"All right, a bet's a bet."
Lin Mo withdrew his Martial Soul. His white hair turned black again as he exited the Innate Life State, and he rubbed his hands together without thinking.
Monster girls, huh? Monster girls!
A real, living monster girl!
Right here in front of him.
"Be gentle," Xiao Wu said, biting her lip and lowering her head.
With Xiao Wu's permission, Lin Mo reached out and gently touched the rabbit ears that had appeared after her Martial Soul Possession.
If he hadn't been standing right in front of Xiao Wu, he might've been so excited he'd let out a startled cry.
Monster girls really were the best!
The instant Lin Mo's fingers touched her ears, their softness left him stunned.
The rabbit ears were slightly warmer than Xiao Wu's body, warm and cozy.
He instinctively gave one a gentle squeeze.
Xiao Wu's face had long since turned red with embarrassment.
The moment Lin Mo first touched her, her body had stiffened, leaving her unable to move.
She regretted it terribly.
Why had she agreed to such an outrageous request from Suzuki? Wasn't she just asking for trouble?
How embarrassing.
Xiao Wu pressed her lips together, arms hanging at her sides, fingers gripping the hem of her clothes.
She didn't dare look up or say a word.
She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, some strange sound might come out.
Just as Lin Mo's fingers gently pinched the tip of Xiao Wu's ear, her shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.
Lin Mo naturally noticed her reaction.
As he touched them, the tips of her rabbit ears had taken on a faint pink hue.
They looked especially cute.
On a whim, he reached out and gently flicked one of the ear tips.
Xiao Wu's rabbit ears gave a sudden twitch, making her look just like a startled rabbit.
"Are you done yet?" Xiao Wu's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Unbeknownst to her, it even carried a soft, sweet lilt she hadn't noticed herself.
Her face had already turned red to the roots of her ears, and a faint blush had spread down her neck.
After saying that, Xiao Wu immediately bit her lip again and fell silent.
To her horror, her voice had sounded just like she was acting coy.
She couldn't help scolding herself again in her heart!
Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, what on earth are you doing?
Lin Mo lowered his eyes to look at her.
He gave her reddened ears one last gentle rub, then finally withdrew his hand, still reluctant to stop.
The softness and warmth lingered in his palm.
But when Lin Mo looked at the pair of rabbit ears atop Xiao Wu's head, still trembling slightly, a tremendous sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart for no apparent reason.
Monster girls really were the best!
The moment Lin Mo withdrew his hand, Xiao Wu immediately ended her Martial Soul Possession. The pair of rabbit ears vanished in a flash.
She brushed the back of her hand against her burning cheeks, took a deep breath, and tried to make herself look fierce.
"You've had enough, haven't you?"
Xiao Wu glared at Lin Mo, seeming to want to win back some dignity.
But with her eyes still bright red, she didn't look intimidating at all. If anything, she seemed to be putting on a brave front.
The rabbit ears that appeared after her Martial Soul Possession were an extremely sensitive and private part of her body.
If she hadn't lost to Lin Mo, she would never have let an outsider touch them.
Lin Mo smiled and clasped his hands behind his back.
Not long afterward, at Dorm Seven.
"They're back! Brother Mo and Sister Xiao Wu are back!"
Sharp-eyed Wang Sheng spotted Lin Mo and Xiao Wu returning one after the other, and couldn't help letting out a startled cry.
The other work-study students seized the chance to crowd around them, chattering as they fired off questions.
"Brother Mo, who won your spar with Sister Xiao Wu?"
"What's there to ask? Of course it was Brother Mo. Didn't you see how he practically had a spring in his step?"
"Hasn't Sister Xiao Wu already gotten her First Soul Ring? Brother Mo, how did the spar turn out?"
"Sister Xiao Wu, why's your face so red? Did the spar tire you out?"
"Brother Mo, say something! Don't just grin!"
Everyone talked over one another, one question after another. For a moment, Dorm Seven was as lively as a pot about to boil over.
Some of the more impatient students had already crowded around Lin Mo. A few others gathered around Xiao Wu, but one glare from her sent them scurrying back.
With her face red, Xiao Wu walked over to her bed without saying a word, sat down, and pulled the covers over herself.
Her reaction only made everyone more curious.
Wang Sheng glanced at Lin Mo, then at Xiao Wu, who was curled up beneath the covers, and scratched his head. "Brother Mo, what happened?"
Lin Mo smiled at everyone and gave a thumbs-up. "Your Brother Mo is still your Brother Mo!"
The crowd erupted in cheers again.
"I told you! Brother Mo definitely won!"
"Sister Xiao Wu already has a Soul Ring, and she still couldn't beat Brother Mo. Brother Mo's way too strong!"
"See? Just like I thought—your Brother Mo is still your Brother Mo!"
"Brother Mo is mighty as ever!"
"All right, all right, break it up. It's so late, and you're still not resting. You sure love watching the excitement."
Lin Mo waved the crowd away, then returned to his bed.
He took the meditation technique from his robes and began cultivating along the route described in it.
Yu Xiaogang had given it to him on the way back.
As Yu Xiaogang had put it, one thing was one thing and another was another. This was his way of thanking Lin Mo for rescuing Luo Sanpao from the Datura Snake.
Lin Mo accepted it without hesitation.
The meditation technique Yu Xiaogang had given him was considerably better than the basic meditation techniques the teachers at the academy taught.
Besides, Lin Mo had no objection to building a good relationship with Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. Though Grandmaster's raw strength was lacking, his other strengths were considerable.
Setting aside the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind Grandmaster, even Pope Bibi Dong alone was reason enough for Lin Mo to get along with him.
With Grandmaster's name as a shield, whether Bibi Dong tried to recruit Lin Mo or make a move against him in the future, she would surely think twice.
Lin Mo wasn't Tang San, after all. He wasn't inherently at odds with Spirit Hall.
With his eyes closed, Lin Mo circulated his Soul Power around and around, following the route.
As he circulated his Soul Power, Lin Mo silently weighed things in his mind.
Aside from all that, he had a few guesses as to why Grandmaster hadn't asked to take him as a disciple.
The main reason was probably that he already had a disciple with Twin Martial Souls: Tang San.
The secondary reason was likely the thread of frustration he felt.
After all, even with Lin Mo deliberately cooperating, Yu Xiaogang had spent all that time guessing and still couldn't figure out what his Martial Soul was.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Lin Mo's face.
A conventional Body Martial Soul covering the entire body was already difficult to guess if he didn't explain it.
And his Body Martial Soul also came with an innate talent called Inversion of Three.
That made the puzzle even harder.