Business Was Booming... Wasn't It?

Chen Ping nodded in acknowledgment of Xuan Zi's instructions, keeping his face rigid.

He did his best not to laugh outright in front of Xuan Zi.

There was always someone beyond the best, another heaven beyond the heavens.

He had been wondering why Xuan Zi always waited until he had gathered enough ingredients for two portions before bringing them over. So that was the reason.

But... Dragon God Douluo Mu En.

He was one of the few characters in the original story whose record was almost impossible to find fault with.

Aside from his glaring favoritism and double standards toward Evil Soul Masters, there really wasn't another stain to be found on Mu En's character.

Chen Ping wasn't making that up, either.

Dark Cloud Douluo and Long Xiaoyao were both soul masters with darkness attributes.

Why had one become the Dark Dragon Emperor, renowned across the continent, while the other was hounded by everyone and literally driven into becoming a genuine Evil Soul Master?

Was it because Long Xiaoyao was more talented than Dark Cloud Douluo?

Wrong. It was because Shrek held all the authority to determine who counted as an Evil Soul Master across the entire Douluo Continent, and Long Xiaoyao had been close enough to Mu En in their youth.

Mu En had put in a word with his master and grandmaster, securing official approval for Long Xiaoyao. That was all.

But saying Mu En had caused Dark Cloud Douluo's plight wouldn't be fair, either. After all, Mu En had merely spoken up for Long Xiaoyao and protected him. That didn't mean he had also gone out of his way to kick Dark Cloud Douluo while he was down.

In fact, the double standards toward Evil Soul Masters weren't limited to Mu En. The entire upper echelon of Shrek Academy shared that attitude, with Ma Xiaotao being the most obvious example.

Thinking about it that way, even this stain hardly stuck to Mu En. Speaking up for Long Xiaoyao instead made him seem all the more honorable, a man who stood by his friends.

No wonder he had been the formidable man who comprehended a unique self-created soul skill like Sovereign Over All, unmatched across the entire Douluo Continent.

At that thought, Chen Ping felt a faint stirring of admiration.

Watching Xuan Zi tread across the water and vanish beyond the far end of Sea God Lake in just a few breaths, Chen Ping was about to get down to business when the soul communicator at his waist rang again.

That caught Chen Ping off guard. Soul communicators weren't cheap, and even among the students who came to study at Shrek, not every family could afford one.

After all, they had a short transmission range and were expensive to manufacture. Anyone who could afford to use one was either rich or influential.

Chen Ping only had one because Xuan Zi had specially provided it for convenience.

"Bei Bei, what's up?"

Chen Ping answered the communicator, assuming Bei Bei was calling, only to hear a gentle female voice from the other end.

"Hello, is this Senior Chen? I'm the one who reserved that serving from you today..."

The soft, sweet voice made Chen Ping smile. He remembered now.

He had been worried that he wouldn't be able to sell his serving of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall after that fourth-year girl canceled her reservation, but another student had booked it right afterward.

"Yes, yes, that's me. I'm on campus now. Where should I deliver it?"

Chen Ping immediately perked up and switched into work mode, his working man's spirit blazing.

The reason he hadn't made money this way before wasn't that the idea hadn't occurred to him. Most of the places Chen Ping had traveled through simply couldn't afford dishes with such a hefty premium.

Besides, he had been far too weak back then, with little ability to defend himself. Even if a wealthy customer had been willing to pay, he would have had to weigh every move carefully to avoid being robbed by someone unscrupulous.

But once he arrived at Shrek, both problems fell neatly into place.

Not only were there students everywhere who could afford these prices, but even if Chen Ping's own strength was nothing special, who would dare run wild in Shrek City?

So his biggest priority lately had been to earn as much money as possible while he had the chance.

"All right, all right. The girls' dormitory? Hmm... I know where it is. Wait for me at the dormitory entrance."

After hanging up, Chen Ping couldn't help finding it amusing.

Apparently, the student who had reserved his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall this time wasn't an upperclassman, but someone in his own year who hadn't enrolled yet.

No wonder she had called him senior right away.

She didn't even know that Shrek had only one dormitory building, which still housed both boys and girls. No wonder she had come out with something like "the girls' dormitory."

He clenched his fists, feeling the vitality that had become so abundant it was practically bursting after more than two months of eating at Window Eight. Motivation surged through him.

Compared with the potions supplied by the system, dietary nourishment might not produce such immediate results, but it had the advantage of being completely free of side effects.

Between nourishing himself with food and dosing himself with potions, Chen Ping's physical condition was now worlds apart from when he had first arrived in Shrek City.

What Chen Ping didn't know was that a short distance away, beside Sea God Lake, a young girl with neat, short, pale-blond hair had also just hung up her communicator.

The girl had large, aqua-blue eyes, long lashes like little brushes, and a few charming freckles on her cheeks that made her look all the more youthful and lively.

"Come on, let's head to the dormitory and wait for that senior. Then we can get our room set up and try the food made by Senior Chen, the one Senior Bei Bei recommended. We can officially register tomorrow."

The girl stretched lazily, stood up, and spoke while facing Sea God Lake.

Beside the blond girl sat another girl with short hair as red as fire.

This girl's eyes were also an unusual red, her features exquisitely delicate, and her skin as fair as jade.

But what drew the most attention was probably her lovely figure, which could only be described as explosive.

Her slender waist swayed gracefully like a willow, her exquisite curves unfurling like clouds.

"Yes, young mistress."

The red-haired girl with the explosive figure answered in an icy tone.

"Xiao Feng, I won't say anything when we're in the sect, but here at the academy, we're sisters. You're not allowed to call me young mistress anymore, understood?"

A faint smile touched the blond girl's lips as she held out her soft, fair hand to the red-haired girl.

At the sight of that slender, delicate hand, and at words as refreshing as a clear spring, the red-haired girl's cheeks flushed. Every trace of her icy expression vanished.

"O... okay, Sister Tian."

The red-haired girl's voice trembled as she spoke. She reached out with her equally delicate hand and took hold of those slender fingers, like tender scallion stems carved from white jade.

By then, the sky had long since darkened, and the lights along Sea God Lake were sparse. Only the clear moonlight shone across the lake, revealing a sweep of shimmering ripples.

As a result, the blond girl addressed as Sister Tian failed to notice that the girl holding her fingers had turned scarlet, with faint wisps of white steam beginning to rise from the top of her head.

Sister Ning Tian's hand was so fragrant, so soft...