The arrival of Mr. Ning instantly changed the atmosphere.
Flander and his companions breathed a collective sigh of relief, their tense expressions finally relaxing.
After all, if anyone didn't want Hong Jun to be taken away by Lord Long, it would be this man—Mr. Ning—without question.
On the other hand, the faces of Lord Long and Madam Snake darkened immediately.
Watching the old man slowly approach, the two of them looked like they were wearing masks—expressions shifting wildly.
"Oh? Isn't this the famous Peerless Dragon and Snake?"
Old Ning's tone was light, as if he'd stumbled upon an exotic species.
"What brings you to a little backwater like Soto City?"
Meng Shu nearly shot back with, "And what about you, the uncle of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's master? What are you doing here?" But he bit his tongue.
Despite their reputation as powerful solo soul masters, the Peerless Dragon and Snake were known for their discretion and political savvy. They had always avoided direct conflict with powerful factions or empires—especially with the top three sects.
They were strong, yes. But in front of true giants, even the title "Peerless Dragon and Snake" meant little more than "large reptiles."
Meng Shu understood that clearly.
As for Mr. Ning's identity? He had no doubts. Claiming to be a member of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was one thing—claiming to be the sect master's uncle? That was just begging for death.
Besides, the man's power was undeniable.
Still, what truly shook him was something else—what the old man had just said.
"Senior, you must be joking," Meng Shu said, forcing a smile. His expression was stiff, almost comical.
Everyone in Shrek Academy was holding back laughter. Zhao Wuji, unable to contain himself, let out a loud guffaw.
What a bunch of lunatics.
Lord Long barely suppressed the rage boiling inside him. He wanted nothing more than to grab his dragon staff and smash these people into the ground.
But then he looked across at the old man—smiling, calm, unshakable—and hesitated.
"Senior," he asked, barely restraining himself, "are you saying that this boy is already engaged… to the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
If that was true, then they were in serious trouble.
"Of course," Old Ning replied with a sincere nod. "Why? You think he's not good enough?"
His eyes sparkled with amusement.
"In any case, the engagement is official. Isn't that right, Dean Flander?"
He turned toward the four-eyed owl, who gritted his teeth, glanced at the bewildered Ma Hongjun, and nodded hard.
"Correct!"
Just go with it for now—anything to get through this.
Ma Hongjun: ? ? ?
Wait a minute—what the hell? When did I become the son-in-law of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?!
I just met Ning Rongrong yesterday!
"Wait, no—mmph!"
The red-haired boy was about to shout when Zhao Wuji quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"You idiot," he whispered in Ma Hongjun's ear. "This is your chance to save twenty years of effort!"
At the same time, he pulled the struggling boy behind him with practiced ease and pretended nothing had happened.
Seeing the confused expressions on the faces across from him, he shrugged, curled his lips, and started whistling casually.
Flander:
Mr. Ning:
Dragon and Snake Couple:
This shameless bastard Zhao—absolutely despicable!
The same thought flashed through all four minds simultaneously.
"Well, you heard it," Old Ning said, smiling. "That's the situation."
He didn't even try to hide his satisfaction.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is very happy with this son-in-law."
Meng Shu clenched his jaw so hard he nearly cracked a tooth. He could see right through this nonsense, but there was nothing he could do.
"Haha… yes, I also think this young man is quite promising," he forced out, smile frozen. "I wish him and the little princess a long and happy marriage… and many children."
Duke Long nearly choked on his own words, his face twitching as he pulled away the unwilling Madam Snake, who was holding onto Meng Yiran.
"We have urgent matters to attend to. We'll be leaving now."
Old Ning acted as though he hadn't noticed the tension in his face and gave a pleasant nod.
"Thank you for your kind wishes. Farewell."
Lord Long and Madam Snake:
"…Let's go."
The two took deep breaths, swallowing their rage.
After so many years of commanding respect across the continent, this was the most humiliating defeat they had ever suffered.
"Old man," Chao Tian Xiang growled after they'd walked far enough, "that brat took advantage of Yiran and still had the nerve to break my snake venom. Are we just going to let him go?"
"That snake venom was mine," Lord Long interrupted coolly, cutting her off.
He no longer looked like the furious man from moments ago. His voice was calm, detached.
"Don't you get it? That kid is now backed by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. His future is limitless. If we push him now, we'll only bring disaster on ourselves."
"Even if we ignore Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, there's still the Golden Iron Triangle. Not exactly easy opponents."
"We'll take this loss. And don't mention it again. Understood?"
Chao Tian Xiang frowned but slowly exhaled and nodded, her rage giving way to resignation.
"I just… I just feel so wronged."
But to her surprise, Lord Long chuckled.
Seeing her puzzled look, he smiled with deeper meaning.
"No, no, no. Yiran won't feel wronged. On the contrary, today's events are the best thing that could have happened for her."
"Old woman, we've played the villain many times, but we've never wronged that boy."
Outside Soto City, once the Peerless Dragon and Snake were out of sight, the members of Shrek Academy collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
Zhao Wuji lay flat on his back without a shred of dignity.
Even though the Peerless Dragon and Snake hadn't made a move, the pressure they brought had been immense.
If Flander hadn't shouldered most of it, several of the Soul Emperors would've broken down on the spot.
"I heard… you've got a medical condition?"
Mr. Ning walked up to Ma Hongjun, who was still dazed, and tried his best to look kind and caring.
Ma Hongjun: ? ? ?
"You're the one with a condition!"
The red-haired boy snapped, clearly annoyed.
He was already unhappy about the nonsense earlier, and now this old man was bringing up that?
What the hell is going on? How did I suddenly become Ning Rongrong's fiancé?!
Mr. Ning froze for a moment before realizing how that might've sounded. He quickly waved his hands in panic.
"No, no! That's not what I meant…"
For a second, he was stuck.
He couldn't exactly say, "You can't live without a woman," or "You're bound to cheat eventually," could he?
"You… you…"
Just as he was struggling to find the words, he caught sight of something from the corner of his eye. His expression lit up.
He strode straight over to Zhao Wuji, who was still lying sprawled on the ground, and tugged a book from his belt.
"Hey, hey, hey! Senior—no, no, no! That's a collector's item! It's the only copy I've got!!"