area51novel Chapter 35 Ning Rongrong and Tang 3
Chapter 35 Ning Rongrong and Tang 3
"Alright, Rongrong, don't keep Yan Zu from attending class." Ning Fengzhi spoke up at the right time, "Since we'll be classmates in the future, we'll have plenty of opportunities to interact."
Ning Rongrong then realized her lapse in composure, her cheeks flushing slightly, but she still gave Yan Zu a bright smile: "Well... Yan Zu, please take care of me in the future! And Xiao Yu, can... can I touch it?"
The last sentence was said to Xiaoyu, his eyes filled with longing.
Little Yu, perched on Yan Zu's shoulder, raised her head, blinked her big, watery eyes at Ning Rongrong, then looked up at Yan Zu. Seeing him nod slightly, she lightly jumped off his shoulder, took her short legs, and walked to Ning Rongrong's feet, affectionately rubbing against her skirt.
"Ah! So cute!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed with delight, crouching down and carefully cradling Xiaoyu in her arms. The warm, smooth texture of the jade, and the auspicious aura that soothed her mind and body, made her instantly fall in love with the little creature. Xiaoyu snuggled against her, purring contentedly like a large cat.
Xiao Wu, who was standing next to Yan Zu, had been watching quietly ever since Ning Rongrong appeared.
At first, upon seeing this elegantly dressed, exquisitely beautiful girl who showed great interest in Yan Zu, she instinctively felt a sense of wariness and a faint sense of crisis—this was a soul beast's instinctive desire to protect its "territory" and "partner".
But when Ning Rongrong picked up Xiaoyu, her eyes filled with pure curiosity and affection; when she discussed those stories with Yan Zu, her eyes sparkling with the joy of finding a kindred spirit rather than any other thoughts, Xiaowu's guard slowly dissipated.
This girl, though delicate, is not unpleasant.
This scene, witnessed by another gaze not far away, became an eyesore.
Standing at the second-floor window of the teachers' dormitory, Tang San watched the bustling scene at the academy gate with a blank expression. His gaze swept over the luxurious carriage, the distinguished Ning Fengzhi, and the purple-clad girl surrounded by the crowd, finally settling on Yan Zu and Xiao Wu's clasped hands.
"Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School." Yu Xiaogang appeared beside him at some point, his voice deep. "Ninth-level innate soul power, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, the future heir of the sect. Tang San, this is an opportunity."
Tang San turned his head: "What does Teacher mean?"
"Yan Zu's friendship with Ning Rongrong is mostly due to the power of the sect behind her," Yu Xiaogang analyzed. "But you can also try to make contact. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the wealthiest sect in the world. If you can gain their support, it will be of great help to your future cultivation, as well as... whatever you want to achieve."
Tang San remained silent. He understood his teacher's meaning. The production of Tang Sect's hidden weapons required a large amount of rare metals, cultivation required resources, and if he wanted to fight against Yan Zu and win back Xiao Wu in the future... he needed power and influence.
But seeing Ning Rongrong's smile towards Yan Zu, and seeing Xiao Wu's attachment to Yan Zu, a flame mixed with jealousy, resentment, and ambition burned in his chest.
"I will, teacher." Tang San's voice was eerily calm. "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School... is indeed worth winning over."
After evening class, Xiao Wu skipped over to Yan Zu, her pink scorpion braid swaying gently in the moonlight: "Brother Zu, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight, let's go to the back mountain to practice the harp! I want to hear the harp piece you played last time again!" Yan Zu smiled helplessly, finding it hard to refuse Xiao Wu's request, and nodded in agreement.
As the two quietly slipped out of the dormitory, they were spotted by Ning Rongrong from next door.
She was already very curious about Yan Zu, and seeing them acting suspiciously at night, she couldn't help but lift her skirt and follow them: "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 walked together towards the back mountain under the moonlight.
Under the ancient trees on the back hill, Yan Zu sat cross-legged, with a harp placed on his lap.
With a light touch of his fingertips, the music flowed out like a stream, the famous Blue Star piece "Phoenix Tail Bamboo Under the Moonlight." The notes carried the warm fluctuations of Nine Yin Soul Power, blending with the auspicious aura of the Qilin, as if bathing the surrounding vegetation in a layer of silvery light.
Xiao Wu sat to the side, her chin resting on her hand, her eyes curving into crescents, her face filled with ecstasy.
Ning Rongrong had only followed out of curiosity, but when the music started, she froze on the spot.
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, she had heard court musicians play since childhood, but she had never encountered such an ethereal and otherworldly melody—the tone was as clear as a mountain spring, and the tune contained hidden artistic conception, reminding her of the "celestial music" described in the sect's ancient books.
She thought to herself, "This music... can actually resonate slightly with my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul? Isn't Yan Zu a work-study student? How could he understand such extraordinary music theory?" Recalling her father Ning Fengzhi's high regard for "Wen Yansheng", she felt that Yan Zu was unfathomable.
Surprise gradually turned into intense curiosity. She quietly took a few steps closer. In the moonlight, Yan Zu's profile was calm, and the way his fingers moved exuded a scholarly air, completely different from the roughness of ordinary soul masters.
Ning Rongrong's heart raced inexplicably, and she made up her mind: "I must find out his secret... Such talent should not be buried at Notting Academy."
When the music ended, Xiao Wu clapped and cheered, and Yan Zu put away his zither and chuckled: "Just a little entertainment."
Ning Rongrong stepped forward, her glassy eyes shining brightly: "Ancestor Yan, did you write this piece? Can I come and listen to it often?"
Yan Zu did not answer directly, but only said, "If Rongrong likes it, we can discuss music together in the future." On the way back, Ning Rongrong frequently stole glances at Yan Zu, and the seed of curiosity in her heart had quietly taken root.
On the third day after Ning Rongrong arrived at Notting College, the early autumn morning mist had not yet dissipated, under the wisteria trellis on the back hill of the college.
Tang San stood in the shade of the flower stand, his Xuan Tian Gong slowly circulating within him, calming his slightly rapid heartbeat. In his hand was a meticulously crafted sleeve dart—a "silent sleeve dart" that he had spent three days and nights making, following the blueprints in the Tang Clan's Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons.
The silvery-white arrow gleamed coldly in the morning light, its tip coated with a paralyzing toxin he had extracted. Though not fatal, it could instantly incapacitate a person.
"Teacher is right. The resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are exactly what I need right now." Tang San squinted, looking at the purple figure through the gaps in the vines.
Ning Rongrong was sitting on a stone bench, engrossed in reading a deluxe edition of "Starry Night Tales".
She sometimes frowned, sometimes smiled, her fingers unconsciously curling the edges of the pages, 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 school uniform did indeed make him look shabby.
He stopped three meters away from Ning Rongrong and, following the "aristocratic etiquette" taught by Yu Xiaogang, bowed slightly: "Hello, Ning Rongrong."
Ning Rongrong raised her head, a hint of doubt flashing in her clear, glassy eyes. She looked Tang San up and down, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a moment before shifting away, her tone flat: "Who are you?"
"I am Tang San, a control-type Soul Master, my Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass." Tang San tried his best to make his voice sound gentle. "I've heard that you, Ning, come from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and are the successor of the world's number one support Martial Soul. I've long admired your name."
Ning Rongrong swung her leg impatiently. "I still need to read. Get to the point."
Tang San stepped forward, took out the hidden dart from his robes, and presented it with both hands: "This is a hidden weapon I made myself, called the 'Silent Hidden Dart.' Although it's not particularly precious, it's well-made and can be used for self-defense. Since Ning is a support-type Soul Master and lacks self-defense capabilities, this might come in handy."
He paused, and seeing that Ning Rongrong didn't respond, he continued, "I see that you're new to Notting Academy and not yet familiar with it. If you need anything, such as guidance on theoretical knowledge or questions about cultivation, you can come to me. My master is the renowned theoretical master Yu Xiaogang in the Soul Master world; I'm sure you've heard of his 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls.'"
Ning Rongrong looked at the lone arrow lying in Tang San's palm, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on her lips.
She stood up, patted off non-existent dust from her skirt, and looked down at Tang San—although she was young, as the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, her innate aura of superiority was on full display.
"Tang San, is it?" Ning Rongrong's voice was clear and crisp, yet carried a chilling edge. "First of all, I don't need this kind of junk. Do you think you can catch my eye with just any lump of iron?"
Tang San's hand froze in mid-air, and the color drained from his face.
"Secondly," Ning Rongrong poked Tang San's shoulder with her slender finger, "you said your teacher is some kind of theoretical master? Yu Xiaogang? Haha, I've heard my father mention him before."
Ning Rongrong paused deliberately, looking at the expectation flashing in Tang San's eyes, then suddenly changed the subject and became sharp: "Father said that this 'master's' theories sound reasonable, but in reality, they are mostly just theoretical."
He claims there are no useless martial spirits, only useless soul masters, yet he's stuck at level 29 for decades, unable to make any progress. It's laughable. Tell me, what right does someone who can't even understand their own cultivation have to teach others?
"You!" Tang San suddenly looked up, his Purple Demon Eyes activating instinctively, his eyes blazing with purple light. "You are not allowed to insult my teacher!"
"What, did I say something wrong?" Ning Rongrong was not afraid at all, but instead took a step closer.
Those crystal-clear eyes stared directly into Tang San's angry eyes. "Since you so highly praise your teacher's theories, then let me ask you, if there are no useless martial souls, why doesn't your teacher first become a 'strong person' himself, instead of relying on some 'theory' to flaunt his abilities?"
She chuckled softly, took two steps back, and dusted her fingers off as if she had touched Tang San and gotten something dirty on them: "Also, you stopped me, saying you wanted to make friends, but your eyes tell me what you want from me. Resources? Power? Or do you want to use me to get closer to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?"
Ning Rongrong's face turned completely cold: "Although I, Ning Rongrong, am young, what kind of people haven't I seen? People like you, who clearly have ulterior motives but pretend to be virtuous, are the most disgusting."
You're not qualified to curry favor with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Go back and tell your teacher that next time you want to climb the social ladder, you'd better think twice about your own worth!