Inside the Seven Treasures Academy, everything proceeded as usual.
That evening, after the team's night training session had ended, Ning Tianchen took Ning Rongrong to Tiandou City for a late-night snack.
Late at night, after they had eaten their fill, they strolled under the glow of soul-guided lamps along the streets.
"Rongrong, for the next eight months, we can't leave the academy so casually like today," Ning Tianchen said affectionately, gently stroking her forehead.
During the intensive training phase, everyone had to be available at all times. Leaving the academy without permission was strictly forbidden.
As members of the team, they needed to follow the rules.
Ning Rongrong didn't show any resistance and responded with a light laugh, "Tianchen Gege, I understand."
As she spoke, she pulled a lollipop from her soul-guided device and popped it into her mouth.
Knowing that she wouldn't have the chance to visit the night market for a long time, Ning Rongrong slowed her pace, taking in the bustling scene around her.
About the length of time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she stretched out her arms and said with anticipation, "Tianchen Gege, I'm tired. Carry me on your back."
"Alright," Ning Tianchen replied gently, hoisting her onto his back and heading toward the academy.
As a battle soul master, Ning Tianchen naturally had excellent physical strength. Ning Rongrong was light, so even carrying her for a long time wouldn't tire him out.
To let Ning Rongrong enjoy the nighttime scenery, he deliberately slowed his pace.
Amidst their cheerful chatter, they soon arrived at the academy gates.
Suddenly, Ning Tianchen's gaze shifted to the side—a familiar presence appeared there.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. After first sending Ning Rongrong back to her dormitory and saying goodbye, he returned to the academy gates.
"Senior Tianchen, according to academy rules, you are not allowed to leave the academy at this time," the gatekeeper student said sternly, blocking his way.
As a "troublemaker"—ahem—as a clever person, there were always ways to leave the academy.
First complying with the gatekeeper, Ning Tianchen returned inside the academy. A moment later, when no one was paying attention, sword wings sprouted from his back, and he flew out of the academy from above.
On the street outside the academy, at a bench by the roadside, Zhang Erhe had been waiting for some time.
"Ning Gongzi (Young master, prince in some other cases), I heard that the Seven Treasures team won the championship in the inter-academy tournament. How are my daughters, Die'er and the others doing?" As a father, Zhang Erhe naturally cared about his daughters.
"They are fine. However, it won't be long before you can reunite with them," Ning Tianchen replied calmly.
"What?"
Ning Tianchen's words carried two meanings.
First, Zhang Erhe would be exonerated, allowing him to enter the academy openly and see his daughters.
Second, the Seven Treasures Academy might expel Yu Die and the others. In that case, they could also reunite.
Zhang Erhe's emotions were complex. He didn't know which meaning Ning Tianchen intended.
Noticing his expression, Ning Tianchen retrieved the investigative report Snow Qinghe had entrusted to him and handed it over. "Take a look."
Zhang Erhe's hands trembled slightly as he nervously accepted the file.
After pulling out the first report and skimming through it, a smile spread across his face, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "I was truly wronged!"
Ning Tianchen remained silent, gesturing for him to continue reading.
Regardless of whether evil soul masters were involved, the massacre of the village had ultimately been committed by Zhang Erhe. Though it was a case of being used as a pawn, if he had possessed strong enough mental fortitude, how could he have been swayed?
This investigative report only proved that he lacked malicious intent—it couldn't prove anything else.
After finishing, Zhang Erhe's eyes grew distant.
Even though he knew that these reports were circumstantial evidence and not direct proof, they were still insufficient to fully clear his name.
But it was enough. He had waited for this day for far too long.
With that, he knelt down and bowed deeply to Ning Tianchen. "Ning Gongzi, your kindness today will never be forgotten. In the future, I am willing to go through fire and water for you—I owe you my life."
"You're only pledging loyalty to me?" Ning Tianchen's tone remained calm, betraying no emotion.
Zhang Erhe was no fool.
Without definitive proof of his innocence, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't accept him. This material could only reassure a few people. Therefore, he chose to pledge loyalty to Ning Tianchen personally rather than the entire sect.
"Very well. Remember your words today. If you dare to break them in the future, you know the consequences," Ning Tianchen said with a faint smile. He sat down on the nearby bench and patted the empty spot beside him, signaling for Zhang Erhe to sit.
With the serious matters discussed, it was time to talk about deeper issues.
"Tell me, who is the person chasing you? What's their background, or whom do they serve?" Ning Tianchen pressed.
Zhang Erhe had managed to escape safely despite being pursued for so long. It stood to reason that his pursuer wasn't particularly strong.
"It's Jinque, a Soul Douluo from the Spirit Hall. He broke through to Soul Douluo five years ago, but his strength hasn't improved since then. His talent likely reached its limit."
Ning Tianchen nodded and asked, "If you manage to break through to Soul Douluo, do you think you can handle this tail yourself?"
In this world, the strong preyed on the weak. Since Ning Tianchen had already decided to take Zhang Erhe in, he wouldn't leave behind any potential threats.
The Spirit Hall was already at odds with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Causing them to lose a Soul Douluo would be something Ning Tianchen would gladly witness.
Almost without hesitation, Zhang Erhe blurted out, "Hmph, that brat has been blinded by hatred. Over the years, aside from increasing his spirit power, he hasn't improved in other aspects. At my current strength, I can fight him to a standstill."
Saying this, he sighed. "There's a vast gap between Soul Douluo and Soul Sage. Fighting him to a draw is my limit—I won't have a chance to win, let alone kill him."
Ning Tianchen had once heard from Yu Die that Zhang Erhe's innate spirit power had reached level eight. With such talent, given the right opportunities, breaking through to Title Douluo should have been easy for him.
Being stuck at the peak Soul Sage stage was an anomaly.
However, upon closer inspection, it wasn't hard to see that Zhang Erhe bore multiple old injuries.
These injuries stemmed from his early military career. Multiple hidden wounds had constrained his growth, causing his cultivation to stagnate.
"I'll help you break through to Soul Douluo, but do you truly understand your own condition?" Ning Tianchen pressed further.
What was seen on the surface was often just that—only oneself truly understood their state.
Perhaps due to a lack of knowledge about soul masters, or perhaps because he had no clear understanding of breaking through to Soul Douluo, Zhang Erhe replied, "I have some hidden injuries in my body, but as my spirit power increases, these injuries will gradually heal. To break through to Soul Douluo, I can only rely on treasures that boost spirit power."
Ning Tianchen fell silent, realizing his question had been futile.
The older one got, the more likely using spirit-boosting treasures (aside from immortal herbs) would cause backlash, preventing further progress in cultivation even after the initial boost.
Zhang Erhe's thinking clearly prioritized short-term gains over long-term progress.
Of course, this wasn't entirely his fault.
Coming from a commoner background, having joined the military early, and then spending years hiding across the continent, it was natural that he hadn't been exposed to advanced soul master theories.
------------------------------------------------------
Thank you to our new Patrons: DeathClan1980, Leroy, Drake Blazer, Mridk, Jose, Destin Woods, Isaiah, Soren Britt, AbsoluteZero, Oprea Andrei George, Sakuya and HADES! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 240: Shrek Academy Gets Swept 7-0! on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.