"Xiaosan, look, there are so many stars in the sky." Xiaowu hopped and skipped about, brimming with the vivacity expected of a child her age.
She addressed Tang San as Xiaosan, rather than 'Xiaosanzai', and since she was a girl, Tang San didn't argue. Resignedly, he said, "Did you drag me out here just to stargaze?"
At this time, there were hardly any students or teachers to be seen outside the dormitory building. Later, Tang San learned that practicing after dark was a tradition for Soul Masters.
Xiaowu chuckled and said, "No, of course not. I want to have another match with you. I took the initiative this afternoon, which could be considered a sneak attack, so my victory was somewhat dishonorable. Seeing as you seem a bit unconvinced, I'll give you another chance."
It was rare to find a girl as combative as Xiaowu, but that suited Tang San perfectly. His spirits lifted, and he said energetically, "Alright, let's do this."
Xiaowu smiled and scratched her face with her finger, "Just don't cry when I knock you down, okay? Are you ready?"
Seeing her adorable expression, Tang San was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure, "Come on, then."
"Okay, here I come." As she spoke, Xiaowu's face revealed a sly smile as she approached Tang San. Indeed, she was coming, but not to attack.
Tang San frowned and asked, "What are you doing? Aren't we supposed to be sparring?" By now, Xiaowu had walked to less than a meter in front of him. Despite them still being children with short limbs, Xiaowu continued to advance, losing the distance needed to launch a leg attack.
Considering their Martial Souls, Tang San knew that since Xiaowu's Martial Soul was a rabbit, her legs had to be her most powerful asset, as could be seen from their earlier fight. Now that she had closed the distance too much for a kick, what exactly was she planning?
Xiaowu nodded and smiled, "Yes! Isn't this me coming to spar with you?"
While Tang San was still confused, Xiaowu suddenly flicked her head, and her scorpion braid shot toward his neck like a black shadow aiming to coil around it.
This worked too? Attacking with her hair was a tactic Tang San had never seen before. But he was always on guard for Xiaowu's assault, and seeing her scorpion braid whip towards him, he immediately stepped back, raising his left hand, attempting to entangle with Xiaowu's hair. If her braid was under his control, Xiaowu would surely lose her ability to fight.
Xiaowu's hand had risen along with her braid; as Tang San lifted his hand, he suddenly realized that her hand was already up. Before his palm could touch Xiaowu's long hair, she suddenly jerked her head up, her scorpion braid bypassing Tang San's hand while her own hand pressed against his.
Xiaowu's hand was soft and lustrous, as if touching a ball of cotton. But Tang San had no interest in appreciating this sensation, as he was shocked to discover that Xiaowu's arm had twisted strangely, not only coiling around his palm but also rapidly extending, wrapping around his arm. Simultaneously, her other hand also rose, aiming for his other hand, while her raised scorpion braid fell from the air, coiling towards Tang San's neck like a third hand.
Although Xiaowu's arms looked tender, they were incredibly tough. Despite Tang San's strength, he couldn't break free from her grip. He tried to leap backwards with all his might, but Xiaowu's body, light as a feather, lifted off the ground and flew with him. In this situation, even the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was rendered useless.
To dodge Xiaowu's scorpion braid, Tang San abruptly threw his head back, his back arching, utilizing a backbend maneuver to dodge. At the same time, he finally couldn't help but take action with Mysterious Heaven Method, channeling energy through his arms. He was afraid of hurting Xiaowu, so he only used fifty percent of his power.
Unexpectedly, just as Tang San channeled his energy, Xiaowu's hands suddenly let go. Immediately after, he felt a strong force from his waist, losing his balance and falling backwards.
With a thump, Tang San fell flat on his back, Xiaowu's small hands pinning down where his arms meet his shoulders, utilizing the gravity from the fall to cause a numbing pain that prevented him from exerting strength. At that moment, Xiaowu was straddling his waist, looking down at him triumphantly. Tang San felt the full contact of Xiaowu's bouncy bottom on his stomach.
"How about it? Admit defeat?" Xiaowu looked down at Tang San, her face alight with excitement.
If the first time Tang San was thrown down by Xiaowu he didn't feel much, this time he was truly frustrated. From a strength perspective, Xiaowu seemed much weaker than him. But her fighting method was just too tricky. Lacking extensive combat experience himself, Tang San was outwitted.
"No way, let's go again." Tang San looked at Xiaowu, a surge of defiance in his heart.
Xiaowu spoke boastfully, "You still want to? But I won't give you another chance. Show me what you've got and break free first."
With his shoulder joints locked, how could he break free? His path for channeling the Mysterious Heaven Method had been blocked.
"What are you doing? Get up right now. In broad daylight, to actually…" Just then, a discordant voice rang out.
Xiaowu and Tang San turned their heads simultaneously and saw a female teacher storming towards them with anger flaring.
Indeed, the position Tang San and Xiaowu were in was rather indecent. Tang San lay flat on the ground, arms spread wide, while Xiaowu straddled his waist, her hands pressing on his shoulders as she looked down at him. Even though they were just kids, the posture was somewhat…
Xiaowu's cheeks flushed red, and she hurriedly hopped off Tang San. Seizing the opportunity, he rolled over and got up.
The female teacher had already approached, her voice raised in anger, "What on earth is going on with you two?"
Tang San felt that as a boy, he should step forward to explain, but before he could speak, Xiaowu had already preempted him, "Teacher, we were just sparring."