Mo Li fell silent this time.
It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her. The problem was, the time wasn't right. When he'd seen Ye Lingling looking so dejected and hurt just now, he hadn't thought it through. He'd only wanted to give her something reassuring.
Under Ye Lingling's somewhat nervous gaze, Mo Li sighed and finally spoke.
"Lingling, I only read about those things in books. I don't know if they really exist, and after so much time, there's no way to verify them."
Ye Lingling's eyes dimmed at once. She bit her lip lightly, looking utterly aggrieved.
Mo Li couldn't bear to see it. He decided to give the poor girl a little spoiler. "But please believe me, Lingling. The curse on the Nine Heart Begonia can definitely be lifted."
The gloom in Ye Lingling's eyes gradually gave way to a glimmer as Mo Li finished speaking.
Ever since she learned about her Martial Soul's flaw, she had devoted herself to finding a way to break the curse, just like her mother. The disappointments she'd suffered along the way were too many to count.
After all these years, she was already on the brink of despair.
This was the first time she'd heard someone say that the curse on her Martial Soul could be lifted. Of course, no one would choose to believe the eight- or nine-year-old boy before her.
And yet his confident words kindled a faint, almost unhealthy flame in her heart.
A flame called hope.
Mo Li was young, but his eyes held a light she couldn't understand.
At that moment, she hardly dared meet his gaze. Her heart trembled, and she answered instinctively:
"Mm."
The boy before her wore a smile, and she couldn't help feeling that she wanted to trust him.
"I believe you. But why are you helping me so much?"
Ye Lingling's hands clenched tight, then slowly relaxed.
She thought back over the only two times she and Mo Li had crossed paths. Surely they weren't close enough for him to go this far for her.
Especially today, when Dugu Yan and Mo Li had spoken up for her and helped her obtain the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng from Ning Fengzhi. Dugu Yan had known her for a long time, so it wasn't hard to understand why she'd been willing to speak on her behalf.
But Mo Li had only met her twice, and he'd still spoken up for her. She was delighted, but also a little puzzled.
Mo Li looked at the girl before him. Though her face was veiled, her feelings were plain to see in her eyes. He smiled.
"That's simple. Because I like you, Lingling."
"Ah...! L-Like me?"
Ye Lingling hadn't expected Mo Li to be so blunt. Even her black veil couldn't hide her fluster.
But Mo Li immediately added, "There are lots of different kinds of liking. I sincerely want to be friends with you, Lingling. You don't think I have some ulterior motive, do you?"
"Not at all..."
Ye Lingling lowered her head and waved her hands, answering hurriedly.
Mo Li smiled too.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhu and Dugu Yan were getting impatient. At last, they saw Mo Li and Ye Lingling strolling back.
"Lingling, what were you talking about? Why'd you sneak off to talk without me?"
Dugu Yan went up and took Ye Lingling's hand, asking reproachfully.
"I'll tell you later."
Ye Lingling patted Dugu Yan's arm helplessly, then looked toward Mo Li. Their eyes met, and Mo Li nodded slightly.
"Lingling, Senior Dugu, if there's nothing else, we'll head back to the academy. You're welcome to come visit us at Blue Tyrant Academy."
"Please do," Jiang Zhu added.
"Mo Li, thank you."
Ye Lingling spoke gently. Before Mo Li could reply, Dugu Yan beside her demanded indignantly, "You rascal, what kind of bewitching potion did you give my Lingling? Look at how you've got her acting!"
"And you won't even call me Yan Yan. You keep calling me Senior this and Senior that. Do I really look that old?"
Mo Li gave Dugu Yan a helpless sidelong glance. Given his age, she really was quite a bit older than him, but obviously he couldn't say that out loud.
"Yan Yan, there, happy? We're off."
Hearing Mo Li call her by name, Dugu Yan looked rather pleased.
She completely ignored his helpless expression and reached out to pat his shoulder.
But then she remembered his strange, troublesome Black Flame and sheepishly withdrew her hand, folding her arms instead.
"Don't forget what you said before. If I come looking for you, you'd better not chicken out of the fight!"
Dugu Yan was certainly not one to back down. She never would.
After all, if she had to admit that she was not only older than Mo Li but also couldn't beat him, she might as well dig a hole and bury herself!
Mo Li chuckled.
"Yan Yan, I'm swamped with my studies. I was just being polite before. You actually believed me...?"
"Lingling, look at him! You're coming with me next time!"
Mo Li laughed. "Then I'll be waiting whenever you are."
Seeing how quickly Mo Li changed his tune, Dugu Yan ground her teeth in frustration. She wished she could pin him to the ground and beat him up.
But for now, she could only dream.
"Goodbye."
After saying their farewells, Mo Li and Jiang Zhu headed back to the academy. Jiang Zhu wore a troubled expression as she looked at Mo Li.
"Little Li, what did you say to that girl Ye Lingling?"
Mo Li looked at Jiang Zhu with interest. "Sister Jiang Zhu, I never realized you were such a gossip."
Jiang Zhu's cheeks reddened, and she gave Mo Li a light punch.
"That's because of you! When you started fighting that purple-haired girl, I was scared out of my mind. Good thing you were all right."
"But how did you get so strong? That girl Dugu Yan's a Soul Grandmaster, yet you beat her so quickly."
There was a note of disbelief in Jiang Zhu's voice. Mo Li rarely showed off at the academy. When she occasionally went to see him, he was always training by himself.
This time, the moment he made a move, he'd stunned her.
Mo Li smiled at Jiang Zhu's praise.
"It was just luck. My flames happen to counter Senior Dugu's snake venom, so her strongest attacks were useless against me. That's why I won so easily."
"Oh. She said she'll come challenge you again and again. You..."
"Of course I'll take her on."
Mo Li replied nonchalantly, "I could use a sparring partner anyway. If Senior Dugu wants to come, that'd be perfect."
At the academy, Mo Li usually trained alone in the forest. Liu Erlong gave him pointers now and then, but never stayed with him for long. Still, he hadn't run into any major problems with his training so far.
It would be even better if Dugu Yan came to spar. He could observe how much poison had built up in her Martial Soul, which would also help him prepare for the future.
Jiang Zhu didn't know any of that, but she didn't ask anything more.
"By the way..."
Just as she was beginning to feel inexplicably down, Mo Li's voice suddenly reached her ears.
"I told Lingling that if that medicinal herb doesn't help her, I'll find a way to help her later."
Jiang Zhu came to a stop and lifted her face to look at Mo Li, who was walking ahead as if nothing had happened. Her lips pressed together briefly, then she seemed to deflate and fell back into step beside him.
"What is it? Hey, wait—Sister Jiang Zhu, why are you pinching me?"
"I... I just did it by accident."
"How do you pinch someone by accident?!"