"Holy Son brother, you and Sister Hu Liena, come play with Rongrong!"
Su Yu sat up, looking at her excited expression as a smile bloomed in his eyes:
"Alright, but you'll have to wait for me to freshen up first."
"Yay! That's great!"
Ning Rongrong immediately cheered, then quickly covered her mouth, afraid of disturbing others, though her eyes curved into crescents that betrayed her happiness.
The morning mist gradually dissipated, sunlight filling the Holy Child Palace and illuminating one tall and one short figure, creating an exceptionally harmonious atmosphere.
That same night, in the deep hours, within the palace arranged by Spirit Hall for Ning Fengzhi and his companions.
Ning Fengzhi sat in the main seat, the teacup before him long gone cold. He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his expression grave.
Sword Douluo Chenxin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong sat on either side, both looking relaxed, clearly having been summoned late at night without understanding the reason.
"Fengzhi, why have you called us here so late?" Chenxin was the first to speak, his voice carrying the huskiness of the night.
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, looking up at the two men with unusually solemn tone:
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, I want to arrange a marriage engagement for Rongrong."
With a clatter, the teacup in Gu Rong's hand slipped and fell onto the table.
His eyes widened in disbelief:
"What did you say? Arrange an engagement for Rongrong? The girl is still so young, why are you in such a hurry!"
Chenxin also abruptly straightened up, his half-closed eyes snapping open as his sharp gaze fell upon Ning Fengzhi's face:
"Fengzhi, Rongrong is only four years old. Her Martial Soul hasn't even awakened yet. Why are you suddenly thinking about marriage arrangements? Is someone pressuring you?"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head and let out a bitter laugh: "No one is pressuring me. This is my own decision."
He stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the deep night outside.
"Rongrong is the future successor of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Her marriage has never been just a family matter, but a major concern for our entire sect."
"These past years, with the decline of Clear Sky Sect, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has subtly been trending toward becoming the number one sect in the world!"
"This title, whether we want it or not, will eventually be forced upon us!"
"The Clear Sky Sect of those days couldn't withstand even a single confrontation with Spirit Hall. If Spirit Hall declares war on Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, how could we possibly resist!"
"What is there to fear! Fengzhi, Old Bone and I would stake our lives to prevent Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School from being destroyed!"
"Exactly, Fengzhi, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is our sect. Even if it costs us our lives, what do Old Sword and I have to fear with these old bones of ours?"
Ning Fengzhi turned around, his eyes slightly red, his voice choked with suppressed emotion:
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, I know your determination, and I believe you would sacrifice everything to protect the sect."
"But you are the pillars of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the family who watched me grow up!"
"How could I stand by and watch you exhaust yourselves for the sect, even to the point of..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes had already reddened. Taking a deep breath, he continued:
"Rongrong is my daughter. Devoting herself to the sect is her responsibility!"
"The example of Clear Sky Sect is right before our eyes!" He wiped his face, his tone full of helplessness.
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School may appear prosperous now, but in reality, we're walking on thin ice."
"The Spirit Hall's influence spans the entire continent, with experts as numerous as clouds. If we truly tear face, relying solely on our school's auxiliary Soul Masters, even with you two presiding, how long could we hold out?"
"When the time comes, rivers of blood will flow and mountains of bones will pile high. Is this really the outcome we want?"
Chen Xin's knuckles turned white, but he couldn't utter a word.
He knew Ning Fengzhi was speaking the truth. Proud as he was, he had to admit it.
Faced with the behemoth that was the Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School stood almost no chance of victory.
Gu Rong sighed, picking up the teacup from the table and gently rubbing it:
"Fengzhi, we understand your difficulties, but... using Rongrong's marriage to secure the school's stability is too unfair."
"That girl is only four years old. For us to arrange a marriage engagement for her now is probably..."
"I know it's unfair." Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes, his voice low.
"But as the school master's daughter, she has borne the responsibility of the school since birth."
"As her father, while I cannot give her a carefree life, I must at least pave a stable path for her to walk on."
The night outside the window grew deeper, as if threatening to swallow this small inner hall.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong remained silent, their faces filled with complexity.
"Enough!" Chen Xin finally relaxed his hand, his tone carrying some weariness.
"You're the school master. Since you've already decided, we two old fellows can only support you. But who do you plan to have Rongrong betrothed to?"
"The Spirit Hall's Holy Son, Su Yu." Ning Fengzhi slowly uttered the name.
"What?!" Chen Xin slammed the table, his sword-like eyebrows shooting upward.
"Have you gone mad? Having Rongrong marry into the Spirit Hall?"
"That Bi Bidong is deep and scheming, the Spirit Hall is ambitious and aggressive. Aren't you afraid Rongrong will suffer injustice there?"
Gu Rong also darkened his expression: "Fengzhi, the Spirit Hall is no good place."
"Although Su Yu is the Holy Son, Bi Bidong is currently in her prime. That boy won't possibly succeed as Pope for decades!"
Ning Fengzhi's gaze remained steady as he continued his analysis: "Su Yu's talent is anything but ordinary."
"These past days, I've carefully observed his Soul Power fluctuations - steady and condensed, with faint signs of breakthrough. His advancement to Soul Ancestor within a month is no empty boast."
"A ten-year-old Soul Ancestor..." he emphasized.
"Such talent is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns across the entire continent."
"The Spirit Hall has always valued geniuses. His status will only rise higher, his future limitless."
"In my opinion, it's highly possible he'll break through to Titled Douluo before thirty, perhaps even twenty-five."
Ning Fengzhi lightly tapped the table with his finger, his gaze profound: "The Spirit Hall's ambitions are clear to anyone with eyes!"
"But currently they do have shortcomings. While the Spirit Hall's high-end combat power is strong - their number of Titled Douluo far surpasses all major forces!"
"However, the Spirit Hall's low-end combat power appears insufficient. That is, they have too few troops they can directly mobilize."
"Precisely because of this, Bi Bidong absolutely cannot rashly launch large-scale warfare in the short term."
He shifted his tone, carrying a complex admiration.
"This woman's methods are truly brilliant. Her providing subsidies to low-level Soul Masters seems like a small gesture, but is actually a masterstroke."
"Those subsidies might be insignificant to noble Soul Masters!"
"But to commoner Soul Masters struggling for basic sustenance, they're genuine lifesaving funds."
Chen Xin interjected: "You mean she's winning people's hearts?"
"Not just winning over hearts, but also cultivating their foundation." Ning Fengzhi nodded.
"If this continues long-term, more and more commoner Soul Masters will remember the Spirit Hall's kindness—either joining the Spirit Hall or leaning toward it."
"By then, their prestige will grow ever higher, their foundation increasingly solid. Once their lower-tier combat strength catches up, I'm afraid..."