In truth, Song Qing possessed the means to locate those elusive hundred-thousand-year-old draconic spirit beasts. The passive ability of his Primordial Life Tree Spirit acted as an unparalleled sensory organ within the natural world.
Forests, mountains, plains – as long as he wasn't venturing into the chaotic and exceptionally dangerous Great Star Dou Forest, he could sense the presence of powerful life forms with remarkable accuracy and use it to have his teacher hunt formidable beasts.
'There are many other ancient forests scattered across the continent,' he mused, his verdant eyes thoughtful. 'Places where such powerful beasts could easily conceal themselves.'
However, he chose to keep this ability to himself for the time being. His priorities lay elsewhere. He was still waiting for Tang Hao to make his next move, to reveal his intentions. He also eagerly anticipated the first report from the assassin-type bishop, the Soul Douluo his teacher had dispatched to the Shrek Academy.
'Once I have a clearer picture of the situation,' he thought, a hint of calculation in his eyes, 'then I can properly focus on obtaining my fifth soul ring and assisting Senior Dugu Bo.'
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Song Qing remained mostly in his chamber, diligently nourishing Ah Yin with the Verdant Embrace ability of his Primordial Life Tree Spirit's first soul ring.
The single blade of Blue Silver Grass had indeed grown noticeably longer, its color a vibrant, healthy green. Song Qing could feel the potent life force thrumming within it.
'It should be at least a hundred years old by now,' he estimated, a satisfied nod gracing his lips. For a plant beast of the Blue Silver Emperor's caliber, a century of cultivation was still a mere blink in the grand scheme of things, but it was significant progress for the short time he had been tending to her.
He had spent the remaining hours of the afternoon and evening in the pleasant company of Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, his teacher Bibi Dong, and, of course, Qian Renxue. Their interactions were lighthearted and filled with laughter, a welcome respite from the underlying tension of the situation.
The next day dawned, bringing with it the eagerly awaited arrival of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. The two girls, having traveled with all possible speed, were practically bursting with excitement as they finally reached the Poison Douluo's mansion and were reunited with Song Qing.
The moment they saw him, a wave of relief and joy washed over them. Ning Rongrong, being the more outwardly affectionate of the two, was the first to reach him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
"Qing!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with happiness.
Zhu Zhuqing followed immediately after, her embrace just as warm and heartfelt.
Song Qing chuckled, enjoying the feeling of their arms around him. He had missed their presence.
"It's good to see you both," he said, his verdant eyes filled with genuine affection.
Once the initial excitement of the reunion had subsided, the two girls looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"Was your… task… really finished so quickly at that… low-class academy?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Song Qing nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It was indeed. My plans, carefully laid out beforehand, ensured a swift conclusion." He didn't elaborate, knowing that the full explanation would likely lead to more questions than answers at this point.
He then turned to them, his expression becoming slightly more serious. "I need you both to promise me that you won't leave Heaven Dou City anytime soon. And if you do need to go anywhere, you must be with me or my teacher at all times. We don't know when that Tang Hao might decide to launch a sneak attack."
The two girls readily agreed, more than happy to stay close to him. Ning Rongrong even batted her large eyes and adopted a deliberately helpless demeanor.
"Oh, Qing," she said in a sugary-sweet voice, clinging to his arm. "You know I'm just a support-type Soul Master. I'm not very good at fighting. You'll have to protect me well!"
Zhu Zhuqing, who had been observing Ning Rongrong's blatant attempt at garnering Song Qing's attention, couldn't help but snort derisively.
"Who would dare to attack you, Rongrong?" she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You're practically the darling of the two Super Titled Douluo of your precious Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Anyone who even thinks about hurting you would have two of the most powerful individuals on the continent hunting them down! I doubt even a spirit beast with ten lives would risk that!"
Ning Rongrong shot Zhu Zhuqing a sharp glare, her cute act momentarily forgotten. She had just wanted to be pampered by Song Qing, and Zhu Zhuqing had ruined it with her pointed remark.
However, Song Qing simply chuckled and pulled both girls into another hug, this time leading them towards the large, comfortable bed in his chamber. He gently nudged them to sit beside him, his arms around their shoulders.
"Now, now," he said softly, his verdant eyes looking at both of them with a hint of sternness. "Didn't I ask you both to try and get along better? Were you really going to go back on your word so quickly?"
He knew that mere words might not be enough to truly quell their rivalry. He recalled Qian Renxue's advice about the importance of occasional… discipline. He decided a gentle form of punishment was in order.
"Whoever causes trouble or tries to pick a fight with any of my other friends," Song Qing announced, his voice calm but firm, "will be completely ignored by me for the entire day. No hugs, no talking, nothing."
The effect of his words was instantaneous. Both girls paled visibly, their playful bickering forgotten. Being ignored by Song Qing, even for a single day, was a prospect neither of them relished.
Seeing their reaction, Song Qing's expression softened. He leaned forward and gently kissed each of them on the cheek. "But," he added, a warm smile returning to his lips, "as long as you both manage to refrain from fighting for the entire day, I can give you a small reward each evening. As long as it's not too… demanding for me."
Zhu Zhuqing instantly pressed her plump chest against his arm, her dark eyes looking up at him with a hint of longing. Ning Rongrong mirrored her action on his other side, her cyan eyes holding a similar expression.
"We're really looking forward to our reward, Qing," they both whispered almost in unison, their gazes fixed on him with anticipation.
They then exchanged a subtle nod, a silent truce declared, at least for the remainder of the day.
Their rivalry, though deeply ingrained, could apparently be temporarily subdued by the promise of a reward from the person they both held so dear.
~~
While Song Qing enjoyed the company of his friends and teacher, and made sure to dedicate time each day to nurturing Ah Yin, his mind was also actively working on other matters. He had tasked Ning Rongrong with a specific mission, and now it was time to delve into the information she had gathered.
Later that evening, after Bibi Dong had retired to her chambers for the night, and Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were comfortably settled in his room – Zhu Zhuqing nestled quietly in his arms, her soft cat ears twitching occasionally as Song Qing gently stroked them, while Ning Rongrong watched with a hint of jealousy, knowing her turn for his attention would come later – Song Qing decided to broach the subject.
"Rongrong," Song Qing began, his verdant eyes meeting hers, "did you manage to find the information I asked for about Liu Erlong?"
Ning Rongrong's cyan eyes lit up, eager to show her usefulness. "Of course, Qing! With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's information network, it was quite easy. Liu Erlong is indeed the dean of the Blue Tyrant Academy. And… this is the interesting part… apparently, in all these years, she occasionally leaves the academy and goes to a rather secluded location in a nearby forest. The rumors say it's to restrain her… killing intent." Ning Rongrong looked at him curiously.
"Killing intent?" Zhu Zhuqing echoed softly, her dark eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes," Ning Rongrong confirmed. "Apparently, she has a very volatile temper and a strong killing intent that she struggles to control."
Ning Rongrong then turned back to Song Qing, her expression filled with curiosity. "But Qing, why did you ask me to gather information about a mere Soul Douluo like her? She's strong, of course, but not exactly someone you would usually be interested in."
Song Qing's gaze swept over both girls, his expression becoming serious. He tightened his hold on Zhu Zhuqing's slender waist, his touch gentle but firm.
"What I am about to tell you must remain a secret," Song Qing said, his voice low and serious. "You must both promise me that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a quick glance, sensing the gravity of his tone. "We promise, Qing," they both said solemnly.
Song Qing nodded, trusting their word. He then began to unravel a story from his teacher's past, a story that had fueled a quiet but potent anger within him.
"My teacher, Bibi Dong," Song Qing began, his voice tinged with a protective warmth, "had a… crush, a lover, in her younger days when she was just a Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing listened intently, their eyes wide with surprise. They had never heard anything about Bibi Dong's past romantic life.
"His name was Yu Xiaogang," Song Qing continued, a hint of disdain creeping into his voice. "At that time, my teacher, being the kind and brilliant person she is, did everything she could to help him. She used her authority to provide him with access to any and all sorts of ancient texts within the Spirit Hall, hoping to help him improve his… rather lackluster spirit."
He paused, a wry smile touching his lips. "Unfortunately, this Yu Xiaogang was… rather useless. Despite having access to such invaluable resources, he failed to evolve his spirit in any meaningful way and has remained a rather unremarkable spirit master ever since."
Ning Rongrong giggled softly, while Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, her dark eyes fixed on Song Qing, sensing there was more to this story.
"A while later," Song Qing continued, his tone growing darker, "this Yu Xiaogang was eventually expelled by the Spirit Hall. This, of course, separated him from my teacher."
He paused again, a flicker of anger in his verdant eyes. "However, this Yu Xiaogang, in a truly despicable act, took all the information from those ancient texts that my teacher had so generously provided him, copied them, and used them to write his own book – the so-called 'Ten Core Competitiveness Theory'!"
Ning Rongrong gasped softly, her cyan eyes widening in disbelief. "He stole the Spirit Hall's knowledge?"
"That's not even the worst part," Song Qing said, his voice hardening. "This man didn't give any credit whatsoever to the Spirit Hall's ancestors, the true minds behind those theories. He essentially stole their intellectual property and presented it as his own. He didn't even honor the risks that my teacher took to provide him with those ancient texts in the first place."
Zhu Zhuqing's grip on Song Qing's arm tightened slightly, her dark eyes filled with a silent fury on Bibi Dong's behalf.
"And then," Song Qing continued, his voice laced with disgust, "within a month of being expelled and leaving my teacher, this Yu Xiaogang became lovers with a beautiful woman named Liu Erlong. And to make matters even worse, he went around badmouthing my teacher, spreading lies and painting her as a selfish, power-hungry woman, claiming that was the reason he broke up with her."
Ning Rongrong's jaw dropped in astonishment. "That's… that's awful!"
"Indeed it is," Song Qing agreed, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "And this Liu Erlong… she is the same woman who is now the Dean of the Blue Tyrant Academy. But the story doesn't end there. Just when Yu Xiaogang was about to marry Liu Erlong, he… he left her on the night of their wedding itself."
Ning Rongrong gasped again, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. "He left her on their wedding night? Why?"
Song Qing shrugged, a look of utter contempt on his face. "Who knows the mind of such a despicable man? But the reason I asked you to find information about Liu Erlong is because of that killing intent she struggles to restrain. If she is still harboring such intense emotions, it likely means that she still has feelings for that useless bastard, Yu Xiaogang."
He looked directly at Ning Rongrong, his verdant eyes filled with a cold determination. He tightened his grip on Zhu Zhuqing's waist, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"This Yu Xiaogang," Song Qing said, his voice low and dangerous, "is someone who betrayed my dear teacher, someone who slandered her name and stole the knowledge of the ancestors of Spirit Hall. He will not get away with it."
He leaned closer, his gaze hardening. "I am going to make sure that nothing remains for Yu Xiaogang in this life. No fame, no lover, no friends… and eventually… no one to even remember his name."
His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but the intensity behind his words sent a shiver down the spines of both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing. They knew, with absolute certainty, that Song Qing was not making an idle threat. His protective instincts towards his teacher, combined with his growing power and influence, made his words a chilling promise.