Unexpected Encounter with Ning Rongrong

Their reason for requesting leave was simple and direct: the elders in their family intended to personally take the two of them out to obtain their first soul rings.

The instructor in charge of approving leave slips did not think too much of it and briskly granted the two of them an extended leave.

Neither of them knew how long they had been jolting along the road, but after sitting in a slow-moving ox cart for ages, they finally arrived at a remote little city.

Xiao Wu hummed a little tune, clutching a carrot in one hand and taking big, sweet bites. She mumbled indistinctly, "Brother, look at the stuff here. Isn't it way too cheap? Three carrots only cost one copper coin!"

"This city is small, and there aren't many people coming and going, so prices are naturally low."

Ye Yun casually explained, then raised his eyes toward the shops along the street. "Don't just stuff yourself with carrots. Let's go eat something good."

With that, he lifted his foot and walked straight toward the Tartar Restaurant up ahead with its signboard hanging outside. Xiao Wu hugged her carrots and bounced along behind him.

The two found seats in a corner, ordered two portions of fried rice, and added a large serving of fragrant roast meat.

Before the food had even reached the table, a filthy little girl walked over and plopped herself down without the slightest courtesy in the seat next to them.

Ye Yun looked up and studied her. The child was about six years old. Her clothes looked dirty and disheveled, but the weave and texture of the fabric clearly had an extraordinary origin at a glance. They were definitely not something ordinary commoners could afford to wear.

Looking at her eyes again, there was not the slightest hint of the timidity or humbleness a wandering child ought to have.

Ye Yun did not act rashly. Provoking someone at random without understanding their background was no different from being a brainless villain.

Xiao Wu, however, could not stand the smell coming off the other girl. She subconsciously raised a hand and fanned the air, frowning as she said, "Hey, little beggar, there are so many empty seats around. Why did you have to sit here with us?"

The little girl picked her nose without a care, looking utterly arrogant. "What's it to you? This restaurant isn't owned by your family. I'll sit wherever I want!"

"You still dare provoke me?"

Xiao Wu raised her hand and smacked the other girl on the head.

That one smack thoroughly set the little girl off. Her eyes went wide, and she shouted furiously, "You dare hit me? Do you know who I am?"

Before her words had even finished, she pounced forward and started wrestling with Xiao Wu. Neither of them would give an inch, their heads pressed together as they struggled.

Ye Yun did not step forward to break up the fight. Instead, he swept his gaze toward the other side of the restaurant.

There was a man over there who had been frequently looking in this direction. Of course, that also meant the other party had no intention of hiding it. He was probably this girl's guardian.

Ye Yun sized the man up a little. He had a head of snow-white long hair, yet his face was exceptionally young, without any sign of age at all. With that appearance, he either had naturally unusual hair, or his cultivation was profound, and he had locked his looks in place through formidable strength.

A guess formed in Ye Yun's heart.

This combination... could it be those two from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Thinking this, Ye Yun reached out, pressed down on both of their heads, and separated them.

"You two, hold on a moment."

"Brother, what are you doing? This little weakling couldn't beat me anyway!"

Xiao Wu pointed at that little girl in exasperation.

The moment she finished speaking, the little girl seized the opening, suddenly stretched her head forward, opened her mouth, and bit down on Xiao Wu's finger.

"Aaaah! Let go! Let go right now!"

A stab of pain shot through her, making Xiao Wu grimace. She quickly reached out and pressed against the little girl's forehead, pushing her back with all her strength.

"Huff—huff—were you born in the Year of the Dog?!"

"Pah, pah, pah. Let's see if you still dare point at me. Hmph~"

The little girl lifted her chin proudly. Xiao Wu's face flushed red, and she opened her mouth, about to bite back.

Ye Yun reached out and held both of them down. His strength was not great, but it carried an irresistible suppressive force, completely stopping the two from continuing their tussle.

He looked at the puffed-up Xiao Wu, then at the little girl who was still grinning cheekily after biting someone, and spoke helplessly.

"All right, stop making trouble. It's just a small matter. There's no need to use your hands."

After saying that, his expression calmed, and he took the initiative to introduce himself.

"My name is Ye Yun, and she is my younger sister, Xiao Wu."

As his words fell, Ye Yun's gaze landed on the filthy little girl before him.

"Go on, then. Why did you provoke us?"

"Tch, who'd be so bored as to provoke you on purpose? If some old man hadn't told me to, I wouldn't have bothered with you at all!

"He saw that you had potential, so he specially had me come test you. He wanted to recruit you into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Sure enough, he had not been wrong. This little girl before him was definitely the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong. And the man in the distance who had been observing them all this time was Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.

Xiao Wu made an exaggerated face at Ning Rongrong.

"If you want us to go, then we just won't! Who cares about your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Hmph!"

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment. She never would have imagined that after taking the initiative to recruit them, she would actually be looked down on. Her little face instantly flushed bright red, and she glared at the two of them in anger and embarrassment.

Just then, Chen Xin arrived beside Ning Rongrong in the blink of an eye and gently rubbed her head.

"All right, my little princess. Recruiting talent isn't about throwing a little tantrum. You have to keep your composure."

Ning Rongrong puffed up her cheeks, turned her head away with a muffled huff, and made it clear she had no intention of paying him any attention.

Chen Xin smiled helplessly, then shifted his gaze to Ye Yun and Xiao Wu, who had been "startled."

He was somewhat surprised. This child sensed my gaze from the very beginning. Although I didn't deliberately conceal my aura, for someone so young to possess such sharp perception is truly extraordinary.

Moreover, the two of them looked to be only around six years old.

And yet their spirit power ranks were very high—one at rank 12, while the other had even reached rank 14.

Both of them should have been born with full innate spirit power.

Otherwise, he truly could not figure out how they had managed to reach such a level.

"Kid, which faction are you from? This old man is Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I have something to discuss with your elders."

Ye Yun secretly grumbled to himself. Talk to our elders? Isn't this an obvious probe?

If Chen Xin discovered that there was no guardian by their side, he would definitely forcefully abduct the two of them to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If they refused, he would surely develop killing intent.

And if he discovered that Ye Yun did have a guardian, there would be no loss either; he might even be able to form a favorable connection.

When Xiao Wu, standing to the side, heard that he was a Titled Douluo, she instinctively shrank back.

Then she thought of the concealment Ye Yun had imprinted on her, which could hide the aura of her hundred-thousand-year spirit beast identity, and immediately let out a breath of relief.

Even so, she was still a little frightened and grabbed Ye Yun's hand. Even her ears drooped.

"Ding, Xiao Wu has developed a deep sense of dependence toward the family head. [Harmony] energy +40."

Ye Yun's expression remained calm as he replied neither servilely nor arrogantly.

"Senior, we come from the Penacony Family. We are out training on this trip, and our family has long had a rule: unless we encounter a life-or-death crisis, our elders will never appear or interfere."

As he spoke, ripples of Tuning slowly spread out, influencing Chen Xin's judgment and making his words more convincing.

Xiao Wu lowered her head and remained silent. She knew she was not clever, and the more she said, the more mistakes she might make, so she did not dare speak at all.