Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

A night passed.

In the morning, Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing were enjoying breakfast prepared by Tom.

Normally, people would chat while eating, but Tom's cooking was so delicious that neither Shen An nor Zhu Zhuqing could focus on anything but the food.

The next day, Shen An immediately began experimenting with the ingredients he had to create a unique milk tea.

He used ingredients like perilla, dried tangerine peel, Jin Junmei tea, red tea, and sugar, simmering them before adding milk.

The first cup was handed to Zhu Zhuqing. She looked at the strange tea and took a small sip.

"Mm, it's delicious."

Okay, now it was time to prepare for the opening the next day.

The sign maker had delivered the plaque early in the morning, but his expression seemed conflicted, as if he wanted to say something.

Shen An, knowing the sign was expedited and delivered early, handed the man two extra silver soul coins.

The sign maker seemed even more hesitant and eventually accepted the money, speaking cautiously:

"Shen An, you should be mentally prepared for something regarding your shop."

"Hmm? What is it?" Shen An raised an eyebrow, suspecting this was the reason for the unexpected increase in his fame.

The man glanced around to ensure no one was listening and lowered his voice. "You're from out of town, so you probably don't know this... This shop was noticed by Ma Yan, the nephew of the White-Clad Deacon from the Spirit Hall in Soto City. He was pressuring Boss Li to sell it cheap. Originally, Boss Li was ready to sell it for a low price, but then you showed up and bought it."

"After Boss Li sold it to you, he fled, spreading the news everywhere that some outsider bought the troublesome shop."

"I only realized today that it was you, Shen An. You should be careful, that Ma Yan is rumored to be a Soul Grandmaster. If things get tough, maybe just sell the shop to him."

Shen An thanked the sign maker. Even though they weren't close, the man was still kind enough to provide him with such information.

As for the so-called Ma Yan from the Spirit Hall, Shen An wasn't worried. He was prepared to deal with any challenges that came his way.

Shen An posted a notice beside the tea house: It would open at noon the next day.

At first, there were few people passing by, but gradually, some began to take notice. The shop's location was good, and word had spread about it. People in the street had been talking about how Boss Li's shop was taken over by an outsider for just 200 gold soul coins—half the expected price.

Boss Li had tried to sell it cheaply because Ma Yan had been pressuring him, and after fleeing, he'd spread the news far and wide. This gossip reached many people by the end of the day, and curiosity about the shop grew.

It was rumored that Ma Yan had even threatened Shen An, saying that the opening day would be his last. So, when the notice was posted, many people became curious to see what would happen.

The next day, the tea house opened. A crowd of onlookers gathered outside, but no one stepped inside.

Shen An observed the situation and decided it was time to use his secret weapon to attract some customers.

"Alright, it's your time to shine, Tom!"

Tom, who had already agreed with Shen An, walked out with elegance.

He wore a black tuxedo with a white shirt underneath, and a small white bow tie around his neck. He looked incredibly refined and graceful.

Shen An had planned for Tom to perform a musical piece to draw in customers, and the tea house's profits would be split between them. This way, Tom would become a little wealthy cat.

Tom happily agreed when he learned that playing the piano would earn him money.

As Tom's fingers touched the piano keys, a lively and rhythmic piano piece filled the tea house.

The piece was "Summer" by Kikujiro, light and cheerful, creating an uplifting atmosphere. Tom played it flawlessly, and the sound echoed through the vintage tea house.

Although the crowd outside was mostly ordinary people who didn't understand music, they could still feel the beauty of the melody. However, none of them dared to enter the tea house, despite their curiosity.

It was opening day, and Zhu Zhuqing, who rarely took a break from training, stayed with Shen An. Seeing the crowd outside but no one entering, she couldn't help but look at Shen An with concern, worried he might be discouraged.

But Shen An wasn't upset at all. If the common people didn't dare to come, there were still soul masters. Besides, the main goal of opening the tea house was to gain fame, and he had already achieved that to some extent.

"Such beautiful piano music!" Flender, who had planned to run a small shop in the city and maybe scam a few people to supplement his academy's expenses, was drawn to the enchanting music.

Flender had traveled the continent for years and had never heard this song before. It was bright and lively, and the music made him feel as if he were part of the scene.

"Since when did Soto City have such a music master?" Flender wondered, deciding to check out where the music was coming from.

He was led to a tea house, the sign reading "Tom's Tea House," and saw a crowd gathered outside. Flender thought the shop was crowded, but it turned out they were all just watching from outside. He didn't hesitate and walked in.

Shen An noticed him immediately, for Flender had a very distinctive appearance.

His chin jutted out a little, his cheekbones were broad, and his face was flat with a hooked nose, looking quite sly. He wore a pair of rigid black-framed crystal glasses that gave him a devious look.

"This must be the dean from Shrek Academy," Shen An thought.

With a smile, Shen An asked, "What kind of tea would you like, sir? I have all kinds of varieties here."

Without even looking, Flender waved his hand and said, "Just give me the cheapest one."

Shen An's smile immediately froze. He thought to himself, "I knew he'd be stingy, but I didn't expect him to be this bad—he didn't even look at the options."

"Alright, the cheapest tea costs one silver soul coin."

Flander twitched his mouth. "What? The cheapest tea costs one silver soul coin? This is a black market shop! I'm the one who usually scams people, when did I get scammed myself?"

Flender instinctively didn't want to pay, but the music was so captivating that he couldn't bring himself to leave. With a dark face, he reluctantly pulled out ten copper soul coins.

"Boss, could I meet this music master? I've traveled far and wide, but I've never met anyone with better musical skills than this one."

Shen An nodded, pointing toward Tom.

Flender followed his gaze and saw Tom, elegantly sitting at the piano, his paws moving across the keys. Beautiful music flowed from the piano.

Flender was stunned, unable to move for a while.

The so-called music master was a cat? Was he joking?

Flender, who prided himself on his vast experiences, had never seen anything like it. A cat playing the piano so beautifully—it truly astonished him.

Today, he truly felt like his eyes were opened.

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