Set Out

Early the next morning, Jiang Jiu knocked on Ning Rongrong's door.

Ning Rongrong's door didn't open, but the door to the room next to hers did.

Zhu Zhuqing, already dressed, stepped out.

"Morning," Jiang Jiu greeted her casually.

"Morning." Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly. Her lips moved, and she asked, "Are you going for a run today?"

She'd already heard that Jiang Jiu had this habit. If possible, she hoped to run with him.

"Not today. Besides, I'm guessing we'll have plenty of time to run later."

Not spending money on a carriage and making them run all the way to Star Dou Forest was exactly the sort of thing Flender would consider perfectly reasonable.

"Oh." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, then stood there quietly.

"Who is it?" Across the hall, Ning Rongrong opened her door, still bleary-eyed.

When she saw the two people standing outside, her eyes flew open. "I'm not late, am I?"

"Not at all. It's still pretty early. I wanted to borrow some of your Flower Dew."

"That's it?" Ning Rongrong's eyelids drooped again.

She stepped aside, inviting Jiang Jiu in.

"It's in the bathroom. Go ahead and get it yourself."

She yawned again, found a chair, and slumped into it like she had no bones.

"Thanks."

There was something oddly intimate about how completely at ease she was. Jiang Jiu took what he needed and headed back out.

"Um, I have some too." Outside the door, Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the elegant box in Jiang Jiu's hand and spoke up.

"Uh..."

Jiang Jiu was just about to say he didn't need it when Zhu Zhuqing had already taken some out of her Storage Soul Tool.

"Thanks."

He was using this slightly unusual "body wash" to get rid of any scent Xiao Wu might have marinated into him. There was no harm in alternating between the two.

He could wash once in the morning, again at a hotel outside Star Dou Forest, and once more before setting out the next day. That ought to take care of it.

By the time Jiang Jiu finished his shower, it was still early. He even had time to run into Suotuo City for breakfast.

Xiao Wu had already gone into "seclusion" the day before. She'd gotten her leave approved, so she naturally had to play the part to the hilt.

Besides, if Xiao Wu kept cultivating this diligently, reaching level thirty-five by the time they returned from Soul Hunting might actually be possible.

Jiang Jiu returned to the academy with several breakfasts. He set one aside for Xiao Wu, then headed to the cafeteria. As for the Gold Soul Coins, he'd given them to Xiao Wu the previous day.

After breakfast, they gathered on the training field.

Flender was already waiting there. Just as expected, the trip to Star Dou Forest would be made on foot. Jiang Jiu was now more worried that Flender would save money by having them camp instead of staying at a hotel.

"Run there? That's four or five hundred kilometers!" Jiang Jiu could accept making the journey on foot, but Ning Rongrong couldn't.

Flender wasn't about to indulge her.

"Everyone else can do it. Why can't you?" Flender's expression turned completely blank.

Seeing that Flender was about to put Ning Rongrong under even more pressure, Jiang Jiu patted the back of her hand, cutting off the argument she was about to continue.

"Think of it as an outing."

"What kind of outing is this?" Ning Rongrong muttered, but didn't argue further. She followed Jiang Jiu into the lineup.

If Jiang Jiu and Zhu Zhuqing didn't mind, Ning Rongrong could risk life and limb for a friend too—even one she'd only known for a few days.

Flender watched them quietly.

His attempt to pressure her had failed, but it didn't matter. He'd have plenty more chances.

Once they left the academy, everyone began running.

Jiang Jiu and Tang San ran at the front, leading the way.

Since he knew they were heading to Star Dou Forest, Jiang Jiu had done his homework in advance. At the very least, he knew the general direction and route.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar followed behind them, one on either side.

Zhu Zhuqing ran just behind Ning Rongrong. Ma Hongjun ran alongside Oscar, while Dai Mubai brought up the rear.

Running more than four hundred kilometers in a day was no easy feat, but with Oscar's Recovery Big Sausage, it was at least possible.

Of course, first they had to get past the hurdle of Oscar's nauseating soul incantation.

An hour later, even with Soul Power helping them along, several of them were already badly exhausted.

"Let's stop for a bit. Xiao Ao!"

Dai Mubai told Oscar to use his first Soul Skill.

Perhaps because the run had worn him out, Oscar's incantation sounded surprisingly free of his usual sleaze. But that one line alone was enough to make Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing look at him with scorn.

"Xiao Ao's first Soul Skill is the Recovery Big Sausage. It'll help us recover our strength. If we want to reach Star Dou Forest as quickly as possible, I recommend that everyone eat one," Dai Mubai said seriously.

Jiang Jiu didn't say much. He was the first to eat one.

With his stamina, he could've run the more than four hundred kilometers without the Recovery Big Sausage.

But this trip to Star Dou Forest was to help him hunt for a soul ring. The others had been dragged along, so he had to set a good example.

Tang San followed his lead and ate one too.

He was also one of the people brought along to hunt for a soul ring, so his reasons were much the same as Jiang Jiu's. And his stamina was nowhere near Jiang Jiu's, so he genuinely needed the boost from the Recovery Big Sausage.

Besides, Jiang Jiu had eaten one. Of course Tang San would follow right after him.

When Zhu Zhuqing saw Jiang Jiu eat the sausage, she hesitated inwardly for a moment. Then she stepped forward, took a Recovery Big Sausage, and ate it.

Flender, watching from nearby, was a little surprised.

He'd planned to make overcoming Oscar's soul incantation part of the lesson. He hadn't expected the youngsters to work it out on their own.

What surprised him even more was that Ning Rongrong—the Little Demoness Ning Fengzhi had told him about—hesitated briefly, then stepped forward and ate a sausage too.

What was going on? Had Sect Master Ning gotten it wrong?

That didn't seem likely. Or had the girl grown up on her own the moment she left home?

By Flender's own judgment, Ning Rongrong really wasn't a well-behaved little girl. Still, she was young, and there was no denying she had plenty of room to grow.

Oscar was quite pleased.

Looks like these junior students don't dislike him as much as he thought. But they soon started running again, and his good mood didn't last.

This time, though, their formation was a little different.

Ning Rongrong began using her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda to support them.

"Seven Treasures Have Names, Second: Speed."

Her second Soul Skill could help everyone run faster. At the same time, running at their previous speed would use less of their stamina.

Oscar could handle restoring their strength, so naturally they chose to move faster.

"Rongrong, you can leave me out of your support. Save some Soul Power," Jiang Jiu called back to Ning Rongrong.

"All right, then."

Ning Rongrong thought it over, then withdrew the colored light she'd cast on Dai Mubai and Tang San.