A glimpse

After a moment's thought, Lu Xiaoxiao made her decision, and her furrowed brows relaxed.

"Teacher Jiang, your request involves a great many ancient texts, most of which contain confidential knowledge from the inner court. Access is restricted, so I can't show them to you."

Before Jiang Ming could express his regret, Lu Xiaoxiao changed tack.

"However, I have an unfinished recipe book that records the characteristics and preparation methods of most known delicacies and natural treasures. I can lend it to you for one reading. Would that satisfy you?"

"Yes, more than satisfy me." Jiang Ming's face was wreathed in smiles. "It would be my honor to read your work, Grandmaster Lu. I can swear on my martial soul that only my son and I will read it. I will never share it with anyone else."

Lu Xiaoxiao nodded slightly, quite pleased with Jiang Ming's attitude. She took out a thick notebook and handed it to him. He accepted it with both hands and solemnly placed it in his Storage Soul Tool.

With the favor repaid, Qian Duoduo stepped in at just the right moment.

"Teacher Jiang and I will return to the academy. We'll leave things here in your hands, Xiaoxiao."

As though he couldn't wait to get back to the Sea God Pavilion and get his rival under his thumb, Qian Duoduo traveled extremely fast on the return journey.

So fast that even Jiang Ming, a high-ranking Soul King, felt uncomfortable and had no desire to experience it again.

In less than a single night, they had crossed nearly a third of the Douluo Continent-and made the return trip as well. [Note 1]

Draped in the rosy light of dawn, Qian Duoduo and Jiang Ming returned to Shrek City.

They deliberately entered Shrek City through the north gate. Rather than return straight to the academy, they went to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

Aside from being a bit of a turtle, Qian Duoduo was reliable in other respects. He resisted the temptation to get his rival under his thumb and first took Jiang Ming to settle the "balance payment."

Jiang Ming waited in a private room at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Qian Duoduo went out once, and not long after he returned, several maids entered carrying trays, each shimmering with the radiance of treasures.

On the first two trays were two arm bones, a matching left and right pair.

One emitted a dark red glow, with faint waves of heat washing toward them;

The other shone gold and red, its aura stronger than the first's and intensely aggressive.

"The right arm bone needs no explanation. It's the seven-thousand-year Red-Feathered Crane Right Arm Bone I promised you."

Qian Duoduo then pointed to the left arm bone beside it and explained:

"A Ten Thousand Year Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone, from a ten-thousand-year Golden Earth Dragon King. It has the light attribute. We estimate that if a light-attribute Soul Master absorbs it, the attached skill should be an offensive one, possibly an ability involving the fire of light.

"It's priced at nine million five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, but in truth, it isn't for sale at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. It will only be put on the shelf when a talented light-attribute Soul Master worth investing in appears at the academy.

"Jiang Ming, let me ask one extra question. Has your son undergone a martial soul mutation? Does he have both light and fire?

"In any case, of the academy's handful of ten-thousand-year light-attribute arm bones, this one is definitely the best match for that situation."

The Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone was remarkably complete, a testament to its extraordinary quality.

Its presence made it seem as though a miniature sun had appeared in the private room, filling it with warmth. Its five slender finger bones pointed upward, and the gold-and-red light dancing at their tips ate into the air with a "hiss, hiss, hiss-"

Jiang Ming stared at it, momentarily dazed.

His first thought was of the dusky yellow flames that had spilled down when his son bestowed Dusk's Blessing on him.

"Well? Jiang Ming, are you satisfied?"

Qian Duoduo's steady voice brought Jiang Ming back to his senses, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Very satisfied, Dean Qian. Thank you for going to all this trouble."

Qian Duoduo smiled, his eyes narrowing, and waved a hand. Two maids set their trays on the table and withdrew from the private room.

The three maids behind them stepped forward.

"Thousand-year whale rubber. These two pieces are about the same size. By our estimates, taking one portion will raise a Soul Master's limit by another five hundred years if they can already withstand a two-thousand-year Soul Ring. Those with weaker physiques will see greater benefits; those with stronger physiques will see fewer. Repeated use brings diminishing returns... You should know all this common knowledge already."

"As for ten-thousand-year whale glue, that stuff has been rare throughout the entire history of Soul Masters. If we sent the dean of the Martial Soul Department out to sea for a few years, he might manage to hunt down a piece. So forget about ten-thousand-year whale glue. If we really had any, its value would only be slightly below that of the Immortal Spirit Fungus."

"As for the last one, I really envy your luck. A merchant caravan only delivered it late last night. If we hadn't come this morning, it would have been sent to the inner court and used up before noon."

"A thousand-year crystal peach, a spirit fruit that nourishes and strengthens the body. Its medicinal effects are gentle enough that even children who haven't awakened their martial souls can eat it. It meets your requirements."

Jiang Ming first glanced at the peach, its flesh like crystalline jelly, then at the golden crystal, before finally settling his gaze on the misshapen black crystal.

His gaze kept shifting between the last two, and he struggled to keep a straight face.

"Dean Qian, why do the two pieces of thousand-year whale rubber look different? Are you sure eating that black lump won't give someone diarrhea?"

"Ahem!" Even Qian Duoduo's thick skin couldn't quite withstand that. He cleared his throat twice and explained quietly, "It's been exposed to the elements for too long and has spoiled just a tiny bit. But it should still retain some medicinal effects. Try eating it."

Jiang Ming: ...

Qian Duoduo added, "I'll give you two more chances to select thousand-year spiritual treasures. You can redeem them at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion whenever you like."

Jiang Ming was immediately satisfied. He felt he had received more than enough.

Among the top powers on the entire Douluo Continent, only Shrek Academy would conduct a transaction with him this amicably, so he stopped finding fault.

His son was young and could take a beating. At worst, he would have diarrhea for a while afterward.

After collecting the balance payment, Jiang Ming left the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and went home.

On the top floor of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

Qian Duoduo, as burly as a bear, stood beside an elderly woman with white hair and a youthful face. Through the window, they watched Jiang Ming's retreating figure.

Elder Lin, a Sea God Pavilion Elder and the person in charge of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

"Qian Duoduo, you really poured your capital into this one. But the Sea God Pavilion will certainly credit you for it. The immortal spirit qi within the Immortal Spirit Fungus is too important. It might even give Mu En some inspiration. Even if it doesn't, resolving Xiaotao's hidden martial soul problem would make it well worth the cost."

"My capital?" Qian Duoduo laughed. "Elder Lin, Jiang Ming hasn't seen much of the world. He didn't dare open a lion's maw and demand an outrageous price from us. Surely we don't need to scare ourselves?"

True to his reputation as a man reeking of copper, Qian Duoduo immediately tallied the accounts.

"The two pieces of thousand-year whale rubber sell for less than seventy thousand Gold Soul Coins combined;

"Three thousand-year spiritual treasures-don't the inner court students consume plenty of those? Given the academy's resources, they're hardly worth mentioning.

"The seven-thousand-year Soul Bone was an exchange. There wasn't much difference between the two items' values;

"As for the final Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, we never intended to sell it in the first place. We planned to give it away as an investment in a talented Soul Master. I don't know when his son awakened his martial soul, but if he's already hunted down a Soul Ring at this age, he definitely has the makings of a Titled Douluo. Consider it an early investment."

The elderly woman with white hair and a youthful face smiled.

"Qian Duoduo, oh, Qian Duoduo. They really gave you the right name."

"Incidentally, a word of warning. Since you think you got such a bargain, that child of his with the makings of a Titled Douluo will be able to see it in the future too. You'd best compensate the Jiang Family generously in their rare metal allocation and win them over, lest resentment take root. Remember to mention it at the Sea God Pavilion Meeting later. If the Jiang Family needs to use the Land of Yin-Yang Harmony in the future, we should cooperate."

Qian Duoduo narrowed his eyes. "Elder Lin, have you met the child?"

The elderly woman nodded.

"Yes, I just paid them a visit. Their Soul Tool Workshop is full of Alarm Devices, so I only sensed him from above the courtyard. The child had entered deep meditation. He had an aura like a blazing, majestic sun, and he absorbed heaven and earth essence very quickly while cultivating. His aptitude is exceptionally good. He most likely has innate full soul power."

Qian Duoduo was astonished. "A blazing sun?"

Elder Lin said, "It's probably a martial soul mutation. Even a barnyard chicken can become an Evil Fire Phoenix. Your wife's martial soul is another example."

"Elder Lin, I understand. I'll compensate the Jiang Family in their rare metal allocation."

A keen gleam flickered in Qian Duoduo's little eyes as he considered how the pavilion nearest the water could catch the moon first.

[Note 1]: Chapter 219, "I'm Leaving. No Crying."

With a whole group of burdens in tow and a rest stop every hour, Yan Shaozhe still traveled from the southeastern corner of the Heaven Dou Empire to its southwestern corner in a single morning.