Tang San Cried, Rongrong Laughed

With their flying ability boosting them, the three girls played for a long time before returning to their room to sleep.

At first, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing shared one bed, while Xiao Wu had one to herself. (After all, most hotels only had double rooms at best.)

Later, Xiao Wu could no longer bear the loneliness and joined the other two girls.

What followed was a flurry of singing orioles and dancing swallows.

The three girls had the time of their lives.

They left Ning Rongrong with blood streaming from her nose, crying for help.

After all, she was the only one who wasn't a real girl.

Early the next morning.

Everyone gathered bright and early, then set off for the Star Dou Great Forest again under Zhao Wuji's lead.

At first, traveling through the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest was fairly easy.

For one thing, most of the Soul Beasts here were around a hundred years old. For another, Tang San had his Purple Demon Eye. With that double layer of protection, everyone only had to watch out for Soul Beasts launching surprise attacks.

Xiao Wu bounded along at the back as if she had returned home, telling Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing about the surroundings.

If Ning Rongrong hadn't known Xiao Wu's circumstances, she would only have suspected that Xiao Wu really had nerves of steel, treating a gathering place for Soul Beasts like home.

Of course, even so.

Having arrived in a new environment, everyone was still much more cautious than usual.

Otherwise, if a single careless mistake left them walking in on two legs and crawling out on all fours, who could stand that?

Before long.

Under Zhao Wuji's lead, everyone soon found their first target on this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

It was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, intended to be Oscar's third Soul Ring.

But since it was only a Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Zhao Wuji decided to let everyone test their skills first. If none of them could handle it, he would take care of it himself, establishing his authority and displaying his kingly bearing.

So they went one by one to fight the Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, in single combat.

Why not let everyone attack together?

Just asking for trouble.

Oscar was first in the firing line. He was the one who needed this Soul Beast's Soul Ring most, but unfortunately, he wasn't Ning Rongrong. He was only a genius among Support System Soul Masters, and the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent sent him flying with two lashes of its tail.

Dai Mubai was next. He only withstood two more tail lashes than Oscar.

Tang San was next. Tang San didn't go flying and could even hold the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent in check.

But for the moment, he had no way to deal with it. His Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul focused more on control, and he urgently needed someone to deal damage and help him finish the fight.

That someone was Xiao Wu.

But Xiao Wu had no intention of lifting a finger.

Come on, Xiao Wu was a Soul Beast, after all. No matter how much she liked Tang San, she wasn't willing to slaughter her own kind.

"Do we have to hunt it down?" Xiao Wu's eyes were full of reluctance.

Tang San sighed softly. "Sigh, the strong preying on the weak is the law of survival. If this serpent were stronger than us, do you think it would spare the food right at its mouth?"

"But that's not what you said when we ran into those Ten-Year Soul Beasts just after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, was it? Didn't you say we didn't need to hurt them if they weren't a threat to us? Didn't you say hurting them could easily attract even stronger Soul Beasts? This Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent shouldn't affect us, so why do we have to kill it now?"

"..."

Xiao Wu's rebuttal left Tang San unable to answer, even if he had a hundred mouths.

It was true. Tang San had said that when they first entered the Star Dou Great Forest.

Now it was as if he had slapped himself in the face, making him look ridiculous.

He really was exactly like that Grandmaster.

He always had theories to excuse himself, yet contradicted himself.

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and carefully fanned the flames from the side. "That's right, that's right. With Teacher Zhao here, this Thousand-Year Soul Beast is nothing to speak of. Tang San, going by what you said when we first entered the forest, aren't you slapping yourself in the face now?"

"...But doesn't Xiao Ao need a Soul Ring?" Tang San grew anxious at once and explained again, "Shouldn't we help Xiao Ao get a Soul Ring?"

"But isn't that still too cruel? And what does that have to do with what you said? So were all the things you just said lies? Really, you're just taking what you need." Xiao Wu argued with Tang San again, her tone noticeably harsher.

"That's right, that's right. If you want it, just say you want it. Why give people the false impression that you can't bear to kill Soul Beasts? Tang San, were you lying to Xiao Wu just now? Did you just want her to think you were kind? Please give Xiao Wu a serious answer." Ning Rongrong continued fanning the flames.

"Tang San, speak up! Go on, say it!"

"..."

For a moment, the scene spiraled out of control.

Everyone was left standing there in shock.

What was the worst thing that could happen during an argument?

Someone adding fuel to the fire from the sidelines.

Tang San looked at Ning Rongrong, tears nearly falling from his eyes.

It hadn't been easy for him and Xiao Wu to stumble their way through everything together to get this far. He hadn't expected that after only a few days with Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu would start quarreling with him.

"Then... then I'll let it go?"

Tang San withdrew his Soul Power, and the Blue Silver Grass that had been restraining the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent vanished instantly. Seeing that the serpent was about to escape, Oscar was the one about to cry now. "Everyone, everyone, please have mercy. That's my third Soul Ring..."

Zhao Wuji was also stunned. "Tang San, what am I supposed to say about you, brat? I thought you were talented, so why are you acting like a fool now? Without Soul Rings, how far can you get just following your feelings? You people are a team. Do you understand what team means? If you screw Oscar over today, what will Oscar have to support you with tomorrow?"

But Xiao Wu's gaze had already left Tang San numb, and he couldn't take in what anyone said. He simply let the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent go.

Then he hurried over to comfort Xiao Wu, shooting Ning Rongrong a vicious glare along the way.

Ning Rongrong spread her hands, her meaning obvious. "What the hell does it have to do with me?"

Ning Rongrong then released her Martial Soul and used a single Ten Treasures Ultimate Slash to chop the fleeing Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent into eleven pieces,

Before the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had completely died, she gestured for Oscar to hurry over, finish it off, and absorb its Soul Ring.

"..."

Seeing everyone's confusion, Ning Rongrong puffed out her cheeks and said, "No particular reason. I just don't like snakes. Is there a problem with that?"

"No problem, no problem." How could Oscar dare have a problem with it? It was his Soul Ring, after all.

Tang San said, "But didn't you kill it anyway? Wasn't what you did cruel too?"

"Did I say I wasn't cruel?" Ning Rongrong blinked, noncommittal.

Dai Mubai said, "...She's always been cruel."

Xiao Wu said, "Isn't she still better than you? Tang San, you say one thing and do another. You've really disappointed me. I'm hurt because your words and your heart don't match, not because I blame you for wanting to kill the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. I hope you won't blame others."

With that, Xiao Wu headed straight into the Star Dou Great Forest all by herself. Tang San was so anxious he was almost in tears, and he hurried after her.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong smiled.

"Ding~"

"Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden mission: expose Tang San's hypocrisy."

"Ding~"

"Congratulations to the host on receiving the reward..."