"He came looking for me. He must want to take me back. If he finds out I won't go, he might..."
She couldn't finish.
Zhang Mo looked at her and suddenly asked:
"Do you want to go back?"
Ning Rongrong froze.
Zhang Mo said, "If you want to go back, then go with him when he gets here."
Ning Rongrong stared at him, eyes wide.
"You... you want me to leave?"
Zhang Mo said, "It's not what I want. It's what you want."
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
Suddenly, she let go of his sleeve, stood up, and turned her back to him.
A long while passed before she finally spoke, her voice muffled:
"I don't know."
Zhang Mo said nothing.
She continued, "I miss Dad, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone. I miss the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, my room, and all the people who've looked after me since I was little."
She paused.
"But..."
She didn't finish.
Zhang Mo waited.
She turned around and looked at him. Her eyes were red, but she wasn't crying.
"But I don't want you to die."
Zhang Mo froze.
Ning Rongrong said, "When Grandpa Sword gets here, he'll definitely ask why you kept me here. If you tell him the truth, he'll think you're using me. He hates it more than anything when people take advantage of someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
She paused.
"He'll kill you."
Zhang Mo was silent for a few seconds, then said:
"Then let him kill me."
Ning Rongrong panicked. "You!"
Zhang Mo looked at her, his expression calm.
"If he tries to kill me, I'll run. If I can't run, I'll fight. If I can't hold him off, I'll die."
He spoke slowly, one word at a time.
"But I won't put you in a difficult position."
Ning Rongrong stared at him, and at last, tears spilled from her eyes.
She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.
"You idiot!" she sobbed. "You idiot!"
Zhang Mo didn't move as she held him.
After a while, he gently patted her back.
"Don't cry," he said. "We still have two days. Let's think of something."
Ning Rongrong lifted her head and looked at him.
Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were swollen and red.
"What can we do?"
Zhang Mo thought for a moment, then said:
"Wait for Yang Wudi to come back."
Ning Rongrong paused.
Zhang Mo said, "He's an 83rd-level Soul Douluo. With you, me, and that sword, the four of us against a Level 96 Title Douluo—"
He paused.
"Our odds might be less than one in ten. But that's better than nothing."
Ning Rongrong stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly said:
"Didn't you say you were going to lure him with medicinal herbs?"
Zhang Mo said, "The herbs won't lure him. But they can lure Yang Wudi back."
Ning Rongrong didn't understand.
Zhang Mo said, "Yang Wudi went to Changbai Mountain to look for that old man. But if we tell him there are even better herbs here, he'll definitely hurry back."
He stood up and looked at the distant sky.
"I'll call him."
Ning Rongrong froze. "Call him? How would he have a phone?"
Zhang Mo said, "I slipped him a cellphone before he left."
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.
Zhang Mo had already taken out his phone and dialed a number.
It rang a few times before someone answered.
"Hello?" Yang Wudi's gruff voice came through the receiver. "Who's this?"
Zhang Mo said, "It's me."
Yang Wudi was silent for a second, then said:
"What's up?"
Zhang Mo said, "Chen Xin is coming. In forty-eight hours."
There was a long silence on Yang Wudi's end.
Then he said:
"The Level 96 one?"
Zhang Mo said, "Yes."
Yang Wudi fell silent again.
After a while, he suddenly laughed.
His laughter boomed through the receiver, shaking the phone.
"Sounds interesting," he said. "I was just worried I wouldn't find anyone to fight."
Zhang Mo said, "How long will it take you to get back?"
Yang Wudi said, "I'm at the foot of Changbai Mountain right now. It'll take... a day to get back."
Zhang Mo said, "That's in time."
Yang Wudi said, "I couldn't find that old man. The locals said he came down the mountain half a month ago. No one knows where he went."
Zhang Mo was silent for a second, then said:
"Come back first."
Yang Wudi gave a brief acknowledgment and hung up.
Zhang Mo put his phone away and looked at Ning Rongrong.
She stood there, her eyes still red, but she had stopped crying.
She looked at Zhang Mo and suddenly asked:
"When did you slip him the phone?"
"The morning he left."
Ning Rongrong paused, then the corners of her mouth lifted.
"You'd already thought of that?"
"Just in case."
Ning Rongrong stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly said:
"Zhang Mo."
"Hmm?"
"Do you plan everything ahead of time?"
Zhang Mo thought for a moment, then said, "I try to."
Ning Rongrong smiled.
The smile was brief, but genuine.
She came back to his side and took hold of his sleeve.
"Then I'm counting on you this time, too."
Zhang Mo lowered his eyes to look at her.
Her eyes were still red, but bright.
He gave a soft hum.
In the distance, the sun began to sink.
The horizon was dyed orange-red.
The two of them stood in the alley and watched the orange-red sky slowly darken.
After a long while, Ning Rongrong suddenly said:
"Zhang Mo, do you think Yang Wudi will make it in time?"
Zhang Mo said, "He will."
"Why?"
"Because he wants to fight."
Ning Rongrong paused, then laughed.
She tugged at his sleeve and headed back.
After a few steps, she suddenly said:
"Let's have buns for dinner."
Zhang Mo said, "Okay."
"Make a lot. If Yang Wudi comes back in the middle of the night, there'll be some for him."
Zhang Mo said, "Okay."
The two of them went into the building.
The stairs creaked and groaned, as if they were singing.
Upstairs, the kitchen light came on.
Warm yellow light spilled out through the window.
It shone on the empty alley below.
It shone on the sky, slowly darkening in the distance.
It shone on the powerful enemy who would arrive in forty-eight hours.
Yang Wudi returned the following evening.
Ning Rongrong was squatting in the alley, holding a horse stance, when she heard quick footsteps. She looked up and saw Yang Wudi striding over, the Soul Breaking Spear strapped to his back and a bulging cloth sack in his hand.
He stopped in front of Ning Rongrong and glanced down at her.
"Still practicing?"
Ning Rongrong nodded. Her legs were trembling badly, but she didn't get up.
Yang Wudi grunted and walked around her toward the building.
After two steps, he stopped and said without turning around:
"Come up when you're done. I've got something good."
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. She nearly stood, but remembered she was still holding the horse stance and gritted her teeth as she lowered herself back down.
Ten minutes later, she climbed upstairs on trembling legs and pushed open the door. Yang Wudi was sitting on the sofa, taking things out of the sack one by one.
Zhang Mo stood beside him, looking at the things with a slight furrow in his brow.
Ning Rongrong went over to take a look, then froze.
They were all medicinal herbs.
There were dried roots and stems, sun-dried fruits, sliced tree bark, and a few blackened pieces she couldn't identify. They covered more than half the coffee table, and the whole living room was filled with a complex herbal fragrance.
"Th-these are all things you gathered?" Ning Rongrong asked, eyes wide.
Yang Wudi didn't even look up. "Bought them."
"Bought them?"
"In your world, you don't have to gather herbs yourself." Yang Wudi picked up a blackened piece and held it up to the light. "There are shops. Places that sell this stuff."
Ning Rongrong turned to look at Zhang Mo.
"Traditional Chinese medicine shops," Zhang Mo said.
Yang Wudi put down the black piece and picked up another.
"This is called lingzhi. This is ginseng. This is deer antler." He pointed them out one by one. "They're different from the ones on Douluo Continent, but their medicinal properties are about the same."
He looked up at Zhang Mo.
"What about that Polygonum Multiflorum of yours?"
Zhang Mo went into the inner room and brought out the wooden box.
Yang Wudi took it, opened it, and stared at the Millennium Fleeceflower for a long time.
Then he pointed at the pile of herbs on the coffee table.
"All of these put together can't compare to this one."
Ning Rongrong's mouth fell open.
Yang Wudi put the Polygonum Multiflorum back in the wooden box, closed it, and returned it to Zhang Mo.
"Keep it safe," he said. "Once I brew a good batch of medicine, we'll need it."
Zhang Mo took the wooden box and put it back in the inner room.
When he came out, Yang Wudi had already started sorting through the pile of medicinal herbs. He separated them by type: some went back into cloth bags, some were laid out on the windowsill, and some were wrapped in paper with a few words written on each.
Ning Rongrong leaned over to take a look. The writing was crooked and messy, and she couldn't read it.
"What does it say?"
"The names of the herbs," Yang Wudi said.
Ning Rongrong gave a little "Oh."
When Yang Wudi finished tidying up, he stood and paced around the room twice.
"That system of yours," he said suddenly. "How much longer until Chen Xin gets here?"
Zhang Mo checked the panel. "A little over thirty hours."
Yang Wudi nodded.
He went to the window and watched the sky outside grow darker.
"Level 96 Title Douluo," he murmured. "I've never fought a Titled Douluo in my life."
Ning Rongrong watched him and asked quietly:
"Are you... afraid?"
Yang Wudi turned to look at her. He paused, then smiled.
"What's there to be afraid of?" he said. "Even if I can't beat him, I can still run, can't I?"
Ning Rongrong said nothing.
Yang Wudi returned to the sofa and sat down, looking at her.
"Little girl, do you know what's most terrifying about a Titled Douluo?"
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment. "Their high level and powerful Soul Power."
Yang Wudi shook his head.
"Wrong," he said. "The most terrifying thing about a Titled Douluo is experience."
He paused, then continued:
"Anyone who can rise above Level 90 has been through countless battles. They'll see through your little tricks at a glance. They've been bored with your little gimmicks for decades."
Ning Rongrong's face paled a little.
Yang Wudi looked at her, then suddenly said:
"But you have an advantage, too."
Ning Rongrong blinked.
"You're Ning Fengzhi's daughter," Yang Wudi said. "Chen Xin watched you grow up. He won't be able to bring himself to kill you."
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
Yang Wudi stood and patted her shoulder.
"When the time comes, you stand at the front. When he sees you, he'll hesitate. And once he hesitates, we'll have a chance."
Ning Rongrong stared at him, her eyes reddening.
"You... you want me to use Grandpa Sword's feelings..."
"Yes," Yang Wudi said.
Ning Rongrong fell silent.
Yang Wudi looked at her and suddenly sighed.
"Little girl, I know you don't want to," he said. "But this is a battlefield. On the battlefield, anything can be used."
He turned and walked to the window.
"I don't want to use this trick, either. But if we don't, we'll all die."
Ning Rongrong lowered her head and said nothing.
Zhang Mo walked over and stood beside her.
He didn't say anything. He just reached out and gently patted the top of her head.
Ning Rongrong froze, then lifted her head to look at him.
He met her gaze and gave a slight nod.
Ning Rongrong bit her lip, then drew a deep breath.
She looked at Yang Wudi's back and said quietly:
"I understand."
Yang Wudi turned around and looked at her.
"Made up your mind?"
Ning Rongrong nodded.
Yang Wudi smiled.
"Good," he said. "Now, let's get to work."
He went to the coffee table and took the Millennium Fleeceflower out of the wooden box.
"Tonight, I'll brew a batch of medicine," he said. "Something that'll let you withstand a Titled Douluo's blow."
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.
Zhang Mo was stunned, too.
"This Fleeceflower is too potent," Yang Wudi said. "Eat it as is, and it could be enough to kill you. But if I refine it into a pill, it'll be usable."
He looked at Zhang Mo.
"Can that sword of yours pierce a Titled Douluo's defenses?"
Zhang Mo thought for a moment. "I don't know."
"Then we'll make sure it can," Yang Wudi said.
He pulled a small cloth bag from inside his robes and opened it. Inside were several dried herbs.
"I brought these with me. Soul-Breaking Grass. It can break through defenses."
He placed the Soul-Breaking Grass beside the Fleeceflower.
"With the little girl's Soul Power and my alchemy skills, we'll have a batch of Defense-Breaking Pills within three days."
He looked at Zhang Mo.
"When the time comes, smear the juice from one of these pills on that sword of yours. Thrust it in, and even a Titled Douluo will bleed."
Zhang Mo was silent for a few seconds, then asked:
"How long will it take?"
"One night," Yang Wudi replied.
Zhang Mo nodded.
Yang Wudi stood and headed for the kitchen.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"
The kitchen was brightly lit.
Standing by the stove, Yang Wudi sliced the Fleeceflower into thin pieces. Each slice was as thin as a cicada's wing, so thin the light shone through it. After cutting the Fleeceflower, he sliced the Soul-Breaking Grass and the herbs he'd brought back from Changbai Mountain.
When he was done, he put all the herb slices into a large pot and added water.
Then he looked up at Ning Rongrong.
"Little girl, your Soul Power."
Ning Rongrong summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and guided her Soul Power toward the stove.
The blue flames flickered, then turned pale gold.
Yang Wudi stared motionlessly at the medicinal brew in the pot.
Time passed, second by second.
Sweat beaded on Ning Rongrong's forehead, and her arms began to tremble. But she gritted her teeth and held on.
Zhang Mo stood in the kitchen doorway, watching.
The brew in the pot slowly thickened. Its color shifted from pale yellow to deep brown, then to dark red. A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, making people a little dizzy.
Yang Wudi suddenly spoke:
"Add another tenth."
Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth and forced out another surge of Soul Power.
The flames leaped higher.
The brew began to bubble, gurgling as if it were about to spill over. Yang Wudi picked up a wooden stick and stirred slowly. His movements were unhurried but forceful, each turn reaching the bottom of the pot.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
Yang Wudi suddenly said:
"Stop."
Ning Rongrong released her Soul Power and nearly collapsed on the spot. Zhang Mo hurried over to support her and helped her lean against the wall.
Yang Wudi stared at the brew in the pot for a long while.
Then he put out the fire, picked up a spoon, and scooped up a spoonful.
The brew was as thick as honey, dark red, and rich with medicinal fragrance.
He blew on it, then took a taste.
He closed his eyes.
For a long, long time.
Then he opened them and smiled.
That smile was more genuine than any he'd given before.
"It worked," he said.
He turned and looked at Zhang Mo.
"Where's your sword?"
Zhang Mo took out the Fish Gut Sword.
Yang Wudi took it and dipped the tip into the brew.
The dark red medicinal juice clung to the tip, then was quickly absorbed.
He dipped it again.
After three dips, the tip had turned dark red, as if it had been tempered in fire.
Yang Wudi returned the sword to Zhang Mo.
"Give it a try."
Zhang Mo gripped the sword tightly, walked to the kitchen doorway, and lightly slashed at the doorframe.
A deep groove appeared in the wooden frame.
It was as easy as slicing tofu.
Zhang Mo froze.
Yang Wudi burst into laughter.
Before you continue