"So, we don't use money in this auction? How does that work for them?" Huo Yuhao asked as he and Wang Dong'er walked out of their dormitory.
Wang Dong'er grinned and replied, "Simple, we can buy the items on credit. This is also the reason why the auction is not open to normal students."
His curiosity peaked, Huo Yuhao asked, "Buying on credit? Tell me more about this."
Wang Dong'er said, "Don't look down on our identity as core disciples. The probability of a core disciple from the outer courtyard graduating is above 95 percent. Moreover, each and every student capable of graduating from the outer courtyard is an outstanding talent in extreme demand, regardless of country or industry. That's because the main requirement in order to graduate from the outer courtyard is becoming a Soul Ancestor!"
She paused, staring at him in defeat. "... To which you meet the requirements."
"I know, I'm awesome."
"Oh shut up." She rolled her eyes and continued to explain, "What the businesses are doing is investing in us and our potential. They'll arrange a date for us to sign an agreement with them. We would then repay them in yearly installments. We can even defer repaying them till after we graduate, but in that case they'll collect a small amount of interest from us."
"I know you don't understand how they benefit from this, do you? First, since we are in their debt; if they have something to ask of you or if they encounter something problematic, how could you not help them? If they want to employ you, could you reject them? Taking a step back, there's no harm in forming a good relationship with a powerful Soul Ancestor is there? In any case, at the very least they can boost the chances of you shopping in their store. You may not have money now but that doesn't mean you'll always be poor in the future."
She chuckled and said, "These businesses are very shrewd and would never conduct transactions that would end in a loss for them. If we core disciples can enter the inner courtyard, the payment will increase further, and all the interest on the loan would be waived off. All we'd need to do is repay the capital within the deadline via one of the many repayment schemes."
"They're banking on the long term benefits of cultivating relationships with promising talents like us. It's a win-win situation for both parties. We get access to resources and items we need for our cultivation and development, while they secure valuable connections and potential employees for their businesses." Huo Yuhao said, nodding in understanding. "I'm surprised."
"Right? I have the same reaction as you when I found out about this."
"No, I'm surprised that you know about this."
"What, do you think of me as a moron?!"
"No." Huo Yuhao stared at her face slowly relaxed before continuing, "But an idiot? Yes."
"You-!"
Without any hesitation, she kicked his shin, only to stagger back and cry out in pain; hopping on one foot.
"Ow, ah, what the heck are your legs made out of? Steel?!"
Huo Yuhao guiltily chuckled. "Flesh and bones, mostly. But you didn't exactly hit my leg, you hit my weight bracelet accidentally."
Which he temporarily deactivated. He still wasn't used to the weights yet, and he deactivated them as to not make a fool of himself in the auction.
"Hng, no wonder it's so hard." Wang Dong'er winced, rubbing her sore foot. "Well, you deserved it for calling me an idiot."
Huo Yuhao grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I guess I had it coming."
Wang Dong'er gave him a playful glare before composing herself. "Anyway, have you ever been to Shrek City before?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. He concentrated all his focus into increasing his cultivation, combat skills(jutsus, etc.) and strengthening his body. How could he have the time and energy to go window shopping?
Wang Dong'er grinned, "There's still a lot of time before the auction starts, and the others are going to arrive around the time the auction starts. Do you want to take a stroll with me around the city till then?"
Huo Yuhao smiled back at her and outstretched his hand. "Sure, I'd love to explore Shrek City with you."
Wang Dong'er took his hand, their soul power mixed together effortlessly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Great! Let's go then."
Shrek City was very large so the duo started to run as soon as they left the academy, their figures blurring as they sprinted across the trees. They only stepped through the north gate after running for close to twenty minutes.
Shrek City.
As one of the busiest cities and most integral cities on the Douluo Continent, Shrek City was the liveliest in the evening. Once they passed through the city gates, they were greeted by a noisy place that was bustling with activity.
"Wow."
"Yup," Wang Dong'er stepped forward, her eyes shining. " As one of the most flourishing economic centers on the continent, Shrek City is extremely bustling. The city boasts a population of nearly five million people, that's almost as much as some empires!"
And unlike the tensed and gloomy atmosphere that Huo Yuhao saw in Heaven Dou City, Shrek City seemed vibrant and full of life. People were milling about, chatting, and going about their business with a sense of energy and purpose.
Wang Dong'er led Huo Yuhao through the bustling streets, pointing out various landmarks and interesting places along the way. They passed by stores selling all sorts of goods, from fresh fruits and vegetables to exquisite handicrafts and soul tools for furniture and appliances.
And of course, the first location they stopped by was an open barbecue restaurant. The aroma of grilled meats wafted through the air, making Wang Dong'er's mouth water.
Seeing her expression, Huo Yuhao chuckled and said. "Well, why are you standing here like a statue? Let's grab some barbecue!"
Wang Dong'er's eyes lit up, and she eagerly nodded. "Yes, let's do that!"
They found a table at the barbecue restaurant and ordered a variety of skewers and grilled delicacies.
As they waited, they looked around their surroundings and soaked in the lively atmosphere of Shrek City. The restaurant was filled with people chatting and laughing, the sound of sizzling meat adding to the bustling ambiance.
Wang Dong'er glanced around, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I love the energy of this city," she remarked. "It's so different from the academy."
Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling streets. "It's refreshing," he replied. "I feel like I could explore this city for hours."
He turned towards, wanting to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat as he stared at Wang Dong'er, her face to the side as she enjoyed the lively atmosphere around them. The vibrant lights of the city illuminated her features, casting a warm glow on her smiling face.
In that moment, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but assimilate the true face of Wang Dong'er over her male disguise, and it wasn't hard to do so; even in her disguise, she just looked too beautiful to be a boy.
He slapped his temple, snapping out of his daze. 'What the heck am I thinking about right now? I'm still a kid, I shouldn't think about such a thought right now. Besides, until I have my revenge, I...'
Huo Yuhao sighed and shook off any misleading thoughts in his mind, not wanting to bring down their pleasant evening.
Their food soon arrived, and they dug in, savoring the delicious flavors of the barbecue. As they ate, they continued to chat and enjoy each other's company, the lively atmosphere of Shrek City adding to their excitement for the upcoming auction.
Twenty minutes went by and after paying for their meals, they left for the auction.
On the way to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, where the auctions takes place, Wang Dong'er grumbled, her lips pouty.
"... You ruined me."
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao stared at her in confusion.
"The food! It was quite good; the texture and flavor, but it isn't as tasty as yours! So Yuhao, you ruined my taste buds... for life!"
Huo Yuhao burst into laughter, surprised by Wang Dong'er's unexpected complaint. "Oh, come on, Dong'er. You're just exaggerating," he said between laughs.
Wang Dong'er playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm serious! Your cooking skills have spoiled me. Now I can't enjoy barbecue, or maybe even other meals, without comparing it to your cooking."
Huo Yuhao grinned, feeling a sense of pride at her words. "Well, I guess that's a compliment then. I'll have to make sure to cook for you more often."
Wang Dong'er's expression softened, and she smiled warmly at him. "I'd like that."
Their banter lightened the mood as they continued on their way to the auction venue. Thankfully the invites that they have, has a built-in map navigation function on its back so it wasn't hard to find the venue around the city. After walking for about fifteen minutes or so, they arrived at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
The Treasure Gathering Pavilion was a large store that dealt with items relating to soul masters and soul engineers. If looked upon from afar, one could see that it was an enormous four-floored building that was over twenty meters tall. The building itself took up a large amount of space. It was a dazzling sight to behold from the outside, as it resembled a cornucopia.
As they approach the store, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but slightly widen his eyes when he saw the four cheongsam-wearing girls standing beside the door to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
The girls who were in charge of receiving customers of the Treasure Gathering Hall were only seventeen or eighteen years old, they had sweet appearances and slender bodies. Their fair skins looked even more charming when contrasted with the dazzling Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
And Huo Yuhao was immediately captivated, his eyes tracing down their exposed legs.
"Ah, what the?! Dong'er, what're you pinching me for?" An acute sensation of pain brought Huo Yuhao back to his senses. He turned around and saw that Wang Dong'er was glaring at him fiercely.
"What're you looking at? Be careful of being accused of being a perv, if you look at something you're not supposed to." Wang Dong'er said angrily.
Huo Yuhao put an innocent expression on his face as he looked into Wang Dong'er's large beautiful eyes. "Being attracted to someone beautiful is only human nature. I'm just taking a look. These older sisters are really pretty."
"Hmph! Very pretty?" Wang Dong'er coldly snorted, turning her head away.
'Why is she acting like a jealous girlfriend?' Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes and strode towards the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Wang Dong'er hurriedly followed after him.
Before they could reach the door leading to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, one of the eight girls who were standing by the door walked over to them with a faint smile on her face. "Are you two soul masters coming to participate in the Treasure Appreciation Auction?" she inquired respectfully.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er had both worn their Shrek Academy uniforms, which made them stand out in the crowd. As a result, they had received a large number of glances on their journey here.
The two of them took out their invitation letters and handed them over to her. The smile on the girl's face immediately became much more gentle when she saw their invitation letters, "Soul masters, please follow me." she said as she led the way.
Just as Huo Yuhao took a step forward, he paused for a moment. His eyes flashed red and yellow for a moment, a powerful wave of spiritual power emerged from his eyes before he pulled them back.
'Killing intent, concentrated at me... and it's coming from five people, one of them are at least a Soul King.'
Wang Dong'er, who has a strong connection to him due to their martial soul fusion, sensed his emotions and worriedly asked. "Yuhao, is something wrong?"
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and shook his head, a soft smile on his face as he turned towards her. "No, nothing's wrong. I just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. Let's go inside." He gently reassured her, not wanting to worry her further.
As they followed the girl into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed a cold glint and his left palm emitted a freezing white chill.
It was the calm before the storm.
.....
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