School Master Ning would always give in to his daughter; any anger he had would vanish.
It wasn't just him; the Sword and Bone Douluos were the same. When Jiang Yunzhou faced her, he could only rub his forehead in exasperation.
Finally, he could only helplessly pat her head, his tone doting yet resigned: "Alright, alright, pay attention to the occasion in the future. Don't just blurt out anything."
Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue, not taking his words to heart at all.
Was her teacher embarrassed? No.
As long as she wasn't embarrassed, the only one who would be embarrassed was her father.
In her opinion, some things become true if you say them. How uncomfortable would it be to keep them bottled up?
She just had to say it, and she had to say it in front of everyone. If she got scolded, it meant she was still young and ignorant. If she didn't get scolded, it meant her goal was achieved.
Anyway, she was determined to be this 'rebellious disciple challenging her teacher'!
"Daddy~ if you don't have anything else to do, hurry back and prepare the dowry..."
"Otherwise..."
Ning Fengzhi's eyelid twitched, and he quickly interrupted her spell: "Didn't I just tell you? You're at it again? Let go first; I have important matters to discuss with Dean Jiang."
Ning Rongrong blinked her big, innocent eyes: "Are you really discussing important matters?"
"Really important matters!"
"Alright then~ you two have a good talk."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, rubbing his forehead: He used to have no way to deal with this daughter, and now that she was stronger, he couldn't control her even more.
Perhaps if father and daughter were to fight now, he might even lose.
This was no longer a warm little cotton jacket; this had clearly become a battle robe with reflected damage!
Jiang Yunzhou, however, was secretly envious: He had to admit, girls who knew how to act spoiled had good lives.
Of course, women who knew how to manipulate were even luckier.
Not far away, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu peered over, looking at each other.
They wondered: Can you really play like this?
Sometimes, they truly admired Ning Rongrong, who was brave enough to be direct and never hid her true thoughts.
As for the two of them, one had a cold personality and feared breaking her persona.
The other had a slight inferiority complex and feared being disliked. Neither dared to be like Ning Rongrong.
If Jiang Yunzhou hadn't always treated them like children, Ning Rongrong probably wouldn't have just been talking... After the three girls were sent away, Ning Fengzhi's expression turned serious, and he spoke:
"Dean Jiang, you should know that the registration for the All-Continent Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament is about to begin, right?"
Jiang Yunzhou nodded: "Of course, I established this Academy precisely for this competition."
"Good that you know. Then you need to hurry! In about half a year, the preliminary round registration will begin," Ning Fengzhi's tone became a bit more serious.
"I see your team hasn't taken shape yet, and I know you have your own standards for accepting disciples. Dean Jiang, please pay attention to the time so you don't miss it."
Ning Fengzhi's mention of this truly reminded him.
He hadn't paid attention to this matter and didn't expect the registration time to be so close. Fortunately, Ning Fengzhi reminded him in time.
He sorted out the timeline; there was about a year and a half left until the competition started.
Thinking of this, he suddenly missed Tang San. That guy appearing anywhere could remind him of the current time.
Life was too comfortable; he kept forgetting things!
He knew Ning Fengzhi was worried he wouldn't be able to form a team by then and wouldn't even be able to register.
However, he thought there shouldn't be any problem.
His standard for accepting disciples required at least an S-rank aptitude, and with an Advancement Pill, it could be slightly improved even further.
Currently, there weren't many candidates.
Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, Ye Lingling, and Dugu Yan were all qualified, and their strength could be further boosted then.
Other students whose aptitudes didn't meet the standard, or male students, could also be taken in as nominal disciples to expand Supreme Academy and earn some daily expenses.
They could fully meet his standards for accepting disciples, but it required poaching, and he couldn't force them.
Actually, there was nothing to worry about. With three disciples as main players, he could just bring a few dogs and crush all the teams.
"Thank you, Sect Master Ning, for the reminder. I will arrange it as soon as possible."
"Speaking of which, I haven't thanked Sect Master Ning for helping me with the Academy's accreditation. If it weren't for you, my Supreme Academy would still be a 'three-no product' right now."
Indeed, without Ning Fengzhi's help, with just these three students, calling it a tutoring class would be a stretch.
Given his current situation, he couldn't even complete registration, let alone sign up for the competition.
Ning Fengzhi smiled: "Why be so polite between us? This small favor is nothing compared to what you've done for Rongrong."
As he spoke, he was about to start reminiscing again, but Jiang Yunzhou quickly interrupted: "Sect Master Ning, any more talk will make us seem like strangers."
Ning Fengzhi smiled knowingly, understanding that this favor had been firmly established.
"Good, then I won't say more. I look forward to Supreme Academy's performance, and even more, I hope you can win the championship."
"This preliminary round will be held in the Tian Dou City division. I will prepare a place for your teachers and students to rest by then, so don't go looking for accommodation yourselves again!"
Jiang Yunzhou didn't decline and smiled: "Then I thank Sect Master Ning for the arrangements."
"Hah, still being polite with me?" Ning Fengzhi waved his hand, his tone casual but sincere.
Jiang Yunzhou thought for a moment and decided to reciprocate: "Sect Master Ning is being so generous; I can't just take advantage."
"Actually, I might have a way to resolve the limitations of Sect Master Ning's Spirit, so you won't be stuck before Soul Douluo."
"However, I need to get things settled here first..."
Ning Fengzhi shot up from his seat. What did he just hear?
If he heard correctly, it was about resolving his Spirit's problem?
Could he also have a chance to evolve his Spirit, just like his daughter?
His voice trembled slightly: "Dean Jiang, is this true? If so, I, Ning, am willing to pay any price!"
He excitedly grabbed Jiang Yunzhou's hand, his gaze like someone looking at a lifesaver.
Jiang Yunzhou was startled by him. Just one sentence, and he was so agitated.
"Why would I joke about something like this?"
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the excitement in his eyes couldn't be hidden: "I, Ning, lost my composure. Dean Jiang, please don't mind."
Jiang Yunzhou laughed heartily: "Understandable, understandable."
The two exchanged a smile, and their relationship subtly grew closer.
Ning Fengzhi even couldn't help but think: No wonder that girl Rongrong always talks about her teacher... Who wouldn't be smitten by this?
He now saw Jiang Yunzhou with a halo, his favorability maxed out.
He even secretly thought: If Jiang Yunzhou could be his son-in-law, it seemed pretty good too.
Of course, he wouldn't dare to say this out loud; he could only silently watch and let nature take its course.
At most, he would quietly prepare a more generous dowry for his daughter.
And Jiang Yunzhou understood in his heart: Ning Fengzhi was thoughtful and practical, providing money and effort without any pretense. This friend was worth having.
Moreover, he wasn't unaware of how deep Ning Fengzhi's obsession with his own Spirit truly was.
This gift was something he simply couldn't refuse.
The two chatted for a while longer about everyday matters before Ning Fengzhi bade farewell and left.
Another day passed.
The night deepened, and a gentle breeze blew.
The four gathered again; it was time for another meeting.
Jiang Yunzhou went straight to the point: "Now that the new Academy is established, it cannot be idle. I'm giving you a task."
The three girls looked at him in unison. Zhu Zhuqing's chrysanthemum tightened; was he going to make her poach people again?
Ning Rongrong, however, directly asked: "Teacher, what's the task?"
Jiang Yunzhou didn't keep them in suspense.
"I plan to set up a Arena in front of the Academy's gate."
"You will be the defenders, welcoming all challengers."
The three girls were somewhat taken aback. What was their teacher up to now?
Zhu Zhuqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief; as long as she didn't have to poach others, it was fine.
For Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, participating in more battles wasn't a bad thing; it was certainly more acceptable than pimping.
Unlike Ning Rongrong, who only needed to focus on her own defense, they both needed practical combat to refine their cultivation methods and accumulate experience in adapting.
Xiao Wu's eyes also lit up: "Are we going to fight? Then I can..."