were all on the same side.
"That's wonderful!"
Tang Ya exclaimed happily beside him.
Yang Lin's eye twitched. That's just like you, little sister Tang Ya.
Her emotional intelligence was about on par with a fully grown banana.
He had now found the reason for the Tang Sect's decline.
Tang Ya had just asked Huo Yuhao about his family situation.
Upon learning that he was all alone, she had blurted those words out.
Huo Yuhao's expression had also soured. Anyone would be upset at having something like that flung right in their face.
Especially since he had only recently lost his mother.
"Hey, beautiful, that's a little rude."
Wu Liuqi spoke up at just the right moment.
Bei Bei also realized what had happened. Looking utterly speechless, he knocked Tang Ya on the head. "What kind of thing is that to say?"
"Sorry, little brother Huo. She usually speaks without thinking."
Only after hearing the apology did Huo Yuhao's expression improve a little.
For the next while, Tang Ya gave them a lesson on the Tang Sect's history, talking about how glorious it had once been and so on.
In any case, she had Huo Yuhao hanging on every word, his eyes filled with longing for the Tang Sect.
Yang Lin and Wu Liuqi both folded their arms and remained expressionless throughout.
They were competing to see who could keep a straight face longer. A pair of seasoned straight-face veterans.
Tang Ya turned to the two and said, "Aren't you both going to Shrek too? Would you like to join our Tang Sect?"
Yang Lin said, "I'll pass. I'm not planning to join the Tang Sect for now."
Wu Liuqi raised his hand and asked politely, "Um... how many people does your Tang Sect have right now?"
Tang Ya's expression dimmed at the question. "The Tang Sect has fallen into decline. Only Bei Bei and I remain."
"I'm the current Tang Sect Leader, and Bei Bei is the senior disciple."
Wu Liuqi lowered his hand and gave an awkward but polite smile. "Then I'll pass. I still prefer cutting people's hair..."
"Want to give it a try, beautiful? For one Gold Soul Coin, I guarantee you'll be the best-looking girl in Shrek."
Before you continue