Opening the door, Bai Wushang saw two unfamiliar young men.


    "Are you looking for me?"


    Bai Wushang looked puzzled and greeted them first, while discreetly observing the two.


    One looked quite well-off, wearing a blue formal suit, shiny leather boots, and a slicked-back hairstyle. Aside from his round face and slightly plump figure, he exuded an air of refinement and meticulousness.


    The other had a crew cut and a tall, sturdy build, clearly having undergone good training. However, his skin was dark and rough, and his clothes looked somewhat faded from washing. His overall demeanor leaned towards honest and simple.


    "Hey, buddy! We live on the same floor as you. I''m Ouyang Yuan from room 103!"


    The meticulously dressed, slightly plump young man adjusted his oiled hair, flashing what he considered a very sunny smile.


    The dark-skinned young man beside him seemed a bit shy, saying, "Hello, my name is Sha Bulu. I come from a nomadic people and live in room 102."


    "Here''s the thing," Ouyang Yuan enthusiastically explained their purpose, "we''re all new students, and we happen to live together. There''s a saying, ''A close neighbor is better than a distant relative,'' right? So I thought I''d get to know all the roommates, make some friends, and we can look out for each other in the academy later on!"


    Ouyang Yuan enthusiastically explained their reason for coming and eagerly shook Bai Wushang''s hand.


    Bai Wushang understood. Being new here, making some new friends seemed like a good idea.


    "I''m Bai Wushang. Nice to meet you."


    "Haha, Brother Bai, if you don''t mind, I''ll call you that."


    Ouyang Yuan casually slung an arm around Bai Wushang''s shoulder, winking conspiratorially, and said cheerfully:


    "To be honest, my family runs a small business in jewelry and jade. If you ever need anything in that line, or if you have some nice gems to sell, remember to come to me first! I''ll definitely give you the best price! I wouldn''t rip off my own brother!"


    Bai Wushang nodded with a half-smile, thinking inwardly that this guy''s personality wasn''t actually annoying; he was quite a character. Perhaps academy life would be more interesting with him around.


    "Alright, the Four Musketeers of Shanhai are just missing one member! Let''s go knock on room 104''s door!"


    Ouyang Yuan waved his hand grandly and led the way towards the last door at the end of the corridor. Bai Wushang and Sha Bulu followed curiously.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    "Hey brother inside, you there? We''re your neighbors! How about we all get together for a meal and get acquainted?" Ouyang Yuan shouted enthusiastically.


    "Who is it? Are you nuts?"


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The door opened, and a young man in loose training clothes with cold, handsome features peeked out, looking at the three with unfriendly eyes.


    Appearance-wise, he had classically handsome features, the very picture of good looks.


    But the coldness and displeasure between his brows were completely undisguised!


    "Situ Chi?" Ouyang Yuan froze for a moment, his expression stiffening.


    "Oh, you know each other? That''s great..."


    Sha Bulu started to say with a naive smile, but before he could finish, the occupant of 104 rudely interrupted him:


    "Pah! What rotten luck! Getting assigned to a B-rank dorm was bad enough, but being neighbors with you?"


    Situ Chi''s face darkened as he sneered, "Ouyang Yuan, don''t tell me you actually think we''re the same kind just because we were classmates once? If you don''t want to get beaten up later, stay the hell away from me. Stop bothering me, understand?"


    After speaking, he scanned Bai Wushang and Sha Bulu with a condescending gaze, his tone dismissive:


    "And you two. Instead of wasting time eating and drinking with this loser, you''d be better off meditating or studying more. Otherwise, with your Mid-stage Initial Soul Power, you''ll be kicked out of this academy sooner or later!"


    Bang! The door slammed shut, leaving Sha Bulu and Bai Wushang looking at each other in confusion, and Ouyang Yuan''s face gradually turning ashen.


    "Was he lecturing us?"


    Bai Wushang broke the silence first, finding it somewhat amusing.


    This Situ Chi guy is interesting too. Hmm, quite arrogant.


    "Did... did I say something wrong?" Sha Bulu looked lost, uncertainly cracking his knuckles, making gada gada sounds.


    "It''s not your fault."


    Ouyang Yuan shook his head, took a deep breath to suppress his emotions, then forced a cheerful smile and patted Bai Wushang''s shoulder.


    "If we can''t be the Four Musketeers of Shanhai, we''ll be the Three Musketeers! Brother Bai, if you don''t mind, let''s sit in your room for a bit. I''ll order some takeout dinner to treat everyone."


    "Okay!" Bai Wushang readily agreed.


    ...


    In the living room of room 101, the three sat gathered together.


    "There''s a Gold Coin Mall function in the wristwatch. Although most things sold there are ordinary, the food looks pretty good. Let''s try some..."


    Ouyang Yuan explained while tapping away on the holographic screen on his wrist. He unhesitatingly selected a full set of pots, pans, and tableware, followed by various extraordinary ingredients—from things that flew in the sky to those that swam in the water—a dazzling array, choosing whatever looked delicious.


    After placing the order, Sha Bulu happened to glance at the total cost—over two hundred gold coins! His eyes almost popped out.


    "Good heavens! How can it be so expensive... Are we eating gold?"


    Bai Wushang was also amazed by Ouyang Yuan''s extravagance.


    You had to understand, in the Great Qian Dynasty, 100 gold coins were enough to cover the living expenses of an ordinary family of three for a whole month.


    This single meal cost more than two months of their living expenses!


    "Brother Sha, you don''t get it," Ouyang Yuan spouted nonsense with a straight face. "We''re Masters now, how can we keep eating ordinary food? We need to learn to break from the past and start eating high-quality food. Only by eating well can we grow stronger muscles!"


    "Ah, is that so?" Sha Bulu felt something was off but didn''t know how to refute it, looking utterly conflicted.


    Twenty minutes later, a delivery person in a green uniform knocked on the door.


    From a special storage belt he carried, he took out the dining utensils and steaming hot dishes, placing them one by one on the table before handing over the bill.


    Ouyang Yuan promptly signed to confirm receipt and paid the gold coins.


    "Come on, everyone, dig in! We can go easy on the drinks today, but we must eat to our heart''s content!"


    "Brother Sha, try this Pickled Cabbage Beef Hot Pot while it''s hot. It''s made with the hind leg meat of the extraordinary creature, the Houshan Ox—tender, fragrant, fatty but not greasy. Dip it in some Devil Pepper... Wow, that tangy kick is unbelievable!"


    "This is the All-Nourishing Tonic Soup made from Lanbo Mud Chicken. One bowl whets the appetite and warms the body, two bowls refresh the spirit, three bowls make you strong as an ox! Don''t be shy, brothers, have some more."


    "Come on, brothers! Let''s officially celebrate the first meeting of the Three Musketeers of Shanhai! Cheers!"


    ...


    After several rounds of dishes, the three had become much more familiar with each other.


    When the lively atmosphere cooled down a bit, Bai Wushang, chewing on peanuts, casually asked:


    "So, tell me, what''s the deal with that Situ ?"