Chen Xin coughed softly twice and quickly realized what Ning Rongrong was planning.
"Well, Rongrong... go easy in a moment. There are other people in the main hall."
"Don't worry, Grandpa Sword. I know."
Ning Rongrong pretended to nod as she promised him.
Hmph, other people? The more people, the better!
While still in the air, Ning Rongrong began thinking of sad things and pinched the insides of her arms twice, forcing herself to cry.
After landing, Ning Rongrong charged straight into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's main hall.
Inside, Ning Fengzhi was listening to reports from the others.
But just then, a dark blur shot in from outside and slammed into Ning Fengzhi's lower leg like a little cannonball.
"Waaah! Daddy! I'm sorry! I made you all worry!!"
The people in the hall looked at one another at the sight.
The Little Demoness is back already? Sword Douluo is really too efficient.
Standing outside the hall, Chen Xin heard Ning Rongrong's full-throated cries as well.
He didn't even know whether he should go inside.
Ning Fengzhi coughed softly twice and waved the others away.
Once everyone had left, he put on a stern face and was just about to scold Ning Rongrong.
But she quickly said, "Daddy, I was wrong. I won't dare do it again... But Xiaoming also successfully absorbed a seven-hundred-year-old Soul Ring!"
Hearing that, Gu Rong raised an eyebrow with some disdain.
Only a seven-hundred-year-old Soul Ring...
He had just been about to mock it in his mind when he quickly came to his senses.
Wait, wasn't that kid only getting his First Soul Ring? Seven hundred years!?
Ning Fengzhi also forgot about scolding Ning Rongrong when he heard that. He asked gravely, "Rongrong, you can't make things like this up. Are you sure it was a seven-hundred-year-old Soul Ring?"
Ning Rongrong nodded as vigorously as a pestle pounding garlic.
"Of course! How could I make something like that up? Grandpa Sword saw it too!"
Just then, Chen Xin walked in. Faced with Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong's skeptical gazes, he gave a soft hum and stood a short distance away with his hands behind his back.
"Rongrong isn't lying. That kid did absorb an Iron Armored Rhinoceros that was around seven hundred and seventy years old... And he defeated it on his own and even awakened twin Soul Skills."
The first half of his statement had given the two men a pleasant surprise, but when they heard the second half, they found it inexplicably absurd.
Even Ning Fengzhi, who trusted Sword Douluo so much, couldn't help suspecting that he was playing along with Ning Rongrong to keep her from being scolded. How could anyone awaken twin Soul Skills?
Gu Rong folded his arms and looked at Chen Xin with outright suspicion.
"Old Sword Bastard, did you drink too much?
That kid with no Soul Skills took our Rongrong into the Soul Hunting Forest and beat a seven-hundred-year-old Iron Armored Rhinoceros by himself? And he has twin Soul Skills?!
Don't tell me your ears and eyes are failing you, and you dreamed it all up?"
Leaving everything else aside, the two of them had seen his inexplicable ability to control and copy Martial Souls.
Surely the kid hadn't thrown the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and smashed an Iron Armored Rhinoceros to death with it?
Chen Xin frowned and was just about to speak.
But Ning Rongrong objected first. She planted her hands on her hips and glared indignantly at Gu Rong.
"Grandpa Bone, how can you say that? You have no idea how hard Xiaoming works. Is it so hard to admit that someone else is outstanding?
If you keep talking like that, I won't pay any attention to you anymore!"
"This... Rongrong, Grandpa just thinks it's a little too hard to believe. Grandpa was wrong. I apologize, all right?"
The moment Ning Rongrong spoke, Gu Rong wilted.
He hurriedly bent over to coax her, but Ning Rongrong snorted and turned her head away, looking as though she wanted nothing to do with him.
Inside, however, her heart was blooming with joy.
Xiaoming was right! No one really cares that I went out on an adventure anymore!
Chen Xin seized the opportunity and began laying into Gu Rong.
"Old Bones, your knowledge is as thin as your hair. Rongrong is right. Is it really so hard to admit someone else is outstanding? That kid is a true genius."
Gu Rong's face twitched at his words.
Why is that Sword Bastard so confident today? Could everything they said be true?
Was he the clown?
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand and used his Soul Power to close the doors. Then he looked at Chen Xin gravely and spoke.
"Uncle Jian, this is a matter of great importance. Tell me everything carefully, from beginning to end."
"I'll tell it! I'll tell it!"
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong hurriedly raised her hand.
This was her chance to earn some credit!
So she began with how she had cleverly gotten a member of the sect to borrow an authorization token... She told the story vividly, leaving out none of the details.
After listening, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong fell silent together.
Although Ning Rongrong had told it well and in full, the events sounded like a coincidence that could never be repeated. How had he done it?
Seeing Gu Rong at a loss for words, Chen Xin smiled with satisfaction.
Still... Wang Xiaoming might have seemed like a good person, but coming up with a trick like that to help Rongrong escape responsibility showed that he was a little devil too.
"Achoo!"
Wang Xiaoming was sitting on his bed meditating when he inexplicably sneezed.
"Could it be that Little Rongrong is talking about me?"
At that thought, he used the Diendriver to summon 'Ning Rongrong' and had her massage his legs.
Watching Ning Rongrong massage his legs, he finally felt reassured.
"But I've almost used up all the Whale Rubber at home. I'll have to buy some more tomorrow. Rongrong will probably reach level ten soon, so I need to get her share ready too..."
He stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself.
The next day, Wang Xiaoming got up early and headed straight for an apothecary in the west of Heaven Dou City.
After all, he was a regular there, and he had bought all his Whale Rubber through the proprietor's sources. Naturally, he needed to give the shop plenty of business.
He had gotten up early only because the shop was so busy.
That hall master was known in Heaven Dou City for having miraculous healing hands.
If he didn't go early, he might have to wait in line just to get medicine.
Wang Xiaoming stood before a shop called the Heart Sea Hall.
The name sounded nothing like an apothecary; it sounded more like a place that sold luxury goods.
Its location was somewhat out of the way, though, and most people who found their way there had been referred by acquaintances.
Back then, Wang Xiaoming had come here to buy Whale Rubber because he saw how small the place was and assumed it wasn't very reputable and wouldn't stop a child like him from buying it.
He stepped inside, and the scent of medicinal herbs washed over him.
Strangely, though, there was hardly anyone in the hall today.