The morning after their momentous day arrived with the gentle insistence of the sun, its light filtering through the windows of the dormitory.
In the training yard, the air was still cool and carried the scent of dew on the grass. Two figures were already there, moving in the soft dawn light.
Or rather, one was moving with fluid, practiced grace, while the other was struggling valiantly.
It was at this moment that Xiao Wu, bursting with her usual morning energy, bounded into the training yard. She spotted them and skipped over, her head tilting in curiosity as she took in Mei's state.
"Whoa, Senior Mei! What happened to you?" Xiao Wu asked, her eyes wide. "You look like you just tried to fight a bear before breakfast!"
Mei, who had just collapsed onto the grass in a heap, could only manage broken words between gasps for air. "I....huh...wanted..to..huh..try...doing..Tang....San's..huh... exercise." She waved a weak hand towards Tang San, who had paused his routine.
Tang San offered a slightly awkward, sympathetic smile. "Maybe it was a bit too intense for a first attempt," he admitted, walking over to where Mei lay.
He knelt, offering her a water bottle and a clean towel.
Mei accepted them gratefully, wiping her face before taking a long drink. She managed a shaky but genuine smile. "Don't...worry...huh...It...was...enlightening."
The word was chosen carefully. Even in her exhaustion, she could appreciate the discipline and control embedded in every movement.
Seeing that Mei was recovering, Tang San turned his attention to the bouncing Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, don't you need to go meet Sect Master Ning and Ning Rongrong?" he reminded her gently.
"After all, you're still on the clock as her guide. You wouldn't want to be late and have him think you're not professional."
Xiao Wu's face lit up with a brilliant, mischievous grin. "I want us to go together! All of us! It'll be more fun."
Tang San glanced at Mei, who was slowly pushing herself up to a sitting position, her breathing finally starting to even out. He gave a small, fond sigh. "Alright," he agreed.
"But we have to let Mei rest a bit first. We'll most likely be a little late."
"I'm fine now," Mei said, her voice regaining its melodic quality as she stood up, brushing grass from her clothes.
She stretched, feeling the pleasant ache of used muscles. "Really. A quick walk will help. We can go in a bit."
"Okay, then come on!" Xiao Wu chirped, not one to wait once a plan was set. She happily began hopping away towards the academy gates, trusting them to follow.
Tang San offered Mei his arm for support, which she accepted with a grateful nod.
The mood at the hotel was a stark contrast to the serene morning the trio had just experienced.
As they were ushered into the sitting room, they were met with a scene of mild chaos.
Ning Rongrong stood in the center of the room, her small fists clenched, tears of frustration welling in her eyes.
Ning Fengzhi was kneeling before her, his expression a mixture of paternal weariness and firm resolve, speaking to her in low, calming tones.
"...but Rongrong, you know we cannot stay here forever. The sect needs us to return."
"I don't want to go!" she wailed, stamping her foot. "I don't want to go back to the big, empty halls! It's boring! I want to stay here!"
It was at that moment she spotted Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Mei entering the room. Her tantrum ceased instantly.
With a speed that surprised even Sword Douluo, who was also trying to make sure Rongrong didn't hurt herself, she darted across the room and latched onto Tang San's arm, clinging to him like a lifeline.
"I'm not going! I'm staying here with Brother San and everyone!" she declared, burying her face in his sleeve.
Ning Fengzhi rose to his feet with a quiet sigh, offering the newcomers an apologetic smile. "My apologies, you have to see this. It seems our departure has been... met with some resistance."
He gracefully explained the situation. Urgent matters required his presence back at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in Heaven Dou City, and Ning Rongrong, having tasted friendship and freedom, was refusing to leave.
His eyes, sharp and thoughtful, then settled on the three of them.
"Seeing how much she values your company," he began, his tone becoming genuinely inviting, "the solution seems simple. I want to extend a formal invitation to you all. Come with us to Heaven Dou City. I will personally ensure you are enrolled in the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, with all tuition and expenses covered. You could continue your studies together in the finest institution on the continent."
Ning Rongrong's head snapped up, her tears forgotten, replaced by blazing hope. "Yes! Yes! You have to come! Please! We can all be together!"
There was a moment of silence. Tang San, feeling the weight of the offer and the desperate hope in the girl clinging to his arm, spoke first.
He bowed respectfully. "Sect Master Ning, this is an incredibly generous offer, and we are deeply honored. However," he continued, his voice calm and steady, "we feel we are still too young. We wish to build a more solid foundation here at Nuoding Academy first. To enter a place as grand as the Imperial Academy without being fully prepared would be a disservice to your generosity."
Mei nodded in agreement, placing a gentle hand on Ning Rongrong's shoulder. "What Brother San said is true. The world outside is vast, and we want to be ready for it. If, in a few years, the offer still stands, we would be proud to accept it."
Ning Rongrong's face fell. "Why not now? It would be perfect now!"
Xiao Wu, unable to contain herself any longer, piped up. "Because we made a pact! The three of us! We're going to graduate together when we're nine, and then we'll move to a big city! A promise is a promise!"
Ning Fengzhi's eyebrows rose slightly. This was a reason he had not anticipated. Not a refusal born of fear or ingratitude, but one born of a shared, solemn vow between friends.
He looked at the three children—Tang San with his unwavering resolve, Mei with her gentle firmness, and Xiao Wu with her fierce loyalty.
A slow, genuine smile spread across his face. Their bond was stronger than he had realized.
"I see," he said, his voice filled with a new layer of respect.
"A pact between comrades is not something to be broken lightly. Very well. The offer will remain open. In a few years, when you are ready, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be happy to assist you on your journey to Heaven Dou City."
Though the larger battle was won, Ning Rongrong was still pouting, lower lip jutting out. It was Tang San who finally calmed her. He didn't scold or plead.
He simply looked at her, his gaze steady and kind. "A few years will pass quickly," he said softly.
"And we will be better, stronger friends when we meet again. We will write letters. It's a promise."
Something in his calm certainty soothed her. She sniffled, then nodded, reluctantly releasing his arm.
The effectiveness of his simple words did not go unnoticed; Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo exchanged a brief, meaningful glance. The boy had a quiet authority that was remarkable.
Goodbyes were said, and hugs were given—a bit tighter and longer than usual. Soon, the carriages were loaded and began to roll away from the hotel, heading for the main road out of Nuoding City.
As the distance grew, a small hand waved frantically from a carriage window, and Ning Rongrong's voice, thick with emotion but full of determination, carried back to them.
"I'll meet you again! I promise!"
Watching the carriages shrink into the distance, Ning Fengzhi leaned back in his seat, a contemplative expression on his face.
What had begun as a simple trip passing through a backwater city had resulted in his daughter forming a bond with the son of the Haotian Douluo, a girl blessed by talent and a girl with heaven-defying soul skill.
He let out a soft, thoughtful breath. Despite the tantrum, he couldn't help but feel that this outing had yielded a far more valuable return than he could have ever planned for.
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