Chapter 44: The Little Witch
The next morning, Ruo Ling was woken by shouting.
"Come out of there right now!"
"Miss, you mustn't! The guests inside are honored visitors of the Sect Master!"
"Honored visitors? I've already heard everything! They threatened Father and tried to steal our secret technique!"
"Father didn't even come home last night—it must be their fault!"
The loud argument outside dragged Ruo Ling from his sleep.
Yawning, he stretched lazily as the Crow Shadow Puppet, now in the form of a raven, perched on his shoulder.
Since evolving into Ultimate Darkness, the puppet had become more conscious—able to stay materialized indefinitely with minimal energy consumption.
Ruo Ling had given it a simple command before sleeping: stand guard and wake him if anything strange happened. Truly convenient.
Hearing the ruckus outside, he washed up leisurely before opening the door.
"Are you pretending not to hear me in there?!" a girl's voice shouted furiously.
The moment the door swung open, a small figure burst in.
Ruo Ling stepped aside calmly as the intruder—clearly not expecting the door to open—lost her balance and nearly tumbled headfirst onto the floor.
Ning Rongrong's eyes went wide in panic. The ground rushed toward her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
But instead of pain, she felt herself hanging weightlessly in midair.
"How long do you plan to keep staring blankly?" came a calm voice from beside her.
She slowly opened her eyes—only to find herself suspended awkwardly above the ground as if caught in invisible strings.
"Miss!" one of her attendants shouted, rushing forward—but froze the moment he saw Ruo Ling standing by the door, composed and unreadable.
Ruo Ling glanced at the girl, mildly amused. She couldn't be taller than one and a half meters, dressed in fine clothes, and clearly pampered—the way the servants called her "Young Miss" confirmed it.
So this is Ning Rongrong, he thought.
Realization hit her a moment later, and she immediately began struggling.
But no matter how she fought, she couldn't move—the unseen threads held her securely in midair.
"What is this? Let me go!" she cried, her voice rising.
"Please release the Young Miss!" a stern voice commanded suddenly.
Ruo Ling turned. A black-haired young man was striding toward him, his expression sharp.
"Even if you're a guest of the Sect Master, you can't toy with our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's little princess!" he said firmly, summoning a green longsword as four soul rings appeared around him—two yellow, two purple.
A Soul Ancestor, under twenty—quite the talent.
Ruo Ling chuckled softly and, with a wave of his hand, released his dark threads.
With a small gasp, Ning Rongrong dropped to the ground face first.
"I had no intention of bullying your little princess," Ruo Ling said mildly. "She charged in on her own. Honestly, you should be thanking me—for keeping her from smashing her head open."
"You—! You jerk!" Ning Rongrong shouted, standing up angrily before hiding behind the young man, glaring at Ruo Ling.
He shook his head helplessly.
Truly the little witch of legend—untamed and spoiled. She hadn't yet gone to Shrek Academy to learn humility.
"Little Bai, teach him a lesson! He bullied me!" she demanded.
The young man, apparently named Bai, hesitated. "Miss… he's the Sect Master's guest. Besides, he really didn't—"
But before he could finish, an authoritative voice cut through the air.
"Enough!"
Ning Fengzhi arrived, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo right behind him.
"Father!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up as she ran straight into his arms.
"Father, this mean man bullied me! Punish him!"
"Rongrong, nonsense! Holy Son Ruo Ling of Spirit Hall would never bully you."
Ning Fengzhi's stern tone made her blink in shock. Seconds later, her eyes turned red with frustration.
"Father, you're yelling at me!" she cried, tears gathering.
Ning Fengzhi sighed helplessly. His daughter always managed to disarm him completely.
"Grandpa Jian! Look, Father yelled at me!" she turned and pleaded dramatically to Sword Douluo.
Ruo Ling watched quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. So this was the famed little witch of the Seven Treasure Clan—no less spoiled than in the legends.
In fact, perhaps worse. She was only nine right now, younger and even more reckless than the twelve-year-old version from the original story.
"My apologies for this commotion, young friend," Ning Fengzhi said awkwardly, clearly embarrassed.
At that moment, Bibi Dong stepped out from the neighboring room.
"I find Miss Ning rather… straightforward," Ruo Ling said, smiling politely.
"Hmph! Don't think I'll forgive you just because you're trying to flatter me!" Ning Rongrong said with a pout.
Ruo Ling's eye twitched. He had little patience for childish arguments.
His crimson pupils glimmered faintly as the Domain of Consciousness activated silently.
In his spiritual vision, Ning Rongrong's soul shimmered with threads of blue sadness and red anger.
The invisible aura spread gently, and Ruo Ling's lips curved slightly.
"Miss Ning, surely there's no need for anger between us," he said gently. "If my actions offended you, please accept my apology."
His tone was calm and warm—like a soothing breeze.
Gradually, Ning Rongrong's expression softened. The colors of her soul shifted to gentle green tranquility.
None of the others noticed anything amiss. They simply thought Ruo Ling was unusually polite and persuasive. Only Bibi Dong glanced at him strangely—something about it didn't sit right with her.
Of course, the "Pope" knew manipulation when she saw it.
Now subdued, Ning Rongrong hid timidly behind Sword Douluo, even glancing at Ruo Ling with a hint of shy curiosity.
Bibi Dong cleared her throat, stepping forward to refocus the conversation. "Sect Master Ning, have you reached a conclusion regarding yesterday's proposal?"
Ning Fengzhi blinked and hesitated. "Let's discuss it someplace more private."
...
Soon they assembled in the council chamber.
Ning Rongrong and the young Soul Ancestor, Bai Yu, followed along.
Fengzhi frowned slightly at his daughter. "Bai Yu, Rongrong, you two should leave. The Pope and I have important matters to discuss."
"Yes, Sect Master," Bai Yu said quickly, exiting obediently.
Ning Rongrong, however, crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Why do I have to leave? Can't I listen?" she huffed, meeting her father's gaze defiantly.
Ning Fengzhi sighed again. He didn't want her involved in the delicate politics of Spirit Hall—especially not this negotiation.
"It's fine," Ruo Ling interjected smoothly. "Let Miss Ning stay. It's nothing she shouldn't hear."
Ning Fengzhi hesitated. But since Ruo Ling had spoken, it would have been rude to insist otherwise.
With a weary nod, he sat down, tension returning to his face as the discussion with the Pope of Spirit Hall began in earnest.
(END CHAPTER)
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