The little scheme that had just sprouted in Tang San's mind vanished instantly.
Oh... so I can't steal it. Never mind, then.
A little dejected, Tang San raised his cup and took a sip. Even the wine had lost its flavor.
Seeing his expression, Chen Mo changed tack. "However..."
Tang San's ears pricked up at once.
However? There was a however?
Tang San hurriedly poured Chen Mo more wine, then reached out to massage his shoulders.
"Big Brother, however what? Hurry up and tell me!"
Tang San asked ingratiatingly as he massaged him.
The massage felt very comfortable. Chen Mo murmured in satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.
"However, when I broke through to level 40, this divine artifact developed a new function."
"What function?" Tang San's eyes lit up, and his hands worked even harder.
"Every ten levels I gain, I can split off a clone."
Chen Mo said leisurely:
"I'm level 46 now, so I already have one clone."
"These clones can live as parasites in other people and help increase their cultivation speed."
Tang San's mouth fell open wide enough to fit an egg.
Help increase other people's cultivation speed?!
"Big Brother... then could you..." Tang San's voice trembled. "Could you..."
Chen Mo patted Tang San's shoulder, his expression earnest.
"Xiao San, I was originally going to wait until your birthday to give you this clone, so you could increase your cultivation speed too."
Tang San's eyes reddened at once.
"But!"
Chen Mo sighed and said:
"You spend every day hanging around with that Xiao Wu instead of cultivating properly."
"I was afraid you'd only waste it if I gave it to you."
"Big Brother!"
Tang San shot to his feet with a thump, his eyes red and brimming with tears as he said:
"I haven't! I'll definitely cultivate properly!"
Watching Tang San's excitement, Chen Mo laughed inwardly.
The Idiocy Aura really does deliver.
"All right, then."
Chen Mo waved a hand and said:
"Since you're so sincere, I'll give it to you early."
"Tomorrow morning, once you've gotten yourself into the right condition, I'll give you the divine artifact's clone, so you can cultivate faster too."
Hearing Chen Mo say this, Tang San burst into tears on the spot. He stood there with tears streaming down his face, saying through his sobs:
"Big Brother! Just now... just now, I was even thinking how great it would be if I could steal your divine artifact... I'm not even human!"
"How could I think something like that!"
Chen Mo patted Tang San's back.
"It's all right. I understand."
"We're only human. Anyone would be tempted by something good."
"But remember, we're brothers. What's yours is mine, and what's mine... is still mine."
Hearing Chen Mo say this, Tang San felt something was off, yet he also felt that his big brother made perfect sense, and he cried even harder.
"Big Brother, you're too good to me! I'll cultivate properly from now on! I'll never let you down!"
Chen Mo's heart blossomed with joy, but he maintained a calm expression.
After they finished drinking, Chen Mo took Tang San back to the academy gates.
Tang San went inside with reddened eyes, looking back three times with every step.
Watching him leave, Chen Mo smiled, then turned and headed back to his courtyard.
By the time he returned to his courtyard, it was dark.
Chen Mo sat at his desk, lit an oil lamp, took out his diary, and began writing today's entry.
[Year X, month X, day X. Clear weather.]
[I went to see Xiao Sanzi again today, and he spent ages plying me with wine.]
[One look at how attentive he was, and I knew that old bastard Yu Xiaogang must have sent him to fish for information.]
[Fine. Since you want to know, your big brother will make something up for you.]
[I told him that when my tree Martial Soul reached level 30, I received the God of Nature's inheritance, including a divine artifact called the "Seed of the World Tree" that increases cultivation speed when worn.]
[You know what? When Tang San heard there was a divine artifact, his eyes went fixed and his fists clenched. I reckon he was tempted to kill me and seize the treasure.]
[Still, the kid has a bit of a conscience. Remembering I was his big brother, he suppressed the thought.]
[Then I told him the divine artifact had already acknowledged its master. If I died, it would fly away, and no one else could use it. That disappointed little face of his, haha.]
[I changed tack and said that the divine artifact could, however, split off a clone every ten levels to help other people cultivate.]
[His eyes lit up at once. He poured my wine and massaged my shoulders, fawning over me like a grandson.]
[I said I'd originally planned to give it to him on his birthday, but he spent every day hanging around with Xiao Wu.]
[He burst into tears and said he'd just been thinking of stealing my divine artifact, and that he wasn't human.]
[I nearly died laughing.]
[Seriously, though, Tang San really is easy to fool. Once the Idiocy Aura is on, he believes whatever I say.]
[Speaking of Xiao Wu, I'll add a couple more things.]
[In that world, Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit who took human form. She also had two little brothers-a Sky Azure Bull Python and a Titan Giant Ape, both major figures with a place among the ranks of the Star Dou Great Forest.]
[And what happened?]
[Xiao Wu fell in love with Tang San and followed him around.]
[Later, her identity was exposed and Tang San fled. To save him, Xiao Wu sacrificed herself outright, giving Tang San both her soul and her body, allowing him to obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.]
[Even worse, those two little brothers of hers later became his Soul Rings and Soul Bones too.]
[Good grief, Xiao Wu's whole family-she sacrificed herself, and her two little brothers couldn't escape either.]
[That family of three all became nourishment for Tang San.]
[Do you know what the most incredible part was?]
[When other people killed Soul Beasts, Tang San condemned them for slaughtering innocents and committing heinous crimes.]
[When he killed Soul Beasts himself, when he killed Xiao Wu's whole family, that was perfectly justified, something he had no choice but to do.]
[Confirmed: a double-standard dog.]
As he finished the final word, the diary flashed.
[Ding! Diary generated. Copies are being distributed...] [Copy recipients: Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, Hu Liena.] [Reward obtained: Free Attribute Points ×4.]
At that moment, the heroines in various places all received their diary copies.
Nuoding Academy's girls' dormitory.
Xiao Wu clutched the diary, trembling all over.
Sacrifice...
Her two little brothers-Da Ming and Er Ming-had both become Tang San's Soul Rings and Soul Bones too?
She had sacrificed herself to save Tang San as well?
Tears instantly streamed down Xiao Wu's face.
Xiao Wu bit her lip, her nails digging into her flesh.
She had thought Tang San was quite nice before-honest, earnest, and good to her.
But now?
If everything written in the diary was true-
Then why exactly had Tang San approached her in the first place?
Did he really like her?
Or... had he been after her Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring from the very beginning?
"No, Tang San wouldn't do that! There must be another reason!"
That was what Xiao Wu said, but the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Curled up in the corner of her bed, she hugged the diary and cried until her shoulders shook.
When the others in Dorm Seven saw their Sister Xiao Wu crying so bitterly, they wanted to go over and comfort her, but remembering Xiao Wu's combat strength, they could only watch from the side.