Grilled Fish, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan (Part 1)

"The noodle shop owner is quite an interesting person."

Holding the crystal ball, Han Ruoruo smiled after carefully reading it.

"It goes completely against conventional thinking."

Ling Bai had read the message as well, and he could not help feeling somewhat moved.

Shrek City was home to Shrek Academy, the continent's number one academy. Most of the soul masters in the city were Shrek students.

Shrek Academy had a strict elimination system. Everyone cultivated their Soul Power diligently day and night, even if they could only make the slightest, most insignificant progress. Yet this owner was telling the students that kindness and honesty were far more important than Soul Power.

Ling Bai noticed Han Ruoruo's interest and took the initiative. "Senior Sister, let's eat here."

"Mm."

Han Ruoruo put down the crystal ball and entered the noodle shop with Ling Bai.

The shop was small but exceptionally clean. The kitchen behind the glass door was visible as soon as they entered, where a middle-aged auntie in an apron was busy at work. There were six rectangular tables inside, enough to seat thirty people at most. Four tables were occupied at the moment, their patrons noisily slurping down noodles.

It was not very warm outside today, but the moment they entered, warmth and the fragrance of meat washed over them, leaving their whole bodies feeling comfortable.

"It smells so good."

Han Ruoruo took a deep breath of the aroma. It seemed they had made the right choice.

"Hello, come sit down and rest for a while."

Seeing customers arrive, the auntie hurried out from behind the glass door. She looked to be in her forties, plump and exceedingly kind-faced.

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo went to an empty table inside, the one closest to the kitchen.

"What would you like to eat?" The auntie handed them two menus and asked with a smile.

Ling Bai glanced down. The menu mainly offered noodles and rice bowls, along with a few simple stir-fried dishes. It was simple, home-style food.

"One bowl of beef noodles and a serving of braised meat."

"One bowl of pork bone noodles for me."

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo answered respectively.

"Alright." The auntie nodded. "The beef noodles and pork bone noodles are six Copper Soul Coins each. With the braised meat, that comes to seventeen Copper Soul Coins."

Han Ruoruo took out a Gold Soul Coin to pay. In a city where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold like Shrek City, this noodle shop's prices were among the cheapest.

One Gold Soul Coin was worth ten Silver Soul Coins, or one hundred Copper Soul Coins. As the auntie searched for change, Han Ruoruo asked, "Auntie, are you a soul master?"

The auntie smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm just an ordinary person."

"Then why did you write those words beside the Soul Power testing ball at the entrance?"

At Han Ruoruo's question, Ling Bai also turned an inquisitive gaze toward her.

"Because you all seem so tired." The auntie handed the change to Han Ruoruo, her kind face softening even further.

"The food at the Shrek Outer Academy cafeteria is rather expensive, so some students come to my shop for a bite to eat. They always seem especially anxious, rushing in and hurrying away.

"I know the academy's elimination system is harsh, but cultivation has no limit. Soul Power cannot represent your character, ambitions, or sense of responsibility either. And for ordinary people like us, a kind and honest soul master is far more worthy of admiration than one with profound Soul Power."

A trace of nostalgia appeared in Han Ruoruo's eyes. She recalled every little detail from her days in the Outer Academy—the freshman tournament, running laps around the training field, advancement assessments...

Back then, time had been tight. Under the teachers' urging, everyone seemed to shuttle endlessly between classrooms, the cafeteria, and the dormitories, focused only on cultivating Soul Power. They had instead forgotten that before becoming qualified soul masters, they first needed to become qualified people.

Ling Bai had never studied in the Outer Academy, but he had a general idea of it. Shrek Inner Academy was like a university from his previous life, where freedom prevailed, while the Outer Academy pushed students to grow through countless rules and restrictions. Sometimes, it neglected moral education, resulting in actions by people like Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin that could be rather unpleasant at times.

"Senior Sister, if time could turn back, would you be willing to return to the Outer Academy and study there again?" Ling Bai rested his arm on the table as he waited for their food and asked casually.

"No."

Han Ruoruo refused decisively. She merely missed the days when she had studied alongside Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming. But if she really had to go back and repeat the Outer Academy...

Sorry, she could not take that at all!

The beef and pork bones had been braised beforehand. Before long, the auntie brought over two steaming bowls of noodles, a bowl of braised meat, and two small plates of stir-fried greens. Each bowl of noodles even came with an extra braised egg.

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo both froze. They did not remember ordering greens or braised eggs!

"Auntie?"

Understanding the question in their voices, the auntie glanced at their red uniforms and explained, "You're Shrek students, right? My son enrolled at Shrek Academy this year too. You're all classmates, so these are my treat. No charge!"

"This..."

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo felt a little embarrassed. The noodle shop's prices were already cheap, and she had given them two braised eggs and two plates of vegetables besides. The auntie might even be losing money on this meal.

"Eat while it's hot. If it's not enough, Auntie will give you more!"

The auntie turned and went back through the glass door, resuming her work.

Ling Bai did not like owing people favors. They were only ordinary vegetables and eggs, but he still felt indebted to her. Han Ruoruo felt the same. She planned to ask about the auntie's son later, thinking she could lend him a hand in the future if the opportunity arose.

The noodles gave off a rich beef fragrance, and the broth was golden. Ling Bai could see chunks of diced beef; with the lightest touch of his chopsticks, the meat nearly fell apart.

The rich beef flavor blended into the broth, while the fresh, savory taste was perfectly balanced by the noodles. It went down hot and warm, bringing indescribable comfort. The noodles were springy and chewy, and paired with the fragrant greens, they were absolutely delicious.

After taking a bite, Han Ruoruo could not help being moved as well. She even felt that in terms of taste alone, the auntie's cooking was no worse than Uncle Mo's. One had to remember that Uncle Mo used soul beast meat and rare ingredients from all over the land!

Just as the two seriously considered whether to order another bowl, a figure pushed open the shop door and shouted, "Mom, I'm back for lunch!"

The booming voice echoed through the entire little noodle shop. Everyone instinctively looked up and let out startled cries.

Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo immediately stopped lifting noodles with their chopsticks and turned toward the person entering with the posture of curious kittens peeking out... at a lump of a person.

That was right, a lump.

The newcomer was one meter seventy tall, with a waistline of one meter seventy. White and fat like a mountain of flesh, he squeezed through the door with great effort, wearing an honest smile.

"Huanyue, you're back! Find somewhere to sit. Mom will cook you a bowl of noodles!" The auntie's face overflowed with happiness.

Huanyue... Xie Huanyue?

Ling Bai studied the fellow's build, then thought of the Little Elephant Noodle Shop's name and the Rubber Elephant martial soul. It was almost certainly him.

The auntie skillfully cooked the noodles, scooped up beef, added vegetables and eggs, poured on meat sauce, and ten minutes later placed a bowl of noodles before Xie Huanyue.

"Huanyue, your favorite beef noodles."

When Han Ruoruo saw Xie Huanyue's bowl of beef noodles, she could not help snorting with laughter. This bowl was far too lavish—beef, pork bones, pork chops, meatballs... steaming hot and overflowing with the scent of meat.

Ling Bai looked down at the mere two pieces of beef left in his own bowl and suddenly found his beef noodles much less appetizing.

"Little Junior Brother, your treatment is pretty lacking!" Han Ruoruo whispered with a laugh, her eyes curving into lovely crescents.

Ling Bai said sourly, "How can I compare to her own son?"

"It's alright. You have your own Senior Sister."

Han Ruoruo picked up the untouched braised egg from her bowl and placed it in Ling Bai's as consolation.

Xie Huanyue took in their teasing exchange, but he did not dare make a sound. The people before him were wearing the red uniforms of Shrek Inner Academy!

Ignore them. Eat noodles, eat noodles!

Damn, this was delicious!

Half an hour later, Ling Bai and Han Ruoruo left Xie Huanyue's Little Elephant Noodle Shop. Chatting as they walked slowly toward Shrek Academy, they passed the East City Gate when an alluring, rich fragrance drifted into their noses.

"Huh, what is that?"

Han Ruoruo's nostrils twitched lightly as she searched for the source of the scent.

"Little Huo Grilled Fish?"

Han Ruoruo locked onto the target, but just as she was about to try it, a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.

Ling Bai spotted an acquaintance diligently working at the grilled fish stall and smiled. "If you want some, let's go eat."

"I've already eaten so much today. Wouldn't it be bad to eat grilled fish too...?"

Hearing that, Ling Bai asked solemnly, "Senior Sister, do you know what often eating grilled fish makes appear on your face?"

Han Ruoruo thought seriously. "Pimples?"

"Wrong. It makes a happy smile appear."

With that, Ling Bai grabbed Han Ruoruo's fair wrist without another word and headed straight for Little Huo Grilled Fish, stopping behind a girl in Shrek's purple uniform, with a curvaceous figure and a rabbit-ear headband on her head...