Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

"Is this really alcohol? Why does it look so much like milk?"

Shen An held up the glass bottle in his hand, inspecting the milky white liquid inside. It looked just like regular milk.

[Tom's Drunken Brew: Drinking this will leave you utterly drunk, increasing your sorrows.] Shen An's eyebrow twitched as he read the item's description.

"Seriously? Normal people drink to drown their sorrows, but this brew creates more? No wonder Tom, in the original story, got drunk on this and ended up wanting to throw himself in front of a train. What kind of cursed concoction is this?" Shen An decided to slap a dangerous item label on it.

The cigar, however, was something Shen An was familiar with. It was Tom's go-to tool for showing off when pursuing lady cats. Blowing smoke rings in any shape—definitely useful for future moments of pretentious flair.

Then there was [Jerry's Speed Potion: Dramatically increases your speed upon consumption.] Shen An's eyes lit up at this one.

In the animated show, Jerry became as fast as lightning after drinking this potion. Tom had to slow the footage down countless times to see Jerry's movements. Shen An couldn't help but grin imagining how unstoppable he'd be with this as a secret weapon.

Finally, there was the small soul power experience pack, which Shen An had used before. It had boosted him from the edge of level 14 straight to level 16 in one go. The thrill of "hacking" his way through progress was exhilarating.

Ahem, no—this isn't cheating. It's just a little...creative advantage.

His reputation value continued to grow steadily. But Shen An speculated that after a certain point, the rate of increase would slow down or even stop entirely.

After all, Soto City was only so big. The tea shop's influence could only reach so far, given the state of transportation in Douluo Dalu, which wasn't much better than ancient times. If he wanted more, he'd need to explore new territories—or dig deeper into ways to exploit reputation points.

But for now, Shen An decided to focus on steady growth.

"Knock, knock."

A series of knocks broke Shen An's train of thought.

"Who is it?"

"Open up, it's me—Zhu Zhuqing."

Finally, she's done with a full day of training and is willing to talk again, Shen An thought to himself as he opened the door.

"What's up, Zhuqing? Need something?" Shen An greeted her with a smile.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shen An's warm and sincere face, and for a moment, she was dazed. Why does he look better every time I see him? Wait, no—what am I even thinking?

"I've thought it through," Zhu Zhuqing began. "Tom's swordsmanship is indeed very impressive, and it's perfect for teaching you."

"However, Tom is still just a cat. It can't guide you in soul power meditation or cultivation techniques, so I'll handle that. From now on, I'll oversee your progress," she declared, her tone firm and her face calm and composed.

Shen An looked at the icy beauty standing before him, her actions speaking louder than her reserved words. She might not say much, but once she considered you a friend, she always took care of you in her own way.

Looking at her serious demeanor, Shen An suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia.

It reminded him of a warm afternoon long ago, golden sunlight streaming through the school hallways. A girl in a blue-and-white school uniform, with a sweet smile, had said to him, "Shen An, your English is terrible. I'll help you study so we can get into the same college together."

The memory overlapped with the present. Whether it was the girl from his past or Zhu Zhuqing standing before him now, they both wanted to help him become better.

"Alright," Shen An replied with a smile. "You teach; I'll learn."

"How's your soul power training been these past couple of days? Made any progress?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, curious.

She wanted to assess Shen An's progress before planning his next steps and setting goals.

"Well," Shen An started, "last time you said I was level 14, right? So I should mention that now I'm level 16."

"W-What?! You're level 16 already? That's impossible!"

Zhu Zhuqing's usually composed face froze in shock. Her delicate lips parted slightly, and her chest rose and fell as if she couldn't believe her ears.

She had been born with innate level 7 soul power—a remarkable talent. Even with rigorous training since awakening her martial soul at six years old, she was only at level 27 after six years.

But Shen An? He'd jumped three levels in days, and now, in less than three more, he was level 16.

Watching her dazed expression, Shen An felt a pang of guilt. Did I accidentally traumatize her? But hey, isn't there a genius in the original story with innate full soul power starting at level 20? Compared to that, I'm nothing special.

"Zhuqing? Zhuqing?"

Shen An's voice brought her back to reality. Staring at Shen An, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt like all her years of hard work were a joke.

She had been planning to share her meditation techniques, but now? I was going to teach a cultivation genius my so-called tips? The real fool here...is me.

Biting her lip, Zhu Zhuqing's already glistening eyes seemed to brim with more unshed tears. First, she'd been crushed by Tom's prowess. Now, she was overwhelmed by Shen An's rapid growth.

Zhu Zhuqing wasn't the type to be envious or easily broken. But the successive blows made her feel small, like an ordinary person struggling to keep up with extraordinary ones.

Especially when she thought of the insurmountable mountain that was her sister and the fate she was born to endure.

"I'm sorry for bothering you." Zhu Zhuqing turned away before Shen An could see her face and quickly left.

Something was definitely wrong. Shen An could feel it.

If this was just her feeling defeated, she wouldn't have reacted so intensely—unless it had triggered memories of something painful.

After hesitating, Shen An decided to follow her.

He eventually found her on the roof. Sitting on the tiles, Zhu Zhuqing had buried her face in her arms, her quiet sobs carried through the still night.

Even with his enhanced senses, the faint sound was barely audible. Shen An climbed up silently, his heart aching at the sight before him.

The moonlight bathed Zhu Zhuqing's figure in a silvery glow. Her small face, streaked with tears, was a picture of fragility.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why do I work so hard every day, yet my skills are no match for Tom, and my cultivation speed can't compare to yours?"

"Am I...really so useless?"

The vulnerability in her words broke Shen An's heart.