Xiao Wu was overjoyed by the news, while Ning Rongrong, influenced by her diary, knew that her purpose in coming to Shrek Academy this time was simply to meet Su Ming. She couldn't stay at Shrek Academy indefinitely, unlike in the original timeline.
After all, Shrek had nothing much to offer, while Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had far more resources, and it was closer to her clan. Anything the academy didn't have, her clan did.
So, Su Ming's decision didn't bother her at all. She was more than happy to leave with him when the time came.
The only uncertainty was Zhu Zhuqing. Ning Rongrong wasn't sure what her thoughts were, but she planned to ask her later when they returned to the dorm.
Su Ming's hint about leaving was also a way to prepare them mentally. He wasn't sure if Zhu Zhuqing would come with him. If she did, it would likely mean saying goodbye to Dai Mubai, which could put them on opposing sides.
After parting ways with Su Ming, the three girls returned to the dormitory.
Once there, Ning Rongrong eagerly asked, "Zhuqing, do you want to leave with us?"
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. Excited, Ning Rongrong hugged her tightly, but her face accidentally bounced off Zhu Zhuqing's chest, causing Ning Rongrong to grumble, "Zhuqing, I'm so envious!"
Zhu Zhuqing was embarrassed—after all, it wasn't something she could control.
Xiao Wu looked at them with amusement but then asked seriously, "Zhuqing, what about Dai Mubai?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "I don't care about him. With his current strength, he might not even be my match. And besides, with you here, Dai Mubai definitely won't beat you. I don't plan to be his fiancée anymore."
"He's already been hiding here for three years. There's no way he would go back to the Star Luo Empire to tattle on me just because I'm leaving. That would only make him look worse in the eyes of his father and older brother."
"Plus, you two are my best friends. If you're leaving, what's the point of me staying? Do you expect me to stick around with these scumbags? No thanks!" Zhu Zhuqing joked lightly.
Ning Rongrong grinned and said, "Then it's settled! I suspect that Su Ming will leave after facing the Heaven Dou Royal Team in the Great Soul Arena in Soto City, so we should get ready."
At that moment, their diaries opened, and they knew Su Ming was about to start writing.
[Today was quite a pleasant surprise. Rongrong brought back the Split Mind Control Technique for me, and I didn't expect Ning Fengzhi to come along, bringing Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo too.]
[Since they came to thank me, I couldn't let Uncle Ning leave empty-handed. I didn't have time to teach him Lingbo Weibu, so I gave him a Space Talisman instead. I did this to grab his attention as well.]
[I have to admit, I'm a bit selfish here. Since I have a good relationship with Rongrong, I don't want Uncle Ning getting too involved with Tang San. That's why I decided to offer him the talisman.]
[What I didn't expect was that Tang San would also try to collaborate with Uncle Ning by offering his Zhuge Crossbow and other hidden weapons.]
[Uncle Ning probably wanted to test my strength too, so he suggested I spar with Tang San. Before the fight, he even secretly told me to give Tang San a good beating. I wonder if Rongrong told him something—it didn't seem like something Uncle Ning would usually do.]
[Uncle Ning's message made it clear that he wasn't planning to collaborate with Tang San anymore, which means Tang San will lack the startup capital to establish the Tang Sect or mass-produce high-level hidden weapons.]
Ning Rongrong's heart warmed at these words. She hadn't expected her father to secretly help her like this.
[You have to understand, Tang San was planning to sell Uncle Ning his hidden weapons at a high price. I don't remember the exact amount, but in the original story, Tang San mentioned that the cost of making a Zhuge Crossbow was just a few dozen gold soul coins, and he planned to sell it for around 100 gold soul coins, including labor and other costs.]
[When he tried to tempt Bai He, the patriarch of the Speed Clan, he mentioned selling a Zhuge Crossbow for 120 gold soul coins and even said he charged the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan more. That's quite the profit margin.]
[But this is to be expected. After all, in this world, only Tang San and a few others in the Tang Sect know how to make hidden weapons. Uncle Ning also understands how valuable they are to his clan, which is why he's turning a blind eye.]
[This time, I collaborated with Uncle Ning, with him covering the materials and me responsible for crafting. He even gave me 500,000 gold soul coins as a deposit. That's no small amount, and I felt a bit guilty since I'm not covering the material costs.]
[Since that's the case, I'll just have to put in more effort on the talismans to make sure it's worth it.]
Bibi Dong sighed as she read this. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan really is the wealthiest clan on the continent! Even the Spirit Hall could come up with 500,000 gold soul coins, but not as easily or as generously as Ning Fengzhi.
After all, the Spirit Hall had to maintain numerous sub-halls, support many spirit masters, and fund the training of talented spirit masters, all of which were costly endeavors.
She couldn't help but feel envious of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's martial spirit, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Not only was its support ability incredible, but it also had a unique treasure-finding capability. This was the key to the clan's immense wealth!
If only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could be brought into the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong thought. But unfortunately, they support the Heaven Dou Empire. I've never understood why. The Heaven Dou Empire's royal family isn't particularly strong, so why back them?
But after some thought, she realized the answer. They likely support the Heaven Dou Empire because it's a loose alliance. The empire doesn't exert much control over them, like a benefactor. If they joined the Spirit Hall, they might lose their independence, as the Spirit Hall is much more powerful than the empire.
This time, Bibi Dong thought, I won't follow the original plan and forcibly destroy the three great clans. If I can recruit them, I will, especially the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. As for the other two clans, I'll decide based on the situation.
The Clear Sky Clan is likely out of the question, given Tang San and Tang Hao's involvement. As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, it will depend on whether their leader cooperates. If not, I might consider replacing him!
Bibi Dong believed that with a proper conversation with Ning Fengzhi, his intelligence and foresight might lead him to agree to her terms. She could promise not to interfere with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's internal affairs, only requiring their support when necessary. What she truly valued was the auxiliary power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.