Mischievous Xiao Wu

Next, Qian Yun stayed under the pretext of touring the academy. Frank was in no mood to concern himself with anything else, so he let Qian Yun be.

Oscar dragged the reluctant Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai away, the three of them with their arms around one another's shoulders. As for what they were going to do, only they knew. At any rate, they had the perfectly legitimate excuse of buying clothes for Young Master Dai, so they weren't afraid of anyone's stares.

Hu Liena enthusiastically approached Ning Rongrong, who looked like a well-behaved young lady. As Qian Yun left, he glanced at Xiao Wu, then turned and walked away.

Xiao Wu stood rooted to the spot for a long while, looking back and forth between the direction Tang San had gone and the direction Qian Yun had left. In the end, she stamped her foot and chased after Qian Yun.

Before long, the lively girl in pink, with rabbit-ear decorations on her head, led a black-haired, golden-eyed youth to a grassy clearing surrounded by dense vegetation.

Qian Yun looked around. Compared to the other places, this spot was undoubtedly much more secluded. There was only one house, and the drying rack by the door had girls' underwear hanging on it.

Qian Yun couldn't help blushing for once. He turned his gaze away and asked Xiao Wu, "What is this place?"

Xiao Wu looked around and realized that bringing a boy to the girls' dormitory was very inappropriate. But there was nowhere more private than this in Shrek Academy right now. At least here, she didn't have to worry about some other boy showing up for no reason.

"This is the girls' dormitory. Boys aren't allowed in. Zhuqing should still be cultivating, so let's keep our voices down and not disturb her."

"Oh." Reassured by her explanation, Qian Yun looked at Xiao Wu with a faint smile.

Xiao Wu felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Her face reddened slightly as she glared back at him. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to ask how you've been doing with your mission."

"My mission? I've been working on it the whole time." Xiao Wu found the question strange. When she'd first followed his order to go to Nuoding Academy and find Tang San, she'd assumed he was some incredible figure. She hadn't expected him to be just a little kid.

Out of curiosity, she'd tested him, and found that he did have some ability—though only a little.

"Then tell me, what happened to Tang San over the past few years?" Qian Yun didn't think things could have changed much from the original course of events, but it was best to check again to make sure the plan went smoothly.

"Oh, all right." Xiao Wu tilted her head back and thought for a moment before beginning. "Back then, I followed the boss's orders and went to get close to Tang San. When I arrived at Nuoding Academy, he was indeed there. I was there as a work-study student too, and when I got to the dormitory, I found out he was already the dorm leader.

"Then we got into a fight, and I won. I was the boss, so I got a bed all to myself."

Qian Yun nodded. "Go on."

Xiao Wu then told him everything that had happened between her and Tang San. Aside from exaggerating her own achievements a little, things were more or less as Qian Yun had expected.

"And then you came along." Xiao Wu sighed as she spoke. Before she knew it, she and Tang San had been through so much together. They'd spent every day side by side, and their feelings for each other had long since grown beyond those of classmates.

"Mm, good. Looks like you really did your best to carry out the mission. You deserve praise." Qian Yun readily complimented Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu looked away, a little embarrassed. She had to admit that she'd taken the mission seriously at first, but later on, she'd naturally forgotten all about it.

"By the way... Boss, why did you ask me to keep an eye on Tang San? I don't see anything about him that's particularly worth watching." Xiao Wu finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had puzzled her most.

The more time she spent with Tang San, the more she realized that he was a good person. Eventually, she'd even accepted him as her older brother.

Qian Yun smiled mysteriously and changed the subject. "Want to know? I'll tell you more about it later. For now, tell me how strong you are."

At the mention of her strength, Xiao Wu puffed out her chest. "I'm already at level twenty-seven."

Qian Yun frowned. Why was she weaker than she'd been originally? He looked at the self-satisfied Xiao Wu and asked, "Have you been slacking off?"

Xiao Wu's eyes flew wide open. "Slacking off? Do you know how hard I've worked? I've been diligent day and night to reach my current level!"

Qian Yun didn't believe her for a second. He gave a dismissive snort. "With your special constitution, there's no way your Soul Power should have only reached this level. Tang San has even surpassed you, and you still dare to say you haven't been slacking off?"

Qian Yun saw right through Xiao Wu's flimsy excuse, putting particular emphasis on the words "special constitution."

"I..." Xiao Wu tried to argue back, but after Qian Yun glared at her, she couldn't come up with a proper response.

Qian Yun was right. After becoming the big sister of Nuoding Academy, she'd been utterly lawless for the few years she was there. Utterly lawless!

If not for the special talent she'd gained by reincarnating from a Spirit Beast, her Soul Power would have been even lower, given how lax Xiao Wu had been.

Qian Yun held out a hand to Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu didn't understand. "What?"

"Money. What did I tell you back then?"

At his words, Xiao Wu thought carefully. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. She seemed to remember that when Qian Yun had first met her, he'd given her seventy silver coins and said she'd have to repay him tenfold later.

Seeing Xiao Wu's changing expression, Qian Yun knew she'd remembered. "Well? Remember now? Seventy silver coins times ten is seven gold coins. You're a Spirit Master, so you should have that much, right?"

Xiao Wu's face turned bright red. She murmured, "I spent it all."

"..."

"Ah." Qian Yun helplessly pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't know whether he was being too harsh on Xiao Wu or expecting too much from her.

Hearing Qian Yun sigh, Xiao Wu thought he was disappointed and hurried over. "Don't sigh! I'll turn over a new leaf and take your assignments seriously from now on."

Seeing the innocence in Xiao Wu's eyes, Qian Yun smiled. "I remember promising to set you free once you completed the mission."

Xiao Wu hurriedly waved her hands. "Ah, there's no rush. I'm following the boss's orders of my own free will, so just give me whatever missions you have!"

Over the past few years, Xiao Wu had figured things out. She'd finally secured a place for herself in human society; how could she give that up so easily?

It was true that Qian Yun knew her real identity, but as long as she was useful to him, he would ensure her safety. And Qian Yun had a powerful following, so anyone who wanted to harm her would have to consider whether they were strong enough.

In a way, working for Qian Yun meant she didn't have to worry about her safety.

"Fine. At least you're sensible. I do have a task for you, but not right now. Let's end our meeting here for today. Remember to cultivate properly, all right? Your life depends on it, so could you please take it a little more seriously?"

Seeing that Qian Yun was about to leave, Xiao Wu panicked and reached out to grab him.

"What is it?"

Xiao Wu swallowed, then finally worked up the courage to touch her index fingers together. "Boss, could I... um, could I spar with you? Just for a little while."

"Oh?" Qian Yun turned to look at the hesitant Xiao Wu. She was a little nervous, but there was no hiding the anticipation in her eyes.

In an instant, Qian Yun understood what she meant. She'd submitted to him before, but back then, she'd been a two-ring Spirit Master fighting someone with no rings. He'd completely overwhelmed her, and Xiao Wu had given in mostly because she had no choice.

Their strength still differed, but the gap wasn't as overwhelming as it had been back then. On top of that, years had passed, and the powerful image Qian Yun had once impressed on Xiao Wu had gradually faded. That was why she was starting to think about resisting him.

"Heh. You want to rebel against me?" Qian Yun asked bluntly.

"No." Xiao Wu jumped in fright and hurriedly waved her hands. "I just... I just... um..."

Xiao Wu frantically tried to come up with an excuse, but couldn't get the words out. Then she thought of something, her eyes lit up, and she said firmly, "A spar! Right, a spar. Hehe."

Now that Xiao Wu had started thinking about resisting him, who knew what trouble she might cause if he ignored it?

It seemed he really needed to reinforce his authority in Xiao Wu's eyes.

But he didn't agree right away. Instead, he remarked meaningfully, "You certainly picked your moment."

Xiao Wu quickly explained, "We don't have to use our Martial Souls. That could make it easy to lose control, so we'll just fight hand to hand."

Since Xiao Wu was determined to spar with him, Qian Yun had no choice but to agree. "All right, then."

"Wow, you're so nice to me, Boss!" Xiao Wu hadn't expected Qian Yun to actually agree. After all, in both the Spirit Beast world and human society, anyone who dared to resist the strong was sure to be ruthlessly killed.

Watching Xiao Wu bounce away happily, Qian Yun smiled coldly. His gaze drifted from her slender waist and settled above her long, shapely legs.

He was indeed willing to set Xiao Wu free, but that didn't mean he couldn't teach her a memorable lesson so she'd never dare to oppose him again.

The two faced each other from a distance. Xiao Wu didn't immediately rush at him. Instead, she blinked at Qian Yun and asked in a coy voice, "Master, am I pretty?"

Although they'd agreed not to use their Martial Souls, the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit's natural talent could still bewitch her opponent. Xiao Wu's eyes took on a flirtatious red glow, and at the same time, a barely perceptible wave of mental power reached toward Qian Yun.

Faced with Xiao Wu's bewitchment, Qian Yun didn't react at all. Instead, he answered seriously, "Honestly, you're pretty average."

Xiao Wu's coquettish expression froze instantly. She'd resorted to such an embarrassing trick and still failed to affect him—instead, he'd even looked down on her. Her embarrassment and anger flared.

Xiao Wu withdrew her bewitchment. Her stiff expression softened into a smile, and in an instant, she was no longer a flirtatious girl but a lively young woman brimming with youthful energy. She smiled and took a step forward.

Qian Yun immediately went on guard and stepped back in response.

Xiao Wu froze for a moment. Then she took another step forward, and Qian Yun copied her, taking another step back.

"Eh?" Xiao Wu let out a puzzled little sound. As if unwilling to give up, she chased after him again. Qian Yun remained completely unruffled. Xiao Wu advanced, he retreated; Xiao Wu pursued, he ran.

Qian Yun kept a safe distance from Xiao Wu the entire time.

Before long, the small courtyard had turned into a game of chase. Seeing that she still couldn't get near Qian Yun, Xiao Wu finally stopped and pointed at him in annoyance. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Qian Yun shot back, "What are you doing?"

"Fighting! How am I supposed to fight you if you keep running?" Xiao Wu replied as if it were obvious.

Hearing that, Qian Yun looked at Xiao Wu with a touch of pity. He'd thought this rabbit was just a little slow, but now it seemed Xiao Wu might actually not be very bright.

"So I'm supposed to stand still and let you hit me?" Qian Yun asked, speechless.

Xiao Wu nodded. "Why not? Close combat is my specialty. How am I supposed to fight if you won't let me get close?"

Qian Yun rubbed his forehead. "Who taught you that kind of crooked logic?"

"Grandmaster. Besides, it's only a spar! A spar is supposed to go back and forth."

Qian Yun took a deep breath. There's not much time. I'd better finish this quickly. "Fine. Come over, then."

"Hehe." Xiao Wu giggled and bounced toward him with her hands behind her back. Then her expression suddenly changed, and she lashed out with a whip kick.

The experienced Qian Yun had been ready for that. He shifted back a step and raised a hand beside his cheek to block the attack.

When her first strike missed, Xiao Wu spun with the motion, driving her leg with her waist. Her slender waist twisted to an astonishing angle, and she launched an even more powerful whip kick at Qian Yun.

Qian Yun didn't dare be careless. He blocked Xiao Wu's fierce attacks while retreating. He knew how dangerous her soft techniques could be, so he always disengaged immediately after making contact, never giving Xiao Wu a chance to grab hold of him and use him for leverage.

Gradually, Xiao Wu realized something was wrong. On the surface, she seemed to have Qian Yun on the defensive, but she knew her attacks were being deflected one after another, and she was steadily wearing herself out. Without using their Martial Souls, she would lose if things continued like this.

After attacking furiously for a long time without getting anywhere, Xiao Wu backed off. She drew her brows together and glared at Qian Yun, who remained perfectly composed. "You!"

Qian Yun dusted the dirt Xiao Wu's shoe had scuffed onto his sleeve and smiled. "What is it this time?"

"Hmph! Take this!" After failing to break through with a series of fierce attacks, Xiao Wu decided to give Qian Yun a powerful one.

She struck with her leg again, but this time she used the rabbit's strongest attack: a forward kick. Her long, shapely leg cut through the air with a rush of wind as she drove it toward Qian Yun.

Even as her opponent, Qian Yun couldn't help being impressed by Xiao Wu's range. If he hadn't known her, who would have guessed she could reach him from so far away?

That's right—she reached him.

Qian Yun first knocked Xiao Wu's attack off course with his elbow, then followed the momentum and curled his hand into a claw, catching her by the ankle. Xiao Wu's pretty face instantly flushed.