At Shrek Academy's square!
Ning Rongrong raised her small face, her patience with Shrek Academy long gone. Initially, she had enrolled out of curiosity, and later, she stayed out of spite. But now, she was thoroughly bored with the place and had no intention of staying any longer.
Her voice rang out clearly.
"Since the academy has gone bankrupt, I'll be returning to my sect. My father, Sword Grandpa, and Bone Grandpa are all waiting for me at home. Sword Grandpa is Chen Yuan's teacher. If I hadn't run away to play, he probably wouldn't have been sent out to look for me."
Her words struck a chord with everyone present, reminding them once again how out of place the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was in their rundown academy.
Flender forced a smile and even bent slightly, his tone ingratiating.
"Miss Rongrong, the academy we're heading to next is an advanced spirit academy in Heaven Dou City. The headmaster there is an old friend of mine, and it's not far from the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect. In the future, I hope you'll look out for us."
"Sure, sure."
Ning Rongrong casually agreed, then turned her gaze to Tang San. Her voice was calm but carried a hint of accusation.
"Tang San, you owe my brother Chen Yuan a favor. You said you'd repay him with a set of hidden weapons. Have you finished making them yet?"
Tang San's expression stiffened. He had been busy training recently and hadn't had time to craft the hidden weapons. Still, he stepped forward.
Repaying this favor sooner rather than later would be good for him, lest Chen Yuan and Ning Rongrong use it against him in the future. He retrieved various mechanical hidden weapons from his Twenty-Four Bridge Moon Night and laid them out on the grass in front of Ning Rongrong. These were all items he had crafted before.
Tang San introduced each one, then said in a steady voice.
"Ning Rongrong, Chen Yuan helped me greatly by stopping that 2,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider, buying me time to save Xiao Wu. So, I owe him a favor. Now, I'm repaying that debt. The hidden weapons before you are enough to kill any spirit master below the Spirit King level. From now on, we're even."
Ning Rongrong played with the Zhuge Divine Crossbow that had killed the 1,600-year-old Datura Snake. Hearing this, she smiled sweetly and nodded.
"Alright, we're even!"
But in her heart, she thought.
'This is for the best. Without any debt between us, I can act decisively. Tang San, I'll come back for you. But next time, I'll bring my father, Sword Grandpa, and Bone Grandpa. The secrets you hold could definitely elevate my Seven Treasures Glazed Sect to new heights.'
As Ning Fengzhi's daughter, Ning Rongrong was no naive little flower. Having grown up in such an environment, she had her share of cunning and tactics, though she usually kept them hidden.
For those present, the exchange between Tang San and Ning Rongrong made the situation clear.
The only thing that shocked them was Tang San's claim that his hidden weapons could kill any spirit master below the Spirit King level. Spirit Kings, Spirit Masters, Grandmasters, Spirit Elders, and Spirit Ancestors—decades of cultivation—could all be defeated by a small hidden weapon.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's cold voice rang out.
"I won't be going with you either. I'm leaving."
She didn't elaborate. Zhu Zhuqing had traveled thousands of miles to give Dai Mubai, who had heartlessly abandoned her and fled alone, one last chance. But Dai Mubai had already shattered her hopes.
She could overlook Dai Mubai's past and the number of women he had been with. After all, the Star Luo Emperor would never favor just one person.
What she couldn't stand was Dai Mubai's complete lack of ambition. He was like mud that couldn't be shaped, utterly disgusting. So, even if it meant staying ambiguously by Chen Yuan and Ning Rongrong's side, Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to look at Dai Mubai ever again.
Dai Mubai lowered his head, his eyes bloodshot, suppressing the fury of feeling betrayed. In his mind, Zhu Zhuqing had climbed into Chen Yuan's bed, which was why she was leaving him so heartlessly.
Resentment and unwillingness filled him, but in the end, it all turned into a deep sense of helplessness. Last time, he had made a careless remark and nearly paid with his life. As a fallen prince, what could he do now?
After all the teachers and students of Shrek Academy had voiced their decisions, the matter was settled.
Ning Rongrong collected all the hidden weapons, then skipped away, calling out to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Let's go, sister."
Zhu Zhuqing responded simply.
"Alright."
The two walked away, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance.
Flender took a deep breath and smiled at the people around him.
"I'm glad that even though Shrek Academy has gone bankrupt, we haven't fallen apart. That's the best comfort for me. Everyone, go and prepare. We'll set off tomorrow morning."
"If we don't hurry to the new advanced spirit academy, we'll soon run out of food. That academy is in Heaven Dou City, which is quite far from here."
With that, everyone dispersed.
Yu Xiaogang stayed behind and said to Flender in a serious tone.
"Flender, be honest with me. How close are you with the headmaster of that academy? And does that advanced spirit academy have the qualifications to participate in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament?"
Flender smiled and replied.
"Xiaogang, don't worry. She and I were the closest of friends back then. She'll definitely take us in. Besides, her academy is much more prestigious than mine and absolutely qualifies for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction.
As for Flender, his smile grew wider.
---
Not long after, at Chen Yuan's manor!
Ning Rongrong's lively voice rang out.
"Brother Chen Yuan, we're back!"
Chen Yuan stopped what he was doing, sheathed his sword, and stood up. He looked at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing behind her, smiling lightly.
"What took you so long this time? Did something happen?"
Ning Rongrong explained the situation, ending with.
"It's for the best. I've been wanting to leave that academy for a while now. It was completely useless."
"I see."
Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised. It seemed his influence on the original plot was growing. He then asked.
"Rongrong, now that you've left Shrek Academy, what are your plans? Are you going home right away? If you don't want to go home yet, you could check out Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It's close enough for the sect leader to keep an eye on you, but you won't be directly returning home, so they won't worry too much."
Though he seemed to be asking Ning Rongrong, Chen Yuan had already subtly guided her toward the answer.
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, but then she frowned in confusion.
"That's a good idea, but Heaven Dou Royal Academy is a place full of spoiled noble kids. Brother Chen Yuan, why would you suggest going there?"
Chen Yuan, as if he had anticipated this, replied.
"Recently, when I went to the city to buy supplies, I heard that a team called the Imperial Spirit Team has arrived at the Great Spirit Arena. All of them are Spirit Elders, and their strength is formidable. They've swept through the arena without any opponents. I found them quite interesting. Can you guess where they're from?"
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment and quickly figured it out.
"Imperial Spirit… Heaven Dou Royal… Brother Chen Yuan, are you saying this team is from Heaven Dou Royal Academy? In that case, let's go check it out. Even if it's a noble academy, they wouldn't dare refuse us."
Chen Yuan, pleased that Ning Rongrong had followed his lead, praised her like a child.
"Rongrong, you're so clever. Let's go tomorrow and see how strong this Imperial Spirit Team really is."
Ning Rongrong beamed at the praise.
Then, Chen Yuan turned to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhuqing, you should come with us to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It's a decent place to settle for now."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement.
"Alright."
Chen Yuan didn't ask further, and Zhu Zhuqing didn't elaborate. Some topics were better left unspoken.
For example, Chen Yuan wouldn't tell Ning Rongrong, "I like you, and I also like your sister," nor would he tell Zhu Zhuqing, "Even though I like your sister, I also like you."
Putting it so bluntly would cut off all his options, leaving him standing on the edge of a cliff with no way back.
As long as they stayed by his side, they would eventually be his.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,467
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