“A demonic creature that can bring the dead back to life.”

“Bring the dead back to life?” Ning Shengsheng repeated in a low voice, unconsciously muttering, “Is there really such a good thing…”

“A good thing?”

Xue Chen scoffed, his dark eyes gazing into the distance.

The shadow cast by the rockery hid the upper half of his face, and Ning Shengsheng couldn’t see his expression. She only felt that the person before her was exceptionally cold.

After a long silence, the wind blew past, and it was as if someone had let out a soft sigh.

“The Prefect Shi’s son you saw earlier is still in a state of being half-dead. When the bone demon matures and completely possesses his body, he will become neither human nor ghost.”

Even scarier than before?

Ning Shengsheng hugged her arms. The thought of that pile of bloody flesh and bone fragments sent shivers down her spine.

As if sensing her fear, Xue Chen lifted his chin and deliberately teased her, “Scared?”

“I… of course not.”

She forced herself to look calm and straightened her back.

“This princess is precious and noble, with countless people to protect me. A mere bone demon, how could I be scared?”

Xue Chen laughed again.

This time, his laughter carried a rare hint of a young man’s unrestrained and carefree spirit, rather than the cold sneer he usually wore.

Outside the rockery, the sun was scorching hot, beating down on every flower and blade of grass in the garden. Inside, however, it was surprisingly cool.

Ning Shengsheng turned her face away, her fingers twitching slightly. Xue Chen’s joyful, lighthearted laugh was like a feather, brushing ever so lightly against her heart. For no reason at all, her heart began to beat faster and faster.

“That…” She casually tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, trying to find a topic of conversation, determined not to let him notice anything was amiss.

“I—”

“Ning An.”

The young man took a step forward, emerging from the shadows.

“Wh-what is it?”

Ning Shengsheng looked up, and their eyes met. A complex mix of emotions swirled in his beautiful eyes.

As if he had never done such a thing before, Xue Chen awkwardly averted his gaze and looked elsewhere. After a long moment, he finally spoke slowly, “I know you have the Dragon Bone Soul.”

“You…”

“Me?” She blinked, tilting her head to look at him.

“Could you lend it to me?”

The young man’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “The dragon bone is a revered object; only it can subdue the bone demon. I also know that the Frigid Spirit Pool, which is so difficult for us to enter, is easily accessible to you.”

“So I don’t know how I can repay this favor. If you think—”

“Alright, I’ll lend it to you!”

“Wh-what?”

Astonishment flashed in his eyes. He had been prepared to be refused, even to be mocked for his foolish pipe dream. How could she agree so easily!

Didn’t she know how precious the Dragon Bone Soul was?

“Ning An, perhaps you don’t understand. The Dragon Bone Soul is a spirit-grade treasure. Even though the Great Ning Dynasty is rich and powerful, spirit-grade treasures are few and far between. How can you agree so readily?”

“It’s okay! I can lend it to you!”

The girl’s beautiful almond eyes curved, shining exceptionally bright. As she looked closer, she noticed the faint dimples on her cheeks.

It was as if he was seeing Ning An for the first time. He had just been thinking about what her motives might be, but after a moment’s thought, he realized he was just an unfavored prince from a defeated nation. Besides her claim of liking his face, there was really nothing else she could be after.

Seeing Xue Chen’s silence, Ning Shengsheng sighed inwardly. She knew it; the villain’s characteristic suspicion was acting up again. With someone like Xue Chen, one had to be patient every time, to be sincere every time, for there to be even a sliver of a chance that he would open up.

“You know, I like your handsome face.”

“Besides…”

“This princess knows that while Ning Jin and the others may fear me on the surface, they all secretly call me a good-for-nothing who can’t cultivate.”

“I want to make a point too.”

“Hmph, if we catch the bone demon, this princess will definitely be able to hold her head high!”

She pouted and chattered on, her hands clenched into fists as if to cheer herself on. Xue Chen stared at her face, a little lost in thought.

“Xue Chen?”

A slender, soft white finger waved in front of him, pulling the young man’s thoughts back to reality. He averted his gaze and quickly said, “Thank you.”

At first listen, it was as cold as ever. But Ning Shengsheng felt that he didn’t seem to hate her as much.

“You’re welcome. How are we going to catch it?”

Her round eyes blinked, her cheeks glowing, her face full of excitement and curiosity.

“Tomorrow at midnight, the bone demon will fully mature. We’ll come then and use the Dragon Bone Soul to subdue it.”

The two agreed to meet again the next night.

When they returned to their residence, the number of guards patrolling the courtyard had increased. Ning Shengsheng guessed that Jiang Feng’s death had been discovered.

Before she could even enter, Pei Yuan came out to meet her, his expression weary. “Your Highness, why did you go out today without guards? Jiang Feng died last night, and I have yet to find the culprit. It would be best if Your Highness did not go out. If you must, please let me know and take several more guards with you for protection.”

If anything happened to this little ancestor, the emperor would surely have him dragged out and beheaded for all to see.

“Jiang Feng is dead? How did he die? Are there any leads?” Ning Shengsheng feigned surprise, trying to get information from Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan glanced at Xue Chen beside Ning Shengsheng and shook his head. “None. Rest assured, Princess. Until this practical experience is over, I will not leave the courtyard.”

“That’s good.”

She was relieved. It was good that they hadn’t traced it back to Xue Chen.

“With Master Pei on guard, I’ll be safe.”

“Your Highness should go back and rest.”

Pei Yuan turned and gestured for Xue Chen. “Hostage Prince Xue, please come with me. I have a few questions for you.”

Xue Chen calmly followed Pei Yuan into the house. Ning Shengsheng gave him a mental thumbs-up. That psychological fortitude… no wonder he’s the final boss!

Back in her room, she immediately changed into a lighter outer robe and leisurely leaned against the soft couch, eating the lychees her maids had fed her. The iced lychees were even more refreshing and delicious.

So nice~

Ning Shengsheng’s lack of concern for Jiang Feng’s death was not because she was heartless, but because she was not a bleeding heart. People like Jiang Feng bullied men and women, relying on their status as a marquis’s son to do countless evil deeds. It served him right to be killed by Xue Chen for insulting him. In the world of cultivation, it was the survival of the fittest.

The only thing that surprised her was how Xue Chen, who had not even induced spiritual energy into his aperture, had so easily killed Jiang Feng. What methods had he used?

“System, do you know what Xue Chen’s methods are?”

She couldn’t help but ask the system.

System: 【Host, you guess.】

“…”

“You guess if I’ll guess?”

System: 【…You guess if I’ll guess that you’ll guess.】

Hm? It’s arguing with me?

Ning Shengsheng: “You guess if I’ll guess that you’ll guess that I’ll guess!”

…

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the system let out a “beep—” of a busy signal.

【System rebooting—】

Ning Shengsheng took two large gulps of tea. Her throat was dry from arguing with the system. The battle ended with the system crashing.

【System reboot complete.】

【Replying to Host, Xue Chen has an ancient spirit beast by his side. Its current strength is equivalent to a high-stage Profound Aperture.】

“What? He has such a powerful ally?”

【That’s right.】

He clearly has the ability to fight back, yet he endures so much?! In other words, Xue Chen was even better at hiding his true strength than she had realized. If he wasn’t certain of a one-hit kill, he would never reveal his trump cards.