Seven Treasures Have Names

Ning Fengzhi arrived sooner than Bai Jin had expected.

The next morning, an unassuming carriage stopped outside Shrek Village. A gentle, refined middle-aged man stepped out first, followed by two old men whose depths were impossible to fathom.

One wore white as snow and stood straight-backed, like a sword resting in its sheath.

The other wore a loose black robe and a lazy smile, but his gaze seemed capable of seeing through bone.

Chen Xin.

Gu Rong.

The entrance to Shrek Academy had been fairly lively. Once the three appeared, an invisible hand seemed to press down on the air. Even the chickens at the village entrance crowed more cautiously.

Flender pushed up his glasses and hurried forward.

"Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, please come in."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded. "Dean Flender, sorry for the trouble."

Gu Rong glanced at the shabby school Gate and clicked his tongue.

"Rongrong lives here?"

Chen Xin frowned too.

A chill ran down Flender's back.

He suddenly understood why Ning Rongrong had been so disgusted with the academy when she first arrived.

One frown from someone of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect felt like a threat to tear down his academy and rebuild it.

When Bai Jin came out of the courtyard, he had a piece of candy in his mouth and a chipped bowl in his hand.

"Oh, Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, Sect Master Ning."

Chen Xin glanced at him.

"Why do you address us with different degrees of familiarity?"

Bai Jin answered solemnly, "Because Sect Master Ning doesn't give me candy."

Ning Fengzhi laughed. "If you want some, Brother Bai, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has plenty."

"Hear that?" Bai Jin looked at Gu Rong. "That's how you treat people."

Gu Rong sneered. "Save it, brat. Last time you walked off with three boxes of pastries from the sect, you said Sword Douluo told you to take them."

Chen Xin's face remained blank. "I did not."

Bai Jin looked shocked. "Uncle Jian, where's your loyalty?"

Chen Xin raised a hand.

A thread of Sword Intent fell without a sound.

The air before Bai Jin warped slightly. The Sword Intent stopped three inches away, as though it had struck an invisible wall.

Limitless.

Flender's eyelid twitched.

He knew Bai Jin was strong, and he knew Chen Xin was strong.

But did these two have to greet each other in such a terrifying way?

Hearing the commotion, Ning Rongrong ran out of the dormitory.

"Dad!"

She rushed up to Ning Fengzhi, delight in her voice.

Ning Fengzhi reached out and stroked his daughter's head, his gaze warm.

"Rongrong, you've lost weight."

Ning Rongrong had been about to act spoiled, but at those words, her nose suddenly stung.

She really had suffered quite a bit lately.

Running, sparring, reviewing their matches—Bai Jin had one way after another to put them through the wringer. She had fallen, cried, and even been angry enough to consider going back to the sect. But now that her father was here, she inexplicably did not want to tell him how she had been wronged.

Because she knew she had changed, if only a little.

Not that she had become much stronger.

Rather, she had finally begun to understand that standing at the back of the team with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda did not mean she could simply let others protect her.

Seeing her expression, Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed with approval.

"It seems Brother Bai has taught you well."

Bai Jin immediately waved a hand.

"It's mostly because Rongrong worked hard herself."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment.

She had not expected Bai Jin to say that.

Usually, the man could never resist running his mouth.

Bai Jin added, "Of course, remember to reimburse me for breakfast."

Ning Rongrong: "..."

He was still the same bastard after all.

Everyone entered the courtyard.

When Chen Xin saw Tang San, his gaze lingered for a moment.

Tang San bowed. "Greetings, Sect Master Ning. Greetings, seniors."

His manners were steady, neither servile nor arrogant.

Ning Fengzhi said warmly, "You must be Tang San. Rongrong mentioned you in her letter."

Tang San glanced at Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong immediately looked away.

She would never admit she had praised Tang San a little in her letter.

Gu Rong circled Tang San and said with a smile, "It can't have been easy to train Blue Silver Grass to this level."

Tang San's heart tightened.

Bai Jin raised a hand and tossed a piece of candy into Gu Rong's arms.

"Don't scare the kid."

Gu Rong caught the candy and clicked his tongue in wonder. "You know it's wrong to scare children?"

"When I scare them, it's training. When you do it, it's bullying."

"There's a difference?"

"I look kinder."

Gu Rong fell silent for a moment, then turned to Chen Xin. "Can I beat him up?"

Chen Xin said flatly, "Get in line."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and shook his head.

Tang San watched them in some surprise.

He could tell that Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo genuinely treated Bai Jin as both a junior and a friend. Strength alone could never make Titled Douluo-level experts so at ease with someone.

They also had to respect his character.

That afternoon, Chen Xin asked to watch a training session.

Bai Jin had everyone spar as usual.

Ning Rongrong stood at the rear, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovering above her palm. Instead of immediately giving Dai Mubai a boost, she first watched where Tang San's Blue Silver Grass blocked the field, then judged the moment for Zhu Zhuqing to move in.

It was a small change.

On a real battlefield, it would still be far from enough.

But Ning Fengzhi could tell she was not merely going through the motions because she had been forced to. Ning Rongrong had truly begun to think about her teammates. For a support-type Soul Master, that step mattered more than memorizing a few extra lines of sect doctrine.

"Seven Treasures Have Names: First, Strength! Second: Speed!"

Light descended.

Zhu Zhuqing surged forward with the speed boost. At the same time, Tang San blocked their opponent's retreat, and Xiao Wu followed from the side with a Waist Bow.

Their coordination was still rough.

But it was beginning to take shape.

Ning Fengzhi watched closely.

Chen Xin suddenly said, "Rongrong is improving."

Gu Rong huffed. "She's worn herself thin, though."

Bai Jin sat nearby. "Don't worry. She can put the weight back on. Training her brain is the hard part."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

"Brother Bai is right."

Gu Rong looked at him. "Fengzhi, why are you taking this brat's side too?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Because he's telling the truth."

After training, Ning Rongrong ran up to Ning Fengzhi. Sweat beaded her face, but her eyes shone.

"Dad, I'll get even better."

Ning Fengzhi looked at her and said gently, "I know."

He did not thank her for her efforts or tell her she could come home.

Because he had seen the light in his daughter's eyes.

It was something the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not give her.

Chen Xin stood nearby, his gaze softer than usual.

Gu Rong complained about how shabby Shrek was, but he had already taken out a bottle of fine medicine and tucked it into Ning Rongrong's arms.

"Keep it. Don't push yourself too hard."

Ning Rongrong held the bottle, her eyes faintly red, but she deliberately lifted her chin.

"I wouldn't."

Bai Jin murmured from the side, "That's not very convincing."

Ning Rongrong turned to hit him.

Bai Jin stood to one side, unusually quiet for once.

Then Gu Rong patted him on the shoulder.

"Brat, thanks."

Bai Jin turned back. "Where's my thank-you gift?"

Gu Rong: "..."

Chen Xin had already drawn his sword.

Bai Jin immediately stepped back, grinning broadly.

"Just kidding, just kidding."

Sword light fell, leaving a neat fissure across the training ground.

Flender stared at the ground, his heart aching so badly he could barely breathe.

Bai Jin crouched beside the fissure and gave it a serious appraisal.

"Dean, no need to fix this. It looks impressive."

Flender clutched his chest.

All he wanted now was to charge them for it.