With his martial soul boosting his speed, Ma Hongjun was naturally beyond the reach of those brothel thugs. Even Lu Qian had to put in some effort before finding him beside a river outside the city.
But Ma Hongjun looked rather miserable at the moment. Without his outer clothes, he sat alone by the river in a daze, and Lu Qian suddenly worried that the boy might do something drastic.
Lu Qian thought it over. Ma Hongjun truly was not bad by nature, and there was nothing he could do about his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
So taking Ma Hongjun under his wing as a follower would be a pretty good idea.
Besides, just as Lu Qian had thought before, Ma Hongjun was basically a blank sheet of paper right now. If he showed him a little kindness, then even if only out of gratitude, Ma Hongjun would probably follow him in the future.
Having made up his mind, Lu Qian walked straight over to Ma Hongjun.
"Stay away from me!"
Ma Hongjun was brimming with hostility.
"Heh, it is a little embarrassing. A dignified Soul Grandmaster, chased all over the place by a bunch of ordinary people."
Lu Qian spoke with a smile.
He had expected Ma Hongjun to get angry, but instead, the fellow's expression instantly went still, and he did not even answer.
"Being chased by ordinary people is embarrassing, but you managed to keep your emotions in check and not attack them. That does win you back a round."
Lu Qian continued.
Yet Ma Hongjun still showed no reaction, so Lu Qian decided to try something more direct.
With a series of clinks, Lu Qian stacked a full fifty Gold Soul Coins in front of Ma Hongjun!
Fifty Gold Soul Coins!
A single Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover several months of expenses for a family of three, yet there were a full fifty Gold Soul Coins in front of Ma Hongjun!
It was impossible not to be tempted. Ma Hongjun was just a boy from a village, and each time he vented his evil fire, he only dared to spend a few Copper Soul Coins.
But what did he want?
For the first time, Ma Hongjun raised his head and looked Lu Qian squarely in the face.
His surprised gaze seemed to say that he had never expected Lu Qian to be so young.
"Take it. Pay them back. Let off some steam."
Seeing Ma Hongjun's reaction, Lu Qian knew this approach was working.
But Ma Hongjun still restrained his impulse for the moment. Lowering his head, he spoke to Lu Qian in a low voice:
"Are you pitying me?"
"No, no, no, of course not. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lu Qian, and I've just arrived in Suotuo City. I usually enjoy, ahem, the same sort of places you like. But I'm not familiar with this area, so, you know!"
Lu Qian immediately changed tack, throwing an arm around Ma Hongjun's shoulders and talking to him like a close friend.
This would dispel as many of Ma Hongjun's misgivings as possible.
And sure enough, Ma Hongjun's eyes instantly lit up when he heard Lu Qian's words.
If Lu Qian simply gave Ma Hongjun the money, Ma Hongjun would probably find it difficult to accept. But with Lu Qian's current approach, it became very easy for him to accept.
"Really?"
Ma Hongjun could hardly believe it and asked again to make sure.
"Why would I lie to you? Besides, think about it. Where did I notice you? On brothel street, of course!"
Lu Qian slapped Ma Hongjun hard on the shoulder and said this with a hearty laugh.
"Hehe, hehe, that's true."
Ma Hongjun more or less believed Lu Qian.
After all, who could have imagined that Lu Qian was actually someone who had transmigrated here, knew the plot, and wanted to win Ma Hongjun over to his side ahead of time?
"No time like the present. Shall we go now?"
Lu Qian winked at Ma Hongjun, appearing slightly impatient.
"Sure!"
Ma Hongjun was straightforward enough and nodded firmly.
"Then, this money?"
Ma Hongjun pointed somewhat sheepishly at the Gold Soul Coins on the ground, while Lu Qian waved a hand and said generously:
"Just hold on to it. You're treating me later!"
"Okay, okay, okay!"
When had Ma Hongjun ever seen so many Gold Soul Coins? He felt utterly lightheaded.
Besides, he did not actually care what Lu Qian's true purpose was, because he had absolutely nothing!
If Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy, had not found him, he might have spent his whole life as nothing more than a farmer.
And so, the two returned to brothel street, chatting enthusiastically all the way.
Along the way, Lu Qian only asked a few casual questions. He already knew all about Ma Hongjun's circumstances, so there was no need to deliberately fish for information and risk making Ma Hongjun suspicious.
After returning to brothel street, Ma Hongjun led Lu Qian straight toward one establishment.
Before the two even reached the entrance, the thugs guarding the door spotted Ma Hongjun and crowded around, saying:
"You're back for another free ride!"
"Don't think we're scared of you just because you're a Soul Master!"
Although the thugs were forceful in their attitude and fierce in their words, not one of them dared to lay a hand on him.
After all, they had just witnessed it themselves: Ma Hongjun was a genuine Soul Master!
Although this Soul Master was a little poor, that certainly did not stop him from being able to kill this entire group of thugs in an instant.
So this time, the thugs were much more polite than when Lu Qian had first seen them.
But Ma Hongjun was no longer the same as before. With fifty Gold Soul Coins in hand, never mind paying for one girl-even booking their entire establishment would be easy!
With money, his back straightened and his words grew bolder. That was Ma Hongjun right now.
With utter disdain, he tossed a Gold Soul Coin toward the thugs and said coldly:
"You dogs who look down your noses at people! Did you really think I had no money?"
The moment he tossed out that Gold Soul Coin, the thugs were dumbfounded. Even the madam, who had been rolling her eyes at Ma Hongjun from over there, took a long while to react.
Then she immediately ran over to Ma Hongjun, all smiles, rubbing her bosom against his arm as she began offering pleasantries.
"Oh my, this young gentleman really is no ordinary person! I misjudged you earlier. What a terrible offense!"
"Enough, enough. Consider this money a tip for you lot. From now on, sorry, but this young master is taking his business elsewhere!"
"Oh, sir! Please don't be like that!"
"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"
Ma Hongjun roughly shook free of the madam's hands and continued onward with Lu Qian.
After the two had walked for a while, Lu Qian asked quietly:
"Feel good?"
"Great! Absolutely great! Honestly, I haven't felt this good in ages. Thank you."
Lu Qian could tell that this thank-you from Ma Hongjun came from the heart.
"Hahaha, we're friends. What are you thanking me for? But I'm warning you, if the girls are too ugly later, I'm going to get mad at you!"
"Don't worry. On this brothel street, the farther in you go, the better the quality. Especially those places toward the back of the middle section. They're famous throughout the Balak Kingdom!"
"Really?"
"Hehe, I don't actually know either. The place we just left is the most expensive one I've ever patronized, but it's true that the places here are expensive."
Before you continue