52: Chapter 52 Punished by Being a Gardener for a Month

Teacher An Nuolan's face was livid.

She dragged Lin Mo and the other three back to the Spirit Plant Garden professor's office like she was picking up chicks.

As soon as they entered the door,

the bespectacled royal sister wielding a large hammer—who was none other than Professor Yi of the Spirit Plant Garden—swept her gaze across the four of them in a flash.

Lu Mengmeng looked adorably dim-witted, Su Xiaoxiao was shy and timid, and Niu Dachun looked honest and simple.

So, she finally locked her gaze onto the shrewd and handsome Lin Mo.

"Are you that shameless little thief, Lin Mo?"

With Teacher An Nuolan pressing down on his collar, Lin Mo's neck was stretched back like a swan's.

"Hello, Professor! My name is Lin Mo!"

"We were just... passing by the orchard, and thought we'd help you taste the peaches to see if they were sweet, so we could offer some suggestions for improvement..."

"Pah! You really are shameless." Professor Yi slammed the handle of her hammer onto the ground.

"You stole my Spirit Plant honey peaches and you still dare to make excuses?"

"Do you have any idea? That was a 'Jade Dew Peach' I've been cultivating for three years. The Soul Power contained in just one is equivalent to two primary Soul Condensing Potions. It's an important material I'm using to research advanced Soul Condensing Potions, and you lot—you just went and picked half the tree!"

Lu Mengmeng shrank her neck and muttered, "Who told it to grow so enticingly..."

"You're still talking!"

Teacher An Nuolan glared back at her, then turned to Professor Yi, offering an apologetic smile.

"Professor Yi, it's my fault for not managing them well. Please don't be angry. Look, regarding the losses... we will compensate you at the full price, and I'll have them work as volunteers for you for a month to help manage the orchard. How about that?"

Professor Yi was about to nod in agreement, but her peripheral vision caught the light that instantly lit up in the eyes of Lin Mo and that big-breasted loli, Lu Mengmeng.

The way those two kids were looking, it seemed like they had locked onto a new target. Wouldn't letting them come to help be "inviting a wolf into the house"?

But then she reconsidered; the previous batch of students who helped look after the orchard had already graduated.

She was indeed short-handed when it came to managing those delicate Spirit Plants.

For a moment, she was conflicted.

After a moment of silence, Professor Yi finally relented: "That is possible, but I have a condition."

"Professor Yi, please, go ahead!" Teacher An Nuolan replied quickly.

As long as she could suppress this matter and prevent it from reaching the academy's higher-ups, she would find a way to satisfy any request.

Professor Yi adjusted her glasses, her tone becoming serious: "During this month, not a single Spirit Plant or fruit in the orchard can go missing. If anything goes missing, I will directly petition the academy to expel them!"

"This..."

Teacher An Nuolan hesitated immediately, her brows furrowed. "Professor Yi, isn't that too strict?"

This squad led by Lin Mo was personally designated by Dean Zhou for special cultivation. If they were truly expelled over such a small matter, how would she answer to the Dean?

Lin Mo, however, suddenly stepped forward and patted his chest in assurance: "Don't worry, Professor Yi! We guarantee we will watch over the orchard. Not to mention a Spirit Plant, not even a single leaf will go missing! If anything really does go missing, you won't even need to say anything; we'll pack our bags and leave ourselves!"

He had his own calculations.

These Spirit Plants were indeed special; it seemed this beautiful professor was using them to research potions.

If he stayed behind, he might have a chance to learn something—no, to let System AI learn something.

Lu Mengmeng also nodded along: "Right! We can definitely watch over it!"

Professor Yi glanced at them and snorted coldly: "It better be. Starting tomorrow, the five of you will report to the orchard morning and evening. I will teach you how to manage these Spirit Plants."

"Yes!" Lin Mo and the other four replied in unison, their demeanor as if they had just accepted some glorious mission.

Only Mu Liuli looked aggrieved.

What kind of situation was this?

Teacher An Nuolan looked at these little ones who had "forgotten the pain once the wound had healed" and sighed helplessly.

She could only pray in her heart that they wouldn't cause any more trouble.

Leaving the office.

The six of them walked along the academy's path.

"Boss, that move of yours is high-level. As long as we mix in, we won't even need to climb over the wall in the future."

Lu Mengmeng looked at Lin Mo with an expression of worship.

Before Lin Mo could speak.

Teacher An Nuolan immediately scolded: "Lu Mengmeng, I advise you not to have such dangerous thoughts."

"Do you know what kind of status Professor Yi holds in our academy? If you offend her, you won't have any good fruit to eat!"

"Don't worry, Teacher, we will absolutely never do that kind of thing again!" Lin Mo quickly assured her.

He really just wanted to learn some knowledge about Spirit Plant cultivation.

And listening to Teacher An Nuolan, it seemed Professor Yi wasn't just a professor of the Cultivation Garden; she also seemed to have a lot of research into various potions.

If he could learn those pharmacological principles, maybe it would even be helpful for his alchemy.

"Hmph, it better be... Now, all of you, get back to your dorms and cultivate. You really don't let anyone have peace of mind."

"Alright, Teacher, we'll head back now."

Teacher An Nuolan was terrifyingly fierce today, and Lin Mo didn't want to continue provoking her, so he agreed with a grin.

After Teacher An Nuolan left.

Lu Mengmeng stuck out her tongue: "Wasn't Teacher An quite nice and gentle yesterday? Why is she so fierce today?"

"Who knows!" Lin Mo shrugged.

Regarding their words, Su Xiaoxiao could only roll her eyes in secret.

You two still have the nerve to say that? Don't you have any idea what you did yourselves?

Such a gentle aunt, and you've driven her crazy...

"Classmate Mu Liuli, please have this peach. We're leaving now!"

Lin Mo handed the last peach to the resentful Mu Liuli, then walked back to the dorms with his arm around Niu Dachun's shoulder.

"Classmate Mu Liuli, hurry up and eat it. This peach is not only sweet, it can also increase Soul Power!"

"Right, right, right! If you're not going to eat it, give it to me." Lu Mengmeng stared at the peach in her hand, drooling.

It was as if she was just waiting for Mu Liuli to politely decline so she could take it back.

Hmph, she had already taken the undeserved blame, so she might as well eat it.

So, without another word, she wiped it off casually and took a bite.

"So sweet..."

...

After parting ways with the three girls.

Lin Mo told Niu Dachun to go back on his own.

He headed straight to the library.

This was the reason Lin Mo was willing to attend university.

The books at the Martial Soul Academy were definitely much rarer and more complete than those outside.

The first day of university passed quietly.

Early the next morning.

The five of them arrived at the Spirit Plant Garden early.

"This Spirit Plant Garden is the culmination of decades of hard work from our Eastern Martial Soul Academy. I hope you will treat it seriously."

Professor Yi personally led the five of them into the Spirit Plant Garden.

"Currently, only two thousand Jade Dew Peach trees are bearing fruit, and your main task will be to take care of these peaches..."

Professor Yi briefly introduced the various species and areas within the Spirit Plant Garden.

The watering and fertilizing were also fully automated.

They only needed to control the switches, so it wasn't too difficult.

"Alright, from now on, come to water the Spirit Plants for five minutes in the morning, and come back to fertilize for five minutes in the evening. At the same time, you need to count the number of fruits on every tree. Don't make any mistakes. If even one more peach goes missing, I guarantee I'll have you pack your bags and leave!"

"Alright, Professor, we guarantee we will complete the mission."

Professor Yi glanced at Lin Mo with her beautiful eyes.

She didn't have a very good impression of this boy.

In her heart, she suspected that the others were all led astray by him.

"You brat, don't try to be slippery, otherwise, I guarantee you won't be able to get any potions from the academy in the future!"

Hearing this, Lin Mo immediately perked up.

"Start now, I'm going to the laboratory!"

Professor Yi turned and left.

Watching that figure, Lin Mo thought about how he could learn something from her.