**Chapter 287: Children's Words**

**Chapter 287: Children's Words**

Jian Douluo and Bone Douluo were somewhat upset. Rongrong was just a child; she could praise the Demon Suppressing Douluo, but was there really a need to insult the two old men? What did it mean to compare them to the Demon Suppressing Douluo and call them "ugly"? Clearly, they were not unattractive.

Especially Sword Douluo, who, in his youth, had been quite the handsome young man. Although he was no longer youthful, he was certainly not ugly!

Ah, these two old men still regarded Rongrong as their granddaughter. They hadn't expected her to be so dismissive of them. She truly didn't care about their dignity at all.

When Zhao Ling heard this, he glanced at Ning Fengzhi and the two sect protectors, secretly amused, and then deliberately put on a serious expression to rebuke Ning Rongrong.

"Rongrong, how can you insult Grandpa Jian and Grandpa Gu like that? Although they may not be as good-looking as Brother Ling, they're certainly not ugly. You should be more considerate!"

Jian Douluo and Bone Douluo felt even more enraged now. What did Zhao Ling mean by saying they weren't as handsome as him? Couldn't they show a bit of modesty? Was everyone supposed to charm decent women as easily as Zhao Ling?

Even little Rongrong was enchanted by him.

However, despite their irritation, both Jian Douluo and Bone Douluo knew that Zhao Ling was regarded as the strongest person on the continent—second only to the gods. No matter how furious they were, they could never defeat him, so they grudgingly accepted their fate.

Seeing their silence, Zhao Ling raised his hand and gently pinched Ning Rongrong's nose, speaking in a soft tone.

"Rongrong, you'll awaken your martial soul next year. When that happens, I'll give you a gift. Do you want one?"

"Gifts? Yes, of course! Rongrong wants any gift you give me, Brother Ling!" Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly asked, "What gift will you give me? Can you tell me now?"

"Well, I can't tell you. If I reveal the surprise before you even awaken your martial soul, then what's the point? You'll have to wait until you succeed."

Zhao Ling shook his head with a playful smile, deliberately keeping the gift a secret. Ning Rongrong puffed up her cheeks in frustration.

Ning Fengzhi, Jian Douluo, and Bone Douluo couldn't help but feel curious; a gift from the Demon Suppressing Douluo would surely be something extraordinary—far beyond what any ordinary gift could be.

But Zhao Ling wouldn't divulge anything, leaving them to wonder.

"Hmph… Brother Ling is so stingy. It wouldn't hurt to tell me, but you're keeping it secret! How boring," Ning Rongrong grumbled, turning her face away in mock anger.

"You'll just have to wait, little miss. When the time comes, I'll give you a huge surprise."

Zhao Ling found Ning Rongrong's annoyed expression endearing. It was often said that she was spoiled by Ning Fengzhi and the two sect protectors, but in front of him, she was surprisingly well-behaved, and her cuteness made Zhao Ling quite fond of her.

Of course, his affection for her was that of an elder for a younger one; there were no strange thoughts involved.

Whether that would change in the future, Zhao Ling wasn't sure.

After returning to the mansion from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Zhao Ling went straight to the villa to check on the progress of the research on hidden weapons.

In the past twenty years, they had developed some rather impressive items, like the Yama Post and the Torrential Pear Blossom Needles. However, the Guanyin Tears—the most powerful hidden weapon—had not yet been perfected.

The Guanyin Tears was the only hidden weapon capable of threatening gods, and Zhao Ling thought it would make a great gift for his wives. However, the materials required to craft it were exceedingly rare.

Thus, it seemed unlikely that he could make enough for all of his wives.

Nonetheless, Titan and Lou Gao were far more enthusiastic about replicating the Cloud Piercing Shuttle, a practical tool that would greatly benefit the entire Douluo Continent.

Additionally, Zhao Ling had been given a Soul Guidance Cannon by the system—a weapon that wouldn't be invented for another ten thousand years. He handed it over to Titan and Lou Gao, who eagerly began studying it.

For Zhao Ling, while the Soul Guidance Cannons were powerful, they were just another tool in his arsenal. Not to mention that even the Guanyin Tears wouldn't pose a threat to him.

Unexpectedly, when Zhao Ling arrived at the villa, he found Bai He spending time with a little girl of around four years old. Upon seeing Zhao Ling, Bai He greeted him respectfully, "Bai He greets the Master…"

Since the four affiliated sects had joined Zhao Ling, it wasn't wrong for Bai He to refer to him as "Master." The little girl, curious about her grandfather's respectful attitude, looked up at Zhao Ling and, with wide eyes, said in a babyish tone, "Pig, pig, Xiangxiang wants a bag…"

Bai He immediately frowned and pulled his granddaughter behind him, scolding her gently. "Chenxiang, you mustn't be rude to your master."

Bai He then gave Zhao Ling an apologetic smile. "My lord, I'm sorry. Children can be ignorant sometimes…"

Zhao Ling chuckled awkwardly. "It's alright. Children should be free in their words."

He understood that Bai Chenxiang likely wanted to say "Master" but had mistakenly pronounced it as "Pig," which was quite adorable.

"Is this Bai Chenxiang?" Zhao Ling asked, looking at the little girl with a smile. "I remember when she was born; I visited you once. I didn't expect her to have grown so much already."

"Yes, she's Chenxiang," Bai He said warmly, stroking Bai Chenxiang's head with affection.

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