Ning Rongrong recalled her childhood memories, a sweet curve forming at the corner of her lips:
"Not at all. Brother Husband is actually someone with a cold exterior but a warm heart."
As Ning Rongrong spoke, the corners of her eyes brimmed with laughter, as if the sunlight had lingered a little longer upon her.
"When I was young, I was spoiled and willful. I'd even throw tantrums with my father if I wanted the stars from the sky. All the servants in the courtyard were afraid of me."
"But Brother Husband never found me annoying. Whatever I wanted, as long as it could be found, he would always get it for me!"
She gently tapped the armrest of the reclining chair, her tone full of nostalgia:
"Back then, I hated cultivation the most. My divided mind control of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a complete mess. My father was so angry he punished me by making me copy mental techniques, and I would hide behind the rockery and cry."
"Brother Husband found me, didn't say a single harsh word, and just crouched there to keep me company."
"He taught me bit by bit how to concentrate and how to control divided attention, even secretly sharing his own little tricks that he had figured out."
"If it weren't for Brother Husband accompanying and guiding me in my cultivation, how could I have broken through to Soul Elder so early?"
Xiao Wu leaned in, gently nudging Ning Rongrong's shoulder with her elbow, winking and teasing:
"It seems this 'Brother Husband' isn't just a name—he's truly a wife-protecting maniac! So, are you two going to be together forever from now on?"
"Xiao Wu!"
Ning Rongrong, embarrassed by Xiao Wu's words, reached out to tickle her.
"Of course I want to be with Brother Husband. In this lifetime, I won't marry anyone but him!"
Xiao Wu laughed as she dodged, and the courtyard immediately filled with the sound of their playful banter.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling upon them and illuminating the girls' radiant smiles.
The next day, the morning dew on the training ground had not yet dissipated, and the air carried the damp scent of grass.
Except for Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, everyone else had already formed a neat line.
Flender and Su Yu walked side by side. The former had just stopped when his gaze swept over the team and his brow furrowed. Beneath his trademark hooked nose, his lips pressed into a tight line:
"Oscar, where are Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai?"
Oscar took a step forward, scratching his head: "Dean, I went to their dorm this morning to check, but they weren't there. I thought they had come early, so I came ahead."
Flender's frown deepened, a vein throbbing faintly at his temple:
"Those two good-for-nothings! Daring to be late on the first day of the new students!"
As soon as the words fell, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. Two figures stumbled over, none other than Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.
"Boss Dai, we're done for! This time we've really crossed the dean!"
Ma Hongjun panted as he ran, sweat beading on his round face, his steps somewhat unsteady.
Dai Mubai also looked weary, with faint dark circles under his eyes, gritting his teeth:
"Stop the nonsense, hurry up and run!"
"It's all because we went out messing around last night. Now my legs feel like jelly..."
Ma Hongjun muttered, but before his words even landed, Flender's booming voice exploded beside their ears:
"What are you dawdling for? Get in line! One more second, and you'll double your training today!"
The two were startled, instantly swallowing the rest of their words.
They mustered all their strength and sprinted forward, scrambling to the end of the line in a few steps, standing with heads bowed, not daring to even breathe heavily.
Ma Hongjun secretly wiped his sweat, catching Flender's murderous glare from the corner of his eye, and quickly buried his head even lower.
Su Yu stood to the side, calmly sweeping his gaze over the two of them, his eyes devoid of any extra emotion before indifferently withdrawing his line of sight.
Flender stood at the front of the team, his voice firm and resounding: "Today is the first day of training, and everyone has only one goal!"
"Run twenty laps around the academy. Once you finish, you can rest. Anyone who dares to slack off will get five extra laps!"
His gaze suddenly swept toward the end of the line: "Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun!"
The two hurriedly responded: "Here!"
"You two were late on the first day. Each of you gets five extra laps!"
Flender's tone brooked no argument.
"Ah? Dean, that's way too much!"
Ma Hongjun's face fell. Twenty laps were already brutal enough; adding five more was practically a death sentence.
Flender raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a faint, mocking smile:
"Too much? How about ten extra laps each?"
"No, no, no!" Dai Mubai quickly pulled Ma Hongjun back and hurriedly agreed.
"Five laps! Five laps is enough! We accept the punishment!"
Ma Hongjun also snapped back to reality, nodding vigorously like pounding garlic:
"Yes, yes, yes, five laps is plenty, plenty!"
But inwardly, he regretted last night's "fun" eight hundred times over. If he had known today was physical training, he wouldn't have gone out last night!
Flender snorted: "What are you still standing around for? Everyone, ready—run!"
At the command, everyone immediately started running along the track surrounding the academy.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun began running with pained expressions, their steps growing heavier at the thought of the extra five laps.
Dust lightly rose on the track, and soon two hours had passed. Tang San and Xiao Wu maintained a steady pace throughout.
Xiao Wu occasionally turned her head to say something to Tang San, her face showing no sign of strain. Clearly, this level of intensity was nothing to them.
Xue Na, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong followed closely behind.
Although Ning Rongrong was a support-type soul master, Su Yu had been training her physically for years, so this wasn't a big problem for her.
Bringing up the rear were Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.
Oscar gasped for breath, stopping every few steps to lean on his knees and rest.
His physical fitness had always been relatively weak, and now he was lagging far behind.
"Boss Dai, Fatty, what's wrong with you guys?"
Oscar looked at the equally listless pair beside him, his face full of surprise.
"Usually by now, you'd already be charging ahead."
Dai Mubai shot him an annoyed glare, his voice breathless:
"Stop talking nonsense and keep running! Fatty and I... still have five extra laps to go."
As he spoke, he stumbled slightly. Last night's indulgence had now transformed into sore muscles and heavy legs.
Ma Hongjun was even more miserable, his round face covered in sweat as he muttered while running:
"If I'd known... I wouldn't have gone last night... My legs barely feel like my own now..."
The three of them trudged forward weakly, watching the figures ahead pull further away, and could only resignedly pick up their pace a bit.
By the time the sun climbed to its zenith, Ning Rongrong and the others had just finished their twenty laps, dragging legs that felt like they were filled with lead.
Sweat soaked through their clothes, clinging tightly to their bodies in an uncomfortable, sticky mess. The damp strands of hair at their foreheads stuck to their cheeks, making every movement feel heavy.
Ning Rongrong plopped down on the ground, propping her chin in both hands, so exhausted she could barely speak. Her voice came out soft and weak:
"Nana, I'm so tired..."
Xue Na was equally worn out. She brushed her sweat-dampened hair behind her ear before lying down beside her, gazing at the sky while panting:
"Rongrong-jie, I'm exhausted too. It's been so long since we trained our stamina like this—running so many laps at once has left my whole body aching."