Ning Qingyun nuzzled him twice more before loosening her embrace a little, but she still held Gu An in her arms.
She raised a hand and pointed at Ning Tian and Wu Feng.
"The girl with the yellow hair is my daughter, Ning Tian."
"And the one with the red hair is Elder Wu's granddaughter, Wu Feng."
Ning Tian stood rooted to the spot, watching her mother act so affectionately toward a little boy, even rubbing her face against his.
That was the kind of treatment she'd only received when she was little.
Now that she'd grown up, the things her mother talked to her about most were the family's influence, the sect's affairs, and cultivating the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda.
Her mother hadn't been this affectionate with her since she turned six.
A strong pang of jealousy welled up in Ning Tian's eyes.
She stared at Gu An, her gaze full of hostility.
After all, she was only a girl in her early teens.
Of course she'd get jealous.
Wu Feng keenly sensed that something was off with Ning Tian.
She was the sort of person whose intelligence was astonishingly high—but only when it came to Ning Tian.
The rest of the time, she was a bit of a space cadet.
But whenever Ning Tian was unhappy, Wu Feng's mind worked faster than anyone's.
To stick up for her bestie, she stepped forward without a second thought.
She pointed at Gu An with one hand and planted the other on her hip, glaring at him with puffed-up indignation.
"You! You're Gu An, the one who deceived our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
"You're just a little kid with some skill that disguises Soul Rings."
"And you actually tried to fool our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Her voice was shrill and loud, echoing through the courtyard.
Behind them, Wu Yunshan raised a hand and covered his face.
He sighed.
He'd given up all hope of his granddaughter ever getting her head on straight.
Ning Qingyun couldn't help laughing helplessly. She let Gu An go and explained what was going on.
She told him that Wu Feng wanted to challenge him.
After listening, Gu An nodded.
"Sure."
He agreed without hesitation.
For one thing, he could convince the two girls and clear up their doubts.
For another, he wanted to test just how strong he was now.
After absorbing the Earth Vein Profound Root, his Soul Power Level had fallen from level seventeen to level fourteen, but his foundation was much sturdier than before.
He wanted to see how much power he could bring to bear in a real fight in his current state.
Seeing that Gu An had actually agreed, Wu Feng was secretly delighted.
He'd practically handed himself to her on a silver platter.
She clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking, and grinned.
The Spirit Transmission Academy's Soul Fighting Arena.
The circular stone platform was over fifty meters in diameter, its surface engraved with countless strengthening arrays.
Gu An and Wu Feng faced each other in the middle of the Soul Fighting Platform, about twenty meters apart.
Below the platform,
Ning Qingyun, Leng Yaozhu, Mother Gu, Wu Yunshan, and Ning Tian sat in the front row of the stands.
Ning Qingyun's gaze lingered on Gu An on the platform before shifting to Leng Yaozhu beside her.
Leng Yaozhu looked perfectly calm, arms crossed as she leaned back in her seat, one leg crossed over the other. She radiated a lazy air.
There wasn't a trace of nervousness in her expression.
Mother Gu, on the other hand, had a slight frown, her eyes fixed intently on Gu An.
Her worry was practically spilling out of her face.
Ning Qingyun couldn't help leaning toward Leng Yaozhu and asking in a lowered voice,
"Can Xiao An win?"
Leng Yaozhu glanced at her.
"Guaranteed."
"Xiao An's definitely going to win."
Seeing how confident Leng Yaozhu was, Ning Tian couldn't help speaking up, even knowing that she was a mighty one.
She looked at Wu Feng on the platform, then at Gu An across from her, her tone full of disbelief.
"Feng's a level-twenty-five, Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster."
"He's only just reached the One-Ring stage."
"He can win?"
Leng Yaozhu turned to look at Ning Tian's unconvinced little face.
She was just a little girl. Leng Yaozhu wasn't about to take offense.
Still...
She could have a little fun with her.
She had nothing else to do right now, and the fight on the platform held no suspense for her. She might as well find herself some amusement.
Leng Yaozhu's lips curled into a smile as she looked at Ning Tian.
"How about a bet?"
Ning Tian raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of bet?"
Leng Yaozhu held up a finger and pointed at Gu An on the platform, then at Wu Feng.
"If Xiao An wins easily, and that little girl up there can't fight back at all..."
"You two girls will serve as Xiao An's maids for a few months."
"How about it?"
Ning Tian heard her out, rolled her eyes, and quickly thought it over.
The mighty one had said "wins easily."
In other words, if Gu An didn't win easily...
Even if Feng lost in the end, Ning Tian wouldn't have to accept any punishment.
She believed that even if Feng, who'd already reached the Two-Ring stage, couldn't beat a One-Ring Soul Master, she'd still give Gu An plenty of trouble.
There was no way he'd win easily.
Once she'd figured it out, Ning Tian answered at once.
"You've got a bet."
Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan sat nearby with matching smiles on their faces. Neither tried to stop them.
Being a maid was great.
As a maid, they'd get to spend every day with the young master and grow closer to him.
Where else could they find such a good deal?
If Ning Qingyun hadn't thought she was a little too old and felt embarrassed about competing with a bunch of young girls, she would've signed up to be a maid herself.
Wu Yunshan felt much the same.
If he weren't a man, and an old man at that, he'd want to be a maid too.
Hearing Ning Tian accept, Leng Yaozhu's smile widened. She added,
"And not just Xiao An's."
"You two will take care of all my meals, clothes, lodging, and travel, too."
"Your big sister just wants to cuddle up to Xiao An. I don't want to waste time on such trivial chores."
Ning Tian's mouth twitched, her voice turning rather resentful.
"No problem."
"He definitely won't win easily."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted involuntarily toward Ning Qingyun.
Her eyes were full of reproach.
The reproach wasn't aimed at Leng Yaozhu, but at her mother, Ning Qingyun.
She still couldn't understand what kind of enchantress Gu An had been in a past life.
Why did so many people like him?
Her mother wanted to cuddle up to him, and so did that Titled Douluo.
She just didn't get it.
Was it only because he was handsome?
She wasn't bad-looking herself. Back at Shrek Academy, plenty of female students had secretly watched her.
Ning Qingyun noticed the reproachful look Ning Tian was giving her.
She said nothing, only reaching out to gently pat Ning Tian's head, her voice soft.
"Watch closely."
"This is the opportunity I brought you back for."
Hearing her mother say that,
Ning Tian finally suppressed her little grievances and turned her attention back to the Soul Fighting Platform.
On the platform,
Wu Feng had already released her Martial Soul.
Two Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet.
Yellow, yellow—two Hundred-Year Soul Rings revolved around her, rising and falling.
A phantom Red Dragon appeared behind her.
Its head was savage, its eyes wide, and its whole body radiated scorching heat.
Wu Feng planted her hands on her hips, lifted her chin slightly, and looked at Gu An with an air of superiority.
"Wu Feng, level-twenty-five Power Attack System Battle Soul Master, Martial Soul: Red Dragon."
Gu An's mouth twitched at that ridiculous roll call.
Oh, well.
It was just a spar. He'd do as the locals did.
He raised one hand and placed the other behind his back.
A Soul Ring slowly rose beneath his feet.
Black as ink.
A black light flared. The Soul Ring revolved slowly around Gu An, radiating a heavy, oppressive force.
Gu An's voice was gentle and detached as it rang in Wu Feng's ears.
"Gu An, level-fourteen all-around Battle Soul Master, Martial Soul: Dragon Phoenix Soul Sound Flute."
He'd made up the all-around classification on the spot.
After all, his Martial Soul could attack, control, and support. Calling it all-around wasn't exactly wrong.