This Old Man is Rather Shameless.

"Shopping." – at that her eyes first lighted up but then a wave of suspicion washed over her golden gaze.

"Really or like last time?"

Aiden embarrassedly scratched his nose and Na'er understood everything without saying. She sighed and resigned to her fate, but still never had a thought of leaving him alone to his undertakings. And it wasn't like they won't have fun at all, right?

"What are we going to buy?" – Na'er drifted down the stairs like a cute goddess. She wore a short dress with red and deep blue colors, beautifully outlining her slender developing legs. A blue short jacket covered her shoulders, but its same coloring gave a feeling of continuation of a dress.

Stepping on the carpet with high boot she smirked knowing fully well that even being a little girl, her cultivation and body art already made her well-developed where needed. By the time she reached the third ring no one will say that she is younger than sixteen.

Same went for Aiden. He already was a striking teen with an astonishingly handsome face in his own right. Well, that was one reason Na'er always accompanied him, saying that some old lady might snatch him away.

They walked through the market surveying the stalls, while Nexus did deep scanning.

= Still nothing interesting. By the way, master, will you be entering the arena?

Is there any use? I am already 39 level. Hardly anyone in the same cultivation realm will be my match at all.

= According to the rules you can participate in cross-realm battles. Don't think about spirit emperors, but spirit ancestors and low-level spirit kings should be manageable. Also, you have tremendous battle experience regarding spirit beasts, but you practically never fought a human in all seriousness.

The last point was hard to brush off. It was a hole in his training indeed, and the one that should be mended one way or another. However, Aiden was contemplating how much he should show, after all the arena is a public place with many ears and eyes.

'But if I don't fight seriously, what is the point in training? Should I really care so much about Spirit Hall and all its people? Isn't it exaggerated to think lil old me is so precious that they will hunt me with a full force?'

They went inside a shop, where an old man was lazily laying on the soft recliner.

"Oh, that thing can be useful." – at that Na'er looked over the shoulder and then averted her cute nose.

"It's not a chicken leg or wing fried by ge-ge, what's so useful then?" – she complained in boredom making Aiden laugh and stroke her silky hair consolingly.

"If you like them so much then I cook it for you when we go back." – he said and felt eager stare full of shopping enthusiasm from the back. Of course, it was only because that way they can be done faster. – "Owner, how much for this piece of wood?"

"One gold coin…"

"How much?" – exasperated Na'er cried out. – "I can buy a whole cart of raw chicken legs for that and make my ge-ge fry them for an entire week!"

In Na'er worldview of treasures, there were only two distinctive measure systems for anything. Stir-fried chicken legs while the second would be stir-fried chicken wings. First counted as the best meal and second as the best snack. Of course, as the only cook who can provide her with such treasured items, Aiden was essentially priceless.

So, each piece of the above-mentioned dishes was a true-blue item as costly as gold.

Lots of gold at that.

"Na'er, it's fine." – Aiden waved his hand. – "One gold it is then."

"Two gold coins." – said old man grudgingly. Aiden gave him a calm look that later was unable to comprehend, but nodded and took out another coin. Na'er was seething with profound displeasure for the shop merchant already. To dare to blackmail her ge-ge!

Death warrant with no mercy!

"Ten… no, twenty!" – who would have thought that old man would be so shameless?

"You… you… old crook! Fight me!" – Na'er waved her tiny fists in exasperation, but Aiden found it funny. That bespectacled old man was the epitome of shamelessness and greed.

"Mister Flender, if you need money for Shrek Academy you can just ask." – that made old man freeze for a good several seconds, while Aiden was laughing inside. He coughed for another dozen, embarrassed to no end of blackmailing juniors, but then gave them a proper judging look and his eyes shone with a splendid light.

*Cough*

"This senior was just kidding." – he waved his hand. – "Ten gold coins is enough. But what about sponsorship? How much are you willing to invest?"

'Well, I knew from the story he was shameless when the topic touches money, but that is the divine mastery of money-grabbing Great Dao.'

"Na'er, be good, okay? That old man is a high leveled spirit saint." – he said in a hushed voice but never expected to cover it up from the man in question. Senses of a saint are no joke. And yes, he shot him another astonished look.

"I will give you twenty thousand gold coins and a chance to significantly increase the sum, but I need a favor to ask in return."

"Interesting. What might it be?" – Flender stroked his beard, but immediately his face became vigilant.

"I want you to introduce me to Grandmaster." – said Aiden flatly. In this whole Douluo Dalu there is perhaps only one man who can help with research and give valuable information. And that is Yu Xiaogang. Helping him will help the world, which lacks a theoretical basis and development.

"Deal." – sold out with no remorse at all.

'Such an outstanding friend you are, Flender.'

But then again, Aiden meant no harm. Perhaps the Dean of Shrek academy in front of him was just that good at reading people.

"I will write you a letter of introduction. He is currently residing in Nuoding Academy in, respectively, Nuoding City."

'Right.'

Ironically, all this trouble was not because he needed an introduction letter, but forgot where Yu Xiaogang was prior to his employment at Shrek Academy! Well, he really doesn't remember every single thing from a novel out there.

"Here is your gold. Later this evening you need to go to Arena and bid everything on Dragon Sword Asura."

Flender looked like he was unsure but played wild in the end.

"Who is Dragon Sword Asura?"

"You will know in time. Don't forget about bidding and do it no matter what conditions there will be in a match."

Flender felt suspicious, but it's not like he is using his own money. Well, technically they are his already, but he still received them from that youth almost for nothing. That made his day, to the point of calling the young man in front of him grandpa.

"Ge, this stinky old man is so shameless!" – Na'er declared with no possibility in amnesty while clinging to his arm when they finally were far away from the shop. Still, she looked back sheepishly and stuck out her tongue to no one in particular in an adorable manner.

Revenge happened. Grudges are forgotten.

In her worldview, there was only one person worth giving up everything. Everything else is trifling matters beyond her concern. A very naive way of thinking, but then again, being only eight years old mentally, she could afford it for a while longer.

"Ge… Ge…" - she shook his hand in a spoilt manner.

"Mm?" – Aiden looked in her shining eyes. Golden color reflecting the setting sun, making them all the more dazzling.

"Do you know how to play a musical instrument?"

"Ahem, no. Why?" – he felt a bit strange. She never asked such a question before. No, she never asked even a relatively similar question.

"Ge, I want to dance for you…" - she said sounding bashful and lowered her head shyly.

'Where did that come from?'

"And you want me to play for you?"

"Mhm." – she nodded not raising her head, locking her forehead with his arm. Aiden was intrigued but didn't think too much about it.

"Sure, then I will learn how to play. What instrument do you prefer?" – he himself was interested in music since childhood in another world. Especially since he liked the piano, but never learned one.

'Why not do it here then?'

"Of course, it is zither!" – strictly replied Na'er, looking up. But the moment she hastily spilled the beans, she became very shy and buried her head in his shoulder again.

"Zither it is then." – Aiden nodded, seeing how lightheaded and happy his little Na'er was. He felt that learning to play zither is an insignificant price to pay. Let alone hobbies were there to broaden his horizons. Who knows what benefits music learning can bring? What inspirations?

He made an order for Nexus to compile all knowledge on zither play for him and develop a training regime.

"So, are we finally going there?" – she asked after an hour of touring with expectation written on her cute face that already can drive insane half of the planetary population. Aiden suddenly made a mental note to create a good everyday veil.

"Yes. It's near the city center, let's go. But before you should put this on." – they went in a secluded place, where Aiden gave her a golden full-face battle mask in the shape of a fox.

As for himself, he used platinum one that looked like a demon. He changed the color of their clothes to black and gold for Na'er and platinum black for himself with a simple wave of Krondan.

"Done." – Na'er stood there with love-struck expression.

'My ge is just this awesome, and he is mine, hehe.'

If Aiden knew her thoughts he surely wouldn't know where to hide anymore.