A Truly Exhilarating Battle of Wits

"Okay, I... I'll just have the garlic grilled fish."

Tang Wulin picked up the menu and glanced at it. In the end, he symbolically ordered a grilled fish. Chen Ming didn't seem to mind and immediately ordered more than a dozen dishes to whet his appetite.

"This one, this one, and this one. Ten of each."

Watching him order so much, Tang Wulin glanced at Chen Ming's petite figure. There was no way he could eat all that...

"That's a lot... Can you finish it?"

"This is just an appetizer. I can eat a lot."

Chen Ming waved a hand to show there was no need to worry about him. Tang Wulin didn't try to stop him, and after a brief silence, the dishes began arriving one after another.

He was really curious how the restaurant could prepare everything so quickly. Surely it wasn't all pre-made... But soon he stopped thinking about it and dug in.

Tang Wulin stared as Chen Ming polished off bowl after bowl of rice. The sight felt strangely familiar...

As if he'd once known someone with silver hair and violet eyes who could really put away food. The feeling was oddly comforting.

"Uh... If you're still hungry, you can have mine too..."

Tang Wulin looked at the stack of plates and pushed his garlic grilled fish toward him as well. Chen Ming waved it off.

"It's fine. You eat it. I've had enough. I can't let you come all this way for nothing, though. Also, are you sure you don't want to order more?"

"No need. I already ate before I came."

"All right, then."

Chen Ming didn't press him. After dinner, he went straight to the front desk to pay. Tang Wulin had originally wanted to pay first, but then realized he didn't have any money on him after his manager, Le Qingling, had taken him in...

In other words, he'd come without any money. It was awkward, and all he could do was stare awkwardly at the cashier until Chen Ming stepped in to save him.

"I'll walk you back. It's late, and it's not safe for a girl to go home alone."

After they left the restaurant, Tang Wulin offered to walk Chen Ming home. At that, he stiffened and glanced at Tang Wulin before correcting him.

"I'm a boy..."

"A b-boy?!"

Hearing that, Tang Wulin looked utterly incredulous and gave the figure in front of him another once-over.

The person before him was petite, about 1.2 meters tall, with long silver-white hair tied into a ponytail, bright purple eyes, and delicate features.

Only then did Tang Wulin realize that Chen Ming was wearing the boys' school uniform. He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Sorry... You're just so cute. I mistook you for a girl..."

"...This is the form I take with my Martial Soul. I usually only use it when no one's around. Who knew you'd suddenly show up?"

Thinking about it, Chen Ming didn't know what to say. Being able to switch between two forms at will was pretty cool, but some people didn't like it. They treated him like a freak and called him names.

But none of that really mattered. It was just a hassle, and Tang Wulin understood what he meant. He nodded at once.

"I understand. I won't tell anyone else."

"Good. I'm heading back now. Don't worry, there are patrols from the security team on the way, so nothing should happen. See you."

Chen Ming waved goodbye and headed toward Tiantou Technology Academy. By the time he got back to the academy, it was already dark.

He went to the artificial lake on campus. Seeing no one around, he climbed over the railing and dropped down, landing upright on the surface of the water.

After a month, Chen Ming had gotten the hang of controlling his Soul Power to walk on water. He still had some time before bed, so he'd practice with his spear.

The next day, Chen Ming and the others were taking a physical education class on the sports field. After finishing the teacher's assigned exercises, Huo Tian waved his phone at everyone.

"Hey, get over here! There's a really interesting post on the campus forum."

"What is it?"

"What post?"

Feng Rulang, Lei Yuan, and Chen Ming curiously crowded around. Chen Ming hadn't joined the campus forum yet.

"Look. Someone took a picture last night of a beautiful girl practicing with a spear on the artificial lake on our campus. They said she's even prettier than the new students Lan Mengqin and Dong Qianqiu."

Huo Tian showed them a photo. The three of them saw a proud figure with silver-white hair, holding a silver dragon spear and sweeping it through the air beneath the moonlight.

Chen Ming's eye twitched. Seriously, dude?! I practice with my spear and you take a picture?! Then he looked at the comments below. They were all asking who he was.

"She really is beautiful."

"When did someone this pretty come to our academy?"

Feng Rulang and Lei Yuan were also full of admiration. Chen Ming felt uncomfortable hearing them talk and immediately cut in.

"Maybe it's a boy? Look, that's a boys' uniform..."

At that, the three of them looked over. Feng Rulang suddenly gave a lecherous grin.

"A boy? Ohhh... Then I really have to meet him!"

At that, Huo Tian, Lei Yuan, and Chen Ming all shuddered. They moved away from Feng Rulang as if they'd teleported.

"Lao Feng! I'm warning you, stay away from me from now on!"

"So that's why you climbed into my bed last night! Gross! Get lost!"

Huo Tian and Lei Yuan immediately started yelling. Chen Ming said nothing, simply drawing his legendary-quality Golden Sword, ready to slice Feng Rulang down at any moment. Damn it! This guy had actually been in our dorm!

"No! You've got it wrong! Last night I was just horsing around with Lei Yuan like normal!"

Feng Rulang hurriedly tried to explain. Huo Tian frowned and questioned him again.

"Then what was with you slapping my butt two days ago?"

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere fell silent again. Huo Tian and Lei Yuan summoned their Martial Souls, ready to punch Feng Rulang.

"That was just fooling around between classmates!"

"...Then why were you staring at my feet and drooling five days ago?"

At that, Chen Ming remembered Feng Rulang staring at his feet when he'd had them resting on the bed five days ago, then suddenly drooling. A chill ran through him.

"I... I was just spacing out, and then I got distracted and made a fool of myself!"

Feng Rulang hurriedly came up with another lame excuse, but Chen Ming and the others didn't believe him at all. They quietly moved farther away.

The excitement on Feng Rulang's face when Chen Ming had mentioned he might be a boy just now had been unmistakable.

"Do you think we'd believe that crap?"

Huo Tian was ready to strike, and Lei Yuan watched Feng Rulang warily. Chen Ming felt creeped out too. Looks like he couldn't sleep in the dorm anymore.

If he dreamed of turds that wouldn't break no matter how hard he squeezed, or dreamed of burrowing into them, he'd be done for. He might even dream of sausages he couldn't bite through.

"No! I really didn't! Listen to me! I was just pretending!"

Feng Rulang was on the verge of tears. He'd just been putting on an act, but all it got him was everyone avoiding him.

But Chen Ming and the others weren't about to listen. What a truly exhilarating battle of wits.

That night

In the boys' dormitory.

Huo Tian taped an iron basin to his butt and sealed his mouth shut. Lei Yuan spent some money on a pair of iron underwear and put them on.

Chen Ming took out Obsidian and sealed off his bed. Then he entered My World to mine diamonds. Each of the three had his own way of handling things.