After Ning Rongrong arrived, the entire ecosystem of Nuoding Academy's back mountain changed.
It had once been a relatively balanced little world: Yi Yun lounged around, Xiao Wu gnawed on carrots, Zhu Zhuqing cultivated, and Tang San practiced pole vaulting.
Now that balance had been broken.
Because Ning Rongrong was like a colorful cannonball, blasting away wherever she went and leaving no one in peace.
Dawn was only just breaking, and Yi Yun was still asleep.
He lived in a small, detached hut the academy had specially arranged for him. It was simple, but its peace and quiet made up for that.
Today, however, that peace was shattered.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The pounding on the door was deafening, and the entire hut shook.
"Brother Yun! Get up! Brother Yun!"
It was Ning Rongrong's voice.
Yi Yun rolled over, pulled the blanket over his head, and pretended not to hear.
"Brother Yun! The sun's shining on your backside! Get up!"
Ning Rongrong's voice was so piercing it could deafen someone through the door.
Yi Yun continued playing dead.
"Brother Yun! If you don't open up, I'm going to ram the door!"
Bang!
The door burst open.
Ning Rongrong stood in the doorway, still holding the Glazed Staff Yi Yun had enhanced, a brilliant smile on her face.
"Good morning, Brother Yun!"
Yi Yun poked his head out from under the blanket, his hair a bird's nest, his eyes half-closed, and his face that of a man with nothing left to live for.
"Ning Rongrong, what time is it?"
"The sun just came up!"
"Why are you knocking on my door when the sun's only just come up?"
"I came to have breakfast with you!"
"I don't eat breakfast."
"Skipping breakfast is bad for you! Get up!"
Ning Rongrong walked over and reached to pull off Yi Yun's blanket.
Yi Yun reacted swiftly, pinning it down.
"Don't! I'm not wearing anything!"
"So what? You're my master. What's wrong with taking a look?"
"What do you mean, what's wrong with taking a look? Don't you understand that men and women are different?"
"There's no distinction between men and women when it comes to masters and disciples!"
Yi Yun: "..."
He realized he had met his match.
Back when he was messing with Tang San, he had been the one giving people headaches.
Now that Ning Rongrong was here, he was the one with a headache.
Was this retribution?
"Fine, fine. Go outside so I can get dressed," Yi Yun said helplessly.
"Hurry up, then. I'll wait outside." Ning Rongrong skipped out.
Yi Yun sat up in bed and rubbed his temples.
"This little girl is even harder to deal with than Xiao Wu."
The five of them sat together in the dining hall.
Yi Yun sat in the middle, with Xiao Wu on his left, Zhu Zhuqing on his right, and Tang San across from him.
But Ning Rongrong refused to sit across from him. She fetched a chair and squeezed herself right between Yi Yun and Xiao Wu.
"Brother Yun, have some soy milk." Ning Rongrong pushed a bowl of soy milk in front of Yi Yun.
"Brother Yun, have some stuffed buns." Ning Rongrong thrust two buns into Yi Yun's hands.
"Brother Yun, try these pickled vegetables. They're delicious." Ning Rongrong placed another chopstickful of pickled vegetables into Yi Yun's bowl.
Yi Yun looked at the food piled into a little mountain before him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Ning Rongrong, aren't you going to eat?"
"Just watching you eat fills me up."
"..."
Xiao Wu sat beside them, squeezing the carrot in her hand until it creaked.
"Ning Rongrong, could you stop being so mushy?" Xiao Wu said through gritted teeth.
"Mushy? I think it's perfectly fine." Ning Rongrong blinked innocently.
"Stay away from Brother Yun!"
"Why should I? I like being close to Brother Yun."
"You!"
Xiao Wu's face flushed with anger.
Zhu Zhuqing sat across from them, quietly drinking her porridge without a word.
But she drank much faster than usual, as though she were venting something through her porridge.
Tang San sat in the farthest corner, with a bowl of plain porridge and a steamed bun before him.
He looked at the mountain of food in front of Yi Yun, then at the thin, watery porridge in his own bowl, and sighed silently.
He suddenly felt that his standing in this group had fallen below even the food.
At least people fought to serve the food.
He, on the other hand, didn't even have anyone to serve him a dish.
After breakfast, Ning Rongrong followed Yi Yun to the training ground.
"Brother Yun, when will you teach me martial arts?" Ning Rongrong tugged on Yi Yun's sleeve, her eyes sparkling.
"Teach you what?"
"Anything. As long as you're teaching me, I'll learn it."
Yi Yun thought for a moment, then pointed at Tang San, who was doing radio calisthenics on the training ground.
"Learn radio calisthenics from him first."
Ning Rongrong took one look at Tang San's contorted posture, and her face fell.
"No! That looks so ugly!"
"Those are the basics. You can't learn advanced techniques without learning the basics."
"Then teach me yourself, Brother Yun, pleeease!"
Ning Rongrong tugged Yi Yun's sleeve back and forth, her voice sweet enough to drip honey.
The shaking made Yi Yun dizzy.
"All right, all right. I'll teach you."
"Really?"
"Really, but on one condition."
"What condition?"
"You have to call me Handsome Master."
Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then smiled.
"Handsome Master!"
"Say it again."
"Handsome Master, Handsome Master, Handsome Master!"
Ning Rongrong called out more enthusiastically than anyone, her voice loud enough to carry across the entire training ground.
Hearing those words as he did his exercises, Tang San nearly dropped the pole in his hands.
He turned to see Ning Rongrong tugging Yi Yun's sleeve, her smile blooming like a flower.
The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched.
Here we go again.
When Zhu Zhuqing came, she called him Brother Yun.
Now Ning Rongrong was here, calling him Handsome Master.
Each one mushier than the last.
Each one more ridiculous than the last.
Tang San took a deep breath, turned away, and continued his exercises.
"One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four; three, two, three, four; four, two, three, four..."
He had already learned to keep his heart calm amid chaos.
That was the skill he had developed after being messed with by Yi Yun countless times.
"Handsome Master, what are we learning first?" Ning Rongrong stood before Yi Yun, eager to try.
"Standing Stake first."
"Standing Stake? What's that?"
"You stand there without moving."
Ning Rongrong blinked. "That simple?"
"Simple?" Yi Yun laughed. "Try standing for two hours first."
Half-convinced, Ning Rongrong took her stance, arms hanging naturally at her sides, feet shoulder-width apart, and eyes facing forward.
"Just like this?"
"Just like that. For two hours, no moving, no talking, and no eating."
"Two hours? That's too long."
"Long? I usually stand for an entire day."
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again when she saw Yi Yun's serious expression.
"All right. I'll stand."
Time ticked by, second by second.
After one incense stick's worth of time, Ning Rongrong's legs began to ache.
After two incense sticks' worth of time, her legs began to tremble.
After three incense sticks' worth of time, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
But she gritted her teeth and did not move.
Yi Yun lay on the grass beside her with one leg crossed over the other, watching Ning Rongrong practice Standing Stake and nodding inwardly.
Though this little girl had been pampered all her life, she had a refusal to admit defeat in her bones.
In that respect, she was quite like Tang San.
"Handsome Master... how much longer...?" Even Ning Rongrong's voice was trembling.
"It's only been an hour."
"Only an hour? It feels like a year."
"Hold on. This is only the beginning."
Ning Rongrong bit her lip and kept going.
Another incense stick's worth of time passed, and her legs were shaking like grain in a sieve.
But she still did not move.
Watching from the side, Xiao Wu couldn't help saying, "Brother Yun, she can barely hold on."
"That's how it should be," Yi Yun said. "When you can barely hold on, that's when you improve."
Xiao Wu nodded, only half understanding.
Sitting beneath a tree, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes and watched Ning Rongrong's trembling legs, a flicker of admiration crossing her gaze.
This little princess could endure more hardship than she had imagined.
At last, two hours were up.
"Time's up," Yi Yun said.
Ning Rongrong's legs gave way, and she collapsed into a sitting position on the ground.
"I'm exhausted..." Ning Rongrong gasped for breath, sweat soaking even her golden hair.
"How do you feel?" Yi Yun walked over and handed her a towel.
"My legs don't feel like mine anymore." Ning Rongrong took the towel and wiped the sweat from her face.
"We'll continue tomorrow."
"Again tomorrow?"
"Yes. Standing Stake is fundamental. You have to practice every day."
Ning Rongrong's face fell, but she soon rallied.
"Fine. I'll endure it to get stronger."
Yi Yun smiled at Ning Rongrong's stubborn expression.
"Not bad. You have promise."
"Of course I do. I'm Handsome Master's disciple!" Ning Rongrong lifted her chin proudly.
That evening, Tang San was still practicing pole vaulting, Ning Rongrong was practicing Standing Stake, and Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing watched from the side.
Yi Yun lay on the grass, watching the clouds in the sky.
It had been another peaceful day.
Although Ning Rongrong was a handful, her arrival had brought quite a bit of life to their little group.
Besides, Ning Rongrong's support abilities would be of great use in the future.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the world's greatest support Martial Soul, could greatly enhance her teammates' various abilities.
Although Ning Rongrong was only level forty-two at present, her potential was limitless.
"Brother Yun!" Ning Rongrong suddenly ran over, interrupting Yi Yun's thoughts.
"What is it?"
"I've finished my stance training. Can I rest now?"
"Yes. Go eat."
"Then carry me to the dining hall, handsome master."
"...Don't you have legs of your own?"
"My legs are done for. I can't walk anymore."
Ning Rongrong looked pitifully at Yi Yun, her big eyes brimming with tears.
Yi Yun sighed and crouched down.
"Hop on."
Ning Rongrong cheered and jumped onto Yi Yun's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Handsome master is the best."
Xiao Wu watched from the side, crushing yet another carrot in her hand.
Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Tang San stood in the distance, silently watching the scene, then silently turned around and continued practicing his pole vaulting.
He was used to it by now.
Really used to it.
In the dining hall, Ning Rongrong sat beside Yi Yun, even closer than she had at lunch, practically pressing her entire body against him.
"Handsome master, eat this."
"Handsome master, drink this."
"Handsome master, try that."
Xiao Wu's face could not have grown any darker.
"Ning Rongrong, could you move a little farther away from Brother Yun?" Xiao Wu said through gritted teeth.
"No," Ning Rongrong said with complete assurance.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm his disciple. A disciple should stay close to her master."
"But that's too close!"
"Is it? I think it's fine."
Too angry to speak, Xiao Wu turned to Yi Yun.
"Brother Yun, say something!"
Yi Yun was eating the braised pork Ning Rongrong had put in his bowl and said indistinctly, "Say what?"
"Tell her to move farther away from you!"
"Why should she move farther away? It's not like she bit me."
"You!"
Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks in anger, like an inflated pufferfish.
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