Carrot Tempts Xiao Wu!

The dormitory was silent. The other work-study students looked at one another, and no one dared make a sound.

"Who else?"

Xiao Wu's gaze swept across the dormitory before finally settling on Tang San and Su Yang.

There was an eager glint and a hint of scrutiny in his bright eyes—as though a hunter were sizing up prey that was already within his grasp.

Wang Sheng and the other work-study students had already been beaten into submission, each of them shrinking back and not daring to utter a word. At present, the only ones in the dormitory who had yet to fight him were Tang San and Su Yang.

Xiao Wu's gaze first circled Tang San, sizing him up from head to toe. His lips curled disdainfully.

"Hey, you're Tang San, right? You look like a scrawny little chick. Your arms aren't even as thick as my calves. How about you skip the fight and surrender right now? That way, I won't have to beat you until you cry and then comfort you."

The words were arrogant, but paired with his solid, muscular physique, they carried an extraordinary amount of confidence.

Tang San's expression changed.

He took a deep breath, rose from the bed, and calmly met Xiao Wu's gaze. "Whether I can beat you or not, we'll only know after we fight."

He deliberately kept his voice steady, making him sound unlike a six-year-old child. Yet only he knew what stormy waves were raging in his heart.

Xiao Wu... his Xiao Wu... why had he become a boy?

He had still held onto a sliver of hope, wondering whether the person before him might be a girl disguised as a boy.

After all, Xiao Wu's name and appearance were so similar to the Xiao Wu in his memories. As long as he personally tested him and felt out the truth, perhaps he could expose it.

That was why he had to fight this battle.

"Oh? You've got some spirit." Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow, a trace of appreciation flashing through his eyes. Then he swaggered to the open space in the middle of the dormitory and crooked a finger at Tang San.

"Fine, come on. I'll let you make the first move."

Tang San did not waste words. With a flip of both palms, deep-blue vines spread from his hands, carrying a faint sheen as they wound across the floor and walls. Blue Silver Grass.

Though it was only the lowest-tier plant-type martial soul, bolstered by Innate Full Soul Power, every blade and vine carried faint Soul Power fluctuations. It was considerably stronger than what he had displayed at the same level in his previous life.

But that level of strength was clearly nowhere near enough.

"Blue Silver Grass?" Xiao Wu tilted his head, curiosity in his voice. "I heard you have Innate Full Soul Power too? This is it?"

Tang San ignored his provocation. With a flick of his wrist, the Blue Silver Grass lashed toward Xiao Wu like agile serpents. He intended to bind and restrain him; as long as the Blue Silver Grass entangled him, Tang San would find an opportunity to counterattack.

Xiao Wu remained where he stood, allowing the vines to wrap around him. "Hey," he said, lowering his head to glance at the Blue Silver Grass around his ankles, disappointment evident in his voice. "That's all the strength you've got?"

As the words fell, Xiao Wu's body abruptly swelled.

A low shout burst from his throat. Martial soul release! The phantom of a Soft Bone Rabbit flashed behind him. Xiao Wu transformed from a sturdy little boy into a miniature war machine in an instant.

Muscles bulged across his body like coiling roots. A bronze sheen surfaced on his skin, and he seemed to grow an entire size larger in that moment.

Hiss—

Su Yang sucked in a sharp breath. He nearly blurted out, "Muscle loli? No, muscle boy?"

The contrast was far too ridiculous! Wasn't a rabbit martial soul supposed to be nimble and agile? How had it turned into a strength-specialized tank on this guy?

Tang San's face darkened as well. The words What kind of joke is this? nearly escaped his lips before he forcefully swallowed them.

Because he could already feel the Blue Silver Grass binding Xiao Wu snapping apart one strand after another, each break producing a crisp crack like an overtightened string.

Xiao Wu lowered his head to inspect the severed vines and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. A little tougher than I expected."

Then he moved. He shot forward like a cannonball leaving its barrel and reached Tang San in the blink of an eye. Tang San's pupils contracted. Just as he tried to retreat, a palm as large as a fan had already struck his chest.

That palm carried tremendous force. Tang San flew backward as if he had been hit by an ox cart, his back crashing heavily into the edge of a bed with a muffled thud.

His vision went dark. It felt as though his internal organs had been twisted into a knot, and the pain forced him to bend over.

Before he could recover from the agonizing pain, a thick arm had already locked around his neck. Xiao Wu's smiling face leaned close. "Do you admit defeat? Are you giving up?"

Tang San struggled twice, only to discover that the other party's strength was absurdly great. He could not break free at all. He could only grit his teeth and force out, "...I surrender."

Xiao Wu grinned, released him, and dusted off his hands. "That's more like it. From now on, you're with me. No one will dare bully you."

Tang San sat up, rubbing his aching back where he had been slammed, his expression as bitter as though he had swallowed a pound of coptis.

He had lived two lives and fought countless battles, yet never had any defeat felt as humiliating as this one.

Getting pinned to the ground and rubbed into the dirt by his wife from his previous life—what was this? The cycle of heavenly retribution?

Watching from the side, Su Yang could not help clicking his tongue. "Tsk tsk, what a loser."

Tang San's face darkened instantly. His eyes swept toward Su Yang coldly, dangerous light surging within them. This brat... has already earned himself a death sentence!

For that instant, he had even felt the urge to kill. He was a God King; even reborn into childhood, he was not someone an ordinary person could provoke.

But Su Yang did not indulge him. Seeing Tang San glare at him, Su Yang glared right back, his gaze calm and sharp without the slightest hint of retreat.

Tang San's heart tightened, because at the instant Su Yang looked back at him, he felt an indistinct pressure emanate from the other party.

It was suppression from a higher level of life, as though some existence of a loftier rank were looking down upon him.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul trembled slightly at that moment, as if it had encountered its natural enemy, or as if it were submitting to a king. His expression changed. He had not felt this when facing Yu Xiaorou in the office earlier.

What was going on? This boy named Su Yang... what secret was he hiding?

Naturally, Su Yang had no intention of telling him. As the king of immortal herbs, Lovesick Heartbreak Red possessed a natural suppressive effect against all plant-type martial souls. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass should have been like a subject before its sovereign when facing him.

Su Yang offered no explanation. He merely withdrew his gaze, a cryptic smile resting at the corner of his lips. At that moment, Xiao Wu had already turned to look at him.

His gaze held a mixture of scrutiny and curiosity. He unconsciously licked his lips, grinning like a leopard that had spotted its prey.

"You're Su Yang, right? They've all finished fighting. You're the only one left. Come on, let's have a match!"