Who Comes Out on Top? Xiao Wu, Where's Your Family? I'm Such a Piece of Shit! Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

The report passed through several levels before quickly reaching Ju Hua Guan.

He frowned deeply. "No wonder she caught Her Holiness the Pope's attention. She truly is exceptional."

"Her Second Soul Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and it was voluntarily sacrificed by a Soul Beast."

"There must be a huge secret hidden on this little girl!"

"Someone so talented could never be a nobody, nor would she stay tucked away in some corner."

Ju Hua Guan muttered to himself as he strode into the Pope's Palace.

"Your Holiness, the little girl you told me to watch is indeed exceptional."

Bibi Dong sat cross-legged on her throne. "Go on."

"Her Second Soul Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, voluntarily sacrificed to her by a Soul Beast."

Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly, and a curve formed at the corner of her lips. "Interesting, very interesting. Her Second Soul Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and it was voluntarily sacrificed by a Soul Beast."

"Oh, and Your Holiness, she has the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect behind her. Her father seems to be someone important."

"How do you intend to proceed, Your Holiness?"

Bibi Dong tapped her fingers against the armrest. "With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect behind her, she truly isn't easy to touch."

"Have you investigated her father?"

Ju Hua Guan lowered his head. "Your Holiness, this subordinate is incompetent. There isn't the slightest trace of him. We simply can't find anything."

Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes. "No such person exists?"

"Yes. It's as if he appeared out of thin air. I suspect..."

"Suspect what?"

"Could her father be a Reclusive Expert?"

"Fine, I understand. Withdraw. There's no need to keep watching her."

Ju Hua Guan's expression changed slightly. "Your Holiness, are you really going to leave such a genius alone?"

"Do you not understand what I mean?" Bibi Dong frowned, her voice filled with impatience.

Ju Hua Guan was immediately cowed by Bibi Dong's imposing presence. "Yes, Your Holiness."

He promptly took his leave.

After Ju Hua Guan left, Bibi Dong looked up at the ceiling, a painful memory surfacing in her mind.

"Hehe..."

"Since they're both girls, let them compete and see who comes out on top."

"I want to see which one is better."

Naturally, she meant her biological daughter, Qian Renxue, competing against Chen Qingling.

With Chen Qingling's talent, she was not much inferior to Qian Renxue.

Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Notting Academy went on Winter Vacation as scheduled.

Inside the Work-Study Student Dormitory, aside from Chen Qingling and Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng and the others were packing their luggage.

"Sister Qingling, Sister Xiao Wu, why aren't you packing?"

"Winter Vacation is so long. Aren't you going home?"

"Home..." Chen Qingling's eyelid twitched. The mention of home inevitably stirred her longing, making her miss the happy days she had spent with Father in the Thatched Cottage.

Unfortunately, she could never go back, all because of her impulsive passion.

Unless she found Mother, Chen Qingling would have no face to return home.

Xiao Wu's circumstances were actually quite similar to hers. Both of them had come out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

One had come to see the outside world and grow stronger to avenge her mother; the other had come to grow stronger in search of her mother.

Neither of them could return home despite having one.

They truly were two people sharing the same misery.

"What's wrong, Sister Qingling? Don't tell me you secretly ran away from home?"

Wang Sheng suddenly thought of a possibility.

After all, in their eyes, Sister Qingling was wealthy, kind to others, and a genuinely good person.

Yet even someone like her was willing to spend time with them.

There really were more good people in the world.

He was so touched he could cry.

"Ahem..." Chen Qingling coughed lightly, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

Wang Sheng looked at Xiao Wu. "What about you, Xiao Wu? Is your home too far away?"

Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment before forcing out a dry laugh. "I don't have a home."

"Huh?!"

"How could that be..."

"Then where is your family?"

"They're all gone." Xiao Wu lowered her head, her expression desolate as the pair of Rabbit Ears atop her head drooped.

Wang Sheng's mouth fell slightly open. He wanted nothing more than to slap himself several times.

Why had he asked that?!

I'm such a piece of shit!

He had torn open someone's wound again. The pain involved went without saying.

If there weren't so many people present, he would have slapped himself several times already.

"Um... Sister Xiao Wu... I'm sorry..."

Xiao Wu shook her head. "It's not your fault."

The calmer Xiao Wu appeared, the more stifled Wang Sheng felt.

Meanwhile, Chen Qingling stared at Xiao Wu in disbelief.

She had never imagined that Xiao Wu, who was always so carefree and smiling, did not have a single family member left in this world.

"Xiao Wu..." Chen Qingling could not help reaching out and tugging at Xiao Wu's sleeve.

"Sister Qingling, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

After the atmosphere remained awkward for a moment, the work-study students began saying their goodbyes one after another.

"Sister Qingling, Sister Xiao Wu, thank you for taking care of us. We're leaving."

"Go on, go on."

Before long, only Chen Qingling and Xiao Wu remained in the spacious Work-Study Student Dormitory.

As it happened, Tang San returned from outside just then. When he saw that only the two of them were left in the dormitory, his eyes lit up.

"Xiao Wu, aren't you going back? Why not come with me?"

"I'll take you back to my village."

"No need. Get lost." Xiao Wu did not even spare Tang San a glance as she snapped at him.

Faced with Tang San repeatedly shamelessly clinging to her, Xiao Wu's attitude was extremely hostile.

She had never seen anyone so cheap before. Tang San had truly broadened her horizons.

When someone acted this cheaply, it was utterly disgusting.

"Xiao Wu, don't be angry. I just saw that you had nowhere to go."

Chen Qingling crossed her arms. "Who said we have nowhere to go?"

She had already decided to use Winter Vacation to make a trip to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

She would visit her two nominal masters, as well as her most important friend, Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong was the first true friend Chen Qingling had made, so naturally she often missed her.

"Xiao Wu, let's go."

"Okay."

Chen Qingling stuffed all their luggage into the Spatial Soul Guidance Device, then took Xiao Wu's hand and left the Work-Study Student Dormitory.

They could not stand staying for even a moment in a place with an annoying fly.

Tang San watched the two girls' retreating figures, gritting his teeth.

"Damn it..."

"Why can't they accept me even once? I haven't done anything to wrong them!"

"Why do they keep rejecting me again and again?!"

Even now, Tang San had never considered what he himself might have done wrong.

His double standards were carved into his bones, ingrained in his subconscious.

Just as the old saying went: once a double-standard person, always a double-standard person!

Meanwhile, the two girls left Notting Academy, hailed a luxurious carriage, and climbed inside.

"Sister Qingling, where are we going?"

"To the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Huh? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

After half a year of studying at the academy, Xiao Wu knew a little about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was one of the continent's famous Three Upper Sects, guarded by two Titled Douluo-level experts.

And she was a Soul Beast herself. Wouldn't going there expose her identity?

Still, Xiao Wu chose to trust Chen Qingling. Chen Qingling was such a good person; she definitely would not harm her.

If she truly wanted to harm her, there was no need to specifically choose Winter Vacation, right?