Word Count: 2,715 Words
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Night fell. A crescent moon hung high in the sky. Mist drifted lightly over Sea God Lake, shrouding Sea God Island in an ethereal haze that made it seem like a paradise on earth.
Two figures pierced through the mist, traversing Sea God Lake in the tranquil night. They landed on Sea God Island and walked side by side toward their lodgings.
Ma Xiaotao stretched her limbs with a lazy yawn, easing the ache in her muscles. She grumbled to Ling Bai beside her, "Being Director of Education is no job for a human. It's nothing but a jumble of petty, trivial nonsense. Today, Director Du applied for an indefinite leave to seclude himself and break through to Titled Douluo. Teacher rarely bothers with the Outer Courtyard, so now the whole mess falls squarely on me."
"Take it slow. Don't let things get out of hand."
Ling Bai offered a word of advice. The Outer Courtyard's affairs were numerous and intricate, and with Ma Xiaotao's fiery temper, sitting still was truly not an easy task. This was also Elder Mu's way of tempering her character.
If she lost her temper and stirred up trouble, she might not be able to enter Sea God Pavilion smoothly in three years.
"Relax, I've got it handled."
Ma Xiaotao tilted her snow-white chin upward. "My status speaks for itself. Not many people dare to talk back to me.
I've already warned those Outer Courtyard teachers not to expel students on their own; education must come first. They seem obedient enough, and I owe that partly to you and Director Du for clearing out the toughest bone ahead of time."
"You're talking about Zhou Yi, right?"
Ling Bai recalled. "She spent over two years in logistics at the Spirit Guidance Department and apparently wanted to become a teacher there. But Dean Xian never approved, not even when Fan Yu personally pleaded her case."
Ma Xiaotao let out a cold scoff. "Dean Xian made the right call. Some of the Martial Spirit Department teachers were swayed by Zhou Yi's methods. Sure, the constant threat of expulsion keeps students on edge and pushes them to train harder, but it's not a sustainable approach. Shrek's reputation matters."
"Mm, as long as you have it clear in your mind."
"Are you free these days? If you are, come help me shoulder some of the Outer Courtyard workload."
"Oh, then I'm incredibly busy."
"... Don't even think about sleeping in my bed tonight!"
Their playful banter carried them along the path to Ma Xiaotao's wooden cabin. A faint, muffled sobbing drifted to their ears just as the outline of the house came into view.
"Someone's crying?"
"Aren't you the only one living here?"
Their focus differed completely. Ling Bai and Ma Xiaotao both saw confusion in each other's gaze as their eyes met.
In the past, due to Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix, no one else had lived within a three-kilometer radius of this spot. That changed when Ling Bai enrolled and requested a quiet cabin. Big Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan had brought him here. Later, Ma Xiaotao returned to solitary living after Ling Bai moved to the Ancient Golden Tree.
This unexpected weeping caught them both off guard.
"I'm heading back to bathe. You get rid of her. Don't let the crying spoil our mood for tonight."
"Okay."
"Hurry up and come back. I'll be waiting."
With a flick of her fiery red hair, the tips grazed Ling Bai's nose, leaving behind a refreshing scent.
A spring night is worth a thousand gold. Ling Bai traced the sound of the sobs, weaving through a patch of dense woods. Soon, by the shore of Sea God Lake, he spotted a girl with wine-red hair. She sat hugging her knees, tears like scattered pearls streaming endlessly from her eyes.
Her figure was striking. Short hot pants revealed long, fair legs with flawless lines. Her picturesque face was tear-stained, a pear-blossom-in-the-rain appearance that evoked pity. Her sobbing was especially mournful; clearly, she had suffered a great grievance.
"Damn Shrek, damn Dugu Lin, damn cafeteria uncle, damn fatso…"
She sobbed while muttering under her breath. Then, a clear, slightly amused voice sounded beside her ear.
"Lift your head a bit higher, and turn a little to the left. Stop, hold it like that. That's the best angle for crying."
The girl's sadness seemed to shatter the moment she looked up at Ling Bai. He saw tiny stars flicker in her eyes for a fleeting moment, only for them to vanish, replaced by an even greater sorrow.
"Why are you here!"
The girl cried even harder, like a torrential river bursting its banks. Ling Bai walked over and squatted down in front of her, smiling as he said, "Your voice, control it a little. You're crying too roughly. Soften it just a touch."
Abruptly, the sobbing ceased. Her eyes, rimmed with red, fixed on the handsome face so close to hers. Tentatively, she asked, "Even crying needs to be refined? Are your standards really that strict?"
"No, no, just teasing you."
Ling Bai's long hair fluttered in the wind, his golden eyes clear and bright. "Miss Meng Hongchen, it's late. Why aren't you cultivating or sleeping? What brings you to such a secluded spot to cry?"
Meng Hongchen sniffled, her voice thick with emotion. "It's all because you Shrek people bully me too much!"
She wore delicately applied makeup. A touch of soft red eye shadow at the corners of her already lovely eyes gave them an extra charm that stirred a desire to protect.
"You mean the exchange student examination matches?"
Ling Bai was genuinely curious. Xiao Hongchen's words after the ten straight losses were encouraging enough; Meng Hongchen shouldn't be this fragile.
"What's one loss? I'll get my revenge sooner or later!"
Meng Hongchen retorted first, but then her lips quivered as she revealed the truth, "There was only one serving of Earth Dragon Tendon left in the cafeteria tonight. I arrived at the window at the same time as a fat guy, but the cafeteria uncle insisted that the fatso's belly arrived before I did!
That completely broke me!!!"
Ling Bai looked at Meng Hongchen's teeth-grinding expression, then lifted his gaze to the stars and moon, wishing he could recall every sorrowful thing in his life.
He wanted to comfort her but was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from laughing and cause her secondary psychological trauma.
Everyone cares about different things. A young lady, pampered and doted on by her grandfather and brother since childhood, couldn't even get a satisfying dinner in a foreign land. The Earth Dragon Tendon was like the last straw breaking Meng Hongchen's psychological defenses.
"Shrek is just bullying people! I can't believe that out of several dozen Inner Courtyard students, I happened to encounter Dugu Lin, who not only has the same poison attribute as me but even stronger poison!
My assigned room is so far from my brother's, and going to that crummy cafeteria means crossing all of Sea God Island. On top of that, I have to run into that damn fatso Xie Huanyue!
I just wanted to cry quietly for a bit, then pull myself together and work harder. But then you caught me. I've lost all face!!!"
Meng Hongchen poured out her complaints. Once done, she gazed at Ling Bai with teary, glistening eyes and clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "You won't tell my brother, will you? He's the exchange student captain. After our ten straight losses, he's under the most pressure. I don't want to add to his worries."
"Alright, this stays between us," Ling Bai nodded gently.
"I'm done crying. I'll head back to meditate. Tomorrow, I'll challenge Dugu Lin again... No, first, I'll beat up that fatso!"
Meng Hongchen stood up, patted the dust off her pants, and was instantly full of energy. The grudge of having her food snatched was irreconcilable; in her heart, Xie Huanyue's detestability surpassed even Dugu Lin's at this moment!
After giving herself a pep talk, she glanced at Ling Bai, puzzled. "This place is pretty remote. There are only two wooden houses within three kilometers. Do you live next door to me?"
"Good question..."
Ling Bai understood now. Meng Hongchen's room was his old one; she was Ma Xiaotao's new neighbor. Ever since Ning Tian left for the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, there was no longer any need for secrecy at Shrek Academy, so he and Ma Xiaotao simply went about together openly. There was nothing special about letting Meng Hongchen know; with the two girls living so close, she would find out sooner or later.
"I live in the Ancient Golden Tree. Next door to you is—"
However, Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up just as he began to speak: "I get it! You came here specially to visit me! I knew you were a good person, Ling Bai, different from those Shrek people. I'm determined to pursue you!"
"Huh?"
Ling Bai fell into deep thought. This train of thought was a bit peculiar; he needed a moment to process it.
"I'm leaving now! I'll bring you a loving breakfast at the Ancient Golden Tree tomorrow morning!"
Meng Hongchen waved her hands and skipped away. Ling Bai waited for a while, and once he felt that she had probably started meditating, he pushed open the door to Ma Xiaotao's house.
At that moment, Meng Hongchen pulled out a small notebook and marked a check next to the first item.
"I only planned to cry a little, but ended up with a pleasant surprise.
Step one of my conquest plan was a success. Pure, innocent, vulnerable, pretty, with a good figure, and not too smart. Men surely adore this type! Did he really think I didn't know who my neighbor was?
Hmph, so Ma Xiaotao got there first. Dugu Lin is fawning just like me..."
...
Sun Moon Imperial Academy.
In a sealed room, bodies lay sprawled in all directions. Ferocious claw marks had nearly torn through the composite metal walls, the scars glinting with a dark golden sheen.
"No… no more, we won't dare try anything again!"
A man shrank back, a Class 3 Spirit Ray fitted on his arm, but he dared not fire as the crimson figure approached.
Bang—
Wu Feng knocked the man out with a punch. Her scarlet hair tied in a high ponytail, she curled her lips and said, "Now you're begging for mercy? Where was that attitude earlier?"
On the other side, Ning Tian held the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda suspended above her palm. A woman in her early twenties, clad in the sixth-year uniform of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, knelt on the floor, both her hands charred black from Red Dragon flames.
"Sorry, Senior Sister Liu Yao. Xiao Feng was a bit heavy-handed; I apologize on her behalf," Ning Tian said softly. "But you're at fault too. We just enrolled, and you came straight to extort us. Did you find out we're from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?"
Liu Yao glared fiercely. "Ning Tian, we admit defeat this time, but just you wait!"
The curve of Ning Tian's lips remained flawless. "Your home is in Sunrisen City. Your parents died in an accident five years ago. You have a six-year-old sister attending Sunrisen Junior Spirit Guidance Master Academy."
"How do you know that? What are you trying to do?" Liu Yao was terrified; she had thought she could pinch a soft persimmon, but never imagined Ning Tian could investigate her background so thoroughly!
"What could I possibly want? Wasn't it you who made the first move, Senior Sister?"
"I'm sorry, Junior Sister Ning. I promise this won't happen again." Liu Yao trembled as she bowed her head, submitting to Ning Tian.
"Do something for me, and I'll let today go."
"Name it..."
"Your Spirit Guidance Master talent is mediocre. In your twenties and still a Class 4 Spirit Guidance Master, you could never make it into Illustrious Virtue Hall. The Sun Moon Imperial Academy has an endless supply of ordinary students like you. Besides your basic quota, they won't give you any extra resources.
You can't even afford some rare metals, so you can't craft valuable Spirit Guidance Devices for sale. Your sister has good talent, but her tuition is expensive. That's why you gathered a bunch of other nobodies like yourself and targeted us, the 'fat sheep' exchange students from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
But none of that matters now. I've heard there's a secret smuggling line inside the academy, bold enough to sell Illustrious Virtue Hall's Spirit Guidance Devices outside. Please introduce me to it..."
Ning Tian had already learned about this smuggling line from her aunt, Ning Fengyu, before coming to the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. However, the source of the line was within Illustrious Virtue Hall itself, and all its subordinate members were teachers and students.
Linglong Pavilion's reach didn't extend this far. Usually, they only smuggled rare metals and non-Illustrious Virtue Hall Spirit Guidance Devices from the Sun Moon Empire. Now that Jianmu Douluo and Ling Bai had secured the clan's present and future, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wanted to get in on this smuggling line. The best way was through Ning Tian, a Sun Moon Imperial Academy student and absolutely trustworthy.
"You're from the Heavenly Soul Empire. This is asking me to betray my country..." Liu Yao shook her head repeatedly.
"I'll give you this much, more than enough for you and your sister to live in comfort for a lifetime." Ning Tian couldn't be bothered to haggle and raised two slender fingers.
"Two million..."
Liu Yao's throat worked as she swallowed. Some Class 8 Spirit Guidance Devices cost less than a million; two million spirit gold coins was a sum she could only dream of.
Her morality was subjectively motivated.
Ning Tian's spirit gold coins followed objective laws.
To properly employ subjective initiative, one must first obey objective laws.
Liu Yao nodded eagerly. There was no way she could refuse so much money for the sake of morality. The offer was simply too good.
"I'll go make contact. Wait for my news."
Liu Yao felt her whole body fill with energy. She scrambled up, opened the door, and ran off into the distance, forgetting about her fainted underlings.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng exchanged a smile, then left the blood-reeking room.
Wu Feng wiped the blood from her knuckles and sighed, "The targeting from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy came fast. You never made a move here in the Sun Moon Empire, but somehow that group with Liu Yao still found out who we are.
I heard Huo Yuhao's group got into a fight too. An imperial family member suffered mental trauma and is still unconscious."
Ning Tian replied calmly, "It's just xenophobia and bullying newcomers. If they acted all polite to us, I'd actually be suspicious. I'm sure Sun Moon exchange students at Shrek Academy will get the same treatment. With Dean Yan Shaozhe's personality, there's no telling how he'll make things difficult for them."
"Weren't you a bit generous with Liu Yao just now? Two million! That's enough for me to save for two years!" Wu Feng thought Ning Tian was being too lavish.
"Spending a bit more will make her truly diligent. This secret line buried deep within Illustrious Virtue Hall is extremely important to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Controlling it means controlling a steady supply of high-level Spirit Guidance Devices, along with the vast wealth brought by smuggling," Ning Tian said.
"Mother's intention is for the clan to get a piece of the pie. The two Spirit Guidance Guardian Legions that were secretly established also require Spirit Guidance Devices. Auntie and Linglong Pavilion will fully cooperate with me. Auntie investigated Liu Yao and shared her findings with me. She decided that someone with such obvious weaknesses would be a good entry point.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan doesn't lack money; it lacks talent. I want to recruit some talented Spirit Guidance Masters from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. If possible, I would like to invite a Class 9 Spirit Guidance Master to join the clan..."