Chapter 3 Ma Hongjun
Flander pushed up his glasses, glaring at the doorway.
Seeing the beggar, Lan Minghua, he roared, "You filthy beggar, do you have the money to pay for kicking down my door? Get out of here before I lose my temper!"
However, Lan Minghua ignored him, walking straight to a chair and plopping down.
Flander's eyes widened, his lips twitched, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
His knuckles turned white, his whole body trembled, and he was furious.
That was an expensive chair in his shop, defiled by a beggar.
The price would drop.
As a notorious miser, how could Flander not be enraged?
He stared coldly at Lan Minghua, preparing to throw him out.
As for why he wouldn't make Lan Minghua pay, well, you need to have money first.
He had overheard Lan Minghua's conversation with Oscar and knew Lan Minghua was a penniless wretch.
Flander stormed up to Lan Minghua, not caring about the dirt, and grabbed him by the collar, ready to throw him outside.
However, no matter how hard he tried, Lan Minghua remained unmoved.
"What!" Flander's pupils constricted sharply, his face darkening like a storm cloud.
Lan Minghua reached out and grabbed Flander's wrist, gently twisting it.
Flander winced in pain and released Lan Minghua's collar.
"Let's not talk about compensation for now. You were eavesdropping on me and that handsome guy, shouldn't you settle that first?"
Upon hearing this, sweat beaded on Flander's forehead.
He thought his cat-owl martial soul's spying was flawless, but Lan Minghua had seen through him. He
finally understood why Lan Minghua had kicked down his door right away.
This was his just deserts!
Lan Minghua didn't know what Flander was thinking, but he wouldn't let go without an answer.
Flander tried to break free, but found it futile no matter how hard he tried.
Over time, Flander's palms turned deathly pale, and his forearms beneath his sleeves turned purplish-black.
Lan Minghua wasn't afraid of a fight; he wouldn't lose anything by just dragging things out.
After weighing the pros and cons, Flander decided to back down.
Offending an unknown powerhouse wasn't his style.
He forced a smile and said, "Senior, it was my fault. I shouldn't have eavesdropped on your conversation with Oscar. I sincerely apologize."
Lan Minghua released his grip, feigning ignorance: "So that handsome guy is Oscar. What's your relationship with him?"
Flander rubbed his wrist, inwardly cursing him as an animal, and answered with a fawning smile.
"Senior, I'm the dean of Shrek Academy, and Oscar is my student. I was afraid he'd be deceived, so I took the liberty of eavesdropping."
Lan Minghua already knew, but still pretended not to.
"So he's a student at Shrek Academy, and you're the dean. Then I can find him easily."
Suddenly, Lan Minghua said something inexplicable: "'Senior' sounds too old-fashioned. Just call me Hua-zai."
Flander hadn't expected Lan Minghua to be so easy to talk to; the previous tension had vanished.
However, for Oscar's safety, he still braced himself and asked, "So... Hua Zai, what do you want with Oscar?"
"I've taken a liking to that handsome guy and want to take him as my apprentice. What, as the dean, do you want to make an introduction?"
Lan Minghua blinked, staring intently at Flander.
Flander pondered, weighing the pros and cons.
"This guy who calls himself Hua Zai isn't weaker than me; he's probably a Soul Douluo."
"If I can get him into Shrek Academy, wouldn't Shrek Academy take off?!"
Flander was excited just thinking about it.
After all, ordinary advanced Soul Master academies don't have Soul Douluos in charge.
Only the Four Elements Academy, the Lower Four Sects, and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy have Soul Douluos.
Lan Minghua looked at Flander, whose eyes were darting around, and knew that getting into Shrek Academy as a teacher was a sure thing.
"You little rascal, hurry up and trick me into Shrek Academy."
Sure enough, after making his decision, Flander revealed a shrewd businessman's expression.
"Hua Zai, I may not be able to help you." He feigned heartache. "Although I am the dean, I cannot control Xiao Ao's own decision. So…"
Flander chuckled, "So Hua Zai, you can join Shrek Academy. In time, Xiao Ao may discover your strength and become your apprentice." Looking for someone in Karachi today Lan Minghua was perfectly aware of Flander's little scheme.
However, becoming a teacher at Shrek Academy wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Maybe he could take on a few more disciples and then relax.
"It's a good suggestion, but what kind of compensation do you want?"
He'd never been the one to get something for nothing.
Lan Minghua's words made Flander's face darken.
He'd thought he could use Oscar's name to get a teacher at least a Soul Saint, but he'd dug himself a hole. He
'd just invited Lan Minghua to join Shrek Academy; if he refused now, wouldn't he be making Flander lose face?
Looking at Flander's troubled face, and then at the hair crystal, Lan Minghua had an idea.
"I can join Shrek Academy first. Don't worry about the compensation yet."
"Really?" Flander was overjoyed.
Lan Minghua glanced at him and bluntly said,
"Don't be so happy yet. Here, consider that hair crystal as interest on my money. How about it?"
Flander didn't hesitate and directly presented the hair crystal to Lan Minghua.
The rutilated quartz was only worth a few hundred gold soul coins.
Although it wasn't a lot, it was worth it to win over a strong person like Lan Minghua.
"Take it if you like it. This stone is just sitting here as decoration."
Lan Minghua took the rutilated quartz without ceremony, flipped his hand, and put it into his system space.
Flander's eyes lit up, knowing that it was all worth it, and he
thought to himself, "A soul tool? Sure enough, Hua Zai is definitely not as simple as he seems. I've made a fortune."
Lan Minghua ignored Flander and got up to walk out of the shop.
"That's all for now. I'll look around some more and go to Shrek Academy later. Remember to arrange a house for me. I don't want to sleep under the open sky."
"Don't worry, I'll have someone arrange it."
Flander watched Lan Minghua's departing figure and immediately sent a letter to Zhao Wuji, telling him to prepare.
This was an opportunity to improve Shrek Academy's strength, and he didn't want to miss it.
In Shrek Academy, Zhao Wuji received Flander's letter, and his face became solemn.
"What's Flander up to? Someone no less powerful than him? Are Soul Saints so worthless now?"
Zhao Wuji muttered, but didn't say much more, obediently going to prepare a room.
The sun was setting, the evening glow burning like fire, reddening half the sky.
"Is it already evening? Time to go to Shrek Academy. Hopefully Flander has prepared a house for me, otherwise I'll have to requisition his."
Lan Minghua watched the sunset and walked towards Shrek Academy.
Meanwhile, in Shrek Academy, a red-haired chubby boy was roaring in frustration.
"Cuihua, why did you reject me? I gave you my heart, and you still treat me like this!"
This person was none other than Ma Hongjun, one of the future Shrek Seven Devils.
Because he hadn't vented his anger, or hadn't gained any advantage, he was now furious.
Lan Minghua easily entered Shrek Academy with his superior strength.
Just as he entered, he heard someone yelling and screaming.
He squinted and saw Ma Hongjun's figure.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun, who was yelling, also noticed Lan Minghua's figure.
His embarrassing moment had been witnessed, and coupled with his unreleased pent-up anger, he was furious.
Ma Hongjun was no kind soul, and he harbored murderous intent towards Lan Minghua for witnessing his humiliation.
Even if he didn't kill him, he would cripple him.
"You filthy beggar, is this a place for you? Die, you little brat!"
Lan Minghua was completely bewildered; he hadn't said a word, so why was Ma Hongjun so hostile?
"Birds of a feather flock together, huh? Indeed, only those of the same kind can get along."
"However, if you're going to attack me..." Lan Minghua's eyes turned cold.
"I wouldn't mind teaching you a lesson on behalf of Flander, giving you a painful one."
(End of Chapter)