Huo Yuhao from The Peerless Tang Sect is incredibly talented.

Three days after Bebe finished talking with Moon.

Outside the main gate of Shrek Academy, a simple long table was set up beside the road.

On the table sat a steamer and an iron pot, with pork simmering in the pot. The aroma of steamed buns from the steamer wafted far down the road.

Behind the table stood two people—one wearing a faded old coat, expressionless as he collected money and gave change; the other with short, light blue hair, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, awkwardly adding water to the pot, his movements as clumsy as a young lady entering the kitchen for the first time.

The one with the light blue short hair, that's Wang Dong, of course.

"Pour it slowly—that's boiling water, not cold water, it'll scald you if it splashes out." Huo Yuhao didn't even look up, counting the copper coins in his hand very quickly.

"I know!" Wang Dong gritted his teeth, carefully tilting the kettle to pour hot water into the iron pot, creating a cloud of white steam. "I'm not a three-year-old."

"A three-year-old wouldn't spill water outside the pot; they're clumsy. Be careful."

"you!"

Wang Dong took a deep breath and swallowed the rest of his words, after all, it was his own initiative to ask for it.

As for the reason, three nights ago, after Huo Yuhao took out the Energy Gathering Ball, the concentration of spiritual energy in the dormitory soared to the level of the Haotian Sect. Wang Dong slept comfortably that night.

The vital energy of heaven and earth is not up to standard, so the young lady can't get any rest at all.

Ordinary person: The energy of heaven and earth is abundant, I must study and practice diligently!

Miss Wang Dong: I can only sleep well when the vital energy of heaven and earth is abundant.

"Can I borrow your ball?" Wang Dong asked Huo Yuhao the next morning.

"Okay." Huo Yuhao was sorting through the rare metal samples without even looking up.

"Huh?" Wang Dong was stunned. She had prepared a whole bunch of excuses—that she wasn't after his things, that she could exchange something for him—but this person didn't even give her any conditions?

wrong.

"I said yes," Huo Yuhao repeated, "but on one condition."

Sure enough, Wang Dong thought to herself, she knew it wouldn't be that good.

"I want to start a business, help me out."

Wang Dong blinked: "That's it?"

"That's it."

And so Wang Dong became Huo Yuhao's employee without even realizing it—although she had absolutely no idea what he was thinking.

This afternoon, Huo Yuhao said he wanted to set up a stall selling steamed buns at the school gate, and Wang Dong's first reaction was to refuse. What a joke! She, Wang Dong, the little princess of the Haotian Sect, going to the street to sell steamed buns? If her classmates saw her doing this, wouldn't she lose all face?

If it's too bad, I can just throw it away.

But Huo Yuhao's words made Wang Dong behave: "I can teach you physical skills."

"What does this have to do with physical skills?"

"The essence of martial arts lies not in the techniques, but in the control of the body. Do you think carrying a pot, lifting water, kneading dough, or standing for three hours without rest—these things don't require body control?"

Wang Dong was stunned for a moment. She recalled the three times Huo Yuhao had held her down. None of them used brute force; each time, he changed her direction with minimal force at the very moment her center of gravity shifted.

"Okay, I'll go."

Hence the present scene.

The location was the best spot Huo Yuhao had chosen when he was recording the flow of people at the academy some time ago. Other places might be better, but they wouldn't be compliant with regulations.

For example, at the entrance of the cafeteria.

As for the equipment, it was handcrafted by Huo Yuhao, requiring only the soul power of a second-ring Wang Dong to be used in ten days.

Wang Dong: Your roommate is really mean. He makes me do all the work, kneading dough, charging, chopping filling. If Huo Yuhao hadn't been there to guide me on how to exert force from time to time, Wang Dong would have run away long ago.

Wang Dong wore an ill-fitting apron, the sleeves rolled up above her elbows, revealing a section of her pale forearm. She stood behind the steaming stove, occasionally stealing glances at Huo Yuhao, trying to see if he was paying attention to her.

It turned out that this person was genuinely focused on selling steamed buns.

"Three steamed buns, three copper coins." Huo Yuhao handed the steamed buns wrapped in oil paper to the senior in front of him, took the money, and gave change in one smooth motion.

Business is booming, mainly because of Wang Dong, the "Steamed Bun Beauty." She's beautiful, and her steamed buns taste great, since Huo Yuhao was the one who prepared all the fillings.

As for why he didn't grill fish, Huo Yuhao thought it was too tiring, mentally taxing, and somewhat unconventional.

Because Huo Yuhao's grilled fish is now so delicious that it'll make your clothes explode, and the grilled fish will even glow.

Huo Yuhao, a food connoisseur, had been to the outer heavens before, and even earned the title of "God of Cookery" in those places.

The senior student took the steamed bun, took a bite, and his eyes lit up immediately: "Hey, this tastes great! Where are you from, junior?"

"The far north."

"No wonder, I heard the people over there can all cook." The senior took another bite and mumbled, "Are you coming tomorrow?"

"Come."

"Okay, I'll ask my roommate to come along tomorrow."

Huo Yuhao nodded and continued to greet the next customer.

Wang Dong watched in stunned silence.

She originally thought that Huo Yuhao, being a quiet and reserved person, would definitely not be good at business. However, he sold things very smoothly, never made a mistake in taking money and giving change, and could even deal with various conversations while selling steamed buns. He even remembered the preferences of several repeat customers.

A top-notch waiter, with impeccable observation skills.

"Who did you learn all this from?" Wang Dong finally couldn't help but ask.

"Children of poor families learn to be independent early," Huo Yuhao casually replied as he brought out a pot of freshly made steamed buns.

Wang Dong opened his mouth, but didn't ask any further questions, feeling only that there was a thick, pathetic barrier between them.

As dusk fell, the number of pedestrians on the official road gradually decreased.

Huo Yuhao's steamed buns are almost sold out, and the last few baskets are being sold at a discount.

Wang Dong's legs were aching from standing, but seeing that Huo Yuhao was still busy, he felt embarrassed to sit down first. He could only secretly lean against the edge of the table and shift his weight from one leg to the other.

Just then, a slender figure walked towards the end of the official road.

Tang Ya was carrying a briefcase when she could smell the aroma of steamed buns from afar.

She had spent the entire day searching through lists of impoverished students, and was starving. Following the aroma, she headed this way. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the stall was run by two freshmen who looked quite young.

"Are there any steamed buns left?" Tang Ya asked. "Give me ten."

It's normal for Soul Masters to have big appetites, especially since they're eating Tang Ya after the update of the Heaven Dou City version in the test server.

"Yes." Huo Yuhao looked up at her, but his hand paused for a moment.

"One Silver Soul Coin." Huo Yuhao handed over the steamed bun.

Tang Ya took the steamed bun but didn't leave. She took a bite, her eyes shining as if she had seen some treasure: "Delicious! Junior, your cooking skills are amazing, much better than the cafeteria food."

As she ate, she took three coins from her briefcase and handed them over. Then, quite casually, she leaned against the table and asked, "Are you freshmen?"

"Um."

Which class are you in?

Class One.

"What a coincidence, I used to be in Class 1 too," Tang Ya said with a smile. "Your homeroom teacher was Ms. Mu Jin, right? She's a nice person; she taught me."

Tang Ya glanced at Huo Yuhao and saw that his clothes were faded from washing, but he knew how to be self-reliant, actively finding work to support himself and earn tuition fees. He was even able to enter Shrek Academy, which proved that he had good talent and should join my mutual aid society.

Just as Tang Ya was about to pull Huo Yuhao into the mutual aid society, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking towards her from the other end of the official road.

Jiang Nannan.

Jiang Nannan was wearing a simple long dress and carrying several books in her arms. When she saw Tang Ya in the distance, her pace quickened noticeably.

"Nannan!" Tang Ya waved. "Let's get acquainted. This is Jiang Nannan, a second-year student in the Foreign Languages ​​Department, and my friend." Tang Ya tugged at Jiang Nannan's hand and then pointed to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. "These two are freshmen from Class One, juniors."

"Hello, senior." Wang Dong greeted her politely.

Jiang Nannan nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on Wang Dong for a moment longer.

Even with an ill-fitting apron, the Haotian Sect's little princess couldn't hide her innate arrogance. Jiang Nannan could tell at a glance that she wasn't from an ordinary family.

"What's this?" Jiang Nannan asked, looking at the briefcase in Tang Ya's hand.

"Come and eat," Tang Ya said matter-of-factly. "Have you eaten? If not, we can eat together. This junior's steamed buns are especially delicious."

Clearly, Tang Ya did not notice that Jiang Nannan's attention was on her briefcase.

Jiang Nannan hesitated for a moment because she had just sent money back to her hometown and didn't have much money on her, plus prices in Shrek City were not low.

But Tang Ya had already brought over two small stools and pulled her to sit down.

Huo Yuhao handed over two steamers of fresh buns with a blank expression, saying, "It's time to close up shop. I'll just use them up; it would be a shame to throw the rest away. Here, take them."

Jiang Nannan's expression visibly relaxed.

Tang Ya ate two steamed buns and suddenly sighed.

Jiang Nannan turned her head to look at her: "What's wrong?"

"We still need a few more people." Tang Ya counted on her fingers. "I've been visiting all the impoverished students in our school these past few days. There are sixteen people. Twelve have signed up, one transferred to another department and we can't find him, and three still refuse to sign up."

After Tang Ya returned and introduced the mutual aid association to Jiang Nannan, Jiang Nannan was the first to join.

However, the scholarship will only be sent after Tang Ya submits the list.

"You won't sign?" Jiang Nannan put down the steamed bun in her hand. "Why?"

Jiang Nannan had read the mutual aid association's requirements, which were very friendly to commoners and lower-middle-class nobles.

It is stronger than the Xuanming Sect.

Fun fact: The Xuanming Sect is stronger than 90% of the sects in Douluo Continent when it comes to ordinary people.

"I'm afraid of being scammed," Tang Ya shrugged helplessly. "That's normal. In a place like Shrek Academy, if someone suddenly appeared and said they were going to give you money, would you believe them?"

"That's true," Jiang Nannan said softly. "Didn't Tiandou City provide any proof?"

Tang Ya shook her head: "The seal of the City Lord of Tiandou City is useful for the Heavenly Soul Nobles, but it's useless at Shrek Academy. The students here come from all over the country, including many from the Star Luo and Dou Ling schools. They only recognize the official seals of the Martial Soul Department and the emblems of the Soul Guidance Department. I went to the Academic Affairs Office a few days ago to get my documents signed and stamped, and the teacher there said they would ask their superiors, but I haven't received a reply yet."

Damn it, it's been days and they still haven't said a word. I'll have Beibei complain to Xuanzu when we get back.

After entering their personal information in Tiandou City and establishing a romantic relationship in the Surface Void Realm, Tang Ya learned that her boyfriend's ancestor was Mu En.

Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex (Holy Dragon of Light)

Of course, Tang Ya is no simple woman either.

Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass (Extremely outstanding ability to absorb life, but suffers from psychological problems; if not resolved, there is a high probability of becoming a Fallen Soul Master)

This startled Beibei.

Looking back now, I realize how much Beibei cared for me. With a husband like that, what more could a wife ask for?

Thinking of this, Tang Ya couldn't help but smile happily.

"What should we do then?"

"What else can we do? Go to each and every one of them."

Tang Ya picked up a steamed bun and took a big bite. "I've already arranged to meet those people next week. If all else fails, I'll take Bei Bei with me. He's good at talking, so he should be able to persuade them."

Tang Ya's eloquence: "Your parents are gone, that's great."

Jiang Nannan nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then softly asked a question she had always wanted to ask.

"Tang Ya," she said, "what kind of person is that Lord of Tiandou City...?"

Tang Ya paused slightly in the hand holding the steamed bun.

This is a difficult question to answer. It's not that she doesn't understand—quite the opposite, it's precisely because she understands it so well that she doesn't know where to begin.

After all, I am a resident under that lord's rule.

In the end, Tang Ya could only say, "He was a good person, a super good person."

Tang Ya continued, her tone very serious.

"Did you know that the scholarships in Heaven Dou City aren't limited to Shrek Academy? Let me tell you the scope—the three major imperial academies, more than a dozen advanced soul master academies, and even dozens of ordinary soul master schools. All impoverished students who are admitted to these schools can receive a scholarship every month, as long as they are willing to sign a work-study commitment."

Jiang Nannan's eyes widened slightly. She had always thought this scholarship was just a small project at Shrek Academy, but she hadn't expected it to have such a wide reach.

Huo Yuhao, now you understand why I'm so poor, so poor that I have to beg for food at Shrek Academy.

Yan Shaozhe: Even the most powerful Soul Masters can only extract the resources of a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast from me.

I don't believe that the Sea God Pavilion, with its vast resources, hasn't passed down six 100,000-year-old soul beast bones.

Jiang Nannan's eyes widened slightly. She had always thought this scholarship was just a small project at Shrek Academy, but she hadn't expected it to have such a wide reach.

Jiang Nannan had also read the terms of the commitment letter, which were extremely lenient.

First, during your time at school, participate in at least two hours of community service each week. This could be cleaning the streets, helping organize books in the library, or caring for the elderly in a nursing home—anything is acceptable, but it must be something you are actually doing.

Second, within five years of graduation, return to your alma mater at least once a year to give a lecture or provide tutoring to younger students.

Third, if they are able to do so in the future, they should open at least one free basic education class for school-age children in their community or village.

"Let's not talk about that," Tang Ya said while drawing. "By the way, Nan Nan, do you know any other students from impoverished families in other grades? I have a few extra spots on my roster, and I'd like to check if I've missed anyone."

Jiang Nannan thought for a moment: "There is one, she's not a student from a poor family, but I think she might need it."

"Who?" Tang Ya's eyes lit up.

"One of my roommates, a junior named Xiao Xiao," Jiang Nannan said. "It's not that she can't afford the tuition, but she has twin martial souls, which means her cultivation resources are extremely expensive. Her family isn't exactly wealthy either. Lately, she's been saving up to buy the auxiliary materials she needs for cultivation, and she's been eating dry rations every day. I feel bad seeing her like that."

Tang Ya quickly wrote a name on the parchment: "Xiao Xiao. Class One?"

Class One.

"Then you can ask her for me if she's willing to sign."

The two chatted for a few more minutes. Jiang Nannan noticed it was getting late and got up to say goodbye.

Not long after Jiang Nannan left, Tang Ya was still eating the last steamed bun when a furtive figure appeared at the end of the official road.

He walked like a thief, hunched over, his eyes darting around, as if afraid of being discovered.

Tang Ya recognized her at a glance.

"Xu Sanshi?"