A Clumsy Attempt at Flirting? Tang San's Helplessness

A gentle breeze stirred.

Ning Rongrong held two exquisite little wooden boxes, her eyes sparkling.

She lifted her chin slightly.

With a young girl's mix of sweetness and imperiousness, she declared, "These two Hidden Weapons of yours are mine!"

Qin Yun looked at her bright, lively face and said,

"I made them especially for you."

With that, he gently lifted the inner lid of the blue-green wooden box.

The components of the Miniature Electromagnetic Projectile lay neatly arranged in fitted grooves inside.

And on the bare wood inside the lid, a name had been carved in small, graceful strokes: "Ning Rongrong."

Beside it was a little heart!

It was a thoroughly clumsy attempt at flirting.

If the other person had no feelings for him, a gesture like that would have been painfully awkward.

But Ning Rongrong did have feelings for Qin Yun. Seeing her name carved on the Hidden Weapons box warmed her heart at once. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, and her delight nearly spilled over.

After that first rush of joy, Ning Rongrong asked, "Qin Yun, can you mass-produce these Hidden Weapons?"

"Almost everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a support-type soul master. Our offense and defense are weak, and we desperately need ways to protect ourselves."

"If we could equip our people in batches, everyone's fighting strength and chances of survival would improve enormously."

Qin Yun reached out and lightly tapped her smooth forehead.

"Mass production won't be a problem. The manufacturing process for this Electromagnetic Launch Mechanism is well established. As long as we have enough materials, making them in large batches won't be difficult."

"The price, though..."

Ning Rongrong relaxed at once.

She straightened proudly, her voice full of confidence. "Don't worry about that!"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has some of the finest resources on the continent. We're the wealthiest sect in all of Douluo Continent. We've never lacked Gold Soul Coins."

"Just tell me how many Gold Soul Coins you want for one set."

Qin Yun did not answer immediately. Instead, he said, "The exact price, the terms of cooperation, the quantity supplied—those details will have to be discussed with your sect master."

"Stingy!"

Ning Rongrong pouted and gave the wooden box a little shake, her complaint half playful, half coquettish.

"If you don't want to tell me, then don't. I can't be bothered to ask anyway!"

They stood side by side, laughing together. The warmth between them made for a tender, comforting sight.

Meanwhile...

Elsewhere, Yu Xiaogang trudged back to Tang San.

His face was dark, his expression heavy with defeat.

The sight of Qin Yun's Hidden Weapons in the courtyard still would not leave his mind.

Tang San, who had been waiting quietly, looked up the moment his teacher returned. His eyes shone with eagerness.

He hurried to his feet.

"Teacher, you're back! Ning Rongrong agreed to the deal, didn't she?"

In Tang San's mind, victory had been assured.

He was certain that Ning Rongrong, as a daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's main family, could never be willful enough to refuse something that would strengthen the entire sect and serve its long-term interests.

He continued confidently,

"The terms I offered were generous enough. I would sell only finished Hidden Weapons, never reveal the core methods used to make them. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would gain a boost in fighting strength, while I would preserve the unique advantage of my Hidden Weapons."

Yu Xiaogang looked at his expectant, self-assured disciple.

His feelings tangled together. In the end, he could only shake his head heavily.

"Xiao San, the plan... failed."

The smile froze on Tang San's face. He stared at Yu Xiaogang in disbelief.

"Failed? Why?"

"Did Ning Rongrong really refuse to trade with me because of Qin Yun?"

"It wasn't Ning Rongrong. It was Qin Yun."

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and slowly told him the cruel truth.

"Qin Yun brought out two new Hidden Weapons of his own. Their power, range, explosive force, and area of effect surpassed your Godly Zhuge Crossbow in every way. They aren't even on the same level."

"That tremendous noise from the courtyard was one of his Hidden Weapons exploding."

Those words shattered every bit of Tang San's confidence and every calculation he had made.

"What?"

Tang San's pupils contracted. Disbelief filled his face, and his voice came out dazed.

"Teacher, what did you say?"

"Qin Yun... can make Hidden Weapons too?"

"And his are stronger than mine?"

"That's impossible!"

In that instant, Tang San's composure crumbled. Resentment, shock, fear, and helplessness surged through him all at once.

The Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons were his greatest trump card, an advantage that belonged to him alone. Apart from his Twin Martial Souls, they were his greatest strength.

They were why he had believed he could stay ahead of his peers and hold the various powers in check.

Yet now, the Hidden Weapons he took such pride in had been outclassed by Qin Yun once again.

He could not match Qin Yun's Martial Soul, his Soul Rings, or his speed of growth.

Even his unique mastery of Hidden Weapons, passed down from the Tang Sect, had been effortlessly surpassed.

A suffocating helplessness unlike anything he had ever known closed around Tang San's mind, leaving him cold all over.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and screamed inwardly,

How could this be possible?

How could Hidden Weapons stronger than the Tang Sect's exist?

As Tang San understood it, the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons were the pinnacle of mechanical craftsmanship, refined over centuries in his former world. They stood at the very top of all Hidden Weapons. Nothing could surpass them.

But he had no way of knowing that Qin Yun's Electromagnetic Explosive Bomb and Cyanide Needle were products of a different era, combining modern physics, chemistry, and electromagnetism.

The immense force of electromagnetic launch, the devastating power of chemical detonation, and the reliability of precision engineering placed them in a realm traditional mechanical Hidden Weapons could never reach.

Inside the confinement room,

Tang San's face was deathly pale. His thoughts were in chaos, and he sank into self-doubt and utter despair.

"Xiao San!"

Yu Xiaogang had never seen Tang San so devastated.

By then, Qin Yun had no time to concern himself with Tang San.

To him, Tang San's schemes and struggles were no longer worth a thought.

He was already looking farther ahead.

He had settled on his next plan: leave Shrek and head for Heaven Dou City.

Before departing, Qin Yun sought out Flender to say goodbye.

Thinking back, Flender had forced him to join Shrek at first.

But since then, the dean had treated him well overall and looked after him at every turn.

It was only right to give him a proper farewell.

In the office, Qin Yun spoke frankly and sincerely.

"Dean, I plan to leave Shrek and train in Heaven Dou City for a while."

"The rare metals and special materials I'll need to advance are getting harder and harder to find. Ordinary channels are no use."

"Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has some of the best resources and connections on the continent. They may be able to help me solve that problem."

Flender was reluctant to see him go, but he did not try to stop him.

By now, the conflict between Qin Yun and Tang San could no longer be resolved at the academy.

If both remained there, sooner or later they would clash with consequences neither could undo.