Since Ning Rongrong had not eaten that morning, the three went straight to a restaurant. Ning Rongrong showed no restraint in ordering a pile of her favorite dishes, and then they began chatting.
"Jun Yi, do you think there's any point in us staying at Shrek Academy?" Ning Rongrong asked, propping her chin in both hands and tilting her head slightly.
"After the way you spoke to the dean just now, I don't think you want to stay here at all. You deliberately seized on an excuse to make a scene, didn't you? With your current stamina, you could hold out even if you ran ten laps around Suotuo City. I think you did it on purpose."
Jun Yi shook his head helplessly, then sighed.
Ning Rongrong chuckled. "You really do know me best. I did do it on purpose. This academy's basic facilities are just too poor. They're even worse than a junior soul master academy's. When we walked around yesterday, I didn't even see a Mimicry Cultivation Environment. Staying at an academy like this is a waste of time."
"Well, you've had your fun, but what about me? How am I supposed to explain this to Uncle Ning?" Jun Yi replied.
"Oh, give me a break. I figured out ages ago that you didn't want to stay here. Don't think I don't know. If I hadn't insisted on keeping you here, you'd have wanted to go straight back to Heaven Dou City."
Ning Rongrong gave Jun Yi a disdainful look as she spoke.
"Uh, Rongrong really does know me best. The conditions here really are rather poor. They don't even have the most basic facilities. I don't even have anywhere to forge Soul Tools," Jun Yi replied with a smile.
He had never intended to stay at Shrek Academy for long in the first place. When Ning Rongrong decided to keep him there, Jun Yi had already made his plans: once Ning Rongrong had fully integrated into the Shrek Seven Devils, he would find an opening and slip away. After all, Shrek Academy had nothing whatsoever. Staying there was purely a waste of time. He had a system, after all, so there was no need to follow the protagonist's storyline.
"Big Brother Jun, you can forge Soul Tools too?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.
"Mhm! Jun Yi is amazing. All the Soul Tools I'm using now were made by him. You could say that he's the only person on the entire Douluo Continent capable of making Level 4 Soul Tools," Ning Rongrong cut in.
"Soul Tools have levels too?"
"Of course! Let me teach you about them!"
Assuming the air of a teacher, Ning Rongrong took paper money out of her Soul Tool, then gave Zhu Zhuqing a proper-looking introduction to the various Soul Tools and their classifications, explaining everything clearly.
"So that's how it works. There's so much to learn about Soul Tools. I've really broadened my horizons today," Zhu Zhuqing remarked after listening to Ning Rongrong's explanation.
"Of course! I'll have Jun Yi give you a set of Level 4 Soul Tools for self-defense later. That way, you won't have to be afraid even if a Soul King comes."
With that, Ning Rongrong turned to Jun Yi and held out her right hand. "Do you have any spare Soul Tools? Hand them over so I can give them to Zhu Zhuqing."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly declined. "There's no need, Rongrong. Really, there's no need."
Jun Yi took several Soul Tools out of his ring and placed them on the table. "I happen to have a few, but there aren't any close-combat weapons suited to Miss Zhu Zhuqing. Once we find our next academy, I'll make some specifically for her."
With that, Jun Yi handed Zhu Zhuqing a Soul Tool Pistol, a Defensive Soul Tool, a Soul Tool Thruster, and other relatively common Soul Tools.
The dazzling array of Soul Tools before her sent waves of warmth through Zhu Zhuqing's heart. It had been so long since she had felt such warmth. In her memories, it seemed that only her mother had ever given her such warmth when she was little.
"Thank you, Big Brother Jun Yi, Rongrong," Zhu Zhuqing said, looking at them gratefully as her voice choked up.
"What are you being so polite for? We're close sisters. It's only right that we look after each other, isn't it?" Ning Rongrong took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and gave her a kind smile.
"Mhm," Jun Yi chimed in from the side.
Zhu Zhuqing looked gratefully at the two before her, marveling at how lucky she was. They had saved her when she was being hunted down, stood up for her when they saw her fiancé cheating on her, and now they were even giving her Soul Tools. Everything felt far too fantastical, as though she were dreaming.
Seeing that all the dishes had arrived, Ning Rongrong said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Mm, I'm so hungry. All right, Zhu Zhuqing, let's eat first. Once we're done, we'll go back to the academy, pack our things, and leave that lousy academy together."
"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then began eating with a smile.
Jun Yi and Zhu Zhuqing barely ate much at all. Ning Rongrong polished off most of the food by herself. After all, she had gotten up that morning to exercise and had eaten only a single egg and nothing else, so she ate a little more.
Seeing that the food had been all but wiped out, Ning Rongrong slumped in her chair and patted her bulging little belly. "Proper food really does taste better."
"Indeed. Even Young Lady Ning isn't being picky anymore. Back when we ate at the sect, I remember you only eating a tiny bit. This is the first time I've seen you eat so much," Jun Yi quipped.
"There's something to be said for remembering bitterness to savor sweetness," Ning Rongrong replied.
Jun Yi stared at Ning Rongrong curiously and asked, "Oh, give me a break. You said we'd pack up and leave the academy in a bit, so let me ask you: where are we going after we leave Shrek? Have you thought about that?"
"I haven't decided yet. Do you have any suggestions?"
"I knew you wouldn't know where to go," Jun Yi quipped again.
Jun Yi turned to Zhu Zhuqing and asked, "Miss Zhu Zhuqing, would you like to leave Shrek Academy with us? Though I don't know what Shrek Academy's standard of teaching is like, its basic facilities fall quite a bit short of an ordinary advanced soul master academy's."
"I... Dai Mubai and I..."
Zhu Zhuqing's expression was clearly conflicted.
"Don't agonize over that lecherous tiger of a coward, Zhu Zhuqing. If he or anyone from your family wants to use your engagement to restrict your freedom, ask whether my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect agrees first!"
Ning Rongrong comforted Zhu Zhuqing with the air of someone calling the shots.
After hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Zhu Zhuqing said firmly, "I choose to go with you!"
"Yay! We sisters will stay together from now on."
Jun Yi thought as he spoke beside them. "In that case, we won't go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Only nobles can attend that place, after all, so we'll rule it out. As for the Four Great Elemental Academies, they're a pretty good choice."
"As for which one... Hmm, it's decided. We're going to Skywater Academy." Looking as though he had made up his mind, Jun Yi spoke earnestly to the two girls.
(End of chapter)