Ning Rongrong rested her chin on her hand, quietly observing Dugu Yan.
Only after Dugu Yan's surprise subsided did Ning Rongrong chuckle and say, "Sister Yan Yan, do you think the former Pope Qian Xunji was a scumbag?"
"Of course." Dugu Yan nodded solemnly. "That kind of person is every woman's enemy. How could he not even spare his own disciple?"
"I knew you'd think that way, Sister Yan Yan." Ning Rongrong burst into laughter.
"Uh... is there something wrong with that?" Dugu Yan looked at Ning Rongrong in confusion.
Ning Rongrong lowered her hand from her chin, swept her gaze across the hall, and finally settled back on Dugu Yan's perplexed face. With a smile, she said:
"Let me give you an example just a hypothetical, okay? A purely hypothetical scenario..."
"What if, one day, I were to be whisked away by someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan say, Yu Tianheng and even married him? Do you think a certain unwilling-to-be-named sect master wouldn't come after me with a few elders and a machete?"
Silence
Ning Rongrong's shocking words left the entire hall dead quiet.
Ning Fengzhi, seated at the head of the room, had just taken a sip of tea and nearly spat it out, barely managing to swallow it.
He patted his chest to catch his breath, veins bulging on his forehead. "Rongrong, don't use yourself as an example like that. What you're saying is absurd!"
He hadn't planned to interject, but Ning Rongrong's words were too outrageous.
"A certain unwilling-to-be-named sect master"? Just point directly at me, why don't you?
Ning Fengzhi felt a headache coming on.
Rongrong really dares to say anything, doesn't she? Does she not care about her reputation at all?
As for Yu Tianheng?
Hah. Ning Fengzhi knew with absolute certainty that, given Ning Rongrong's personality, she would never be interested in him.
Not a single chance in hell.
Meanwhile, the Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo exchanged glances, equally exasperated.
"Father, I said it was a hypothetical. Don't take it too seriously." Ning Rongrong reassured him that she had no intention of betraying the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Sister Yan Yan, what do you think?"
"I... don't know what to say." Dugu Yan's eyelid twitched. Ning Rongrong's personality could be erratic, but was this really something to joke about?
"Then let me use Bibi Dong as an example." Not wanting to shock everyone further, Ning Rongrong chuckled.
"Bibi Dong possessed twin martial souls, innate full soul power, and was raised and trained by Qian Xunji from childhood. She became the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, privy to most of its secrets."
"With the advantage of twin martial souls, she might even have reached godhood!"
"Yet such a person fell for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's trash, Yu Xiaogang. If you were in Qian Xunji's position, Sister Yan Yan, would you let her go?"
"Impossible."
Dugu Yan thought for a moment before shaking her head.
Just the fact that Bibi Dong knew most of Spirit Hall's secrets would make her marriage outside the organization unacceptable.
Not to mention her own extraordinary talent.
"Exactly. There were rumors in Spirit Hall that Bibi Dong once severed ties with Qian Xunji over something likely Yu Xiaogang."
"This..." Dugu Yan fell silent.
That dignified and imposing Pope Bibi Dong was so... naive in her youth?
When she herself had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had immediately drawn a clear line with Yu Tianheng.
It was a necessary move.
Ambiguity would only harm herself and those who cared about her.
"Bibi Dong didn't understand her position." Dugu Yan sighed.
"Right. She thought her decisions only affected herself." Ning Rongrong continued. "But enjoying resources without bearing the corresponding responsibilities? That doesn't work."
"Unless you have the power to break the rules. Only then can you escape the constraints of your sect and avoid being torn between conflicting loyalties."
For example, the current Bibi Dong at level 98, nearing 99 could marry Yu Xiaogang and bring him into Spirit Hall, and Qian Daoliu would turn a blind eye. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wouldn't dare utter a word of protest.
But without sufficient strength, recklessly challenging the rules only invites backlash.
"And Qian Xunji...?"
Dugu Yan still wanted to hear Ning Rongrong's take on the former Pope.
"Lacked strategy, lacked tact, and frankly, wasn't very bright. As for whether he was a lecherous monster Qian Xunji reached level 95 but only had one daughter, Qian Renxue. That alone disproves it."
The Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, on your own turf, was stolen by a nobody from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. And you call yourself smart?
Not to mention Qian Xunji's subsequent "solution"...
What kind of deranged mind comes up with something so idiotic?
Had he simply slandered Yu Xiaogang, tarnishing his image in Bibi Dong's eyes, he might have salvaged the situation.
Human nature rarely withstands testing so don't test it.
And Yu Xiaogang didn't seem like someone who could withstand scrutiny.
Yet Qian Xunji chose the dumbest approach arguments, confinement, the secret room!
People rebel against coercion.
This only cemented Yu Xiaogang's status as Bibi Dong's "white moonlight," while Qian Xunji became the villain obstructing their love no longer her respected teacher.
"Rongrong? Rongrong?"
A sudden voice pulled Ning Rongrong from her thoughts.
"Ah~ Where were we?" She blinked.
"Qian Xunji." Dugu Yan asked curiously, "Rongrong, if you were Qian Xunji, what would you have done?"
"Simple. Slander. Ruin Yu Xiaogang's image in Bibi Dong's eyes."
"Uh..." Dugu Yan was speechless.
Rongrong, you're so blunt.
Ning Rongrong grinned. "Yu Xiaogang has his Ten Core Competency Theories, right?"
"Those aren't exactly rigorous academic works. Finding flaws would be easy..."
"No useless martial souls, only useless soul masters"?
What about those with level 0 innate soul power? Are their martial souls useless? And doesn't that make the level 29 Yu Xiaogang useless too?
Or his "precise soul ring absorption limits" individual physiques vary, so exact year limits are impossible.
For example, make someone who's pulled ten all-nighters in a row attempt to absorb a soul ring at Yu Xiaogang's so-called "limit." Let's see if they drop dead.
After hearing Ning Rongrong's "nonsense," Dugu Yan's lips twitched.
"Rongrong, your way of thinking is... unpredictable."
"Not really. Read more, and you'll get there too." Ning Rongrong waved it off as if it were nothing.
Having answered Dugu Yan's questions, she retrieved the telescope from her soul tool and opened a compartment in its center.
A crystal sphere, about three fingers wide, came into view.
"Father, does the sect have anyone who can read lips?" Ning Rongrong's question left everyone, including Ning Fengzhi, stunned.
"Rongrong, why do you need that?"
"This telescope has a recording function it captures what the user sees." She handed the device to Ning Fengzhi.
Skeptical, Ning Fengzhi channeled soul power into it.
Instantly, a small projected image appeared before everyone's eyes.
It clearly showed Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue's earlier confrontation.
"Father, if we have lip readers, we can record observations with the telescope and translate them later."
Ning Fengzhi: "..."
Telescopes paired with recording soul tools, then lip-reading for translation...
Rongrong, you never cease to amaze me.