249 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Ning Songwu picked up a piece of meat, about to put it in her mouth, when she heard a loud crash. The table in front of her had collapsed, spilling food everywhere. She stared at the mess before her, stunned. The front legs of the table had broken, but this certainly wasn't an issue with the table itself. Laughter, quiet at first, began to echo through the cafeteria, growing louder as it mixed together. Holding only the piece of meat in her hand, Ning Songwu finished eating it, then looked ahead. Two tables away, four people sat together—two men and two women—all of them staring at her with blatant mockery in their eyes. Ning Songwu saw clearly that these four were to blame for her troubles. The man directly facing her had cast a spell to break the front legs of her table. After cleaning up the fallen bowls and chopsticks, Ning Songwu remained composed, as though she hadn't just been the victim of a prank. “May I ask what this means, Senior Brothers and Sisters?” As a disciple of Ran Fanyin, Ning Songwu was actually of higher seniority than these people and could have called them Junior Nephews without issue. The man facing Ning Songwu was named Ning Buwei, the leader of the group. His reason for bullying her was simple: he had come to Cangjun Mountain with the goal of becoming Ran Fanyin’s disciple, but had yet to achieve his wish. Now, a seemingly ordinary girl had effortlessly obtained what he longed for. Ning Buwei didn't stand up. With one leg on the bench, he said sarcastically, “I just wanted to spar with the master's disciple. I didn't think you'd be this slow.” Although she had already guessed the reason, Ning Songwu couldn’t help but note again in her mental ledger of grudges that Ran Fanyin was a recurring nemesis of hers. Ning Songwu was never the type to play nice. With an unperturbed expression, she started walking towards Ning Buwei and his group. The disciples in the cafeteria, who had been watching the drama unfold, fell silent. For a moment, the only sound was Ning Songwu's footsteps. Ning Buwei stopped smiling. He was puzzled by how Ning Songwu showed no anger despite being bullied. With a frown, he put his foot down and watched as she approached. Standing over Ning Buwei, Ning Songwu's gaze was cold. Feeling embarrassed by the situation, Ning Buwei stood up to look down on her. Suddenly, Ning Songwu laughed, an action that baffled Ning Buwei. “What? Are you planning to hit me?” “Yes, I am.” With a resounding slap, Ning Buwei was struck across the face. Caught off guard by the force of Ning Songwu's hit, his face immediately turned red. Shaking her hand as if flicking off something distasteful, Ning Songwu muttered, “Tch, it's so thick it made my hand hurt.” It wasn't until then that Ning Buwei's companions realized what had happened. A female disciple, closest to Ning Songwu, pushed her to the ground, and the group began to curse and attempted to teach her a lesson. “Let's see who dares! If I return injured, my master will surely demand justice for me!” “My master will never allow narrow-minded people like you to remain on Cangjun Mountain!” These words successfully intimidated the group. Ning Buwei, snapping back to reality, contorted his face in fury. Humiliated, he bellowed hysterically, “Don't listen to her! Beat her up and then use healing spells to fix her afterwards!” Hearing this, Ning Songwu burst into loud laughter. “Hahaha!” Ning Buwei seethed. “What are you laughing at!” Wiping away tears of laughter, Ning Songwu’s eyes reflected a maniacal gleam. Struggling to stand, she leaned closer to Ning Buwei and quietly threatened, “If you heal me, won’t I just injure myself again? I guarantee I can hurt myself more than you ever could. Who do you think the master will believe more, you or me?” Ning Buwei was covered in a cold sweat, realizing the extent of Ning Songwu's determination. “You madwoman!” Ning Songwu beamed at the title ‘madwoman.’ “Thank you for the compliment. Since I'm crazy, it's best you don't provoke me!” Patting Ning Buwei's shoulder, she then walked out of the cafeteria step by step. “Brother Ning, should we teach her a lesson?” One of the girls in the group whispered to Ning Buwei, who clenched his fists. Kicking over a table, he reluctantly muttered, “She got lucky!” Ning Buwei had investigated Ning Songwu’s background before tormenting her, assuming that a poor girl like her would be meek and intimidated. Instead, she turned out to be anything but. Touching his still burning cheek, Ning Buwei couldn't swallow his anger. Scanning the room, Ning Buwei threatened, “I hope today’s incident stays with you. If word gets out, my Ning family will not forgive any of you!” Leaving Ning Buwei seething with rage, Ning Songwu herself was furious. It looked like she’d have to go hungry tonight. By the time she returned to Ran Fanyin’s residence, night had fully fallen. To her surprise, Ran Fanyin wasn’t meditating; she was standing on the veranda. All Ning Songwu wanted was to sleep and escape the pangs of hunger. But a greeting was still necessary. “Master.” “Hmm.” Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, and Ning Songwu quickly covered it with her hands. Though slightly surprised, Ran Fanyin’s face remained impassive. “Didn’t eat?” “…No.” “Why?” “…” Ning Songwu didn’t want to explain, knowing such incidents wouldn’t stop and would only increase. As the head of Cangjun Mountain, Ran Fanyin couldn't always be there to protect her. Besides, Ning Songwu couldn’t shake the feeling that Ran Fanyin had ulterior motives. She didn’t seem like a prodigy that warranted such attention; why else would Ran Fanyin insist on taking her as a disciple? Carefully hiding her emotions, Ning Songwu didn’t reply, but her expression appeared slightly aggrieved. Of course, this was just an act. For now, it was best to appear ordinary, and today's events were minor; Ran Fanyin likely wouldn’t investigate seriously.