"Sister Erlong, have you been really busy lately? I haven't seen you in days."
Mo Li set the medicinal herbs aside and asked Liu Erlong.
He'd barely seen Liu Erlong lately. Whenever he asked the other teachers, they gave more or less the same answer.
"Have you missed me?"
Liu Erlong propped her cheek on her other hand and pouted at Mo Li.
"Yeah," Mo Li answered honestly.
"It's only been two days. Did you really miss me that much? Still, these past two days have nearly worn me out."
Liu Erlong sighed. "At least the other teachers have been helping me handle things. As long as we get good results in this Soul Master Tournament, I won't have to manage so much in the future."
The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament was still a year away. Liu Erlong took the competition extremely seriously, and was often so busy she could barely catch her breath.
"Then you'll be able to put your feet up and just sign the bills, Sister Erlong," Mo Li teased with a smile.
Liu Erlong's teaching style was rather strict, even harsh at times, but over the past few years, Blue Tyrant Academy had gradually established its own character, and its growth was plain for all to see.
Liu Erlong was always saying she wasn't doing a good enough job. To Mo Li, Sister Erlong was far too modest. The academy had reached its current scale largely because she had held everything together on her own.
"Whether I can put my feet up will depend on you. Compared to this Soul Master Tournament, I think you're even more important."
Liu Erlong raised her eyes to look at Mo Li, a faint smile on her face. "But you've been easy to look after. How's your cultivation lately? Have you run into any problems? Is there anything you don't understand?"
"Well, not at the moment."
"Fine, then."
Liu Erlong studied Mo Li for a while, then nodded lazily. After that, her gaze drifted back toward the window.
"It's good that you don't have any problems. You're my trump card, so you can't afford to slip up."
With that, she yawned without a care for appearances, covering her lips with one hand as her eyes narrowed. She leaned back in her chair and, imitating Mo Li, basked in the sunlight.
"I'll be fine. What could happen to me at the academy?" Mo Li smiled and strolled behind her. "Sister Erlong, you've been working so hard lately. Let me help you relax."
Mo Li had found some time to learn a few massage techniques. Combined with the keen perception he'd gained from practicing his cultivation method, he might not have the touch of a professional, but he wasn't bad either.
Before Liu Erlong could respond, Mo Li began massaging her.
Feeling the pressure on her shoulders, Liu Erlong's body stiffened slightly and her expression froze. But she didn't refuse, letting Mo Li's hands knead and press along her shoulders and neck.
After a while, Mo Li finally stopped. Leaning close beside Liu Erlong's face, he asked with a smile, "How was that, Sister Erlong? Not bad, right?"
"Mm..."
Liu Erlong replied instinctively with her eyes half-closed, her voice a little nasal, lazy and pleasant to hear.
She was still immersed in Mo Li's massage. Now that she'd come back to herself, she could indeed feel that her shoulders, neck, and even her whole body had relaxed quite a bit.
This little rascal really did know what he was doing.
"Not bad at all. Thanks for the effort."
She turned to look at Mo Li, a gentle smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
That smile held a rare, bewitching charm. Even the sunlight streaming in through the window seemed to lose some of its brightness.
Mo Li was lost in the rare sight when Liu Erlong's puzzled voice broke into his thoughts:
"What are you grinning about? I asked you, when are you planning to get your second Soul Ring?"
Mo Li had reached level twenty in Soul Power a week ago. With a suitable Soul Ring, he would become a Soul Grandmaster before turning nine.
That was an exceedingly rare feat even in the Soul Master World.
Even Liu Erlong, with all her experience, could only marvel at his cultivation speed. She had never seen anyone cultivate as quickly as Mo Li.
Mo Li stretched and returned to his seat. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Probably in the next few days. I still have a few theories I need to test."
The theory Mo Li had in mind was, of course, Whale Rubber.
He had started gathering information about Whale Rubber months ago. This kind of treasure was naturally most effective when absorbed in the early stages.
Thanks to his money power, he'd recently managed to track down some leads on Whale Rubber.
"What theories? You're giving massages and running experiments. Are you even taking your cultivation seriously?"
"Sister Erlong, you were enjoying it just now. How can you deny it now?" Mo Li copied Liu Erlong's pose, propping his cheek on one hand as he grumbled.
At that, Liu Erlong's face turned slightly red. She tapped the tabletop, looking a little embarrassed and annoyed. "I never said it didn't feel good. You've been at level twenty for a while now. Why aren't you in the least bit worried?"
"You're not taking your own cultivation seriously. I'm more worried than you are."
"There's really no rush."
Seeing the annoyed little expression on Liu Erlong's face, Mo Li changed the subject.
"Sister Erlong, I want to go to Heaven Dou City and buy a few things. Could you give me some money?"
"Sure. What do you want to buy?" Liu Erlong asked casually.
Mo Li froze. He hadn't expected Liu Erlong to ask. She'd never questioned him about this sort of thing before, so he didn't know why she'd asked now.
A bead of nonexistent cold sweat appeared on his forehead. How was he supposed to answer? He couldn't exactly say he wanted to buy Whale Rubber.
Besides, in this era, Whale Rubber was specifically used to spice things up in the bedroom. If Sister Erlong found out he was buying that...
"Well... I just want to look around Heaven Dou City."
"Why would you need money just to look around? Isn't the pocket money I give you enough?"
Liu Erlong asked with interest. She could tell Mo Li was clearly nervous.
Then she seemed to realize something. Her eyes sharpened, her brows drew together, and she asked in an unfriendly tone, "You're not planning to go to one of those places, are you?"
What? How had her mind wandered that far?
Mo Li was speechless. "Sister Erlong, what are you thinking? How old am I?"
"You may not be old, but the things you do don't suit your age."
The special training she'd arranged for Mo Li over the past two years hadn't been easy. She'd originally planned to reduce the workload little by little if he couldn't keep up.
But she hadn't expected that, despite his usual lazy appearance, Mo Li would have such perseverance when it came to cultivation.
Thinking it over, she decided Mo Li probably wouldn't go to those seedy pleasure quarters.
Still, he was no stranger to flirting. Ye Lingling, whom he'd met outside Heaven Dou City, was someone he'd approached himself. There was also Jiang Zhu at the academy, who was close to him.
Liu Erlong's brows drew together before she knew it. Her gaze swept over Mo Li, who was watching her expectantly.
Why did she get the feeling this little rascal was a bit of a playboy?
Watching Liu Erlong's expression shift, Mo Li's eye twitched. Heaven knew what Sister Erlong was thinking. It wouldn't do if she really changed her opinion of him.
"I'm just a little mature for my age," Mo Li said with a sigh.
"And, Sister Erlong, you can rest assured. I promise it's all for cultivation."
He patted his chest.
Liu Erlong pursed her red lips, but she still took out a gold card with an elaborate design and handed it to Mo Li.
"Heh. I don't believe a word you say. Remember to give it back when you're done."
It was rare for Mo Li to be so serious about cultivation. Though she kept grumbling, she would still support him wholeheartedly.
"Sister Erlong, you're the best!"
Mo Li took the gold card, beaming. He moved close to Liu Erlong, threw an arm around her shoulders, and quickly kissed her on the cheek.
Liu Erlong didn't resist. She only said helplessly, "You were just saying how mature you are. You're old enough to know better, yet you still act like a child."
"Heh."