Douluo: Let me loot an airdrop first.

Chapter 20: The Struggle in Front of the Rose Hotel

With three people taking down two, Ning and Zhu can now easily fight two against one. With the agility-type Soul Master Zhu Zhuqing present, Lin Zhao has no chance to escape. With a scream from the enemy, he is dealt with in a matter of minutes, so there is no need to elaborate further.

"My name is Ning Yuanshan, and I'm on my way to Shrek Academy in Soto City..." The stench of blood and the tense atmosphere in the air gradually dissipated. Ning Yuanshan quickly wiped the blood and gore off his face and gave Zhu Zhuqing a warm smile. Zhu Zhuqing was a beauty, and anyone would be kind in front of a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, Zhu Zhuqing was too cold. She thanked him, but her expression remained aloof and unapproachable.

"Never mind, we've met by chance. Zhu Zhuqing has grown up in an environment where people lack trust..." Ning Yuanshan sighed inwardly, then began to clean up the battlefield.

"I'll take half of the spoils after I help you kill those three. That's not too much to ask, is it?" Before Zhu Zhuqing could reply, Ning Yuanshan swiftly looted all the valuables from the three corpses, then counted out half and stored it in his storage ring.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing still standing warily to the side, Ning Yuanshan ignored her and went back to the campsite where they had just set up camp to relight the extinguished campfire. He picked up a rabbit leg, heated it up slightly, and began to eat it heartily. Ning Yuanshan had no improper thoughts about the big cat. If he really had to choose one of the Douluo Continent women, Qian Renxue was the one he admired the most.

"Gurgle..." Zhu Zhuqing's stomach rumbled embarrassingly. Born into a noble family, she was not used to going hungry, let alone eating simple meals. She had been unable to eat or sleep well these past few days. Now, seeing the rabbit meat roasted to a golden brown and oozing oil in Ning Yuanshan's hands, she naturally swallowed her saliva with longing.

"Want some?" Ning Yuanshan conjured up a bunch of pre-cooked ingredients in his hand. Zhu Zhuqing glanced at them and saw that they included everything from chicken and duck to fish, beef, lamb, and pork.

"Take whatever you want, one gold soul coin each, discounts for bulk orders..." Ning Yuanshan's words shocked Zhu Zhuqing. "Selling it for so high prices? Why don't you just rob us! You're someone who owns a storage soul tool, exuding wealth, yet you still make this kind of dirty money?"

Zhu Zhuqing saw that Ning Yuanshan's gaze was firm and he didn't seem to be joking. After hesitating for a while, she swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, but still couldn't resist her appetite and whispered, "I want to eat grilled fish..."

Zhu Zhuqing's wariness of the stranger in front of her gradually faded. Ning Yuanshan had an outstanding temperament and was obviously not an ordinary person. Moreover, he had a storage-type soul tool. The energy wave he used to kill the enemy just now was not a soul skill. He seemed to also have a soul bone.

Most soul tools are only for auxiliary purposes and have no offensive function, so it's normal for Zhu Zhuqing to mistake them for soul bones. She also didn't believe that her sister was so prescient as to know her escape route in advance and lay an ambush here. Similarly, Zhu Zhuqing didn't believe that her sister could recruit someone of Ning Yuanshan's status.

She pondered for a moment, thinking that Ning Yuanshan's cultivation level at the age of twelve or thirteen meant he must be a young talent from a major sect. "Perhaps I can use his help to save my life..."

Regardless of what was on her mind, she couldn't neglect her stomach. "More...more..." Zhu Zhuqing ate heartily, while Ning Yuanshan grinned and happily counted his gold coins.

Ning Yuanshan's eyes lit up when he saw the gold soul coins. Just now, he had made up his mind not to be nice to anyone who was cold to him because of Zhu Zhuqing's cold treatment. Now, Ning Yuanshan spoke in a very gentle tone, saying softly, "Eat slowly, don't rush, I'll heat it up for you again."

Zhu Zhuqing felt that although Ning Yuanshan was so attentive to her on the surface, his eyes seemed to be full of the joy of seeing a sucker.

Both going to Shrek Academy, the two traveled together. Over the next few days, Ning Yuanshan earned nearly a hundred gold soul coins from Zhu Zhuqing. Initially, Zhu Zhuqing wanted to support herself, but she discovered she was terrible at cooking, and the food she made was inedible. As for Ning Yuanshan, who knows how much space his storage ring had, it contained so many pre-cooked ingredients! The Douluo Continent is highly lush, teeming with wild beasts and soul beasts; who carries provisions for everyday travel? Was it really necessary to store so much food?

Of course, she didn't know that Ning Yuanshan was simply too lazy. He disliked the time wasted on hunting spirit beasts and preparing ingredients, so he simply prepared large quantities of pre-seasoned cooked food, which could be heated up and eaten whenever he was hungry.

After days of travel, the two finally arrived in Soto...

Ning Yuanshan was handsome and dignified, while Zhu Zhuqing was graceful and charming. When they stood together after entering the city, they attracted an unusually high number of admiring glances.

While others were looking at Ning Yuanshan, Ning Yuanshan was naturally also looking around. It wasn't his first time visiting a city and marveling at the prosperity of the Douluo World's cities; after all, he had broadened his horizons by traveling all over the country with Elder Qi over the years. However, since this was his first time in Soto City, Ning Yuanshan was quite eager to check out the Rose Hotel.

The Rose Hotel isn't hard to find. Just stroll towards the area where people gather, and you'll see the most uniquely shaped building at a glance.

"Hey, there's a fight going on!" The commotion at the hotel entrance had already attracted a crowd. Ning Yuanshan, always eager for a good show, even yelled at the two sides, "What are you arguing about here? If you can fight, then shut up..."

Adding fuel to the fire was, of course, because Ning Yuanshan had already recognized the identities of the two combatants. On his left were Tang San and Xiao Wu, and on his right, embracing the beautiful twin sisters, was none other than Dai Mubai, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger. Ning Yuanshan wasn't the only one who recognized Dai Mubai; Zhu Zhuqing, though her expression remained unchanged and she maintained her icy demeanor, was now staring intently at Dai Mubai.

Ning Yuanshan smiled disdainfully. He disapproved of many aspects of the Douluo Continent world, such as the depiction of Zhu Zhuqing's feelings for Dai Mubai. This girl was probably raised with the idea that "I am Dai Mubai's appendage, and my fate is tied to Dai Mubai's..."

Zhu Zhuqing wasn't as talented as the others among the Seven Freaks, but she had perseverance and was able to cultivate diligently. She had courage, daring to run away to find her husband. Unfortunately, her mind had been distorted, and in reality, she had accepted her fate on another level.

Did she like Dai Mubai? According to the original novel, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have feelings for Tang San, but she ultimately chose Dai Mubai. Zhu Zhuqing has now witnessed Dai Mubai's philandering and bad behavior, but she doesn't care. What she cares about is Dai Mubai's muddled and aimless state, fearing that he will become obsessed with pleasure and fail to meet her expectations.

Zhu Zhuqing's only hope is to defeat her sister through Dai Mubai. Is it possible to place one's hopes on someone else, on a complete stranger whom one has barely met since childhood? And even to sacrifice one's soul and body for this, can this kind of emotion be called "love"?

Ning Yuanshan's mind wandered. He lamented Zhu Zhuqing's lack of control over her own destiny, while also plotting his own future. In this world, perhaps no one can truly live solely for themselves. Ning Yuanshan was no exception. He was born naked into this strange world, yet now he too had ties to bear. Old Jack and Elder Qi—having lived in Douluo Continent for so long, he too had people he cared about. Therefore, a surge of emotion welled up within Ning Yuanshan; he suddenly felt a strong urge to fulfill Elder Qi's ambitions.

"There's a godhood in the Douluo sequel that seems quite suitable for Elder Qi..."