The three of them headed toward Suotuo City.
It was still early.
Official soul fighting had yet to begin at the Soul Fighting Arena.
Ning Rongrong, who had originally been thinking about cultivating hard, threw the matter completely to the back of her mind the moment she entered Suotuo City, entirely forgetting what she had said.
She grabbed Zhu Zhuqing and started shopping.
"We just need to sign up for soul fighting!"
"Let's spend the rest of the time buying clothes!"
"We've got nothing else to do anyway."
Ning Rongrong spoke with perfect confidence.
Neither of them could find a way to argue.
They could only follow her around the various clothing shops.
Zhu Zhuqing grew tired of browsing.
She had little interest in clothes to begin with, and her taste often differed greatly from Ning Rongrong's. They could never pick out the same things, so after browsing halfheartedly for a while, she began looking for an excuse.
"I'm going to see whether the whale rubber has arrived."
"Lu Ning had someone prepare a batch of whale rubber a while ago."
Zhu Zhuqing's words made Ning Rongrong turn her head away, her earlobes scarlet. She had indeed tasted the benefits of whale rubber, but she still could not face how she had behaved that night. The things she had cried out made her seem like an entirely different person from her usual self.
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing mention whale rubber again, she did not stop her, but said quietly, "Go ahead, then. We'll wait here."
"Be quick. We still have to go to the Soto Great Soul Arena later."
Lu Ning froze slightly.
He had been planning to follow Zhu Zhuqing's lead.
And leave with her.
Zhu Zhuqing had little interest in Ning Rongrong's clothes shopping.
He had even less.
No matter how beautiful the clothes were, they could not compare to the body's original appearance.
"I'll go get some wine."
"Browse on your own. We'll meet at the Great Soul Arena later."
The moment Lu Ning spoke, Ning Rongrong shot him a glare. "What's the point of shopping all by myself? Stay with me. At least help me see whether the clothes look good on!"
Lu Ning conceded defeat and could only watch Zhu Zhuqing leave.
After Zhu Zhuqing left.
Ning Rongrong's earlier embarrassment vanished completely.
Her face grew even more excited.
She wandered between the counters, occasionally picking up a garment and asking Lu Ning whether it looked good.
"This one's a little too brightly colored. I don't think it really suits you."
"This one... I don't think you can fill it out. It's a little saggy. You need to understand your own capabilities. Don't reach for things that don't belong to you."
"This skirt is pretty short. You can pull it off, but are you sure you want to wear it?"
Lu Ning commented on the clothes Ning Rongrong kept picking out.
Her breasts were indeed a little smaller than Zhu Zhuqing's.
Clothes that relied on the bust to hold their shape really were a challenge for her.
Holding the garment Lu Ning had critiqued, Ning Rongrong protested, "Small?! That never stopped you from touching them!"
"I'll try this one."
Despite her words, Ning Rongrong still put down the garment in her hands.
She picked up the teal skirt with the relatively short hem and headed toward the fitting room.
Lu Ning spread his hands.
That garment really was a little short.
If Ning Rongrong wore it out.
She would expose herself.
But if she insisted, there was nothing Lu Ning could do to dissuade her. He could only wonder whether the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a slight inclination that way.
Ning Rongrong stayed in the fitting room for a long time without coming out.
Only when Lu Ning approached.
Did he hear Ning Rongrong calling him.
"Lu Ning!"
"Wait, help me take a look. This skirt really does seem a little..."
Ning Rongrong's voice came from inside the fitting room.
Lu Ning moved closer.
Ning Rongrong lifted a corner of the curtain.
Her face had grown even redder, like a shrimp cooked scarlet, and she hardly dared look at Lu Ning.
"You want me to take a look?"
Lu Ning asked to confirm.
Ning Rongrong nodded and moved aside.
The curtain lifted.
Lu Ning stepped straight inside.
The fitting room was dimly lit.
Ning Rongrong stood in the corner facing Lu Ning. The pale teal skirt really was rather short-so short that he could almost read her lower lips from the front. It barely covered anything at all.
Seeing where Lu Ning was looking.
Ning Rongrong tugged the hem down.
But that tug exposed the snowy whiteness of her upper body instead, accomplishing nothing.
It was merely tearing down the eastern wall to patch the western one.
Ning Rongrong blushed.
Forcing down her embarrassment, she turned in a circle.
Lu Ning took in her entire figure. He took back what he had said earlier. This tantalizingly half-hidden look was true beauty!
"A pink-and-white little bear pattern?"
Lu Ning could not help blurting out.
Ning Rongrong dropped her hands, her beautiful eyes glaring at Lu Ning.
"I told you to look at the skirt!"
"What exactly are you looking at?!"
At her shout, Lu Ning gave two light coughs and withdrew his gaze. What's so interesting about a skirt? Of course I'm going to look at something better.
"Yes, it looks lovely."
"But the skirt is a little too short."
"I wouldn't recommend buying it."
Ning Rongrong planted her hands on her hips, no longer bothering to cover herself at all, and pushed Lu Ning straight toward the fitting room exit.
"I'm buying it!"
"The more you tell me not to, the more I'm going to buy it!"
Lu Ning was pushed outside.
There really was nothing to say to such a rebellious little girl.
He let her have her way.
A short while later.
Ning Rongrong changed back into her original pink dress and carried the garment over to the counter to pay.
Lu Ning stopped trying to dissuade her.
He was merely curious about what she intended to do with it.
She clearly could not wear it outside.
No matter how contrary Ning Rongrong was, she could not possibly go out in something that showed such complete disregard for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's image.
"Let's go."
"Let's meet up with Zhu Zhuqing at the Great Soul Arena."
Clutching the bag containing the teal skirt tightly, Ning Rongrong raised her swanlike, snowy-white neck and spoke to Lu Ning.
When the two arrived outside the Soto Great Soul Arena.
Zhu Zhuqing was already waiting there.
She held two freshly delivered pieces of whale rubber. Lu Ning gave them a quick inspection. Both were genuine, but their ages were relatively ordinary. Both had only just reached a thousand years, so their value was limited.
"I slipped the Soto Great Soul Arena's staff some money."
"And had them arrange for me to face Tang San in a one-on-one match tonight."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the Soto Great Soul Arena's signboard and spoke calmly.
Her goal tonight was simple.
To encounter Tang San in the Great Soul Arena, then...
Defeat him!
"They actually agreed to that?"
"Aren't the people at the Soto Great Soul Arena supposed to handle everything impartially?"
"Wouldn't this... already count as suspected match-fixing?"
Ning Rongrong asked in puzzlement.
Zhu Zhuqing's tone remained even. "It is a little suspicious, so I slipped them thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins. The bets in the entire pool don't exceed five thousand Gold Soul Coins, and they'll pay particular attention to screening any large bets placed next."
"We won't be able to make money through betting."
"So they don't care."
"After all, they're in business to make money. Who cares where the money comes from?"
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong immediately understood what Zhu Zhuqing meant.
Zhu Zhuqing would rather lose money just to give Tang San a beating.
"Isn't that an awful waste of money?"
"I don't think Tang San is worth anywhere near that much."
Ning Rongrong said.
Before you continue