C27 Demolishor

The remainder of the trip unfolded without much fanfare. The sporadic fiend beasts posed no real threat, and the group arrived at Bayshore School without incident.

Thanks to a heads-up from Fong Ju, the recruitment director, three fully-staffed medical teams were ready and waiting at the entrance by the time everyone got there.

Injuries were tended to, and rest was taken; within thirty minutes, everyone was settled in.

By the following noon, compensation had been distributed. Zhou Mu wasn't sure about the others, but he was quite pleased with his own reward.

He received ten thousand credits and an opportunity to enter the Sanctuary for Spiritual Growth.

Zheng Hao had mentioned that the Sanctuary only offered three spots each year. Now, Zhou Mu had snagged two of them, and he could only imagine how many people might be green with envy.

But Zhou Mu wasn't concerned about them. He had earned his place fair and square and had nothing to feel guilty about.

The credits served a similar purpose to the points in the system store, acting as a special currency for exchanging restricted items.

Gator's injuries were minor and quickly healed after brief treatment.

However, due to burning its bloodline, Gator's quality had downgraded from Lord to ordinary, though it remained at the second rank with three stars.

This setback was minor, and Gator was expected to regain its Lord status before long.

The uproar caused by the Sinister Six incident had the school's senior administration tied up in meetings. Coupled with other issues, the official start of the academic year was postponed by two weeks.

With time to kill, Zhou Mu browsed Bayshore School's website to see what his credits could fetch.

He discovered an array of valuable items: energy-rich spirit herbs, cutting-edge technological gadgets, and a variety of foods perfect for nourishing spirit animals.

Yet, what caught Zhou Mu's eye the most were items that could enhance soul intensity.

Soul Fragment: A rare condensation that may form upon the death of a fifth rank or higher fiend beast. Using it could boost soul intensity by 0.3 points, with a maximum increase of five points.

This item was outrageously expensive, requiring 1000 credits for just one.

Zhou Mu might have balked at anything else, but he didn't bat an eye at the chance to enhance his soul intensity.

He snapped up six in one fell swoop, and with his natural recovery, he was on track to hit five points within a month, allowing him to upgrade his Soul Contract to level four.

He spent the remaining credits on high-grade spirit animal meat and energy-packed nuts.

Gator and Little Green had really pulled their weight in the recent battle; it was only right to treat them well.

...

Sea Immortal City, aptly named for its coastal location, boasted a rich variety of seafood.

But why not just call it Seafood City?

Imagine if other places were named after their signature dishes—Pancake Province, Meat Bun Metropolis, Donkey Burger Borough, Teppanyaki Town, Mutton Skewer Municipality...

Sounds odd, doesn't it?

"What'll it be?"

At a fish stall in the cafeteria, the kindly-faced owner asked with a beaming smile, brandishing a cleaver.

The knife wasn't particularly long, but it was wide enough to eclipse the sun when held aloft.

"I'll take a hairtail, a pomfret, and a seabass. Fry the hairtail then stew it in broth, steam the pomfret with scallions, and braise the seabass—but hold the Sichuan peppercorns and prickly ash."

These were his favorites from a past life. Normally, one fish would suffice for his appetite, but now he had to consider Gator and Little Green, so he ordered extra to ensure there was plenty to go around.

As for the cost, he still had the old man's bank card.

Money was no object—spend away!

After all, rounding up, it was practically his own money!

"Would you like your fish live or dead?"

"Live, of course! Wait—live fish for two credits, dead fish for five? What's going on here?"

Zhou Mu scrutinized the price list, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him.

Live fish were two credits per jin, while dead fish were five.

Clearly, either his eyesight was failing, or the stall owner had lost his mind!

"It's easier for me to deal with dead fish," the boss said cheerfully.

"You must be out of your mind! If dead fish are easier to handle, shouldn't they be cheaper? It seems to me you just don't want the fish to live!" Zhou Mu grumbled, decisively opting for a live fish.

After settling down at a spot, Zhou Mu and Gator waited for the boss to prepare the meal, while Goldie was restlessly scanning the room.

Before long, Goldie zeroed in on a target—a woman with a seductive look and a generous spirit.

How generous? She could effortlessly nurture four kids.

Not like Qi Xiang, who'd probably be cursing and rushing to the kitchen to whip up a couple of dishes as soon as her child was born.

"My beautiful lady, may I have the honor of introducing myself?" Goldie preened, fluffing the feathers on his rump and gently caressing the plumes on his head in a rather showy manner.

"I am Goldie, the most cherished and talented spirit animal of the past four hundred years, descendant of the Phoenix Clan, with wealth in abundance. Might I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"

"Hehe, you're quite the character. Did your owner send you over because he's too shy to chat?" The woman glanced around, failing to spot anyone who looked like Goldie's owner.

"Not at all!" Goldie shook his head. "I've seen your magazine before—you're so captivating, like a ray of light piercing my heart. I've been utterly smitten, thinking of you constantly, almost to the point of self-destruction. This is destiny, a classic case of 'no fight, no acquaintance,' I suppose."

While Goldie was busy charming the lady, Zhou Mu was listlessly surveying the scene, unaware of the trouble his feathered friend was stirring up.

"Hey Zhou, what's up?" Hai Ming asked, settling down next to him with a hen in his arms.

"Just waiting for food," Zhou Mu replied, his attention drifting to Goldie in the distance.

Hai Ming followed his gaze, his face darkening as he blurted out a stunned "Damn!"

"What's wrong? Is that woman a big deal?" Zhou Mu inquired, puzzled.

Beyond her magnanimous demeanor, he couldn't spot anything unusual, nor did he feel any sense of danger.

Aside from his broad-mindedness, he saw nothing unusual, nor did he sense any threat. If Hai Ming hadn't mistaken someone else for her, it meant that she was even more formidable than he had anticipated.

"It's not about how tough she is!" Hai Ming swallowed hard, scanning the surroundings before lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "She's the one everyone at Bayshore School agrees you don't mess with. She's a senior this year. For the past three years, she's had a different boyfriend each year—three guys in total."

"That doesn't sound like a big deal. It's just a case of liking the new and getting tired of the old," Zhou Mu replied, puzzled by Hai Ming's concern.

"The boyfriends aren't the issue. It's that after each relationship, she ended up with their fathers. She's infamously known as the Demolishor."

Hai Ming clapped Zhou Mu on the shoulder, his face a mix of emotions, "Looks like Uncle Wang might be in for some trouble."

Zhou Mu: "???"

Damn Demolishor!

Why not call her Thanos?

With a snap of her fingers, does she make half the dads disappear?

"Are you the owner of this bird?"

While Zhou Mu and Hai Ming were quietly discussing, it wasn't their father who showed up...

It was the Demolishor herself, knocking at their door!