The luxurious carriage rumbled along, its movements smoothed to a gentle sway by the expertly crafted suspension and the well-trod path. But the path they were on was not the main, direct artery to Heaven Dou City.
"Elder Shi," Zhang Tian's calm voice had cut through the quiet hum of the journey just an hour after they had left Suotuo City. "We should not be taking the Imperial Highway."
The grizzled Spirit Douluo had looked at him, his expression questioning.
"Tang Hao is a man driven by rage and grief," Zhang Tian had explained, his logic as clear and cold as a winter stream. "He is predictable. He will assume we are fleeing directly to our destination. He will pursue us along the main route."
He had pointed to a smaller, winding path on the map. "We will take this route. It is longer, yes. It will add several days to our journey. But it is safer. We will take our time, resting properly in the towns along the way. We will arrive in Heaven Dou City not as exhausted fugitives, but as rested guests."
Elder Shi and Elder Li had exchanged a look, and then nodded in unison. The boy's reasoning was sound. The safety of their Young Miss was paramount.
Now, hours later, the initial tension of their escape had bled away, replaced by a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere within the opulent confines of their private carriage. The interior was a small room on wheels, furnished with plush velvet cushions, a small table laden with snacks and drinks, and silk curtains that shielded them from the outside world.
"So," Ning Rongrong began, a mischievous, teasing light dancing in her eyes as she leaned forward, her chin resting on her hands. "Your women, huh?"
Zhang Tian, who had been enjoying a cup of fragrant tea, raised a single, questioning eyebrow.
"That's what you said," she pressed, her smile widening. "Back in the woods, to that horrible Tang San. You called us 'your women'. I don't remember agreeing to that. Zhuqing, did you agree to become his woman?"
Zhu Zhuqing, who had been silently gazing out the window, turned, a faint, almost imperceptible blush dusting her pale cheeks. She shook her head slightly, though her dark eyes held a teasing light of their own.
"Isn't that a bit overbearing, Zhang Tian?" Ning Rongrong continued, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Declaring ownership without even asking us first? What if we don't want to be your women?"
Zhang Tian let out a soft, dismissive snort. He set his teacup down and turned his gaze fully on Zhu Zhuqing, a challenging, playful fire in his blue eyes.
"Is that so, Zhuqing?" he asked, his voice a low, smooth purr. "You don't want to be my woman?" He patted his lap. "If you do, come and sit here."
Ning Rongrong's jaw dropped slightly. She had expected him to get flustered, to argue playfully. She had not expected such a bold, direct counter.
Before she could even formulate a witty retort, Zhu Zhuqing moved. With a fluid, feline grace that was breathtaking to behold, she stood up from her seat, crossed the small space between them, and settled herself onto Zhang Tian's lap without a single word of hesitation.
Her curvaceous, leather-clad buttocks settled onto his thighs, a perfect, comfortable fit. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, her body pliant and relaxed against his.
Zhang Tian smiled, a look of pure, masculine triumph on his handsome face. He took her free hand, raising it to his lips and pressing a series of soft, lingering kisses against her knuckles, then her wrist. He then leaned in and kissed her cheek, his lips then moved up and seemed to be brushing against her cat ears.
"Hey!"
Ning Rongrong's voice was a sharp, indignant squeak. She stared at her two friends, her cheeks puffed out in a perfect, adorable pout. "I was just joking! You two are taking this too far! And you, Zhuqing! You traitor!"
She stood up, stomped her foot lightly, and then marched over to them. "Move over! Give me some space!" she demanded, playfully trying to nudge Zhuqing off his lap.
With a bit of awkward shuffling, they rearranged themselves. Zhu Zhuqing was now perched somewhat precariously on his right thigh, while Ning Rongrong settled onto his left, wrapping her own arms around his neck possessively.
"There," she declared, a smug look on her face. "Now, kiss me too."
Zhang Tian just chuckled. "But you just said you don't agree to being my woman. I can't go around kissing girls who aren't mine. I'd much rather kiss a compliant, beautiful woman like Zhuqing." He made a show of leaning towards Zhu Zhuqing again.
"No, wait! I take it back!" Ning Rongrong's face flushed a deep, beautiful crimson. "I was just joking! Of course I'm willing! I'm very, very willing to be your woman!" Her voice had devolved into a soft, pleading whine. "Please kiss me too."
"Now that's my good girl," Zhang Tian laughed, and he obliged, giving her the same tender attention he had given Zhuqing, kissing her hand, her wrist, and her soft, blushing cheek.
He then hugged them both, his arms wrapped securely around their slender waists. "Now," he murmured, his voice a low, happy rumble. "Aren't you two going to kiss me back?"
A shared, mischievous look passed between the two girls. At the same time, they leaned in and each pressed a soft, sweet kiss on his cheeks.
"Before we reach your home, Rongrong," he said, his expression turning a little more serious. "These next few days will be our last chance to have some fun for a while. We should enjoy the journey, see the sights."
He looked at them both. "Because once we arrive at the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect, I intend to immerse myself completely in my work. I have new weapons to design, poisons and herbs to research, spirit tools to analyze, and my own cultivation to advance. I will be very busy."
"Oh, chill out," Ning Rongrong said, playfully poking his chest. "It's my home, not a prison where you have to work so much. You can relax. But," she added, her tone turning a little more serious, "you're right about one thing. We should probably tone down the… public displays of affection. My daddy might be fine with it, but my Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone can be a little… overprotective. They'll probably want to test you a bit."
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but a quiet understanding settled in her heart. She knew that once they were within the watchful eyes of the sect, their secret, passionate nights would have to be put on hold. She resolved to use the time to throw herself into her own training, to become even stronger.
The journey took nearly fifteen days, a leisurely, meandering path through the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire. They stopped in bustling market towns and quiet riverside villages, sampling local delicacies, buying trinkets, and simply enjoying the freedom of the open road.
Finally, their destination came into view. The Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect was not a fortress, but a paradise. It was nestled in a breathtakingly beautiful valley, surrounded by low, rolling green mountains. A crystal-clear lake, its surface like a flawless mirror, reflected the azure sky. The air was clean and sweet, filled with the scent of pine and wild flowers.
And in the center of this natural wonderland stood the sect itself. It wasn't a building; it was a palace. A sprawling architectural marvel of gleaming white marble and shimmering, tiled roofs that seemed to be crafted from polished jewels. It rose from the landscape with an elegance and grandeur that was utterly breathtaking.
'My god,' Zhang Tian thought, his mind, which had seen the grandest skyscrapers and most ancient temples of his past life, still boggled by the sheer, unadulterated wealth on display. 'This isn't a sect. It's a fairy tale kingdom. They truly are the richest sect in the world.'
As their carriage rolled through the grand, open gates, Ning Rongrong became their excited, proud guide. She led them through vast, sunlit courtyards with intricate mosaic floors, past gardens filled with rare and exotic spirit flowers, and into the main hall, a cavernous space with a ceiling so high it seemed to touch the sky, supported by pillars of solid, carved jade.
There, waiting for them, were the three men who ruled this paradise. Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
"Daddy! Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bone!" Ning Rongrong's cry of joy echoed in the vast hall as she launched herself into their arms.
Once the initial hugs were over, she began her tale, her voice a whirlwind of breathless excitement and lingering fury. She recounted the entire saga of the spar: Tang San's challenge, their victory, and then, Tang San's vile, cowardly attack on her and Zhuqing.
As she spoke, the atmosphere in the hall grew cold. The gentle smiles on the faces of the three powerful men vanished, replaced by a chilling, murderous fury.
"He dared?" Chen Xin's voice was a low, dangerous growl, and the very air around him seemed to sharpen, a thousand invisible blades pressing in.
Ning Fengzhi's handsome face was a mask of cold rage. "Tang San… Tang Hao's son… So that's why he was lurking around that shabby academy. To protect his little whelp."
"And then that Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, showed up!" Rongrong continued. "He wanted to kill us! He was so scary! But Zhang Tian wasn't scared at all! He threatened him right back, and made him back down!"
The more she spoke, the more shocked her family became. By the end of her tale, they were staring at Zhang Tian with a new level of profound awe and gratitude.
Ning Fengzhi placed a comforting hand on his daughter's head. "Do not worry, my dear. No one will harm you here." But his eyes held a chilling, calculating light that made Zhang Tian suspect that a certain Titled Douluo and his son had just been moved to the very top of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's blacklist.
"Thank you, young friend Zhang Tian," Ning Fengzhi said, his voice filled with a deep, genuine sincerity. "You have saved my daughter. We are in your debt."
The two Titled Douluos echoed his sentiment as they were thankful that Zhang Tian had saved their dear granddaughter.
"It was only what I should do for a friend," Zhang Tian replied with a polite, humble bow.
With the formalities concluded, business began. Zhang Tian requested a private chamber for his research. Ning Fengzhi, without a moment's hesitation, granted him access to one of the sect's most advanced alchemy laboratories, complete with a full set of forging tools and analytical equipment.
Then came the grand exchange. In Ning Fengzhi's private study, a room filled with ancient texts and priceless artifacts, Zhang Tian handed over a series of intricately detailed scrolls. The complete blueprints for his firearms.
In return, Ning Fengzhi presented him with a collection of ancient, leather-bound tomes and jade slips. "The complete legacy of the Breaking Clan," he announced. "Every herb they have ever cataloged, every alchemy technique they have ever perfected, every pill formula they have ever created." He also provided a thick ledger detailing the vast inventory of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's own medicinal warehouses.
The exchange was complete. A new era of power had just been unlocked for both of them.
The rest of the day was a pleasant, relaxing affair. Ning Rongrong, in her element, gave them a grand tour of her palatial home. They chose their rooms—Zhang Tian taking a spacious suite in the central wing, with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong claiming the adjacent rooms on either side, a comfortable, familiar arrangement.
They even had a brief, formal dinner with Ning Rongrong's mother, a woman of elegant, gentle beauty, and a few of her father's other wives. They were all kind and welcoming, doting on their precious Rongrong and treating her friends with a polite, if distant, warmth.
That night, for the first time in over two weeks, the three of them slept in separate beds, a silent acknowledgment of their new, more public surroundings.
The next morning, Zhang Tian was awake before the dawn. He was not interested in exploring the sect's vast grounds or enjoying its luxurious amenities. He had work to do.
A sect disciple, his face a mask of profound respect, led him to his new laboratory. It was a large, circular chamber, its walls lined with shelves holding every conceivable piece of alchemical equipment—glass beakers, distillation coils, grinding mortars, and a large, spirit-power-fueled furnace at its center.
Zhang Tian took a deep, satisfied breath. The air smelled of strange herbs and metallic dust. It smelled like progress.
'First things first,' he thought, his mind already a whirlwind of plans. 'I need to verify the knowledge. And then… I need to see what I can create.'
He turned to the waiting disciple. "Please," he said, his voice calm but filled with an authority that could not be denied. "Bring me the following herbs from the sect's warehouse. One hundred grams of Iron Heart Vine. Fifty grams of powdered Spirit Stabilizing Flower. And one stalk of the Three-Tailed Scorpion Grass."
The disciple's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the last, notoriously poisonous ingredient, but he simply bowed and hurried off to fulfill the request.
Zhang Tian walked over to a large, empty workbench. He unrolled the first of the Breaking Clan's ancient scrolls. The intricate, elegant script detailed the fundamental principles of elemental synergy and medicinal balance.
A slow, predatory smile spread across his face.
His experiments had begun.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon