The boys' dormitory, at the same time.
Tang San lay on his bed with a medicinal plaster stuck to his lower back. Ma Hongjun had brought it back from the infirmary. Its sharp, spicy smell filled the entire room.
Oscar sat on the opposite bed, a piece of hemostatic cotton in his mouth. His tongue kept touching the gap where his left front tooth had been, making him wince from the ache.
Dai Mubai leaned against the wardrobe by the door, his long legs crossed and his arms folded over his chest.
Ma Hongjun dragged a chair into the middle of the room and sat down, propping both feet on the edge of the table.
"Third Brother, tell me again. What exactly happened to Xiao Wu today?" Ma Hongjun asked.
Tang San pressed down on the plaster and hissed.
"At noon, she was still level 62. When I tugged her braid, she kicked me, and I caught her with one hand."
"Then what?"
"Then, around five in the afternoon, on the sports field, she kicked me flying. Her second kick landed right on my kidneys. I didn't even have a chance to react. Her speed and strength were at least on the level of a level 70 Soul Saint."
Ma Hongjun lowered his feet from the table.
"She gained eight levels in four hours?"
"I thought it sounded ridiculous too. But my kidneys still hurt. You tell me if it sounds ridiculous."
Ma Hongjun turned to Oscar. "What about that thing with your Mushroom Sausage turning to stone?"
Oscar spat out the hemostatic cotton. His words came out with a lisp.
"I swear, my Flying Mushroom Sausage was right by my mouth, and it turned to stone. I even chipped my front tooth. Tomorrow morning, I still have to go look for my tooth."
"Swear," Ma Hongjun corrected him.
"Right, I sweah."
Ma Hongjun held back a laugh.
Dai Mubai had been silent the whole time, but now he spoke up.
"Is it possible you were both just off your game today? Or that Xiao Wu used some kind of one-use amplification soul tool? There are forbidden items on the market that can dramatically boost someone's strength for a short time."
Tang San thought it over, then shook his head.
"It didn't seem like it. Forbidden items have obvious side effects once they wear off: your Soul Power goes haywire, your face turns pale, and in serious cases, you vomit blood on the spot. But Xiao Wu was bouncing around after beating me. She was completely fine, and even scolded me afterward."
Dai Mubai frowned. "That's strange, then."
Ma Hongjun yawned. "I think you're both overthinking it. What resources does the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect not have? As for a Mushroom Sausage turning to stone..."
Ma Hongjun glanced at Oscar and didn't finish.
Oscar grew agitated. "You don't believe me? I lost a front tooth! Do you think I'd knock out my own tooth just to fool you?"
"But your Mushroom Sausage is fine now, isn't it? Maybe you were so nervous that you bit a stone beside it without noticing."
"How could I mistake a stone for a Mushroom Sausage!" Oscar slapped his thigh in anger.
Tang San raised a hand to stop them.
"All right, stop arguing. Whatever the case, something was off today. I suggest we observe them for a few days first. If Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong really had some kind of fortuitous encounter, they won't be able to keep it hidden."
Dai Mubai nodded. "Agreed. Let's wait and see."
Ma Hongjun shrugged. "It has nothing to do with me, anyway. Investigate if you want, just don't drag me into it."
Tang San ignored him, lay back down, and pulled the covers up to his chest.
The medicinal plaster on his lower back was warming up. The pain was slowly fading, but the thorn in his heart had sunk in even deeper.
The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten.
Xiao Wu woke up.
More accurately, she'd been so excited that she'd barely slept all night. She'd tossed and turned until she'd finally dozed off in the latter half of the night, then sprang up the moment dawn broke.
She washed her face and changed clothes. She wore the same pink gauzy dress as the day before, along with gray stockings and crystal high heels. Her Scorpion Braid had been woven tight and neat, with a pink ribbon tied at the end, and rabbit-ear hair ornaments perched on her head.
Ning Rongrong had gotten up too. She wore a blue skirt, white stockings, and ankle boots. She tucked her loose hair behind her ears and secured it with a silver hair clip.
Zhu Zhuqing was the third to get up. She wore a black leather jacket and black leather pants that hugged her tall, slender figure. The zipper on her chest was pulled to a suitable height—not revealing, but not tight either—though her full curves were still clearly visible. She had changed into black ankle boots, their shafts reaching her ankles.
Bai Chenxiang was the last to get ready. She wore a light green dress with a hem that fell to mid-calf, a pair of white flat shoes, and two low ponytails hanging over her chest.
The four of them left the dormitory and followed the academy's main road toward the school gates.
At eight fifty, most of the shops on the pedestrian street had yet to open. The blacksmith's shop had its shutters closed, the sign for the spiritual herbs shop hung crookedly, and only the breakfast stalls were steaming.
When the four of them reached the Happy Claw Machine, the shop was still closed.
Xiao Wu pressed her face to the window and peered inside.
The shop was dark. The colored lights on the six Claw Machines were off, and the counter was empty. The owner hadn't gotten up yet.
"It's still not open," Xiao Wu said with a pout.
"Didn't you say nine? It's only eight fifty," Ning Rongrong said, glancing at the sky.
The four of them waited outside.
Zhu Zhuqing leaned against the wall of the neighboring pharmacy, arms folded over her chest. She said nothing, but kept her eyes fixed on the glass door.
Bai Chenxiang stood beside Xiao Wu, clutching her skirt in both hands and occasionally peeking into the shop.
Nine o'clock sharp.
A clatter came from inside the shop, as if something had been knocked over, followed by a man's muffled voice.
"Who is it... this early in the morning..."
The glass door was pushed open from inside, and Qin Chuan stepped out, yawning. His hair was a mess, his gray-blue work clothes were wrinkled, and his eyes weren't fully open yet.
He looked up and found four girls standing in front of him in a neat row.
Qin Chuan's yawn caught in his throat.
Xiao Wu waved cheerfully. "Good morning, boss!"
Qin Chuan blinked, looking at Xiao Wu, then Ning Rongrong, before shifting his gaze to the two unfamiliar faces behind them.
One was a tall girl in a black leather jacket, with a striking figure and a chilly expression. The other was a quiet girl in a light green dress, head lowered as if she didn't quite dare look at anyone.
"These are..."
"My roommates!" Xiao Wu introduced them, pulling Zhu Zhuqing forward by the arm. "This is Zhu Zhuqing, and this is Bai Chenxiang."
Qin Chuan's mind wasn't fully awake yet, but the moment he heard there were new customers, he perked right up.
Customers meant meal money. Two new customers meant a commission of four Silver Soul Coins.
"Welcome, welcome! Come on in!" Qin Chuan stepped aside and eagerly ushered them inside.
The four of them filed into the shop.
Qin Chuan hurriedly switched on the lights. The colored lights on the six Claw Machines came on one after another, making the plush toys look especially pretty beneath the glow.
Zhu Zhuqing swept her gaze around the shop.
It was a little store of about twenty square meters, with six box-shaped cabinets stuffed full of plush toys. There were rabbits, cats, and dogs in the Ordinary Zone, and Kuromi and Pikachu in the High-Tier Zone.
It looked like an ordinary, shabby little shop.
But Zhu Zhuqing remembered the force of Xiao Wu's punch the previous night. She said nothing and walked up to the counter.
"Put your hand on the Crystal Ball first," Xiao Wu reminded her from behind.
Qin Chuan nodded vigorously behind the counter. "That's right, that's right. New customers just need to register on the Crystal Ball first."
Zhu Zhuqing looked down at the fist-sized Crystal Ball, fell silent for two seconds, then pressed her right palm against it.
The ball lit up.
A voice flowed into her mind.
[Congratulations, system registration successful! Welcome to the God-Tier Claw Machine!]
[Basic Information: Zhu Zhuqing, 18 years old, level 62 Soul Emperor.]
[Membership Level: Ordinary Member (current experience 0/10)]
Zhu Zhuqing swiftly scanned all the information.
Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, Thousand-Year Soul Bone, Innate Full Soul Power... Confidentiality Agreement... Soul Power reduced to level 1...
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted. It was real.
Everything Xiao Wu had told her the previous night was true.
Zhu Zhuqing withdrew her hand. Her face remained expressionless, but the fist she'd clenched was growing faintly warm.
Bai Chenxiang went next and placed her hand on it too.
Registration complete.
The four of them started playing the Claw Machines.
Xiao Wu took out a Gold Soul Coin and fed it to the Crystal Ball, exchanging it for three Game Coins.
She missed with the first.
She got a grip with the second, but it dropped halfway.
The third dropped too.
"Ah!" Xiao Wu thumped the machine. "My luck's bad today!"
Ning Rongrong missed all three times too.
Bai Chenxiang had it even worse. Her hand shook as she put in the first coin, and the claw went straight to the side. She lined it up correctly with the next two, but neither time could she get a grip.
All three of them were wiped out, their faces crestfallen.
The last to take a turn was Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing went to the machine in the middle of the Ordinary Zone. It was full of plush animals: cats, dogs, rabbits, and bears.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze settled on a little black cat.
It wasn't especially detailed, but its black velvet fur was smooth and shiny. Its eyes were green beads sewn on, making it look a little like her Martial Soul, the Hell Spirit Cat.
Zhu Zhuqing inserted the first Game Coin, and the joystick popped out.
She gripped it with both hands and nudged it. As an agility-attack Soul Master, she had excellent hand-eye coordination and far better control of the joystick than an ordinary person.
The mechanical claw moved right above the black cat.
Zhu Zhuqing watched for two seconds, then pressed the button.
The mechanical claw descended, its three metal fingers opening and closing.
It caught the cat around the waist and lifted it. Steady.
It moved toward the chute. No wobbling. It reached the opening. The claw released its grip. The black cat fell straight down.
Thump.
The lights at the bottom flashed, followed by a cheerful ding-dong.
"I got it!" Xiao Wu shrieked beside her.