[Current enrollment progress: 4/5.]
Ye Qiong stared at the panel only he could see.
As long as I recruit one more person, I'll find out whether this system has what I think it does.
Thinking this, Ye Qiong turned to look at Ning Rongrong, and his brow immediately furrowed.
Though Ning Rongrong's appearance here surprised him a little, it was also perfectly understandable.
He had set up a recruitment stall across from Shrek Academy, and the commotion he'd caused was considerable.
It was only natural that Ning Rongrong would be drawn over by all the excitement.
He could recruit anyone present, but it absolutely couldn't be Ning Rongrong.
It wasn't because of some plot or anything like that,
but because the system had long since told him that only tasks he completed personally would earn rewards.
If he recruited Ning Rongrong into the academy, he'd be breaking the rules.
After all, Ning Rongrong was the young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and he was from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect too.
Sure enough, the next moment, Ye Qiong saw Ning Rongrong summon her Martial Soul.
In her hands, the seven-tiered glazed pagoda turned slowly, its light shimmering as it drew sidelong glances from many of the people present.
"My name is Ning Rongrong. My Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. I'm twelve years old, and my soul power is at rank twenty-six."
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong raised her chin smugly.
She was waiting for Ye Qiong to invite her to join, so she could reject him to his face.
At the sound of that name, everyone present was astonished.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—that was...
Jiang Zhu was stunned too, and nearly dropped the pen in her hand.
Ye Qiong glanced back at Jiang Zhu.
"Jiang Zhu, write that down."
"Huh? Oh, yes, teacher."
Jiang Zhu immediately came to her senses and hurriedly lowered her head to make a note.
But Ning Rongrong wasn't having it.
"Hey, hey, Dean, this is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda you're looking at. Do you know what that means?"
Ye Qiong remained perfectly calm.
"Of course. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"If you know that, then why are you still—"
"Why am I? You mean, why don't I just recruit you right away?"
Ye Qiong pointed behind Ning Rongrong.
"Take a look behind you. So many people need to register. I can't make an exception for you; that wouldn't be fair to them."
Ning Rongrong glanced disdainfully over her shoulder.
"Pah, why bother looking? These country bumpkins can't possibly match my talent."
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone's expressions changed.
A few hotheaded people clenched their fists until their knuckles creaked.
If not for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's reputation, someone would probably have charged her on the spot.
Looking at Ning Rongrong, Ye Qiong couldn't help shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, but this is my academy, and these are the admission rules I've set."
"If you refuse to accept them, you can leave right now. We don't have room here for someone as exalted as you."
Hearing Ye Qiong's words, a few bold people present instantly cast aside the last traces of fear they had of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
One after another, they stepped forward and shouted:
"That's right, I support the dean! So what if you're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"Exactly! The dean said everyone has to follow the rules. What makes you so special?"
"Get in line and wait for the results. Why are you putting on airs?"
As the murmurs around her grew louder, Ning Rongrong's face turned bright red.
She bit her lip and glared at Ye Qiong.
When had anyone ever treated her like this, from the time she was little?
In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, everyone doted on her and indulged her.
Even Sword Grandpa and the others had never said a harsh word to her.
Though they doted on Ye Qiong even more than they did on her.
But this man actually dared to humiliate her in front of so many people?
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and looked at Ye Qiong coldly.
"Ye Qiong! Don't forget, you're a disciple of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect too!"
The moment she said this, everyone present was astonished.
What?
The dean of Amphoreus Academy was a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Then this young woman in front of them was...
A chilling thought suddenly came to everyone's minds.
At once, the crowd scattered like birds and beasts.
What a joke. Why wouldn't they run? Did they want the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to come after them?
They'd all said one unkind thing or another just moments ago.
In the blink of an eye, only Ye Qiong, Ning Rongrong, and a few others remained.
Watching the crowd flee, Ye Qiong's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
He hadn't expected Ning Rongrong to be so careless with her words. One sentence from her had ruined his recruitment drive.
Ye Qiong's gaze toward Ning Rongrong gradually grew cold.
"Ning Rongrong, don't be so full of yourself. I opened this academy, and it has nothing to do with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"If you don't believe me, you can write to Sword Grandpa and the others and see what they say."
"As for whether I'll recruit you, I'm sorry, but Amphoreus Academy only accepts people of good character who are driven to improve."
"And you don't meet those requirements."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong trembled with rage.
She pointed at Ye Qiong's nose and screamed abuse at him.
"Ye Qiong, who do you think you are?!"
"You're nothing but a dog raised by my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Don't tell me you actually think you're somebody?"
"Without climbing onto the coattails of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you wouldn't even be worthy of putting on my shoes!"
Her words immediately caught the attention of Ye Qiong's four students.
Jiang Zhu opened her mouth, wanting to stand up for Ye Qiong, but he pressed her back down with one hand.
The next moment, a vast pressure burst from Ye Qiong, instantly crushing the breath from Ning Rongrong's lungs.
"Ye Qiong, you..."
"Ning Rongrong, watch what you say, or else..."
Faced with Ye Qiong's warning, Ning Rongrong was so frightened she immediately shut her mouth.
Seeing that, Ye Qiong's thoughts stirred, and he slowly withdrew his pressure.
"For Uncle Ning's sake, I won't hold this against you. Get out."
Ning Rongrong shot Ye Qiong a resentful look, then turned and left. Before she went, she tossed out a threat.
"Ye Qiong, I hope your academy never manages to recruit another student!"
Ye Qiong stood where he was and didn't move. He paid no mind to Ning Rongrong's threat.
He'd never cared much for Ning Rongrong in the first place, and that hadn't changed even though she was his fiancée.
He also understood perfectly well that, given the personality Ning Rongrong had grown up with, she would never feel any affection for him as her so-called fiancé.
Even though he was a sixteen-year-old Soul Emperor, unmatched among his generation, she wouldn't spare him a glance.
So he'd been glad to keep his distance. In the ten years he'd spent cultivating in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he'd barely seen Ning Rongrong a handful of times.
It was only before he left the sect that Ning Fengzhi handed him the marriage contract.
"Qiong'er, you and Rongrong are both grown now. This is the engagement we arranged when you were children. I know you have lofty ambitions and that you and that girl Rongrong are on different paths, so I'm giving you the contract now. You can do with it as you wish."
"I only hope that if one day there's no other choice, you'll spare her life for our sake."
Thinking of that, Ye Qiong couldn't help sighing.
Ning Rongrong had driven everyone off. Now he'd have to go recruit somewhere else.
"Tsk, what a hassle."
Ye Qiong clicked his tongue.
Never mind. He'd take things one step at a time.
Jiang Zhu cautiously came over. "Teacher... are we still recruiting?"
Ye Qiong glanced at the empty little square and shook his head.
"Let's wait a little longer. If no one else shows up, we'll go somewhere else."
A burly student came over.
"Teacher, I don't think anyone's coming."
At that, Jiang Zhu glared at him, annoyed.
"Wang Sheng, if you can't say anything helpful, don't say anything at all."
Ning Rongrong was heading to Shrek, so she walked quickly.
But before she'd gone far, she passed a woman going the other way.
She instinctively glanced back at the woman.
The next moment, an astonishing sight unfolded before her.
The woman walked straight up to Ye Qiong.
"Excuse me, may I enroll at Amphoreus Academy?"
Ye Qiong looked up. The moment he saw the woman, he was startled.
"It's you?"