Shrek City, East District.
As one of the most prosperous cities on the entire continent, the streets here were wide and clean, lined with shops on both sides and bustling with people.
However, walking through the lively crowd, Xuan Zi's mood was not beautiful at all.
He held a giant wine gourd in his left hand and a greasy roasted chicken leg in his right, biting into it fiercely as he walked. He was a Super Douluo, after all; his injuries recovered quickly. Now, he could eat chicken legs again, and thanks to Elder Zhuang's treatment, his teeth were fixed too.
"Unlucky! Truly unlucky!"
Xuan Zi took a heavy swig of wine, adding a few more oily handprints to his slovenly grey robes.
Not long ago, he had been called over and given a harsh scolding by Mu En because of the matter regarding the expulsion of Ning Tian and Wu Feng.
Although Mu En was in poor health, he was truly merciless when it came to scolding people. He had berated Xuan Zi until he was covered in 'dog's blood,' saying things like he was "opinionated and self-willed," "inflexible," and "pushing away top-tier support system talent."
Although Xuan Zi was unconvinced in his heart, feeling that he was upholding the majesty of Shrek Academy, he could only listen obediently in front of Mu En.
And so, having just come out of Sea God Island, he had run into Shrek City to clear his head.
Just then.
"Elder Xuan! Elder Xuan, please wait!"
A somewhat anxious and aged voice came from the side.
Xuan Zi stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing as he turned his head with some impatience.
He saw an elderly man dressed in fine silk clothes, his hair meticulously combed, looking rather wealthy, jogging over while panting for breath.
Although this old man looked a few years older than Xuan Zi and had a face full of age spots, both his attire and temperament were much more respectable than those of the slovenly drunkard Xuan Zi.
This was the current City Lord of Shrek City. (In the original work, Shi Xing took office when Huo Yuhao was fourteen.)
"Oh, it's you." Xuan Zi glanced at him, took another bite of the chicken leg, and said indistinctly: "Instead of staying in the City Lord's Mansion, what are you doing running out into the streets?"
"Looking for me for something?"
The City Lord ran up to Xuan Zi, first bowing respectfully, and then, with a bitter face, cautiously looked at the surrounding crowd.
"Elder Xuan, there is indeed a matter of extreme urgency that I need to report to you."
"There are too many eyes and ears here, could we... please move elsewhere to talk?"
Seeing the City Lord's submissive appearance, as if the sky were about to fall, Xuan Zi felt even more irritated.
"What a hassle!"
Xuan Zi grumbled but still nodded.
"Fine, lead the way."
A moment later, the two arrived at a quiet private room in a teahouse.
As soon as the door closed, the City Lord seemed to have his strength drained away, slumping into a chair. His well-maintained old face was now wrinkled like a withered chrysanthemum, full of sorrow.
"Speak, what is it exactly?"
Xuan Zi plopped down in the main seat, propped his legs up on the table, and asked without any sense of decorum:
"Is it some blind merchant guild causing trouble again?"
"If it's a small matter like that, just take men and level them. Why bother this old man with such trivialities?"
"No... it's not about a merchant guild."
The City Lord wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, hesitated for a long time, and then steeled himself to speak.
"Elder Xuan, I wanted to ask..."
"The one hundred million gold coins that Elder Lin suddenly withdrew from the City Lord's Mansion's warehouse two days ago..."
"Exactly... what was the purpose of that?"
"Hmm?!"Hearing the words "one hundred million gold coins," Xuan Zi, who had been chewing vigorously, suddenly froze.
His face instantly darkened, and an invisible pressure radiated from him, making the air in the entire private room incredibly heavy.
That one hundred million gold coins...That was the greatest humiliation of his life!
It was the ransom that Lin Huiqun had to pay after he, Yan Shaozhe, and Qian Duoduo were detained by that Counterfeit Shrek Academy!
This matter was Shrek Academy's highest secret and an absolute scandal that could not be leaked!
"Why are you asking about this?"
Xuan Zi looked coldly at the City Lord, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes.
Being glared at by Xuan Zi, the City Lord trembled all over, almost kneeling down directly.
"El... Elder Xuan, please don't misunderstand!"
The City Lord waved his hands hurriedly, his voice carrying a hint of a sob: "It's just... there's really no other way!"
The City Lord gave a bitter smile, spreading his hands with a look of despair: "Elder Xuan, you know that although Shrek City is prosperous, its annual tax revenue is only a few hundred million gold coins."
"After deducting city maintenance, public security management, and the tribute to the academy, the remaining net income is actually not much."
"Two days ago, Elder Lin came with a warrant from the Sea Gods Pavilion and withdrew one hundred million gold coins without a word."
"This has resulted in..."The City Lord pointed to his own head, his face full of bitterness: "This has resulted in a massive hole suddenly appearing in the City Lord's Mansion's accounts!"
"Elder Xuan, I only have two years left before I retire."
"According to the academy's regulations, every City Lord must undergo the strictest financial audit before leaving office."
"I have worked diligently for the academy for decades; I cannot leave behind a tarnished record..."
The more the City Lord spoke, the more aggrieved he became, and tears were about to fall.
Was it easy for him?
He had worked conscientiously for decades, and just as he was about to retire with honor and go home to spend his old age, he hit such a massive landmine at the final hurdle.
After listening to the City Lord's complaints, Xuan Zi's brow furrowed even tighter.
He naturally knew the rules of Shrek City.
Shrek Academy's management of the city was extremely strict, especially regarding finances. The City Lord was required to produce funds according to a specific standard every year, with no excuses allowed. This was to prevent any City Lord from being negligent.
But now, it was making things quite difficult for the City Lord; even if he exhausted his entire family fortune, he couldn't fill the gap. As City Lord, he had his own expenses every year, so he couldn't save much money at all.
There was only a month left until the audit, and filling a hole of one hundred million was not easy. So... the City Lord needed the academy's side to help fill it, since it was the academy that had taken it.
"Enough, enough, stop with that mournful face."
Xuan Zi suddenly gave a cold laugh, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
He tossed the chicken bone in his hand aside, took a swig from his wine gourd, and a confident smile appeared on his face.
"Earning back this one hundred million gold coins is actually not that difficult."
"As long as you do as this old man says."
"What?!"
The City Lord snapped his head up, the sparks of hope reigniting in his eyes.
"Elder Xuan! You have a way?!"
"As long as this hole can be filled, I'll do anything!"
"It's simple."
Xuan Zi pointed to the remaining half of the roasted chicken on the table and said slowly.
"This old man has eaten chicken his whole life. Based on my years of experience eating chicken legs, I've discovered a secret."
"The higher the age of the Spirit Beast, the more delicious its meat is, and the purer the energy it contains."
"For those low-level Spirit Masters at a bottleneck, eating high-level Spirit Beast meat can not only satisfy their appetite but even serve to strengthen their foundation and assist in a breakthrough!"
The City Lord nodded; he was also aware of this sort of thing.
"So... Elder Xuan, what you mean is?"
"Sell medicinal cuisine!" Xuan Zi waved his hand grandly and said with great bravado: "I'll personally make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest later and catch a batch of high-age Spirit Beasts."
"Then, have your City Lord's Mansion chefs cook them into specific medicinal dishes to be sold externally at high prices!"
"Sell medicinal cuisine?"
The City Lord's mouth twitched.
"Elder Xuan... how... how much money can that earn?"
"Even with processing, unless it's a specific Spirit Beast, the value isn't that high."
"Value isn't high? Can't we just increase the price?"
Xuan Zi looked at the City Lord as if he were an idiot.
"Listen up!"
"For a ten-year Spirit Beast, the starting price is fifty thousand gold coins each!"
"For a hundred-year Spirit Beast, the starting price is five hundred thousand gold coins each!"
"As for the thousand-year ones..."
"Starting price—ten million gold coins each!"
"How... how much?!"
The City Lord stared at Xuan Zi with wide eyes.
"Ten million for one?!"
"Elder Xuan! You... you're not joking, right?"
"Ten million gold coins! That could buy a decent quality ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone!" (A Ten-thousand-year Golden Earth Dragon King Left Arm Bone costs nine million five hundred thousand gold coins)
Xuan Zi said with a look of pride.
"Ordinary Spirit Beasts are naturally not worth this price."
"But what if it's a Spirit Beast personally selected by me?"
Xuan Zi pointed to himself and puffed out his chest.
"Gluttonous Douluo! A Rank 98 Super Douluo!"
"Is that not worth the price?"
[A/N: I swear each fanfic I read he keeps getting more dumb and more arrogant.]
"This..."
The City Lord was stunned.
He looked at Xuan Zi's self-assured manner and began to calculate secretly in his heart.
Although the price sounded outrageous.
But... this was Shrek City!
And Shrek Academy's gold-lettered brand was right there, coupled with the celebrity effect of the 'Gluttonous Douluo'...Maybe... there really would be some suckers willing to pay?
"But... Elder Xuan, isn't this idea a bit too..."
The City Lord was still a bit hesitant. This was practically daylight robbery; would it damage the academy's reputation?
"Too what!"
Xuan Zi interrupted him impatiently:
"Just say if my identity is qualified enough!"
"It is... it's absolutely enough."The City Lord nodded.
An Elder of the Sea Gods Pavilion and the Deputy Commander of the Shrek Inspection Corps—this identity was definitely top-tier.
"Then that's it!" Xuan Zi stood up and patted the City Lord's shoulder: "Think about it, if it succeeds, you can fill your hole!"
Hearing the word 'hole,' the City Lord finally gritted his teeth. In any case, Xuan Zi was the one out in front, and this was Xuan Zi's idea. It might even be the academy's idea; after all, Xuan Zi was so confident, it was impossible that there were no instructions from the academy behind it.
And... medicinal cuisine wasn't without its effects, the City Lord comforted himself.
"Good! Then we'll do as Elder Xuan says!"
"For the academy! For Shrek City!"
"That's the way."
Xuan Zi smiled with satisfaction, feeling secretly proud of himself.
Now, the hole he had created could be filled. Next, regarding those herbs, he would have to think of a good way too. It would be best if he could go and plunder that Counterfeit Shrek Academy.
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A/N: New Shrek students are gonna eat the food he hunts get charged outrageous prices and then New Shrek teachers are gonna pull up and beat the shit out of Xuan Zi. I can just tell.
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.