“Not enough… not nearly enough…”

Just as the bone demon was about to strangle Prefect Shi, Ning Shengsheng said in a low voice, “Don’t let him die.”

Xue Chen frowned. “You want to save this kind of person?”

“How is that possible?” the girl said indignantly. “Take him back and let the commoners deal with him. He shouldn’t be allowed to die at the hands of a monster. Let the victims’ families have their revenge on this instigator.”

“Alright.”

A smile touched the corners of the young man’s lips. He was quite satisfied with her solution.

“With the dragon bone’s emergence, the firmament trembles.”

“Soul of the Azure Dragon, appear!”

Xue Chen held the dragon bone fragment, his two fingers pressed against his forehead. The ordinary-looking gray-white fragment instantly erupted with a dazzling azure light.

With a loud “boom,” the heavens and earth changed color, and black clouds rolled in. Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. An azure dragon appeared in the air, its eyes glaring at the bone demon in the room as it let out a low roar. The pressure was terrifyingly strong. Even though the azure dragon’s target was the bone demon, the overflowing pressure made Ning Shengsheng’s legs go numb. She struggled to regulate her breathing and slow her heartbeat.

Inside the room, the bone demon fell to its knees with a crack. Prefect Shi prostrated himself on the ground, trembling with fear.

“Dragon… bone…”

Ning Shengsheng caught a glimpse of terror on the bone demon’s messy face. Xue Chen took the opportunity to pull out a demon-binding pouch. Because the bone demon was suppressed by the dragon bone, it was easily subdued. There was no fierce battle as Ning Shengsheng had imagined. No wonder Xue Chen had that expression when she put on her night-prowling outfit. She couldn’t help but rub her nose in embarrassment.

The system chimed in at the right moment: 【Host, I’m begging you, don’t be so bizarre in the future.】

Ning Shengsheng: …Oh.

“It’s done.” Xue Chen calmly turned around and handed the demon-binding pouch to Ning Shengsheng. “You give this to Pei Yuan.”

“Alright, no problem.”

Ning Shengsheng didn’t ask why. It was obvious that if it were said that Xue Chen had caught the bone demon, the others would definitely not be convinced, and the reward of entering the Frigid Spirit Pool might even be canceled. But it was different for her. Who would dare to oppose Princess Ning An?

In the ruins, Prefect Shi knelt on the ground, crying his eyes out.

“What about him?” Ning Shengsheng asked.

“I’ll take him back.”

Xue Chen took back the Dragon Bone Soul and returned it to Ning Shengsheng. After Ning Shengsheng’s figure had disappeared into the night, Xue Chen turned around, and the aura around him suddenly turned cold. He walked over, bent down slightly, and stared into Prefect Shi’s eyes. His dark pupils glinted with a sinister and terrifying light.

“Speak. Where is the vessel that the bone demon was parasitic in?”

Prefect Shi’s teeth chattered. Even the bone demon hadn’t scared him this much, but the young man before him could.

“In the secret room of the other courtyard. The secret room is in the study.”

Xue Chen’s expression was one of “you’re sensible enough.” He reached out, grabbed a cluster of memories, and crushed them. Prefect Shi cried out in pain and instantly fainted.

No one knew that he could extract people’s memories.

***

The next day, Pei Yuan announced that the winning team was Ning Shengsheng’s.

Ning Jin was the first to object, standing up to question, “I don’t believe it. Neither of them has even reached the Earth Aperture realm. One of them spends all day in her room eating and drinking, and the other has no skills whatsoever and just wanders around outside.”

“Third Princess!” Pei Yuan said, slightly displeased. “Even in defeat, one must have dignity. How can you be so unreasonable?”

Ning Shengsheng made a face at Ning Jin, which made her so angry she was practically fuming.

“Why are you only scolding me? Ning An is being so arrogant and smug. Why don’t you scold her, Master Pei?”

Pei Yuan turned his head. Ning Shengsheng composed herself, her hands clasped in front of her, looking well-behaved and modest.

“Third Princess, if you continue like this, I will report back to His Majesty and have you cultivate your character properly.”

“Ning! An! I hate you!”

Ning Jin jumped up to fight but was stopped by the guards.

Pei Yuan rarely showed any annoyance. “You two, send the Third Princess back to the capital first.”

The guards took Ning Jin away. The courtyard finally quieted down.

Pei Yuan asked about the whole process, and only after learning that the Dragon Bone Soul had played a key role did his doubts dissipate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have believed that these two could subdue the bone demon. After all, a mature bone demon was half a step into the Profound Aperture realm. It was lucky that the two of them hadn’t died at its hands.

Pei Yuan said earnestly, “Your Highness, you must not act alone in the future.”

“Oh, I know.” Ning Shengsheng blinked, then added, “Master Pei, Prefect Shi has also been brought back and is being held in the dungeon. I want to hand him over to the commoners to deal with.”

“Alright. Everything will be as Your Highness commands.”

The matter came to an end. The whole team rested for another half a day before setting off back to the imperial palace in the afternoon.

The commoners of Yongle Town crowded both sides of the road, each holding a bamboo basket filled with fresh flowers. As Ning Shengsheng’s carriage procession passed, the commoners shouted in unison.

“Thank you, Princess Ning An, for ridding us of this evil!”

“May Princess Ning An be blessed with peace and joy!”

Hearing their thanks, Ning Shengsheng lifted the carriage curtain and waved with a smile. “You’re welcome, you’re welcome! It’s my duty as a princess of the nation! Hehe!”

“Throw the flowers into my carriage!”

Xue Chen caught a glimpse of her smug little face and let out a controlled breath. He had never seen someone so immodest and shameless.

As for the system, it was too lazy to make a sarcastic comment. It seemed to have gotten used to its host being this way.

Princess Ning An’s arrival had been a grand affair, and her departure was even more spectacular. The usually low-key Xue Chen just wanted to get back quickly. The return journey was much faster than the journey there. Just as the sun was setting, the group returned to the imperial palace.

As soon as Ning Shengsheng arrived at Zhaoxia Palace, Shuangxi came running to summon her. “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.”

“So urgent? Has something happened?” Ning Shengsheng took a sip of tea to wet her throat.

“Cough, it’s Qi Momo. His Majesty needs you.” Shuangxi wiped the sweat from his brow.

Qi Momo! Well, well. So my dear brother wants me to go and draw fire for him!

In the entire palace, the only one who dared to lecture Ning Xuan and Ning An was Qi Momo, the wet nurse who had raised them after their birth mother died. She was like a real mother to them.

“Older Brother really knows how to find reinforcements.” Ning Shengsheng waved her hand. “You go first. I’ll change and be right over.”

“Yes, sir. This slave will wait for you in the courtyard.”

Shuangxi happily withdrew. If Princess Ning An didn’t go, His Majesty would probably take his anger out on them. Fortunately, fortunately.

Ning Shengsheng changed into a lighter palace gown and went out with Songgao, leaving Zaoni to tidy up the bedchamber. She sat in her palanquin as if she had no bones.

When she arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, she was led in by Shuangxi. Upon entering, she saw an old woman sitting upright in a purple sandalwood chair. Her silver hair was tied up with only a wooden hairpin. There were a few fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and brows, and her eyes were as still as a deep pool, giving her an unfathomable air.

Her right hand was gently stroking a string of Buddhist beads. Hearing the commotion, she stopped and looked up at Ning Shengsheng. “An’an, you’re here.” Her tone was very kind, no different from an ordinary grandmother.

“Momo, I have business with Older Brother.”

Ning Shengsheng didn’t dare to be disrespectful. She mimicked the original owner’s spoiled yet不敢-to-be-truly-angry demeanor and moved to Ning Xuan’s side, bumping him with her shoulder and whispering a complaint, “You set me up!”

The usually arrogant Ning Xuan stood in the center of the hall with his hands down, his eyes lowered. He comforted his dear sister. “To help someone through a difficult time is better than lighting a thousand lamps. Forget a thousand lamps, I’m willing to give you ten thousand golden lamps.”

“As long as you help me through this.”

“Deal!”

Ning Shengsheng didn’t hesitate for a moment. She looked up and squeezed out a sweet smile. “Momo, it’s been a long time. I’ve missed you so much.”

Seeing his dear sister was still so greedy for money, Ning Xuan was relieved.

Fortunately, he had plenty of money!