Spending Ten Thousand Gold Soul Coins

Just as Zhu Zhuqing was lamenting how small her Storage Soul Tool was, another mission arrived.

"Ding, special mission triggered."

Option one: Spend ten thousand Gold Soul Coins before twelve today. (Mission reward: one exclusive personal status panel, including an exclusive personal storage space.)

Option two: Give Gold Soul Coins to all the work-study students at Nuoding Academy. (Mission reward: one scooter that requires neither charging nor fuel.)

Option three: Exchange ten thousand Gold Soul Coins for destiny points. (Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins can be exchanged for 0.001 destiny points.) (Mission reward: one box of moisturizing sunscreen face masks.)

This...

This was torture! Zhu Zhuqing wanted all of them. Where else could she find a scooter that needed neither charging nor fuel? On the Douluo Continent, it would be a divine artifact, guaranteed to draw everyone's eyes.

With a little scooter, she could circle Nuoding City in half an hour at most, or travel from Douluo Village to Nuoding City in little more than ten minutes.

And those moisturizing face masks were bound to be top quality. Nothing like them existed on the Douluo Continent. The weather was so hot that her skin had already tanned a little.

But that status panel was important too, and it even came with her own exclusive little storage space.

"Hey, Sister Zhuqing, what are you doing? You're drooling!"

Xiao Wu was puzzled. What was wrong with Zhu Zhuqing today? She had stood frozen on the spot for ages. At first, Xiao Wu had thought she liked Tang San, since she had been staring at him for so long.

But when an embarrassed Tang San stepped aside, Zhu Zhuqing kept staring straight ahead without moving. One moment she grinned foolishly, the next she looked a little angry, and then she started drooling. Had she lost her mind?

Was Zhu Zhuqing playing dumb because she didn't want to live with me? Xiao Wu felt rather displeased at the thought.

Zhu Zhuqing immediately snapped out of it. Seeing Tang San and Xiao Wu looking at her strangely, she felt a little embarrassed.

"Hahaha, I did that on purpose just now. Actually, Grandma Ruth gave me quite a bit of money today, and I was working out how to spend it." Zhu Zhuqing hastily defended herself. She did not want anyone thinking something was wrong with her.

The moment she heard about money, Xiao Wu became excited. She was the sort who spent every month's money down to the last coin. Whenever she had any, she spent it all on little accessories for girls, tasty food, and whatever else caught her fancy.

She even kept dipping into Tang San's money.

Xiao Wu slowly edged closer to Zhu Zhuqing, then whispered in her ear, "How much did Grandma Ruth give you?"

Zhu Zhuqing turned her head and whispered in Xiao Wu's ear, "Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief, and her little head immediately started calculating what ten thousand Gold Soul Coins could buy.

One radish cake cost three Copper Soul Coins, a packet of radish noodles cost six Copper Soul Coins, a packet of vegetable crackers cost twenty Copper Soul Coins, and a pretty purple hair clip cost fifty Copper Soul Coins.

After calculating for ages, she realized she could not possibly work it all out and gave up. She turned a resentful gaze on Tang San, as though angry with him for not giving her spending money.

Tang San, who had been listening in beside them, was astonished too. He currently earned only one Silver Soul Coin a day working at the smithy, less than thirty Silver Soul Coins a month, and just 360 Silver Soul Coins a year, which amounted to thirty-six Gold Soul Coins.

How many years would I have to work at the smithy to earn ten thousand Gold Soul Coins-

277 years!

Tang San was beginning to question his entire life. Why hadn't Old Village Chief Jack given me some money? And why hadn't Dad saved any either?

But when he heard Zhu Zhuqing's next words, Tang San could no longer remain calm.

"I'll spend all ten thousand Gold Soul Coins before midnight tonight!"

Were girls from Douluo Village all this free with money? Wasn't that a little extravagant?

Tang San tried to stop her. "Zhu Zhuqing, don't joke around. That's ten thousand Gold Soul Coins! How could you possibly spend it all today?"

Xiao Wu hugged Zhu Zhuqing's arm. "That's right, that's right, Sister Zhuqing. You're joking with us, aren't you? Are you trying to fool me and Little San?"

Zhu Zhuqing leaned toward the two of them and whispered a few words. At last, understanding dawned on their faces.

"Come on, Tang San, Xiao Wu. I'll buy you both some things today. Consider it proof that I'm Xiao Wu's Big Sister. Tang San, I wouldn't mind if you acknowledged me as your Big Sister too. Then I'll have your backs."

As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing headed out of the academy.

Tang San immediately felt awkward. Xiao Wu was already his Big Sister in name, though in private they were brother and sister. Now someone else actually wanted to become his Big Sister too.

Xiao Wu happily tugged Tang San's arm. "Great, great! Sister Zhuqing's treating us today, so I get to bask in her good fortune."

When she saw Tang San standing there like a fool, she grew angry. Who was supposed to carry all the things they were about to buy? Surely he did not expect a little girl like her to carry them? Besides, her Brother San had a Storage Soul Tool.

"Are you stupid? If you don't come along, you won't get anything!" Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San and chased after Zhu Zhuqing.

The three soon ran out through the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Although classes had not ended yet, the gatekeepers did not dare stop them and obediently opened the gates. Tang San was Grandmaster's prized disciple. Wouldn't interfering with him just be asking for trouble?

Under the respectful gazes of the two young gatekeepers, the three disappeared at the end of the street.

The gatekeeper on the left said enviously, "Hey, do you think that kid Tang San is taking those two girls out to do... you know?"

The gatekeeper on the right was still savoring the image of that delicate figure at the end of the street. At his companion's words, a lewd expression immediately appeared on his face. He was about to boast and shoot his mouth off, but when he glanced to the left, he instantly became perfectly well-behaved and fell silent.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a gray robe and gray cloth shoes walked out from inside the academy. He had stubble along his cheeks, a neatly trimmed crew cut, and a stern expression, and he held a thick book.

"Greetings, Grandmaster-"

The two young gatekeepers bowed respectfully.

"Mm," Yu Xiaogang replied indifferently.

"Have you seen Tang San?" Yu Xiaogang asked the two gatekeepers expressionlessly. He closed his book and looked around, as though searching for something.

The two gatekeepers exchanged peculiar looks. Then the young gatekeeper on the left smiled and answered, "Grandmaster, your disciple just went out with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing."

Yu Xiaogang looked toward the end of the street, confusion crossing his face. Little San should have returned from the smithy by now. Why had he gone out again? Was he taking the two girls shopping?

"Mm. When you see him return, tell him to come to my room," Yu Xiaogang instructed seriously.

"Of course, Grandmaster. Take care."

The two gatekeepers watched Yu Xiaogang off with utmost respect, looking as obedient as-

Yu Xiaogang walked along the tree-lined path inside the Soul Master Academy, seemingly weighed down by worries. In truth, he had developed a new theory today and wanted his disciple Tang San to try it. Not finding Tang San had left him somewhat disappointed.

In the small grove, Yu Xiaogang sat beneath a tree, feeling the sunset's rays upon him as he gazed into the distance. That direction led toward the meeting point of the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Ah-"

An endless sigh escaped his lips, as though he were lamenting life itself.

Meanwhile, in distant Spirit City, a beautiful, elegant, and regal woman appeared inside the Pope's Hall. She wore a flowing gold evening gown, with the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown upon her head and the Pope's Scepter in her hand. The passage of time seemed to have left her entirely untouched, though she was nearly fifty this year.

Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she seemed somewhat restless. Puzzled, she walked out of the Pope's Hall. As the nearby guards bowed respectfully, she bent her knees and lightly tapped the ground with the Pope's Scepter.

In an instant, she leaped from the ground into midair. Vast soul power spread from her body, forming layer upon layer of steps. Treading upon them, she slowly ascended into the sky.

A short while later, she seemed to sense something. High in the sky, her eyes filled with tears, which kept falling from above.