Ning Rongrong thanked him again and put away the only bottle of Experience Water she had left.
"Stealing things is bad. If you all want rewards, you can buy Equipment Cards!"
Ning Rongrong said gently to everyone.
After she finished speaking,
Ning Rongrong savored the taste of the Soul Grandmaster-level Experience Water in her mind. It had felt thick going down and tasted fishy, but when she took a closer sniff, she could detect the fragrance of chestnut blossoms.
It was just a shame there hadn't been enough Experience Water. She hadn't gotten to enjoy the taste.
A moment later,
she picked up another Mission Card and sent a wisp of Soul Power into it.
When Ning Rongrong used the Mission Card, she even took a few steps closer to Li Haiyun.
She was afraid she'd get another bizarre quest.
If the quest required her to hug or kiss the nearest male Soul Master,
she'd rather it named Boss Li as the target.
As Soul Power flowed into the card, several lines of red writing appeared on the Mission Card in Ning Rongrong's hand.
"Red-Level Quest!!"
Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes widened, her expression filled with astonishment.
Quest Level: [Red-Level]
Quest Objective: [When the chips are down, a friend will stand by your side and take a knife in both ribs for you. Go make the first sworn sister in your life who would do that for you!]
Quest Nature: [Known only to you.]
Quest Reward: [Ice Dragon King Martial Soul Titled Douluo Cultivation Experience Card]
Quest Rating: [Unrated]
Reward Reminder: [The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul Titled Douluo Cultivation Experience Card has a cooldown of one month. Each use grants you a brand-new Martial Soul, the Ice Dragon King, and Titled Douluo-level cultivation, with the optimal Soul Ring configuration. It lasts for two hours!]
Chapter 8: Saving the World
"This quest reward is absolutely astonishing!"
Ning Rongrong's breathing quickened, and her heart raced with excitement.
Beside her, the quest notification sounded in Li Haiyun's mind, and his expression turned strange.
"What kind of quest is this? Just making a sworn sister gets her a Red-Level quest!"
"And the reward is way too generous!"
"Rongrong, hurry up and complete the quest so I can trigger a hundredfold reward. Maybe I'll get an unbelievably overpowered Martial Soul!"
Li Haiyun thought to himself, unable to stop himself from giving Ning Rongrong an encouraging look.
Ning Rongrong noticed Boss Li's gaze and thought he was asking about her quest objective, so she hurriedly said, "Sorry, Boss Li. This quest is known only to me, and I'm not allowed to tell anyone anything about it, so I can't say!"
Li Haiyun paused, realizing she'd misunderstood, then smiled and said, "In that case, do your best, Rongrong. I hope everything goes smoothly and you complete the quest perfectly."
"I'll take your word for it, Boss. I'll do my best to complete the quest!"
Ning Rongrong gave a slight nod.
Now that Ning Rongrong had accepted three quests, she couldn't use any more Mission Cards.
Besides, she was eager to complete her quest, so she took the initiative to bid Li Haiyun farewell. "Boss Li, I'm going to complete my quest first! I'll come back to buy Mission Cards from you later!"
"All right, off you go." Li Haiyun smiled warmly.
After saying goodbye, Ning Rongrong left in high spirits.
Once Li Haiyun had watched her go, he turned back to the people in the shop and warned them coldly, "I suggest you all keep your hands to yourselves. Otherwise, I'll kill you right here!"
The passersby felt the icy, threatening aura and shuddered, hurriedly assuring him they wouldn't try anything.
Only then did Li Haiyun relax.
There were simply too many bad people in this world.
And in a world where the strong ruled, it was entirely possible for people to kill and rob others for their treasures.
Ning Rongrong was not yet twelve years old. She was an Auxiliary Soul Master and hadn't come into her own yet.
Li Haiyun still worried about the girl's safety, which was why he'd warned everyone around her again and again.
Seeing that the warning had worked, Li Haiyun was satisfied.
Then he returned to his rocking chair, looking lazy and content as he settled back.
Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins was far too expensive for most Soul Masters.
So the passersby present could only look on longingly.
As for wealthy Soul Masters, once they heard the news, they would come running.
Li Haiyun wasn't in a hurry.
Reclining in his rocking chair, Li Haiyun saw a quest panel appear in his mind.
It recorded the quests Ning Rongrong had accepted.
[Ning Rongrong] Quest 1: [White Grade Quest, hunt 20 ten-year White Grade Soul Beasts. Reward: increase the First Soul Ring's age by 10 years.] Quest 2: [Purple Grade Quest, hunt..., ...] Quest 3: [Red-Level Quest, make a sworn sister who would stand by you through life and death, ...] Quests to complete: 3 Quests completed: 2
"This system is pretty handy. It records all kinds of information about the Soul Masters who accept quests."
"I feel like the old sect steward who hands out quests in some fantasy novel!"
"But this is great, too. As long as someone accepts a quest and completes it, I can earn a reward between one and a hundred times the original."
"I can get stronger while lying down. Sweet!"
Li Haiyun thought to himself as he stretched, feeling that the future looked promising—no, that it held great promise!
Meanwhile,
stars dotted the sky, and the moonlight was gentle and lovely.
Beneath the starry sky,
Ning Rongrong headed back to Shrek Academy, thinking about how to complete her quest.
"This Red-Level quest wants me to make a sworn sister who would take a knife in both ribs for me?"
"I think Zhu Zhuqing is a good person. She's willing to do anything to get stronger. Even when that ugly, pointy-chinned dean told her to run twenty laps, she carried it out without hesitation."
"I have Experience Water that can help her get stronger, and I have Mission Cards that she can use to accept quests and earn rewards."
"More importantly, Zhu Zhuqing and I both dislike the lecherous boys around us. She especially hates Dai Mubai."
"Mm, that's it, Zhu Zhuqing! Let's become sworn sisters!"
"You stand by me through life and death, and I'll give you Gold Soul Coins so you can buy lots of Mission Cards. We'll get stronger together and hunt Soul Beasts in the Soul Beast Forest!"
"If buying Mission Cards can make you stronger, why bother running around at this lousy academy? Flender, you dean of a run-down academy in the middle of nowhere—I won't let you boss me around!"
As Ning Rongrong thought it over, a shrewd smile crept across her lips.
Ning Rongrong had always been a clever, mischievous young girl.
In the original story, she started out with a distinct personality, only to be molded into someone ordinary later on.
Now, the Mission Cards had shown her a way to improve her cultivation.
Ning Rongrong wasn't stupid enough to stay at the academy and let the dean criticize and pick on her for no reason.
Everything had to be done step by step.
Who made people run twenty laps right from the start?
I'm an Auxiliary Soul Master, after all.
Besides, I remember Father saying that Soul Masters with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul never lack people to protect them.
Why do I need to train to run away?
On the way, Ning Rongrong thought it over, growing more troubled with every passing moment. The more she considered it, the more she felt that the dean and teachers at Shrek Academy had something wrong with their way of thinking. They didn't know how to teach; all they did was lead their students astray.
"I have to go back and save Zhu Zhuqing, and tell Tang San and Xiao Wu to leave too."
Ning Rongrong thought to herself.
It was only natural for her to think this way. She was just twelve years old, after all.
Chuunibyou fantasies and wild imaginings were exactly what someone her age ought to have. No one should snuff them out!
Beneath the moonlight,
Ning Rongrong returned to Shrek Academy, only to find the place deserted. She couldn't find any of her "companions."
After asking around, she learned that Flender had taken them to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.
"Then I'll wait for you at the entrance."
Ning Rongrong thought to herself and went to the gate of Shrek Academy.
There happened to be a large rock nearby.
Ning Rongrong sat on it, swinging her legs as she thought and waited for everyone.
"I can't believe I've already reached level thirty. I broke through before Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar!"
"Now all I need is a suitable Soul Ring, and I'll be a Soul Elder."
"A twelve-year-old Soul Elder—I'm probably not just the youngest at Shrek Academy, but the youngest on the entire continent!"
Ning Rongrong swung her long, fair legs. A gentle smile returned to her pretty little face.
At the same time,
Flender's reprimands from that evening kept echoing in her mind, each word like a sharp thorn stabbing into her thoughts.
"Ning Rongrong, you'll bring shame upon your Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul!"
"Everyone here is more useful than you, especially on the battlefield. With your abilities, you'd only be cannon fodder!"
"You're arrogant and rash, and you think too highly of yourself. Forget your background and your father, whose fame is unparalleled—without them, you'll never achieve anything!"
Chapter 9: Ning Rongrong Smiled
"Dai Mubai has a White Tiger Martial Soul and was born with twin pupils. He was only thirteen when he became a Soul Elder. Do you really think you can break through level thirty by the time you're thirteen?"
"Xiao Wu and Tang San are only twelve, yet they've already reached the level of a twenty-ninth-rank Soul Grandmaster. Whether you judge them by their fighting strength or their talent, they're both better than you!"
"Ma Hongjun is about your age. His Martial Soul has a flaw, but Hongjun has a steadfast heart and keeps working hard to make up for it."
"Oscar was born with Innate Full Soul Power. He's one of the best among Food-Type Soul Masters."
"Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power is about the same as yours, but she has a firm and determined heart. She's willing to follow the academy's instructions to become stronger!"
"And what about you? You're the worst student in the academy, Ning Rongrong. What do you have to be proud of? Why do you think you can defy me?"
"Forget your privileged background. Under my guidance, I'm telling you, twenty years from now, every one of them will have achieved far more than you!"
"..."
Flender's words were like sharp needles, stabbing into Ning Rongrong's heart again and again.