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Chapter 13: Rongrong's Fall
The morning sunlight streamed through the high windows of the training ground, casting bright patches on the floor. Ning Rongrong curled up on her dormitory bed, wrapping the quilt tightly around her head, yet she could not dispel the tumbling images in her mind.
Xiao Wu's blurred expression as she knelt between Mo Bai's legs, Zhu Zhuqing's tightly bitten lips as she was kneaded, Dugu Yan's swaying waist as she sat astride him... and those eyes of Mo Bai—eyes that seemed to see through everything, calm to the point of causing heart palpitations. Those scenes and those sounds were like brands seared into her brain, causing her to toss and turn all night, unable to sleep.
What shamed her even more was that her body actually reacted to those unsightly scenes. The strange wetness between her legs and the faint throbbing deep in her lower abdomen made her feel panicked and lost. She was clearly the Eldest Miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a proud daughter of heaven; how could she have feelings for such... such lewd and lowly things?
But...
She raised her hand, looking at her slender, porcelain-white fingers. Regarding that bucket of water yesterday, she had ultimately failed to divide it into a hundred even droplets. Mo Bai's words, "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is, in the end, just Seven Treasures," were like a thorn stuck in her heart. Furthermore, there were the completely irrational soul ring configurations and strengths far exceeding their levels seen in Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan...
"Power is never obtained out of thin air," Mo Bai's calm voice echoed in her ears again. "They got what they wanted, so naturally, they had to pay a corresponding price."
Was the price... like that?
Ning Rongrong sat up abruptly from the bed and shook her head forcefully. No, she couldn't think about it anymore. She still had to go to training today; she had to prove to that arrogant guy that she, Ning Rongrong, could become stronger without relying on those crooked paths!
After washing up and changing into the academy uniform, Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The sunlight was a bit dazzling; she squinted her eyes and subconsciously looked toward the training ground.
Then she froze.
Mo Bai was standing right at the corner of the corridor outside her dormitory, still in that simple black outfit, standing with his hands behind his back as if he had been waiting for a long time. The sunlight hit his profile, outlining a clear silhouette. He looked over, his gaze calm and waveless.
"Did you sleep well, Miss Rongrong?" Mo Bai's voice was faint.
Ning Rongrong's heart skipped a beat, and an uncontrollable blush rose to her face. She forced herself to be calm and puffed out her chest: "I-I'm okay. Does Teacher Mo Bai have business so early?"
"Follow me." Mo Bai did not answer her question; he turned and walked away.
Ning Rongrong hesitated for a moment but followed him. She discovered that Mo Bai was not taking her to the training ground but toward the back mountain of the academy. Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was built against a mountain, and there was a fenced-off natural hot spring area in the back mountain, said to be rich in minerals and beneficial for a soul master's cultivation, but it was usually only accessible to academy high-levels and VIPs.
"Where are we going?" Ning Rongrong couldn't help but ask.
"The hot spring," Mo Bai said succinctly. "Your basic training performance yesterday was acceptable, but the issue of floating soul power cannot be solved just by running. It requires external assistance to comb through the meridians."
Hot spring? Ning Rongrong's heart thudded. She recalled the images she saw last night, and her cheeks burned hotter. But Mo Bai's tone was too natural—so natural that if she refused, it would instead make her seem like she had impure thoughts.
Passing through an archway, the view suddenly opened up. This was an open-air hot spring pool half-surrounded by a bamboo forest. White steam rose in curls, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sulfur mixed with the fragrance of bamboo leaves. The pool wasn't large, but the water was crystal clear, revealing the smooth pebbles at the bottom.
Mo Bai walked to the poolside and reached out to test the water temperature. "Take off your clothes and get in."
Ning Rongrong froze. "T-Take off my clothes?"
"Soaking in a hot spring with clothes on?" Mo Bai looked back at her, a faint glint of amusement appearing in his eyes. "Or does Miss Rongrong think I will do something to you?"
"O-Of course not!" Ning Rongrong's face turned beet red, but Mo Bai's frank attitude made her feel like she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Indeed, he was a Title Douluo, someone her father wanted to win over; how could he be interested in a little girl like her who hadn't even fully developed? Besides, Xiao Wu and the others... they were all so beautiful...
For some reason, thinking of Xiao Wu and the others made a surge of defiance rise in Ning Rongrong's heart. She gritted her teeth, turned her back, and began to undo the buttons of her uniform.
Her fingers were shaking slightly. She had never undressed in front of a man; even with her father and Grandpa Bone, she had bathed herself since she was seven or eight. The uniform jacket came off, revealing the form-fitting shirt and long skirt beneath. She hesitated for a moment and looked back.
Mo Bai had already turned his body, his back to her, seemingly studying a cluster of emerald bamboo by the pool.
Ning Rongrong breathed a small sigh of relief, but her heart beat even faster. She quickly took off the shirt and skirt, leaving only a dudou embroidered with pale pink patterns and form-fitting underpants. The warm air hitting her skin caused a layer of tiny goosebumps to rise. She didn't dare strip further and stepped into the hot spring pool at her fastest speed.