Ning Rongrong's Nightmare

The collision she had imagined never happened.

Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes to see Ning Rongrong's shocked face—and her master gone from his seat.

Looking outside, Zhu Zhuqing saw her master holding the Soul Tool Car up with one hand while catching the child in front of it with the other.

"Are you all right, little girl?"

Lin Mian looked at the child in his arms, his voice exceptionally gentle.

Hearing such a gentle voice come from her master, Zhu Zhuqing could not help but shiver.

Was this really her master? He could actually be this gentle?

"I'm fine, big brother."

"That's good."

Lin Mian's voice remained gentle as his gaze shifted to Ning Rongrong.

"Get down here." His voice was calm, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, yet it frightened even Zhu Zhuqing.

It was the first time she had seen her master like this, completely different from his usual carefree expression.

Ning Rongrong was startled as well. Pouting, she climbed down from the car.

"What is it, Master?" Her voice carried a hint of grievance, as though she were the one who had nearly been hit.

"Come here. Apologize."

"I'm not apologizing. She's just some poor little girl. It's not like I hit her, and even if I had, what could she—"

Smack!

A crisp slap rang out across Ning Rongrong's face, and her right cheek immediately swelled red.

Ning Rongrong's face was filled with disbelief.

"You dare hit me? You actually dare hit me? Do you think being my master makes you so great? My taking you as my master is an honor for you."

Smack!

Another crisp slap sounded, leaving Ning Rongrong's left cheek perfectly symmetrical with the right.

Lin Mian's expression grew colder still.

"Kneel and apologize."

"I won't! I'm not apologizing to some wild girl off the roadside!" Ning Rongrong stubbornly held her head high, tears pooling in her eyes, making her look pitiful.

"Big brother, it's fine. I'm not hurt. This pretty big sister doesn't need to apologize."

The little girl spoke up.

Lin Mian stroked her slightly yellowed hair.

"Little girl, when someone does something wrong, they should apologize. That is something everyone must do."

"I am her master. Saving you meant stopping the mistake she was about to make. But a mistake is still a mistake, and she must show the proper attitude."

"You cannot pretend nothing happened just because something bad did not end up happening. Do you understand?"

Zhu Zhuqing fell into thought as she listened.

The little girl shook her head. "I don't understand. I just think this big sister is a little pitiful."

"It's all right if you don't understand. You'll understand someday."

"I'm not pitiful. The pitiful one is you, a wild girl wearing clothes full of holes."

Ning Rongrong retorted loudly, her tone filled with fury.

Ning Rongrong felt that she never should have taken this person as her master. He was just an ordinary person—was this really necessary?

Bang!

Lin Mian kicked Ning Rongrong into the car, then used Soul Power to drag her before the little girl and forcibly press her to her knees.

Ning Rongrong's face was full of humiliation as she shouted loudly.

"I won't kneel! I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a Soul Master! How could some wild girl possibly deserve to make me kneel?"

"You're not my master! I hate you! I'll have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone kill you!"

"Shut up." Lin Mian spoke two words, nothing more than two simple words.

Yet Ning Rongrong found that she truly could not open her mouth. Her words were blocked at her lips, unable to come out no matter what.

"Bow."

Again, two words. Amid Ning Rongrong's extreme unwillingness, her forehead began moving toward the ground.

"Since you have taken me as your master, I will take responsibility for you. Teaching you properly is my responsibility as your master."

"If you want to kill me, I'll wait. But if you can't kill me, then for every day you remain unable to do so, you will listen to me."

With her head lowered to the ground, Ning Rongrong clearly heard his voice enter her mind.

At that moment, she truly wanted to kill someone.

What master? It was nothing but a joke. He actually dared offend her like this—he truly had a death wish.

"Xiao Xi! Xiao Xi, are you all right?"

Along with a frail voice came a woman around thirty years old.

"Mom, I'm fine."

The little girl threw herself into the woman's arms. It turned out to be her mother.

"That's good. That's good."

After carefully checking her daughter and confirming that she was indeed unharmed, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Sir, since nothing happened, could you please let this little girl go?"

Xiao Xi's mother pleaded for Ning Rongrong. She had witnessed everything from a short distance away and only now dared to approach.

Though she had initially been angry at Ning Rongrong's behavior, seeing that no one had been harmed made her feel that it was not such a big deal.

"Did you hear that? Even though your heart is so vicious, the person who nearly came to harm because of you is still pleading on your behalf."

"I know you won't listen to any of this. Nor do I expect you to, because I have plenty of ways to make you listen."

"Now apologize to them, and then you may get up."

Lin Mian removed every restriction on Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong cautiously opened her mouth and found that she could indeed speak again.

This time, she did not continue to act tough, because she knew this man truly dared lay hands on her.

"I'm sorry." The three words squeezed out through her teeth without the slightest sincerity.

"Louder!" Lin Mian's voice drifted into her ears again.

"I'm sorry!" Ning Rongrong roared. She sounded less like she was apologizing and more like she was venting.

"It's fine, child. Hurry and get up."

Xiao Xi's mother reached out to help her up, only for her hand to be slapped away.

"Don't touch me!" Ning Rongrong's eyes were filled with disgust, as though she feared the woman would dirty her hands.

Watching all of this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes filled with disgust for Ning Rongrong.

Lin Mian's expression did not change. He had expected all of this.

"You can only bully me because I can't beat you. If you have the guts, let me call someone over. I guarantee they'll beat you flat on the ground."

Ning Rongrong still stubbornly refused to lower her head.

"I'll give you a chance. Have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect come find trouble with me, if you think they can defeat me."

Granting her wish, Lin Mian reached toward the forest in the distance with his right hand and tossed someone before Ning Rongrong.

"This should be the person from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect secretly protecting you. He only has the strength of a Soul Emperor, so he did not dare act. Now you can have him deliver the message and bring the people you mentioned."

"Fine. Don't regret this."

"Ning Ershi, hurry back to the sect and tell Grandpa Sword that someone here is bullying me."

Ning Ershi did not move. Instead, he looked toward Lin Mian.

"You may go. When you do, tell the people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect that they failed to teach their little princess properly, so I, her master, will teach her instead."

"If anyone objects, they are welcome to come find me."

Lin Mian released Ning Ershi and let him rush toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Next is you. Until the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect defeat me, I will remain your master."

"So teaching you is my responsibility as your master. In short, don't expect to have an easy time for a while."

Hearing those words, Ning Rongrong suddenly began to tremble.