Jiang Nannan had meant to break up the fight, but instead she had stirred up Xu Sanshi's pathological possessiveness. Her good intentions had backfired.
Only when someone else intervened did he calm down. Bei Bei stepped forward. "Sanshi, calm down!"
The great-great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo Mu En, he looked refined and handsome. With Bei Bei personally reminding him, even Xu Sanshi had to show him some respect. Besides, this was the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, hardly a good place to cause trouble.
Xu Sanshi seemed to remember something. The corners of his mouth curled slightly, a hint of gloating mingling with his cold expression.
My chance for revenge is coming soon. Just you wait!
With the confrontation over, everyone dispersed. Looking at Xiao Zi's tall, sturdy back, they all gave him a thumbs-up.
As the young master of the Xuanming Sect, Xu Sanshi had powerful backing and considerable fighting strength. Known as the Outer Court's strongest defender, he and Bei Bei, its strongest attacker, were called the twin stars. People had always been wary of him.
Not only had "Li Lezi" shown no fear, he had even dared to shove Xu Sanshi away. No one could match that kind of nerve. For a moment, quite a few female students secretly lost their hearts to him, their little hearts pounding.
"Junior, I'm really sorry about what happened just now. Let me apologize on Xu Sanshi's behalf!" Jiang Nannan came over, her face full of remorse.
Xiao Zi felt considerable sympathy for this poor girl who had sold herself to save her mother, and he showed great patience. "It's all right. It was no trouble at all. If he bothers you again, you can tell me!"
"No, no... thank you!" Jiang Nannan was clearly overwhelmed by his kindness. She had never expected this transfer student, whom she had only just met, to be so helpful.
Meanwhile, their conversation took on a different meaning in the eyes of Xu Sanshi, who had been watching them the whole time. When had Nannan ever been so pleasant to him?
His resentful gaze only softened when Bei Bei came over. With a cold snort, he turned and left.
The Treasure Appraisal Fair continued. With a clear goal in mind, Xiao Zi found the medicinal herb display area and stopped before a dark lump. Compared with the other dazzling exhibits, its ugly appearance had left it completely ignored.
On the surface, it looked like a piece of thousand-year whale rubber, but its actual age was ten thousand years. Its misleading black exterior had caused it to be misidentified for years.
Qian Renxue said, "Whale rubber strengthens the body and widens the meridians. It'll be very useful to you right now. Besides, no one has discovered its true value, so you should buy it."
Xiao Zi nodded, giving the Angel Goddess's discerning eye his approval. This piece of whale rubber had aged for so long that external weathering had spoiled its appearance. Really, the appraisers at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion were the ones Shrek ought to fire. What kind of eyes did they have?
He had been a mage in his previous life, and his physique was not much better than Huo Yuhao's. This piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue could greatly compensate for that weakness, improving the resilience and strength of his meridians. He was determined to get it.
Seeing the price of six thousand Gold Soul Coins, Xiao Zi went to the counter and paid. A staff member immediately took the whale rubber from its display, wrapped it simply, and handed it to him.
After storing the whale rubber in his Soul Tool, Xiao Zi continued browsing, searching for pills that could directly improve his strength. He had originally intended to use his connection with Ma Xiaotao to fleece Yan Shaozhe, but the old geezer would not part with a single hair and had offered nothing.
The allocation for an Outer Court core disciple was small, nowhere near enough to support the Golden Horned Beast's needs. Whenever he tried to apply for more resources, he was ruthlessly rejected. He was only a hair's breadth from rank thirty. This could not go on.
Soon, a walnut-sized green pill caught Xiao Zi's attention. Its emerald surface gave off a faint fragrance, with a subtle luster flowing through it, brimming with vitality.
The Soul Ascension Pill could cleanse the meridians and transform the marrow. For Soul Masters around rank thirty, whose bodies had already taken shape, it worked even better than the Mystic Water Pill. Each person could take only one in their lifetime, raising their soul power by one rank without side effects. Taking more was not allowed.
After checking the price, Xiao Zi bought several in one go, some for himself and the rest as gifts.
Finally, he reached the center of the exhibition area, where a Soul Bone was prominently displayed. Golden-red all over, it had five slender finger bones pointing upward. Its brilliant glow made every passerby glance at it.
The Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone.
It came from a ten-thousand-year Golden Earth Dragon King and possessed the power of radiant fire. Suitable for Soul Masters with light or fire attributes, it would most likely grant an offensive skill.
Xiao Zi could not absorb Soul Bones himself, and his attribute belonged to the darkness category, so it seemed utterly useless to him. But who said a Soul Bone had to be used by its buyer? Wouldn't it be nice to give it to a future subordinate or a beloved woman?
Nine million five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. With his current wealth, he could buy it with plenty to spare. Xiao Zi turned toward the counter for the third time, ready to pay.
"Li Lezi!" Wang Dong suddenly appeared, approaching with a presence that could not be ignored.
Xiao Zi's expression froze. Hadn't this Left Arm Soul Bone been bought by her in the original story?
Annoyed with himself for moving too slowly, he turned around and put on a warm expression. "What a coincidence!"
Wang Dong waved a hand. "I've been looking for you forever. Why didn't you invite me when you came out?"
Xiao Zi glanced behind her. "Don't you have a roommate?"
Huo Yuhao hurried over to the two of them. "Hello, Student Li!"
Wang Dong ignored him and continued, "Judging by the look of you, were you about to go pay?"
Xiao Zi answered honestly, "I'm planning to buy this Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone."
"Nine million five hundred thousand? You're really rich. Does the Duke's Mansion treat you that well?" Wang Dong looked envious, then a little downcast. "But... this Soul Bone seems really suited to me..."
Xiao Zi said nothing, merely looking at her. The Soul Bone had a clearly marked price; it was not anyone's private property. Besides, they were not particularly close, so he had no obligation to give it up.
Fortunately, after thinking for a long while, Wang Dong finally decided to yield. "You gave me a Soul Bone from our previous wager, so I'll let you have this one!"
Xiao Zi looked at her in surprise. He had never expected her to actually give way. After all, this Soul Bone was highly significant and would indirectly affect the upcoming soul master tournament. Without it, Wang Dong's strength would suffer.
Huo Yuhao was even more surprised. "Wang Dong, when did you become so generous? I barely recognize you... ow!"
Wang Dong wore a smile, but secretly stepped on his foot to keep him from damaging her image any further.
"Thank you." Surprised though he was, Xiao Zi did not stand on ceremony. Only a fool would pass up a bargain, especially a valuable Soul Bone. He immediately went to the counter and paid, only feeling at ease once he had stored it in his Soul Tool.
He did not have Dai Huabin pay, nor did he use the credit Shrek Academy had granted him. Instead, he paid with his own savings.
In the original story, Shrek had granted every student a credit allowance, and VIP cards provided discounts. Huo Yuhao had relied on this to obtain the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone for free.
Xiao Zi firmly believed that free things were the most expensive. Since he had money, why owe anyone a favor? Whether it was the Duke's Mansion, Shrek, or Wang Dong, he did not want to become too deeply involved with them. Otherwise, making a getaway later would be inconvenient.
With the whale rubber, Soul Ascension Pills, Soul Bone, and other opportunities all secured, Xiao Zi was in a cheerful mood and continued wandering around...