A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 172 Weakness
Duan Rong was turned down by Xiao Zongting and had to leave in disappointment.

He had just walked to the front yard door when he ran into Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, who were chatting and laughing as they walked into the yard.

Zhu Xiaoqi was holding a basket in his hand, which contained some fruits, vegetables and spices.

When Xiao Yu saw Duan Rong, he was stunned. His originally smiling face turned cold in an instant. He left Zhu Xiaoqi and walked past Duan Rong expressionlessly and went straight to the backyard.

"This..." Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu's back with a conflicted look.

He was completely confused by this father and daughter.

Duan Rong was wondering, he turned around and saw Zhu Xiaoqi standing at the gate of the yard with a basket, looking at him with a red-lipped and white-toothed smile.

He finally felt relieved. "Fortunately, there is still a normal one."

Zhu Xiaoqi carried the basket and went into the kitchen. Duan Rong followed him in immediately and said, "Xiaoqi, tell me... what happened to Mr. Xiao and Miss Yu? They both looked so cold when they saw me?"

Zhu Xiaoqi placed the basket on the table by the kitchen wall, tied an apron on the wall, and walked to the stove. He opened the lid of the steamer, fanned the steam, and said, "Don't you know what you did?"

"What did I do?" Duan Rong really didn't know.

"God and heaven are my conscience! I have never done anything to let the Xiao family down."

Zhu Xiaoqi looked at Duan Rong's nervous expression, chuckled with shining eyes, and then told Duan Rong the whole story.

It turned out that Xiao Zongting saw Xiao Yu's anxious and nervous look on the night Duan Rong went to the mass grave to deliver the gold, and he immediately saw the clue. As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her father, not to mention that he is an old man in the world.

After the incident with Ruan Jing, Xiao Zongting questioned Xiao Yu that night. He even asked her about the fact that she was bitten by a poisonous snake on her calf by mistake and Duan Rong helped him suck out the snake venom.

In this world, there are none of the foolish rituals regarding chaste and heroic women in ancient times on Blue Star.

Otherwise, how could Xiao Yu, a woman, be a bodyguard and escort with the escort team?

Xiao Zongting's anger did not lie here.

When Xiao Baijiao fell in love with Duan Rong, didn't he also agree?

But in Xiao Zongting's heart, Xiao Yu and Xiao Baijiao are different.

It’s not that Xiao Zongting favors anyone more.

But in Xiao Zongting's opinion, Xiao Yu was going to enter Taiyi Sect. After being registered as a disciple, he would have to choose to be an outer disciple or even an inner disciple.

As for Duan Rong, although Xiao Zongting trained him as his next self, he, like himself, would have to stay in Xiangu County for the rest of his life. After all, Duan Rong had no background, just like himself when he was young, without any resources to support him. He only relied on his own talent, and his achievements would ultimately be limited.

Therefore, in Xiao Zongting's opinion, Duan Rong and Xiao Yu would not have a future. So, he wanted to put an end to the thoughts that had just sprouted in Xiao Yu's heart.

He didn't expect Xiao Yu to associate with a rich and powerful person, but he had to find someone on the same level as her.

Because of this incident, Xiao Zongting had a quarrel with Xiao Yu that night, and the father and daughter had not spoken to each other for several days.

After hearing what Zhu Xiaoqi said, Duan Rong suddenly woke up from his dream.

No wonder Xiao Zongting didn't let Xiao Yu go to Grandma's Restaurant that night.

This old man was blaming himself for kidnapping his daughter!

That's right, he was kind enough to get you into the second escort team and arranged for his daughter to be your master. But you turned around and wanted to kidnap his daughter. Wouldn't he be angry?

After all, Duan Rong had lived two lives, so he instantly understood Xiao Zongting's inner thoughts.

In his eyes, Xiao Baiyu and Duan Rong were the ones who were going to spend their old age in Xiangu County. Therefore, they were a good match.

But Xiao Yu was going to leave Taiyi Sect. Her life and Duan Rong's should not intersect.

Duan Rong sighed. Actually, he didn't have any romantic feelings towards Xiao Yu.

This was completely different from the feeling he had when he saw Xiao Baiqiao. Although Xiao Yu was beautiful, or even more beautiful than Xiao Baiqiao, she did not have the kind of delicate and gentle nature of Xiao Baiqiao.

Come to think of it, Duan Rong really had never had any bad thoughts towards Xiao Yu.

As for letting her suck out the snake venom, it was just a temporary measure in an emergency.

Duan Rong felt suffocated because, in Xiao Zongting's view, he would spend the rest of his life in Xiangu County, but he wanted to escape from this secluded place. However, he didn't need to tell Xiao Zongting about this thought, after all, he and Xiao Yu didn't have that kind of relationship.

After knowing the problem, Duan Rong's depression instantly dissipated a lot.

"I'm afraid of being stuck in a maze, lost. As long as I can find the problem, I can find the right remedy." Duan Rong said to himself with a flickering look in his eyes.

Zhu Xiaoqi took the buns out of the steamer, tore off the dry lotus leaves, and wrapped six for Duan Rong.

Duan Rong took it with a smile, held the hot bun, thanked him, ate it, and walked out.

"I still have to go for the buns made by Xiaoqi to satisfy my craving!" Duan Rong walked to the kitchen door, turned back and said with a smile.

"Stop talking so sweetly in front of me. If you have the time, think about how to apologize to the master." Zhu Xiaoqi rolled his eyes at Duan Rong and said.

"I know." Duan Rong waved his hand and left.

Zhu Xiaoqi glanced at his back, sighed lightly, and started to work on his work.

After that, Duan Rong would bring some things and visit Xiao Zongting every now and then.

As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. Gradually, Xiao Zongting's expression softened. Moreover, every time Duan Rong went to Xiao Zongting's place, he would bow from a distance and respectfully call Xiao Yu "Master".

As time went by, although Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with a strange look, Xiao Zongting's attitude towards Duan Rong finally changed. During a recent visit, the two of them were drinking tea in the main hall, and Duan Rong talked about his views on the three incomplete moves. Xiao Zongting also gave him detailed comments and analysis.

Although Xiao Zongting was angry with Duan Rong, he just felt that he and Xiao Yu would have no future. If they continued like this, they would be the only ones to suffer.

He himself has experienced all those things that happen to people in the underworld, so how could he not understand them?

What made Xiao Zongting happy was that Duan Rong was obviously very smart and quickly came to her senses. Unlike his daughter, who was so stubborn, she looked exactly like him when he was young...

In addition to visiting Xiao Zongting, Duan Rong would occasionally go out with Ximen Kankan and Jiang Qingyu to drink or gamble.

Not only did the relationship between the three of them become increasingly intimate and casual, but Duan Rong also became the center of the group.

The three of them occasionally walked on the streets or in the corridors of the casino, and some of the people they passed by or saw knew Ximen Kankan or Jiang Qingyu.

These people would be greatly surprised, because it was often Ximen Kankan and Jiang Qingyu who walked behind Duan Rong, turned their heads and said something to Duan Rong, but Duan Rong's expression remained calm and he did not think it was unusual!
Those who saw it couldn't help but doubt Duan Rong's identity.

This person doesn’t look very old. Who is he?
How could Master Ximen and Master Jiang respect him so much?

"Could it be someone from the sect?" Those people seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Duan Rong with sidelong glances, then hurriedly lowered their heads and walked away.

Apart from occasional socializing, Duan Rong would lock himself in the willow hut and practice standing meditation like crazy.

After the combination of the Taizang Sutra and the Devouring Tree Spirit, Duan Rong was able to connect and accomplish two levels of the Taizang Sutra, and his mental power level also soared to level 3.

As his spiritual power increased, his swordsmanship, with the help of the Devouring Weapon Spirit, has also reached the highest level.

However, to this day, Duan Rong still has not achieved the third level of Inner Breath Realm.

In comparison, the practice of internal strength has become an obvious shortcoming.

However, the accumulation of internal energy is originally accumulated bit by bit, and it is useless to rush it.

However, Duan Rong is planning to take part in the selection examination for Taiyi Sect's registered disciples in March next year.

At the current speed, it would certainly be no problem to achieve the third level of internal energy by March next year. However, it would probably be a bit difficult to break through to the fourth level.

If I cannot break through to the fourth level of inner energy, I won’t be completely confident of passing the selection test.

Xiao Yu, Xia Shuangshuang, Jiang Qingyu, Shen Mizhi, etc., have all reached the third level of the Inner Breath Realm, and have achieved it for a long time, and may break through at any time. Moreover, there is another Ximen Kankan, who has achieved the fourth level of the Inner Breath Realm.

Competing for the selection with these children from aristocratic families is quite stressful!

And if you lose the election, you will have to wait another three years.

And who can predict what will happen in three years?

(End of this chapter)