Chapter 70: A Casual Stroll

Chapter 70: A Casual Stroll

"Pay attention to the flow of your soul power, and don't just focus on what's ahead. Watch your step...Ouch..."

Thud~

Watching Zhu Zhuqing fall again, Wang Si covered his face in exasperation.

Struggling to get up from the ground, Zhu Zhuqing grimaced and stretched her body.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and started running again.

"Hey!! Wang Si, are you free now?"

A shout echoed in the distance.

Hearing someone call out to Wang Si, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively looked over.

She lost focus and fell again.

"You've been training for quite some time, and your body seems a bit off. Go and cultivate instead. Check if you have any hidden injuries."

Wang Si walked over to Zhu Zhuqing and helped her up.

As he pulled her up, he glanced towards the entrance of the training ground.

Not many students in the inner court dared to address him so casually by his name.

Indeed, it was that young lady from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Zhu Zhuqing stood up, bowed to Wang Si, and then left the training ground from another exit.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing leave, Ning Rongrong pouted in disappointment.

The way she looked at Wang Si now held a hint of curiosity.

"Rongrong, why are you looking at me like that?"

Ning Rongrong bounced over to Wang Si and examined him up and down seriously.

"I didn't realize you've been having so much fun since leaving the Heaven Dou Empire.

I heard that when you were nine years old, you were heartbroken for a long time because of a little girl. What about now? Have you moved on?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes were filled with curiosity.

In the earlier years, she was too young to remember much, and she didn't even recall Wang Si.

She had met him when she was six years old and her martial soul awakened. He had helped her cultivate the Hundred Refinement Bone.

During that time, she had heard countless stories about Wang Si's childhood from her father and grandfathers.

However, after Wang Si left the Heaven Dou Empire and gained a somewhat unsavory reputation, her father and grandfathers never mentioned him again.

"Why bring up the past now? What's wrong? Is your brother Xue too busy for you, so you've come to bother me instead?"

Xue Qinghe was in charge of the outer court, while Wang Si oversaw the inner court.

Currently, Ning Rongrong was officially an inner court student, but there were very few of them.

She had a restless personality, so she often went to the outer court and frequently caused trouble for Xue Qinghe.

Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue.

"Brother Xue is a bit busy. What, can't I come and find you? Recently, you disappeared for over a week. Xiao Wu went with them to the Star Dou Great Forest to get a soul ring.

I was bored out of my mind for a whole week, so now you have to make it up to me. Take me around and show me some fun!"

Ning Rongrong directly hugged Wang Si's arm and started acting coquettishly.

"It's still because Rongrong doesn't cultivate seriously. Among your peers, many have already reached the thirtieth level, but Rongrong is only at the twenty-eighth."

Hearing Wang Si bring up her soul power level, Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth.

"They don't have to cultivate something as complex as the Hundred Refinement Bone, so it's normal for them to be faster.

Besides, my physical strength is higher than theirs, and my second soul ring is from a nine-hundred-year-old soul beast. That's more than enough!"

Ning Rongrong boasted proudly.

Even though Wang Si's Hundred Refinement Bone technique had spread throughout the continent, it wasn't something ordinary people could easily learn.

Not to mention whether the version they obtained had been altered, just the requirement of having a "guide" was something that common soul masters couldn't fulfill.

So, Ning Rongrong still had a reason to be proud.

"The academy isn't that big. Where does Rongrong want to go?"

Wang Si left the training ground with Ning Rongrong and let her decide their next destination.

Ning Rongrong looked at the inner court cultivators and shook her head.

"Wait a moment. I'll go call that little rabbit who only knows how to sleep. Let's go to the outer court together."

Wang Si nodded gently.

Following Ning Rongrong, Wang Si arrived at her residence.

Since Ning Rongrong was always moving around, she left her residence in Xiao Wu's care.

However, when they opened the door, the sleeping rabbit was nowhere to be seen.

Ning Rongrong huffed and slammed the door shut. Seeing Wang Si's amused expression, she raised her foot as if to stomp on his foot.

But Wang Si had anticipated her move.

"Xiao Wu has already used her Transformation Practice Field qualification for this week, so she's definitely not in the practice field. Most likely, she's with her third brother in the outer court!"

Ning Rongrong analyzed the situation and then looked at Wang Si, seemingly to confirm their next destination.

Wang Si nodded.

"Then let's go find her in the outer court."

Ning Rongrong hummed in agreement and stormed out.

"That little rabbit, eating what I give you and drinking what I give you, but when I need you, you're nowhere to be found! You really have some guts!"

Ning Rongrong clenched her fists and muttered under her breath.

That little rabbit, she only kept it by her side because she found it cute and playful.

But now, that little rabbit was acting up. When she needed it, it was nowhere to be seen! How daring!

Ning Rongrong's fists clenched tightly.

...

In a secluded blacksmith's shop within the Outer Court of the Tianwu Academy, Xiao Wu was munching on a thin and short carrot, her eyes slightly vacant as she watched Tang San toil over the anvil.

During a break from his labor, Xiao Wu asked Tang San a question.

"Little San, when are they coming over? I'm bored just sitting here eating carrots."

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Tang San put down his hammer.

He frowned as he noticed the carrot in Xiao Wu's hand, covered in saliva, with only the very tip bitten off.

"Xiao Wu, is it that the carrots aren't tasty, or have you lost your appetite lately? Why do I always see you sitting here for most of the day, and you barely eat more than a bite of your carrot?"

Hearing Tang San inquire about her appetite, Xiao Wu rubbed her stomach thoughtfully.

Indeed, she seemed to have lost her appetite lately.

"Maybe it's because the carrots here in the Outer Court are so skinny and short; I'm just not used to them."

Xiao Wu fiddled with the carrot in her hand, feeling a sense of loss.

Staring at the carrot, she felt hungry again.

Out of sight, out of mind—Xiao Wu simply tossed away the carrot that displeased her.

Not one to waste food, Tang San caught the carrot, wiped off the saliva, and began munching on it.

Blacksmithing was hard work, and he wasn't about to pass up any nourishment.

"Xiao Wu, how many Tianwu Coins have you saved up now?"

As he replenished his energy, Tang San asked Xiao Wu a question that had been on his mind.

Hearing Tang San plotting to raid her little stash again, Xiao Wu furrowed her beautiful eyebrows, glared at him, and then turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.

Tang San was really something else, always obsessing over her meager savings. She wondered why he was so fixated on her money!

"I earn five Tianwu Coins a day here in the Outer Court by tidying up and helping out in the kitchen. Although one Tianwu Coin can be exchanged for quite a few gold spirit coins, the cost of living here is high. I spend one Tianwu Coin every ten days.

Renting this blacksmith's shop costs one coin per month, and with one coin worth of materials, I can make..."

Hearing Tang San start to calculate her finances, Xiao Wu covered her ears in exasperation.

Sometimes, Tang San could be really annoying.

"Well, well, well! Little bunny, so you're here!"

Just as Xiao Wu covered her ears, a familiar voice rang out.

She turned to see Ning Rongrong standing at the entrance of the blacksmith's shop.

Xiao Wu immediately jumped up and rushed over.

"Sister Rongrong!"

Xiao Wu leaped into Ning Rongrong's arms and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

Ning Rongrong couldn't help but laugh at Xiao Wu's action, reaching out to tug on her ear, pulling her away gently.

"You little rascal! I went back to the room to look for you early in the morning, and you were nowhere to be found. You really gave me a hard time trying to track you down."

Her ear hurting a little, Xiao Wu followed Ning Rongrong's motion and slowly disentangled herself.

"Sister Rongrong, didn't you say that I shouldn't just lie around all day? I was just thinking of getting some exercise, hehehe..."

Ning Rongrong couldn't help but laugh at Xiao Wu's excuse.

"Can't you tell that I was just saying that on purpose? Do you remember what I said initially? If you don't listen to me, I'll deduct a week's worth of your pay. Starting now, consider today's wages gone!"

Ning Rongrong declared sternly.

Hearing that her wages would be docked for a week, Xiao Wu froze, about to protest.

But... it was indeed her fault.

A dejected Xiao Wu hung her head low, looking like a well-behaved child admitting her mistake.

Seeing Xiao Wu like this, Tang San frowned.

Hadn't Xiao Wu said that she was doing well in the Inner Court? This submissive attitude didn't seem like someone who was living comfortably at all.

"Miss, we're all students of the same academy, and we'll be running into each other quite often. Don't you think your behavior is a bit excessive?"

Hearing someone stand up for Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong turned to look.

Before even spotting Xiao Wu, she recognized the young man who had been with her before.

If Xiao Wu had no background to speak of, then this fellow couldn't be much better off.

"Oh? And who are you to Xiao Wu? Jumping to her defense like that.

As for what I said about seeing each other, I'm sorry to say that you won't be seeing much of me from now on.

And as for looking up, well... sometimes it's better not to look up randomly, or you might get into trouble..."

Ning Rongrong's smile was dangerous, and her reputation as a little witch was well-deserved.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end