This Blue Tyrant Academy would one day become the future Shrek Academy.
Oscar stared blankly at the moonlit sky, recalling how Ning Rongrong had been whisked away in grand fashion. His heart sank with sorrow.
There was no doubt that Oscar, who had honored his bet by crawling around the spirit arena, was a self-respecting and strong-willed individual. At the same time, he was also sensitive.
In the original storyline, the absence of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect taking Ning Rongrong away had allowed Oscar to develop feelings for her. But now, their sudden reappearance struck a heavy blow to Oscar, a commoner-born youth burdened with feelings of inferiority.
For the first time, Oscar was directly confronted with the vast gap between their social classes. Any budding feelings of affection he harbored were suppressed before they could even be expressed.
This sense of inferiority spiraled into a vicious cycle, prompting Oscar to summon his martial soul. As he gazed at the faint glow of his weapon-like soul, disgust began to flicker in his eyes.
"If only you weren't an auxiliary-type martial soul… If only I were a battle-type soul master…
Then I wouldn't have to rely on others to survive.
Ah!!! It's so frustrating!!!" Oscar cried out in anguish.
---
On the other side, Xue Ye wore a false smile as he spoke.
"It's been a while since we last met, Lord Ning. Your beloved daughter has truly grown into a fine young lady."
"Not at all, Your Majesty. It is Princess Xue Ke who grows more regal by the day," Ning Fengzhi replied with equal insincerity.
Although Emperor Xue Ye always felt something was off about Qian Ren Xue's portrayal of Xue Qinghe, for the sake of Tian Dou Empire's future, he didn't follow in the footsteps of Li Shimin—appointing a crown prince while secretly favoring other princes. Thus, Xue Ye Emperor had no intention of openly antagonizing Ning Fengzhi.
After a brief pause, Xue Ye said, "Rongrong has reached this age. How about finding her a suitable match and arranging a betrothal? I happen to have several candidates in mind. Would Lord Ning care to take a look?"
Before Ning Fengzhi could respond, the two Title Douluos shot warning glares at Xue Ye Emperor.
Ning Fengzhi shrugged helplessly and said, "As you can see, Your Majesty, this isn't something I can decide. It ultimately depends on Rongrong's own wishes."
Emperor Xue Ye's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression remaining deceptively kind, but inwardly he cursed Ning Fengzhi as a sly old fox. 'If you truly cared about her wishes, why bring her to such an occasion? Do you think I can't see through your little schemes?'
However, with two Title Douluos present, even Emperor Xue Ye dared not overstep, so he could only say regretfully:
"Is that so? What a pity."
At this moment, a thoughtful gleam flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
Though the Tian Dou Imperial Family wasn't like the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, which relied on auxiliary martial souls, their martial soul quality left much to be desired. Reaching the pinnacle of power was out of the question. More often than not, they sought to bolster their strength by allying with powerful soul masters, much like the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect.
Now, Ning Fengzhi was contemplating whether Ye Wen being drawn into the Tian Dou Imperial Family's camp might affect the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect.
Soon, Ning Fengzhi chuckled to himself.
The conclusion he reached was that it wouldn't.
First, Ning Fengzhi himself was the teacher of the current crown prince, holding a position of great prestige.
Additionally, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect boasted two Title Douluos—Sword and Bone—who provided ample deterrence.
Most importantly, the sect maintained strong ties with the majority of nobles across the Tian Dou Empire, forming a solid community of shared interests. Unless the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect rebelled, the Tian Dou Royal Family wouldn't dare move against them.
However, seeing Ye Wen's unyielding demeanor, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but feel disappointed that his precious daughter likely wouldn't succeed in winning him over.
After all, in Ning Fengzhi's view, while the short-term outcome was uncertain, in a few decades, when Ye Wen and his fiancées fully matured, their combined forces would rival even the former glory days of the Hao Tian Sect—not the fallen Hao Tian Sect, but the one that had stood tall during Tang Chen's era.
But now, it seemed there was no hope.
Though Ning Fengzhi was manipulative in matters of the heart, he understood that forcing relationships wouldn't work, especially when the other party had a Title Douluo backing them. A forced marriage alliance would only sour relations. With this in mind, Ning Fengzhi's gaze darkened.
"It seems that blood ties between our families will have to wait until the next generation." Ning Fengzhi thought to himself.
Still, the situation wasn't entirely clear, and Ning Fengzhi clung to a sliver of hope.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Ning Rongrong might unexpectedly win Ye Wen's favor, leading to a happy union. After all, she was only twelve years old—there was plenty of time.
Thinking about how time was on his side, Ning Fengzhi's mood brightened once again.
---
Meanwhile, on Ye Wen's side—
Xue Ke hadn't initially noticed Ning Rongrong's ulterior motives, but upon realizing them, she suddenly became fiercely protective, like a puppy guarding its food. The two exchanged veiled jabs, leaving the somewhat oblivious Ye Wen feeling overwhelmed.
"Miss Ning, you're still young. You shouldn't get too close to members of the opposite sex."
"Not at all, Princess. You're much older than us. Why don't you go find someone your age to talk to?"
"I've heard from others that Miss Ning likes to spend money recklessly."
"Funny, I've also heard that the princess has some… special preferences."
Ye Wen -_-||: 'I really don't want to stay in this place anymore.'
Just as Ye Wen was thinking of an excuse to slip away, a chilling voice sounded from behind him.
"Awen, you seem to be having so much fun. Can you tell me why you're so happy~?"
Instantly, Ye Wen's hair stood on end, goosebumps covered his skin, and a cold sweat trickled down his temple, freezing his entire body.
Turning stiffly, Ye Wen awkwardly replied, "Yu'er, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm just entertaining guests."
He quickly stood up and apologized to Xue Ke and Ning Rongrong. "Excuse me, my beautiful ladies. My fiancée has arrived, so I must take my leave."
Neither Xue Ke nor Ning Rongrong showed any signs of discomfort. Instead, they kindly told Ye Wen to go ahead and attend to his fiancée.
Without suspicion, Ye Wen hastily left with Huo Yu'er.
"Thank you, Yu'er. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck dealing with those two. You have no idea—they suddenly started acting like they were about to go to war. It scared me (>.<)!"
Once they were far enough away, Ye Wen began venting to Huo Yu'er, trying to prove his innocence.
Just as Ye Wen was preparing to pile on more excuses, Huo Yu'er, who had been icy cold moments ago, suddenly smiled, as if winter had abruptly turned into spring.
Interlocking her fingers with Ye Wen's, Huo Yu'er chuckled softly. "I already know. There's no need to explain. After spending so much time with you, do you think I don't know what kind of person you are? I came over just now to help you out of that awkward situation."
Ah...
Ye Wen, who had been racking his brain for explanations, suddenly froze. For a moment, he felt as if he were completely at Huo Yu'er's mercy.
But strangely... it felt kind of nice~
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