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Flender adjusted his glasses and glared angrily at the entrance.
When he saw the beggar-looking Lan Minghua, he cursed furiously, "You damn beggar! You kicked down my door—can you afford to pay for it? Get out before I really lose my temper!"
However, Lan Minghua ignored him, walked straight to a chair, and sat down with a thud.
Flender's eyes widened, his mouth twitched, and his clenched fists creaked.
His knuckles turned white as his body trembled with uncontrollable rage.
That chair was one of the most expensive items in his shop—and now, a beggar had defiled it.
It would surely lose value now.
As a famously stingy man, how could Flender not be enraged?
He stared coldly at Lan Minghua, ready to throw him out. As for making him pay? The man had to have money first. Flender had overheard Lan Minghua's conversation with Oscar and knew this guy was dirt poor.
Storming over, Flender grabbed Lan Minghua by the collar, unbothered by the dirt, and prepared to toss him into the street.
But no matter how hard he heaved, Lan Minghua sat unmoved—like a mountain.
"What?!" Flender's pupils shrank, and his face darkened like a storm cloud.
Lan Minghua calmly reached out, grabbed Flender's wrist, and gave it a light twist—
Flender gasped in pain and let go of his collar.
"Let's set aside whether I'll pay for the door. You were eavesdropping on my conversation with that handsome guy just now. Don't you think we should settle that score first?"
As soon as he said that, sweat beaded on Flender's forehead.
He had thought his Cat-Eagle Martial Soul allowed him to spy without detection, but he had been completely exposed.
Now he understood why the man had kicked in his door.
He had brought this upon himself.
Lan Minghua didn't know what Flender was thinking, but he wasn't going to let go without an answer.
Flender tried to struggle free, but it was useless. As time passed, his hand turned pale, and his forearm began to darken to a purplish-black.
Lan Minghua wasn't afraid of a fight. He could wait all day at no loss to himself.
Weighing the pros and cons, Flender decided to yield. Offending an unknown powerhouse was not his style.
Forcing a smile and swallowing his pride, he said, "Senior, I was in the wrong. I shouldn't have eavesdropped on your conversation with Oscar. I sincerely apologize."
Lan Minghua released his grip and feigned ignorance. "So that handsome guy's name is Oscar, huh? What's your relationship with him?"
Rubbing his sore wrist, Flender cursed inwardly, What a beast, but kept a fawning smile on his face.
"Senior, I am the headmaster of Shrek Academy, and Little Ao is my student. I was worried he might get scammed, which is why I rashly spied on you."
Lan Minghua already knew all this but played dumb.
"So he's a student of 'Shit-lek,' and you're its headmaster? Great, that makes him easy to find."
Suddenly, Lan Minghua added out of the blue, "Calling me 'Senior' makes me sound old. Just call me Huazai."
Flender didn't expect Lan Minghua to be so easygoing, and the tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate.
Still, for Oscar's safety, he pressed on cautiously, "Then… Huazai, why are you looking for Oscar?"
"I've taken a liking to that pretty boy. I want to take him as my disciple. So, Headmaster, how about an introduction?"
Lan Minghua blinked, staring intently at Flender.
Flender's mind raced, calculating the pros and cons.
This guy who calls himself Huazai is at least as strong as me—he's probably a Soul Douluo.
If I can rope him into Shrek, the academy will be set!
Flender grew excited at the thought. Most advanced soul master academies didn't have a Soul Douluo on staff. Only places like the Four Elemental Academies, the Lower Four Sects, and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had that kind of power.
Lan Minghua saw the gears turning in Flender's eyes and knew his position as a teacher at Shrek was secured.
You little schemer. Go on, hurry up and trick me into joining.
As expected, once Flender had a plan, a sly businessman's grin spread across his face.
"Huazai, I'm afraid I can't help you directly," he said, feigning regret. "Even though I'm the headmaster, I can't force Little Ao's decision. So…"
Flender chuckled slyly. "So, Huazai, you could join Shrek yourself. Over time, once Oscar sees how powerful you are, he might just ask to become your disciple on his own."
Of course, Lan Minghua saw right through Flender's little scheme.
But becoming a teacher at Shrek wasn't a bad thing. He might even get a few more disciples and finally be able to live a life of leisure.
"Not a bad suggestion. But what about my salary and benefits?"
I'm used to freeloading off others—no one freeloads off me.
Lan Minghua's question made Flender's face darken. He had hoped to use Oscar as bait to get a high-level teacher for free but had just walked into his own trap. He'd already invited him, so backing out now would be a huge loss of face.
Lan Minghua glanced at Flender's pained expression, then at the glittering crystal in the shop, and an idea formed.
"I can join 'Shit-lek' for now. We don't need to worry about the benefits just yet."
"Really?" Flender was overjoyed.
Lan Minghua shot him a sidelong glance. "Don't celebrate too soon. That rutilated quartz over there—consider it a down payment on my interest. How about it?"
Without hesitation, Flender grabbed the crystal and presented it to him. It was worth a few hundred gold soul coins—not a small sum, but to win over a powerhouse like Lan Minghua? It was a bargain.
"If you like it, it's yours. It was just collecting dust here anyway."
Lan Minghua took the crystal without ceremony and, with a flip of his hand, stored it in his system's space.
Flender's eyes lit up. A soul tool? Just as I thought, this Huazai is more than he seems. This is a huge win!
Lan Minghua ignored him, got up, and walked toward the door.
"Well, that settles it. I'll look around some more and head to 'Shit-lek' later. And remember to arrange a room for me. I have no intention of sleeping with the sky as my blanket and the ground as my bed."
"Don't worry, I'll have everything arranged!"
Watching Lan Minghua's receding back, Flender immediately sent a message to Zhao Wuji to make preparations. This was a golden opportunity to boost Shrek's strength, and he wouldn't let it slip by.
Inside Shrek Academy, Zhao Wuji received Flender's message, his expression grave.
"What is Flender playing at now? A guy not inferior to me? When did Soul Douluo become so common?"
He grumbled to himself but didn't argue further, dutifully going to prepare a room.
As the sun set, the evening glow burned like a wildfire, painting half the sky red.
"Evening already? Time to head to 'Shit-lek.' I hope Flender has a room ready for me. Otherwise, I'll just have to commandeer his."
Lan Minghua watched the sunset as he walked toward Shrek Academy.
At that very moment, inside the academy, a red-haired, chubby boy was roaring in frustration.
"Cuihua, why did you reject me?! I gave you my heart, and this is how you treat me!"
This person was none other than one of the future Shrek Seven Devils, Ma Hongjun.
Having failed to either vent his "evil fire" or get what he wanted, he was seething with rage.
Thanks to his overwhelming strength, Lan Minghua entered Shrek's grounds with ease. But as soon as he stepped inside, he heard someone howling.
Squinting, he saw the figure of Ma Hongjun.
At the same time, the wailing Ma Hongjun spotted him.
Embarrassed at being seen in such a state and already on edge, his temper flared. Ma Hongjun was not a kind soul. Seeing that someone had witnessed his humiliation, he was instantly filled with murderous intent. Even if he didn't kill him, he'd at least cripple him.
"Filthy beggar! Who gave you permission to be here? To hell with you!"
Lan Minghua was completely baffled. He hadn't said a single word. Why did this kid suddenly want to kill him?
"Birds of a feather, I suppose. It's true that only trash hangs out with trash."
"But to attack me?" Lan Minghua's gaze turned icy.
"I don't mind teaching you a painful lesson on Flender's behalf."
(End of Chapter)