Behind him, Bei Bei was still talking quietly with Tang Ya. Huo Yuhao sat beside them, listening quietly and nodding now and then. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on the three youngsters, making for quite a heartwarming scene.
But Xu Jingyao had no interest in watching.
He walked at an unhurried pace, but his mind was turning over something else.
The "great-great-grandfather" Bei Bei mentioned should be Mu En. That old fellow had lived for so many years, and his eye really was sharp. He could tell at a glance that the Carefree Pavilion's technology far surpassed that of ordinary Soul Tool workshops. But Mu En wanted to use cooperation between the Tang Sect and the Carefree Pavilion as a pretext to coax the Carefree Pavilion's technology out of it-
In his dreams!
The Carefree Pavilion's core technology fell into three parts: basic Soul Tool architecture, energy systems, and control systems.
Xu Jingyao kept all three firmly in his own hands. The Carefree Pavilion Shrek City Branch only handled sales and after-sales service; all core research and development took place in Mingdu.
Even if Mu En poached everyone at the Shrek City branch, he still would not get his hands on what mattered most.
Besides, the Carefree Pavilion had the backing of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family and the Crown Prince's Residence. If Mu En dared try anything underhanded, Xu Jingyao would not mind letting Shrek Academy taste what firepower suppression meant.
If not for the current emperor's reluctance to act, and Xu Tianran's desire to keep nibbling away rather than increase civilian casualties.
He walked as he thought, his steps light.
Shadow Douluo followed behind him. Watching his Pavilion Master look so supremely confident, he silently lit a candle for Shrek Academy in his heart.
Shrek City was much smaller than Mingdu, but it was no less bustling.
Shops lined both sides of the streets. Soul Guidance Lamps, Soul Guidance Vehicles, Soul Guidance Communicators, and all manner of newfangled things filled the display windows, at least half of them bearing the Carefree Pavilion's mark.
Xu Jingyao took it all in. Here in Shrek City, the Carefree Pavilion's market share was even higher than in Mingdu.
After all, Shrek Academy's students and teachers had considerable spending power and liked new things.
Shrek Academy could now be called an academy for nobles through and through.
What did these nobles want most?
Symbols of status-things they had that others did not. That was why the goods offered around Shrek Academy included both affordable products and exclusive offerings.
The Carefree Pavilion Shrek City Branch stood on the busiest street in the eastern part of the city. It was a small, three-story building with an unremarkable storefront, but people streamed in and out without end.
When Xu Jingyao arrived, the branch's shopkeeper was already waiting at the entrance. He was a round-faced, middle-aged man in his forties whose smile radiated amiability. His surname was Qian, and he was one of the covert agents Xu Tianran had planted in Shrek City years ago.
"Pavilion Master, thank you for making the journey." Shopkeeper Qian bowed, his voice very low.
"Mm. Let's talk inside."
Xu Jingyao entered the branch and went straight to the third floor. It was a dedicated reception area, with windows overlooking the back courtyard, and very quiet. Shopkeeper Qian brought tea, then handed him a folded document. "Pavilion Master, Shrek Academy has received your visiting card. Their reply says Zhang Lexuan, the Inner Court's senior disciple, and Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Outer Court, will personally welcome you early tomorrow morning."
"Zhang Lexuan and Yan Shaozhe?" Xu Jingyao took the document and looked through it.
"Mu En's health hasn't been very good, and he's rarely ventured out in recent years," Shopkeeper Qian explained. "But I hear Xuan Zi might come."
"Xuan Zi?" Xu Jingyao raised his brows. "Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi?"
"Precisely." Shopkeeper Qian smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression. "You might not know this, Pavilion Master, but the Carefree Pavilion's most popular offering in Shrek City isn't Soul Tools. It's food. Senior Xuan Zi comes to our branch every few days to buy honey-glazed roast meat and fried chicken drumsticks. All the cooks in the kitchen know him. And all this time, Xuan Zi has been our most loyal customer. He also gave us ample support at the beginning, which is how we came to have such an establishment in Shrek City today."
Xu Jingyao froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Taotie Douluo, a Level 98 Super Douluo and one of Shrek Academy's sea-calming pillars, had ended up being bought off with the Carefree Pavilion's fried chicken drumsticks?
All right, that fit his stereotypical impression of Xuan Zi.
"All right, we'll see how things go tomorrow." He set the document on the table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "By the way, how's the investigation I asked you to conduct?"
Shopkeeper Qian's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "Pavilion Master, we've clarified all the points you asked us to investigate. That He Caitou is indeed from the Sun Moon Empire. He may even be a noble."
"Mm, I know." Xu Jingyao put down his teacup. "There's no rush. Let's deal with things here at Shrek first."
That night, Xu Jingyao cultivated in the branch's back courtyard until late.
After the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Spiritual Origin merged into his Soul Ring, his spiritual power had surged considerably.
He sighed and circulated his Soul Power through several cycles. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did he lie down to rest.
Early the next morning, Xu Jingyao changed into the formal attire of the Pavilion Master of the Carefree Pavilion.
He wore a blue-green robe with a jade belt at his waist. A golden mask covered most of his face, leaving only his jaw and a pair of eyes exposed.
The designs of a half-rotted tree and a sword on the mask gleamed coldly in the morning light. Coupled with his height, which had now reached a little over a meter ninety, he looked like a young man in his early twenties, his bearing cool and aloof, with an indescribable edge.
Shadow Douluo followed behind him, still dressed in gray, his aura held in check.
The two left the branch and followed the main street toward Shrek Academy. Before they had gone far, they spotted a crowd gathered at the academy gates ahead.
Xu Jingyao glanced over from a distance, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
A red banner with white lettering stretched across the academy's main entrance. It read, "A warm welcome to the Pavilion Master of the Carefree Pavilion on his visit to our academy!"
Beneath the banner stood two rows of students, boys on the left and girls on the right, holding bouquets and streamers, with well-practiced smiles on their faces.
Farther back, several people in Shrek Academy teachers' uniforms stood in a row. At their head was a handsome man who looked to be in his thirties, dressed entirely in white, with an elegant, scholarly bearing. It was none other than Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Outer Court.
Beside Yan Shaozhe stood a woman in her early twenties. She was tall and slender, with delicate features and long hair tied behind her head, her valiant bearing tempered by a touch of gentleness. An Inner Court badge was pinned to her chest. She was presumably Zhang Lexuan.
Behind the two of them, a burly man with a full beard held a box of honey-glazed roast meat in one hand and a fried chicken drumstick in the other, eating until grease shone all around his mouth.
The burly man was nearly two meters tall and stood among the crowd like a small mountain, yet his hearty way of eating carried a touch of childishness. Honey glaze still clung to the corner of his mouth.
Xuan Zi.
Xu Jingyao silently gave this Taotie Douluo a thumbs-up in his heart.
A dignified Level 98 Super Douluo had personally come to welcome a guest for the sake of a bite to eat. His presence lent the occasion more grandeur than Yan Shaozhe and Zhang Lexuan combined.
"Pavilion Master, this reception..." Shadow Douluo murmured behind him, a hint of barely suppressed laughter in his voice.
"Mm, it really has that past-life flavor," Xu Jingyao muttered.
Before you continue