Don't want to cultivate? Then get out, I'll make Ning Rongrong cry!

Early the next morning, Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong arrived at Jiang Yu's residence.

Both had changed into fitted outfits suited for movement.

Dugu Yan looked calm, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, looked around curiously at everything.

Jiang Yu gave them both a once-over before speaking.

"Starting today, I decide how you train... Whatever I tell you to do, you do it... Understood?"

"Understood..." Dugu Yan answered crisply.

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips and nodded. "Got it. Hurry up and start."

Jiang Yu said nothing more and turned to walk toward an open area in the courtyard.

"First item: running... Run laps around this courtyard until I tell you to stop."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment. "Running?"

"That's right. Running."

"I thought it would be some profound secret cultivation method..." Ning Rongrong muttered under her breath, but she still started running alongside Dugu Yan.

Jiang Yu dragged over a chair and sat beneath the shade of a tree, crossing one leg over the other as he watched them.

Honestly, Jiang Yu did not have any particularly complete plan for how to guide others in cultivation.

But one thing was clear to him—regardless of one's martial soul, physical fitness was the foundation.

Training stamina first could never go wrong.

Even if he had never eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run.

After ten laps, Ning Rongrong's pace visibly slowed.

After twenty laps, she was panting like a bellows, her face flushed bright red.

Dugu Yan was still persisting. Though she was tired as well, she gritted her teeth and did not stop.

"I... I can't do it anymore..." Ning Rongrong ran up to Jiang Yu, bracing her hands on her knees as she gasped for air.

"I'm exhausted. Can't I rest for a while?"

"No. Keep running."

"But I really can't run anymore!"

Jiang Yu did not even raise his eyelids. "Even if you can't run, you still have to run. You've barely started."

Ning Rongrong straightened up, her face full of grievance. "What kind of training method is this? Just running? Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect never trains like this!"

"That's the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's business." Jiang Yu finally glanced at Ning Rongrong and continued, "These are my rules... If you can't handle it, leave on your own."

Hearing Jiang Yu speak so mercilessly, the grievance on Ning Rongrong's face turned to anger. "How can you talk to me like that?!"

"I'm stating the facts." Jiang Yu's tone was flat, leaving no room for negotiation. "If you're tired and don't want to train, then you can get the hell out right now. No one's stopping you."

"You!"

Ning Rongrong trembled with rage.

Since childhood, whether it was her father, Grandpa Sword, or Grandpa Bone, who had not spoken to her gently?

Who would ever dare tell her to "get the hell out"?

Now that Jiang Yu had told her to get out, Ning Rongrong found it impossible to accept.

"Even my father has never spoken to me like this! Grandpa Sword has never yelled at me like this either!!" Ning Rongrong glared at Jiang Yu, her eyes already reddening as tears began to well up.

But Jiang Yu said with utter disdain on his face, "I'm not your father. I have no reason to spoil you!"

Jiang Yu's words left Ning Rongrong speechless. Her mouth opened, but she could not say a single word.

Jiang Yu then continued, "Your father sent you here to cultivate, not for me to coddle you. I don't have the time, nor do I have any interest, in humoring a spoiled young miss like you..."

"If you want to train, then train properly... If not, the gate is over there. Leave by yourself."

After hearing Jiang Yu's merciless words, Ning Rongrong finally broke down and began to cry.

Then Ning Rongrong stamped her foot, turned around, and ran outside.

When she reached the gate, she turned back and shouted, "Just you wait! I'll have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone come teach you a lesson!"

"Whatever." Jiang Yu waved his hand.

Ning Rongrong left, and the courtyard fell silent.

Dugu Yan also stopped. She looked in the direction Ning Rongrong had left, then looked at Jiang Yu.

Sensing Dugu Yan's gaze, Jiang Yu could not help asking, "What about you? Are you continuing your training, or leaving too?"

At that, Dugu Yan shook her head and said, "I'm not leaving. I want to keep training!"

After saying that, Dugu Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead and started running again.

Jiang Yu watched Dugu Yan grit her teeth and persevere, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This girl had more resilience than he had expected.

That made sense.

That old poisoner Dugu Bo had survived for so many years despite the backlash of his toxins. Naturally, his granddaughter's backbone would not be lacking either.

"Fine... keep running. Another thirty laps..."

Jiang Yu could not help but say as he watched Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan did not waste a single word. She turned around and continued running.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong ran back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in tears.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin was drinking tea in the courtyard. The moment he saw Ning Rongrong run back crying, he immediately became worried.

"Rongrong? What happened?"

"Who bullied you? Grandpa will stand up for you!"

Sword Douluo asked anxiously.

"Grandpa Sword!" Ning Rongrong threw herself in front of Chen Xin, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

"It was Jiang Yu! That guy went too far! Not only did he scold me, he even told me to get lost!"

At those words, both Chen Xin and Gu Rong frowned.

He scolded Rongrong? Told Rongrong to get lost?

This Jiang Yu certainly had some nerve.

"What exactly happened? Tell me slowly."

Ning Rongrong haltingly recounted what had happened, though she naturally left out the part where she had only run twenty laps before deciding she did not want to train anymore.

In her version of events, Jiang Yu was a rude, uncouth bastard who had no respect for others whatsoever.

After listening, Chen Xin fell silent for a moment before asking.

"Rongrong, did you stop wanting to train, and that was why he said those things?"

Ning Rongrong's crying abruptly paused. Feeling somewhat guilty, she turned her face away and muttered softly, "Th-then he still shouldn't have told me to get lost!"

Chen Xin sighed.

Chen Xin knew his little princess all too well.

She had been spoiled since childhood. When had she ever endured hardship?

It was hardly surprising that simply making her run had brought her to tears.

But then again, Jiang Yu's attitude had indeed been a little excessive.

Even if Rongrong did not want to train, he could have talked it over with her. There was no need to use words like "get lost."

Just then, Ning Fengzhi walked out of the house.

"Rongrong, why are you back? What happened?"

When Ning Rongrong saw her father, she cried even harder. "Dad! Jiang Yu bullied me!"

Ning Fengzhi glanced at Chen Xin, who briefly recounted what had happened.

After hearing it, Ning Fengzhi said nothing and merely looked at Ning Rongrong.

"Rongrong."

"Mm?"

"Did you run for a little while, then decide you didn't want to keep running?"

Ning Rongrong's sobs quieted somewhat. She lowered her head without saying a word.

Ning Fengzhi understood.

He certainly felt sorry for his daughter, but he understood something even more clearly—he had sent Rongrong to Jiang Yu for a reason.

The flaw of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had long been a source of distress for their sect.

If Jiang Yu truly could help martial souls evolve, then what did a little grievance matter?

But with his daughter in this state...

"Rest for now."

"I'll think about this matter some more."

Ning Fengzhi rubbed Ning Rongrong's head and said indulgently.