Chapter 16: Future Food God? You're Mine!

Chapter 16: Future Food God? You're Mine!

Unlike Tang San, who could become a work-study student at Nuoding Junior Academy right after awakening, Ma Hongjun and Oscar were completely ineligible for such a spot to attend a Spirit Master academy.

Holy Soul Village had one work-study slot each year because it had once produced a Spirit Saint. However, the villages near Soto City were different; several villages combined had only one slot per year. Coincidentally, these villages usually had one or two children with spirit power each year, even if only level one, two, or three initial spirit power. This meant that Ma Hongjun and Oscar, being orphans, were basically excluded from this opportunity.

Wherever there are people, there will be classes and circles of interest. Not every village chief is as kind-hearted as Old Jack. Moreover, places that consistently produce Spirit Masters are generally much wealthier than Holy Soul Village, allowing them to leverage this small power for greater benefits.

This situation, in fact, represents the reality for the vast majority of commoner Spirit Masters. After awakening their spirits, they might attend a junior Spirit Master academy; unlucky ones like Oscar might even waste two or three years before that. They cultivate arduously for six years, graduate after obtaining the most common spirit ring with help from academy teachers. After entering society, they continue to struggle with cultivation, relying on subsidies from the Spirit Hall, possibly only reaching the Grand Spirit Master realm in their lifetime; slightly better ones might break through to Spirit Ancestor.

Nevertheless, even with the slimmest chance, who could truly give up? After all, even a one-ring Spirit Master is a noble figure in the eyes of ordinary people.

In the original work, Ma Hongjun wasn't discovered by Flender in his village and taken as a disciple until he was nine years old. Oscar's background before entering Shrek wasn't mentioned, so it's likely he also languished in his village for several years. If he had been able to attend a junior Spirit Master academy, he probably would have been snatched up and reserved by major powers right after enrollment.

From afar, the luxurious convoy of the Spirit Hall group was spotted by the people of Ling Shi Village and reported to the village chief. This chief was clearly someone who knew how to handle things, coming out early to the village entrance to welcome them.

As soon as they arrived, Xia Tianling saw a fat man with a potbelly and an obsequious smile looking at him, causing him to frown slightly. Before he could speak, the fat man spoke first.

"Esteemed Lords from the Spirit Hall, this humble one is the chief of Ling Shi Village. May I ask how I can be of service to you Lords?" He didn't ask why a child was speaking, and tactfully refrained from asking what the Spirit Hall group was doing in his small village. Important people didn't need to explain their actions to him; he just needed to provide service and ensure the visiting Lords were comfortable.

"Your village has a child around eight years old named Oscar, right? Go and invite him here. Note, invite him," Xia Tianling cut straight to the point, unwilling to waste words.

The fat man paused for a second, then quickly gave a lackey beside him a meaningful look. "Did you hear what the Lord said? Hurry up and invite that kid Little Ao over!" Then he turned back towards the carriage, smiling, "Lord, perhaps you'd like to rest briefly at my humble abode first?"

"No need, I'll wait here," Xia Tianling flatly refused the fat chief's attempt to curry favor and lowered the carriage curtain.

Oscar, ah, Oscar. In the original work, his talent truly made him number one among the younger generation, someone the gods automatically sought out after he became a Titled Douluo, even going so far as to grant his wife a god position. In terms of talent alone, even Little San is far inferior to him. Now, this fine piece of jade is about to fall under my command!

Xia Tianling felt a surge of excitement. Whether it was to gain a capable assistant, reduce a potential threat, simply harvest a large amount of Fate Power, or even make up for a regret from his past life, this was something worth being happy about.

Soon, Oscar was politely invited before the Spirit Hall carriage by the village chief's lackey. Oscar, having just been summoned, was still completely bewildered. A poor kid like me who makes a living selling sausages in the city, what have I done to deserve the attention of important figures from the Spirit Hall?

Xia Tianling pushed open the carriage door and stepped out. The first thing he saw were Oscar's signature charming eyes. Oscar, just turned eight this year, wasn't as scruffy as in the original work. Dressed in simple cloth clothes, he already had a rather handsome air about him.

He stood before Oscar, bowed first, and only then began to speak. "Oscar, first, on behalf of the Spirit Hall, I apologize to you. Due to the negligence of grassroots personnel, you received unfair treatment. I hope to ask for your forgiveness. The relevant personnel have already been punished by me, their spirit power crippled, and they are locked up over there."

Before he finished speaking, the dozen or so guards following behind the carriage bowed in unison. "Please forgive us!"

This was something Xia Tianling had arranged with them on the way. Of course, he didn't make them shout for free; each person who came received ten gold spirit coins. Over a hundred gold spirit coins was a drop in the bucket for him now, but for these guards, who generally only had one ring, it was nearly half a year's salary! Never mind shouting one apology, they'd shout a hundred! They were all working folks trying to get by; who would argue with gold spirit coins?

Oscar was currently just an eight-year-old kid who sold sausages for a living. Having so many Spirit Hall guards bow and apologize to him in unison, plus this "child" before him who was clearly an important figure, completely overwhelmed him.

Forget Oscar; even the village chief and his lackey were dumbfounded. That was the vice-master of a Tier 3 Main Hall! A truly significant figure in the entire Balak Kingdom! Now he's thrown in a cage like a dead dog. Having become an ordinary person, he's now even worse off than me, a one-ring Spirit Master!

Oscar quickly waved his hands and stammered, "N-no, it's fine, it's fine! I'm already very grateful that the Lords from the Spirit Hall awakened me. After getting my spirit, I don't have to go hungry often anymore, and I can even eat meat. I'm doing fine, really fine. Thank you, thank you, esteemed Lords."

Sigh. Xia Tianling sighed inwardly. Oscar was still just a child, after all. Look how shaken the kid was, moved to tears of gratitude by a simple apology. Seems I won't need my follow-up tactics; just stick to the script I wrote. While Oscar doesn't know he can directly enter the Spirit Academy and receive strong cultivation support, I can seize the opportunity to boost his favorability.

"Thank you for your forgiveness. In that case, there is one more matter." Xia Tianling deliberately paused. "I hope to invite you to join the Spirit Academy and become my companion. From now on, all your resources will be provided by me!"

He, Bibi Dong's disciple, and maybe even Qian Daoliu's semi-disciple... saying the Spirit Hall's resources are his isn't really wrong. Just using them a bit early.

Hearing this, Oscar's brain simply shut down. Eyes wide, he shakily pointed a finger at himself. "You... you mean, I can go study at the Spirit Academy?"

"Yes, you, Oscar. Also, don't use 'you' [formal] to address me."

"Fr-free?"

"Yes, free."

"Does it include meals?"

"Of course!" Xia Tianling grinned. "Not only includes meals, but also lodging, clothes, money, and help obtaining suitable spirit rings for you!"

After confirming several times that this "child" before him was indeed talking about him, under the incredulous gaze of the nearby village chief, Oscar let out a cry, plopped down, knelt before Xia Tianling, and hugged his thigh emotionally.

"Bro! From now on, you're my real big brother! You're too good to me!"

Black lines appeared on Xia Tianling's forehead. He quickly pulled him up. "Get up, get up, we don't do this kneeling stuff. Also, I'm not your big brother; you're two years older than me!"

"If not big brother, then not big brother! Then from now on, you're my boss! I'll follow you!"

Oscar was an orphan; his home was empty, with nothing much to pack. He immediately decided to go with Xia Tianling.

In this relaxed atmosphere, Xia Tianling took him into an empty carriage behind them, letting Ghost Douluo ride alone. Not everyone had the nerve to share a carriage with a Titled Douluo they weren't familiar with.

Author's Note: Regarding these two geniuses, Oscar and Fatty, not being discovered by the Spirit Hall, I've always found it very absurd. The original work even mentioned Fatty wasn't found by Flender in his village and brought back to Shrek until he was nine. Honestly, although it's forced, I've tried my best to justify it. Besides dereliction of duty by subordinates, I really can't think of any reason why Oscar wouldn't have entered the Spirit Hall. It can't be that he, an orphan with no background, just inexplicably awakened his spirit and then waited around for Flender to come get him, right? If Oscar had gone to school as a work-study student like Tang San, then as long as the teachers at that academy were normal, Oscar would definitely shine brightly – an unprecedented innate full spirit power food-type Spirit Master! Which sect or power could refuse him?

(End of Chapter)