Gu Rong's withered face held an extraordinarily vivid expression. He went from stunned to crestfallen, then turned to Ning Fengzhi with a pitiful look, trying to salvage the situation. "Fengzhi, I..."
"Uncle Bone," Ning Fengzhi interrupted him with a smile. His tone was gentle but left no room for argument. "Besides, Uncle Sword has a steadier temperament. And the sect really does have some matters that require you to stay and oversee them personally."
Sword Douluo folded his arms across his chest. His cool expression gave nothing away, but the slight upward curl of his mouth and the "victorious" look he cast at Gu Rong betrayed his mood. He gave a small nod. "Rest assured, Sect Master."
Gu Rong wilted completely. He shot Ning Rongrong a resentful look, then glared fiercely at Chen Xin before finally letting out a long sigh. "Alas... Rongrong, listen to your Sword Grandpa on the road. Don't go running off, and be careful..." He rambled on and on, just like a fretful old grandfather seeing his granddaughter off on a long journey.
Ning Rongrong nodded perfunctorily. "I know, I know. Bone Grandpa, remember to get some rest when you go back to the sect, too!" As she spoke, she had already hurried over to Tang Yin and tugged at his sleeve. "Let's get going!"
Tang Yin could only smile helplessly. He cupped his hands toward Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong in farewell. "Sect Master Ning, Senior Bone Douluo, this junior will take his leave."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded, then looked at Ning Rongrong and said warmly, "Rongrong, when you reach Heaven Dou City, remember to visit your senior brother first and give him the letter."
"I know, Dad!"
Gu Rong was still standing there, watching them with longing eyes. Ning Fengzhi patted his shoulder. "Uncle Bone, we should head back, too."
Chen Xin had already walked over to Ning Rongrong's side. He said coolly to Tang Yin, "Let's go."
The three figures soon disappeared beyond the valley's exit.
Ning Fengzhi gazed after them. The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, and a deep, thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
"Fengzhi, are you really fine with Old Sword Man taking Rongrong by himself? That kid..." Gu Rong came up beside him, still unable to let the matter go.
Ning Fengzhi ignored Gu Rong's nagging and instead sounded a little reproachful. "Uncle Bone! Rongrong has grown up. She's destined to become the next Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You shouldn't keep spoiling her."
The journey to Heaven Dou City was far more "lively" than Tang Yin had imagined.
With little rich girl Ning Rongrong along, there was naturally no need to travel on foot over mountains and rivers like ordinary travelers.
After leaving the gorge and returning to Sword City, Tang Yin, Rongrong, and Chen Xin went to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's branch in Sword City and arranged for a luxurious carriage. Even the horses had a trace of Soul Beast blood in them and could travel a thousand li in a day.
Inside the carriage, Ning Rongrong and Tang Yin sat on opposite sides, while Sword Douluo sat in the middle.
"Rongrong, are you still mad at your Sword Grandpa?" Chen Xin had shed his usual aloofness, and his words were full of appeasement.
"What did Sword Grandpa even do wrong? How would I dare be mad at you?" Ning Rongrong showed him no mercy. She crossed her arms and turned her face away, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Bone Grandpa is the one who loves me most!"
"Nonsense. I definitely love you more than Old Bone does!" The moment Ning Rongrong brought up Gu Rong again, Chen Xin ground his teeth in irritation. It felt just like two students who had agreed to be slackers, only for that old rascal Gu Rong to sneak off to tutoring behind his back and then get praised by Teacher Ning Rongrong for earning high marks.
How could he allow that?
At the thought, Chen Xin glanced at Tang Yin, who was meditating with his eyes closed beside him. An idea struck him. He needed to put a bug in that old rascal's ear. Rather than work hard to improve his standing in Rongrong's heart, undermining someone else would get results much faster.
"Rongrong, you don't know this, but Old Bone was the first to discover you'd snuck out this time, and he was the one who went and tattled..."
Several days later, a towering pass appeared on the horizon.
Its walls soared into the clouds, built from enormous blocks of black obsidian. The stone was covered in mottled scars left by war.
Steep mountain ranges stretched endlessly on either side of the pass, too rugged even for birds to cross. They formed a natural barrier, cleaving the lands to the north and south in two.
Above the pass, three bold, iron-brushed characters could be made out even from a great distance: Jialing Pass.
"Brother Lan Yin, this is Jialing Pass."
Inside the carriage, while Chen Xin looked on with a face full of dismay, Ning Rongrong was sitting beside Tang Yin and introducing the place to him through the window. "This is the most important gateway in the southern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, the north-south transportation hub. It's guarded by a large force all year round, and Soul Master legions are stationed here, too. Everyone has to undergo a strict inspection before entering. Let's get off!"
With that, Ning Rongrong pulled Tang Yin by the arm and got out of the carriage.
"So this is Jialing Pass!" Looking at the site of the final divine battle in the original story, Tang Yin felt something he couldn't quite put into words.
As they approached the pass, its grandeur and grim, blood-soaked air became even more palpable. Banners fluttered atop the hundred-zhang-high city walls. Soldiers in bright armor patrolled back and forth, their eyes sharp. The massive gates stood open, but everyone entering or leaving—people, carriages, and horses alike—had to undergo a strict inspection. The queue stretched a long way.
At the gate, a troop of Soul Masters stood out. They looked ferocious, wore matching dark red leather armor, and bore crossed sword-and-shield emblems on their chests.
Their eyes were like lightning as they scrutinized everyone entering the pass. The faint fluctuations of Soul Power radiating from them showed that they were all at least Soul Elders.
"They're Spirit Hall's Knights," Sword Douluo Chen Xin said as he came over to the two of them. His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
"Hmph, damn Spirit Hall!" Having been influenced by Ning Fengzhi since childhood, Ning Rongrong naturally disliked Spirit Hall.
She had once heard rumors about Salas, the bishop, while visiting Heaven Dou City. That made her dislike Spirit Hall even more.
Tang Yin understood what it meant, too. The largest Soul Master organization on the continent had long since extended its reach into every aspect of the empire.
Spirit Hall would naturally want a hand in a strategic location like Jialing Pass. Officially, it was there to help defend the empire, but in reality...
"Brother Lan Yin, what do you think of Spirit Hall?" Ning Rongrong suddenly asked Tang Yin. Even Chen Xin, who had barely spoken to him throughout the journey, turned to look at him.
"I don't really have an opinion." Tang Yin shook his head. "I'm just a commoner from a small village. I don't understand the relationships between the major powers. All I know is that Spirit Hall helped awaken my Martial Soul, and I receive a Gold Soul Coin subsidy from them every month."
"That's how Spirit Hall shows its ambition." Chen Xin wasn't surprised by Tang Yin's words. Most commoner Soul Masters on Douluo Continent thought much the same way.
"Spirit Hall awakens the Martial Souls of commoners purely to win people over and recruit talent. As for the monthly subsidies Soul Masters receive, the empire is the one providing that money. Spirit Hall is merely offering someone else's gifts."
Since Tang Yin was someone Ning Rongrong valued, Chen Xin felt it was necessary to set him straight.
"O-oh, so that's how it is!" Tang Yin pretended to be surprised, as though a kind-hearted person had just woken him up after he'd been deceived.
Without strength, Tang Yin naturally wasn't foolish enough to reveal his true thoughts to outsiders.
"Sword Grandpa is right. Brother Lan Yin, let me tell you, when we get to Heaven Dou City, you need to watch out for a bad man named Salas. He's Spirit Hall's bishop stationed in Heaven Dou City. There are rumors that he likes both men and women, and that he likes pretty little boys like you most of all." Ning Rongrong got goosebumps just thinking about those disgusting rumors about Salas.
"What an evil pervert!" This time, Tang Yin was genuinely shocked. Salas had been portrayed somewhat negatively in the original story, but could he really be that outrageous?
Ning Rongrong put on a solemn expression and patted Tang Yin's shoulder. "Boys have to protect themselves when they're out, too, especially pretty boys like you, Brother Lan Yin."
Chen Xin, standing nearby, felt a little speechless when he heard Ning Rongrong's words.
Rumors that people from the clergy liked little boys were widely known across the continent, and they hadn't come from nowhere. But the nobles had helped spread them, too. After all, some nobles really did keep little boys.
With Spirit Hall taking the blame, the noble lords naturally made sure to fan the flames in secret.
Chen Xin knew a little about Salas. He was indeed lecherous, but the claims about little boys were pure slander. Still, Chen Xin didn't speak up to explain.
The tangled dealings between the empire's nobles and Spirit Hall were best kept from his precious Rongrong.
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