64: Chapter 64 Unlucky Qin Ran
The moon hung above the willow branches, and the night, like ink-soaked silk, gently draped over the dormitory building.
Lin Mo scrolled through his phone for a while, feeling a bit stuffy, so he walked to the balcony and lit a cigarette.
He had only taken two puffs when he caught a glimpse of a dark figure sneaking out of the courtyard gate from the corner of his eye.
"Huh, isn't that Da Chun?" Lin Mo recognized that sturdy back instantly.
He suddenly remembered the verbal agreement between Niu Dachun and Kai Li earlier that day.
Checking the time on his phone, it was already nearly eleven o'clock.
"Hmm... what if my brother gets bullied?"
He rolled his eyes, stubbed out his cigarette, braced his hands on the balcony railing, and nimbly vaulted over.
Sheltered by the shadows of the trees, he followed quietly.
The night breeze carried a hint of chill, making the leaves rustle.
Niu Dachun in front was walking quite fast, occasionally looking back, looking like a thief.
Lin Mo tried his best to hide his figure, keeping a steady, moderate pace, trailing at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
Soon, Lin Mo followed Niu Dachun to the edge of a small lake.
"Da Chun, why are you only just now arriving!" A tall figure emerged from behind the flower bushes.
Under the streetlights, Lin Mo saw clearly who it was—it was Kai Li, dressed in black yoga clothes.
"Hehe, I just wanted to wait until everyone was asleep." Niu Dachun scratched his head, smiling with a bit of simple honesty.
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up, I'm already famished." Kai Li grabbed Niu Dachun's arm and pulled him into the flower bushes.
"Wait, sister, shouldn't we... shouldn't we chat first and deepen our feelings?" Niu Dachun was a bit nervous.
"What's there to chat about?" Kai Li gave him a playful glare. "Developing feelings over time is the real business."
"Oh, oh!"
Hidden behind a tree, Lin Mo was stunned by Kai Li's brazen words and directness.
Just as he wanted to turn around and slip away, a crisp "slap" suddenly came from the flower bushes.
Immediately following was Kai Li's amused rebuke: "You brat, you actually dare to get handsy? Weren't you quite shy just a moment ago?"
"I... I just wanted to help you pick a leaf." Niu Dachun's voice was filled with panic, yet also a hint of inexplicable excitement.
"Cut the act," Kai Li chuckled softly. "Lie down, I'll do it myself."
Lin Mo felt his scalp tingle; this guy was actually going to go through with it.
This simpleton! His appearance was just a disguise; perhaps he actually enjoyed this kind of thing.
"You look simple, but you know everything. Where did you learn this?"
"Heh, my brother Mo often watches movies in secret. I accidentally caught him a few times, so I..."
"Heh, so that brother Mo of yours isn't as honest as he looks..."
What the...
Lin Mo's face darkened.
Alright, he was feeling quite depressed at the moment.
He worried about his brother being a singleton, but also feared his brother starting a harem.
Forget it, this is all Da Chun's luck.
Lin Mo quietly turned and left.
The next morning.
The sun was bright.
Qin Ran's mood, however, was quite gloomy.
Because yesterday, under the guidance of Master Yu.
She spent the whole night and consumed twenty-two Tier 1 ice-attribute soul crystals to successfully awaken a Yellow-grade high-level Soul Skill.
This wasn't even as good as the few Soul Skills she had awakened on her own a while ago.
This made her have to doubt the level of this 'theoretical master'.
So much so that she was a bit distracted during training right now.
"Qin Ran! What are you doing! Can you not train seriously?"
Standing in the shade with his hands behind his back, Master Yu watched the two girls in the squad doing frog jumps with a sharp gaze.
He had also noticed that Qin Ran looked distracted.
To cover up the awkwardness of having guided her to awaken only a Yellow-grade high-level Soul Skill, he could only push the blame onto her.
That was why he had the two girls run dozens of kilometers today before doing frog jumps to train their physiques.
Now that he had found the perfect opportunity to lecture her, he certainly wouldn't let it pass.
Startled by the scolding, Qin Ran stumbled, her knees hitting the ground hard, causing her to gasp in pain.
She gritted her teeth and stood up, her bangs dampened by sweat and sticking to her pale face.
Her eyes, however, revealed a stubbornness: "Sorry, Master Yu, I will pay attention."
"Pay attention?" Master Yu snorted coldly, paced over to her, and tapped the rattan cane in his palm.
"I think you simply haven't put your heart into the training! No wonder you only awakened a Yellow-grade Soul Skill; this is all because you are slack in your training."
His words were half-reprimand, half-concealment.
No one knew that this instructor named Yu, who claimed to be a "theoretical master," actually didn't understand the core of Soul Skill awakening at all.
His guidance was nothing more than reciting from books and combining it with a few successful cases.
As for what Soul Skill ended up being awakened, it was all up to the student's luck.
If it succeeded, it was his credit; if it failed, it was the student's own fault.
Qin Ran clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.
She felt extremely aggrieved.
Her family had spent a fortune to get her the spot to follow Master Yu.
Now, not only did she only awaken a Yellow-grade, but she was also falsely accused by him of slacking off in training.
This frustration made her feel miserable.
"What? Unconvinced?" Seeing her remain silent, Master Yu pushed further: "I think you just lack experience! Run fifty laps around the academy before noon; you can eat when you finish!"
The other girl nearby shrank her neck in fear, not daring to speak up for Qin Ran.
Qin Ran took a deep breath, suppressing the grievance and anger in her heart, and whispered: "Yes, Master Yu."
She reset her posture.
Master Yu watched her back, a hint of complacency flashing in his eyes.
Although the combat suit had chest-binding and shaping effects, the movement was still quite pleasing to the eye.
Master Yu just liked this kind of tormenting style.
"Teacher, don't be angry, and this isn't your fault. Who told Qin Ran to rush to awaken her Soul Skill without completing the training as you required! Awakening a Yellow-grade can only be considered her bad luck!"
Tang Shan wiped away his sweat and handed over a bottle of mineral water, consoling him.
"Hmm... it's you, Xiao Shan, who understands me... and understands the teacher's good intentions."
"Teacher, you're too kind. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have my current strength!" Tang Shan said, looking respectful.
"Hmm, alright, go back to training. Starting tomorrow, we will begin the next phase of training."
"Okay teacher, you rest."
The conversation between the master and student reached Qin Ran's ears, word for word.
"Damn it... these two hypocritical, disgusting guys."
When had Qin Ran ever suffered such indignity?
She suddenly remembered that a childhood friend in Kyoto had once mentioned to her that Master Yu might have been dismissed from the Martial Soul Academic Research Institute...
...
On the other side, in a research lab.
"Sizzle!"
A wisp of purple smoke rose from the test tube in Lin Mo's hand.
A vial of primary soul-condensing potion had been successfully formulated.
Professor Yi Nan and several people in white coats saw this, their eyes nearly popping out.
"It's done just like that?"
Lin Mo had only read a book and then written out a new formula himself.
Then, he attempted to formulate the potion for the first time in front of Professor Yi and several seniors.
"Heh, if nothing goes wrong, it should be a success!"
Lin Mo shook the potion in the test tube proudly.
This was a new primary soul-condensing potion that the AI had simplified based on the pharmacology of the soul-condensing potion and the soul condensing pill.
The effect was definitely better than what Professor Yi Nan's lab produced.
Professor Yi Nan hurriedly instructed her assistant: "Quick, test the potency and check for any side effects!"
Then she turned, looking at Lin Mo with the expression of someone staring at a monster: "You, you really surprised me too much!"
"The cost of this formula is only one-tenth of the old primary soul-condensing potion. If the tests show no issues, even if the potency is only thirty percent of the old version, our lab will have hit the jackpot!"
Professor Yi Nan rubbed her hands in excitement, her eyes shining like two searchlights.