Call Me Ning Tian

The setting sun stretched the outlines of the training grounds into long shadows. Huo Yuhao was idly turning the jade token in his hand when a clear voice, carrying a hint of arrogance, suddenly sounded behind him. "Well, if it isn't our righteous hero who drew his blade to help when he saw injustice? You won the spar, so what are you sneaking around hiding now?"

Huo Yuhao turned around and saw Wang Dong standing not far away with her arms crossed. Her white academy uniform made her skin seem fairer than snow, while her slightly raised brows carried the boldness unique to youth. She had clearly just finished training; a thin sheen of sweat still clung to her forehead, yet her gaze had landed precisely on the jade token in Huo Yuhao's palm.

"Nothing much. Just a little welcome gift from Class Monitor Ning." Huo Yuhao put away the jade token and walked over with a smile. "Just finished?"

Wang Dong snorted. Her gaze swept over the lingering soul power fluctuations and scorched marks on the training grounds, her tone carrying an almost imperceptible note of probing. "You fought Ning Tian? She didn't trip you up, did she? People from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect have plenty of schemes."

Huo Yuhao raised a brow. "You seem to have quite a problem with her?"

"I have no problem with anyone who throws their weight around because of their sect's influence." Wang Dong turned her face away, but could not help adding, "I passed by earlier and saw you talking with her for ages. You even made plans to have a meal together?"

"Mm. Tomorrow at noon by Sea God Lake. I'm treating her to a taste of my cooking," Huo Yuhao said frankly.

Wang Dong's steps halted. She abruptly turned to stare at him, her beautiful pink-blue eyes practically screaming, Are you stupid? "You're treating her? Can a spoiled young miss like her even get used to your cooking? Besides, don't you know what kind of person Ning Tian is? She's definitely trying to test you!"

"I know." Huo Yuhao smiled openly. "But she took the initiative to show goodwill, so I can't exactly refuse to give her face. Besides..." He lowered his voice. "The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's resources are very important to my current cultivation."

Wang Dong froze, then understood what Huo Yuhao meant. Huo Yuhao was a Soul Master without any backing. If he wanted to improve quickly at Shrek Academy, resources were an unavoidable hurdle. She pursed her lips and did not argue further, though her tone remained stiff. "Even so, you don't need to cook for her yourself. If you ask me, just negotiate terms with her directly. With your strength, are you afraid she won't show enough sincerity?"

"Negotiating terms is too boring." Huo Yuhao patted Wang Dong on the shoulder. "It's only grilled fish. Maybe we can even make a friend. By the way, why don't you come tomorrow too? The more people, the livelier it'll be."

Wang Dong instinctively wanted to refuse, but when she saw the smile in Huo Yuhao's eyes, the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down. Awkwardly, she kicked at a pebble beneath her foot. "Who wants to join your fun... But I happen to be free tomorrow at noon, so I'll just... make sure you don't get conned."

Huo Yuhao laughed. "All right, then it's settled."

The two walked back toward the dormitories side by side, the setting sun drawing out their shadows. From time to time, the wind blew past, carrying a faint fragrance from Wang Dong's hair. Wang Dong muttered nonstop along the way, complaining one moment that Ning Tian's "eyes were too sharp," then grumbling that the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had "too many rules." Whenever she got worked up, she even waved her fist around, just like a small beast with its fur standing on end.

Huo Yuhao listened quietly, occasionally agreeing with a few words, but warmth filled his heart. Dong'er looked hot-tempered in her male disguise, but she was actually simple-minded. Her mouth claimed she disliked him, yet she was worried about him all the same.

Just before they reached the dormitory building, Wang Dong suddenly stopped and looked seriously at Huo Yuhao. "Huo Yuhao, I'm telling you, that woman Ning Tian isn't simple. Watch out for her. If she dares try anything, I'll beat her up for you."

Huo Yuhao's heart warmed, and he nodded firmly. "All right. Then I'll be relying entirely on you, General Wang Dong."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wang Dong's cheeks reddened as she turned and ran toward the dormitory. After two steps, she looked back and shouted, "Tomorrow, remember to bring out all your skills. My taste is very demanding."

"Got it!" Huo Yuhao replied with a smile and a wave.

Watching Wang Dong disappear at the stairwell, Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin. He suddenly felt that tomorrow by Sea God Lake would likely involve more than just "testing." On one side was the deep-minded heir of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, and on the other was a proud girl who said one thing but meant another. This grilled fish feast would probably be livelier than their spar on the training grounds.

He looked up at the darkening sky, a trace of anticipation flashing through his Spirit Eye. Whether it was Ning Tian's probing or Wang Dong's awkward concern, both were rare touches of ordinary warmth in Shrek Academy. As for the road ahead... soldiers would come, generals would stop them; water would come, earth would dam it. As long as he had people he could trust by his side, no hurdle would be impossible to cross.

At noon the next day, the breeze by Sea God Lake carried the fresh moisture of the water as it brushed through the drooping willow branches along the shore. Huo Yuhao had already set up a simple grill. The fish on it had been bought from the cafeteria that morning, their silver scales glinting beneath the sunlight. He had skewered them with thin bamboo sticks and evenly coated them with his special sauce.

Wang Dong arrived earlier than the agreed time. She stood beneath a willow tree with her arms crossed, watching Huo Yuhao skillfully light the charcoal and prepare the sauce, curiosity hidden in her pink-blue eyes. Though she said nothing, her feet honestly carried her closer to the grill. Her nose twitched. "What kind of sauce is that? It smells pretty good."

"Just some ordinary ingredients, perilla and the like." Huo Yuhao smiled and winked as he placed the skewered fish over the charcoal. The fat sizzled as it met the heat, and an enticing aroma soon filled the air.

As they spoke, Ning Tian appeared along the lakeside path. She had changed into a light purple casual outfit, losing some of her usual coldness from the classroom and gaining a softer, girlish air. Wu Feng, however, still followed closely behind her.

"You came quite early." Ning Tian approached, her gaze falling on the grill as surprise flashed through her eyes. She had thought Huo Yuhao's talk of "cooking skills" was merely polite small talk. She had not expected him to actually look the part.

"Senior Ning." Huo Yuhao looked up with a smile as he turned the fish. "Please wait a moment. It'll be ready soon."

Wang Dong shot Ning Tian a sidelong glance and deliberately moved a little closer to Huo Yuhao. She picked up a freshly grilled small fish and tasted it, speaking indistinctly through a mouthful of food. "It's only so-so. Barely edible." Despite her words, her hands never stopped moving.

Ning Tian ignored Wang Dong's provocation. Her gaze settled on Huo Yuhao's focused profile. The young man had lowered his eyes, carefully controlling the charcoal's temperature. He did not mind when sauce occasionally got on his fingertips. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the willow leaves and fell upon him, giving him an oddly peaceful air. He was completely different from the calm, calculating Soul Master on the training grounds yesterday.

"Your spiritual power control is quite exquisite. You can even precisely control the temperature of the charcoal?" Ning Tian suddenly asked.

Huo Yuhao paused, then smiled. "A Soul Master's senses are naturally sharper than an ordinary person's." He understood, of course, that Ning Tian was testing him again.

As they spoke, the first fish was ready. Its skin was golden and crisp, the sauce having seeped into the flesh, carrying a faint herbal fragrance. Huo Yuhao held the fish out to Ning Tian. "Want to try it?"

Ning Tian hesitated before reaching out to take it. Her fingertips touched the warm bamboo skewer, and she instinctively drew back slightly, but she still carefully took a bite. The tenderness of the fish and the rich flavor of the sauce burst across her tongue. It was somehow even more satisfying than the delicacies she had eaten before.

"What do you think?" Huo Yuhao asked expectantly.

Ning Tian looked up and met his bright Spirit Eye. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked away. "It's... it's all right."

Wu Feng watched from the side, dumbfounded. When had her young mistress ever eaten something like street food? And she had even said it was "all right"?

Wang Dong rolled her eyes beside them, grabbed a grilled fish, and stuffed it into her mouth. "Putting on airs."

Huo Yuhao ignored the undercurrents between the two. He grilled another two fish, handing one each to Wang Dong and Wu Feng, then picked up one for himself.

For a time, the lakeside fell quiet. Only the crackling charcoal and the occasional whisper of wind could be heard. The sunlight was perfect, the lake surface gently rippling, and the atmosphere truly carried the leisure of friends gathering together.

Ning Tian ate her grilled fish slowly, though her gaze kept drifting toward Huo Yuhao. She could sense that the aura around him was peaceful. That faint icy chill had been completely withdrawn, while his spiritual power was like a still lake without a ripple. Yet the more he seemed that way, the more unfathomable she found him.

"I heard you've been studying soul tools?" Ning Tian asked casually.

Huo Yuhao was somewhat surprised. "How did you know?"

"Some time ago, you bought some metal materials from a Nine Treasures Glazed Sect shop." Ning Tian took a deep breath and pulled out a jade token, speaking as if it were nothing. "The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect has a dedicated soul tool workshop in Douluo City. If you need materials or blueprints, you can use this jade token to collect them."

"Consider it... thanks for your grilled fish."

This jade token was more exquisite than the one from yesterday, carved with intricate patterns. Its authorization level was clearly higher.

Huo Yuhao accepted the jade token, his fingers pausing slightly. "Class Monitor Ning is being very generous."

"Our sect should never be rigid in cultivating talent." Ning Tian met his gaze calmly. "But I have a condition too."

"I'd like to hear it."

Ning Tian's voice was soft, yet carried unquestionable seriousness. "Yuhao, don't call me Class Monitor Ning anymore. Call me Ning Tian. Class Monitor Ning makes us sound too distant."

Wang Dong abruptly looked up, a strange glint flashing in her eyes.