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"Class President, give us six grilled fish."
Since they had arrived early, there was no need to queue, and their turn came quickly. Xiao Xiao's love for food was evident—two people ordering six fish meant Yuwentuo would only eat one, while the remaining five would likely disappear into her stomach.
"You are… Yuwentuo and Xiao Xiao?" Huo Yuhao looked at them in surprise.
Although Yuwentuo preferred to keep a low profile, he was the only one in the class whose appearance rivaled Wang Dong's. No matter how understated he tried to be, it was impossible for him to go completely unnoticed.
However, today all the attention had been stolen by Wang Dong's Radiant Butterfly Deity, leaving everyone else overshadowed.
Xiao Xiao, though petite, was one of the top students in the class. Since Huo Yuhao had been appointed as the temporary class president, he naturally paid attention to such classmates.
"Yes, Class President, we're here to support you. As fellow classmates, can you give us a discount?" Xiao Xiao asked with a smile.
"Normally, my grilled fish is non-negotiable at five copper soul coins per piece. But since you're classmates and buying in bulk—today's biggest order—I'll give you a 20% discount. Four copper soul coins per fish, totaling twenty-four coins," Huo Yuhao replied with a grin.
"Deal!" Yuwentuo tossed over two silver soul coins and four copper soul coins.
Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed as his hands moved swiftly, catching all six coins effortlessly.
"Not bad reflexes," Yuwentuo remarked.
"Dividing focus into six tasks simultaneously—your spiritual power is indeed formidable." When Huo Yuhao caught the coins, he noticed that each coin had been thrown with a different speed and force.
Being able to exert six distinct forces at once wasn't just a testament to superior physical control—it required immense mental strength and multitasking abilities. Tianmeng's assessment was correct; this person was far from ordinary.
"Here's your grilled fish!" Huo Yuhao handed the fish to Yuwentuo and stored the coins in his replica "Twenty-Four Bridges Under Moonlight" soul tool attached to his waist.
"Thanks!" Yuwentuo accepted the grilled fish with a faint smirk.
In truth, that exchange hadn't merely been a test of Huo Yuhao's skills. The six coins Yuwentuo had tossed were imbued with a subtle trace of Fire Element energy—a marking technique commonly used by spies of Guigu Sect in the art of Daoism.
Even if Huo Yuhao spent the coins later, it wouldn't matter because the soul tool now bore traces of that energy. It was highly unlikely he'd sell off Tang Ya's first gift to him as a disciple.
Under normal circumstances, the Fire Element energy would dissipate within a month or two. However, inside the vacuum-sealed environment of the "Twenty-Four Bridges Under Moonlight," its dissipation would slow dramatically.
Yuwentuo estimated this marker would last long enough to fulfill a small plan of his.
At their table, Xiao Xiao took a bite of the grilled fish and immediately her eyes lit up. "Wow, this tastes amazing! Much better than any grilled fish I've ever had at restaurants."
"It's good, but it still doesn't compare to mine," Yuwentuo said confidently.
As an expert specializing in Fire Element techniques, his mastery of flame was unparalleled. He had been an orphan in his previous life, cooking for himself since childhood, and his culinary skills were already impressive back then.
After being reincarnated into the Xuanyuan Sword world, years of practicing Fire Element arts honed not only his cultivation and swordsmanship but also elevated his cooking skills to the level of a grandmaster. His teachers may have deemed him merely competent in martial arts and daoist practices, but his culinary prowess baffled everyone.
"Really? You can cook too?" Xiao Xiao exclaimed in delight.
A foodie at heart, she adored boys who could cook. If Yuwentuo excelled in cooking on top of everything else, it made him even more appealing.
Not only did he share her love for music, but he could also prepare her favorite dishes—what more could she ask for in a future boyfriend?
"Of course! Not just grilled fish—whether it's meat dishes, vegetarian meals, soups, cold plates, or desserts, name it, and I'll make it. Back in the day, I even dreamed of becoming the world's number-one chef," Yuwentuo declared confidently.
"Amazing! Then I want to eat your cooking tomorrow!" Xiao Xiao's cravings were reignited despite still holding a piece of grilled fish in her hand.
"Fellow seniors, today marks the opening of my stall. I can only sell eighteen grilled fish. Six have already been sold, leaving twelve. Following the principle of first-come, first-served, please come back tomorrow if you're behind in line."
With that, Huo Yuhao collected payment from the waiting customers. Selling eighteen fish earned him nine silver soul coins—enough to cover his expenses for the next month. He wasn't greedy; he knew his priority was training and improving his cultivation. Enough money to live comfortably sufficed.
Just then, commotion erupted near Shrek Academy's main gate. A female student walked toward them, instantly drawing countless gazes.
She appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen, tall and slender, with long hair flowing down her back. Her skin was flawless, and her beauty was breathtaking.
"What a wonderful smell."
Evidently, this stunning girl had been drawn by the aroma of grilled fish.
Perhaps her radiant presence overwhelmed the crowd, as the students surrounding Huo Yuhao's stall automatically parted to create a path for her. She walked straight up to the grill.
Seeing the crowd part for her, the beautiful girl smiled warmly and nodded her thanks to those who stepped aside. Anyone who caught sight of her smile blushed furiously, overcome with excitement.
"Oh my god, that's Jiang Nannan, the prettiest girl in the Outer Court. She actually smiled at me!" One male student trembled with joy.
To receive a smile from the goddess herself after simply stepping aside felt like the deal of a lifetime.
"Oh, so that's Jiang Nannan." Yuwentuo glanced at her curiously. She was indeed attractive.
But having encountered beauties like Ning Ke, Tuoba Yuer, and Yu Xiaoxue—who were all legendary in their own right—he found Jiang Nannan unremarkable by comparison.
Seeing Yuwentuo glance at Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao grew unhappy. She nudged him with her foot, pouting. "Hey, Yuwentuo, do you think she's very pretty?"
"She is indeed beautiful, but overall, she doesn't compare to you," Yuwentuo replied honestly.
While Jiang Nannan might surpass Xiao Xiao slightly in appearance, her Flexible Bone Rabbit spirit weapon couldn't hold a candle to Xiao Xiao's dual spirit weapons. After all, Jiang Nannan wasn't a spirit beast incarnate like Xiao Wu, meaning her innate soul power wasn't maxed out and was likely inferior to Xiao Xiao's.
Among the Seven Treasures of Shrek in the original storyline, Jiang Nannan ended up being the weakest. Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao could handle both control and support roles, with excellent offensive and defensive capabilities.
Yuwentuo never judged solely by looks. In his mind, Xiao Xiao was clearly the more outstanding one.
Flustered, Xiao Xiao blushed at his words. Deep down, she sensed that Yuwentuo wasn't flattering her—he genuinely believed she was better than Jiang Nannan.