Chapter 36: Show me the pride of a genius, you bastard Wuchue!

"You! You—! You... never mind."

Ning Tian bit her lip, looking up at Ning Wuque, who was feigning ignorance. A wave of irritation washed over her. At a time like this, did she really have to force a girl to spell it out before he would accept it?

Yet, when she thought of Ning Wuque’s personal circumstances and the strict rules of her own family, even if she wanted to blame him, the words died in her throat.

Reckless people can throw themselves headlong into emotions without a second thought. But those who are clear-headed know which emotions are worth pursuing and which must be severed. Clearly, Ning Wuque was the latter. He understood perfectly well the meaning behind the hints Ning Tian had been dropping for some time, but he chose to play the fool.

However, Ning Tian unleashed her "Young Lady" specialty—willfulness! Since Ning Wuque refused to speak, she would force the issue and make everything crystal clear right in front of him.

"Wuque, according to the rules of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, since ten thousand years ago, every direct descendant with innate soul power reaching level eight, or anyone designated as the Young Sect Master, must go to Shrek Academy to recruit talent for the sect and for themselves. My mother met my father at Shrek Academy, and they fell in love and stayed together. Among the current sect elders, seven of them are old friends my father made back then."

Under the shade of the trees, the sun began to sink. The dim, golden twilight fell upon Ning Tian’s determined face. She lowered her arms, put aside her shyness, and looked calmly at the boy leaning against the trunk a short distance away.

"I am a member of this family. I have lived a life of luxury since I was a child, and after being designated as the next Sect Master, I have received the highest treatment. Because of this, I must fulfill my duty. I must go to the continent's top academy, Shrek, to recruit geniuses for the next generation of the sect, and to choose... an excellent partner for myself."

"If your intention, Young Sect Master, is for me to help you pick out talent, I’m afraid a brute like me isn’t really qualified for the task."

Leaning against the tree, Ning Wuque slowly lowered his head. The heavy training equipment he wore felt incredibly burdensome, but it was nothing compared to the situation he was currently facing.

"However, I think I might be well-suited as a standard for testing. A genius truly worthy of you shouldn’t have any trouble getting past me."

He was still playing dumb. His face, bowed low, remained absolutely calm. At this moment, he could not allow the friendship he had built with Ning Tian over these years to cloud his judgment! If he simply followed her lead and agreed, they might both be happy for a moment—one satisfying a romantic impulse, the other gaining a beautiful, wealthy backer to help him develop.

But! This was the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, and Ning Tian was the Young Sect Master. Until her father explicitly stated his position, Ning Wuque could not dare to guess the other party's intentions.

Yes, he had contributed a great deal over the years—from the secret art of ring detonation to the soul skills he had pioneered, and even his theories on the evolutionary path of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda; none of these were trivial matters.

But what gave him the right to be arrogant about his talent? What made him think that Ning Tian’s parents, or the elders of the entire clan, would stand by and watch a prodigy get involved with a boy who was like a ticking time bomb? Perhaps they only allowed Ning Tian to keep him around because of the knowledge that popped out of his head from time to time. After all, he really could create a brand new, theoretically viable path for the evolution of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda!

Ning Tian could be infinitely willful because she was gifted, and because she was the little princess of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan! But Ning Wuque could not. He wasn't qualified. It was precisely because he understood these things that he had to stay calm when faced with what was essentially a confession.

One false step leads to eternal sorrow; millions of golden sunsets can turn to dust. For the sake of power, many things can be abandoned, ignored, or persisted through.

Across from him, Ning Tian fell silent as she watched Ning Wuque continue to play the fool. She looked at the boy who was forcing himself to remain calm, and scenes of their daily lives together flashed through her mind.

She watched him train alongside Wu Feng. She watched him collapse to the ground, exhausted but joyful, after breaking through his limits. She watched him burn the midnight oil, reading thousands of books, treating time as the most precious treasure, refusing to waste a single second.

Tenacity, self-reliance, unyielding spirit, and fortitude—these beautiful qualities seemed to manifest in this boy at every moment. Yet, in his spare time, he could banter with Wu Feng, and he could borrow the scenery to express his feelings just to bring a smile to her face. He never refused her reasonable requests, he never let her feel disappointed when she had expectations, and he never flattered her by pandering to her thoughts. He was just like a true friend: quiet, yet sincere.

Being friends with him made Ning Tian happy—so happy that she didn't want them to just be friends.

Slowly, after a period of silence, she spoke.

"Wuque, you are a genius, too. Once you reach Shrek Academy, no one in the younger generation will be your match. You can easily become one of the contemporary Shrek Seven Devils. Just because the sect can't help you doesn't mean Shrek can't! You are a true genius, a genius I have watched grow up since I was a child, a genius even greater than any I have ever heard of!"

"Do you know of the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion? There is a genius there named Dai Huabin. He is about your age, and his soul power is level thirty-two, but he cannot beat you! Even if he uses a martial soul fusion skill with his fiancée, I don't believe you would lose with your capabilities!"

The girl’s words reached their end along with the setting sun. On the horizon, the evening glow began to sink with the earth.

"You have already surpassed the standards of excellence I hold in my heart. Come to Shrek with me and become a genius worthy of me there, will you?"

"If you are only looking to break free from the constraints of your family, I can help—"

"You jerk!!!"

Before Ning Wuque could finish, Ning Tian lunged forward, raised her fist, and struck him hard on the head, her loud voice filled with rage. Ning Wuque didn't move; his head tilted slightly to the side from the blow, and he fell silent.

*Drip.*

Under his bowed head, his eyes caught the tears falling from the girl onto his feet. Suddenly, a soft, fragrant warmth filled his arms. Ning Wuque felt himself being embraced. Ning Tian rested her chin on his shoulder, her voice hoarse with suppressed anger.

"Your life has already been bought out by me. Do you think this young lady’s money and resources are so easy to take? I am ordering you now—I order you to be more confident, to take the pride of a genius and say yes to me! I know what you’re afraid of: you’re afraid of my family’s rejection, you’re afraid you might die at any moment, you’re afraid of hurting me, but... but... but..."

Ning Tian was sobbing as she spoke. She had looked forward to this confession for so long, even summoning the resolve to go against her family’s wishes, only to be met with Ning Wuque’s repeated refusals. Why, why!

"Okay."

"Huh?"

"If I were to refuse you again, we wouldn't even be able to be friends anymore, would we, Ning Tian?"