Feng Bujue

What was the best way for Huo Yuhao to make money right now?

Selling grilled fish, of course.

He could earn money while observing the emotions of passersby. Chaos Qi strengthened his Sea of Consciousness like a thin stream flowing steadily over time.

He chose a roadside spot with a decent amount of foot traffic and spent five Silver Soul Coins on a simple fish grill, assorted seasonings, and some gutted, cleaned mackerel.

He set up the grill and put out a small table specifically for the seasonings.

Before long, he had put together a proper-looking grilled fish stall. He deftly lit the fire and laid the marinated mackerel on the grill. Soon, a rich aroma began wafting out.

It had to be said that ever since Huo Yuhao had started out, everyone who had eaten his grilled fish had praised it.

"Little brother, how much is your grilled fish?"

Huo Yuhao turned to look. The man stood on the steps behind his stall, a head taller than him, with scruffy stubble and darkish skin. He was bending over, studying the grill curiously.

"Five copper coins a fish, handsome."

"Well, now. You actually called me handsome-what else is there to say? I'll let it slide that you set up shop right outside our merchant association's premises!"

Huo Yuhao said, "Huh?"

Heaven knew, this was his first time running a stall. He had only noticed the scattered food stalls along this street and had not considered that aspect.

"What should I call you, handsome?" Huo Yuhao scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"Feng Bujue. Just call me Brother Bujue." The young man smiled happily. "With the way I look, plenty of people call me Uncle Jue."

They're not wrong, either. Despite his inward grumbling, Huo Yuhao still handed over the freshly grilled fish.

"My name's Huo Yuhao. Brother Bujue, I'm really sorry. I don't have much experience, and I never thought I'd ended up setting up right outside your premises. This fish is on me!"

"Little Brother Huo, how could I possibly accept?"

That was what Feng Bujue said, but his hand reached out all the same. He took a great bite of fish, and his eyes immediately lit up. He gave Huo Yuhao a careful look before continuing to eat.

Before long, he held the bamboo skewer and said, still craving more:

"Two more."

"Sure!"

There were not really any customers yet, and he had plenty of stock. Each grilled fish only cost him one Copper Soul Coin to make. Since he was taking advantage of their space, Huo Yuhao did not mind giving Feng Bujue another two.

"At your age, and having just come to Shrek City to set up a stall, did you try to enroll at Shrek Academy but fail?"

"I didn't have a recommendation letter. My innate Soul Power was rank one, so I was turned down." Huo Yuhao tended the fish as he spoke. There was nothing to hide.

"Heh, who knows how many commoner Soul Masters that recommendation letter system has shut out? With only rank-one innate Soul Power, you must have put in a lot of work."

"Then why does a system like that exist?"

"It's the result of the tug-of-war between the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy. But the system's getting more rotten by the day."

Feng Bujue had barely finished speaking when the clatter of hooves mingled with the rumble of wheels drew closer. A luxurious carriage pulled by three fine horses passed before Huo Yuhao.

Inside sat a middle-aged man with a composed bearing and an upright face, holding a beautiful woman in his arms. On the other side sat a sweet, well-behaved-looking girl around Huo Yuhao's age.

Watching the carriage recede, Huo Yuhao said enviously:

"What a happy family."

"Family?" Feng Bujue's smile turned odd. "They're not a family. That mother and daughter came from some little place in the Heaven Dou Empire."

"The daughter's quite talented-rank-seventeen Soul Power at eleven. But her background isn't any good. Just like you, she actually had no idea she needed a recommendation letter before coming to Shrek."

"As it happened, that Regional Administrative Officer was qualified to issue some recommendation letters, so he kindly helped write one."

"And what was the price?" Recalling how intimate the three had looked in the carriage, Huo Yuhao felt there was more to it.

"The price was just that the mother and daughter served His Excellency the Administrative Officer's office secretary during the day and fought over the microphone at night."

Huo Yuhao did not understand what fighting over the microphone meant, but he could more or less tell it was nothing good.

"There are too many cases like that to count. Being able to trade your body for one is already not so bad. I've even heard of recommendation-letter loans. Sign one of those, and it's barely any different from selling yourself."

"Doesn't anyone do anything about it?"

"Good question. No, they really don't. Who's to say the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy aren't the beneficiaries behind it all?"

"They only care whether this whole setup lets them keep control. They don't care who gets sacrificed."

"Besides, Shrek Academy is full of real pieces of work."

"Little Brother Huo, failing to enroll might actually be a good thing."

Huo Yuhao handed Feng Bujue the two grilled fish and could not help reminding him quietly:

"Brother Bujue, keep your voice down. Ahem, there are quite a few people around."

Although he did not entirely believe Feng Bujue's words, the mere fact that the man was willing to let him set up outside the merchant association and only take a few grilled fish as a token payment meant he did not want Feng Bujue getting into trouble.

"Haha, I've seen so much of it that I feel lousy if I don't say something."

Feng Bujue chuckled dismissively, took the fish, and gave them a satisfied sniff. Then he pulled a Gold Soul Coin and a Silver Soul Coin from his pocket and handed them to Huo Yuhao.

"Brother Bujue, what's this for?"

"Oh, come on, I've got to pay you for these two fish. You're just a kid, selling grilled fish after failing to enroll. I imagine money's tight."

"As for the Gold Soul Coin, that's for you to pay the stall management fee. Our street's different from the others. They charge a little for everything."

"Well..." Huo Yuhao did need money, but there was no reason to take someone else's money for nothing. "Brother Bujue, is there anything I can help you with?"

Feng Bujue thought for a moment before saying, "How about this? If you're not busy later, help hand out flyers while I'm doing some promotion."

By the time Huo Yuhao had sold all his fish and received the flyers, it was already evening.

He looked at the stack of flyers in his hands, his expression hesitant.

"Brother Bujue, are we really not going to get beaten to death promoting this stuff in Shrek City?"

Being beaten to death was a joke, but his fear of trouble was real.

Once he received the flyers, he knew his guess had been right. Feng Bujue was definitely from the Sun Moon Empire.

Feng Bujue said nonchalantly:

"Don't worry. You think the people at the top don't know? I've been doing this in Shrek City for years."

"People with vested interests are hard to sway, and the ones we can lure away to greener pastures are limited in ability. Poaching people from each other is standard practice anyway. It doesn't cross any lines."

"Besides, we've got a major merchant association backing us. As long as they still want to buy high-end Soul Tools and rare metals, they won't do anything to us."

With that, he pointed at the pile of booklets inside the shop.

"Those copies of Introduction to Soul Tool-give one to anyone who seems interested while you're handing out flyers. They only cost us the printing, so hand them out freely."

Only then did Huo Yuhao relax. He had no qualms about helping the Sun Moon Empire poach people.

Although he had been born in the Star Luo Empire, he had never received any kindness from it throughout his childhood. Even the money slipped to the steward to avoid being given a hard time during his Martial Soul awakening had been earned by his mother scrubbing clothes, one garment at a time.

Naturally, he felt no sense of belonging to it either.

Huo Yuhao picked up a copy of Introduction to Soul Tool and opened it curiously.

From the other side came Feng Bujue's voice:

"Keep up with Uncle Jue's rhythm! Everyone says you're finished if you can't pass Shrek Academy's admissions assessment. Today, Uncle Jue's going to point you straight down a road to the heavens. Stop running around like headless chickens!"

"First, weld your choice of the Soul Tool Major firmly into place. Don't just study any old thing. Set your sights on Mingdu Soul Tool Vocational and Technical College. All four countries are short of people like this. It's a hundred times more useful than some lousy Soul Master major..."