The essence of it is simply two words: value. Yu Xiaogang had poor talent and a narrow vision, and could not possibly offer any help to Tang San after he became a god. If it had been another, more loyal disciple, it might have been understandable for them to assist their master. But unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang met Tang San, who was a mere orphan. The Tang Sect kindly raised him and even taught him martial arts. What did he do? He stole the inner sect's martial arts secrets and was eventually hunted down, dying mysteriously and soul-transmigrating to the Douluo Continent. So, it's not surprising that Tang San turned out to be an ungrateful dog, and Yu Xiaogang's miserable end in his later years is hardly shocking.
With a bit of reasoning, Huo Yuhao could already guess that Tang Wutong was manipulated by Tang San. However, his earlier attack was only a light one, more like a prank, not enough to provoke Tang San's retaliation.
"Mm? What happened?" Wang Dong groggily opened his eyes, still feeling a slight headache. Shaking his head, he stood up quickly, only to realize he was sitting on the floor in an unflattering position. He immediately stood up and noticed Huo Yuhao, who was still in a meditative state. Remembering what had happened earlier, he clenched his teeth in frustration, but didn't make a move. After all, Huo Yuhao was currently meditating, and he didn't want to engage in a sneak attack.
After letting out a breath, Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light passed through his pupils. His stomach growled in protest, and he turned his gaze out the window. It was getting dark. Stopping his meditation, he stood up and left the dormitory. After asking around, he arrived at the canteen. It was mealtime, and the canteen was already crowded with people waiting in line to get their food. Huo Yuhao saw that there were eight food windows, each with a price list. The prices increased from right to left, with the leftmost window charging in Gold Soul Coins. He chose a window on the right and queued up. The food was cheap, but the quality wasn't great, so he settled for something that wasn't too expensive.
After paying five copper soul coins, Huo Yuhao received a simple meal: two dishes, a soup, and a serving of rice—fried sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and tomato egg soup. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't terribly expensive either.
However, the real annoyance came when he noticed the canteen's setup. Apart from the bustling crowds, there were only wash basins on one side, and no tables or chairs. The sign above the door read: "No food is allowed to be taken out of the canteen; everyone must eat here." All the students were crouching on the floor, eating with their food containers on the ground. It looked as though they were beggars.
Huo Yuhao chuckled. This was the usual style of Shrek Academy, as though they couldn't feel complete unless they did something strange. It was almost as if they were trying to attract attention.
The founder of Shrek Academy, Flender, had once proclaimed that the school only accepted "monsters," not ordinary people. Though the slogan was loud, luckily the students were exceptional, bringing the academy great prestige. The irony was that Flender was, in fact, the most ordinary and the weakest principal in Shrek's history. He probably didn't know whether to admire his own foresight or feel embarrassed.
There was nothing he could do, so Huo Yuhao quickly finished his meal and left the canteen. He really didn't want to stay there longer than necessary. It would have been so easy to put out a few tables, but instead, the students were forced to squat and eat like animals.
Back in his dormitory, Huo Yuhao ignored Wang Dong, who seemed ready to start a conversation, and resumed his meditation. Though it wasn't hard to imagine that Wang Dong would be very beautiful, as his "daughter" identity was probably stunning, Huo Yuhao wasn't here to flirt. In fact, just thinking about how Wang Dong was Tang San's daughter made Huo Yuhao feel a deep sense of revulsion.
"…" Wang Dong was choked, his face alternating between green and red, cursing Huo Yuhao in his heart for being ungrateful.
Huo Yuhao's meditation continued until one in the morning. He was working hard because his enemies were exceptionally strong, so he had to push himself to improve quickly. However, he couldn't overdo it. Everything in life needs balance—just like training as a soul master. If one remains tense for too long, they can easily end up making things worse.
Training replacing sleep was complete nonsense. Soul masters were still human.
At 5 AM, Huo Yuhao got up as usual. It was part of his long-established routine. He didn't have breakfast, especially since the academy's canteen made him lose his appetite just thinking about it.
After washing up, he remembered that Shrek Academy was still in its recruitment phase, and the opening ceremony would be in two days. He didn't have classes yet. Returning to his dorm, Wang Dong was still fast asleep. Huo Yuhao didn't disturb him and sat on the bed to meditate.
When he next opened his eyes, it was already noon, and time for lunch. Wang Dong had already disappeared. Huo Yuhao didn't go back to the canteen but instead decided to leave the academy and eat elsewhere.
On a whim, he decided to visit Wang Qing's restaurant. After all, he had a 20% share of the profits there, though it was only from the grilled fish.
Wang Qing's restaurant, Jun Zai Lai, was very close to Shrek Academy, and its location was quite good. Many people were envious of it, so it should have been thriving. Unfortunately, the cooking skills in the kitchen were subpar, turning a good restaurant into something mediocre.
As Huo Yuhao approached, he saw a long line outside the restaurant. Among the crowd, he noticed some familiar faces, probably from the previous day's grilled fish buyers.
Huo Yuhao stepped forward, and the waiter, seeing him, quickly greeted him with a bow. "Ah, you're here! Please, come inside! The boss has instructed us to treat you with special care!"
Huo Yuhao smiled politely and followed the waiter inside. He didn't come for anything special, just to eat. He had some connection with the owner, so he didn't have to wait in line like the others.
The preferential treatment for Huo Yuhao immediately sparked discontent among the people waiting in line. Voices rose in protest.
"Why doesn't he have to wait in line?"
"What's this? Do you think we're too poor to get special treatment?"
Before the waiter could explain, someone from the crowd spoke up, "What's the big deal? He knows the boss. He was selling the grilled fish yesterday morning. Isn't it normal for him to be treated well?"
"Who the hell said that? Come out here, and I'll show you what's what…" The person who spoke angrily stepped forward, but when he saw who was talking, he immediately quieted down and returned to the crowd. The reason? The person who spoke was wearing Shrek Academy's uniform.
The crowd erupted in laughter, understanding why the man had backed down. Shrek Academy students were known to be rough, and though many of the people in line had backgrounds, they didn't dare provoke the strong and protective Shrek students. Even if they were being bullied, they could only grit their teeth and bear it, let alone make trouble.