It was well past midnight when Song Qing finally stirred from his deep slumber. He blinked his eyes open, his verdant gaze taking in the familiar surroundings of his room. He was lying comfortably in his bed, the soft blankets pulled up to his chest.
'Teacher isn't here,' he realized, a slight sense of loss washing over him. He remembered falling asleep on her lap, the gentle caress of her hand in his hair.
'She must have carefully moved me onto the bed and then returned to her own room to continue her cultivation,' he surmised, a small smile touching his lips at the thought of her tender care.
He sat up, stretching his limbs, feeling refreshed despite the late hour. His gaze then drifted towards the large potted plant he had placed near the window, where the Blue Silver Empress, Ah Yin, resided.
He rose from the bed and walked over to the plant, his heart filled with a mixture of anticipation and a touch of unease. He reached out, his hand glowing with a soft, verdant light as he activated the Verdant Embrace ability of his First Soul Ring.
The single vine of Blue Silver Grass pulsed gently, absorbing the life energy with a renewed vigor. Song Qing could feel its vitality increasing steadily.
'It should have at least three to four hundred years of cultivation by now,' he estimated, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. 'Just a couple more days, perhaps, and Ah Yin should finally recover her consciousness.'
Now, the real dilemma began. Song Qing pondered the best way to interact with Ah Yin once she awoke. His primary goal was to use her to inflict the maximum amount of pain and devastation on Tang Hao. The image of Tang Hao witnessing a passionate kiss between him and Ah Yin, seeing her in his arms with a look of love and joy on her face, played vividly in his mind.
'That would absolutely shatter him,' he thought, a hint of dark satisfaction creeping into his gaze. But the question remained: how to achieve that?
Forcing himself upon Ah Yin was an option he wasn't entirely opposed to, especially considering his desire for revenge against Tang Hao. However, the thought left a slightly unpleasant taste in his mouth.
'And then there's the fact that she is Tang Hao's wife,' he mused. 'She wouldn't willingly go against him, not at first anyway.'
The idea of seducing her also crossed his mind, but Song Qing quickly dismissed it.
'Me? Seduce a woman?' he thought with a touch of self-deprecating irony. 'I have no idea how to properly seduce anyone.' It was a peculiar thought for someone who had managed to attract the affections of so many remarkable women, but Song Qing genuinely believed he lacked any real skill in the art of seduction. He simply seemed to attract people naturally.
Moreover, the entire matter surrounding Ah Yin was a closely guarded secret. He couldn't confide in anyone, not even his closest friends or his teacher. The potential ramifications were too significant.
'I'll just have to play it by ear once she awakens,' he decided, a sigh escaping his lips. 'If nothing else works… well… I'll do what I have to do. My desire for revenge against Tang Hao far outweighs my desire to remain a perfectly good person.'
At this moment, his thoughts also drifted to Tang San, Tang Hao's son. Song Qing held no personal animosity towards the boy, but he understood the inevitable conflict that lay ahead due to their intertwined destinies.
'Tang San…' he mused. 'Our paths are bound to cross eventually.'
However, Song Qing felt no fear towards Tang San at this point. He knew that while Tang San possessed considerable talent and his growth was rapid, the absence of the Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would significantly hinder his development. The ages of the soul rings he would acquire would also likely be much lower than in the original timeline.
Song Qing shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. There were more immediate matters to attend to. He turned his attention to the spirit bones he had been collecting.
He remembered the Right Leg Spirit Bone he and his teacher Bibi Dong had acquired from the Frostfire Mane Lion, a powerful spirit beast that was over 17,000 years old. It was a perfect fit for Zhu Zhuqing, promising to greatly enhance her power, agility, and overall abilities.
'She'll be thrilled,' he thought, a smile touching his lips.
However, he had deliberately held back from gifting it to her. He knew Ning Rongrong's sensitive nature. If Zhu Zhuqing received such a significant gift and she didn't, Ning Rongrong would likely feel overlooked and possibly become quite depressed. He wanted to avoid any unnecessary drama between his beloved girls.
Thus, in the past few days, under his discreet orders, the Spirit Hall had been actively clearing out some of the more aggressive ten-thousand-year spirit beasts inhabiting the forests near several smaller villages. Finally, their efforts had yielded a suitable reward – a spirit bone that would be perfect for Ning Rongrong's unique Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
The spirit bone was a Torso Bone, radiating a gentle yet powerful energy. It had been dropped by a Ten Thousand Year Old Armored Earth Dragon, a creature known for its incredibly tough hide and formidable defensive capabilities.
'A Torso Bone for Rongrong,' Song Qing thought with satisfaction. 'This should greatly enhance her overall defense, which is always a good thing for a support-type soul master.'
He suspected that once integrated with Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the spirit bone would grant her a powerful defensive ability, perhaps the ability to create a temporary shield of earth and light, or even significantly enhance the defensive capabilities of her pagoda itself.
More importantly, Song Qing believed that this Torso Bone would synergize perfectly with her support abilities, allowing her to provide even greater protection and amplification to her allies without having to worry as much about her own safety. It was the perfect gift for his adorable, sometimes insecure, Rongrong.
Now, he had a gift for both Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, ensuring that neither felt left out. He planned to present them with their respective spirit bones in the morning. He was certain their reactions would be priceless.
~~
The next morning, Song Qing woke up feeling refreshed and eager to see the reactions of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong to their gifts. He found them both already awake and waiting for him, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Good morning, Qing!" Ning Rongrong chirped, her voice bright and cheerful.
"Good morning," Zhu Zhuqing echoed softly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Song Qing smiled back at them, his verdant eyes filled with affection. "Good morning to you both. I have something special for you."
He reached under his bed and pulled out two exquisitely crafted boxes, each adorned with intricate carvings. He handed the slightly larger box to Zhu Zhuqing and the smaller, but equally beautiful, box to Ning Rongrong.
Zhu Zhuqing's dark eyes widened in curiosity as she took the box. "What is it, Qing?"
Ning Rongrong was equally excited, her cyan eyes shining with anticipation. "Is it a present for us?"
Song Qing nodded, a warm smile on his face. "Open them and see."
With eager hands, the girls opened their respective boxes. Zhu Zhuqing gasped softly as she lifted out the Right Leg Spirit Bone. It pulsed with a faint, icy blue and fiery red energy, the distinct aura of the Frostfire Mane Lion.
"Qing… this is…" she stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Ning Rongrong carefully lifted the Torso Bone from her box. It had a warm, earthy glow to it, with faint patterns resembling dragon scales etched onto its surface.
"This is… a spirit bone!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her voice filled with awe. "For me?"
Song Qing nodded, his smile widening at their delighted expressions. "Yes, Zhuqing, that is the Right Leg Spirit Bone from the Frostfire Mane Lion. And Rongrong, that is a Torso Bone from a Ten Thousand Year Old Armored Earth Dragon."
Both girls looked at him, their eyes filled with gratitude and affection.
"Qing, you shouldn't have…" Zhu Zhuqing began, her voice choked with emotion.
"Thank you so much, Qing!" Ning Rongrong interrupted, her cyan eyes sparkling with tears of joy.
Before Song Qing could say anything, both girls leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheeks, their expressions radiating pure happiness.
"We love you, Qing!" they said in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt emotion.
Song Qing's heart warmed at their affection. "You're both very welcome," he said, his voice soft. "I know these spirit bones will greatly enhance your abilities."
"We should absorb them right away!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her excitement barely contained.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement, her dark eyes gleaming with determination. "Yes. Thank you again, Qing."
With another quick kiss on his cheeks, both girls hurried off to their respective rooms, eager to begin the process of absorbing their newly acquired spirit bones. Song Qing watched them go, a satisfied smile on his face.
'Zhuqing's agility and power will increase significantly with that Right Leg Spirit Bone,' he thought. 'I'm sure she'll unlock at least two powerful new abilities.'
'And Rongrong's defenses and support capabilities will be greatly amplified by that Torso Bone,' he mused. 'She should also gain at least two new abilities, hopefully something that will make her feel even more secure.'
He knew that absorbing these ten-thousand-year spirit bones would also push both girls past the threshold of level 40 soul power.
'They'll both be Soul Elders by the end of the day,' he thought with pride. 'And they're still only twelve years old. Their talent is truly remarkable.'
While the two girls were diligently absorbing their spirit bones, Song Qing was summoned by his teacher, Bibi Dong. He made his way to her room, a slight spring in his step.
As he entered her chambers, Bibi Dong looked up from the scroll she was reading. Her pink eyes met his, and for a fleeting moment, Song Qing thought he saw a hint of… something… in her gaze. He couldn't quite decipher it, but it made his heart skip a beat.
Bibi Dong, however, quickly composed herself, her expression returning to its usual serene neutrality. But deep within her, a blush threatened to bloom on her cheeks as she recalled the intimate moments of the previous night when her disciple had slept in her lap.
'His hands… on my breasts…' she thought, a wave of longing washing over her. Even now, she could vividly remember the feel of his innocent touch, the unexpected pleasure it had brought her. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand.
"Qing'er," she said, her voice calm and composed, "I have received a report from the bishop I sent to the Shrek Academy. It contains detailed information about the recent events that occurred there."
Before revealing the contents of the report, Bibi Dong fixed her gaze on Song Qing, her pink eyes searching his. "Tell me, Qing'er," she asked, her tone curious, "did you, under the guise of Su Qing, along with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, join the Shrek Academy approximately a week ago? And did the three of you disappear rather abruptly after only a few days?"
Song Qing nodded his head, acknowledging her question. "Indeed, Teacher, I did go there, along with Zhuqing and Rongrong."
He paused for a moment, then added, "It was related to how I managed to… greatly anger Tang Hao. So much so that I believe he has likely gone quite… unhinged."
Bibi Dong nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "That aligns with part of the report. According to the bishop's information, a few days after you three left, another disciple was taken away from the academy by someone who identified themselves as family. This disciple was Tang San."
She continued, her gaze unwavering. "Furthermore, a girl named Xiao Wu seemingly disappeared on the same day. The Shrek Academy's teachers and even the dean, Flender, have no idea where she has gone. As for the other students, they were the senior students and have continued to reside at the academy, continuing their training."
As Song Qing listened to his beautiful teacher relay the information, his mind began to piece together the events.
'Tang San being taken away by family… that's almost certainly Tang Hao,' he thought. 'He must have finally decided to take his son away to train him more intensely, especially after my little visit.'
The disappearance of Xiao Wu also sparked a series of thoughts in his mind.
'Xiao Wu disappearing on the same day… there are a few possibilities,' he mused. 'She could have gone with Tang San and Tang Hao. Or...'
Another possibility also occurred to him. 'There's also a chance that Xiao Wu has returned to the Great Star Dou Forest,' he thinks to himself. 'She lived there before, near the Lake of Life, with her… brothers, Da Ming and Er Ming.'
He then considered the implications of that possibility. 'If she is in the Great Star Dou Forest, then I would have a good chance of encountering her. And if that happens…' A plan began to form in his mind. '…I could potentially arrange for her to interact with her mother, A'Rou, who resides within my Crimson Soul Emperor's Crown spirit bone.'
However, the thought of Xiao Wu being with Tang Hao presented a more complicated scenario.
'If she's with Tang Hao,' he thought, a hint of concern in his verdant eyes, 'then approaching her will be much more difficult, and potentially dangerous.' He would need to tread carefully. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but there were still many unknowns.