"Brother Xue, who are these people?" Lan Yu leaned toward Xue Qinghe and asked in a hushed voice.
He was desperate to get to the bottom of things.
Afraid the people across from them might hear, he deliberately moved closer.
Warm breath brushed her ear, and Qian Renxue's mind jolted. A faint blush silently crept over the tips of her ears.
What the heck? I'm asking you something. What are you blushing for?!
"That refined-looking, middle-aged man is my teacher, the current Sect Master of the Seven-Colored Precious Lotus Sect—Ning Rongxin.
"His Martial Soul is the Eight-Treasure Colored Lotus. He's an 85th-level Support Soul Douluo."
Lan Yu nodded, waiting for her to continue. When nothing more came, he turned and met Qian Renxue's gaze.
She gave a light cough and looked away, but the redness in her earlobes only deepened.
Seriously, what are you trying to do?!
Qian Renxue, I really ought to teach you a lesson!
Tang Shan watched the two of them lean close and murmur to each other. Her eyebrows lifted slightly, and a trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.
She had a feeling that something was off about Xue Qinghe.
Xue Qinghe pretended nothing was amiss and cleared her throat before continuing, "The woman beside my teacher is Sword Douluo—Chen Xin, hailed as the best swordswoman under heaven.
"Her Martial Soul is the best Power Attack System Martial Soul under heaven—the Seven Kill Sword."
She paused, then added, "Sword Douluo is also my teacher's wife."
Lan Yu rubbed his chin. That made sense. With Tang Chen and Tang Hao out of the picture, how could the Clear Sky Hammer possibly be the best Tool Martial Soul under heaven?
He casually asked, "So these two are Ning Yurou's grandparents?"
"Uh... more or less." Xue Qinghe pondered for a moment, then gave him a vague answer.
"More or less?" Lan Yu raised an eyebrow at her.
"My teacher had three wives in his life. The first was Yurou's biological grandmother. She passed away many years ago. The second is this honored Sword Douluo, Chen Xin."
"Wait." Lan Yu's thoughts stalled. He raised a hand to interrupt. "Sect Master Ning has three wives?"
"Yes."
"And the second is a Titled Douluo?"
"Mm."
Lan Yu suddenly perked up and asked curiously, "Then who's the third? How impressive must she be to dare to compete with Sword Douluo for him?"
"The third is also a Titled Douluo," Xue Qinghe said slowly.
Lan Yu fell silent for two seconds, then ventured, "Is that person's Martial Soul a Bone Dragon?"
Xue Qinghe's eyes widened, her face full of astonishment. "How did you know?"
Damn, I knew it!
"Is something wrong?" Xue Qinghe asked, puzzled when he said nothing.
"Nothing." Lan Yu shook his head. Then, as if he'd suddenly remembered something, he stared straight at Qian Renxue.
"What is it?"
In the original story, your Angel Grandpa was widowed, just like Ning Rongxin. A mere Support Soul Master could marry two Titled Douluos, while your peerless grandpa spent half his life pining after someone and got nothing for it.
Thinking this, he abruptly turned and grabbed Tang Shan by the wrist. With a solemn expression, he said, "Xiao Shan, if you ever fall for someone, make your move first. Don't let anyone steal them from you."
"Okay~" Tang Shan smiled, her eyes curving as she gazed at him with pointed meaning.
"I'll always remember what you tell me, big brother~"
My dear big brother~ You've just handed your little sister a royal sword of authority!
You know me, little sister always listens to her big brother the most~
As they were talking, Ning Rongxin came over, holding Ning Yurou's hand.
"Qinghe, who are these two young friends?" he asked Xue Qinghe, though his gaze slowly swept over Lan Yu and Tang Shan.
Xue Qinghe's heart tightened, and she hurriedly played it off. "They're two younger friends I just met. They're both very talented and have already joined Heaven Dou Academy."
She was currently recruiting talent as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince. The Seven-Colored Precious Lotus Sect had two Titled Douluos and far deeper resources than she did. She couldn't let Ning Rongxin poach them.
Ning Rongxin had lived for decades longer than Qian Renxue. He saw through her little scheme at a glance.
Amused, he decided to test the waters and gently nudged Ning Yurou's back.
Ning Yurou stumbled half a step forward, her little face flushing bright red. After fidgeting for a long while, she finally squeezed out a sentence in a voice as faint as a mosquito's. "I'm sorry... big brother."
Seeing this, Ning Rongxin's face filled with apology. "Young friend, allow me to apologize on behalf of my granddaughter."
"Sect Master Ning, there's no need," Lan Yu said, waving his hand. Then he cupped his fist and said earnestly, "I have something to say. I'm not sure whether I should, and I hope you won't take offense, Sect Master Ning."
"Go ahead."
"A sect's legacy lies in its people, not its outward form. Don't let an empty reputation bind the person who truly carries on your teachings."
At those words, the faint smile on Ning Rongxin's face abruptly froze.
Chen Xin, who had been standing not far away, hurried over. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder, her eyes full of worry.
"I'm fine."
Ning Rongxin waved her off, then looked down at Ning Yurou, who stood beside him with a bewildered expression. He picked her up, his voice tinged with remorse. "Yurou, I've put you through so much all these years."
The moment he finished speaking, the girl in his arms went red-eyed. Tears pattered down her cheeks, and with a choked sob, she buried herself in his embrace and began to cry.
"I'm the sect master, yet I placed the entire burden of the sect on a child's shoulders... I was so foolish." Ning Rongxin let out a long sigh, his voice full of regret.
No, wait...
Did I just win him over with words?
Xue Qinghe leaned closer and quietly explained, "When Yurou was three, her parents were ambushed and killed while away from home. My teacher suffered the loss of his child, so he poured all his care into Yurou.
"When she was six, her Martial Soul Awakening revealed that she had innate Soul Power of rank nine, and her Martial Soul was the Seven-Colored Precious Lotus.
"My teacher's innate Soul Power was rank eight, and he evolved his Martial Soul into the Eight-Treasure Colored Lotus.
"Yurou might surpass even him.
"From then on, my teacher saw Yurou as the hope of bringing glory to the sect. He insisted on raising her as a boy, and that was how the title 'Young Master Guang Zong' came about."
As they were talking, Ning Yurou jumped down from Ning Rongxin's arms and walked up to Lan Yu. She bowed solemnly. "Big brother, I'm sorry."
If her first apology had been prompted by her grandfather, this one came from the bottom of her heart.
After she finished, she blushed and ran back behind Ning Rongxin, peeking at Lan Yu with only half her face showing.
Sigh...
Seeing this, Tang Shan, who stood beside Lan Yu, sighed softly. She knew that look all too well.
My dear big brother, another little girl has taken the bait~
Why can't you just stay by my side? Why do you have to go around flirting with everyone?
Ning Rongxin took the whole scene in, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
He took a token from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Lan Yu under Xue Qinghe's watchful gaze.
"Young friend, whenever you have time, you can use this token to visit Seven-Colored City."
Xue Qinghe gritted her teeth but kept smiling. In her heart, she was cursing Ning Rongxin to death.
"Qinghe, I plan to send Yurou to study at Heaven Dou Academy. What do you think?" Ning Rongxin turned to him.
"Rest assured, teacher. I'll make all the necessary arrangements," Xue Qinghe replied respectfully at once.
Ning Rongxin nodded in satisfaction. In his eyes, anyone Xue Qinghe took a liking to had to be talented.
He and his two wives were getting on in years. They couldn't protect Yurou for the rest of her life.
Given the relationship between the Seven-Colored Precious Lotus Sect and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, Yurou would be in good hands there.
Qinghe, the Soul Master World is too deep for you to handle. Let your teacher help you size things up!