Mending a friendship: Ning Rongrong backed out halfway

"My granddaughters aren't very talented. Even if their circumstances improve, they won't escape disaster if someone harbors ill intentions."

"As for me, I haven't had much time left for a long while. Even Nine Heart Begonia couldn't help."

"I've seen your character over these past few days. My granddaughters won't suffer by following you.

And you're exceptionally gifted. Perhaps my descendants could produce a few geniuses, too. That's better than scraping out a living in Spirit Hall, where catching the wrong person's eye would spell certain death."

"Even if you hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have sent them to Spirit Hall. I'd have found another genius to invest in."

As Li Kui spoke, he suddenly looked a little despondent.

"That hundred-thousand-year soul beast was extremely powerful. My son suffered fatal injuries, my daughter-in-law died, and I was gravely wounded myself."

"You're stronger than I expected, just strong enough to absorb it and protect my granddaughters. Perhaps its soul bone could even be passed down to a descendant carrying my blood one day."

"These two granddaughters are all I have left. I have to do something for them."

"They aren't talented. In terms of looks alone, they're beautiful, but that doesn't count for much in this world.

For the sake of the hundred-thousand-year soul beast I'm giving you, I hope you'll make proper arrangements for them even if you grow tired of them someday."

Li Kui's reasoning was undeniably sound. Li Sen could find nothing suspicious about it.

Li Sen was thrilled.

There were plenty of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in Douluo I, but none he could defeat.

Although his disciple Tang San was Tang Hao's son, if he asked Tang Hao for help, the soul beast would probably be snatched away to the Clear Sky Sect the very next moment.

With his current strength, he could already break through the Soul Power Barrier Tang Hao had left behind and obtain the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone to increase his strength.

But since he had taken Tang San as his disciple, Li Sen didn't want to steal it.

To hunt a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, he would have to reach at least Soul Saint. Only once he could defeat one could he obtain its soul ring.

Li Sen had never expected such a windfall to drop from the sky.

He drew a deep breath and offered a measured assurance.

"Don't worry, Grandpa Li. I may have bought Li Xin and Li Yue in name, but in truth, they're my women."

"With me, there's no distinction between a principal wife and a concubine. I won't let them suffer."

Li Kui laughed heartily. "Good. Then I can rest easy."

"This hundred-thousand-year soul beast is a Devouring Demon Tree. You won't need to hunt it down.

More than ten years ago, my son, daughter-in-law, and I joined forces while it was gravely injured, crippled it, and confined it to Yin-Yang Valley on the edge of the Balak Kingdom."

"As for the exact route..."

Half an hour later, after giving his granddaughters his final instructions, Li Kui breathed his last, leaving behind a thirty-thousand-year torso bone.

Li Xin and Li Yue wept bitterly, and Li Sen lost all desire to fool around.

He had tried to save him, but even vast amounts of life force couldn't rescue Li Kui's body, which was riddled with damage.

Not only had ninety percent of Li Kui's meridians been severed, but his internal organs had also deteriorated to the extreme.

Perhaps only an immortal herb capable of granting rebirth, or ascending to godhood, could have done anything.

Since the two women were feeling low, Li Sen decided to take them to spend some time with people their own age.

At the Yuancheng Hotel, Ning Rongrong, who intended to repair their friendship, hesitated outside the location she had tracked down.

Should I apologize?

But I'm a princess!

Should I not apologize?

Then how am I supposed to make up with them?

While she was hesitating, Tang San and the others suddenly came out.

Xiao Wu looked helpless and dejected as she draped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing and complained.

"Teacher Li is coming. Xiao San's going to ignore me again."

Zhu Zhuqing touched her Soul Tool, wondering whether the guide she had bought would be useful.

Tang San said nothing. Standing at the entrance, he gazed expectantly into the distance. The Blue Silver Tree Branch in his hand flickered, signaling Li Sen's approach.

Ning Rongrong stood conspicuously nearby, yet none of the three acknowledged her, leaving her terribly embarrassed.

Ning Rongrong couldn't help trying to reassure herself.

Li Sen is comparable to a Titled Douluo.

With Xiao Wu and Tang San's talent, they're sure to become Titled Douluos, too.

I'm recruiting geniuses for the sect, or building good relations with them. I'm working hard for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Having steeled herself, Ning Rongrong stepped forward. "Hello, Xiao Wu, Tang San."

Tang San frowned slightly and asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, watching silently.

Ning Rongrong immediately grew incredibly nervous and clenched her fists despite herself.

Awkward... this is so awkward.

Only now, attempting her first apology, did she understand what it meant to find something impossible to say.

The moment she spoke, the passersby around them would notice that she had insulted people yesterday and even been beaten.

While Ning Rongrong was agonizing over it, Li Sen arrived.

The three immediately turned toward him, leaving her standing beside them, ignored.

Tang San exclaimed excitedly, "Master, you're here!"

Ning Rongrong looked over involuntarily. Seeing Li Sen with two identical beauties, she froze.

The two women wore long dresses, one blue and one white. They had oval faces, exquisite features, fair, delicate skin, and the same air of pampered nobility as her.

She had only seen beauties like them among the legitimate daughters of royalty and nobles.

Even her father Ning Fengzhi's wives and concubines were, at most, this outstanding.

Since when were women selling themselves at restaurants this beautiful?

What puzzled Ning Rongrong even more was that Li Sen had brought the two women along to meet his disciple.

Doesn't he care about his image or reputation at all?

Ning Rongrong couldn't help speaking.

"Th..."

"Teacher Li, how can you openly bring two women who sold themselves in front of your disciple?"

Tang San frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

This Ning Rongrong has already paved her own road to death. I warned her before, yet she still dares speak about my master like that!

Since Li Sen was present, he didn't attack on his own initiative, leaving the decision entirely to him.

Li Xin and Li Yue were already grieving. Hearing Ning Rongrong's words made their hearts feel even more desolate.

When their grandfather was still alive, they had never faced such verbal humiliation.

Noticing their expressions, Li Sen frowned at Ning Rongrong. "My conscience is clear. Why can't I bring them along?"

"And yes, they sold themselves to me. You could also call them my concubines."

"If you don't like it, you can leave. You have no right to make remarks here. We're not even close."

Had he not been concerned that attacking now would cause the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's two Titled Douluos to interfere with his acquisition of the immortal herbs, he would have liked to teach Ning Rongrong a lesson.

Ning Rongrong choked on his words, unable to respond.

Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward at just the right moment and held out a room card.

"Teacher Li, I heard you were coming, so I booked a room for you."

Li Sen raised an eyebrow, feeling that Zhu Zhuqing was acting rather strangely.

Instead of going to Shrek Academy to cultivate alongside her fiancé and deal with the royal family's power struggles, she had attached herself to Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Even her habit of wearing leather clothes all year round in the original story had changed. She now wore a black dress.

As she spoke, the corners of her lips lifted in a faint smile, dispelling much of her aloofness.

Li Sen couldn't help reviewing their conversations over their few encounters.

She probably wants to become my disciple. I almost got carried away and thought she'd fallen for me.

As the saying went, you didn't strike someone who greeted you with a smile. Li Sen accepted the room card. "Thank you, Zhuqing."

With that, he put his arms around Li Xin and Li Yue and introduced them.

"Xiao San, these are your master's wives."

"Xiao Wu, you like going out to have fun. Take them with you from now on. I'll cover the expenses."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she promptly replied, "Don't worry, Teacher Li. I'm a professional when it comes to having fun!"

Tang San greeted them respectfully. "Greetings to both of you, Master's wives!"

Zhu Zhuqing said warmly, "Hello, Sister Xin, Sister Yue."

Li Xin and Li Yue were touched.

Ever since their parents had died and their grandfather had been gravely wounded, they had lived cautiously and rarely gone out.

Even when they occasionally met acquaintances, they felt isolated and inferior, until Li Sen appeared and became the only exception.

Now, feeling the respect and warmth from Tang San and the others, the two women's spirits recovered a little.

Knowing they had little to offer, they replied cautiously, "Hello. Please look after us from now on."

Feeling ignored, Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together and hurried away.