Reserve Disciples and Being Found Out and Questioned!

"Rongrong!" Xiao Wu sprang up from the bed, her nose twitching like a little rabbit that had caught the scent of food. "What smells so good?"

Ning Rongrong spread the oil-paper package open on the table. Honey-glazed walnut pastries, osmanthus cakes, braised duck wings, sugar-roasted chestnuts, sesame flatbreads—an entire tableful of delicacies.

Xiao Wu immediately lost control of her drool.

"Where did these come from?" Her eyes lit up, and her hand was already reaching for the plate of walnut pastries.

"I went into the city to buy them after finishing twenty laps." Ning Rongrong patted her chest, her tone brimming with perfectly justified confidence. "I brought them especially for you. And there's a share for Zhu Zhuqing too."

Xiao Wu's hand froze. "You finished?" Her face was full of surprise. "I just went out and circled the academy once. One lap is huge! You actually finished so quickly?"

She leaned closer to Ning Rongrong, her gaze filled with curiosity as well as surprise. "What about Oscar?"

Ning Rongrong did not feel the slightest guilt over having run only half the distance. She patted her chest, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents, her tone so certain that it allowed no doubt.

"Xiao Wu, don't you know about my Wind Empress Qimen? How could Oscar possibly keep up with me?" She spread her hands, looking innocent. "I reduced wind resistance and increased my glide. By the time I finished ten laps, he hadn't even completed his first. I barely know him. Surely this young lady wasn't supposed to wait for him?"

She pointed at the pile of food on the table. "If this young lady hadn't run so fast and saved time to go into the city, how would you have gotten all these good things to eat?"

Xiao Wu thought it over.

It seemed to make sense.

It really did make sense.

She thought of Shrek Academy's breakfast. Steamed buns with pickled vegetables—the portions were enough, but the taste was like chewing wood. As a Soft-Boned Rabbit who had cultivated for a hundred thousand years before taking human form, she had a craving for good food carved into her genes.

Then she looked at the table of fragrant, colorful pastries and snacks before her.

"Rongrong, you're so nice!" Xiao Wu smiled, revealing her two little canine teeth as her hand reached for the walnut pastries again.

"Wait." Ning Rongrong grabbed her hand.

Xiao Wu looked at her pitifully.

"Let's bring Zhu Zhuqing over to eat with us." Ning Rongrong smiled gently. "We'll be together for a long time, after all. We can't leave her out."

Xiao Wu swallowed, glanced at the plate of walnut pastries within arm's reach, then looked at Ning Rongrong.

"Okay." She nodded, though her eyes lingered over the food several times before she reluctantly looked away.

The two girls carried the food to find Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing's door was tightly shut. Ning Rongrong knocked three times.

"Who is it?" The voice was cold.

"It's Xiao Wu and me." Ning Rongrong's voice carried a hint of playfulness. "We brought you some food."

There was silence for several seconds.

"No need."

Just as expected. Ning Rongrong was in no hurry.

She had long noticed Zhu Zhuqing's traits. This cold girl had extremely strong self-respect, and rejecting others was her way of protecting her personal space. At the same time, she pursued her own strength with near-obsessive determination.

So Ning Rongrong did not try to persuade her with talk like, "Let's all be friends."

"Zhu Zhuqing, you've eaten the academy food too." Ning Rongrong leaned against the doorframe, her tone casual. "Eating that stuff will reduce your soul power recovery rate by at least thirty percent. There's training tonight, and Dean Flender said it won't be easy. Even if you refuse to eat with us, don't refuse the nourishment that can keep you in peak condition during training."

The room beyond the door fell quiet for several seconds.

Ning Rongrong continued, "We'll be together for a long time from now on. This young lady merely hopes we can get along amicably, nothing more."

Several more seconds of silence passed.

Creak.

The wooden door opened a crack.

Zhu Zhuqing stood behind it expressionlessly. Her gaze moved from Ning Rongrong's face to the oil-paper package in her hands, then to Xiao Wu beside her, who was clutching a plate of pastries with sparkling eyes.

"Come in."

The corners of Ning Rongrong's lips rose.

The three girls sat down in Zhu Zhuqing's room. Ning Rongrong spread out the food. Without another word, Xiao Wu grabbed a braised duck wing and started gnawing on it, her mouth shining with oil as her eyes narrowed blissfully.

Zhu Zhuqing took an osmanthus cake and ate it in small bites. Though her expression remained cold, she did not refuse.

As she ate, Ning Rongrong chatted intermittently with Xiao Wu, occasionally tossing a question or two Zhu Zhuqing's way.

They were mostly harmless topics. Where had she cultivated before? Her Netherworld Spirit Cat was truly fast; Ning Rongrong had noticed it during yesterday's assessment.

Zhu Zhuqing's replies were brief and stiff, but at least she was answering.

Ning Rongrong was secretly pleased.

Of course, she was not acting out of pure kindness. She had brought food to win over Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing because she had seen these people's strength clearly during the entrance assessment.

Xiao Wu, rank twenty-nine, an assault-type Soul Master, twelve years old.

Zhu Zhuqing, rank twenty-seven, an agility-type Soul Master, with exceptionally impressive skills.

Tang San, rank twenty-nine, and his battle against Zhao Wuji had been even more astonishing.

Dai Mubai, rank thirty-seven, having broken through rank thirty before turning thirteen.

Even that fat guy Ma Hongjun possessed a top-tier mutated phoenix martial soul.

Every one of them met the standards her cheap scammer master had for taking disciples.

But Ning Rongrong had no plans to introduce them to him for the time being.

For one thing, she had not yet fully mastered Wind Empress Qimen herself. She had to fill her own belly with the good stuff first.

For another, the thought of sharing the master she had all to herself with others gave her an inexplicable sense of resistance.

For now, she was only building good relationships in advance. If the need arose in the future, having this connection would make things much easier.

Ning Rongrong silently gave herself a thumbs-up for her foresight.

Night fell.

On the training field.

Flender stood in the center, his gaze behind black-rimmed glasses as sharp as an eagle's.

Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing stood in neat formation, full of energy. Oscar had also rushed back with a face warped by exhaustion, standing at the end of the line. Ning Rongrong stood at the far right, smiling calmly and unhurriedly.

Flender's gaze swept across everyone.

Then it stopped on Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

"Oscar."

Oscar's body tensed. "Dean."

"Did you finish twenty laps?"

Oscar coughed and nodded. "Dean, I finished."

Flender did not respond. His gaze shifted to Ning Rongrong.

"I wasn't asking you." Flender's voice was even and unhurried. "Ning Rongrong, did you finish?"

Everyone's eyes gathered on Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong's expression did not change at all. She still wore that gentle smile, her beautiful large eyes clear and bright as she looked innocently at Flender.

"I did."

She said it openly.

Flender looked at her. Nothing could be read from the expression on that shoe-sole face of his.

"Is that so?"

He turned to Oscar. "Oscar, did she finish?"

Oscar turned and glanced at Ning Rongrong. She was looking at him too, her almond-shaped eyes smiling, her expression pure and innocent.

Oscar gritted his teeth.

"Yes, we both finished."

Flender smiled.

That smile made Tang San think of two words. Sinister.

"Very good." Flender pointed to the spot before him. "Oscar, come here."

Bitterness appeared on Oscar's face, but he still walked over to Flender.

Flender placed his right hand on Oscar's shoulder. "I appreciate your spirit of friendship. Go run another twenty laps. No food until you finish. I've already sealed your soul power. Go."

Oscar did not argue. He silently turned and ran off.

Flender's gaze fell on Ning Rongrong again.

"Ning Rongrong." His tone was calm. "Did you really finish twenty laps?"

Everyone's attention focused on her once more.

Ning Rongrong looked at Flender. She knew that the dean already knew the answer.

She did not panic.

She was not even the slightest bit nervous.

"No." Ning Rongrong's tone was calm and open. The smile on her face faded slightly, but she remained composed. "I ran ten laps."