They walked into the Meeting Hall.
There, they saw Ning Fengzhi sitting on the sofa in a daze.
Although he was still dressed in white, his bearing refined and elegant, for some reason, Ning Xuan sensed a profound weariness seeping out from his very bones.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Ning Xuan asked with concern.
"Sect Master, has something else happened?"
Chen Xin also frowned slightly. Sitting down opposite the sofa, he couldn't help asking.
"Xiao Xuan, Uncle Jian, you're back?"
Looking at the two of them, Ning Fengzhi's smile grew a little more weary.
Before the sect's clansmen just now, he had still needed to display the composure and dignity of a sect master. Only before those closest to him could he reveal a little of it.
Ning Xuan's heart lurched, and he hurriedly asked,
"What happened?"
"See for yourselves!"
Ning Fengzhi helplessly handed the slip of paper to them and said,
"This is something I found in Rongrong's room after she disappeared."
There were only a few words on the slip. A single glance was enough for both of them to take it all in.
"Outrageous!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin's expression immediately darkened.
"How can a little girl like her meddle in the sect's major affairs?"
He said this not because Ning Rongrong was female, but because she had truly disappointed them far too much lately. They felt she was very immature.
"Dad, do we have any leads on her whereabouts?"
Ning Xuan no longer even wanted to say the name "Rongrong."
At some point, his younger sister, who had originally been merely a little spoiled and willful, had drifted further and further away from them, becoming increasingly unfamiliar.
"No leads yet."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head.
"I've already had people spread the word. They're to report back immediately if they find any clues."
"I'm not all that worried about her."
Ning Xuan's expression cooled slightly, his gaze returning to the slip of paper.
"What concerns me is what exactly she intends to do."
[Dad, I won't let you keep going down the wrong path.]
What wrong path?
What had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect done wrong?
Perhaps he could work out what Ning Rongrong intended to do from this?
"Sect Master, did you argue with Rongrong again?"
Chen Xin noticed Ning Xuan's gaze as well and couldn't help asking.
Ning Fengzhi hesitated slightly, weighing his words.
"We didn't argue. He merely expressed dissatisfaction with what I was doing."
"Sect Master, tell us, what exactly happened?"
Chen Xin hurriedly pressed him.
He still cared deeply about Ning Rongrong and feared something might have happened to her.
"I ordered our people to cut off commercial cooperation with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Ning Fengzhi said in a low voice,
"Their clan raised a shameless, lowly daughter like that, nearly bringing disgrace upon the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I see nothing wrong with doing this."
Ning Xuan froze.
Then warmth flowed through his heart.
No matter how high-sounding Ning Fengzhi's words were, Ning Xuan believed that, at heart, he was venting his anger on Ning Xuan's behalf.
Still, this idea happened to coincide with his own.
"Then, Sect Master, have you sent anyone to those branches? Is there any news of Rongrong?"
Chen Xin asked again.
"No."
"They reported back that Rongrong hadn't gone there to deliberately interfere with them. They also said they would follow only my orders. Even if Rongrong went there, they wouldn't waver."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head as he spoke.
"Then where could Rongrong have gone?"
Chen Xin slapped his thigh, disappointment immediately rising within him, though his anxiety was greater still.
He had originally thought this was merely a little girl running away in a fit of anger.
He hadn't expected sect affairs to be entangled in it as well, leaving his brow furrowed with worry.
→
But Ning Xuan noticed that Ning Fengzhi seemed to be holding something back.
"Dad, what else are you keeping from us?"
Hearing this, Chen Xin hurriedly turned toward him again.
"Sect Master, if there's anything else, tell us!"
"I don't think she'd go that far."
Ning Fengzhi's gaze dimmed.
"Rongrong wouldn't fail to distinguish right from wrong on something like this, something that concerns the sect's survival and honor."
Ning Fengzhi spoke in a low voice.
But he was clearly somewhat lacking in confidence.
"Dad, what exactly is it? How does it involve the sect's survival and honor?"
Ning Xuan could hear that something wasn't quite right in his words.
The sect's survival and honor?
That serious?
"I sent Uncle Bone to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Ning Fengzhi said,
"I told him to charge straight into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and launch a surprise slaughter after Yu Yuanzhen brought his people here to return the betrothal gifts, then come back."
Ning Xuan immediately drew in a sharp breath.
The way he looked at Ning Fengzhi began to change as well.
He had always thought Ning Fengzhi revered Confucian principles and was indecisive. He hadn't expected thunderous methods beneath that gentle spring breeze and nurturing rain.
He himself had only wanted to sever ties with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Ning Fengzhi had gone further.
He had simply sent someone to cut his way into their clan.
Sensing his gaze, Ning Fengzhi glanced at him and began instructing him in a slightly lowered voice.
"Xiao Xuan, remember this."
"When you become a sect master in the future, you cannot rely solely on a policy of appeasement. You must also have methods that make people fear you."
"I understand."
Ning Xuan acknowledged the lesson.
No wonder the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had continued to flourish.
"No wonder I haven't seen Old Bone all this time since returning. So he went to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Chen Xin, however, was not surprised at all.
Clearly, as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's foremost enforcer, he had done no shortage of such things himself.
"But what does this have to do with Rongrong?"
Chen Xin asked again.
Ning Fengzhi's voice was heavy.
"Rongrong overheard it."
"But I'm certain Rongrong can still weigh the pros and cons on matters like this."
"Yes, I think so too."
Chen Xin nodded in agreement as well.
"Old Bone dotes on Rongrong more than anyone. Rongrong should know where to draw the line."
Only Ning Xuan questioned this judgment.
But looking at the two elders, he could only raise his guard inwardly.
"Still, even if she probably wouldn't do anything to harm the clan's interests, I think we should have the branch in Blue Lightning City keep an eye out. What if they really do get news of her?"
"Xiao Xuan."
Ning Fengzhi's expression turned ugly. He raised his head and stared into Ning Xuan's eyes, his voice growing more forceful despite himself.
"You need to trust your sister."
Ning Xuan met his gaze and, after a long silence, could only nod helplessly.
But it was at that very moment.
Hurried footsteps sounded outside the Meeting Hall. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect clansman from earlier had returned.
"Sect Master, we have news of Miss Rongrong."
"Where is she? Tell her to come back at once."
Ning Fengzhi's expression brightened, and he hurriedly spoke.
"In Blue Lightning City."
The clansman reported,
"The Seven Treasure Branch in Blue Lightning City sent word that the little princess was spotted near Blue Lightning City. But judging by her direction, she seemed to be heading for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Boom-
All three of their expressions changed at once.
"Dad, how long ago did Grandpa Bone leave?"
Ning Xuan whipped his head around and asked.