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However, in the next second, Feng Xiao was suddenly sent flying by a sacred and inviolable force, crashing heavily into the stone wall of the training ground.
"Boom——"
Qian Renxue, surrounded by a faint golden halo, slowly walked towards Feng Xiao, who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state. Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes: "Tell me, who taught you that?"
Feng Xiao rubbed his aching back, looking bewildered: "Xue'er, what are you talking about? Who taught me what?"
The blush on Qian Renxue's face hadn't faded, but she still maintained her imposing aura: "Stop playing dumb! Besides me, who else have you been like this with?"
"Heaven and Earth bear witness!" Feng Xiao quickly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I'm either in the training ground or by your side all day, where would I have the chance to interact with anyone else?"
Qian Renxue scrutinized him suspiciously: "Are you sure?"
"Is there anyone in this world who can compare to even half of Xue'er?" Feng Xiao, seeing the unfavorable situation, quickly tried to appease her.
Qian Renxue snorted lightly, the blush on her face deepening a few shades: "Then… then those… those things you just did…" She pointed shyly at her slightly reddened lips, "Why were you so skilled?"
Feng Xiao was instantly speechless, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He couldn't possibly reveal his past life's romantic history, could he? He could only give a dry laugh: "Well… men are naturally proficient in certain aspects…"
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue withdrew her spirit power, reached out to help him up, and playfully rolled her eyes at him: "Little hooligan."
Feng Xiao took the opportunity to pull her into his arms and chuckled softly in her ear: "I thought Xue'er seemed to… enjoy it quite a lot just now."
"You!" Qian Renxue was a mix of shame and anger, about to retort, when she saw Feng Xiao suddenly become serious: "But don't worry, Xue'er, my heart has always only held you."
Under the moonlight, the two stood facing each other, the previous flirtation and jealousy transforming into silent tenderness. Qian Renxue leaned into his embrace and whispered: "If I find out you lied to me…"
"Then I'll let Xue'er do whatever you want with me," Feng Xiao chuckled softly.
Qian Renxue gave Feng Xiao an exasperated look. This guy clearly knew she wouldn't do anything to him… at most, she'd just beat him up.
As their eyes met, both couldn't help but smile.
On the other side, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the night was as dark as ink.
Ning Fengzhi sat upright on the gilded, carved Sect Master's throne, his slender fingers turning the pages of a Sect ledger. The candlelight cast flickering shadows on his gentle, jade-like face, and the clear tea in the glazed cup had long since grown cold.
Suddenly, a familiar spirit power ripple spread through the hall. Ning Fengzhi's hand, holding the brush, paused slightly. As he looked up, he saw Gu Rong and Chen Xin step out of the void. Bone Douluo's rugged face still held a hint of lingering indignation, while Chen Xin's expression was as cold and stern as ever.
"You've worked hard," Ning Fengzhi put down his quill, a gentle smile gracing his lips. He personally raised his hand to pour tea, his voice like a spring breeze brushing against the glazed cup: "Uncle Gu, Uncle Sword."
Gu Rong sat down nonchalantly on a huanghuali wooden chair, picked up the teacup, and drank it in one gulp. Chen Xin remained standing where he was.
Gu Rong gave Chen Xin several meaningful glances, but Chen Xin seemed oblivious, remaining with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the glazed pagoda outside the window. Gu Rong could only clear his throat, his rough voice unusually hesitant: "Fengzhi, Rongrong was a bit down today. You see, about this matter…"
Ning Fengzhi's hand, holding the teapot, paused slightly, the clear tea drawing a graceful arc in mid-air. He looked up and smiled faintly, his gentle, jade-like face reflected in the tea in the glazed cup: "Uncle Gu, this is precisely why I troubled you two Elders to look after her." His fingertips gently caressed the rim of the cup, his voice like a spring rain, "Someone always has to play the bad cop, so I'll have to trouble you two to coax Rongrong more. With you two Elders there, I'm naturally at ease that she won't suffer any grievances there."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin's lips curled slightly, and he gave Gu Rong a meaningful glance: "Fengzhi is right." His gaze was like a sword, but his voice carried a rare gentleness, "Rongrong being by that child's side is greatly beneficial to her Spirit cultivation. The Tool Spirit path emphasizes comprehension. And comprehension…" His fingertips gently rubbed together, "First and foremost, requires a clear state of mind."
Gu Rong immediately bristled: "You old scoundrel!" His rough palm slammed the tea table, making it tremble, "You certainly weren't saying that when we were with Rongrong just now!"
Chen Xin unhurriedly brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeve: "As long as it benefits Rongrong…" He looked up at the moonlight outside the hall, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, "I have no objections."
Ning Fengzhi's hand, holding the cup, hovered in mid-air. Amidst the swirling tea aroma, a knowing smile flashed in his eyes.
Ning Fengzhi looked at the old rivals before him and couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He elegantly put down the teacup, his fingertips lightly tapping the table: "Alright, Uncle Gu, Uncle Sword." His gentle voice carried a hint of helplessness, yet also a touch of anticipation, "Why don't you first tell me the details of today's situation? Perhaps… we can find an opportunity to make that child willingly join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
Upon hearing this, the anger on Gu Rong's rugged face subsided slightly. He stroked his grizzled beard and exchanged a glance with Chen Xin before slowly beginning: "Today, that girl Rongrong…" As he recounted, Ning Fengzhi occasionally frowned, occasionally nodded, his slender fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the table.
Chen Xin occasionally added a few remarks, his voice faint but always incisive. The candlelight in the hall stretched the shadows of the three long, weaving them into a strange tableau on the glazed walls.
Hearing of Ning Rongrong's considerable progress, Ning Fengzhi's lips curved into a slight smile, and his eyes revealed a look of relief. However, a tempest raged in his heart—if it was truly as the two Elders, Sword and Bone, said, then Feng Xiao's Spirit auxiliary ability was likely also of top-tier Tool Spirit standard. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the rim of the glazed cup, his gentle, jade-like face reflecting the candlelight, flickering indistinctly.
As Gu Rong continued his narration, Ning Fengzhi's brows gradually furrowed. Feng Xiao's actions were truly intriguing: he displayed astonishing talent yet deliberately maintained a distance. If he had no intention of befriending the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he could have hidden his abilities; if he had ulterior motives, why was he so indifferent to Rongrong?
A sharp glint flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes. His keen intuition, honed by years of political maneuvering, instantly brought a possibility to mind—this was clearly mimicking his own tactic of using the Crown Prince to control Xue Qinghe! But in a flash, he dismissed the thought. Fishing always required bait, but Feng Xiao had yet to demand any benefit, whereas that child, Qinghe…
Ning Fengzhi gently shook his head, his thoughtful face reflected in the tea. He absolutely did not believe that a person as astonishingly talented as Feng Xiao would be so loyal to his nominal disciple.
Ning Fengzhi gently caressed the teacup, a hint of deep thought flashing in his eyes. In his opinion, Feng Xiao and the solitary Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, were truly of the same kind—both were aloof and proud individuals, loyal only to their own hearts, disdaining to rely on any power.
It was precisely because he saw through this point that Ning Fengzhi felt at ease allowing Rongrong to interact with him. He knew deeply that such people were the purest; they would neither be tempted by power nor swayed by profit. Even if they were to truly marry in the future, they would never harbor any designs on the foundation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's furrowed brows, Gu Rong couldn't help but lean forward: "Fengzhi, have you discovered something amiss?"
Ning Fengzhi lightly tapped the table with his fingertip, pondering: "Uncle Gu, I just find it strange. If that child was merely entrusted by Qinghe, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths to display his talent." He sighed softly, "Even if he ignored Rongrong's cultivation, we would have nothing to say. But he specifically…"
"You mean…" A sharp glint flashed in Gu Rong's eyes, then he shook his head, clearly having reached the same conclusion as Ning Fengzhi.
Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back: "In my opinion, it's not necessarily about being devoted to the Crown Prince." His gaze was far-reaching, "Anyone who has achieved something in a certain field, upon seeing good talent and quality, will inevitably be eager to teach. Our Rongrong is exceptionally gifted, and guiding her a little and forming a good connection would not be bad for him." He paused, "A person who can casually give away a Spirit Bone, even if cold in temperament, is certainly not stingy."
Ning Fengzhi brightened upon hearing this: "Uncle Sword is right." He poured new tea for the two of them, "It seems we were too fixated on appearances."
"In that case… it's actually the best choice," Ning Fengzhi looked at the floating tea leaves in his cup, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips. Compared to those who curry favor, such a single-minded genius made him feel more at ease entrusting Rongrong to him.
Just as Ning Fengzhi was about to pick up his brush to approve the documents on the table, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.
"Reporting to Sect Master, a disciple requests an urgent audience," the attendant's voice came through the carved door, exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
Gu Rong and Chen Xin exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of solemnity in each other's eyes—an urgent request late at night was certainly no ordinary matter.
Ning Fengzhi's quill paused slightly, and ink bloomed into a dark stain on the rice paper. He slowly raised his head, his gentle voice now carrying a hint of solemnity: "Let him enter."
The hall door opened lightly, and a disciple dressed in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School uniform hurried in. Though his face was anxious, he still meticulously performed a standard Sect salute to the three: "Disciple greets Sect Master, greets Elder Sword, Elder Bone."
Ning Fengzhi lightly raised his wide sleeve: "Dispense with the formalities. What is the matter that brings you here late at night?"
The disciple bowed even deeper, his voice slightly strained: "Reporting to Sect Master, the food system Spirit Master you arranged to monitor, along with our embedded informant, have suddenly disappeared."
"What?!" Ning Fengzhi's teacup slammed heavily onto the table, and he abruptly stood up. The fine celadon porcelain cracked, and tea spilled across the sandalwood table. The eyes of Sword and Bone narrowed, and their spirit power unconsciously fluctuated around them.
"Sect Master, please calm your anger!" The disciple hastily knelt on one knee, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Gu Rong waved his large hand: "You may withdraw."
The disciple, as if granted a great reprieve, quickly backed out of the hall, leaving only the lingering scent of tea and a heavy silence.
Ning Fengzhi's slender fingers lightly tapped the table, a cold glint appearing in his eyes: "To make my Spirit Saint-level informant disappear without even a chance to send a warning…" His voice grew colder, and a layer of frost appeared on his jade-like face, "Spirit Hall, truly has an excellent intelligence network."
"Fengzhi, what do you mean?" Gu Rong's rugged brows furrowed, and his spirit power subtly fluctuated around him.
Ning Fengzhi slowly shook his head, his fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the shattered teacup: "To make a Spirit Saint disappear without a trace…" He looked up, a sharp glint flashing in his glazed pupils, "It must have been a Titled Douluo who acted, no doubt."
Before he finished speaking, Ning Fengzhi suddenly slammed the table and stood up: "Uncle Bone, please set off immediately to investigate!" His usually gentle voice now carried an undeniable resolve, "I want to see him alive, or his corpse!"
As Ning Fengzhi spoke the last words, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and a rare ruthlessness appeared on his jade-like face. A food system Spirit Master with innate full spirit power—though not enough to support the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he was precisely the top-tier auxiliary talent that Spirit Hall urgently needed. Such a prodigy, he would rather see destroyed in conflict than fall into the hands of Spirit Hall.
"Understood," Gu Rong clasped his fists and responded in a deep voice, his eyes revealing a fierce light. Before his voice faded, the space around him suddenly twisted, nine spirit rings flashed and disappeared into the void, and he himself merged into the spatial rift. Only a wisp of chilling killing intent remained in the hall, slowly dissipating under the glazed lamp.
Chen Xin's sword-like brows furrowed slightly, and his thin lips parted as if to speak, but ultimately it turned into a silent sigh. Ning Fengzhi slowly walked to the window, the moonlight casting a silver glow on his refined profile: "Uncle Sword…" His voice was as light as falling snow, "Don't blame me for being ruthless. If one day, Rongrong and he meet on the battlefield…" His fingertips unconsciously caressed the window frame, "That would be true cruelty."
Chen Xin stood with his hands clasped behind his back. After a long while, he nodded slightly, his white hair fluttering gently in the night breeze: "…Rongrong's side, leave it to me."
As Chen Xin's sword light vanished into the sky, Ning Fengzhi stood alone by the window, an impenetrable gloom in his eyes. The moonlight stretched his figure long and solitary, casting a heavy shadow on the glazed floor.
Oscar's departure was timed so precisely, and even his carefully placed Spirit Saint-level informant was silently removed—this was definitely not a coincidence. Ning Fengzhi's slender fingers unconsciously clenched the window frame, his knuckles turning white.
There was only one possibility.
A Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall had long been lurking in the shadows of Heaven Dou City.
This realization sent a chill down Ning Fengzhi's spine. Those eyes hidden in the dark were perhaps coldly watching every move of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School at this very moment. This pervasive sense of being watched, like a shadow, like a thorn in his back, made even him, a Sect Master always composed, feel a rare, bone-chilling unease.
The night wind swept through the hall, blowing a few stray strands of hair across his forehead. The cool wind calmed him. Thoughts surged in his eyes: "For a food system Spirit Master who has yet to fully mature…" His slender fingers lightly tapped the window frame, making a crisp sound, "Is it worth such a large commotion? Stirring the grass to startle the snake, or stirring the grass to find the snake."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes suddenly narrowed. This premeditated hunt was like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, finally revealing its cold fangs, but he didn't know what the target of those fangs truly was.
Ning Fengzhi gazed at the night outside the window, his thoughts surging like a tide. While a food system Spirit Master as exceptionally gifted as Oscar was rare, for Spirit Hall, which dominated the continent, he was ultimately just icing on the cake.
His fingertips unconsciously caressed the rim of the teacup, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. What truly concerned Spirit Hall were peerless geniuses like Feng Xiao and Tang San, who could turn the tide of battle with their own strength. Such existences were the true variables that could shake the continental power structure.
"A time of trouble indeed…"