“I should have noticed it long ago… ever since you appeared, the pedestrians on the street disappeared.”
“You could have just caught me straight away, but you had to take such a huge detour.”
“You really hold grudges, Lin Mo.”
Sitting at the edge of the sofa, Chu You’s expression was calm, her tone mocking: “Kill or let live, whatever you want. This time I lost.”
At the doorway, Lin Mo, who had been admiring a piece of art, slowly turned to look at Chu You.
“Actually, you didn’t lose, Senior.”
“At the very least, I didn’t expect you to prepare a tranquilizer dart, and the dosage… was really quite large.”
To eliminate the negative effects of the anesthetic, Lin Mo had injected himself with thirteen antidote shots.
If he hadn’t cleared the area in advance and stationed plenty of people around, it would have taken him at least two hours to regain full mobility.
Chu You didn’t reply, meeting Lin Mo’s gaze without yielding.
She didn’t think Lin Mo took such a big detour just for fun; he most likely wanted to get revenge on her first, then proceed with business as usual.
Whether he slit her throat with his neck stretched out or retracted, it would be the same.
Crying and begging like a stray dog was definitely not her style.
She’d just fight and get it over with!
With that thought, Chu You slowly stood and closed the distance.
Her hand concealed in her sleeve trembled slightly and gripped the dagger hidden in the cuff’s clasp in reverse.
“Don’t mind if I fight back before I die, do you?”
Lin Mo shook his head slightly. “I don’t mind, but Senior, are you sure you want to fight me?”
He had already known, ever since he learned about the [Qi Wutong] Oracle Awakening ability, that such an almost unbeatable awakening power came with a hefty price—the temporary loss of the Oracle’s power after use.
“If I don’t fight, then what?” Chu You sneered. “If I whimper and beg for mercy, would you let me go?”
“How would you know if you don’t try, Senior?” Lin Mo stared intently at Chu You, his tone calm but his eyes shining a little brighter.
Chu You raised the dagger and took a standard combat stance. “Enough talk.”
She raised the blade and lunged!
Even dragging her frail body, Chu You’s strike was still sharp and fierce.
She had been promoted to Bronze Sparrow-ranked Swordbearer within three months of joining the Swordbearers, always relying on strength rather than the so-called “Northern Mansion’s aloof beauty” gimmick.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, was no lightweight either—he showed no panic as the dagger approached his carotid artery, even shifting his body weight forward to meet the attack.
“Senior, you taught me this.”
The blade glinted coldly as it grazed Lin Mo’s skin along the muscle fibers, narrowly missing.
Chu You squinted, but her body weight oddly recoiled.
Taking advantage of Lin Mo’s close approach, Chu You’s free left hand flicked out, gripping a long-bladed military knife and thrusting it straight into Lin Mo’s chest.
“Junior, where’s the teacher who doesn’t hold back?”
“Ding~”.
A crisp sound rang out.
The black military knife pierced through Lin Mo’s outerwear but could go no further.
Chu You’s pupils trembled as their faces nearly touched, eyes locking.
She couldn’t help but curse, “You bastard, are you freaking wearing stab-proof armor?!”
Before Chu You could react, Lin Mo wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed hard.
Their hot breaths tangled together.
Startled by Lin Mo’s move, Chu You heard two loud clatters as the dagger and military knife fell to the floor one after another.
“Senior, you dropped your weapons~”.
“Shut up!”
Chu You, who abhorred physical contact, abruptly raised her knee to strike at Lin Mo’s vulnerable body, but he anticipated it and blocked with a raised leg.
The knee strike failed, so Chu You decisively kicked at Lin Mo’s supporting leg, causing them both to lose balance and fall heavily to the ground.
Lin Mo reacted faster—rolling with momentum to get on top and pin her down, one hand still locking her waist, the other grabbing the wrist of her attempting counterattack.
Chu You exerted force to twist and slammed her elbow hard into his ribs, but Lin Mo used the roll to deflect the force.
“Senior…” Lin Mo panted, pressing her wrist near his ear, his nose nearly touching her sweating temple. “You’re not the only one hiding moves.”
Chu You’s expression didn’t change.
She bent her knees to push against Lin Mo’s lower back, and in the instant his muscles relaxed, she suddenly flipped—instantly reversing their positions.
Eyes met again, the room filled only with the sound of their increasingly heavy breaths.
Chu You looked down at Lin Mo with dominance but suddenly realized the way she was straddling him pressed their waists tightly together.
And that bastard Lin Mo… his two “dog paws” were unknowingly resting on her hips, the warmth of his palms burning through the thin fabric.
“Let go!”.
Chu You shouted fiercely and reached out to bend Lin Mo’s fingers.
“I’m tired, Senior.”
Lin Mo accurately gripped Chu You’s wrist and, taking advantage of her unsteady center of gravity, pushed up with his hips to sit up.
Instantly, they were kneeling face-to-face.
Chu You stumbled backward—about to fall—only to be caught tightly in Lin Mo’s arms before she lost control.
The atmosphere suddenly felt… off?
Lin Mo’s chin rested against Chu You’s forehead, his voice low and gentle: “After fighting so long, Senior, you must be tired, right?”
“Get lost!” Chu You shoved him hard, quickly standing and retreating, looking at Lin Mo—half lying on the ground—with utter disgust.
Lin Mo nodded contentedly. “That’s the kind of look that looks down on trash, really good.”
(O_O)?
This guy might have some serious issues, huh?
Chu You took another half step back, her eyes filled with even more disdain. “You seem like the kind of pervert who calls strangers ‘mom’ online.”
“So Senior likes that kind of address?” Lin Mo shot back.
Chu You sneered. “Disgusting.”
After saying that, she collapsed onto the floor.
Given her current physical state, forcing a fight was just too much.
Just two or three minutes of high-intensity combat had nearly exhausted her.
Weak like this, she felt she wasn’t even worthy of being called a Muggle; she was the bottom of the bottom.
“I can’t win anyway and can’t run either. Kill me if you want.”
Maybe if she died, she could return to Earth… If that were the case, it wouldn’t be so bad.
At least she could get back the most important core item in her equipment inventory.
But Lin Mo shook his head with a smile: “Senior, I don’t think I ever said I wanted to catch or kill you since we met.”
Hearing this, Chu You paused, then frowned and asked, “Then what did you come for? Playing house?”
“Senior,” Lin Mo stood up, dusted off his clothes, and took slow steps toward Chu You, stopping only when they were less than two fists apart.
He bowed his head slightly to meet her gaze, his voice low and steady: “Do you remember what you said before faking your death?”
“I said back then…” Chu You was about to answer but suddenly stopped.
The next moment.
Her eyes widened, and she backed up reflexively, pressing herself against the wall, staring at Lin Mo in disbelief: “You’d better be joking!”
To spite Lin Mo at the time, she really did say something she shouldn’t have.
Now, Chu You understood why Lin Mo’s behavior was so unorthodox—this bastard wasn’t after her life, but her… cough cough.
“Lin Mo, don’t push me too far!”
Chu You’s cheeks flushed slightly as she bit her teeth and snarled, “Even a cornered rabbit will bite.”
“Mm,” Lin Mo’s lips curved into a slight smile, his tone light and cheerful, “What a pity, Senior—you’re not a rabbit, but a fox.”
“You!” Chu You’s shoulders trembled with anger, and under the emotional surge, her fluffy fox tail suddenly sprang out, as if responding to Lin Mo’s teasing.
Seeing this, Lin Mo moved closer again, trapping Chu You against the corner.
The aura of the Oracle instantly enveloped the entire basement.
“I’ve taken over as the head of the Swordbearers’ Binhai Branch.”
“For the foreseeable future, Senior, it’ll be tough for you. How about becoming my personal assistant? No objections, right?”
Lin Mo propped himself against the wall with both hands, entrapping Chu You in his arms.
His breath was hot, the atmosphere ambiguous.
He slowly lowered his head, his lips brushing against Chu You’s ear as he whispered, “Binhai is a good place. Neither Headquarters nor lurking demons would pay attention here. It’s perfect for you to hide away and live in peace.”
“So…”
At this point, Lin Mo paused slightly, hooked a finger under Chu You’s chin, and lifted it gently.
“Senior, you don’t want anyone to know you’re still alive, do you?”