104: Chapter 104: Redundant Combat Power, and I Remembered Wu Song Again
On a summer morning, the breeze carried the freshness and moisture of dew, gently lifting the sheer curtains.
The warm morning sun, like silk, passed through the clean glass and fell gently onto the pure white bed.
Teacher Su was like a warmth-seeking kitten, her arms wrapped around Yun Zhuo's neck, her cheek pressed lightly against his shoulder, her long lashes resting quietly, casting shallow shadows under her eyes with their length and curl.
The morning light fell on the soft contours of her profile, making her skin appear translucent and white, her lips tinged with a faint pink. Her peaceful sleeping face, even the stray strands of hair by her temples, exuded a lazy beauty.
Yun Zhuo felt a bit hot and a little breathless; in his half-awake state, he reached out and gently pushed her away.
The wind blowing in from the window immediately brought a sense of coolness.
But after a moment, Teacher Su rolled over and lay on top of him again, this time hugging his waist and pressing her face tightly against his chest as if in retaliation.
Dazed, Yun Zhuo glanced down and pushed her away once more.
This time Teacher Su reacted even faster. Almost as soon as his hands let go, she propped herself up and climbed onto him, entangling him with her limbs and sticking to him firmly.
Yun Zhuo sighed, reached for the summer quilt, and covered her directly with it.
Under the quilt, Teacher Su wiggled her bottom like a victor, not forgetting to act spoiled even in her sleep.
It was nearly nine o'clock, and the elder Teacher Su upstairs had long since risen.
Today she had changed her usual attire, swapping it for a long white trench coat. The notched lapels and metal buttons looked sharp, while the belt cinched an elegant waistline. Her sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, revealing a delicate bracelet on her wrist.
On her lower half, a pair of lightweight white wide-leg pants draped down, accentuating the length of her legs.
Her long wavy hair rested loosely on her shoulders, appearing both intellectual and gentle, while skillfully showcasing her waist-to-hip curve and tall stature.
Holding the stair railing, she descended slowly.
Halfway down, she paused and leaned halfway over the railing.
She looked toward Yun Zhuo's room.
The door was tightly shut, and the first floor was silent.
“Sigh~ Why aren't they up yet?” She sighed softly, walked downstairs alone, and stood quietly in front of the stairs for a good while before heading to the kitchen with light steps.
She made a disastrous breakfast and even prepared a portion for the young couple, Yun Zhuo and her sister.
Then, biting into a charred sandwich, she went to the front door and pressed lightly on the wall, causing a shoe cabinet to pop out.
While eating the sandwich, she looked over her collection from over the years, finally picking a pair of white pointed-toe stilettos.
Her dainty feet slipped gently into the shoes, and she tapped them against the floor.
The heels hugged her ankles and elongated her lines. As she raised a hand to adjust her glasses, she stepped out the door, her heels clicking firmly and powerfully on the ground. With her long wavy hair draped over one shoulder, she showed none of the clumsiness of someone wearing high heels for the first time.
It was nearly ten o'clock when Teacher Su finally woke up.
Dazed, she felt the space beside her, her fingertips meeting a slight chill.
Propping herself up, she saw that Yun Zhuo had already gotten out of bed at some point.
She reached back to gather her long hair as the sound of a cup being rinsed came from the bathroom.
The sound was brisk; Yun Zhuo had already finished brushing his teeth.
He poked his head out from the bathroom and glanced over. “Awake?”
Teacher Su smiled slightly, wrapped herself in the summer quilt, hopped lightly off the bed, ran excitedly to Yun Zhuo, and kissed him on tiptoe.
“Morning, Xiao Zhuo.”
Yun Zhuo had been worried about whether she would suffer from hemorrhoids this morning, but seeing her run so lightly, his heart finally settled back into his chest.
He reached out and affectionately pinched her cheek. “It’s not early, Little Teacher Su. If you don't get up soon, it'll be time for lunch.”
“It’s all your fault. You get so energetic as soon as night falls. I’ve realized that in certain matters, we War Princesses are really at a disadvantage.”
“Since you know that, don't try to be a hero in front of me in the future.”
“Hmph~ I want to.”
By the time the two were dressed and came out of the room, the breakfast on the table was already stone cold.
Yun Zhuo looked at the sandwich charred black on both sides in the plate. “Did Sister Su eat this this morning? It’s not poisonous, is it?”
As he spoke, he took a sip of the milk nearby.
Teacher Su laughed and said, “Never mind if it's poisonous; the fact that she actually made breakfast herself means the sun has risen from the west.”
With that, she took their breakfast into the kitchen, intending to remake it.
At that moment, a faint glow lit up on both of them again.
They had gained a level last night, and now they had gained another, reaching Level 23.
Yesterday, Yun Zhuo hadn't taken the combat power redundancy mentioned by the elder Teacher Su seriously, but now he finally felt the abnormality in his body firsthand.
His body felt heavy, just like when he was training in the gravity field. The most direct consequence was a decrease in speed.
The surging Corrosion Energy also caused a dull ache in his Meridians.
Leveling up so fast that one actually 'gained fat' like a pig—Yun Zhuo wouldn't have believed it before today.
Yun Zhuo couldn't help but recall what Wu Song had told him the first time they met: the only way to level up quickly was through combat.
Whether it was fighting Mutated Beasts or fighting people, combat was the only Righteous Path to rapid leveling.
He must have known that leveling too fast would cause combat power redundancy. He hadn't told Yun Zhuo explicitly because he probably didn't think Yun Zhuo could level up this fast.
To be over Level 20 and still gain two levels in one night without injections or medicine...
Besides his and Teacher Su's talents reaching Imperial Rank, this was also inseparable from the contract with the elder Teacher Su.
Of course, there were also the three runes he had added for Teacher Su, which increased her Corrosion Energy absorption by 120%.
After a short while, Teacher Su brought out two portions of breakfast that looked and smelled delicious.
Seeing Yun Zhuo staring blankly, she couldn't help but ask in confusion, “What are you thinking about, brat?”
“Teacher Su, haven't you noticed that something seems wrong with our bodies?”
“Hmm?” Teacher Su set down the breakfast and thought for a moment. “Is there?”
“You don't feel it?”
Teacher Su shook her head. “No. Could it be exactly what Sister said? That leveling too fast causes combat power redundancy?”
“It looks like that's eighty percent likely.” Yun Zhuo's gaze fell on the breakfast she brought. “Forget it, since it's already like this, let's eat first.”
“You really are carefree.” Saying that, she opened her bracelet. “I'll ask Sister to see if she has any ideas.”
“She’s probably in class right now, let's not disturb her.” Yun Zhuo pressed down on Teacher Su's bracelet. “Actually, Teacher Wu already told us the solution.”
“When did he say that? How come I don't know?”
“On the first day, when I bought him cigarettes. Looking back, that pack of cigarettes was really worth it.”
Seeing that Yun Zhuo had a solution, Teacher Su stopped worrying and smiled. “It's been a while since we saw them; I actually miss the two of them quite a bit.
Xiao Zhuo, where do you think they are now?”
“I don't know, but they aren't short on money now, so they're probably enjoying themselves somewhere.”
As he spoke, Yun Zhuo placed a peeled egg on her plate. “Eat up. After eating, we'll head to the Mission Management Office to look around.”
...
Remote Department, Academic Building.
“Thirteenth Brother, did you look for me?”
Su Qingtang pushed open the door to Su Zixing's office.
The gray-haired Su Zixing was sixty-three this year, ten years older than the elder Teacher Su's father, but he was of the same generation as her in terms of seniority.
He took off his glasses and looked at the elder Teacher Su's outfit today. His eyes lit up, but he also froze for quite a while.
Teacher Su reminded him, “Thirteenth Brother, is there something you wanted to see me about?”
Su Zixing nodded. “Have a seat first.”
After saying that, he stood up to brew a cup of tea for Teacher Su and placed it by her hand. “I heard you’ve entered into a contract with someone?”