At the barbecue joint.
"Boss, ten beef kidneys, ten lamb kidneys, ten pork kidneys, two dozen raw oysters, and two barrels of iced ale!"
"Coming right up, please wait a moment~"
Beibei was dragged to the barbecue joint by Huo Yuhao.
Sitting down, Beibei wolfed down ten kidney skewers and chugged a cold ale, letting out a long breath.
Huo Yuhao refilled his glass, staring expectantly.
*Big bro, don't just eat—spill the story… I mean, share your troubles so your brother can cheer up!*
Thankfully, Beibei didn't bottle it all up. The ale loosened his tongue, and he seemed eager to vent.
"It all started after we parted ways…"
…
After Huo Yuhao met Beibei and Tang Ya, he spent a week in Star Dou Forest and a few days traveling to Shrek City—about ten days total.
So, the story began ten days ago.
Beibei didn't mention wanting to protect Huo Yuhao briefly, partly because they didn't cross paths again, and partly because it felt like seeking gratitude.
"Our soul hunt didn't go smoothly. Xiao Ya targeted a thousand-year Mandragora Snake, but I got careless and was poisoned, putting us in danger. We nearly died."
"Luckily, a kind Soul Emperor passing by saved us and helped us hunt the snake."
Huo Yuhao's nodding paused.
A kind Soul Emperor passing by?
Not in the original story. Could it be…
Well, just a passerby, then.
"So, Beibei and Tang Ya's trouble wasn't the soul hunt," Huo Yuhao thought.
Beibei continued, his face flushing with shy pride. "Though the hunt was rough, our relationship made a breakthrough. Thinking we'd die, I confessed to Xiao Ya, and she accepted me!"
Huo Yuhao: "…"
Truly the Continent of Romance.
"Back at Shrek Academy, we often dated by Sea God Lake. They say the Sea God blesses couples."
Beibei's face glowed with sweetness.
Huo Yuhao, munching kidneys: "Boss, add a lemon juice—extra sour."
But Beibei's expression darkened, his eyes reddening—not with sadness, but fury. His grip cracked the ale glass.
Huo Yuhao set down his skewer, alert.
Here comes the big one!
"Three days ago, while strolling by Sea God Lake, we faced danger…"
Beibei trailed off, his face conflicted.
He spared the glass from shattering.
Glass: *Family, who gets me…*
Beibei held back because it involved a Shrek Academy scandal. This incident hurt Xiao Ya, yet he couldn't seek justice!
Loyalty to Shrek made him swallow his anger.
Gulping another ale to suppress his pain, he vaguely said, "That danger left Xiao Ya gravely injured. To protect her, I unleashed my potential, and, as you see, ended up like this."
"I woke from a coma today but couldn't find Xiao Ya—just a letter she left."
Beibei pulled a crumpled letter from his chest, eyes welling, voice choking.
"She said she was disfigured and felt unworthy of me, so she left Shrek Academy. I searched Shrek City all day but couldn't find her… How could Xiao Ya be so foolish? I'd never abandon her! She's still injured—what if she's in danger? Why didn't she wait for me? Xiao Ya, *sob*…"
Tears streamed down Beibei's face, his cries filled with guilt and despair.
He was hurting.
And drunk—not from the ale's strength, but his desire to drown his sorrows.
Huo Yuhao sipped his lemon juice and grimaced at the sourness.
Beibei, teary-eyed, saw Huo Yuhao's frown and was deeply touched.
"Brother Huo's a real one! We only met once, yet he's here drinking with me, worried for Xiao Ya! He's my brother for life!"
Huo Yuhao: *How much lemon did they put in this? It's so sour!*
Setting the juice down, he asked curiously, "Brother Beibei, how was Sister Tang Ya disfigured?"
Beibei looked puzzled.
Huo Yuhao straightened, adjusted his collar, and boasted, "Brother Beibei, no more acting—I'm an expert in beauty, wellness, and… virility. I have a secret cosmetic technique to fix disfigurement!"
Beibei's eyes widened. He grabbed Huo Yuhao's hand, urgent. "Brother Huo, can you really heal disfigurement?!"
"Absolutely!" Huo Yuhao said, yanking his hand free—Beibei's grip, fueled by excitement, had reddened his wrist.
Disfigurement? Cosmetic surgery was in his wheelhouse.
Pudu Cihang's evil cultivation included skin-grafting and heart-swapping techniques.
No need for anything too sinister.
Mimicking modern skin grafts, he could take skin from Tang Ya's backside to fix her face—easy peasy.
But only if Beibei offered a price Huo Yuhao liked.
Luck was great, but other cultivation resources mattered too.
Realizing his fervor, Beibei apologized. "Sorry, Brother Huo, I got carried away."
His drunken haze was gone.
He pressed, "Brother Huo, you're sure you can heal Xiao Ya's disfigurement?"
"Dead sure!"
"No tricks?"
"…Just say if you want it done!"
Beibei gritted his teeth, stood, and bowed. "Brother Huo, please help Xiao Ya!"
Huo Yuhao quickly helped him up, serious. "Brother Beibei, what's that talk? I wouldn't wish Sister Tang Ya's suffering on anyone. Since I know, I'll help if I can."
Beibei, solemn, swore with his hand raised. "By the Sea God, I, Beibei, swear on my martial soul: if Brother Huo heals Xiao Ya, I'll pay a price that satisfies him! If not, may my martial soul shatter, stripping all my cultivation!"
On Douluo Continent, a martial soul oath was heavy—it could come true.
If sincerely sworn.
Beibei was clearly sincere, invoking the Sea God, his most revered deity.
"Truly satisfy me?" Huo Yuhao asked, surprised.
Beibei paused, not expecting the question, but nodded firmly.
"Absolutely!"
Unable to avenge Tang Ya, he'd ensure her beauty was restored, no matter the cost!
As Beibei nodded, Huo Yuhao activated the Fortune-Seizing Dragon Transformation Technique. Beibei's previously untouchable luck was now marked with Huo Yuhao's imprint.
It awaited the right moment to harvest.
This was another use of the technique—beyond direct seizure, it could target owned luck through special means: crushing the owner, deception, or, as now, a deal.
Huo Yuhao only half-trusted oaths, so he marked the reward himself.
"Great!" Huo Yuhao grabbed Beibei's hand, beaming. "Brother Beibei, rest easy—Sister Tang Ya's matter is my matter. I'll give it my all!"
Beibei was deeply moved.
Huo Yuhao was thrilled.
Both saw a hopeful future.
They all had bright futures.