Tang San Was Pleased! Dai Mubai Got Cuckolded?! Eastern Sovereign Taiyi!

Tang San merely smiled and said nothing.

Dai Mubai plopped down beside him, lowered his voice, and wore a smug look.

"By the way, Little San, I should thank you for your advice."

Tang San looked at him in confusion.

"What advice?"

"The advice about chasing girls."

Dai Mubai tipped his chin toward the cool, distant figure not far away.

"I'm no longer going after her with the same fanfare as before."

"Now, I hand her a bottle of water after training every day, show some concern now and then, and take it slow. You get it, right?"

He spoke as though he had plenty of experience.

"The results have been obvious. At the very least, she doesn't avoid me anymore."

"Little San, let me tell you, girls like Zhuqing may look cold, but they're actually simple at heart and haven't seen much of the world."

"Before, I was too impatient and scared her."

"As long as I use the right methods and keep at it sincerely, I'll definitely win her over."

Tang San listened quietly and nodded.

"Boss Dai has put in the effort. She'll feel it."

"Of course."

Dai Mubai was brimming with confidence.

"Once our relationship becomes more stable, I'll have to trouble you and Little Ao to help me build some momentum and set the mood."

"When my confession succeeds, I'll treat everyone at the best restaurant in Soto City!"

After saying that, he let out a long sigh, his face full of anguish.

"Ah, but it's been hard on me."

"Until I win her over, I have to keep pretending to be a proper gentleman every day."

"I haven't gone looking for those twin sisters at that newly opened club in Soto City for ages. I'm practically dying from holding it in."

Meanwhile, beneath the shade of a tree at the other end of the training grounds.

Ning Rongrong linked arms with Zhu Zhuqing as the two leisurely headed back toward the dormitories.

"Zhuqing, don't you think Dai Mubai seems like a completely different person lately?"

Ning Rongrong suddenly asked.

"I heard from Oscar that he doesn't even go to the taverns outside anymore. He's also cut things off completely with all those messy women."

"Looks like he really does care about you."

She winked teasingly.

"So, do you want to... consider it?"

Zhu Zhuqing paused and gently withdrew her arm.

Her voice remained as cool as ever.

"Rongrong, don't talk nonsense."

"I could never like him."

"The only reason things are like this now is because I listened to you. I just didn't want him bothering me every day."

"We're in the same academy, after all. We see each other all the time. There's no need to tear our faces apart."

"Alright, so that's how it is."

Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue.

Her eyes shifted, and she suddenly leaned close to Zhu Zhuqing's ear, asking mysteriously,

"Then... do you already have someone you like?"

Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened slightly.

An image surfaced in her mind beyond her control.

That figure was not especially tall, yet he had shielded her from a deadly crisis the first time they met.

He carried a faint scent of sunlight, and his gaze was always so calm, as though even if the sky collapsed, not a ripple would stir within him.

That youth named Tang Shuo.

Ning Rongrong saw her momentary distraction and the faint blush quietly coloring her cheeks. She immediately seized the chance and cried out dramatically.

"Wow! Look at your face!"

"That expression means there definitely is someone! Hurry up and tell me, who is it? Is it someone we know?"

Startled by her shout, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly came back to her senses. She did not deny it, merely turning her head slightly away as the tips of her ears grew warm.

"Oh my, you're even getting shy."

Seeing her like this, Ning Rongrong grew even more interested.

"Hurry and tell me, what lucky young master has won your heart?"

When Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, she pressed on.

"Then... does he like you?"

Zhu Zhuqing bit her crimson lip.

After a long while, she gently shook her head.

"I don't know."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, carrying a trace of loneliness even she had not noticed.

That person was like the sun in the sky, radiating boundless light.

And what about herself? She was merely a little cat struggling in the shadows.

He was so outstanding. There should be more dazzling girls like Ning Rongrong around him.

He... probably wouldn't like her, would he?

"Hey! You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about?!"

The moment Ning Rongrong heard that, she became anxious and poked Zhu Zhuqing's forehead.

"Who says you aren't good enough?"

"Even Teacher Zhao never stops praising your talent."

"And just look at that figure of yours—curves in all the right places. What man wouldn't be tempted?"

As Ning Rongrong spoke, she even made an exaggerated gesture.

"Listen to me. If you like him, you have to be more proactive!"

"You have to seize happiness with your own hands. You can't just wait for it to come!"

"Find a chance and tell him fiercely that you like him! Maybe he's liked you for ages and is just waiting for you to say it!"

Ning Rongrong's words threw Zhu Zhuqing's heart into turmoil, leaving her mind completely blank.

Be proactive... confess?

She raised her eyes and looked at Ning Rongrong's resolute, encouraging face.

Could she really... do that?

Meanwhile, outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Shuo and Qian Renxue, clad in golden armor, went their separate ways.

Both had gained greatly from this trip and achieved their goals, so there was no need for further words.

"Take care."

"Until we meet again."

After their simple farewell, the two figures each became streaks of light and sped off in different directions.

Half a day later, Tang Shuo reappeared within Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

He returned to his residence and carefully inventoried the gains from this trip.

Scorpion-Tail Venom, Centipede Spider-Silk Fluid, Bone-Rot Flower, Heartbreak Grass... and the Nine-Heart Toad's natal poison.

Now, everything was ready.

"The materials for Myriad-Poison Fiend Legs are missing only the final item."

Tang Shuo muttered to himself.

Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison.

Just as he was considering how to find an excuse to visit Dugu Yan again, his door was violently flung open.

"Tang Shuo!"

Ye Lengleng's anxious voice rang out as she rushed in while supporting a figure with a bluish-purple face and a body that would not stop trembling.

It was Dugu Yan.

"Quick! Save Yan! Her snake poison has flared up again!"

Behind Ye Lengleng stood a dignified woman whose features somewhat resembled Ye Lengleng's. Her face was equally grave.

Tang Shuo's eyes narrowed. This had come at exactly the right time.

Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward and supported Dugu Yan.

"Help her lie down on the bed."

"Senior, Senior Sister Lengleng, please wait outside for a moment. No one can disturb the treatment."

The woman was Ye Haitang, the current head of the Nine-Heart Begonia Family and Ye Lengleng's mother. She gave Tang Shuo a deep look, then solemnly nodded.

"I'll leave it to you, young friend."

The door closed.

Tang Shuo pressed his palm against Dugu Yan's back, pouring in Solar True Qi without holding anything back.

Dugu Yan's body, originally curled up from the excruciating pain, slowly relaxed.

The bone-deep cold agony that clung to her like maggots was rapidly fading.

In its place came an unprecedented sense of comfort.

A warm current flowed through all four limbs and every bone in her body, dispelling every trace of coldness and discomfort. It was like the gentlest winter sun, warming every inch of her skin and every cell.

She even felt the soul power that had been stagnant in her body for so long begin to surge joyfully, with faint signs of a breakthrough.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Shuo withdrew his palm, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"It's done."

Dugu Yan opened her eyes, leaped off the bed, and moved her limbs.

"I... I feel like... my body is full of strength!"

She looked at her hands in delight. There was no longer the slightest trace of pain on her face; instead, she was brimming with energy.

"This feeling... is amazing!"