The ownership of the first batch of four grilled fish was decided in this manner. After Tang Ya secured two of them, she eagerly devoured them, completely forgetting her earlier promise to help Huo Yuhao.
'I shouldn't have expected anything from her,' Huo Yuhao thought to himself.
As soon as Xu Sanshi obtained his two grilled fish, he paid and left, shouting, "Nan Nan, wait for me! This is a sure thing! I'll definitely win!"
The students waiting in line behind him couldn't help but chatter among themselves.
"Senior Xu is so thoughtful—it's enough to make me cry."
"Let me tell you, Senior Xu's cultivation talent and looks are easily among the top three in the outer courtyard. I really don't understand why Senior Sister Jiang avoids him so much. What could have happened between them?"
"I think Senior Xu is being too humble. There are plenty of outstanding female students in the academy. Why does he insist on pursuing Senior Sister Jiang?"
"What do you know? This is called dedication. Those who can't commit and keep their options open are the real losers!"
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a bit startled. 'He just wants to give everyone a home—what's wrong with that?' he thought, shaking his head inwardly as he continued grilling fish.
Unsurprisingly, Xu Sanshi was as dejected as ever. Such blind dedication was destined to go unreciprocated, leaving only the giver moved by their own efforts.
Even though Xu Sanshi had been thoroughly rejected, it was ultimately by helping treat Jiang Nanna's mother that he managed to win over the beautiful Jiang Nannan.
Huo Yuhao recalled the events described in the original story. When Jiang Nannan was fourteen, her mother fell seriously ill and needed the Xuanwu Divine Pill from the Xuanming Sect for treatment.
Coincidentally, the Xuanming Sect was holding Xu Sanshi's bloodline evolution ceremony at the time, which required the fusion of male and female martial souls. The two parties quickly reached an agreement.
However, Xu Sanshi took a wrong turn, leaving a lasting shadow on Jiang Nannan.
In the end, this was the result.
When you think about it, in the world of Douluo Continent, where strength is revered, Xu Sanshi is actually quite kind. He never acted like a scoundrel and always took good care of Jiang Nannan's mother. It's no surprise that the two eventually ended up together.
But whose fault was it, really?
Huo Yuhao believed the fault lay with the world itself—or more specifically, with Tang San. It was Tang San who destroyed the Spirit Hall and plunged Douluo Continent back into an era of chaos, akin to the Three Kingdoms period.
If the Spirit Hall still existed, talented commoners like Jiang Nannan would have been identified and nurtured from the moment their spirits awakened. Such tragedies would never have occurred.
'It must have been the Sea God's doing!' Huo Yuhao thought, his sense of justice burning brightly once again. The Righteousness Gu within him resonated with this conviction.
---
"Classmate Yuhao, I'm Xiao Xiao from Class 1. Wang Dong mentioned you."
"Hello, I'm Huo Yuhao from Class 9. Here's your grilled fish."
"Thank you!"
Xiao Xiao, petite and adorable, stood on her tiptoes to take the grilled fish. She couldn't help but think,
'Wang Dong really isn't loyal. How could he not introduce me to such a handsome roommate sooner?'
Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao was too busy grilling fish to chat.
The aroma was irresistible. Xiao Xiao took a bite, her eyes lighting up. "It's delicious! Who knew grilled fish could be this good?"
[Achievement Triggered!]
[Achieved Xiao Xiao's 'One Look Will Make You True!' Achievement. Reward: Copper Skin Gu.]
[Copper Skin Gu: A first-tier Gu insect. When activated, it turns the user's skin yellow, increasing their defense and allowing them to withstand more damage.]
[Evaluation: Rock solid.]
While it was only useful for defense, it was still a Gu insect of limited utility.
In the early stages of the Great Love Immortal, it paired well with the Moonlight Gu, offering a balance of offense and defense. However, Huo Yuhao had already moved past that stage. For him, many low-tier Gu insects were of little use.
'Take your time,' he thought. 'The combining function hasn't been unlocked yet. Maybe there will be some unexpected surprises then.'
—
"Nan Nan, I bought you the grilled fish from Junior Huo. Don't worry, I didn't use any underhanded methods—I queued up like everyone else."
Xu Sanshi stood in front of Jiang Nannan, who was on her way to the cafeteria, his expression earnest.
Jiang Nannan shook her head. "No, thank you."
Xu Sanshi tentatively asked, "Do you think I was too aggressive yesterday? I'm not usually like that. It's just because of you that I… Nan Nan, I know you're still upset about what happened back then. But isn't it fate that we've met again at Shrek Academy? I truly like you, and I promise to be with you forever."
Jiang Nannan replied coldly, "I've told you before—after that incident, we each got what we needed and went our separate ways. There's no possibility of any connection between us. Xu Sanshi, you're a nobleman."
"Why are you making things difficult for me, a mere commoner? I can't give you anything. Please don't interfere with my life anymore, and don't bully other students because of me. Otherwise, I'll report you to the academy."
With that, she turned to leave, but Xu Sanshi stopped her.
"I was impulsive yesterday, and it was my fault. But you don't know how badly Junior Huo taught me a lesson afterward. My whole face was swollen."
Jiang Nannan said coldly, "You deserved it. It's all your own fault!"
Xu Sanshi pleaded again, "Even if you won't give me a chance, at least give some face to Junior Huo. This is his last business. You won't be able to eat his grilled fish in the future!"
"Last business? So what? I can't afford such expensive grilled fish anyway."
With that, she activated her spirit rings—two yellow and one purple. Her ears seemed to elongate, and her figure became more slender.
With a slight push from her long legs, she leaped ten meters away and left without looking back.
Xu Sanshi stared at her retreating figure, then took a fierce bite of the grilled fish in his hand. "Xu Sanshi, you're really useless. What's so great about her? I'll eat it myself. Hmm, this grilled fish really is delicious."
---
"Junior, excuse me. Do you still have any grilled fish for sale?"
A soft female voice reached Huo Yuhao's ears. He looked up to see Jiang Nannan, whom he had met once before. Unexpectedly, he hadn't been waiting for Ma Xiaotao but for her.
By this time, his grilled fish stall was nearly finished. Under Huo Yuhao's persuasion, even Tang Ya and Wang Dong, who had come to eat for free, had left satisfied. With the supply from Sea God Lake, satisfying everyone had been easy.
This time, he had used the Sea God Lake channel uniformly, treating everyone equally. Many returning customers noticed the difference.
"For some reason, today's grilled fish tastes even better."
"Absolutely! After eating it, my soul power flows much more smoothly."
"Maybe it's a psychological effect. After all, it's the last time we'll get to eat Junior Brother Huo's grilled fish."
"It's such a pity. Maybe we should find someone else to make this in the future?"
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly as he looked at the stunning girl before him.
[Jiang Nannan]
[Relationship: Acquaintance]
[Achievement Task: It Shouldn't Be My Fault?]
"Senior Sister Jiang, don't you think it's expensive? One grilled fish for one gold soul coin?"
Jiang Nannan apologized, "If I've ruined your business, it's my fault. As for the gold soul coin, I can still afford it."
"Well, there's still one fish left. Senior Sister Jiang, you're in luck."
…
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