Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Ge Duo turned the teapot over and poured Ning Rongrong a cup of warm tea, then poured one for herself, her movements unhurried and deliberate.

"You've changed quite a bit since the Soul Master Competition."

Ge Duo held her teacup, her gaze lingering on Ning Rongrong's face for a moment. "Back then, you seemed a little immature. Now, you look much more composed."

Ning Rongrong blinked in surprise; she hadn't expected Ge Duo to bring up the past.

She looked down at the warm tea in the cup; the tea was clear and had a faint herbal aroma.

"Back then, a lot of things were uncertain. We fought our way up with the team, and we never knew who we would face in the next match. Now, although there are still many uncertainties, at least we know what we are doing."

Ge Duo gave a soft "hmm," took a sip of tea, and didn't reply, but she also didn't urge her to continue.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment, with only the soft rustling of leaves from a few plants in the corner rubbing together in the breeze.

Chapter 580 Cooperation

Ning Rongrong continued on that topic: "After the Soul Master Competition ended, I returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and helped my father handle sect affairs. At first, I didn't understand many things, and I couldn't even understand the entries on those documents, but I gradually got used to it."

She paused, as if checking if her wording was appropriate: "My father asked me to take over some of the external liaison work, including correspondence with various forces and coordination of resource allocation. At first, it was very slow; I would read a letter several times before daring to write a reply. Later, as I got more comfortable with it, the speed increased."

Ge Duo listened without interrupting, only occasionally picking up her teacup to take a sip, her posture unhurried, as if she were trying to confirm whether there was any hidden meaning in Ning Rongrong's words.

Ning Rongrong changed the subject slightly at the end: "Teacher Ge Duo, there's actually something else I'd like to talk to you about."

Ge Duo didn't move her hand holding the teacup, but slightly raised her eyelids, signaling her to continue.

Ning Rongrong's gaze lingered on Ge Duo's face for a moment: "Father asked me to ask you, can the cooperation between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and you in the production of pills... be re-established?"

The wind in the courtyard seemed a little lighter at this moment.

The leaves of the plants in the corner stopped swaying, as if they were also waiting for her response.

Ge Duo put down her teacup, the bottom of which made a very soft, crisp sound as it hit the table.

She leaned back in her chair, a knowing glint in her deep green eyes, as if she had finally seen the expected response at a time she had calculated long ago.

Of course she knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would come to ask about this.

From the moment the Comprehensive Alliance disintegrated and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was incorporated into the Fairy Tale Empire, she had foreseen this day.

Ning Fengzhi is a smart man; he knows how to secure the most advantageous position for himself and his sect.

Pills are an indispensable part of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's operating system, and on this continent, there are very few people who can provide pills of sufficient quality and quantity.

Ge Duo remained silent for a moment under that gaze, as if weighing something, before speaking. Her voice was still its usual lazy tone, but her tone was more serious than usual:

"Cooperation can be re-established. Now that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has been incorporated into the Fairy Tale Empire, there is no need for us to continue to sever ties."

Ning Rongrong's breathing eased almost imperceptibly for a moment.

But Ge Duo didn't stop: "However, the quantity won't be as large as before."

Ning Rongrong raised her head, her gaze falling on Ge Duo's face, waiting for her to continue explaining.

“I spend most of my time cultivating now, and refining pills is no longer my main focus every day,” Ge Duo said.

"I have far less time and energy available for refining pills than before. So even if the cooperation is re-established, the supply of pills will be less than before."

After saying that, she didn't immediately add anything more, but simply picked up her teacup again, as if waiting for Ning Rongrong to process the news.

Ning Rongrong remained silent for a moment. Before coming, she had imagined all sorts of possible answers and considered that Ge Duo might propose new conditions or adjust the cooperation method, but she did not expect that Ge Duo's reason for reducing the supply of pills was to focus on cultivation.

However, she didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded: "I understand. I will relay this message to my father truthfully."

Ge Duo looked at her, a very subtle hint of approval flashing in her deep green eyes. The approval was not obvious, but it was a rare expression on her face, which always carried a hint of languor.

“You’re more direct than your father,” Godot said. “He doesn’t like to spell things out; he always beats around the bush before getting to the point. You’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”

Ning Rongrong was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Ge Duo to mention Ning Fengzhi, but she didn't press the matter. She simply smiled slightly and said, "My father is quite thorough in his work. I'm still learning from him."

"Take your time to learn," Ge Duo said. "You still have time."

Ning Rongrong picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea had cooled slightly, but the aroma of herbs still lingered in the cup.

She could feel her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly returning to its place.

Ge Duo agreed to re-establish cooperation, and the losses from reduced supply could be compensated for in other ways, or by reorganizing the sect's internal elixir usage schedule to reduce reliance on a single source. But at least, that connection wasn't broken.

She gently placed the teacup back on the low table: "I will discuss a new cooperation framework with my father as soon as possible, and then confirm the specific categories and quantities with you."

Ge Duo nodded and didn't say anything more.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment as dusk settled in from the top of the wall, casting longer shadows of the medicine jars and bottles.

Ge Duo stood up, adjusted her sleeves, and slightly raised her chin towards Ning Rongrong: "It's getting dark."

Ning Rongrong understood, stood up, said goodbye to Ge Duo, and turned to walk towards the courtyard gate.

She walked through the porch with lighter steps than before, the slight feeling of unease that had been weighing on her heart all afternoon now completely gone.

Meanwhile, in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's residence in Bright Moon City, Ning Fengzhi was sitting behind a desk in the front hall, holding a pen in his hand, annotating an official document about the city's granary renovation plan.

It was nearly evening, and the light inside the house was dimmer than it had been in the afternoon.

He didn't turn on the light, but continued to work by the remaining light from the window, which was turning from gold to grayish-blue.

When Ning Rongrong pushed the door open and came in, his gaze lifted from the official documents and lingered on her face for a moment, as if using that brief silence to confirm her current state.

"How did the talks go?" Ning Fengzhi put down his pen and leaned back slightly.

“Teacher Ge Duo agreed.” Ning Rongrong sat down in the chair opposite him. “She said the cooperation can be re-established, but because she is focusing on cultivation, the pill refining time will be much shorter than before, so the supply will also be reduced accordingly.”

Ning Fengzhi tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, the rhythm neither hurried nor slow. He was processing the news in his mind, and also estimating the adjustments that the sect would need to make after the supply was reduced.

After a moment, he nodded: "Understood. The reduced supply can be made up in other ways, as long as the cooperation doesn't break down."

Ning Rongrong nodded: "Then, shall I still handle the specific details of coordinating with Teacher Ge Duo?"

“Hmm,” Ning Fengzhi said, “You’ve already met her, she knows your way of doing things, and you understand her habits. It’s more appropriate for you to continue handling the communication.”

Ning Rongrong responded with a sound of agreement and said nothing more. She knew her father was right; she was indeed more suitable than anyone else to continue handling this matter.

The atmosphere was completely different at the Haotian Sect's base in Mingyue City.

The news spread very quickly.

The news that Ge Duo had accepted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's request for cooperation on pills reached the ears of relevant personnel through various internal channels within half an hour of its spread.

The Fifth Elder sat in a chair in the council hall, his white beard trembling slightly from clenching his teeth, his thin hands resting on either side of the chair: "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has made contact with Ge Duo again."

The Seventh Elder sat opposite him, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of the table: "Where did you hear that from?"

"The news came from the west of the city. It is said that Ning Rongrong went to Ge Duo's residence in person this afternoon and stayed for about half an hour before coming out."

The Fifth Elder's voice carried a hurried urgency, as if it had been repeatedly pressed down but could not be calmed down. "She had just left when the news spread. What does that mean? It means that Ge Duo has already given in."

The Seventh Elder did not respond immediately. His gaze fell on the cup of tea in front of him, which was no longer steaming, as if he was using that moment of silence to digest the weight of the news.

The Fifth Elder spoke again, his voice lower than before: "We can't rely on our reserves indefinitely. The sect's elixir reserves have already been depleted. If we can't find a stable source of replenishment, what will happen when a real war breaks out..."

The Seventh Elder nodded slightly: "I know."

"So what do we do now?" the Fifth Elder asked. "Send someone to talk to Ge Duo? Or have the Sect Master personally intervene?"

The Seventh Elder did not answer immediately. He picked up the cup of tea, which had gone cold, and took a sip. Then he put the cup down.

"Send someone to sound her out first. Don't bring too many people or any expensive gifts. Once there, explain your purpose clearly and see what her attitude is."

The Fifth Elder wanted to say something, but seeing the Seventh Elder's expression that indicated he had already made a decision, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

The next morning, an elder from the Haotian Sect, who was in charge of external affairs, arrived at Geduo's residence in the west of the city with two disciples.

When they stood in front of the door, the lights in the yard were still on, and they could see people moving around inside through the crack in the door.

The elder raised his hand and knocked on the door, his movements neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a just-right sense of courtesy.

After a moment, the door was pulled open a crack from the inside. Ge Duo stood behind the door, her gaze sweeping over the man's face, landing on the attire of the two disciples behind him, and then she narrowed her eyes slightly.

She recognized the pattern on the clothes; it was the symbol of the Haotian Sect.

"What is it?" Ge Duo's voice was calm and direct.

The foreign affairs elder bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, we are from the Haotian Sect. We have come here today to discuss cooperation on elixirs with Your Majesty."

Ge Duo's brows twitched slightly. She looked at the three figures outside the door, and when the elder in charge of foreign affairs mentioned the words "Haotian Sect," her gaze darkened slightly: "Haotian Sect?"

The elder, oblivious to the subtle change in her tone, continued, "Yes. We have heard that Your Majesty possesses high-quality pills. Given the current instability on the continent, all sects are searching for reliable sources of supplies. The Haotian Sect is willing to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Your Majesty regarding pills at a reasonable price."

Gedo did not respond immediately.

Her gaze passed over the elder's shoulder and landed on the two disciples behind him, as if she were confirming something.

Then she spoke, her voice still calm, but her tone was a few degrees colder than before: "I've always had a good memory, so I remember someone once trespassed into my territory in Sunset Forest and tried to steal my things."

The elder's expression changed.

He had indeed heard about Tang Hao's conflict with a Title Douluo in Sunset Forest, but he didn't know that Title Douluo was Ge Duo. "That was just..."

“I don’t need an explanation,” Ge Duo interrupted him, her voice low but carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Go back and tell your sect leader that I remember the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well very clearly. There's no need to mention the pills again."

As soon as she finished speaking, the door slowly closed in front of her.

The door panel made a dull thud when it came into contact with the door frame. The sound wasn't loud, but it acted as a clear boundary, completely separating the two spaces.

The foreign affairs elder of the Haotian Sect stood outside the door, looking at the closed wooden door. He remained silent for a moment, then turned and waved to the two disciples: "Let's go."

He didn't say anything more, nor did he try to knock on the door again. He knew that attitude meant there was no room for negotiation.

Inside the wooden door, Ge Duo had already turned and walked back into the courtyard.

She sat down again on the bamboo chair, picked up the still-warm cup of tea, and her gaze fell on the few plants in the corner that were slowly unfurling their leaves in the twilight.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with her decision. She remembered very clearly how Tang Hao had barged into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well years ago and tried to forcibly seize the elixir.

The fact that Haotian Sect is sending people to discuss cooperation now clearly shows that they are unaware of the details of that matter, or they know it but feel that enough time has passed to be forgotten.

But Godot has no intention of forgetting.

She held her teacup, watching the leaves of those plants slowly curl their edges in the fading light, before turning her gaze away.

Meanwhile, at the Haotian Sect's headquarters, the report from the foreign affairs elder made the atmosphere in the council hall a bit heavier than usual.

The Fifth Elder sat in a chair, his white beard trembling slightly. His thin hands pressed against the sides of the chair, his knuckles turning white from the pressure: "She said she remembers it very clearly."