Senior Brother, I want~

Ning Rongrong saw the person coming down the stairs clearly and shot to her feet, the hem of her pink dress swaying slightly with the motion.

"Why couldn't it be me?"

Ning Liu slowly descended the last step and stopped in front of her. With his advantage in height, he could look down at her slightly.

"You see your senior brother, and this is your attitude?"

"Senior brother?"

Ning Rongrong curled her lip and muttered under her breath.

But looking at Ning Liu's half-smiling expression, and then at the surrounding attendants standing silent as cicadas in winter, she eventually reined in a bit of her young lady's temper.

Her eyes rolled, and a sweet smile suddenly bloomed on her face. Even her voice turned coy and charming.

"Hehe, Senior Brother Ning Liu!"

That "Senior Brother" was drawn out with all sorts of twists and turns, carrying a touch of mischievous cleverness.

Ning Liu raised an eyebrow.

"Mm. That's more like it."

He turned sideways and made an inviting gesture.

"The auction house is simple and crude. I've made Junior Sister suffer. Why not come sit in my Field Master's Office?"

Ning Rongrong sized him up for a moment, then nodded readily.

"Sure!"

She wanted to see what this fellow, who had still been the sect's laughingstock a few years ago, had managed to make of himself now.

The two of them walked upstairs one after the other.

Li An stood where he was, watching their backs disappear around the bend in the stairway, and secretly wiped the cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

The Field Master actually knew the Sect Master's youngest daughter?

From the looks of it, their relationship even seemed pretty good?

Thank goodness, thank goodness!

He let out a long breath, and his taut nerves finally relaxed.

The aura of that little grandaunt just now had almost scared his soul out of him.

He hurriedly turned around and barked at the attendants beside him who were still standing there in a daze.

"What are you all standing around for?!"

"Get back to work!"

"You, contact the auction house at the Fasinuo Province branch and confirm what items from their next batch can be handed over to us!"

"You, go to the Hundred Refinements Pavilion in the west of the city and hurry them up on that batch of display cabinets we ordered!"

"And you, clean the hall carpet all over again! The tea was spilled on it just now!"

Li An quickly assigned tasks, his voice returning to its usual steadiness.

The auction house grew busy again.

Ning Liu's Field Master's Office was not large, but it was arranged simply and cleanly.

There was a black solid-wood desk, several chairs for guests, and a potted plant in the corner, adding a little life to the somewhat austere room.

Ning Rongrong sat down without the slightest courtesy in the chair opposite the main seat, curiously looking around while also sizing up Ning Liu as he walked behind the desk and sat down.

After not seeing him for several years, this guy had changed so much.

Back in the sect, though he could be considered delicate and handsome, there had always been an inescapable air of loneliness and restraint about him.

Now, he stood tall and straight, his brows and eyes carrying a calm confidence. His temperament had become much steadier.

That handsome appearance, that composed bearing...

The appearances of those boys from Shrek Academy surfaced in Ning Rongrong's mind of their own accord.

That arrogant Dai Mubai, that honest and simple fatty Ma Hongjun, and that Tang San...

Tsk.

There was no comparison at all!

As expected of someone from the sect. Even if he had once been "trash," his foundation was far better than those wild, unorthodox types outside.

She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in the chair, her posture casual.

"Say, Senior Brother Ning Liu."

She opened her mouth to ask, her tone rather carefree.

"Why did you come to a little place like Suotuo City? To be the field master of some lousy auction house?"

"As for me, my old man forced me here."

She curled her lip, obvious reluctance showing on her face.

"They insist on making me go to that lousy Shrek Academy! Saying there are monster teachers there who can teach monster students. I think it's just a scam!"

Ning Liu poured a cup of water and set it in front of her, his movements unhurried.

"Shrek Academy?"

His brows shifted slightly, as if he were thinking over the name.

"Never heard of it."

"But since it's the Sect Master's arrangement, he naturally has his reasons."

Then he changed tack, looked at Ning Rongrong, and spread his hands.

"As for why I'm here... Junior Sister, back when you were in the sect, did you really not know my situation?"

At that, Ning Rongrong's expression turned a little subtle.

Of course she knew.

In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who didn't know Ning Liu?

She had once thought this fellow was rather pitiful too, but that was all it had been—pity.

"I know."

Ning Rongrong spoke casually, as if trying to hide something.

"Everyone calls you 'Eternal Waste,' 'Second Treasure Glazed,' don't they?"

She paused, then began analyzing it on her own.

"Oh, I get it. You've come of age, and with talent like that, the sect sent you out to a place like this and arranged some cushy idle post for you to retire on?"

She looked at Ning Liu with a somewhat knowing air, then suddenly seemed to think of something and asked curiously, "Right, disciples sent out by the sect all seem to have assessment missions, don't they? What's yours?"

Ning Liu picked up his own cup and took a light sip.

"Nothing much."

He set the cup down, his tone calm.

"It's just that within one month, I have to make this D-rank auction house's turnover reach One Million Gold Soul Coins."

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Ning Rongrong had just lifted her cup and taken a sip when she heard that and sprayed it straight out, choking into a fit of coughs.

One Million Gold Soul Coins?!

One month?!

And in a D-rank auction house in a remote little city like this?!

She stared at Ning Liu with wide eyes, as if seeing him for the first time.

This was simply an impossible task!

Forget a D-rank auction house—even among the B-rank auction houses in the main cities of small kingdoms, those that could keep a monthly turnover stable at one million could be counted on one hand!

How was this the sect sending him out?

This was clearly them giving up on him completely, finding any excuse to toss him out and leave him to fend for himself!

Ning Rongrong suddenly felt rather uncomfortable inside.

Although there was a problem with his martial soul, and in terms of bloodline, Ning Liu, a collateral branch member, was already very far removed from her, the direct daughter of the Sect Master!

But he was still surnamed Ning, after all. He counted as a collateral disciple of the sect.

Just because his talent was no good, the sect had to be this ruthless?

She looked at Ning Liu's calm face and, for a moment, did not know what to say.

The atmosphere grew somewhat stagnant.

Ning Rongrong's mind raced, and she suddenly remembered the poster she had seen in the hall earlier.

"Right! Senior Brother!"

She abruptly sat up straight, her eyes shining.

"That Moonlight Spirit Rabbit Soft Armor of yours! The one with a starting price of One Hundred Thousand Gold Soul Coins! Where exactly did you get it?"

"It can withstand a Soul Emperor's attack? Is that true or not?"

Ning Liu looked at Ning Rongrong's large eyes, filled with curiosity, and his heart stirred slightly as well.

This Junior Sister, though somewhat spoiled and willful, was not bad by nature, and she really was beautiful.

Her skin was snow-white, her features exquisite, and now, because of her excitement, her little face was flushed, adding a few more touches of charming, innocent cuteness.

If he could get her...

The thought had only just surfaced when Ning Liu remembered the sect's rules.

Disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, for the sake of safety, absolutely could not have support-system Soul Masters as their partners.

Ning Rongrong was the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.

By the rules, there was no possibility between them.

But... rules were dead, while people were alive.

Ning Liu felt the surging level forty-eight Soul Power inside him and thought of the skill on his Spirit Charm Star Luo Ring.

Purple Thunder Star Strike!

By consuming Soul Power to activate it, it released a beam containing the power of thunder from the Void Amethyst at the center of the ring. Its attack strength depended on the Soul Power infused, and at its highest, it could erupt with a full-power strike comparable to that of a Soul Saint expert!

With this skill, who would dare say he was only a support-system Soul Master?

He could absolutely be used as an Assault System Soul Master!

What was more, he now had Wang Wei, a Soul Saint, under him, and in secret, he even controlled a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast powerful enough to rival a Titled Douluo!

The trump cards and strength he possessed now were already no longer something the sect could casually manipulate.

Even if it was Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, what could he do to him in the future?

In that instant, a heroic pride suddenly rose in Ning Liu's heart.

He looked at Ning Rongrong, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

"Where did it come from?"

"Your senior brother is no longer what he used to be."

"As for where this soft armor came from, you don't need to worry about it."

With a flip of his wrist, a piece of soft armor emitting a gentle moon-white glow appeared in his hand. It was none other than the Moonlight Spirit Rabbit Soft Armor.

"Take a look at this."

The soft armor was as light as if it weighed nothing. A moonlight-like luster flowed across its surface, and it felt cool and smooth to the touch, with faint fluctuations of Soul Power hidden within.

Ning Rongrong's eyes were instantly drawn to it.

She carefully reached out and gently stroked the surface of the soft armor, feeling its delicate texture and the strange energy contained within.

"Wow..."

She let out a cry of amazement, her eyes entranced.

This was definitely a treasure!

It was more exquisite and more wondrous than any soft armor she had ever seen before!

She suddenly raised her head, grabbed Ning Liu's arm, and shook it hard, her tone carrying a coquettish whine.

"Senior brother~"

"Can you not sell this soft armor?"

"I want it~"