Ning Rongrong, Manipulated

Ning Rongrong, Manipulated

Yin Hao lounged in a chair woven from Blue Silver Grass on the road that led from Shrek Academy to Suotuo City, cracking sunflower seeds as he waited for Ning Rongrong to arrive.

Less than half an hour later, a figure in a Cyan Dress approached from afar, walking along cheerfully.

Ning Rongrong did not notice Yin Hao lying by the roadside until he called out and stopped her.

"Stop!"

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then stopped and looked toward the voice. A handsome man with long blue hair sat in a reclining chair, watching her with an ambiguous smile.

"You scared me. I thought it was Flander!"

Yin Hao rose to his feet and walked over to Ning Rongrong step by step. He circled her twice, looking her up and down.

"How can you be so sure I wasn't sent by the Dean specifically to intercept you?"

Ning Rongrong frowned at his words.

"Y-you... were sent by Flander to stop me?"

Yin Hao stopped in front of Ning Rongrong and looked at her with a solemn expression.

"No... I was just trying to make a joke..."

Ning Rongrong gave him a speechless look. Why were you acting so serious if it was just a joke? You scared the hell out of me.

But then Yin Hao continued.

"Although I wasn't sent by the Dean, if I'm not mistaken, you couldn't handle the intensity of the training and secretly ran off, right?"

Ning Rongrong frowned as she looked at Yin Hao.

"Yes. Are you going to tell Flander?"

Yin Hao smiled and shook his head.

"I haven't been in a very good mood lately. If someone were to accompany me around Suotuo City, maybe my mood would improve. And if I'm in a good mood, naturally I won't feel like tattling..."

At those words, Ning Rongrong immediately smiled. She had come out to have fun anyway, so wouldn't it be better to have someone along?

"Sure, let's go together..."

Without standing on ceremony, she grabbed Yin Hao's arm and headed toward Suotuo City with a bright smile.

The two first went to an upscale restaurant for a meal. Yin Hao had originally wanted to pay, but Miss Ning directly tossed out a small bag of Gold Soul Coins—there had to be at least a dozen inside—and said, "Keep the change."

Then, amid the owner's repeated thanks, she led Yin Hao out of the restaurant.

Over the course of the afternoon, the two wandered from the restaurant to the snack street and even visited a general store.

After they came out, Ning Rongrong looked at the dumbbell-like object in Yin Hao's hand and could not help asking curiously.

"Yin Hao, what did you buy that for?"

Yin Hao gave a mysterious smile.

"Just for fun!"

Although Ning Rongrong did not understand, she did not ask any further questions. After wandering around a while longer, she returned to Shrek Academy with Yin Hao just as night was about to fall.

As night descended, the eight people who had originally scattered regrouped on the training ground.

Flander swept his gaze over everyone before settling it on Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

It was still the same conversation as in the original story. Oscar's simp mode kicked in; he gritted his teeth and refused to betray Ning Rongrong, only for Flander to seal his Soul Power and punish him by making him run laps.

Flander then turned his gaze toward Ning Rongrong.

"Tell me, did you complete the task I assigned this morning?"

Ning Rongrong was not afraid of him and admitted it directly.

"I didn't. The distance was too long, and I was hungry. I couldn't keep going."

Flander spoke indifferently.

"So you went to Suotuo City by yourself, met Yin Hao on the way, had a big meal together at a restaurant, and strolled around the city until just now before returning, correct?"

Ning Rongrong looked at Flander in utter disbelief.

"You followed me?"

Flander did not answer her. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Yin Hao.

"Yin Hao, didn't you say you went into the city to buy something you needed for cultivation? Now you..."

Before he could finish, Yin Hao lightly waved his right hand, and the Space Ring on his hand released the dumbbell he had bought earlier.

Holding it in his hand, Yin Hao said, "Dean, didn't I buy something?"

Flander paused for a moment, but continued.

"It would only take a few minutes to buy something like that. Why didn't you come back after buying it?"

Yin Hao put the dumbbell away and continued.

"Didn't you tell us we were free to do as we pleased? Isn't activity still activity no matter where it happens? So I just stayed in Suotuo City for a while."

Flander's expression darkened.

"Stop making excuses. You—go run laps with Oscar..."

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others wanted to say something, but Yin Hao stopped them.

"Fine, I accept."

With that, Yin Hao turned and prepared to leave without looking back.

Flander watched Yin Hao's retreating figure and nodded to himself. Though somewhat unruly, he was obedient enough. He could still be considered someone worth cultivating...

But Ning Rongrong, standing to the side, refused to accept this. She hurried forward and blocked Yin Hao's path, then looked at Flander and said, "What right do you have to punish him?"

"Because I'm his dean, and you are nothing..."

Flander then launched into what he was best at—boasting and manipulation. After a barrage of psychological pressure, Ning Rongrong was beginning to doubt herself.

If modern entrepreneurs had seen this, they would have called him a true professional!

Ning Rongrong suddenly burst into tears with a "Wah!" Then she turned and ran toward her dormitory.

Seeing this, Flander secretly gave himself a pat on the back, then said to Dai Mubai, "Go call Oscar back. Tell him I'm waiving his punishment and have him comfort Ning Rongrong."

Naturally, Yin Hao had no intention of letting Oscar go, so he spoke up directly.

"No need, Dean. I'll go instead..."

"You?"

Flander glanced at Yin Hao, then nodded in the end.

"Fine, go ahead. But hurry up. After that, head straight to the Great Spirit Arena..."

Yin Hao nodded in agreement.

After Yin Hao left, Flander also led the remaining people toward the Great Spirit Arena.

Yin Hao arrived at Ning Rongrong's dormitory and found her crouching in a corner, crying as she wiped away her tears.

So he dragged over a chair and sat down beside her.

Hearing the movement, Ning Rongrong raised her head. When she saw Yin Hao sitting before her, she hurriedly wiped her tears twice and said, "What are you here for?"

Yin Hao smiled.

"I came to see whether a few words from someone else could knock you down."

Ning Rongrong stood up and found herself a seat as well.

"Now that you've seen enough, can you leave?"

Yin Hao did not answer. Instead, he stood up and said to himself, "Do you know? The achievements of every peerless swordsman often do not depend on the sword in his hand."

Ning Rongrong looked at Yin Hao strangely, not understanding what he meant. She had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Sword Douluo—one of the sect's two great guardian Douluo—was among the finest sword spirit masters in the world. Yet his reputation had not been built upon the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but forged step by step through the Seven Kill Sword in his hand.

Yin Hao ignored Ning Rongrong's gaze and continued, "No one is born a peerless swordsman. No matter how formidable a swordsman is, he climbs up step by step from weakness. And as time passes, it is not only the sword in their hands that grows sharper, but also the sword heart within them that steadily grows stronger.

"They can fail—once, twice, even a hundred times. So long as their sword heart does not shatter, they can temper the sword in their hands step by step and grow stronger.

"But without that undefeated sword heart, no matter how sharp the sword in one's palm may be, one will not even have the courage to draw it."