...
"But…" Xuan Hao still felt somewhat wronged.
"This can't be entirely blamed on me, can it?
I didn't make her come back empty-handed every time.
It was just bad luck… Besides, isn't it normal for Soul Masters to go into seclusion?"
"normal?"
Dugu Yan sneered, "It's normal for others, but in Rongrong's eyes, it means you don't value her!"
Do you know what level Rongrong's soul power is right now?
Xuan Hao was taken aback: "How much?"
"Level 42!"
Dugu Yan held up four fingers, her tone even carrying a hint of jealousy and admiration:
"Just like your Na'er, a twelve-year-old Soul Master!"
"And she's a support type!
The support type is the slowest and most difficult to cultivate!"
"Ever since you helped her evolve her martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda five years ago, this girl is like a completely different person.
She used to hate cultivating the most, but these past few years she has been practicing like her life depends on it."
"Why?"
Dugu Yan looked directly into Xuan Hao's eyes:
"Isn't it all because of what you said back then?"
"You told her to become stronger, and that you didn't want to have a burden on her.
So she cultivated day and night, without even needing Sect Leader Ning to urge her on. She was so self-motivated that it was heartbreaking."
"She works so hard so that she can meet your requirements as soon as possible, so that you can see her progress, and so that you can praise her."
"And then what happened?"
Dugu Yan shrugged, her face saying, "You're a scumbag."
"She comes to you full of anticipation with her report card, hoping to hear a word of praise from you and to make you keep your promise to take her out to play."
"But what about you?"
"You stood her up time and time again, making her talk to thin air time and time again."
"She felt that all her efforts over the past few years had been in vain, and that no matter how outstanding she became, you didn't care about her."
"Such grievances, placed on that proud little princess..."
Dugu Yan shook her head:
"The fact that she didn't call her two titled Douluo family members to kill you is already a testament to her good manners."
"..."
Xuan Hao fell silent.
He truly hadn't expected that his casual words of encouragement would stay with that pampered little devil for so long, and that she would even pay such a high price for it.
A twelve-year-old level 42 support-type Soul Master...
This is unprecedented and unparalleled in the entire history of Douluo Continent!
How much hardship and toil must have he endured?
"well..."
Xuan Hao sighed and rubbed his temples.
Although he didn't mean it that way, he really did something wrong.
They overlooked the little girl's sensitive feelings and underestimated their own importance in her heart.
"Alright, stop looking so gloomy."
Dugu Yan crossed her arms, looked at Xuan Hao's conflicted expression, and added insult to injury with schadenfreude:
"I advise you to go see Sect Leader Ning as soon as possible. He's most likely looking for you because of this matter."
"If you don't handle this well and make their precious little darling run away, not to mention Sect Master Ning, even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, those two fiercely protective guys, might chase you to the ends of the earth with their swords and bones."
"..."
Xuan Hao felt a chill run down his neck, and the scene of Chen Xin's Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin flashed through his mind, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
"Fine, I give up."
Xuan Hao waved his hand helplessly, "Solve it! I'll go and take care of it right now, okay?"
"Let's go back to Tiandou City!"
Before he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated.
His golden dragon wings suddenly unfurled behind him.
He grabbed Na'er with one arm and Dugu Yan's arm with the other.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he created a gust of wind and soared into the sky.
This time, he didn't hold back at all.
A thousand meters above the ground, the golden light streaked across the day like a shooting star, taking less than a quarter of an hour to cross the distance between Sunset Forest and Tiandou City.
...
Tian Dou City, Qi Bao Zhai.
The atmosphere inside the luxurious VIP box on the top floor was somewhat oppressive and somber.
Ning Fengzhi held his teacup, his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked out the window, a lingering worry on his brow.
Opposite him, Bone Douluo Gu Rong had a gloomy expression, his deep-set eyes filled with resentment, and he would occasionally let out a cold snort, which frightened the maid next to him so much that she didn't dare to breathe.
They've been waiting here for days.
There was nothing they could do. Xuan Hao's seclusion was never definite; it could last anywhere from half a month to half a year.
They couldn't just force their way into Sunset Forest and interrupt his cultivation, so they could only wait here for him to come to them.
"boom--!!"
Just then, a strong gust of air suddenly came from the sky outside the window.
Immediately afterwards, a golden figure descended from the sky with overwhelming force, landing steadily on the spacious terrace.
As the smoke cleared, Xuan Hao's tall and imposing figure was revealed, along with two stunningly beautiful girls beside him.
"Sect Master Ning, Senior Bone."
Xuan Hao retracted his dragon wings, straightened his robes, and walked in with his usual bright smile on his face, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Long time no see, how are you both?"
"Good? Good my ass!"
Before Ning Fengzhi could speak, Gu Rong slammed his hand on the table and abruptly stood up.
His once cloudy old eyes were now wide open like copper bells, staring intently at Xuan Hao, his gaze as if he were looking at a heartless man who had abandoned him after starting a relationship.
"You heartless little brat! You finally decided to come back?!"
"My Rongrong talks about you every day, and she cultivates so hard for you that she doesn't even sleep!
And you, you won't even let her see a trace of you!"
"Are you even human?!"
Faced with this overwhelming resentment, Xuan Hao knew he was in the wrong and dared not argue.
He could only awkwardly touch his nose and force a smile.
"Senior Bone, calm down, calm down. I was just... so engrossed in my cultivation that I forgot the time."
"Forgot the time? You..."
"Alright, Uncle Bone."
Seeing that Gu Rong was about to strike, Ning Fengzhi finally put down his teacup, sighed, and stopped him:
"Xuanhao didn't do it on purpose. Besides, talking about this now won't help.
The key is to solve the important matter first."
After speaking, Ning Fengzhi turned to look at Xuan Hao.
There was no further pleasantries or blame, only a deep weariness and helplessness in his eyes:
"Xuanhao, you should know everything by now, right?"
"I heard it from Yanzi."
Xuan Hao nodded, his smile fading, and asked seriously, "Rongrong ran away from home?"
"Um."
Ning Fengzhi rubbed his temples.
"This girl's temper is getting worse and worse.
A month ago, she came back from being turned down by you, had a big fight with me, and left a note and ran away that night."
"Where did they go?"
Xuan Hao asked.
"south."
Ning Fengzhi walked to the map and pointed to a point in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire:
"According to the information sent back by the sect's spies, she has traveled south and should have reached the granary of the Barak Kingdom, Soto City by now."
Soto?
Xuan Hao's eyes flickered.
"Although our people have been following us secretly, they dare not show themselves."
Ning Fengzhi sighed and looked at Xuan Hao, saying:
"You know that girl's temper.
Right now she's at her most resentful. If I, Uncle Jian, or Uncle Gu send someone to pick her up, or if we go in person, she'll definitely think we're taking her back.
Who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause, or she might even run away further."
The one who tied the knot must untie it.
Ning Fengzhi looked intently at Xuan Hao:
"She left because of you, and she's taking her anger out on you."
"Now, only you can go in person to appease that little devil and untie the knot in her heart."
"that is!"
Gu Rong chimed in from the side, her tone laced with sarcasm:
"Isn't this all your fault, you brat?"
"If you had spent more time with Rongrong these past five years, praised her, or even just written her a letter, would that girl have been so aggrieved?
Would she have run away from home?"
"You're the apple of our eye, the apple of our eye.
We've ruined ourselves for you, you rascal... you don't even know how lucky you are!"
"Cough cough..."
Xuan Hao blushed with embarrassment after being scolded, and could only awkwardly cup his hands and say:
"Yes, yes, yes, it's all my fault, no matter what."
"Sect Master Ning, Senior Bone, please rest assured."
"This matter started because of me, and I will definitely take full responsibility."
"I'll set off for Soto City right now and bring Rongrong back to you safe and sound, happy and well."
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