"Rongrong, I really did want to take a walk in the back garden. Finding it was just an accident."
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared.
What was the difference between lying in front of her and showing off support abilities in front of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?
"Fine, fine, it was an accident... So, what does it do?"
"Well..."
Wang Xiaoming's eyes darted about before he said to Ning Rongrong, "Rongrong, since you want to know so badly, do you dare come with me to the Soul Hunting Forest?"
The Soul Hunting Forest near Heaven Dou City and the royal hunting grounds both kept Soul Beasts under a thousand years old in captivity, mainly for people who had just awakened and for the amusement of noble children.
To Wang Xiaoming as he was now, they posed virtually no threat.
As far as safety went, the royal hunting grounds were actually safer.
But the Soul Hunting Forest had something he needed.
If he wanted to test the sword's abilities, that was the best place to go.
Of course, it would be even better if he ran into the red dot marked on the map.
If he could recover two portions of knight power in one day, his road to invincibility would officially begin.
"The Soul Hunting Forest?"
Ning Rongrong poked her cheek, somewhat hesitant.
After all, she had heard there were lots of Soul Beasts in a place like that.
Though she was interested in getting close to Soul Beasts too.
But Wang Xiaoming was the only person with her now, and she didn't have any support abilities yet...
What was she supposed to do?
"Y-you're sure your new ability is strong enough to protect me... right?"
After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked Wang Xiaoming the question that concerned her most.
"Don't worry, Rongrong. If we run into danger, run fast when I tell you to. I'll block all the danger."
Wang Xiaoming patted his chest and gave her his word.
If his basic form couldn't even beat a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, he would give the card straight to Yu Xiaogang and let it sit at the same table as Luo Sanpao!
He might as well start over himself.
Hearing Wang Xiaoming's promise put Ning Rongrong's heart at ease.
"Then you'd better protect me, or else... or else I'll ignore you."
"Rongrong, is it possible that if I can't protect you, we'll become a pair of ill-fated mandarin ducks headed for the Yellow Springs? You won't get the chance to ignore me then."
"Hmph, who wants to be your mandarin duck? Then I'll keep ignoring you in my next life."
Afterward, the two went to a business owned by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and found someone to apply to Spirit Hall for a permit to enter the Soul Hunting Forest.
It was best for the two of them to avoid showing their faces at Spirit Hall if they could.
Otherwise, someone who didn't know Ning Rongrong's identity but knew what she had done might come up and give her a beating.
Though the disciple was puzzled, this was an order from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's young miss, so she did as instructed.
The person who issued the permit was puzzled as well.
The deacon watched the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect member leave, a strange feeling in his heart.
"Someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect came here to apply for a Soul Hunting Forest permit. That's unusual..."
He shook his head and thought no more of it.
After all, their principle was to take the money and issue the permit; they had no obligation to ask questions.
Besides, hardly anyone would make a move against the Soul Hunting Forest.
There was nothing in there except a few Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.
Rather than risk being wanted by Spirit Hall, they might as well go to the outskirts of a wild Soul Beast forest.
Ning Rongrong soon received the Soul Hunting permit the disciple brought back.
"Well done. Thanks for your hard work."
"Young miss, it was no trouble... But should I find a few people to go with you?
"There's a Soul Ancestor at the shop who can be called on right now, and more than a dozen other low-level Soul Masters. They could keep you safe in the Soul Hunting Forest, young miss."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciple asked Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong waved her hand.
"No need. We have someone with us. Go back to work."
"This... all right."
The disciple hesitated briefly, then nodded in agreement.
Even so, he still planned to report that the young miss had gone to the Soul Hunting Forest.
It would be bad if this little ancestor had sneaked out again.
Ning Rongrong returned to the carriage and proudly showed Wang Xiaoming the token in her hand.
"Hehe, let's go! We've got the permit!"
"Rongrong, are you sure you don't want them to find someone to protect you?"
Wang Xiaoming looked at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciple gazing anxiously toward them from outside the carriage and asked.
That disciple was probably worrying about whether she might lose her head.
After all, she was the one who had handed Ning Rongrong the permit.
If anything happened to Ning Rongrong, she would have hell to pay, along with all eighteen generations of her ancestors.
"Hmph, I wonder who it was that said he could protect me. Don't tell me... you... can't... do it?"
Ning Rongrong deliberately drew out the last few words, putting extra emphasis on each one, her eyes full of doubt.
Wang Xiaoming: "???"
"!!!"
Although he hadn't fully developed yet, what man could stand being questioned like that by a little brat!?
He immediately welded the carriage door shut. Nobody was getting out!
The two raced straight to the Soul Hunting Forest in a cloud of dust.
At the sight of the towering iron gate and walls before them, Ning Rongrong grew a little frightened too. She clutched Wang Xiaoming's arm tightly, not daring to move a single step away from him.
This didn't look like a good place.
The forest inside was not only lush but densely packed. It was clearly daytime, yet the farther in she looked, the more eerie it became.
The Soul Hunting Forest guard frowned as he looked at the permit before him.
In principle, he had to let them through when shown a permit, but... he looked over the two children before him and patiently asked, "Little ones, where are your parents? It's dangerous for you to go in alone."
The clothes the two children wore were splendid, and at a glance they were clearly from some noble family.
They really gave people no peace of mind. Couldn't those swine... even keep an eye on their children? Giving them a Soul Hunting permit to play with like a toy was simply outrageous!
Hearing that, Wang Xiaoming instantly put on a sorrowful face and looked at the guard as though he were about to cry.
"Uncle, I'm an orphan. I don't have parents, so I can only go in by myself... Can I not go in just because I don't have parents?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes darted about, and she joined Wang Xiaoming in crying.
"Big brother, we're so pitiful! We can't even go into the Soul Hunting Forest without parents!! Boohoohoo..."
Ning Fengzhi: "Achoo!!!"
The guard panicked at once.
He had actually asked two orphans where their parents were.
He deserved to die!
What was more, the crying had drawn the attention of the people nearby, who had all begun pointing and whispering.