Ning Rongrong and Tang San
"All right, Rongrong, don't keep Yan Zu from his classes," Ning Fengzhi said at just the right moment. "Now that you're classmates, you'll have plenty of chances to talk in the future."
Only then did Ning Rongrong realize she had lost her composure. Her cheeks reddened slightly, but she still gave Yan Zu a radiant smile. "Then... Yan Zu, please take care of me from now on! And Little Jade, may I... may I pet him?"
She said the last part to Little Jade, her eyes full of longing.
Little Jade raised his head from Yan Zu's shoulder and blinked his big, watery eyes at Ning Rongrong. Then he looked up at Yan Zu, and only when he saw him nod slightly did he leap lightly down from his shoulder. He padded over to Ning Rongrong on his short little legs and affectionately rubbed against the hem of her skirt.
"Ah! He's so well-behaved!" Ning Rongrong crouched down in delight and carefully scooped Little Jade into her arms. The warm, smooth feel of his jade body and the auspicious presence that soothed her body and mind made her fall in love with the little fellow instantly. Little Jade nuzzled against her and let out a contented purr, like an oversized cat.
Xiao Wu, standing beside Yan Zu, had watched quietly ever since Ning Rongrong appeared.
At first, the sight of this richly dressed, delicately beautiful girl showing such keen interest in Yan Zu had instinctively stirred a hint of wariness and a faint sense of threat in her heart-it was a Soul Beast's instinctive desire to protect her "territory" and "mate."
But when Ning Rongrong picked up Little Jade, her eyes held nothing but pure curiosity and affection; when she discussed those stories with Yan Zu, her eyes sparkled with the joy of finding a kindred spirit, not with any other intention. Xiao Wu's wariness slowly faded.
This girl, though pampered, wasn't unlikeable.
To another pair of eyes not far away, however, the scene was painfully glaring.
At a second-floor window in the teachers' dormitory, Tang San watched the bustle at the academy gate with an expressionless face. His gaze swept over the luxurious carriage, the remarkably distinguished Ning Fengzhi, and the girl in purple surrounded by everyone, before finally settling on Yan Zu and Xiao Wu's joined hands.
"Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect." Yu Xiaogang had appeared at his side at some point, his voice low. "Level-nine Innate Soul Power, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, and the sect's future heir. Tang San, this is an opportunity."
Tang San turned to him. "What do you mean, Teacher?"
"Yan Zu is on good terms with Ning Rongrong, most likely because he has his eye on the power of the sect behind her," Yu Xiaogang analyzed. "But you can try approaching her as well. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the richest under heaven. If you can gain its support, it would be immensely helpful, both for your future cultivation and for... what you have in mind."
Tang San fell silent. He understood what his teacher meant. Making Tang Sect Hidden Weapons required vast quantities of rare metals, and cultivation required resources. If he wanted to stand against Yan Zu and win Xiao Wu back someday... he needed strength, and he needed power.
But as he watched Ning Rongrong smile at Yan Zu and saw Xiao Wu's attachment to him, a flame of jealousy, unwillingness, and ambition burned in his chest.
"I will, Teacher." Tang San's voice was frighteningly calm. "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... is indeed worth winning over."
After evening classes, Xiao Wu bounced over to Yan Zu, her pink scorpion-tail braid swaying gently in the moonlight. "Little Brother A-Zu, the moon is so beautiful tonight. Let's go to the back mountain and play music! I still want to hear that harp piece you played last time!" Yan Zu smiled helplessly. He could never quite bring himself to refuse Xiao Wu's requests, so he nodded and agreed.
As the two slipped out of the dormitory, Ning Rongrong happened to spot them from next door.
She was already full of curiosity about Yan Zu, and seeing them sneak out at night, she couldn't resist lifting her skirt and following. "Hey! Where are you going? Take me with you!" Xiao Wu pouted and was reluctant at first, but Yan Zu indicated that it was fine, and the three of them headed for the back mountain together beneath the moonlight.
Under an ancient tree on the back mountain, Yan Zu sat cross-legged with his harp on his lap.
His fingertips plucked the strings, and music flowed out like a stream. It was "Phoenix-Tail Bamboo Under the Moonlight," a famous piece from Blue Star. The notes carried the gentle fluctuations of Nine Yin Soul Power, blending with the Qilin's auspicious presence, as though bathing the surrounding grass and trees in a layer of silver light.
Xiao Wu sat beside him with her chin in her hands, her eyes curved into crescents and her face full of rapture.
Ning Rongrong had originally followed them out of curiosity, but the moment the music began, she froze.
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had listened to court musicians since childhood, yet she had never encountered a melody so ethereal and otherworldly. Its tones were as clear as a mountain spring, and the tune carried an evocative depth that reminded her of the "music of heaven" described in her sect's ancient texts.
She thought to herself, This music... can actually make my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul resonate faintly? Isn't Yan Zu a work-study student? How could he understand such extraordinary musical theory? Recalling her father Ning Fengzhi's admiration for "Wen Yansheng," she found Yan Zu increasingly unfathomable.
Her surprise gradually turned to intense curiosity. She quietly stepped closer. In the moonlight, Yan Zu's profile was serene, and as his fingers moved across the strings, he naturally carried the refined bearing of a scholar, utterly unlike the roughness of ordinary Soul Masters.
Ning Rongrong's heart quickened for no apparent reason, and she made a silent resolution. I must uncover his secret... Talent like this shouldn't be buried at Nuoding Academy.
When the piece ended, Xiao Wu clapped and cheered. Yan Zu put away the harp and chuckled. "Just a little pastime."
Ning Rongrong, however, stepped forward, her glazed-tile eyes astonishingly bright. "Yan Zu, this piece... did you write it? Can I come listen often?"
Yan Zu didn't answer directly. He only said, "If you like it, Rongrong, we can discuss music together in the future." On the way back, Ning Rongrong kept stealing glances at Yan Zu, the seed of curiosity quietly taking root in her heart.
On the third day after Ning Rongrong arrived at Nuoding Academy, the early autumn morning mist had yet to fully disperse beneath the wisteria arbor on the academy's back mountain.
Tang San stood in the shadow of the arbor, the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulating slowly within him to calm his slightly hurried heartbeat. In his hand was a carefully polished Sleeve Arrow-the Silent Sleeve Arrow, which had taken him three days and nights to make according to a diagram in Hundred Explanations of Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.
The silvery-white shaft gleamed coldly in the morning light. Its tip had been coated with a paralyzing toxin he had extracted. Though not fatal, it could instantly rob a person of the ability to move.
Teacher was right. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources really are what I need most right now. Tang San narrowed his eyes and watched the graceful figure in purple through a gap in the vines.
Ning Rongrong sat on a stone stool, engrossed in a hardcover edition of Star Dou Night Tales.
At times she frowned, at others she smiled faintly, her fingers absentmindedly curling the corners of the pages. She was completely absorbed in the book.
Tang San took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows. He deliberately straightened his back to make himself look less like an ordinary work-study student; his faded, much-washed uniform really did give him a shabby appearance.
He stopped three meters from Ning Rongrong and bowed slightly, following the "noble etiquette" Yu Xiaogang had taught him. "Hello, Ning Rongrong."
Ning Rongrong looked up, a trace of puzzlement flashing through her eyes, clear as glazed tiles. She looked Tang San up and down, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a moment before shifting away. Her tone was flat. "And you are?"
"I'm Tang San, a Control System Soul Master. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass." Tang San tried to make his voice sound gentle. "I've heard that you come from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and are an heir to the greatest support Martial Soul under heaven. I've long admired your reputation."
Ning Rongrong swung her lower legs a little impatiently. "I still have a book to read. If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Tang San stepped forward and took the Sleeve Arrow from inside his clothes, offering it with both hands. "This is a Hidden Weapon I made myself, called the Silent Sleeve Arrow. It isn't anything precious, but it's finely made and can be used for self-defense. Since you're an Auxiliary System Soul Master and lack the ability to protect yourself, it might come in handy."
He paused, and when he saw that Ning Rongrong hadn't accepted it, he continued, "I can see you've only just arrived and aren't familiar with Nuoding Academy yet. If you need anything, whether tutoring in theory or help with questions about cultivation, you can come to me. My teacher is Mr. Yu Xiaogang, a renowned master of theory in the Soul Master World. I'm sure you've heard of his 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.'"
Ning Rongrong looked at the Sleeve Arrow lying all alone in Tang San's palm, and an amused smile suddenly curved her lips.
She stood and brushed nonexistent dust from her skirt, looking down at Tang San. Though she was young, as the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, her innate bearing as a superior was on full display.
"Tang San, was it?" Ning Rongrong's voice was crisp, but carried a biting chill. "First of all, I don't need this scrap metal. You think you can just pick up a lump of iron and catch my eye?"
Tang San's hand froze in midair, and some of the color drained from his face.
"Second," Ning Rongrong said, extending a slender finger to poke Tang San's shoulder, "you say your teacher is some master of theory? Yu Xiaogang? Ha, I have heard Father mention him."
Ning Rongrong deliberately paused, watching the expectation flash in Tang San's eyes. Then she abruptly changed tack, her tone turning sharp. "Father said this 'Grandmaster's' theories sound convincing, but in reality, most of them are just battles fought on paper.
"He goes on about how 'there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters,' yet he's been stuck at level twenty-nine for decades without advancing an inch. It's laughable. Tell me, what right does someone who can't even figure out his own cultivation have to teach others?"
"You!" Tang San jerked his head up, his Purple Demon Eye activating instinctively as violet light flared in his eyes. "Don't insult my teacher!"
"What, was I wrong?" Far from being afraid, Ning Rongrong stepped closer.
Her glazed-tile eyes stared straight into Tang San's furious ones. "Since you admire your teacher's theories so much, let me ask you: if there are no useless Martial Souls, why doesn't your teacher first turn himself into a 'strong expert' instead of swaggering around on the strength of some 'theory'?"
She gave a light laugh and stepped back twice, flicking her finger as though touching Tang San had gotten something dirty on it. "And another thing. You stopped me and said you wanted to make friends, but your eyes tell me you want something from me. Resources? Power? Or do you want to use me to get closer to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Ning Rongrong's expression turned completely cold. "I may be young, but what kind of person haven't I seen? People like you, who clearly harbor ulterior motives yet put on the face of a righteous gentleman, are the most disgusting of all.
"You're not qualified to attach yourself to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Go back and tell your teacher that the next time he wants to climb a high branch, he should first weigh his own worth!"