The Heart of Gossip Dwells in Everyone

"Xiaobai!"

"The academy's performance hasn't been good these past years. We're so poor we're practically eating dirt!"

"I haven't paid Zhao Wuji and the others their wages in years!"

"I really don't have any money to give you!"

Flender, that miserly iron rooster, had pinched every penny for years and amassed quite a substantial fortune. He had even just received a sum of money from Ning Fengzhi.

Now, hearing him shamelessly say such things, Ji Bai was left speechless.

But he had no intention of letting this money go.

"Dean Flender, if you won't give me the money, I can only abduct Ning Rongrong."

"I'll be honest with you."

"She really wants to leave this place with me. With my standing at Blazing Academy, plus Ning Rongrong's status, joining Blazing Academy wouldn't be a problem for her. When that happens... you won't be able to explain yourself to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or her father."

Ji Bai smiled wickedly as he threatened Flender.

"No!"

"You brat, how come all you learned out there these past years was how to bully old people?"

Flender's mouth twitched.

"Dean Flender, I know you have money."

"It's only ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. With your money-making skills, you'll earn it back in no time."

"Hurry up. Stop dragging this out."

Ji Bai urged him.

"Do you know how much hardship I endured to save up this fortune..."

"Ugh..."

Flender took out a gold card, his expression utterly miserable as he slowly handed it to Ji Bai.

Ji Bai did not stand on ceremony.

After all, he had spent plenty of breath persuading Ning Rongrong to stay.

"Hm?"

Ji Bai gave it a light tug, but it would not budge.

The veins on Flender's hand were bulging. Who knew how much strength he was using?

Ji Bai smiled. "Forget it, I don't want it anymore."

Flender's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed. "Rea..."

He had barely begun speaking.

Ji Bai suddenly exerted force and snatched the gold card away. He calmly put it away and said lightly, "Of course that was a lie. I didn't expect Dean Flender to be so old already, yet still this childish."

"Uh..."

Flender stood there in a daze, completely stunned.

Ji Bai turned and left, giving Flender no chance to stop him.

Before he had gone far, he saw that Zhao Wuji had already gathered the seven students led by Dai Mubai. They were preparing to depart for the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ji Bai's thoughts stirred at the sight, and he smiled. "Teacher Zhao, I happen to have nothing to do. How about I go to the Star Dou Great Forest with you?"

Zhao Wuji was taken aback at first, but he did not think much of it and nodded. "Sure! Come along! By the way, how long are you planning to stay in Suotuo City?"

As soon as he said that, everyone present looked at Ji Bai.

"Hmm... After I make this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest with you, I'll be leaving," Ji Bai said after some thought.

"So soon? You won't stay a few more days?" Zhao Wuji asked in surprise.

Ji Bai smiled. "No. Someone is waiting for me back at the academy. I promised her."

"Oho!" Zhao Wuji gave him a teasing smile. "Is that so... Could it be a girl?"

Ji Bai merely smiled and did not explain further.

However.

Even if he did not explain, the others cared deeply about it.

"Set off!"

With a shout from Zhao Wuji, he took the lead.

Ji Bai followed within the group.

He had decided to accompany them because he wanted to see whether he had any destiny with that External Soul Bone.

Xiao Wu slowed her pace. Once she was walking alongside Ji Bai, she asked softly, "Brother Ji, do you have a girlfriend?"

Dai Mubai raised his brows and nudged Tang San beside him, signaling for him to look behind them.

Tang San had been keeping an eye on Xiao Wu all along.

And his hearing was not bad. If others could hear what Xiao Wu said, naturally he could hear it too.

He immediately felt strange inside.

Hearing Xiao Wu's question, Ji Bai smiled faintly. "I don't have a girlfriend at the moment."

Ning Rongrong could not wait to ask, "Then do you have a girl you like?"

Ji Bai answered frankly, "Of course I do. I'm not some godlike person without desires. I have human emotions and desires too. How could I not have a girl I like?"

"Who is it?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.

"Zhu Zhuqing!" Dai Mubai shouted in a deep voice.

This sudden shout shattered the subtle atmosphere among them. Everyone else turned to look at Dai Mubai with strange expressions. Zhu Zhuqing's face turned cold as she stared at him expressionlessly and asked faintly, "What is it?"

"Hmph!"

Seeing everyone looking at him, Dai Mubai wanted to say something, but could not bring himself to speak. He could only snort coldly to express his displeasure.

After that interruption, no one felt like continuing to ask about Ji Bai's private matters.

Tang San gradually pulled Xiao Wu to his side and reminded her, "Xiao Wu, don't casually ask about other people's private affairs. That isn't good."

"Brother Ji didn't say anything!" Xiao Wu shot Tang San a glare and said irritably, "Third Brother, sometimes you worry about too much. You don't worry about what you should worry about, and you meddle in what you shouldn't!"

"I..." Tang San opened his mouth.

Xiao Wu's words struck him like a bolt from the blue, and his heart was instantly filled with conflicting emotions.

At the back, unable to suppress her curiosity, Ning Rongrong asked softly, "Brother Ji, who is the girl you like? Which faction is she from?"

"You want to know?" Ji Bai glanced at Ning Rongrong.

"I do!" Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly.

"I'm not telling you." Ji Bai gave a playful smile, looked ahead, and focused on the road.

"You..." Ning Rongrong felt as though a ball of fire were burning in her heart. The greatest suffering in life was when a secret lay right before your eyes, yet you did not know it.

Ji Bai had thought Ning Rongrong was about to curse at him.

But then he suddenly realized that cursing probably was not among Ning Rongrong's skills.

"Stop making noise! Focus on the road!"

Zhao Wuji turned back and glared at Dai Mubai and the others before quickening his pace.

Seeing this, everyone could only increase their speed as well.

By evening.

Zhao Wuji led them into an inn. After giving a few instructions, he left on his own. As for everyone else's lodging and meals, they had to handle those themselves.

"I'll treat everyone to dinner. Order whatever you want, I'll pay." Ning Rongrong took the menu handed over by the waiter and distributed them one by one. Then she shared one with Ji Bai.

If she wanted to get closer to someone, winning them over through food was undoubtedly one way.

As the saying went.

When you eat someone else's food, your mouth goes soft; when you take someone else's things, your hands go short.

"What do you want to eat?" Ning Rongrong asked with a smile.

Ji Bai glanced over the menu and smiled faintly. "Just order whatever you think is good. I'm not picky."

"Okay!" Ning Rongrong did not waste words. She had also roughly figured out how to get along with Ji Bai.

Before long, everyone had ordered at least one dish. Ma Hongjun was the biggest eater and ordered the most, fully deserving his title of glutton. Still, Ning Rongrong considered this small amount of money not even the tip of a single hair from nine oxen.

"Whoosh—"

Just then, a group of people entered the inn. They wore matching moon-white uniforms embroidered with silver-thread patterns, and each of them had a badge pinned to their chest.

After glancing at the group, Ji Bai seemingly casually looked toward Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who were seated across from him.