Chapter 16: The Bond Between Ning Rongrong and Tianlin (2)

A month had passed since the last incident, and Ning Rongrong had gradually adapted to her new life. For Tianlin, who had gone through nine years of compulsory education, Ning Rongrong was an easy little girl to handle. At first, she would occasionally slack off, so Tianlin implemented a punishment system—shortening her break time and making her make up for the time she slacked off. This left Ning Rongrong miserable, with her little mouth pouting every day. To preserve her limited time for food, fun, and leisure, she had no choice but to focus on her cultivation. At this point, Tianlin changed tactics and introduced a reward system. If she practiced diligently, she could have extra food at dinner and even some playtime in the evening. If her cultivation yielded good results, she could finish her lessons early in the afternoon. If she stayed focused for several days in a row, she would get an extra day off that week. Tempted by these various rewards, Ning Rongrong's enthusiasm for cultivation surged. Moreover, Tianlin always varied the rewards, which kept her intrigued and motivated. Gradually, Ning Rongrong's attitude toward Tianlin softened. Her nickname for him changed from "annoying jerk" to "big brother," though she insisted on adding the word "sword" in front. Tianlin objected several times, but she always refuted him. According to her logic, Sword Douluo was called "Sword Grandpa" because he used a sword. Since Tianlin also used a sword, he naturally should be called "Sword Big Brother." She argued, "What's wrong with that?" Tianlin couldn't find a way to counter her reasoning. In truth, Ning Rongrong was doing it on purpose. She knew Tianlin disliked the nickname, but she insisted on calling him that anyway. After all, according to the first rule of the "Little Witch Code," the more someone dislikes something, the more you should do it. Did she stop holding grudges just because of a few small rewards? Of course not—this was Ning Rongrong's way of getting back at him. Thanks to her month of diligent meditation, Ning Rongrong's soul power successfully broke through to level 10. After obtaining her first soul ring, her power rose to nearly level 12. Her first spirit ability was the same as in the original story—a strength boost. During this time, Ning Fengzhi secretly visited a few times. He was delighted to find that not only had the two children stopped bickering, but their relationship had improved significantly. More importantly, Ning Rongrong, who used to neglect her cultivation, had become diligent. Ning Fengzhi felt that his earlier decision had been incredibly wise. ... One evening, after finishing his evening routine, Tianlin entered a deep meditative state early. Suddenly, Ning Rongrong excitedly pushed open the door and skipped into the room. "Sword Big Brother! I've finally reached the first level of Heart Separation Control—'Three Aperature Governing Heart.' How are you going to reward me?" But Tianlin didn't respond. He was fully immersed in circulating his soul power. "What the heck? He's already in deep meditation so early!" Ning Rongrong looked like she'd been doused with cold water. She sat down next to Tianlin, gazing at his face with a smile. "Sword Big Brother might be an annoying jerk, but he's really good-looking!" "Well, fine. Today, this young lady will accompany you in cultivation!" With that, Ning Rongrong crossed her legs and entered a meditative state beside Tianlin. The next morning, as the sun rose, Ning Rongrong was the first to wake from meditation. She sat still, sensing the soul power within her. To her shock, the soul power she'd gained overnight was far greater than usual. When Tianlin opened his eyes, he saw Ning Rongrong staring intently at him. "Rongrong, why are you here so early this morning?" "I didn't come early—I've been here since last night! Sword Big Brother, are you hiding something from me? Why is my cultivation speed so much faster when I'm near you?" Ning Rongrong fixed her gaze on Tianlin as if trying to see right through him. Tianlin realized he'd been careless. Ning Fengzhi had repeatedly warned him not to reveal the secret of the Holy Breath Domain. But because he was in the sect and felt no need to be on guard, he hadn't even noticed when Rongrong came into his room. If this had happened outside, he would never have entered such a deep meditation. Caught off guard, Tianlin tried to come up with an excuse. However, Ning Rongrong, who had been learning from him recently, had become much smarter. She immediately said, "Sword Big Brother, don't lie to me. I can see you're trying to come up with an excuse." Tianlin was momentarily stunned. When had she become so clever? But he knew he absolutely couldn't reveal the secret of his twin martial souls. If he did, with Ning Rongrong's love for showing off, she'd probably go around announcing, "My Sword Big Brother has twin martial souls! He's a super genius, and he spoils me the most! Let's see who dares to bully me—he'll beat you up!" Within three days, the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would know. Soon after, the whole Heaven Dou Empire would hear about it. With no other choice, Tianlin decided to reveal a partial truth. He told Ning Rongrong that he had a gem-type soul bone, a gift from Ning Fengzhi. This soul bone had no offensive capabilities but could release a domain that accelerated the cultivation of other gem-type martial soul users. Ning Rongrong believed him completely. After all, soul bones were so rare that someone wouldn't lie about owning one. Tianlin emphasized the importance of secrecy, pointing out how sensitive soul bones were in the world of soul masters. Especially one that could accelerate others' cultivation—it would drive people mad. Ning Rongrong immediately promised not to tell anyone. In truth, she had no intention of sharing this secret. Such a huge benefit—why would she let others in on it? If she told anyone, a swarm of people would crowd around Tianlin to cultivate. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy it alone? That very day, Ning Rongrong moved all her clothes and bedding into Tianlin's room. From now on, this would be her room too. With such a significant boost to her cultivation speed, she'd be foolish not to take advantage of it. Tianlin could only smile wryly. Tang San grew up sharing a bed with Xiao Wu and eventually won her over. Who would've thought that he'd now find himself in a similar situation? Of course, in Tang San's case, Xiao Wu was a 100,000-year-old rabbit soul beast, old enough to be his great-great-great-great-grandmother. Who tricked whom was still up for debate. But Ning Rongrong? She was just an actual, bona fide little girl. "Am I not looking at three years minimum in prison, with the death penalty as a possibility here?" "Heya!" Ning Rongrong cheerfully finished setting up her bedding and flashed a cute smile. Tianlin suddenly felt that maybe "three years is worth it, and the death penalty isn't a loss." Later, Tianlin went to Ning Fengzhi to explain the situation, just in case Ning Rongrong ever asked why her father had given Tianlin a soul bone but not her. Tianlin had already prepared an excuse: the soul bone could only enhance others, not the user. That's why Ning Fengzhi had given it to Tianlin—to help Ning Rongrong cultivate. It was all out of love for her. A clueless little girl was thus neatly arranged by the two of them. Ning Fengzhi thought it was fine. After all, Ning Rongrong could now benefit from Tianlin's domain enhancement early on. Even though he was the sect master, he was also a father. And as a father, he couldn't help but be a little biased toward his daughter.