Asking Teacher for Help

"Why did you think of using it that way?"

Fang Mo lowered his head, putting on an embarrassed look.

"This disciple... just thought of it randomly. Life at the orphanage was boring, and when I had nothing to do, I liked letting my mind wander."

Bibi Dong did not press further.

She leaned back in her chair, lightly tapping the desk with one hand as she seriously considered the proposal.

The study fell silent for a while.

Then Bibi Dong rose and walked to the bookshelf, taking down a dusty wooden box from the highest shelf.

She placed the box on the desk and opened it. Inside was a thumb-sized, translucent amber gel that faintly gleamed with golden light.

Whale Rubber.

Fang Mo's eyes lit up slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Bibi Dong's lips twitched faintly.

"This Whale Rubber was presented by a sea merchant three years ago. He sent an entire crate, but the people of the Pope Palace thought it was useless and gave most of it to their subordinates.

"I kept one piece myself. I originally intended to research it as a medicinal ingredient, but unfortunately, I never found the time."

Bibi Dong paused, her gaze returning to Fang Mo with a trace of scrutiny.

"The external application method you mentioned is not without merit in theory.

"The essence of Whale Rubber does indeed nourish the meridians, but its fiery nature is too strong. Applying it directly also carries risks."

"So I wanted to ask Teacher for help." Fang Mo spoke with complete confidence.

Bibi Dong could not help but freeze for a moment.

Then Fang Mo continued:

"Teacher is the Soul Master on the continent who understands Twin Martial Souls best. Teacher understands this disciple's meridians better than this disciple does.

"If Teacher can use Soul Power to guide the direction and speed at which the Whale Rubber seeps into my meridians while I apply it externally, the risk can be minimized."

After saying that, Fang Mo raised his head, his bright black eyes fixed on Bibi Dong.

They were filled with trust.

Bibi Dong looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

Perhaps because of Spirit Dong'er, Pope Bibi Dong also felt that he made sense.

The nourishing effects of Whale Rubber did exist. It was simply that Soul Masters across the continent regarded it as a... bedroom item, and no one had seriously studied its application in cultivation.

The "external application method" Fang Mo proposed successfully avoided the fiery risks of consuming Whale Rubber.

Allowing the essence to seep through the meridians and be absorbed slowly was, in theory, far gentler than taking it directly.

With her personally guiding it using Soul Power as well...

This plan was feasible!

But the issue was—

"Key meridian nodes..." Bibi Dong repeated softly before asking, "Do you know which ones are key nodes?"

Fang Mo thought for a moment, then raised a finger and indicated several locations on his body.

"Here, here, and here... This disciple compared them with the meridian diagram on the Parchment Scroll. These nodes are the main hubs through which Soul Power circulates."

Bibi Dong watched the places he pointed to, and then her expression changed subtly.

That was because several places Fang Mo had indicated included two at the center of his chest, one at the dantian in his lower abdomen, and one at the Life Gate Acupoint on his lower back.

They were all core meridian hubs.

And they were all... extremely private places.

Bibi Dong's ears reddened again.

This time, it was more obvious than before.

"You're still young. You can't judge the proper force yourself." She tried to keep her voice even. "This matter... I need to think about it."

Fang Mo nodded obediently.

"This disciple will listen to Teacher in all things."

After saying that, Fang Mo lowered his head and put on the appearance of seriously studying the Parchment Scroll.

In truth, he knew Bibi Dong would agree.

Not only because the plan was workable, but also because of the connection between the two Bibi Dongs.

Besides, if she discovered that Whale Rubber could strengthen the body, it could help her swiftly gain control of Spirit Hall.

She would definitely intervene.

That afternoon.

Not long after Fang Mo returned to his room, someone knocked on his door.

It was not a servant.

It was Bibi Dong herself.

She had changed into darker casual clothing, her hair loosely tied behind her head, and she carried a tray in her hands.

On the tray were the Whale Rubber, a bowl of clear water, a white silk cloth, and several silver needles.

"Prepare these before we begin."

Her tone had returned to the Pope's usual coolness, but Fang Mo noticed that she did not look into his eyes while speaking.

Fang Mo took the items and arranged them one by one on the low couch beside the bed.

Bibi Dong entered the room, glanced around, and then closed the door from the inside.

The click of the latch locking shut was especially distinct in the quiet room.

Fang Mo's heartbeat quickened.

Not out of nervousness, but from an instinctive anticipation of the scene to come.

Bibi Dong walked to the low couch, her gaze falling on the Whale Rubber.

"Follow the method you described. Grind the Whale Rubber into a paste first."

Fang Mo nodded and picked up a silver needle, piercing a small opening in the Whale Rubber.

The amber gel slowly flowed out, carrying a faint, warm scent of the sea.

He used the grinding pestle to crush the gel into a smooth, fine paste.

Bibi Dong watched from the side without saying a word.

Only after Fang Mo set aside the ground Whale Rubber paste did she slowly speak.

"Take off your shirt."

Fang Mo's hands paused.

He lifted his head and looked at Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong's expression was calm, her violet eyes utterly still, as though she were carrying out a routine medical procedure.

Yet her fingers curled slightly.

Fang Mo did not hesitate. He obediently removed his shirt.

His six-year-old body was thin and slight, the outlines of his ribs clearly visible.

His skin was somewhat pale from long-term malnutrition. Bibi Dong's gaze landed on his chest before quickly shifting away.

"Lie down."

Fang Mo did as he was told and lay flat on the couch.

Bibi Dong sat beside him and reached for the bowl of Whale Rubber paste.

"We'll start with the chest."

Her fingertip dipped into a little of the paste and hovered above Fang Mo's chest.

Then she hesitated slightly.

The distance was too close.

To her, six-year-old Fang Mo was only a child. Yet the place her fingertips were about to touch was the chest center acupoint, the core of a crucial meridian hub.

It was too close to his heart.

If she used the wrong amount of force, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Bibi Dong took a deep breath and suppressed that inexplicable hesitation.

Her fingertips descended.

The warm Whale Rubber paste adhered to the skin of his chest. A faint burning sensation instantly seeped inward, spreading through his meridians in every direction.

Fang Mo's body instinctively tensed.

It was not painless, but the sensation was intensely strong. It was as if a warm snake had burrowed into his meridians, slithering, writhing, and expanding within them.

"Don't move."

Bibi Dong's other hand pressed down on his shoulder, firmly holding him against the low couch.

Then her Soul Power seeped in through her fingertips.

Cold, dark Soul Power imbued with the Rakshasa attribute flowed like a water snake, forming a sharp contrast with the blazing heat of the Whale Rubber.

One cold and one hot, the two forces met, collided, and fused within his meridians.

Fang Mo let out a muffled groan.