Shrek Academy, Reception Room!
Seeing Ning Fengzhi and Tang San chatting amiably, Yu Xiaogang straightened his back once more and stepped forward, speaking with pride:
"Xiao San, your father, Tang Hao, is the divine blacksmith Sect Master Ning mentioned. He's also the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent—the Clear Sky Douluo!"
Hearing this, Tang San's face was filled with disbelief. His father, who spent his days drinking and sleeping, actually had such an identity.
When Ning Fengzhi had said it, Tang San didn't fully believe it, but he had held onto a sliver of hope. Now, hearing Yu Xiaogang say the same, he began to truly believe. However, he couldn't understand why his father had ended up in such a state.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Yu Xiaogang before turning his attention back to Tang San. Now that Tang San believed his father, Tang Hao, was a Titled Douluo, Ning Fengzhi could begin his manipulation. He was well-versed in controlling people's hearts.
"Tang San, are you wondering why the Tang Hao we speak of became the Tang Hao you know?"
Tang San's mind was in chaos. Hearing this, he instinctively asked:
"Sect Master Ning, why is that?"
Seeing that he had set the stage, Ning Fengzhi began his performance:
"Because your father killed someone he shouldn't have and offended a force he couldn't afford to offend—the Spirit Hall."
"The current Pope of the Spirit Hall is Bibi Dong, but the previous Pope was Qian Xunji. Bibi Dong was able to ascend to the position because your father killed the previous Pope, Qian Xunji."
This news was known to Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong, who had lived through that era. But for Tang San, it was like a thunderclap. His father was actually so powerful.
Ning Fengzhi continued:
"After this incident, your father faced relentless retaliation from the Spirit Hall. Countless Titled Douluo were sent to hunt him down, including the Spirit Hall's Judgment Elder, who had been famous for over a century. Fortunately, your father managed to escape."
"However, the retaliation wasn't limited to your father. His sect, the once-great Clear Sky Sect, also suffered greatly. Even as the top sect on the continent, they couldn't withstand the Spirit Hall's revenge. Many core disciples were killed or injured, and the affiliated clans were displaced."
"In the end, your father's sect had no choice but to abandon him, expelling him from the sect and even labeling him a traitor. But the Spirit Hall's retaliation didn't stop. The Clear Sky Sect was forced to seal their mountain gates and retreat into the deep mountains, never to appear again."
"Originally, the top three sects had always stood together. If the Clear Sky Sect had reached out to us, the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would have been willing to support them against the Spirit Hall. But the Clear Sky Sect directly expelled Tang Hao and sealed their gates. We had no reason to intervene."
"Back then, I personally admired your father, Tang Hao. The youngest Titled Douluo on the continent, he might have become a legend. But times change, and things have come to this. It's something none of us wanted to see."
"Tang San, if you don't mind, you can call me Uncle Ning, and I'll call you Xiao San. After all these years, seeing Tang Hao's descendant brings me great comfort."
Tang San's eyes were vacant, his mind a tangled mess. According to Ning Fengzhi, he should have been the young master of the Clear Sky Sect, the top sect on the continent. This was a position he could only dream of in his previous life in the Tang Sect.
But all of that was gone because his father had killed the previous Pope of the Spirit Hall.
Having just broken through to level 32 soul power, Tang San felt the weight of such a powerful enemy pressing down on him. His shoulders slumped, no longer held high, as if crushed by an invisible force.
Finally, Ning Fengzhi's warmth made Tang San feel like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline. He quickly expressed his gratitude:
"Uncle Ning, thank you for telling me all this. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known what enemies I'll face in the future."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Ning Fengzhi finally revealed his true intentions. He shook his head and chuckled:
"Look at me. Seeing you reminded me of your father, and I ended up saying so much. Actually, I came here today for another matter."
"I've seen the hidden weapons you gave Rongrong. They can greatly enhance the combat power of low-level soul masters. Xiao San, since you call me Uncle Ning, I have a request. Would you be willing to sell your hidden weapon craftsmanship to the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect?"
"You may not know this, but the Spirit Hall now dominates the soul master world. Both the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan feel immense pressure. No one wants to become the next Clear Sky Sect, forced to seal their gates under the Spirit Hall's oppression. To strengthen our sect, I, as an elder, have no choice but to come to you."
"Don't worry, the price is negotiable. And from now on, you'll be an honored guest of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect."
Tang San's eyes flickered with conflict. He desperately wanted to secure the friendship of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect, but the Tang Sect's legacy was something he truly couldn't sell.
After some thought, he came up with a compromise:
"Uncle Ning, I'm truly sorry. Without the consent of my elders, I can't sell the hidden weapon craftsmanship. However, I can sell you the finished hidden weapons."
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Ning Fengzhi's eyes. He had gone this far, and Tang San still refused to sell. But on the surface, he remained amiable:
"I see. I was too hasty. But if you're selling finished hidden weapons, how many can you produce? I need more than just one or two sets."
Tang San fell into deep thought again and finally proposed a solution:
"Uncle Ning, how about this? I'll give you some of the blueprints. You'll be responsible for purchasing the materials and crafting the components. I'll handle the final assembly. For each set of hidden weapons assembled, I'll take… 500 gold soul coins as the assembly fee…"
Even though it pained him, Tang San gritted his teeth and made the offer to win Ning Fengzhi's favor.
Ning Fengzhi appeared thoughtful. With some of the blueprints and the finished products, he didn't believe the skilled craftsmen in his sect couldn't reverse-engineer them. He smiled and said:
"Alright, Xiao San. I'll have 1,000 sets of components made first. I'll give you a deposit of 100,000 gold soul coins. Once all the assembly is complete, I'll pay the remaining 400,000 gold soul coins. When can you provide the blueprints?"
Seeing Ning Fengzhi agree, Tang San immediately took out a large number of blueprints from his storage soul tool and handed them over:
"Uncle Ning, these are some of the blueprints. They can be used to craft the components for various hidden weapons. But which components go with which hidden weapons is confidential and cannot be easily revealed."
Ning Fengzhi took the blueprints, his eyes gleaming. With these, the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect would have at least 5,000 Soul Ancestor-level fighters in the future. How could he not be happy?
He then handed Tang San a gold soul coin card with a balance of 100,000 gold soul coins. Before leaving, he addressed everyone present:
"Everything discussed today is confidential. I hope you all keep it to yourselves."
After everyone agreed, Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong left Shrek Academy under the protection of Chen Xin and Gu Rong.
After Leaving Shrek Academy!
Gu Rong's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said to Ning Fengzhi:
"Sect Master, after all that, we only got part of the hidden weapon blueprints. Why don't we just capture Tang San? With some… persuasion, I'm sure we can extract all his secrets."
With Chen Xin and Gu Rong by his side, Ning Fengzhi wasn't worried about eavesdroppers. He calmly replied:
"Uncle Gu, I don't like making enemies lightly. We're in the open, and Tang Hao is in the shadows. That's why I left Tang San today. Uncle Gu, you heard what Tang San said. His father, Tang Hao, is hiding in a village."
"Uncle Gu, go back now and arrange for people to investigate. Follow Tang San's origins and find Tang Hao's location. It's best if we can confirm whether Tang Hao's strength is still intact."
"If his strength remains, we'll keep his son and find a way to push him to the front lines against the Spirit Hall. If his strength is gone, then both he and his son will become stepping stones for the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect to rise higher. Outsiders can't be relied upon."
"Uncle Chen and I will take Rongrong to hunt for her third soul ring, and then we'll go talk to Chen Yuan. He's the true genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect—one of our own."
Gu Rong chuckled darkly, nodded, and left alone.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,559
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