Chapter 85: Setting Out for the Star Dou Great Forest (II)

Hearing the movement approaching from behind, Ning Rongrong's voice suddenly turned cold: "Didn't you hear me speaking? Get out!"

But just as Ning Rongrong spoke those words, a gentle and warm voice immediately followed: "It's my own courtyard—do I really have to get out too?"

Ning Rongrong's hand holding the water jug paused; she, who had been carefully tending the flowers, abruptly turned her head, and her eyes met Gu Xuan's heterochromatic gaze—one red, one blue.

"Gu... Gu Xuan brother?" Ning Rongrong stared at the greatly changed Gu Xuan, hardly daring to recognize him, yet the voice just now was so familiar.

Gu Xuan stepped forward two paces, came before Ning Rongrong, raised his hand to take the water jug from her, and gently smoothed the strands of hair on her forehead.

"It's only been a few months since we last met, and you already don't recognize me?" Gu Xuan's voice was magnetic and gentle.

Accompanied by this gentle gesture, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart; even Du Gu Yan, who had been silently watching from the doorway, couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.

However, upon recalling that Ning Rongrong was Gu Xuan's sister, and that they had grown up together since childhood, it seemed this was merely normal brotherly concern and affection.

So she held her tongue and remained silent.

Compared to Du Gu Yan's calmness, Ning Rongrong was far from quiet; after confirming Gu Xuan's identity, she sprang up, her long, fair legs clamping around his waist, her arms encircling his neck.

"Gu Xuan brother! You finally thought of Rongrong—Dad, Bone Grandpa, and Sword Grandpa all said you came back three months ago, but back then Rongrong was in seclusion trying to break through to the twenty‑seventh level; how could you leave without even glancing at her?" Ning Rongrong said, tears falling like pearls.

Seeing this, Gu Xuan felt pity; one hand supported Ning Rongrong's waist and back, the other wiped her tears. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her—after all, she's hardly a little witch.

Du Gu Yan, standing at the doorway, was similarly moved; upon seeing Ning Rongrong and Gu Xuan so intimate, she almost couldn't help but speak.

But Ning Rongrong's subsequent reaction made Du Gu Yan unable to help feeling pity for this sister.

She had only spent a few months with Gu Xuan, yet his attentiveness and warmth had already made her inseparable from him; one can imagine how much this sister, surely pampered by Gu Xuan since childhood, relies on her brother.

Thinking this, Du Gu Yan resigned herself—she was already Gu Xuan's girlfriend; why would she still vie for his affection with a little sister?

The key was that the little sister's tearful, pear‑blossom‑in‑the‑rain appearance made Du Gu Yan also feel an urge to go over and comfort her.

But she knew that now was not a good moment for her to intervene.

While wiping Ning Rongrong's tears, Gu Xuan said, "Come down quickly—you're wearing a skirt!"

If Gu Xuan hadn't said anything, it would have been fine, but as soon as he spoke, Ning Rongrong panicked; she stared blankly for a moment and then exclaimed urgently, "No!"

Moreover, the girl's legs, like white jade, clamped even tighter; Gu Xuan felt as if he had bought an extremely ill‑fitting belt—except this belt was soft, not uncomfortable at all, but rather gave a strange, wonderful sensation.

But Du Gu Yan was standing right at the doorway; even if it had been explained earlier that Ning Rongrong was his sister, if this continued, in Du Gu Yan's eyes it would no longer appear purely sisterly.

After all, which brother and sister play like that?

Wrong! You can play like that, but you damn well can't keep doing it like that!

Gu Xuan pinched Ning Rongrong's slightly baby‑fat cheek; the abundant collagen made him enjoy it immensely, the sensation like touching a soft ice‑cream doll.

"Rongrong, I'm back, aren't I? Besides, I haven't seen you come to the academy to look for me," Gu Xuan said softly.

Who would have thought that if Gu Xuan didn't bring it up it would be fine, but as soon as he mentioned it, Ning Rongrong burst into tears again, pitifully saying, "I did go, okay? After I broke through to the twenty‑seventh level in seclusion, I ate the lilac‑scented osmanthus you brought back; after I broke through to the thirtieth level and obtained my soul ring, I went to the Tian Dou Royal Academy, but you weren't there at the academy then, and later when the academy went on vacation you still hadn't returned!"

"It's clearly you who wasn't there, yet you say I didn't come look for you…"

As she spoke, the girl seemed to have suffered a great injustice, sobbing uncontrollably; Gu Xuan also couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

After all, anyone would find it unbearable to see such a cute and well‑behaved sister crying so sorrowfully in his arms.

Moreover, Gu Xuan truly found this posture hard to bear, because in just over four months Ning Rongrong's figure had undergone such a dramatic change.

She went from having nothing to being over three years but under ten years old. This isn't a small change—it's a big one.

Before she didn't even have an A cup, now she's practically a B, rubbing against Gu Xuan's body, leaving him unsure how to comfort Ning Rongrong.

But Du Gu Yan is standing right there at the doorway watching; he doesn't want Du Gu Yan to misunderstand, turning what should have been a beautiful, harmonious sibling reunion into a battlefield.

No choice—Gu Xuan pulled out all his stops, and only with difficulty did he soothe Ning Rongrong, agreeing to bring her to the Tian Dou Royal Academy next semester to study.

Then he learned that Ning Rongrong's soul power had already reached the thirty‑sixth level, just one level shy of catching up to him, which also left Gu Xuan feeling rather helpless.

After all, the two immortal‑grade herbs he consumed mainly serve to transform and strengthen the body, not to boost soul power, and he also needs to compress his soul power to temper his physique in preparation for inheriting the legacies of the two Dragon Kings later on.

Now Ning Rongrong's soul power differs from his by only one level, which has also made her a bit smug.

Originally, after absorbing her third soul ring, Ning Rongrong was only at the thirty‑fifth level, but in the past three months she has risen another level and is now at the mid‑thirty‑sixth stage—her cultivation speed is certainly not slow.

After feeling pleased, Ning Rongrong asked Gu Xuan why his eyes and hair had turned out like this; although it was indeed handsome, the sudden change still required her some time to adjust.

Then came the introduction of Du Gu Yan to Ning Rongrong; the girl, who had been happily enjoying Gu Xuan brother's warm embrace, froze the moment Du Gu Yan appeared.

Is this my sister‑in‑law? This must be fake—less than five months away and he already has a lover?

You're only twelve, Gu Xuan! And there's a lovely cute girl right in front of you that you don't see? Just after leaving you're already flirting with outside women?

Although Du Gu Yan's beauty is comparable to Ning Rongrong's, due to her age her figure leaves Ning Rongrong far behind—something that cannot be made up.

For some reason, Ning Rongrong became unhappy, and even the joy of their long‑awaited reunion was dulled.

It was then that Gu Xuan realized just how much Ning Rongrong relied on him.

Of course, it could also be that because they had basically been together all along, Gu Xuan had grown accustomed to Ning Rongrong clinging to him daily; after being away for a few months and returning, her emotions erupted all at once.

It must be said that Ning Rongrong now still holds considerable appeal for Gu Xuan.

Gu Xuan himself knows his own disposition—he doesn't usually go out of his way to provoke great beauties, but if they take the initiative, as long as there isn't too much disagreement, he basically turns no one away.

However, now because of Du Gu Yan, he can't indulge Ning Rongrong; affection remains, but he can't take this opportunity to go further.

But what Ning Rongrong is like to Gu Xuan, he doesn't know.

Fortunately, Ning Rongrong isn't unreasonably troublesome; after learning that Du Gu Yan is her sister‑in‑law, although she still finds it somewhat hard to get close to Du Gu Yan, normal communication is still fine.

But before Gu Xuan and Ning Rongrong could get close for a few days, the next day Gu Xuan set off for the Star Dou Great Forest with Ning Fengzhi and the others.

Ning Rongrong certainly wanted to go along, but the Star Dou Great Forest is too dangerous; in the end, helpless, she could only stay behind in the sect alone.

When Gu Xuan left, Ning Rongrong burst into tears again, a pear‑blossom‑in‑the‑rain sight that made old Father Ning Fengzhi feel heart‑ached.

But now that it's come to this, Ning Fengzhi also hopes Ning Rongrong won't rely too much on Gu Xuan, after all Gu Xuan already has Du Gu Yan.

As for this, Ning Fengzhi is actually quite helpless too; after all, he originally just hoped Gu Xuan and Ning Rongrong could become a couple, given that Ning Rongrong has relied on Gu Xuan since childhood.

Now, Ning Fengzhi naturally does not want Ning Rongrong to become a mistress.

After all, Du Gu Yan's status is what it is, and she is Gu Xuan's first girlfriend, so Ning Fengzhi simply refrains from intervening, letting the young people work it out themselves.

Of course, since three months ago when Gu Xuan brought Du Gu Yan back together, Ning Fengzhi has already begun subtly instilling in Ning Rongrong the awareness not to be a sycophant, after all she is the future inheritor of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

Moreover, Ning Rongrong is also the only Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda; her future is not limited only here.

However, these are matters for later; Ning Fengzhi stands on Chenxin's Seven Slaughter Sword, gazing toward the Star Dou Great Forest, their heart unable to contain excitement.

Upon returning this time, he will become a Soul Douluo, the Soul Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda martial soul.

Oh no, it should be the Eight Treasure Glazed Pagoda!

PS: Typos will be corrected first, then revised.

(End of chapter)