"Hehe."
As Ning Rongrong ran, she smugly thought to herself.
I'll just say my Martial Soul just evolved, and my foundation is unstable. My Soul Power feels a little sluggish, so I need Master to personally guide me and help me consolidate it.
That's the perfect excuse!
Master is so gentle. He definitely won't turn me down.
Then it'll be just the two of us together!
The more she thought about it, the happier she became, and the corners of her mouth rose despite herself.
That violent woman Dugu Yan and that self-righteous Qian Renxue would never come up with an idea as good as mine!
Hmph! Let's see you compete with me!
With sweet hopes of having Master all to herself, Ning Rongrong made her way with practiced ease to the courtyard where Chen Xuan lived.
She straightened her slightly rumpled skirt and took a deep breath. Just as she was about to push open the door, she suddenly froze.
Through a crack in the courtyard gate, she saw two familiar figures.
Beside the courtyard's stone table, Qian Renxue sat upright, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight and her bearing noble and elegant.
She held a cup of tea and was earnestly asking Chen Xuan something.
On the other side, Dugu Yan propped her chin on her hands, her violet eyes fixed on Chen Xuan without blinking. She made no effort to hide her admiration, occasionally chiming in with a question or two.
The smile on Ning Rongrong's face instantly stiffened.
She stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.
The smugness and anticipation that had been overflowing in her moments ago were now doused from head to toe by a bucket of cold water.
Had I... just outsmarted myself?
Just as she was caught between advancing and retreating, Dugu Yan inside the courtyard seemed to sense something. She turned her gaze and met Ning Rongrong's eyes through the gate.
Dugu Yan was startled for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking smile.
She crossed her arms and watched at her leisure as Ning Rongrong's pretty face turned red, then pale. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but carried clearly to the gate.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Ning!"
"Don't tell me you're here to ask the teacher for extra lessons, too?"
"Let me guess your excuse... Your Martial Soul just evolved, so your foundation is unstable?"
Dugu Yan's teasing voice rang clearly through the courtyard and beyond.
The color drained from Ning Rongrong's face in an instant, only for it to flush bright red the next moment.
Her lovely, peach-blossom eyes widened as she stared at the purple-haired woman wearing a playful smile. She stammered, "H-How did you know?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite off her own tongue.
Hadn't she just given herself away?
At her words, Dugu Yan's smile widened.
She held out a slender finger and lightly tapped her smooth chin, her tone languid.
"Because..."
"Your young lady here used that excuse half a month ago."
Boom!
Ning Rongrong felt as if something had exploded in her head.
A rush of hot blood surged straight to her crown.
She was practically on fire.
Damn it!
That awful violent woman had beaten her to it!
The perfect excuse she'd wracked her brains to come up with was something Dugu Yan had already used!
The embarrassment and mortification made her wish she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
Just as Ning Rongrong was about to be set alight by her own fury, a cool, gentle voice rang out.
"Enough."
It was Qian Renxue.
She remained seated on the stone stool, as graceful as a swan.
Sunlight spilled over her, gilding her luxurious palace dress with a faint golden glow, lending her an air of holiness and nobility.
She did not even turn to look at Ning Rongrong by the gate. She merely set down her teacup with a soft, crisp clink.
Her clear golden eyes swept calmly over Dugu Yan, and her voice held not the slightest warmth.
"This is an academy, a place for learning and pursuing the Dao."
"If you have other intentions, you'd best leave as soon as possible!"
As Qian Renxue spoke, she sat perfectly straight, her swanlike neck tracing a flawless curve.
Her stunning face was cool and detached, as if she were stating something entirely ordinary.
Her legs were crossed, and beneath her skirt, one calf peeked out, sheathed in a golden stocking.
Its lines were taut and elegant. Every detail seemed like the finest work of the gods, beautiful beyond desecration.
Rather than scolding Dugu Yan, her words seemed intended to put Ning Rongrong in her place.
Her lofty bearing and dismissive gaze proclaimed her legitimacy and authority at every turn.
The anger in Ning Rongrong's heart stalled, replaced by the humiliation of being looked down upon.
But someone else reacted even more strongly.
"Ha."
Dugu Yan let out a soft laugh.
She straightened up from the stone table and folded her arms. Her voluptuous figure, wrapped in tight leather, was all the more striking.
She looked Qian Renxue up and down, her violet eyes full of challenge.
"Qian Renxue, what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Can you really say you don't have even the slightest 'other intention' toward the teacher?"
The moment she said that, the air seemed to freeze.
Qian Renxue's brows furrowed, almost imperceptibly.
"I'm not like you."
She replied coolly, her tone filled with an innate pride.
"What I seek is only the Great Dao."
"Is that so?"
Dugu Yan's smile deepened. Her gaze turned intensely provocative, as if she meant to see right through Qian Renxue.
"Then do you dress up so beautifully every day for the Great Dao?"
Ning Rongrong, standing at the gate, came back to her senses and immediately caught the point.
That's right!
That woman dressed so elaborately every time she saw Master, and she claimed she had no ulterior motives? As if!
Ning Rongrong's gaze turned appraising as well, and her eyes met Dugu Yan's.
An invisible alliance formed between them, and their gazes shot toward the golden figure seated before them.
Under the two equally scrutinizing stares, a crack finally appeared in Qian Renxue's eternally calm expression.
The hand holding her teacup paused slightly.
A flicker of panic rose in her heart, one she herself had not even noticed.
For a time, the atmosphere in the courtyard turned incredibly awkward.
The three peerlessly beautiful young women faced off, none willing to back down.
Just then, a warm voice broke the silence.
"Quite lively here today, isn't it?"
Chen Xuan had appeared at the courtyard's moon gate at some point.
Dressed in white, he was handsome and elegant, a faint smile on his face. He seemed not to notice the hostile tension in the courtyard.
"Master!"
"Teacher!"
"Dean!"
The three voices rang out almost simultaneously.
A moment ago, the three women had been at each other's throats. Now, as if by silent agreement, they instantly tucked away every trace of emotion.
Qian Renxue set down her teacup and stood, giving a slight nod as she resumed her noble, elegant air.
"Teacher, I have some questions about using Soul Skills that I'd like to ask you."
Before you continue