"Ahem ahem."
Su Chen noticed the little fox spacing out and gave a light cough to remind her.
"If you keep staring, you're going to walk into a tree."
Hearing Su Chen's words, Hu Liena's pretty face instantly flushed red. She shot him a glare and quickly walked into the cafeteria.
Just as Hu Liena had said, she really was treating Su Chen to a nice meal this time.
Once inside, she ordered only the finest and most expensive dishes. All the meat used was from soul beasts that were at least a hundred, a thousand, or even over ten thousand years old. The chefs who prepared the meals were top-tier — each dish cost hundreds of gold soul coins.
This level of luxury was something Su Chen couldn't even dream of in his three months of working at the Spirit Hall Academy.
"Sigh~!"
"This meal probably costs several thousand gold soul coins. She's being so generous right off the bat, now I feel bad about borrowing money from her."
Su Chen ate while calculating in his head.
…Although Tang San still had a while before heading to Shrek and discovering the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, now that he had the strength, it was time to get a move on!
Only when you have resources can you make people willingly work like oxen and horses for you.
Hu Liena didn't eat much. She kept stealing glances at Su Chen, seemingly lost in thought.
"Su Chen, I remember you once said your martial soul was a chicken, right?"
"Pffft~!"
Upon hearing Hu Liena's words, Su Chen instantly spat out the food in his mouth.
"Big sis, could you at least keep it classy!?"
But Hu Liena remained curious and asked again:
"Did I say something wrong?"
"I remember you told me before that your martial soul was a chicken, and your innate soul power was two and a half, right?"
Su Chen wiped his mouth and nodded:
"Yeah, my martial soul is a chicken. But last night, it mutated."
"What?!"
Hu Liena was instantly shocked:
"Your martial soul mutated?"
"Quick! Let me see your chicken!"
Uh…
Su Chen was momentarily dumbfounded, not sure how to respond.
"Do you even hear yourself right now?"
"Better not. I'll show you when we're somewhere more private."
Hu Liena started guessing — Su Chen must've received some kind of reward last night and experienced a major martial soul mutation. She pressed on:
"What's so difficult about it?"
"It's not like martial souls can be hidden anyway. Just summon it! I want to see what your chicken martial soul mutated into!"
While the two were going back and forth — one saying "Let me see!" and the other like "Jie-ge, please no!" — two figures walked over from a distance.
Xie Yue and Yan.
One was Hu Liena's brother, the other her lovestruck sheepdog.
"Nana!"
Yan's face lit up with joy the moment he saw Hu Liena, and he quickly approached.
But when he saw Su Chen sitting at the same table with her, his face immediately darkened — envy, jealousy, and hatred clearly written across his expression.
"Damn it!"
"What kind of damn luck does this bastard have, getting to eat alone with Nana?"
Hu Liena glanced at Yan with slight disgust and warned:
"I don't care what your problem is, but listen — Su Chen is my friend. Drop your usual act. If you dare mess with him, don't blame me for turning on you!"
"And stop calling me Nana."
Hu Liena knew Yan's personality well. Anytime a guy was around her, he had to act up.
Xie Yue looked at Hu Liena, a bit confused.
He remembered when Su Chen was brought back by Hu Liena, both Xie Yue and Yan had been present. But now this meal alone would cost thousands of gold soul coins — and Su Chen was an orphan. Where did he get the money to treat his sister?
Yan sat beside Su Chen, while Xie Yue sat next to Hu Liena.
A brief silence followed.
Just as Hu Liena was about to speak, a diary update popped into her mind:
[Love Continent, huh!][This continent lacks only two types of people: hopeless romantics and desperate simps.][Feng Xiaotian, Oscar, Yan, Flender.][The first two got the girl. The latter two died with regret.]
"Sigh."
Su Chen glanced at Yan beside him and couldn't help but sigh.
What a pity.
Simping leaves you with nothing.
Yan exploded in rage and shouted:
"What's that supposed to mean?! If it weren't for Nana, I'd slap you so hard you'd stick to the wall!"
"Nothing,"Su Chen replied calmly. "It's just that you reminded me of a friend from the grasslands."
He really did think of Fei Yangyang from Pleasant Goat when he saw Yan — "Xi Yangyang has no strength, push him for me!"
"Hmph."
Yan snorted coldly and said nothing.
Su Chen ignored him. After eating his fill, he turned to Hu Liena:
"Actually, the reason I wanted to see you today is because I need a favor."
"First, I want to borrow some money. Second, I need a map of Sunset Forest. And if possible, I'd like you to help request a leave for me. I need to make a trip to the Sunset Forest in Heaven Dou Empire."
"In return, I owe you a favor."
Yan sneered from the side:
"You? Going to Sunset Forest? Don't forget — last time, if we hadn't found you outside Star Dou Forest, you'd be dead by now."
"You're just a low-level soul master. Nana doesn't need you for anything in this lifetime—"
"Shut up!"
Hu Liena glared at Yan, then turned back to Su Chen with a gentle expression:
"Alright."
"Are you going alone to Sunset Forest?"
Yan trembled with rage on the side — the double standard was too obvious.
"Damn pretty boy!"
"What do you have besides that handsome face?!"
Su Chen nodded earnestly:
"I'll just take a look from the outside. I'm not going in. Alone should be fine."
He couldn't be bothered with this boiling Yan. If it weren't for Hu Liena helping him, he'd have sent this sheep flying with a Wind God Kick.
"Golden Generation? Hah. I, Long Aotian, never think about consequences when I act!"
Hu Liena took out a gold soul card and handed it to Su Chen:
"This is my gold soul sub-card. Take it and use it. Then wait for me at the academy gate at noon — I'll request the leave for you in the morning and find a complete map of Sunset Forest."
To be honest, Su Chen hadn't held out much hope. After all, he and Hu Liena didn't share much of a bond. If she helped, great. If not, no big deal.
But Hu Liena's attitude left him doubting reality.
"Is this continent really all about good looks!?"
"Tch."
"Are you trying to teach me how to hustle?"
"Hu Liena, I really appreciate it. You're now officially my first friend here."
With his belly full and mission complete, Su Chen patted his butt and walked off.
Hu Liena's face turned red as she quietly watched Su Chen leave.
Yan's face turned green. "Why the hell are you patting me on the butt!?"
Xie Yue, who hadn't said a word until now, couldn't help but roast her internally:
"Sis, why the blushing?! He just called you a friend. What, already thinking about naming the kids?"
"Ahem!"
Xie Yue coughed to snap her out of it. Hu Liena returned to her senses and said:
"Bro, you go pay the bill. I have to talk to Master."
"What?"
"I didn't even eat! Why am I paying?!"
Xie Yue looked completely helpless.
Yan finally snapped:
"Damn it!"
"That pretty boy mooched food, mooched drinks, and now he's mooching money too?!"
Hu Liena ignored them both and quickly left for the Spirit Hall.
(End of Chapter)