The next day, noon, outside Murong Mansion.
A huge carriage, decked out in gold and black, was drawn by four thousand-year-old Flame-Treading Horses. It was lavish beyond all reason.
"Son! My precious son! Come on, let's go!"
Hearing Murong Fuhai's loud, carefree call, Murong Huai scratched his head in exasperation.
"Come on, Dad. You're a Titled Douluo, at least. Can't you act a little more dignified?"
Murong Fuhai didn't get angry at his son's teasing.
"Oh, you little brat, now you're lecturing your old man? Get in the carriage. Let's get going."
Nearby, Bibi Dong stood obediently. When she saw Murong Huai, her face lit up with a happy smile.
"Brother Murong, you're here..."
Murong Huai smiled at her words.
"Dong'er, let's go. We'll get in the carriage and set off to hunt for Spirit Rings."
"Okay."
Murong Huai took Bibi Dong by the hand and climbed into the carriage. Murong Fuhai followed with a smile, and the driver set the carriage in motion. Before long, they had left Spirit City behind.
At dusk, at a small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Star Dou Great Forest wasn't far from Spirit Hall; it took only three or four hours to reach. But night had fallen, so Murong Fuhai decided they'd spend the night in a small town outside the forest.
After finding an inn, Murong Fuhai ordered a whole table of food. They'd been on the road all afternoon, after all, and needed to replenish their energy.
As usual, Murong Huai had a pig's trotter in his left hand and a chicken leg in his right, gnawing away with gusto, grease running down his chin. Seeing him, Bibi Dong covered her mouth and giggled, finally letting go of her reserve.
"Ugh, country bumpkin..."
Suddenly, a mocking voice rang out. Bibi Dong and Murong Huai, who was busy stuffing his face, turned to look. At the next table sat a handsome, delicate-looking little boy in blue and white clothes, with a blue ribbon tied in his hair. He had an air of bold confidence about him, the spitting image of a little prince.
Two men sat beside him. One wore a scholar's white robe, with sharp, star-bright eyes and flowing white hair. He stood as straight as a sword. The other was tall but as thin as a skeleton, dressed in black armor, with strands of white mixed into his black hair.
Hearing the little boy's taunt, Bibi Dong puffed out her cheeks and pointed at him.
"Who are you? Why are you making fun of us?"
At that, the little boy folded his arms across his chest and declared proudly,
"My name is Ning Fengzhi, young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!!!"
Bibi Dong stared blankly at Ning Fengzhi, then shook her head.
"Never heard of it..."
Little Ning Fengzhi pouted and glanced at the two men beside him.
"My two uncles are Soul Douluos!!"
Bibi Dong looked at Murong Fuhai. He nodded, and she lifted her chin.
"My uncle is a Titled Douluo!!!"
Bibi Dong didn't know Murong Fuhai's Soul Power Level. He didn't look that old, but she still called him a Titled Douluo just to one-up the other side. Murong Fuhai smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.
Hearing Bibi Dong's words, Ning Fengzhi froze. Then he spotted the chicken leg on the table and said,
"My two uncles can each eat five chicken legs in one sitting!"
Bibi Dong refused to back down.
"My uncle can eat ten!!"
Ning Fengzhi stood up and continued,
"My uncle can eat a whole pig in five bites!"
"My uncle can eat one in three bites!" Bibi Dong put her hands on her hips.
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment, then said,
"My uncle dares to eat shit!!"
"Pfft, cough, cough..."
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, the two people eating couldn't help coughing. Bibi Dong answered without hesitation,
"My uncle can eat a pound!"
"My uncle can eat five pounds!"
"My uncle can eat lots and lots of pounds!"
"My uncle can't eat a meal unless there's shit in it..."
Listening to the two little brats' plain and unvarnished bickering, everyone in the restaurant watched with great interest. Murong Huai quietly edged over to Murong Fuhai and whispered,
"Dad, how did Dong'er know you like eating shit?"
"I have no idea..."
"Oh, okay."
Having gotten his answer, Murong Huai returned to his seat. Murong Fuhai came to his senses and hurriedly said,
"Bullshit! I've never eaten shit in my life, okay?"
"Right, right, you've never eaten it."
Murong Huai nodded, then bent back over his food.
Murong Fuhai: o(￣ヘ￣o#)
After a while, Murong Huai pulled Bibi Dong back. The two men at the next table also called Ning Fengzhi over, then cupped their hands toward Murong Fuhai.
"I am Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and this is Gu Rong. May we ask the senior's name?"
The two men were none other than Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who would shake the world decades later. They were both around forty or fifty years old and had reached the middle rank of Soul Douluo. They had sensed Murong Fuhai's Soul Power earlier, but gotten nothing in return.
Either the man was an ordinary person without any cultivation, or he was a Soul Master stronger than they were. Since they were at the Star Dou Great Forest, the first possibility was clearly out of the question.
Hearing their question, Murong Fuhai nodded.
"I am Murong Fuhai."
At the sound of Murong Fuhai's name, Chen Xin and Gu Rong were both startled. At home, he was usually a fun-loving man, but out in the world he was the fearsome Demon Dragon Marshal.
Once, during a war between the two great empires, Murong Fuhai had led fifty thousand Black Flame Army troops and forced the two empires' armies, numbering more than six hundred thousand men between them, back within their own borders. He had stopped a war without shedding a drop of blood.
With his own strength, Murong Fuhai had even forced the commanders of both empires to sign an accord forbidding any war involving more than a hundred thousand troops for a hundred years. His reputation was legendary.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong immediately stood and bowed.
"Greetings, Demon Dragon Marshal. Our young master is unruly; we hope you'll forgive him..."
Murong Fuhai waved a hand.
"No need for formalities. I'm not going to hold a grudge against a child."
"Thank you, Marshal."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong then gave Ning Fengzhi a meaningful look. He understood what they meant, picked up a clean cup, poured some juice into it, and came over to Murong Huai.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong just now. I apologize."
Murong Huai felt a little awkward. Having a little brat apologize to him face-to-face was embarrassing. He shook his head and lifted his greasy hand to show that he couldn't take the cup.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Seeing this, Bibi Dong snatched the cup and gulped down all the juice, puffing out her cheeks.
"Hmph! Why didn't you apologize to me?"
At that, Ning Fengzhi muttered under his breath,
"I wasn't talking about you..."
Bibi Dong bared her teeth in anger, and a faint purple Soul Power surged around her. Seeing this, Murong Huai hurriedly wiped his hand clean on Murong Fuhai's clothes.
He quickly pulled Bibi Dong back. Ning Fengzhi was a support-type Soul Master; if they actually fought, Bibi Dong would beat him black and blue.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong naturally wouldn't stand by and do nothing. Though she wasn't much of a threat, there was no need to make an enemy for no reason. She was just a little kid, and it wasn't a big deal. He wasn't about to get angry over something like this.
"Dong'er, Dong'er, you could say you've become friends after a little squabble. Why not make friends instead of fighting?"
Then Murong Huai was the first to hold out his hand.
"Hello, I'm Murong Huai."
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi took his hand.
"I'm Ning Fengzhi."
"Ahem, Dong'er." Murong Huai gestured toward Bibi Dong beside him. She pouted and said,
"Hmph. My name is Bibi Dong."
Seeing that nothing had happened between the three of them, Chen Xin and Gu Rong breathed a sigh of relief. If something really had gone wrong, they would've been in a difficult position.
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