Su Ming calmly replied, "Oh, Rongrong said at lunch that she had some matters to attend to at her clan, so she hurriedly left."
"I'm not sure what she's doing there, but maybe she just missed home since it's rare to have a break."
"Or maybe..." Su Ming paused, looking at Master Yu Xiaogang with a mysterious smile, leaving him to wonder.
Yu Xiaogang's face stiffened upon hearing this. If Ning Rongrong simply returned home to visit her family, that would be understandable—it was indeed a rare vacation. But why now, of all times? This was a crucial period in her learning of Lingbo Weibu from Su Ming, and she suddenly left without a word after lunch. Could it be because of what happened that morning?
Yu Xiaogang's mind raced with possibilities. Could it be that when Ning Rongrong returns, one of the two titled Douluo from her clan will accompany her?
Suppressing his unease, Yu Xiaogang asked in a flat tone, "Wasn't Rongrong in the middle of training with you? Why did she suddenly leave?"
Su Ming could tell that Yu Xiaogang's calm demeanor was forced. Inside, he was probably more anxious than he let on.
"Who knows? I'm not Rongrong's keeper. She just told me she was heading back, and I couldn't exactly stop her."
Yu Xiaogang was infuriated. Su Ming clearly knew something but was deliberately keeping it vague! Angrily, he retorted, "And you're okay with her leaving alone? Ning Rongrong is an auxiliary-type soul master without combat abilities. What if she encounters danger on the way?"
"At the very least, she should have waited until she mastered Lingbo Weibu, or asked Flender to assign a teacher to escort her back for safety!"
Yu Xiaogang's words were coming out without much thought. Ning Rongrong wasn't just anyone—she was the cherished little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Surely, someone was secretly protecting her. How could a young girl like her have made it to the academy alone otherwise? Plus, Ning Rongrong was an exceptionally beautiful young lady, which only increased her potential for danger.
"Might I remind you, Master, that Rongrong is the next heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Do you really think there isn't someone protecting her in secret? You're worrying for nothing. If there weren't any protectors, there's no way she could have made it here alone. Wouldn't you agree?"
With that, Su Ming left the conversation, leaving Yu Xiaogang and Flender to worry.
Xiao Wu, who had been quietly observing, whispered with amusement, "Ge, you're so mean!"
Yu Xiaogang, now in a foul mood, left the dining hall and headed toward Flender, grumbling about how irresponsible Ning Rongrong was.
Meanwhile, Tang San, who had been listening quietly, wasn't too concerned. If Ning Rongrong really had returned to her clan because of what happened in the morning, it wasn't a big deal.
Besides, when they had visited in the morning, Ning Rongrong and Su Ming had already been resting, so they weren't interrupted at all.
What truly bothered Tang San was how Su Ming knew about the concept of meridians. Was Su Ming, like him, a transmigrator from another world?
The more Tang San thought about it, the more it seemed possible. Su Ming's innate soul power was lower than his, yet Su Ming's cultivation speed was faster. The only explanation was that Su Ming had a unique method of cultivation, not the typical way soul masters cultivated their soul power.
Moreover, Su Ming had created multiple self-invented soul techniques. Could that be related to his mature soul? Tang San couldn't believe Su Ming was just naturally gifted enough to create so many techniques on his own.
And then there was Su Ming's physical training. He probably possessed some sort of treasure that enhanced his body. Otherwise, how else could Su Ming and Xiao Wu absorb spirit rings beyond their level? It couldn't simply be because they were geniuses.
Tang San's mind was buzzing with all these questions. If Su Ming truly wasn't from this world, then everything would finally make sense!
At that moment, a seed of suspicion and greed sprouted in Tang San's heart. He needed to find a way to confirm his theory. If Su Ming wasn't willing to reveal anything, then perhaps Xiao Wu could be his way in.
In Tang San's mind, Xiao Wu was simpler than Su Ming. If he probed subtly, he might be able to extract some useful information from her.
Xiao Wu: This jerk! Are you calling me dumb? Unforgivable!
That night, Su Ming and Xiao Wu returned to their dormitory early.
Su Ming briefly considered continuing his Sage Mode training in the dorm, aiming for perfection. But then he remembered he still hadn't written his daily journal entry. He figured he'd jot something down quickly, though he didn't expect any big rewards from the system at this point. He was already content with what he had.
He wrote down all the events of the day in his journal.
The other female protagonists were surprised after reading it. Aside from Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing, the others were introduced to the concept of meridians for the first time.
Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue were particularly shocked. They had always prided themselves on their knowledge, yet they had never heard of meridians before.
And the fact that Su Ming had openly mentioned meridians in front of Tang San meant that Tang San must have become suspicious. It seemed like Su Ming's departure from Shrek Academy was drawing near.
Bibi Dong wondered if Su Ming might join their Spirit Hall when the time came.
But then she remembered Ning Rongrong, realizing that the odds of Su Ming joining Spirit Hall were slim. He'd most likely head to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy instead, perhaps even seeking contact with Qian Renxue.
Bibi Dong's sharp mind allowed her to predict Su Ming's general plan. It was true—Su Ming wasn't planning to join Spirit Hall immediately after leaving Shrek. Even though he had the talent and strength, he wanted to make Spirit Hall invite him during the upcoming Soul Master Tournament. This way, he could negotiate on his terms.
If he joined voluntarily, it would make him seem like he had no other options, which would weaken his position. Being invited would put him in a stronger bargaining position for future plans.
Aside from their astonishment at these revelations, the women also noticed that Su Ming and Ning Rongrong's relationship had taken a major step forward over the past two days.
Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong were particularly stunned that Ning Rongrong would go so far as to return to her clan and ask Ning Fengzhi to grant Su Ming their clan's secret technique, the Divided Mind Control Technique, to help him overcome Sage Mode's weaknesses.
The Divided Mind Control Technique was a foundational secret of one of the three great clans, not something shared lightly!
Liu Erlong couldn't help but wonder if Yu Xiaogang would shamelessly ask Su Ming to hand over the method to practice Lingbo Weibu once he realized Ning Rongrong had mastered it.
And Su Ming's plan was obvious: he intended to demand the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Dragon Transformation Technique in exchange. Would Yu Xiaogang agree?