Douluo Dalu 2: Peerless Gu master

Soon, Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya arrived at the east gate of Shrek City. On both sides of the avenue, numerous vendors had gathered, many of whom were students running small businesses.

They sold a wide variety of goods, creating a bustling and vibrant scene. Among them, food vendors were the most prevalent, especially those offering unique snacks, their cries filling the air.

Their primary customers were the students of Shrek Academy, particularly those who were not core disciples of the outer academy. Huo Yuhao had previously researched the Shrek canteen.

The cheapest option, available at the far-right window, was a simple serving of fried vegetables and white rice for two copper coins. As a freshman, he could also purchase the most premium dishes, which cost around thirty to fifty gold coins per serving.

These dishes were typically made from soul beasts ranging from centuries-old to thousand-year-old, and they were highly beneficial for a soul master's cultivation.

Given Huo Yuhao's current developmental stage and his enormous appetite, spending nearly a hundred gold coins on a single meal wasn't an issue. If he could attain the status of a core disciple in the outer academy, the academy would provide these premium dishes for free.

This was just the canteen in the outer academy. The inner academy's canteen offered even more advanced and luxurious meals. Most importantly, everything in the inner academy was free!

The inner academy was the true heart of Shrek Academy. The outer academy had been established in response to requests from the three empires, and students had to pay for tuition, meals, and the use of training facilities.

However, in the inner academy, all these expenses were covered. Inner academy students were required to complete supervision tasks, which served as an alternative form of compensation.

Most students who attended Shrek Academy came from wealthy families, and poor students like Huo Yuhao were a minority. Therefore, Huo Yuhao had no qualms about charging the wealthy students a premium for his grilled fish.

As for the grilled fish plan, Huo Yuhao was clear that his top priority at this stage was cultivation, followed by completing achievement tasks. He had no intention of spending excessive time grilling fish.

The main goal was to complete Tang Ya's achievement tasks and move on. These days, grilling twenty fish a day was the limit Huo Yuhao had set for himself, and it took less than half an hour to prepare them all.

Tang Ya, who had been eagerly waiting for a month, was clearly impatient. Not far from the city gate, she even occupied a small section of the main road and laid out all the equipment she had prepared.

She had brought everything: a metal oven, an iron rack, various seasonings, and cleaned herring. She had even set up a small table to hold everything.

Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile. Tang Ya was indeed a true foodie. She had gone to great lengths to prepare, especially with the variety of seasonings she had brought. Since Huo Yuhao hadn't purchased supplies in a while, his stock of common seasonings was running low.

As Huo Yuhao arranged the oven, Tang Ya placed some charcoal on the ground and said, "Alright, my job here is done! The rest is up to you. I'm going to grab something else to eat first. Remember, two of these fish are mine. If you can't sell them for a gold soul coin, you can lower the price a bit. If you need materials in the future, just go to Aunt Lin in the canteen."

With that, she happily left.

"I understand, Senior Sister Xiaoya," Huo Yuhao replied.

After she left, Huo Yuhao used the Fire Furnace Gu to easily light the charcoal fire and began preparing the herring. Since the fish had already been cleaned, he used the Water Purification Gu to rinse them again, removing any lingering odor.

He then stuffed the fish bellies with his special sauce, mixed with spices, skewered them with bamboo sticks, and brushed a layer of oil on the skin before placing them on the grill.

The oven was large enough to hold four fish at once. With the help of his Spirit Eyes, Huo Yuhao began grilling them simultaneously.

It had to be said that Huo Yuhao's grilling skills were unparalleled. In a short time, a mouth-watering aroma filled the air, serving as the best advertisement possible.

The enticing smell attracted not only the passing students but also the nearby vendors, who couldn't help but glance over curiously. They even forgot to call out to customers until the rich aroma hit them.

"Junior, how much for the grilled fish?" a male student in a yellow school uniform asked as he approached.

"One gold soul coin per fish, with a limit of one per person," Huo Yuhao replied, pointing to the sign he had made using an ice sculpture.

"So expensive?!" The yellow-clad student exclaimed, glancing at the herring that hadn't been grilled yet. "Are these fish made of gold or something?"

Huo Yuhao remained calm. "Do you want it or not?"

The yellow-clad student swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he struggled to decide. But the smell was irresistible!

The golden-brown fish skin glistened with oil, and the aroma wafting from the fish belly was intoxicating, a perfect blend of oceanic freshness and the smoky scent of charcoal.

The crispy skin, the tender and juicy meat... This fish was extraordinary!

"Fine, I'll take one! Make it a little spicy," the student said, tossing a gold soul coin to Huo Yuhao.

He wanted to see what made this grilled fish so special. If it didn't live up to the hype, he'd teach this junior a lesson about overcharging!

"Thank you for your patronage," Huo Yuhao said politely.

As the student bit into the fish, a satisfying crunch echoed. The crispy skin was perfectly cooked, and the tender, juicy meat melted in his mouth, releasing a burst of refreshing flavor.

"Ah! This is amazing! It's so delicious!" the student exclaimed after just one bite. He devoured the fish in a few mouthfuls, his eyes wide with delight.

Huo Yuhao was slightly amused. The student's exaggerated reaction made it seem like he was a paid actor. Or perhaps Huo Yuhao's grilling skills had improved even further?

The yellow-clad student's enthusiastic response drew the attention of other students who had been watching from the sidelines. "Junior brother, can you make an exception and sell me three more fish? Money isn't an issue!" the student pleaded.

Huo Yuhao shook his head with a polite smile. "Each person is limited to one fish. I'm only selling 17 today."

Hearing this, some of the onlookers finally gave in to the temptation and began lining up to buy the fish. The first batch of four grilled fish sold out almost instantly, and Huo Yuhao's small stall was soon surrounded by eager customers.

With the help of a senior student, the crowd quickly formed an orderly line, adhering to the first-come, first-served principle.

Huo Yuhao continued turning the fish on the grill and calmly addressed the crowd. "Seniors, I don't accept reservations. I'll only be selling 17 grilled fish today, and there are 13 left. If you haven't lined up yet, please come back tomorrow."

Originally, Huo Yuhao had planned to use the Flower Bud Gu to keep the grilled fish fresh if sales were slow, displaying only one finished fish at a time.

This way, he could continue practicing while selling. However, he hadn't expected the fish to sell out so quickly, even at the high price of one gold soul coin each.

The allure of the grilled fish was truly terrifying!

At that moment, a beautiful girl emerged from the gates of Shrek Academy, capturing the attention of everyone nearby.

…

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