Early the next morning, Mi Ling complained, "Did you have your dog wake me up in the middle of the night so I wouldn't get enough rest and you could win the duel?"
The Dharma King gave Chen Luo a reproachful look. He really had been scared out of his canine wits last night.
Chen Luo smiled. "You think too highly of yourself. Let's eat first, then we can have our match."
Mi Ling's eyes lit up. We don't have to wait until tomorrow?
Eat? Eat what? What you people do is eating. What I do is keep myself from starving.
Ma Yu had made barbecue pork buns, egg tarts, fried eggs, and spicy pepper soup that morning.
Boohoo, I didn't even eat this well before.
As long as I beat Chen Luo, he'll have to listen to me.
Mi Ling asked for confirmation. "If I win, you'll listen to me, right?"
Chen Luo nodded. "Of course. You seem pretty confident. Want to add a little wager?"
Mi Ling immediately grew wary. Although Chen Luo had never shown his abilities, everyone acted as though he was incredibly powerful. She wasn't very confident she could beat him.
She had only agreed to face him because she had no other choice.
Mi Ling firmly shook her head.
Then Chen Luo said, "Three seconds. I'll defeat you so thoroughly you won't have any complaints. If I can't, you win."
Beat me in three seconds?
Mi Ling was furious. You might really be powerful, but you think I can't even last three seconds?
We'll start at least three meters apart, won't we?
As long as I don't fight you head-on and dodge a little, those three seconds will be over in a flash.
Su Dazhu gave Chen Luo a surprised look. Are you going all out, boss?
One slash of his sword would kill Mi Ling, but surely he wouldn't do that?
Mi Ling asked, "How far apart will we start?"
Chen Luo said, "Twenty meters."
The greater the distance, the easier it would be to lure Mi Ling into taking the bait.
Mi Ling sneered. I'll back away as soon as the match starts. Let's see you pull that off.
"What's the wager?"
Chen Luo chuckled. "Simple. You just have to stick your butt out and let me kick it once."
Mi Li: "..."
Why do you want to kick my sister's butt?
Mi Ling paused, then asked, "If you lose, I get to kick you too?"
Chen Luo waved a hand. "You can kick me to death. As many kicks as you want. Or if there's anything else you want, I'll do it."
On the surface, Chen Luo was getting a terrible deal. The terms were completely lopsided, but he was utterly confident. He had advanced to level four yesterday, and he had the skills from his previous life to help him. How could he possibly lose to Mi Ling?
It was absolutely impossible.
Mi Ling hesitated. This was too strange. Was he really that full of himself?
But if she lost, the worst that would happen was a single kick. It would be embarrassing, but a big risk meant a big reward. She could ask for anything.
Mi Ling nodded. "All right. I agree."
Chen Luo was practically bursting with delight. He finally had a chance to get his revenge fair and square. Otherwise, once Mi Ling joined him, when would he ever get another chance to kick her butt?
Chen Luo said, "Big Pillar, Mi Li, you're our witnesses. Whoever goes back on their word is a dog."
The Dharma King thought, If you weren't my master, I'd bite you. Can't whoever goes back on their word be a cat? Why does it have to be a dog?
Mi Ling insisted on having the match right away. Once it was over, she could have breakfast.
How could Chen Luo refuse?
The two went straight up to the rooftop. It was fairly spacious, about the size of a basketball court.
Chen Luo and Mi Ling stood twenty meters apart.
Mi Ling thought to herself, I won't fight him head-on. All I need to do is last three seconds, and I win. It's not exactly fair, but he asked for it. He has no one else to blame.
I can't just stick my butt out and let him kick it, can I?
That would be too humiliating.
I have no choice. I'll just have to be a little shameless.
Mi Li acted as referee, counting down from three to one.
"Begin."
Mi Ling kept her eyes fixed on Chen Luo, ready to dodge accordingly the moment he moved.
The next second, Mi Ling's pupils contracted sharply. Chen Luo had vanished?
How is that possible? I was watching him the whole time.
Invisibility?
Mi Li and Su Dazhu gaped as though they had seen a ghost.
Rice looked very smug. As the cat who sleeps beside Chen Luo, I was the first to know.
Chen Luo had suddenly appeared behind Mi Ling, and she had no idea.
Only when Chen Luo gently closed a hand around her pale neck did Mi Ling freeze in disbelief.
Once she reacted, Mi Ling instinctively tried to throw Chen Luo over her shoulder, but it accomplished nothing.
Her strength was nowhere near his. Chen Luo didn't budge.
At the same time, Chen Luo leaned closer and gently blew against Mi Ling's ear.
"Mi Ling, you lost."
If Chen Luo had used a sharp dagger instead of his hand and drawn it across Mi Ling's throat, she would have died on the spot.
Mi Ling's expression darkened. Distance hadn't limited him at all. What kind of ability was this?
Space teleportation?
Is this really an ability a human can possess?
Producing fire, ice, or lightning was still within the realm of comprehension.
Suddenly breaking through the restrictions of space to move somewhere else was rather harder to believe.
It was like the Resurrection Spell. Even Chen Luo hadn't believed it when he heard about it.
Mi Ling barely suppressed her shock, her heart sinking. I lost.
Although Chen Luo hadn't hurt her in the slightest and she was still capable of fighting, claiming she hadn't lost would simply be going back on her word.
I have to stick my butt out for him to kick?
Her cheeks burned at the thought.
Chen Luo chuckled. "Let's go downstairs and have breakfast first. You too, Mi Ling."
"What happened over the past two days was my fault. But we'll all be comrades from now on, so we should get used to working together sooner rather than later."
Unless something unexpected happens, Mi Ling will be one of my people today.
When Ma Yu set a steamer of barbecue pork buns in front of Mi Ling, she hesitated.
Refusing would be far too affected.
And I don't really want to refuse, either.
Chen Luo ate his own food without teasing her any further.
Mi Ling awkwardly finished a steamer of barbecue pork buns and a bowl of spicy pepper soup.
After eating, Chen Luo wiped the corners of his mouth with a tissue and spoke with a serious expression.
"Everyone, take a seat in the living room. Let's discuss what we should do next."
Before you continue