Parade Through the City! The Burden of Fame!

Zhao Tian was pulled out of the residence by Ning Rongrong. The moment they stepped through the gates, he was stunned by the sight before him.

A sea of people packed the entire street outside the residence.

There were at least a hundred of them—young and old, men and women—and every face was filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"He's out! He's out!"

"That's Zhao Tian! Zhao Tian of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

"The genius who wrote 'Bring in the Wine'!"

"He really is handsome and extraordinary!"

The crowd stirred, all of them pushing forward to get a better look.

Zhao Tian instinctively stepped back half a pace, his expression stiffening slightly.

Ning Rongrong was startled by the scene as well, but she still clutched Zhao Tian's hand tightly and puffed out her little chest as she stood in front of him.

"Y-You... don't push! Zhao Tian is still injured!"

Ning Rongrong shouted.

But before the noisy crowd, her voice vanished like a stone sinking into the sea.

Just then, a sharp sword intent spread out from within the residence, instantly covering the entire street.

It was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed down on the crowd, and they immediately fell silent.

Chen Xin slowly stepped out, his white robes fluttering, the Seven Kill Sword on his back. His indifferent gaze swept across the crowd.

"Move."

The simple word carried an unquestionable pressure.

The crowd immediately parted to both sides like a receding tide, opening up a path.

Zhao Tian let out a breath of relief and looked gratefully at Chen Xin.

"Teacher..."

"Let's go. Fengzhi asked me to take you to the City Lord's Manor. The people from Spirit Hall are waiting there to present the awards."

After saying that, Chen Xin took the lead and walked ahead.

Zhao Tian and Ning Rongrong hurriedly followed, passing through the street beneath the crowd's gazes as they headed toward the City Lord's Manor in Spirit City.

Along the way, pedestrians on both sides stopped to watch and whispered among themselves.

"Did you see that? That's Zhao Tian!"

"He's so young, yet he wrote a poem like that. It's unbelievable!"

"I heard his martial soul is the Radiant Phoenix. He defeated several geniuses in the competition!"

"I wonder what he'll become when he grows up..."

Zhao Tian remained calm and walked forward without looking aside.

Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, held her head high, looking immensely proud.

Inside the main hall of the City Lord's Manor.

A red-robed bishop from Spirit Hall personally presented Zhao Tian with the champion's medal and his reward—a storage Soul Tool containing cultivation resources provided by Spirit Hall.

"Zhao Tian, this is what you deserve."

The red-robed bishop wore a smile, his tone courteous.

"His Holiness the Pope asked me to tell you that she looks forward to your future performance."

Zhao Tian accepted the medal and storage Soul Tool, then gave a slight bow.

"Thank you for His Holiness's favor."

After the award ceremony ended, Zhao Tian thought they could finally return, but he did not expect even more people to have gathered outside the City Lord's Manor.

The crowd had completely surrounded the entrance, all of them scrambling to catch a glimpse of Zhao Tian.

"Zhao Tian! Zhao Tian! Look at me!"

"Zhao Tian, I'm a fan of your poetry! Can you give me an autograph?"

"Zhao Tian, when will you compete again? I want to watch!"

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Zhao Tian's forehead.

In his previous life, he had only been an ordinary person. He had never experienced being watched by such a massive crowd.

Ning Rongrong, however, was full of enthusiasm. Holding Zhao Tian's hand, she waved at the crowd.

"Everyone, don't push! Zhao Tian is tired today! Come see him another time!"

Though she was young, she spoke with remarkable poise, drawing a wave of good-natured laughter from the crowd.

Chen Xin stood to one side, watching the scene without expression.

His fingers twitched faintly as sword qi drifted around him, ensuring that no one could approach Zhao Tian.

At that moment, a clear young girl's voice suddenly rang out from within the crowd.

"Big Brother Zhao Tian!"

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a girl with fiery red short hair squeezing through the crowd. It was Huo Wu.

She ran up to Zhao Tian, tilted up her little face, and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"Big Brother Zhao Tian! Huo Wu copied your poem three times! It was amazing! Huo Wu wants to learn how to write poetry too!"

As she spoke, Huo Wu pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from her clothes. Crooked lines from 'Bring in the Wine' were copied across it, clearly written in her own hand.

Zhao Tian froze for a moment. Looking down at the paper, an indescribable feeling rose within his heart.

"Thank you for liking it, Huo Wu."

"Of course! In the future, Huo Wu wants to be like Big Brother Zhao Tian too—good at fighting and good at writing!"

Huo Wu clenched her little fist and spoke earnestly.

Watching from the side, Ning Rongrong's mouth twitched slightly. Then, without making a sound, she took a step forward and blocked Zhao Tian behind her.

"Little Sister Huo Wu, Zhao Tian still needs to go back and rest today. You can come play with him another day."

Huo Wu blinked, looked at Ning Rongrong, then at Zhao Tian, before breaking into a giggle.

"Okay! Then Huo Wu will come play with Big Brother Zhao Tian another day! Goodbye, Big Brother Zhao Tian!"

With that, she darted back into the crowd and disappeared.

Ning Rongrong gave a soft snort and turned to Zhao Tian.

"Zhao Tian, let's go. We should head back and rest."

Zhao Tian looked at her seemingly calm yet actually tense little expression and secretly found it amusing. He did not expose her, merely nodding.

After returning to the residence, Zhao Tian finally let out a sigh of relief.

That brief hour-long "parade" had exhausted him more than an entire match.

He sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, drinking the hot tea Ning Rongrong had brought him, and felt as though he had come back to life.

"I never thought being famous could be this tiring."

Zhao Tian sighed softly.

Ning Rongrong sat beside him, swinging her little legs. Hearing that, she smiled. "Of course! You're a big celebrity in Spirit City now!"

"Didn't you see how those people looked at you? Like they were looking at some priceless treasure!"

Zhao Tian shook his head without speaking.

He did not actually like that feeling.

It was too high-profile, and that could easily attract unnecessary trouble.

But he also knew that what had happened had already happened. It was too late to keep a low profile now.

The only thing he could do was become stronger, strong enough that those troubles would not dare come looking for him.

"Zhao Tian."

Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think... more people will come to take you away in the future?"

Ning Rongrong tilted her head toward him. Her large eyes watched him, carrying a trace of tension that was difficult to notice.

"Yesterday, it was the Pope of Spirit Hall. Today, so many people surrounded you just to look at you..."

"Will there come a day when you really leave Rongrong and Dad to go somewhere else?"

Zhao Tian looked into her clear eyes and reached out to rub her head.

"I won't."

"Why?"

"Because this is my home."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then broke into a broad smile and nodded vigorously.

"Mm! This is your home!"

"Rongrong is your family too!"

Seeing her flower-like smile, Zhao Tian felt a faint warmth in his heart.

The road in this world was still long, but at least at this moment, he had found a place where he belonged.