Oscar Blocks the Way

Ning Rongrong swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a whisper: "Spirit power level increased by 2... and an 8,000-year spirit bone. From the Medusa clan. A cranial one."

Xiao Wu's mouth formed an 'O': "A spirit bone?!"

"Shh!" Ning Rongrong quickly covered her mouth, "Keep it down!"

Xiao Wu made a muffled sound, swatting Ning Rongrong's hand away: "My god, Rongrong, an 8,000-year spirit bone! You traded one gold spirit coin for an 8,000-year spirit bone! Do you have any idea how much one of that caliber costs on the market?"

"At least five hundred thousand gold spirit coins, and that's if you can even find one in stock!" When Ning Rongrong said the number, her own voice trembled.

The two stood in the alley, staring at each other, speechless for a long time.

Then, they both burst out laughing at the same time.

Xiao Wu threw an arm around Ning Rongrong's shoulder: "I told you that shop was insane! I gained 8 levels, you gained 2 and got a spirit bone on top of it—this is just too absurd!"

Ning Rongrong nodded like a woodpecker.

As they stepped out of the alley, Ning Rongrong suddenly stopped: "Wait... that boss, does he even know about these prizes?"

"No idea. He's just a mortal, and besides, the prizes are for women only, not men," Xiao Wu explained.

"A mortal, running a shop that gives away ten-thousand-year spirit rings and thousand-year spirit bones." Ning Rongrong repeated the sentence in a low voice.

The two exchanged a look, the more they thought about it, the deeper and more bottomless the mystery seemed.

"Forget it." Xiao Wu waved her hand dismissively, "The non-disclosure agreement says we can't tell men, so we'll just go secretly on our own. I'm going back tomorrow!"

"I'm going too." Ning Rongrong gripped her purse tightly, the touch of that little white cat inside feeling soft and warm.

"But..." Ning Rongrong mused, "Should we tell Zhu Zhuqing about such a good thing?"

"Zhuqing?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, "Oh, right! She's a girl too, so it doesn't break the agreement. And hasn't she been annoyed to death by that scumbag Dai Mubai lately? If she could get stronger..."

"Let's call her tomorrow."

"Deal!"

The two girls walked side-by-side on the road back to the academy, chattering away, their laughter drifting far into the twilight.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong walked hand-in-hand along the bluestone-paved main path of the academy toward the dorms.

The streetlights were all on, casting warm yellow light from above and stretching their shadows long across the ground.

Xiao Wu's scorpion braid rested over her shoulder, swaying as she walked, the pink ribbon at the end particularly eye-catching under the lights.

Ning Rongrong tucked the notebook she had almost lost under her arm, her calves, wrapped in white silk stockings, taking light, quick steps beneath her skirt.

The two whispered and giggled the whole way, bursting into laughter every now and then.

"Rongrong, do you really think that boss doesn't know about the prizes?"

"He really seems like he doesn't. Just a mortal, not even a shred of spirit power fluctuation, just sitting there munching on a wrap."

Xiao Wu clicked her tongue: "That's what's so ridiculous. Running a shop that can give away ten-thousand-year spirit rings, yet he's still worrying about his next meal."

"That's exactly why we can't let anyone else know," Ning Rongrong lowered her voice, "If that bunch of boys finds out, who knows what kind of trouble they'll stir up."

"Don't worry, don't worry, the prizes are for women only."

"That won't stop them." Ning Rongrong shook her head, "You don't know Tang San and his crowd. If they knew about a good deal like this, even if they couldn't use it themselves, they'd find some way to sabotage it."

Xiao Wu thought about it, decided it made sense, and nodded.

The two turned the corner of the teaching building, and the girls' dormitory was fifty meters ahead. The white exterior walls glowed under the streetlights, warm light spilling from the windows on the second and third floors, with the faint sound of chatter drifting out.

Just then, a figure rose from behind a stone bench by the road, blocking their path.

"Stop right there!"

Xiao Wu's footsteps faltered.

The person had a head of messy golden hair, a dangling unlit cigarette in his mouth, his academy uniform sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his collar unbuttoned to the third button, leaning lazily against a lamppost.

Oscar.

Having just dropped Tang San off at the dorm, he was now loitering by the girls' dormitory, hoping to run into Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips: "Oh, look who it is, if it isn't F4's own Oscar."

F4 was the nickname the academy girls had privately given to Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun. It wasn't a compliment; it was sarcastic, implying the four of them were always huddled together causing trouble.

Oscar straightened up from the lamppost, took the cigarette from his mouth, twirled it between his fingers, and looked at them with a grin.

"It's me."

Oscar's gaze swept back and forth between Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, finally settling on Ning Rongrong's fair, oval face.

"Rongrong, want to try my big sausage? Haha!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ning Rongrong's expression soured.

"Pah! You creep!"

Ning Rongrong hated that kind of talk more than anything.

As a Food-type Spirit Master, Oscar's spirit was literally various types of sausages, but he insisted on using that fact to make lewd remarks whenever he saw girls.

The entire academy knew about this habit of his, and behind his back, they had nicknamed him "Big Pervert."

Oscar didn't feel embarrassed in the slightest; instead, his grin widened. "Yo, yo, yo, someone's actually angry."

Ning Rongrong pulled her notebook from under her arm and gripped it tightly. Her calves, encased in white silk stockings, tensed, and the heel of her short boot clicked sharply against the stone floor.

"Get lost! If you don't leave now, don't blame me for flattening you!"

Oscar dug into his ear, looking completely unbothered. "What? You're going to hit me?"

He clamped his cigarette back between his lips, crossed his arms over his chest, and squinted at Ning Rongrong with a condescending air.

"I am a level 64 Spirit Emperor, after all. I'm not even afraid of Xiao Wu, so why would I be afraid of a level 59 Spirit King like you?"

That wasn't a lie. In Oscar's mind, the incident with Xiao Wu had been a fluke; who knew what kind of twisted method that girl had used to take Tang San down?

But Ning Rongrong was different. She was a support-type Spirit Master, the daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda sect master, and her combat ability had always been the lowest in the class.

A level 59 Spirit King didn't even have the right to fight back against him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately perked up.

She flicked her scorpion braid behind her, planted her hands on her waist, and tapped the toe of her crystal high heel against the ground twice.

"Alright then, Oscar, enough talk. If you're a man, have a fight with Ning Rongrong."

Xiao Wu tilted her head and gestured with her chin toward the depths of the academy. "How about we go to the academy sports field?"

"No problem." Oscar took the cigarette from his mouth and flicked it away with his thumb. "It just depends on whether Ning Rongrong is scared or not."

Ning Rongrong lifted her chin and spat out a single word.

"Let's go!"

The three of them headed toward the sports field.

Xiao Wu walked beside Ning Rongrong, leaning in to whisper into her ear, her voice so low that only the two of them could hear.

"Rongrong, is that Medusa's Gaze of yours effective on people?"

Ning Rongrong's lips barely moved. "It isn't, but I know how to deal with it."

Xiao Wu's eyes darted around, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled upward.