Shifting the Definition

And so, for the next half hour.

The young lady who had never lifted a finger in her life had a rare experience of the daily grind of a laborer being ordered around.

Ning: "This is tilted way too much, Zhang Lexuan, come over and give me a hand!"

Zhang: "Wait a moment, coming right up."

Ning: "Hiss~ it's cracked. Let's just have a new one custom-made tomorrow... stop staring at me with those pretty eyes, I'm not asking you to pay for it."

Zhang: "...Thank you."

Ning: "Come on, let's face each other, align this, one, two, lift!"

Ning: "Hey, hey, hey! Big sister, wait a second! You move left and I move right for it to slide, if we both move left that's just spinning in circles!"

Zhang: "My apologies, let's try again!"

Before long, the displaced bookshelf was back in its original position.

The books scattered on the floor were also reorganized and neatly arranged.

Seeing that the timing was right, Ning Huan finally revealed his true intentions.

He immediately shifted his gaze toward the extra bookshelf he had deliberately changed the placement of to create space.

"Since you're here, might as well help until the end, just lift this last one."

"It's not far, just move it to that corner."

As he spoke, Ning Huan took the initiative to step forward and grab one side, signaling Zhang Lexuan to hurry up with his eyes.

Seeing this, she naturally suspected nothing and immediately stepped over to the opposite side.

Together, they lifted the bookshelf and slowly moved it toward the corner.

However, the effortless ease in the young girl's movements and the sight of the young man drenched in sweat formed a stark contrast at this moment.

"Having high cultivation... really is something else!"

Ning Huan, his face flushed red, gritted his teeth and said:

"My strength isn't exactly weak, you know!"

Zhang Lexuan, whose expression remained calm as if she hadn't exerted any effort at all, quickly spoke up to console him.

"Among Power Attack System Spirit Masters of the same rank, your strength is indeed significant, even stronger than the average Power Attack System Spirit King."

"But the gap in cultivation realms cannot be bridged by physical strength alone."

"..."

"Has anyone ever told you that your way of comforting people... is very unique?"

This big sister clearly meant well, but what she said was a bit too humble-bragging...

Yet, to his utter surprise, his harmless remark caused Zhang Lexuan to visibly deflate.

"What the hell! What's wrong with you?!"

The sudden turn of events left Ning Huan completely bewildered.

He frantically searched his memory, wondering if his comment had touched upon any sensitive information regarding her background.

"My apologies, it's just that no one has ever said that to me."

"Huh? I thought you were pretty close with that Han Ruoruo."

"Being on good terms and being able to confide in someone are two different things. After all, I..."

"Hiss... Big sister, please stop showing off your status and strength in front of me!"

Seeing Zhang Lexuan's 'unspeakable' demeanor, Ning Huan instantly understood, and he couldn't help but suck in a breath of envy.

"High status and great strength, big deal!"

"If I had your strength, I'd probably be looking down on everyone all day long, who would care about interpersonal relationships!"

"Anyone who dared to provoke me would get a slap to the face first!"

In the end, Ning Huan silently added a line in his heart.

Unlike now, returning to the sect for peace, only to be kept busy everywhere I go, it's exhausting!

"Heh, you really are interesting."

Perhaps because the young man's exasperated appearance was amusing, Zhang Lexuan quickly returned to her normal state.

She even had the mood to tease and lecture him a bit.

"However, little brother, you must remember that while strength is important, a humble heart is also indispensable."

Thud!

Scritch!

Accompanied by the loud sound of the bookshelf hitting the floor and the friction of wood, Ning Huan raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead.

A dismissive rebuttal followed immediately after.

"Sometimes, words are the most powerless things of all!"

"When logic fails to convince the ears, only power will force them to listen!"

Zhang Lexuan: "!!!"

Who on earth raised this child?

His personality is far too extreme!

Just as she was about to argue with him, the follow-up combo Ning Huan unleashed caught her completely off guard.

"For ten thousand years, the continent has been plagued by endless strife. Never mind commoners; even Titled Douluo would lose a layer of skin if they got dragged into it."

"And those Evil Soul Masters—they're as numerous as stray dogs on the side of the road, and no matter how many you kill, they never seem to disappear!"

"Now, look into your own conscience and tell me: living in this environment, which is more useful, your mouth or your fists?"

As he spoke, Ning Huan pretended to be casual as he reached out and precisely pulled a classic tome from the bookshelf beside him.

Then, he tossed it over to her.

"Isn't Shrek Academy the very model of this philosophy? Four thousand years ago, it was you who beat back the Sun Moon Empire."

As his words fell, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside Zhang Lexuan.

While she gripped the book tightly, a sharp, stern look suddenly appeared on her delicate face, and her tone turned quite unfriendly.

"No! Our predecessors acted for the sake of peace on the continent; it was the will of the people!"

"Then tell me, did they rely on wagging their tongues and preaching logic, or did they rely on their own hard power?"

"You...!"

Watching Zhang Lexuan struggle to find a rebuttal, her frustrated expression showing she couldn't find a flaw in his logic, Ning Huan felt his heart pounding with fear.

He couldn't help it; no matter how strong he was for his rank, he was no match for a Soul Saint.

Not to mention, this big sister was a genius Soul Saint cultivated by Shrek Academy.

If they really fought, the odds would be three to seven.

She would take three minutes, and he would be torn apart seven times.

It's only one last step away. Big sister, please don't explode; I don't have any guards around me right now...

Feeling his heart thumping wildly from the excitement, the youth began to pray for himself, then steeled his resolve.

"Forget the 'you's. You really should read more books, especially the history sections."

"Use history as a mirror to understand the rise and fall of dynasties; use people as a mirror to understand your own gains and losses."

"Though, looking at those clear eyes of yours, I suspect you haven't read much at all."

"I..."

Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan's momentum stalled. Her eyes drifted, instinctively sweeping over the thick book in her hand that she was already on the verge of crushing.

Without a doubt, Ning Huan's unintentional remark had struck the very point she least wanted to face.

After all, being able to become a high-level soul master by the age of twenty meant that the vast majority of her life had undoubtedly been spent on cultivation.

Even if she read occasionally, it was only knowledge related to the academy's history or soul master studies.

As for the ten-thousand-year history of the continent...

She likely only knew the general outline.

"It is quiet enough here. You can read for a while to calm your mind."

"If my words just now were offensive, I apologize."

Having said that, Ning Huan turned and walked toward the second floor without looking back, leaving Zhang Lexuan standing there with a complex expression.

Only when his figure was no longer visible did she mutter to herself:

"Zhang Lexuan, oh Zhang Lexuan, you've lived for twenty years in vain, only to be left speechless by a child."

"Fine, I have no desire to sleep anyway; I might as well stay here and read for a while."

With that, she found a nearby table, opened the book Ning Huan had 'casually' tossed to her, and began to read carefully.

Yet, in a corner on the second floor where she could not see, a barely audible whisper slowly drifted through the air.

"Finally, the bait is taken..."

"Once the seed of doubt is planted, cracks in trust are inevitable."