After the teacher left, Wang Sheng, who had been standing in Dorm Seven, immediately stepped forward.
"Phew, he's finally gone." Wang Sheng watched Mo Hen's retreating figure and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Why are you so afraid of Teacher Mo?" Du Hao asked.
"Ah, it's not that I'm afraid." Wang Sheng quickly waved his hands.
He explained, "Actually, Teacher Mo Hen is a pretty good person. He's just usually strict with his students. We just don't dare let loose too much in front of him..."
They weren't afraid of strict teachers. After all, strict teachers produced outstanding students. If they had a teacher who didn't care, he might not even spare a glance at children from a poor, remote place like theirs.
"I see." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Du Hao's mouth. It seemed life at the academy would be pretty nice.
"Mm. If there's nothing else, I'll head back first." Wang Sheng nodded and turned toward his dormmates.
That left only Du Hao, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu standing awkwardly at the dormitory entrance.
"Why hasn't Tang San come back yet?" Du Hao glanced at the sky. Night was almost upon them.
"Ugh, why are we waiting for him?" Xiao Wu rubbed her arms in annoyance and complained, "We might as well go back to sleep."
"Why go back so early?" Du Hao took Zhu Zhuqing's little hand and smiled. "Would you even be able to sleep? Or are you hoping to steal my Zhu Zhuqing away to keep you company?"
"Bleh~" Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue.
Seeing how adorable Xiao Wu looked, Du Hao couldn't help wanting to tease her. He stepped forward and stroked the little rabbit's head.
"Xiao Wu, I've never asked how much Soul Power you have. And why do you always wear those rabbit-ear ornaments?" Du Hao asked, pretending to be curious.
"Hehe, since you asked..." Xiao Wu didn't mind the hand stroking her head. In fact, she looked positively blissful as she said, "My Martial Soul is the Soft Bone Rabbit, and I've already reached level eleven Soul Power."
Hearing Xiao Wu introduce herself, Zhu Zhuqing's little mouth fell open. "Xiao Wu, are you Innate Full Soul Power?"
"Yep!" Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, looking extremely proud.
Looking at the little rabbit's expression, Du Hao gave her a thumbs-up and praised her. "Xiao Wu, you're amazing."
Just as Du Hao was enthusiastically ruffling the rabbit's head, the long-overdue Tang San finally appeared.
"Brother Hao! What are you..."
Seeing Du Hao and Xiao Wu acting so intimately, then noticing that their dormitory entrance was right behind them, Tang San suddenly looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure he should.
I can't believe Brother Hao is so bold. If I hadn't come back, wouldn't he have done it right at the entrance...? At the thought, Tang San shivered all over.
"Xiao San, we've been waiting for you forever." Du Hao hadn't noticed the strange look in Tang San's eyes. He slung an arm around Tang San's neck and teased him with a grin. "Why are you back so late?"
"Brother Hao, I was discussing the Soul Ring I'm about to get with my teacher, along with the supplies we'll need for tomorrow's Soul Hunting trip."
Though he didn't quite understand Du Hao's personal tastes, Tang San still told his best friend everything that had just happened, from beginning to end.
"You're already about to get a Soul Ring? All right, then. Make sure you come back early. When it's my turn to get one, I'll call you along." Du Hao patted Tang San on the back, leaving his own Soul Ring in Tang San's hands.
Du Hao figured that, given how tough his body was, a few more missions to improve his physical strength would probably be enough for him to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
Then he could give the Douluo Continent a tiny taste of the shock brought by a cheat-level protagonist.
This was all thanks to his sweat and hard work!
"Sure, call me then!" Tang San agreed wholeheartedly and thumped his chest. Brother, no need for words!
Just leave everything to him!
At worst, he'd use the strange little bits of knowledge in his head to go back to the village and get his father to give them an overwhelming advantage in weapons. Tang San refused to believe they couldn't handle one measly Soul Ring!
By the end of the thought, he almost felt like going back to the village right then to ask his father for help.
He'd suddenly realized that asking his teacher for help with Soul Hunting might not be such a reliable plan. Maybe he should...
"By the way, there's something I need to tell you." Just as Tang San was about to follow that train of thought, Du Hao suddenly pulled him some distance away from the two girls.
"Hmm? What is it?" Tang San turned toward Du Hao, whose furtive behavior left him utterly confused.
"Xiao San, would you say the two of us are brothers?" Du Hao suddenly put on a serious expression and asked Tang San.
"Of course we're brothers!" Tang San answered without hesitation.
They'd been as thick as thieves since they were little, always setting traps for each other. Their friendship was rock solid!
"Then there's something I want you to help me think through..." Du Hao sneakily glanced behind him and lowered his voice. "Do you think I could handle two people by myself?"
"Hiss!"
Tang San stared at Du Hao in shock, unable to believe it. No way! We're only six! You're already thinking about having two passengers in your car? Are you insane?
"Why are you hissing? Hurry up and answer. If you can't, tell me what you think. I'll take it into consideration." Du Hao gave Tang San a pointed look, entirely unrepentant.
He liked who he liked. What was the point of living if not to enjoy yourself and do as you pleased?
Tang San shook his head with a sigh. "Brother Hao, I feel like I'm still a little young for this. I really don't have much to say about it. How about I ask the teacher for you?"
Ask the teacher? Ask him what the hell!
Forget it. There were still more than ten years to go anyway.
The boat would straighten itself out once it reached the shore. He could figure it out later.
"Ah, forget it. Let's leave it at that." Du Hao shook his head and stood up.
In Du Hao's eyes, Tang San was nothing like the shrewd, calculating Buddha he'd been in his past life. Instead, his eyes held a trace of clear-eyed innocence and stupidity.
Like a college student from his previous life...
"Brother Hao, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to sleep. We have a journey ahead of us." Tang San glanced at the cloudy sky. It was already late, and this well-behaved student needed to get some sleep.
"All right, all right. We should head back too." Du Hao waved a hand, telling him to do as he pleased.
"..."
"We're finally back~" As soon as they returned to the dormitory villa, Xiao Wu made a beeline for the big bed.
"Xiao Wu, take your shoes off before you get on the bed." Zhu Zhuqing sat beside her and slowly took off her socks.
"Ugh, what a hassle!" Xiao Wu rolled over, sprawled out like a starfish, and said lazily, "Xiao Hao, help me take off my shoes and socks, will you?"
"Oh~" Du Hao had just come in, and his interest was instantly piqued. With a mischievous grin, he said, "Since you put it that way, I won't hold back..."
Little feet, white socks, an experience beyond compare! What man could resist that? Here I come~
Zhu Zhuqing sat nearby, her beautiful eyes cool and detached, watching Du Hao carefully remove Xiao Wu's shoes and socks.
With a teasing smile, she said, "Well, master, from the look in your eyes earlier, I thought you were going to devour Xiao Wu. What happened? Why did you stop?"
"Hmph! He's got the desire, but not the nerve." Xiao Wu lifted her chin and spoke smugly. "Even if the three of us shared one blanket, he still wouldn't..."
"...Heh."
That night, Du Hao slept with a smile on his face in the middle of the two big beds, blissfully drifting off into dreamland.
Before you continue