With over thirty different methods, Flender and Ma Hongjun grew more and more desperate as they listened.
None of them were feasible for now!
The rare herbs, external spirit bones, and primordial beast inner cores were all incredibly precious. As for the special medicinal potions, even though Zhuge Lan had given them rough formulas, the key ingredients were all millennium-old herbs—extremely scarce and unaffordable.
Their high hopes quickly plummeted into despair.
[Emotion Points +5555]
[Emotion Points +5555]
One of them cried over being hopeless, while the other mourned the loss of his money. It was a miserable sight.
But Flender wasn't shameless enough to ask Zhuge Lan to return the gold soul coins. After all, the thirty-plus methods that Zhuge Lan had shared would have cost tens of thousands of gold soul coins if they were sold publicly. That they only spent 500 gold soul coins was already a bargain. It was simply that they didn't have the resources to implement the plans.
"Sigh!" Flender sighed deeply. "Gather in half an hour on the field," he said, before leaving dejectedly with Ma Hongjun.
Dai Mubai gave Zhuge Lan a meaningful glance, and then turned toward Zhu Zhuqing, about to speak.
But then, someone walked into the cafeteria. Zhuge Lan recognized them—it seemed to be a waiter from the Rose Hotel?
"Young Master Dai!" the person said politely. "I finally found you! Today is the settlement day for the tab you've run up at the Rose Hotel. You owe us 250 gold soul coins. We've already waived the small change. How would you like to pay?"
Zhuge Lan was stunned! How does this Rose Hotel run its business? Sending someone to collect a big customer's debt in person?
What he didn't know was that Dai Mubai had requested this himself, as a way to boast about how much he'd spent—showing off how many women he'd slept with. It was something Ma Hongjun and Oscar usually envied.
But now...
"Heh!" Zhu Zhuqing scoffed coldly. She immediately grabbed Zhuge Lan's arm and pulled him out of the cafeteria.
[Emotion Points +4444]
Seeing Zhuge Lan's arm sinking into her chest, Dai Mubai trembled in anger! Worse yet, Zhuge Lan shrugged helplessly, as if to say it wasn't his fault.
[Emotion Points +5555]
Dai Mubai was filled with regret! Why had he been so boastful back then?
Zhu Zhuqing led Zhuge Lan out of the cafeteria and quickly let go of his arm.
"Sorry," she said. "Dai Mubai was once my betrothed by family arrangement. But three years ago, he ran away."
"He left the 8-year-old me to face the pressure alone while he lived a life of debauchery here."
"So, there's nothing between us anymore. I'm here at Shrek just to become stronger, that's all."
Zhuge Lan nodded, seemingly deep in thought.
"Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai... You two are from the Dai family of the Xingluo Empire's royal family and the Zhu family, right?" he asked. "Because of the generations-old fusion technique, the 'Netherworld White Tiger,' your families have a tradition of betrothing one boy and one girl from birth to compete for the throne."
"Dai Mubai ran away because he couldn't compete with his older brother, Davis, and left you behind?"
"Tsk!"
Zhuge Lan clicked his tongue, his expression hard to describe.
[Emotion Points +999]
Zhu Zhuqing was surprised by Zhuge Lan's detailed knowledge. But considering what he had shown so far, it also seemed reasonable. After all, if he knew even more obscure things, it wasn't strange for him to know some royal gossip.
"Sigh," Zhuge Lan sighed. "Zhuqing, you've had it tough."
[Emotion Points +1111]
[Emotion Points +4444]
[Emotion Points +7777]
Zhu Zhuqing's body suddenly tensed. No one had ever cared about how much she had suffered! But Zhuge Lan—upon learning her past—immediately said, "You've had it tough!"
It touched something deep inside her. She couldn't help but feel her eyes welling up with tears. However, determined to stay strong, she quickened her pace, not wanting Zhuge Lan to see her face.
Still, Zhuge Lan noticed the continuous stream of **[Emotion Points +7777]** above her head and had mixed feelings. He had spoken from the heart, but it had clearly struck a nerve.
"Poor thing," he thought.
But then he glanced at his balance of **[Emotion Points: 323,651].**
Wow! In such a short time, he'd gained over 90,000 emotion points!
Looking at Zhu Zhuqing's graceful figure ahead, Zhuge Lan's lips curled into a smile.
"I'll save up a bit more and exchange for a spirit fusion technique," he thought. "While Zhu Zhuqing is still disappointed in Dai Mubai, I'll make my move!"
"That way, I'll give Dai Mubai the future of indulgence he loves so much!"
"Heh heh heh—"
Arriving at the training ground, they found Tang San, Xiao Wu, and a freshly shaved Oscar already there.
Seeing Zhuge Lan, Oscar smiled, but when he noticed Zhu Zhuqing, he froze.
—Wasn't that the girl Dai Mubai was interested in?
Why was she...
**[Emotion Points +666]**
Oscar quickly recovered and came over to Zhuge Lan.
"Junior! You're amazing!" Oscar said genuinely. "A Spirit Elder able to fight a Spirit Sage in close combat? How did you do it?"
**[Emotion Points +999]**
Oh? Zhuge Lan was a bit surprised. Oscar was the first to notice his physical strength—no one else, not even Zhu Zhuqing, had asked about that.
"You weren't even there. How did you notice this detail?" Zhuge Lan asked curiously.
Oscar chuckled awkwardly and summoned his sausage martial spirit.
"Well, I'm a food-type spirit master," he explained. "Teacher Zhao wasn't feeling well after the fight and thought he'd been poisoned, so he asked me for a detoxifying sausage."
"But before he could eat it, he felt better on his own."
"Curious, I asked Boss Dai about what happened in detail. That's when I noticed your physical strength. It's... a bit off the charts, don't you think? None of your spirit rings seem to enhance your body, so..."
Zhuge Lan nodded, impressed by Oscar's keen observation.
"It's a family secret technique," Zhuge Lan said casually. "Primarily, it strengthens the body and, secondarily, it increases spirit ring lifespan."
Oscar's eyes lit up, and he began to rub his hands together excitedly.
**[Emotion Points +1011]**
"Heh heh heh!" Oscar said cautiously. "Could you share a bit with me?"
Zhuge Lan raised an eyebrow.
You... just expect to get it like that?
Oscar quickly understood.
He laughed bitterly before cautiously saying, "Lan-ge, I don't have much to offer, but I can pledge myself to your service."
"You'll be my big brother from now on! I'll follow your every word! East? I'll never go west!"
"Just say the word, and I'm at your command!"
**[Emotion Points +1299]**
The numbers seemed sincere enough.
Oscar was talented and had a great personality. Though a bit of a rogue at first, that was Flender's influence. Later, Oscar had risked his life in the Extreme North to find a way to become a battle spirit master—just to avoid making Ning Rongrong fight with her family.
In the end, he had succeeded.
Zhuge Lan thought highly of him. Aside from Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar was the only other person in the Shrek Seven Devils he liked.
After a brief consideration, Zhuge Lan said something that made Oscar leap for joy:
Just hearing—
---
Read 30+ Chapters in Patreon for ONLY 7 DOLLARS!!!
Link: www.pat reon/SenatusPopulus