Her warm smile faded, leaving her pretty face brimming with fighting spirit and defiance.
Her lovely little hands clenched into fists.
"Flender, you spiteful, crafty dean! I won't fall into your trap!"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is my home and my backing. Why would I give up my family's support?"
"Besides, although I'm eight months younger than Tang San, I've already reached level thirty and touched the threshold of a Soul Elder. As soon as I get a Soul Ring, I'll be a Soul Elder! I'll be stronger than Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Xiao Wu!"
"Although I wasn't born with Innate Full Soul Power, my Martial Soul has advanced and strengthened into the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda. It's no worse than the White Tiger, Spirit Cat, Phoenix, Blue Silver Grass, or Sausage Martial Souls."
"I'm not useless!"
"I'm going to become Zhu Zhuqing's sworn sister, complete the Red-Level Quest, and help her become incredibly strong—stronger and better than your prized Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun!"
"..."
Ning Rongrong thought to herself.
She had always been strong-willed and unwilling to admit defeat. She was the daughter Ning Fengzhi favored and cherished most.
Ning Fengzhi had even considered Ning Rongrong a future leader of the sect and raised her accordingly!
Ning Rongrong was also mischievous and clever. Even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, her two Titled Douluo grandpas, often got scolded by the little girl.
Not only that.
Because of her Martial Soul's unique properties, Ning Rongrong often came across treasures. In the original story, she once bought a large amount of rare ore with a single Gold Soul Coin. That was also how she came across Li Haiyun's Quest Card Shop.
She was clearly an exceptionally outstanding young girl.
She had the background, the talent, and the looks.
On Earth, she would have drawn everyone's attention wherever she went.
But in the original story, she was not yet twelve, and her mind was still immature. She couldn't handle pressure well.
Flender had struck at her from every angle, belittling her.
Even worse, not one of her companions stood up for Ning Rongrong. They didn't understand her and ignored her!
They even wanted to distance themselves from the outstanding Ning Rongrong!
That was what made Ning Rongrong doubt herself. Her sharp edges were worn away, and she lost her individuality.
But now, Ning Rongrong was going to fight back and prove herself!
Beneath the moonlight.
The little Ning Rongrong sat on a boulder, gritting her teeth in fury.
Just then.
Oscar came over, a little out of breath. "Ah, Rongrong, so this is where you are! I had such a hard time finding you!"
In the original story.
After Flender had scolded and belittled her, Ning Rongrong ran off alone to clear her head.
Oscar was the one who found her later and persuaded her to stay at Shrek Academy.
And Oscar had gone looking for Ning Rongrong for two reasons.
One was that Oscar liked her.
The other was that the shrewd dean, Flender, had deliberately arranged and encouraged it.
As a teacher and dean, a normal person would be most worried about students falling in love at a young age.
But Flender didn't think that way.
He was extremely shrewd, able to see far into the future at a glance.
From Flender's perspective, if Oscar and Ning Rongrong got together,
then Shrek Academy would have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as its backing, and the academy's standing would rise with it.
Besides, Oscar and Ning Rongrong were both his students.
As their teacher and dean, Flender would be making a killing!
Otherwise, Flender could easily have sent Xiao Wu or Zhu Zhuqing, who were both girls, to look for Ning Rongrong.
As fellow female students, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong would obviously have had more to talk about. Either of them would have been a better choice than Oscar, a male student.
But things had changed now, because Ning Rongrong had come across the Quest Card Shop early and taken on many quests.
Her outlook had changed greatly. She wouldn't waver or keep staying at Shrek Academy.
Ning Rongrong put her earlier feelings aside, curled her lip, and said, "You were looking for me? Hmph, who asked you to? I never told you to look for me!"
Oscar patiently said, "But it's the middle of the night, and it's dangerous for a girl to be out alone. If I hadn't looked for you, what would you have done if you'd run into danger?"
"Oh, and then what? You've found me now, and I'm not in danger. You can leave."
"Besides, I don't need you to protect me!"
Ning Rongrong's expression was cold as she spoke flatly.
Her icy words made Oscar's warm welcome fall flat, but he still said, "Dean Flender was just angry when he said all that earlier. Rongrong, don't take it to heart. Come back to the academy with me!"
"Then you should say that to Dean Flender. He's the one who's angry, and he's the one who said those things in anger. Why aren't you off placating him? What are you doing here?"
Ning Rongrong showed no mercy as she shot back.
The little girl was sharp-tongued and knew exactly how to take someone down.
If Flender hadn't kept suppressing her and sanding away her edges in the original story, she would never have become such an obedient girl.
"Uh... well..."
Oscar was so thoroughly rebuffed that he didn't know what to say.
"Then, Rongrong, do you want to leave Shrek Academy? Shrek only accepts monster students. You've seen it yourself: Dai Mubai and Tang San are stronger than students at other academies!"
"And Dean Flender is a teacher who specializes in teaching monsters!"
"Trust me. As long as we follow Dean Flender's arrangements, we'll become the best Soul Masters on the whole continent someday!"
Oscar continued, not only trying to persuade Ning Rongrong but also sucking up to Flender.
In the past, Ning Rongrong would definitely have wavered.
But now, she only found him annoying.
Pfft.
Ning Rongrong even laughed, as if she'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Oscar: ???
Seeing Ning Rongrong laugh, he was completely baffled. He had no idea what the little witch found so funny about him.
"Rongrong, did I say something wrong?"
"Why are you laughing?"
Oscar asked earnestly.
Chapter 10: Dai Mubai's Fury
Laugh?
"Don't you think what you just said was a joke? It's hilarious!"
Ning Rongrong laughed for quite a while.
Oscar stared at her for a moment, still confused. "I was telling the truth. How is that a joke?"
"There's always a sky beyond the sky, and a mountain beyond the mountain."
"Oscar, you've been cooped up in the academy like a frog at the bottom of a well, staring at the sky from its own little patch of earth. You have no idea how wonderful the world outside is."
"Can running laps and doing physical training really make you stronger?"
"I'm telling you now: the results are meager. Why should we Soul Masters fear a fight? If we're truly strong, why run for our lives?"
"Besides, the world is about to change. The old ways of cultivation are no longer suitable!"
Ning Rongrong spoke with complete seriousness.
She was saying these things both to herself and to Oscar.
After gaining all the benefits from the Mission Cards and recalling what the elders in her sect had said,
Ning Rongrong had gained many insights and felt that her future was bright.
Young people liked embracing new things.
In that instant, she understood: from now on, Soul Masters would grow stronger by buying Mission Cards, completing the quests on them, and claiming the rewards!
After all, in just one night, she had raised her Soul Power by four levels, and her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda had become an Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
Could running accomplish that?
Ning Rongrong had reaped the benefits herself. She knew what path lay ahead, and she wasn't going to stay at the academy and run around like a fool.
Oscar's brows knitted into a deep furrow. "Rongrong, there's something seriously wrong with the way you're thinking. If you don't correct it in time, it'll lead to serious problems."
Ning Rongrong smiled without explaining or arguing.
Seeing that, Oscar kept chattering away in front of her, trying to talk some sense into her.
Watching how earnestly Oscar was trying,
Ning Rongrong felt a little moved. After all, it showed that he cared about her.
So she decided to give Oscar one chance and asked, "Oscar, do you trust me?"
Oscar paused at her question, his peach-blossom eyes fixed on her pretty face. "Trust you about what?"
Ning Rongrong continued:
"If you trust me, then leave Shrek Academy!"
"As long as you leave Shrek Academy, I'll have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect invest heavily in training you. You'll avoid a lot of detours."
Ning Rongrong's words struck Oscar like a bolt of lightning.
Leave Shrek Academy.
He had never even dared to consider it.
Oscar hurriedly shook his head. "No, I won't leave Shrek Academy."
Oscar was a food-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power, a hot commodity wherever he went.
Ning Rongrong believed that if he agreed to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he would certainly be heavily cultivated there—at least more than he was at Shrek Academy.
"Do you know about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? My father is its sect leader, and he's a level seventy-nine Soul Saint!"
"I also have two grandpas who are Titled Douluo. Which of them isn't stronger than Flender?"
Ning Rongrong continued.
Oscar still refused without hesitation. "Rongrong, don't say any more. A person needs to have faith. Dean Flender is my faith, and I'll never leave Shrek Academy."
"Hmph. What's the point of talking, then? I thought you meant it when you said you'd do anything for me, Oscar."
Ning Rongrong curled her lip, her face showing clear disdain.
Oscar rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Anything except leaving Shrek Academy or doing something that goes against my principles."
"Then there's nothing left for us to talk about," Ning Rongrong said coolly. "My two Titled Douluo grandpas do more for me than you do!"
Oscar felt ashamed and looked rather miserable at being dismissed.
While the two of them were talking,
four young figures approached in the distance, their shadows stretching long beneath the moonlight.
They were Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dai Mubai, returning from the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.
Ma Hongjun had been taken away by Dean Flender.
Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others didn't know where they had gone.