Chu Qing left the teahouse in disappointment and returned to the Soul Fighting Society.
"Junior brother, your senior sister has money now. I'll treat you to a feast."
The next day, Tang Wutong took the money Chu Qing had given her without the slightest flutter of her heart or blush on her face.
Chu Qing's refusal was just as decisive.
"No, I have to cultivate."
"What about tonight?"
"I'll be busy with the Soul Fighting Society."
"Hmph, I only spent a little of your money. I'll have First Dad and Second Dad send you a couple of Soul Bones later, so you'll come out ahead. You're so stingy. If you won't go, I'll just go with Xue Li."
Only after making sure she had left did Chu Qing relax. He found Xue Zhan and said:
"Granduncle, I don't want to become Senior Niu Tian's disciple."
Xue Zhan was startled and asked:
"Why?"
"He's a level 99 Limit Douluo, and his Martial Soul comes from the same source as yours. Isn't that ideal?"
Chu Qing didn't know how to explain it. Should he tell them about Tang San?
There was no way to make that explanation work, so he didn't bother explaining and said:
"Granduncle, I don't know, but I just have this inexplicable premonition."
Xue Zhan didn't quite understand, but he nodded and pondered:
"But we've already won the bet, and he's a Limit Douluo. It won't be easy for us to go back on our word."
Chu Qing said:
"I know, but I have a plan. Granduncle, listen..."
After hearing him out, Xue Zhan found it even more unbelievable that Chu Jiazheng and his wife would have to cause such a huge scandal.
"Chu Qing, are you sure your premonition is right?"
"Isn't the price a little too high?"
"Granduncle, trust me. I wouldn't fool around with something this important."
Xue Zhan nodded and said:
"Wait for word from me. This is a serious matter, and I need to discuss it with them."
"Thank you, Granduncle."
Before Chu Qing had finished speaking, Xue Zhan had left.
That evening, Xue Zhan brought good news:
"His Majesty said he would fully support your decision."
"But he is a level 99 Limit Douluo, after all. Your desire to leave his tutelage will have to wait a while, until public opinion has had time to brew."
"This isn't the right time to bring it up, so you'll have to remain his disciple for the time being."
Relieved, Chu Qing turned and went to cultivate.
With deliberate manipulation, rumors did indeed begin to spread slowly through the city.
But before Niu Tian returned, Xu Sanshi came back first, on break from Shrek.
With three Soul Rings released around him, he swaggered into the Soul Fighting Society.
Tang Wutong clenched her little fists in anger and said:
"Who's that? He's just begging for a beating!"
Xu Sanshi noticed her too. Stroking his chin, he looked her over as he walked up.
"Well, well! You're quite a beauty. How come I've never seen you in Lingdou before?"
Seeing Chu Qing come out to greet him, he suddenly looked as if he understood everything. He gave a mischievous grin and said:
"Oh! I get it."
"This must be the legendary Jiang Nannan, right?"
"She really is good-looking!"
Princess Xue Li immediately paid closer attention.
Chu Qing introduced her:
"Tang Wutong, my senior sister by default."
"Senior sister? Since when did you have a master?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. How are things at Shrek?"
He asked with concern, still hoping to time things right and get to Huo Yuhao first.
At the mention of Shrek, Xu Sanshi immediately became smug.
"Need you ask? Of course I'm a genius wherever I go."
He took a seat and began to boast.
"Apart from someone named Bei Bei who can exchange a few blows with me, nobody there is a match for me..."
At first, everyone listened seriously, but when he showed no sign of stopping, they all walked away and sat down at a table to play cards.
"Hey! Do you know that the man standing before you will soon be one of the next generation of the Shrek Seven Devils?"
He joined them at the table and shamelessly continued:
"When it's my generation's turn to become the Shrek Seven Devils, remember to make my Xuanming Turtle Shell Shield card the strongest of them all."
As he spoke, he looked at the game on the table and felt something wasn't quite right. He asked curiously:
"Wasn't Soul Fighting Cards a one-on-one game?"
Li Zhongyuan smiled.
"That's where you're out of the loop."
"It was Chu Qing's idea. He said we should come up with new ways to play the cards."
"We call this Soul Beast Kill. Identity cards are dealt, and you have to find the Soul Beast that has recultivated into a human. It's still in the testing stage."
Xu Sanshi became interested and said:
"Cultivating every day is exhausting me to death. This is just the thing to help me relax."
Everyone played together, and a few days later, Xu Sanshi took the distribution point contract back to the Mysterious Nether Sect.
He gave the contract to his father, but after explaining the matter, he didn't leave. Instead, he became rather awkward.
"What's wrong, Sanshi?"
"Did something happen at Shrek?"
"Dad, I met a guy named Bei Bei, and I want to beat him up."
Xu Sanshi's father was delighted to hear it.
"You want to awaken the Black Tortoise Bloodline in your Martial Soul, don't you? Don't worry, I'll make the arrangements."
His old father smiled in satisfaction.
Xu Sanshi nodded and walked out.
Although he had resisted it before, after meeting a genius like Chu Qing, his desire to grow stronger had become increasingly intense.
The Mysterious Nether Sect soon found a suitable candidate. Jiang Nannan, whose mother was gravely ill, sold herself to the Mysterious Nether Sect in exchange for a medicinal pill.
Xu Sanshi still felt a little guilty. He thought that even if he didn't marry the girl who gave herself to him, he would take care of her family, and he asked for her information.
The moment he saw it, he was dumbfounded.
The large characters spelling Jiang Nannan immediately caught his eye. He also learned why she had sold herself and felt deep sympathy.
Even so, he pushed open the door in curiosity.
Jiang Nannan was startled by the sound of the door opening, and tears immediately began streaming from her reddened eyes again.
Seeing her like that, Xu Sanshi, who had originally wanted to tease her a little, felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Hey, stop crying."
"This is a Mysterious Water Divine Pill. Here, take it. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."
He tossed the pill over to her.
Jiang Nannan rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
"Really?"
"I don't have the money to pay you back."
Xu Sanshi felt a flutter in his heart as he looked at her. Chu Qing really did have a good eye; she was a beauty in the making.
He grew curious.
"Of course. I can see you have pretty good talent, with innate level 8 Soul Power."
"Not only will I not take your money, I'll even pay for you to study at Shrek. Don't waste that talent."
"But first, you have to tell me what your relationship with Chu Qing is."
Jiang Nannan could hardly believe what she was hearing and was even more puzzled. She said:
"I don't know anyone named Chu Qing."
Xu Sanshi was perplexed.
"That's strange."
"He was the one who asked me to look after you. Think carefully. Don't you know the young sect master of the Spirit Rhinoceros Sect?"
Jiang Nannan thought carefully, then shook her head firmly and said:
"I really don't know him."
Xu Sanshi frowned, deeply puzzled.
He said:
"Forget it. It's late, so don't be afraid. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, you can take the pill down the mountain and save your mother."
Xu Sanshi scratched his head and left, baffled. He couldn't understand why, if Chu Qing and Jiang Nannan didn't know each other, Chu Qing had specifically asked him to look after her the first time they met.
Jiang Nannan fell asleep with her heart in her throat.
A few days later, the Mysterious Nether Sect found another girl and held a secret ceremony with her and Xu Sanshi.