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Oscar ran out of the dormitory and down to the riverbank, his face clouded with worry.
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him.
"Handsome, what's wrong? Having regrets? Want to go back and make up with them?"
Oscar spun around to find Lan Minghua standing there, having appeared as if from nowhere.
"Master, how did you know I argued with them?"
Lan Minghua, naturally, wouldn't admit to eavesdropping. He just shrugged. "My house isn't far from your dorm. It's easy to overhear things."
"Don't change the subject. Answer me: do you want to go back and reconcile?"
Oscar bit his lip, unable to speak. The years of brotherhood he'd shared with Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun weren't something he could sever so easily. But this time, they had gone too far.
Seeing his conflict, Lan Minghua nodded slightly. Oscar's good character was a positive sign; if he were truly cold and unfeeling, that would be a problem.
"If you want to go back, I won't stop you," he said gently. "As for whether our master-disciple relationship continues... that's your choice."
He wasn't going to be like Ma Hongjun and use their relationship to pressure Oscar. The choice had to be his. The system's reward was already his; he wouldn't force Oscar to remain his disciple.
A warmth spread through Oscar's heart. His so-called brothers, who had known him for years, had cornered him, yet this man he had just met understood him better.
He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with resolve.
"No. They've always looked down on me, thinking I can't survive without them." He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "If I had never met you, Master, I probably would have had to rely on them forever."
Lan Minghua knew Oscar was speaking the truth. The author's own descriptions of the Shrek Seven Devils revealed the hierarchy. Dai Mubai, the eldest, was called "Boss Dai." Tang San, the third eldest, was "Third Brother." But Oscar, the second eldest, was just "Little Ao." The naming conventions showed a clear lack of respect. Even Tang San's address for Dai Mubai shifted from the respectful 'Boss Dai' to the familiar 'Mubai' the moment he surpassed him in strength. It was a subtle but clear indicator of the power dynamics.
Oscar knelt before Lan Minghua, his youthful face filled with determination.
"Master, please teach me how to become stronger. I want to prove myself. I want to show them that even without them, my future will be just as bright."
Lan Minghua gave him a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit. I have faith in you."
He then produced two items: a sleek metal bracelet and a small, ring-shaped object. "Here are your gifts for becoming my disciple."
Oscar took them with both hands, bowing his head. "Thank you, Master." He examined the items curiously. "Master, what are these treasures?"
"This," Lan Minghua said, pointing to the bracelet, "is a Gravimetric Bracelet. Channel your soul power into it, and it will add weight to your entire body—up to ten thousand jin. It's for your training."
He then tapped the ring. "And this is a Devour Pouch, a spatial-type soul tool. It has an internal storage space of one hundred cubic meters."
The Devour Pouch was originally spherical, but Lan Minghua had used his perfected Divine Ingenuity to reforge it into a more convenient ring.
Oscar bit his lip so hard it nearly bled. Soul tools were priceless and incredibly rare. These gifts were more valuable than anything he had ever imagined. With a thud, he fell to his knees again and kowtowed deeply.
Lan Minghua pulled him up, brushing the dust from his clothes. "That's enough. The gifts are yours. I was going to let you rest for a day, but since you're so eager to get stronger... let's start now."
Oscar's face froze. He clearly wasn't prepared for this.
"What are you waiting for? Set the Gravimetric Bracelet to 250 jin and run twenty laps around Shrek." Before Oscar could protest, Lan Minghua injected a stream of soul power into the bracelet.
Instantly, the immense weight crashed down on Oscar, nearly forcing him to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he took a shaky step, then another, and began to run.
Lan Minghua watched with an approving nod. With this training, it wouldn't take long for Oscar to meet the basic requirements for cultivating the Indestructible Vajra technique.
As Oscar ran, Lan Minghua produced a flask of wine from thin air and took a sip.
"System, you there?"
[Ding. Online, Host.]
"I remember Master Points can be used for a lottery draw. How many points per draw?"
[Ding. 100 Master Points per draw. The prize pool has four tiers of rewards: White (Common), Purple (Rare), Gold (Epic), and Red (Legendary). Ten draws guarantee at least one Purple reward. One hundred draws guarantee a Gold. One thousand draws guarantee a Red.]
Lan Minghua smirked. Sounds a lot like that two-syllable gacha game... Ori-something.
[System: Host, so you play that too...]
"100 points a draw? A pity I only have 950 points. Not even enough for ten draws."
[Ding. The first ten-draw bundle is offered at a 10% discount. Would you like to proceed with a ten-draw?]
Lan Minghua rolled his eyes. This system was determined to milk him dry. But a discount was a discount.
"Do it. Give me a ten-draw."
[Ding. 950 Master Points deducted. Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the following items:]
[Thank You For Playing, Thank You For Playing, a case of Maotai (White), Character: Dragon-Subduer (Purple), Character: Tiger-Conqueror (Purple)...]
Lan Minghua's eye twitched at the "Thank You For Playing" results. I thought the prize pool only had the four colored tiers! What is this garbage? This gacha is worse than that other game! So much for getting a good deal.
Still, two Purple rewards wasn't a total loss. But were this Dragon-Subduer and Tiger-Conqueror who he thought they were?
"System, show me their information."
[Character: Dragon-Subduer (from Scissor Seven)]
[Soul Power: Level 89]
[Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black]
[Character: Tiger-Conqueror (from Scissor Seven)]
[Soul Power: Level 88]
[Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black]
[Dragon-Subduer and Tiger-Conqueror possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Dragon-Tiger Strike, capable of challenging a Super Douluo (Level 95).]
Just as he thought. They were the two gatekeepers from the Tianlong Gang. With him role-playing as Rotten Life Hua, it seemed the system wanted him to rebuild the gang right here in the Douluo Continent.
"System, summon Dragon-Subduer and Tiger-Conqueror."
As soon as he spoke, two muscular figures materialized behind him. The blue-haired one was Dragon-Subduer, and the orange-haired one was Tiger-Conqueror. Without hesitation, they knelt before Lan Minghua.
"Sect Leader, what are your orders?"
(End of Chapter)