Seeing how eager Liang Wu was to help, Toji said without hesitation:
"Boss, I want at least eight hours a day to train. It would be best if I had a dedicated space to use, and weights to train with that push me as close to the limits of what my body can handle as possible."
"Also, I'd like more nutritious food, so my body can recover and grow better, and replenish its energy and nutrients in time."
Toji rattled off everything he needed in one breath.
He wasn't the least bit afraid that Liang Wu would think he was asking for a yard after being given an inch.
Simply put, theirs was a mutually beneficial relationship. Toji needed the resources and environment Liang Wu could provide, while Liang Wu wanted to make a fortune off Toji.
The stronger Toji became, the happier he would be.
Only a relationship in which both sides benefited was truly solid.
Sure enough, Liang Wu nodded and agreed when he heard him out.
"None of that is a problem. I'll have someone prepare a dedicated training area for you, and I'll provide you with nutritious food too. You just need to focus on getting stronger. Don't worry about anything else."
"But... I know a little about the human body myself. If you train every day, don't your muscles need time to rest and recover? And won't starting to work out so young stunt your growth?"
"Normally, I should need rest, but I've been training this way for three years, and I don't need any," Toji said crisply. "As for my height, you don't need to worry too much about that."
He was only nine, yet he was already around 1.4 or 1.5 meters tall. He was clearly developing ahead of his age.
"Mm, good." Liang Wu was already overjoyed. He hurriedly said to the assistant beside him, "We can step up the publicity. For the official match, put him up against a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. A child with no Soul Power fighting a Soul Beast will be more than enough to satisfy those nobles' thirst for thrills and novelties, as well as give them something to bet on and entertain themselves with."
"We can make the betting pool bigger. I'm going to make a killing."
"I'm sure they'll be surprised to hear that a child can kill a Hundred-Year Soul Beast with his bare hands."
"Yes, boss."
Toji pretended not to understand on the surface, but inwardly, his emotions stirred a little.
Was it like the underground boxing matches I knew about on Earth?
In some fighting venues, there were even matches pitting scantily clad women against men. Those were clearly all forms of entertainment meant to satisfy the rich.
Looks like he's going to use this method to obtain resources.
Forget it. As long as he can support my cultivation, the method doesn't matter.
That evening, Liang Wu took him to a luxurious restaurant.
Toji followed Liang Wu into the lavishly decorated restaurant. Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, and the air was filled with the aroma of food. The charred fragrance of roasted meat, the fresh sweetness of seafood, and the scents of various spices mingled together, whetting the appetite.
A thick carpet covered the floor, soft and silent underfoot. The surrounding tables and chairs were all made of first-rate materials, their surfaces polished as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the light from the chandeliers.
Every table was set with exquisite silverware and sparkling crystal glasses, the red wine inside gleaming temptingly in the light.
Luxury.
They put this much care into a meal? Is this the world of the rich?
Following behind Liang Wu and taking in everything around him, Toji felt increasingly certain that he had made the right decision.
Liang Wu was probably a local kingpin in some big city in the Heaven Dou Empire. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to enjoy such fine surroundings for a meal.
"Have a seat." Liang Wu gestured to a chair by the table, indicating that Toji should sit, then took the head seat himself, a faint smile on his face.
Toji didn't stand on ceremony and sat right down. His gaze swept over the food on the table, and his stomach rumbled traitorously.
He had never eaten food that looked so perfect in quality and so plentiful.
Liang Wu picked up his glass and took a small sip of red wine, then smiled. "This is all for you. Eat whatever you like; don't be shy."
"As long as it's good for your body, it's all worth it."
Toji nodded, picked up his utensils, and began to feast.
The instant the food entered his mouth, a rich meaty aroma burst across his palate. The fragrance of the fat mingled with the spices, intoxicating him.
As he chewed, juices flooded his mouth. Toji felt a warm current slide down his throat into his stomach, then quickly spread throughout his body.
Toji felt as though his body were wrapped in warm energy, every inch of muscle trembling slightly, as if cheering with delight.
The energy not only nourished his body but also invigorated his spirit, sweeping away all his earlier fatigue.
He eagerly cut himself another piece of meat. It was so tender it melted in his mouth, and the Soul Power within it seemed to turn into countless tiny warm currents, traveling along his meridians and nourishing every cell in his body. Toji felt his strength slowly increasing, and his overall physical condition also seemed to have improved slightly in every respect.
This... is all high-quality Soul Beast meat.
Toji rejoiced inwardly. Is this the benefit of having money and resources?
Even eating a meal can make me stronger.
Toji couldn't help eating faster. Before long, he had swept every dish on the table clean.
After the meal, he felt completely relaxed, his thoughts grew clearer, and his mental state soared.
He even felt as though his intelligence had improved.
This is wonderful.
Sure enough, cultivation is something only the rich can afford.
Sitting across from him, Liang Wu set down his wineglass, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Well? Is the food to your liking?"
"It's wonderful." Toji rubbed his little belly, utterly satisfied.
"As long as you complete your work smoothly and perform perfectly every time, like you did today, I'll treat you to a day's worth of work meals like this," Liang Wu said. After a pause, he continued, "But in three days, you'll be facing a Hundred-Year Soul Beast. How about it? Are you confident you can face it?"
"Yes, boss." Toji nodded repeatedly. "Though it'll be my first time facing a Soul Beast... if I could learn more about them, I might be able to perform even better."
As he said this, Toji stole a glance at Liang Wu, testing the waters a little.
Liang Wu thought for a moment, then said, "Starting tomorrow, someone will teach you specifically about the Soul Beasts in the Soul Fighting Arena."
Phew, it worked.
Toji breathed a sigh of relief.
He was making use of Liang Wu, step by step, to develop himself in every respect. If Liang Wu chose to refuse at this point, he wouldn't be able to improve any further.
Of course, he had to take it one step at a time. As long as he made Liang Wu more money... Liang Wu would devote more resources to him in turn.
He should be able to get plenty of benefits out of a local kingpin like Liang Wu. In any case, he appeared to be nothing more than a nine-year-old child, so Liang Wu wouldn't suspect that he had an agenda.
Very convenient.
With that, the path ahead was clear. He would use this local kingpin as a stepping stone, taking advantage of his resources and connections to improve and develop himself, then go after the two remaining Evil Soul Masters for revenge, along with those three bastards from Shrek's Inspection Corps...
And he would go help Zhang Lexuan, whom Toji couldn't stop thinking about. After all, ever since the year of his Martial Soul Awakening, Zhang Lexuan and her family had taken good care of him, often buying all the goods he had to sell in a day.
He couldn't stand by and do nothing for the family that had shown him such kindness.
As for Shrek...
Toji sat where he was, thinking quietly.
That was rather troublesome. It would be best to wait until he had grown stronger, then go find those three bastards and raise hell at Shrek Academy. The teachers at Shrek were notorious for their double standards when protecting their own; without enough strength, he would probably be taught a lesson.
Or perhaps he could lure them out of Shrek City and deal with them one by one?
An inexplicable light flickered in Toji's eyes. What had originally looked like a dead end no matter what the future held had become an opportunity he had seized, letting him see the possibility of a salted fish turning over someday.
Although his current situation had improved somewhat, the local kingpin before him was no simple man. He was no fool either, so Toji had to deal with him carefully.
Toji stole a glance at Liang Wu, who was elegantly eating his dinner across from him.
His combat strength couldn't improve too quickly, and he couldn't let Liang Wu see through his intentions. Otherwise, Liang Wu might have the Soul King under him kill Toji outright...
And he absolutely couldn't die in the Soul Fighting Arena.