450. Not Complaining

"Daddy, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, what are you two chattering about?"

Just as Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were at a loss for words, Ning Rongrong’s head peeked out from the treasure vault’s entrance.

She curiously looked at them, her short pink hair and delicate, charming face accentuating her graceful yet slightly frail figure.

Bone Douluo turned around, stuffing a gemstone-encrusted lock into his soul tool, and explained with a smile:
"Rongrong, Grandpa Bone is preparing your luggage."

"Luggage?"

Ning Rongrong blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion.

"Yes, this old Bone here is planning to empty out the treasure vault for you," Sword Douluo interjected, removing the scarf from around his neck.

"Hmph! So what if I empty it? These things will eventually belong to my Rongrong anyway!" Bone Douluo replied nonchalantly.

Ning Rongrong’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the densely written text in Sword Douluo’s hand, and she let out a crisp laugh.

"Grandpa Bone, there's no need to go through so much trouble. With the soul-guided crossbow gifted by Brother Holy Son, I’ll be perfectly safe."

At the mention of Qian Renjue, a mix of longing, grievance, and slight resentment appeared in Ning Rongrong’s gaze.

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo’s expressions became more serious.

"Rongrong, do you really want to leave?"

Ning Fengzhi stepped forward, gently ruffling Ning Rongrong’s hair as he defended Qian Renjue:
"The Holy Son has truly been very busy these past six months."

"But Brother Holy Son went to see Ye Lingling and hasn’t even visited me."

Ning Rongrong pouted, fiddling with her hands.

"The Pope has already taken full charge of affairs. Maybe he’ll come see you in a couple of days," Ning Fengzhi reminded her.

"Alright, Daddy, I’m not mad at Brother Holy Son." Ning Rongrong grabbed Ning Fengzhi’s wrist with a playful expression. "I just want to go out and have fun. But you’re not allowed to tell Brother Holy Son!"

"Not allowed to tell him?"

Ning Fengzhi was baffled.

"Yes, Daddy, you must promise not to complain to Brother Holy Son about me."

Ning Rongrong nodded earnestly and exaggeratedly winked at Ning Fengzhi, urging him, "Daddy, did you understand?"

"Hehe."

Ning Fengzhi chuckled helplessly. As her father, he understood her too well—he never expected her to be so awkward at times.

"Don’t worry, Daddy won’t tell him."

Hearing this, Ning Rongrong frowned slightly in dissatisfaction.

"Daddy, did you really understand? Rongrong said you must not tell Brother Holy Son."

"I really understood!" Ning Fengzhi smiled, ruffling her pink hair and indulging her whims.

"Good, or Rongrong won’t come back!" she huffed.

"Don’t worry, Rongrong. We’ll keep an eye on Fengzhi and make sure he doesn’t tell," Bone Douluo quickly chimed in.

Hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately comforted him:
"Grandpa Bone, there’s no need for all that trouble. Rongrong trusts Daddy."

"..."

Ning Fengzhi watched as Ning Rongrong said her goodbyes to Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. He felt a wave of emotion.

He wasn’t too concerned about Ning Rongrong’s safety; venturing out into the world of soul masters would be good for her.

After all, she was the future leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

How could she lead without accumulating some experience?

"Alright, Daddy, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, Rongrong is off!"


"Don’t worry, Rongrong is very capable!"

Ning Rongrong giggled as she ran outside. She stopped some distance away, turned around, and waved.

"Daddy! Don’t tell Brother Holy Son, okay~"

"Goodbye!"

Ning Fengzhi, with a doting smile, nodded gently toward Ning Rongrong’s departing figure.

He spoke calmly:
"Uncle Bone, send someone to inform the Holy Son."

Bone Douluo took Ning Fengzhi’s cane and stared at him disapprovingly.
"Fengzhi, what are you doing? Do you not want Rongrong to come back?"

Sword Douluo crossed his arms and said gruffly:
"Old Bone, if we don’t tell him, Rongrong really won’t come back."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Bone Douluo was puzzled.

"Think about it. Rongrong has been longing for him for so long. How could she not want to see him?"

Sword Douluo’s reminder made Bone Douluo suddenly understand.

"Ah… makes sense."

"Until the Holy Son finds Rongrong, we need to keep a closer watch," Ning Fengzhi said, retrieving his cane from Bone Douluo’s hand.

Leaning on it, he sighed:
"The expansion of Spirit Hall Academy is complete, and the affiliated academies are beginning to take shape. The strength of Spirit Hall is now unstoppable."

"Spirit City will soon become the true holy land for spirit masters."


---

The Balak Kingdom, neighboring the Fasno Province, is one of the four major kingdoms under the Heaven Dou Empire.

To the south, it borders the Star Luo Empire and boasts a strong military.

Within its borders, Soto City is the most important city after the capital, Balak City. Known as the granary of Balak, Soto City is also home to a Level-3 Spirit Hall, established by Spirit Hall.

A towering six-winged angel statue stands on the plaza in front of the hall, where passersby occasionally stop to pray.

At noon, under the blazing sun, the western city gate of Soto remained bustling with traffic.

A two-wheeled cart approached slowly, pulled by a black-haired, black-clad boy about 1.7 meters tall. Around his waist were 24 gemstones, and a wide strap rested on his shoulder.

Gripping the cart's handles, his determined face betrayed no sign of fatigue, even as sweat poured down his back under the scorching sun. His pace remained steady.

Seated on the cart was a pink-haired girl, shielding herself from the sun with a lotus leaf. Her delicate face bore a slight smile, her pink bunny ears swayed atop her head, and a collar around her neck added to her charm.

"Xiao Wu! That’s Soto City ahead," Tang San called out in a slightly breathless voice.

"Got it, Xiao San!" Xiao Wu looked ahead and cheerfully nodded. Holding a small wooden hammer, she pointed toward the city and playfully ordered:
"Tang Xiao San, hurry up and pick up the pace!"

With that, she lightly tapped Tang San’s back with the hammer.

The hammer was lightweight and made of decayed wood, causing no harm but carrying a playful air of humiliation.

"Alright, Xiao Wu. Hold on tight!"

Feeling motivated by Xiao Wu’s playful gesture, Tang San picked up speed without caring about the looks from passersby.

"Haha! Tang Xiao San, I didn’t know you still had so much energy!"

"Go, go! Keep it up!"

"If we make it to the city, Big Sister Xiao Wu will treat you to a feast!"

Xiao Wu cheered as the wind swept by, gleefully tapping Tang San’s back with her hammer. Her mischievous crimson eyes sparkled with amusement.

Finally, the cart rolled into the city.

"Alright, Tang Xiao San, you can stop now. You’ve fulfilled the bet."

"Not yet; it’s too crowded here," Tang San replied, still panting but continuing for a few dozen more steps before finally stopping.

"Tang Xiao San, are you okay?" Xiao Wu nimbly jumped off the cart, concerned.

"I’m fine. It’s all thanks to you being considerate and hiring the cart." Tang San shook his head in relief.

After losing to Xiao Wu in a duel, he was grateful she didn’t force him to pull the cart the entire way. The distance he covered was relatively short.

"Haha, you’ve thanked me so many times already. Big Sister Xiao Wu doesn’t care for that," Xiao Wu said, covering her mouth as she laughed softly.

What a fool!

Despite her teasing, Xiao Wu tossed a bottle of fresh water to Tang San and chirped:
"Here, have a drink and take a break. You’ve worked hard!"

"It wasn’t that hard. I lost the bet, so this was my responsibility," Tang San replied, standing straight.

Xiao Wu tossed aside the hammer with a playful hum.

"How smug! If I’d known, I would’ve made you walk from the start."

"Ha!"

Tang San chuckled at her remark.

He had pulled this cart many times before, and Xiao Wu knew well his endurance.

Such a short distance wasn’t hard at all—just a bit sweaty.

Xiao Wu always acted tough but had a soft heart.