In the end, Su Mo still didn't use Spiritual Detection.
He was afraid he'd get a stye.
The three found the manager and booked two rooms. Seeing the wrecked lobby, Tang San asked helplessly, "Manager, how much will it cost to repair this place?"
Manager Wang hurriedly waved his hands with an ingratiating smile.
"Young Master Dai already said to put it on his tab. It has nothing to do with you. I'm truly sorry about what happened earlier and the unpleasant experience it caused you three. I've decided to waive three days of room charges for you."
Tang San froze, feeling a little embarrassed.
After all, they'd wrecked the man's lobby, yet he wasn't asking for compensation and was even waiving their room fees.
Seeing this, Su Mo immediately thanked him. "Thank you, then! You're a genuinely decent man, Manager. No wonder business keeps booming under your management. This hotel couldn't do without you."
"Haha, you certainly have a way with words. Please do us the honor of visiting again."
The guest's flattery left the manager feeling unexpectedly honored.
He enthusiastically handed them the keys. "Your rooms are on the top floor. One is Pink Tenderness, and the other is Blue Enchantress."
The three took the keys, said goodbye to the manager, and headed upstairs.
There were only a few rooms on the top floor: Blue Enchantress, Pink Tenderness, Yellow Sincerity, White Innocence, Green Farewell, Red Ocean, and so on.
The names on the doorplates represented the colors of roses.
"Little San, focus on recovering for now. We'll look for Shrek Academy together tomorrow morning." Su Mo waved and led Xiao Wu into Pink Tenderness.
"All right."
Tang San nodded his pig-like head, rubbing his swollen face as he entered Blue Enchantress.
Upon entering their room, they were greeted by a very spacious living room. Pink rose patterns covered the pink carpet, and at its center, one thousand and one roses had been arranged into a pink heart.
Pink roses stood all around, their rich fragrance filling every corner.
Inside the bedroom was just one large bed, shaped like a pink heart. Pale pink gauze curtains hung from the ceiling, dreamlike and illusory, pushing the romantic atmosphere to the absolute limit.
"Whoa! This hotel really knows how to play."
Su Mo couldn't help marveling at the room's decor.
Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with enchantment.
A rosy blush spread across her cheeks.
She stole glances at Su Mo, looking both expectant and a little timid.
Yet Su Mo glanced at Xiao Wu and said coldly, "There's only one bed. I'll take the bed; you take the sofa."
Xiao Wu: "..."
You stupid blockhead!
"I won't!" Xiao Wu huffed indignantly and beat him to the springy, heart-shaped bed, throwing herself onto it and rolling back and forth.
"Suit yourself."
Long accustomed to this, Su Mo took a shower, then sat cross-legged at the edge of the bed and began meditating.
His current meditation method was Threefold Return to Origin, version 3.0.
It improved his Soul Power, spiritual power, and physique across the board, with a cultivation speed slightly superior to the Mysterious Heaven Skill. He had already reached rank thirty-nine, the same as Dai Mubai, and was on the verge of breaking through to rank forty.
On the surface, however, he was the same rank as Tang San.
But the side effects of his ultimate attribute were also growing increasingly apparent.
Ever since rank thirty, his cultivation speed had been getting slower and slower.
If not for the Threefold Return to Origin that Tian Meng had developed and continually updated and optimized, he would never have reached his current rank, even using the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
"Su Mo, another young lady has shown up in the Frog House. What are you planning to do with her?"
Tian Meng's voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
At those words, Su Mo left one thread of his consciousness meditating while another entered his Sea of Consciousness.
This was none other than Heart Separation Control.
After Tian Meng demonstrated it once, Su Mo had copied it directly.
His Sea of Consciousness now looked completely different. A small island had appeared at its center, covered in a lush, simulated forest.
Beside the beach, six baby silkworms lay on coconut trees, working on Self-Created Soul Skills.
Another sat on a beach chair, basking in simulated sunlight.
By the ranks of Heart Separation Control, Tian Meng had reached the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, allowing him to handle seven tasks at once.
In truth, however, splitting off a few more threads of consciousness still wouldn't affect Tian Meng.
He simply didn't want to work that hard.
"Brother Sky Dream, you've really figured out how to make Heart Separation Control work for you." Looking at those workhorse clones, Su Mo couldn't resist teasing him.
Tian Meng replied irritably, "I'm your angel investor, after all-a shareholder. Since when do shareholders have to do the work? I just have to wait for my dividends."
Over the years, Su Mo had taught Tian Meng some financial basics.
He hadn't expected Tian Meng to put that knowledge to such practical use.
"Can't argue with that." Su Mo gave Tian Meng a thumbs-up.
"Back to business. What are you planning to do with that young lady? She should be Zhu Zhuqing, right?" Tian Meng steered the topic back.
"What else? Quietly let her go."
"Can you bear to?" Tian Meng asked, waggling his eyebrows.
Su Mo shrugged. "What if I can't? The first two to enter the Frog House were both soul beasts. Brother Sky Dream, you've already sacrificed yourself, and since Xiao Wu underwent soul beast transformation, I could keep her in hand with a big stick and a sweet date. Even now, though, she's still under my supervision at all times."
"But Zhu Zhuqing is different. She grew up in a cruel environment, has a resolute heart, and yearns for freedom. Treating her the way I treat Xiao Wu would only backfire in the end."
As for placing no restrictions on her and simply telling her the truth, Su Mo himself wouldn't feel comfortable with that.
To avoid exposing himself, he might as well release her outright.
He had already transferred the Martial Soul Fusion Skill within Zhu Zhuqing to Tang San anyway, indirectly severing her connection with Dai Mubai. He could find another chance to approach her later.
"Hey, I've got a suggestion!"
Tian Meng's eyes suddenly lit up. "Why not wait until that lecherous tiger leaves the hotel before releasing her?"
"Hmm?" Su Mo immediately perked up.
"That's a good idea. Letting Zhu Zhuqing see Dai Mubai's behavior with her own eyes will help sever their connection faster."
Tian Meng grinned wickedly. "Then you can slip in while she's vulnerable, right?"
"Of course not. I just can't stand Dai Mubai."
Su Mo spoke with a perfectly straight face. "Right, I could also give her a postcard."
"What would you give her that for?" Tian Meng was taken aback.
The so-called postcard was actually the little frog's third soul skill. Once given to someone, it could open a private chat channel regardless of distance.
"To make it easier to stay in touch," Su Mo said casually.
Mainly, he hadn't really used this soul skill since obtaining it. Now that he'd found a suitable test subject, he could try out its effects.
Having made up his mind, he split off a thread of consciousness to track Dai Mubai's movements.
He didn't see any big white bunnies or long, pale legs, though.
He was a decent man, after all, and scorned peeping.
But before long, Dai Mubai left the room with the twins.
"Holy shit, that fast!"
Su Mo couldn't help blurting out a snarky remark. Then he locked his spiritual power onto Zhu Zhuqing, timed it precisely, and released her into an alley outside the Rose Hotel, where she had a clear view of the hotel's main entrance.
This remote deployment was an advanced application he had developed for the Frog House.
Its deployment range was the same as his detection range.
Whoosh!
Zhu Zhuqing felt her vision blur, and she suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar place. As soon as she could see clearly, she spotted a blond boy with double pupils walking out of the hotel with his arms around a pair of twins.