Chapter 40: What’s Nangong Jinghong’s Secret?

The Fifth Prince of the Heavenly Phoenix Nation?

Ling Hegui had heard of him. He had heard that Heavenly Phoenix had sent a prince as a hostage. So it was this one. The one currently in power in Heavenly Phoenix was the First Prince. His cultivation was low, and his character was not very good. In his opinion, he was not as good as the young man before him.

The strange thing was, the Demon-Slaying Sword had clearly stirred because of him just now, but now it couldn’t smell any demonic energy. He had heard that the people from Heavenly Phoenix were skilled in beast taming and contracted with demonic beasts and spirit beasts. Could that be the reason?

Ling Hegui guessed in his heart.

“Senior Brother Ling?”

Ning Shengsheng waved her hand, and Ling Hegui came back to his senses.

“Fifth Prince, I am Ling Hegui. Have you encountered anything unusual recently?”

“No. I’ve been with Princess Ning An for the most part.”

Xue Chen looked up, his expression open and innocent. Of course, he was just pretending.

“Alright, then I apologize for the disturbance.”

Just as Ling Hegui was about to go to the Qinfang Garden with Ning Shengsheng, Xue Chen followed.

Ning Shengsheng turned her head. “Hm?”

Xue Chen said with a straight face, “I have nothing to do, so I thought I’d come with you and broaden my horizons.”

“Alright, let’s go together.”

The group of two became a group of three. They soon arrived at the Qinfang Garden. The one who opened the door happened to be Nangong Jinghong.

Nangong Jinghong was stunned to see who it was. Ling Hegui paused for a moment, then said in surprise, “Third Martial Aunt? Why are you here?”

Ning Shengsheng pulled Xue Chen to the side, and the two of them stood in a row, eating melon seeds.

“Hegui, and why are you here?” Nangong Jinghong quickly composed herself and did not answer the question directly.

“The mirror demon has escaped from the water prison. Master has ordered me to come down the mountain and capture it. I tracked it here, but it has disappeared.”

The mirror demon?

Nangong Jinghong glanced at Ning Shengsheng. As it happened, the princess had just come to ask about it.

Ning Shengsheng’s heart was in a panic, but her face was calm and indifferent. So what? If Nangong Jinghong asked her, she would just say she had seen it in some miscellaneous book and had only asked out of curiosity. She was a spoiled princess with no cultivation. It was normal for her to be whimsical. They would surely not suspect her.

Nangong Jinghong gestured for them to come inside and talk. The three of them entered the courtyard. Xue Chen silently watched the show and glanced at Ning Shengsheng beside him. She had the word “excited” written all over her face.

“…”

Ling Hegui: “Third Martial Aunt, you left the Qingling Sect without a word. Father has sent people to look for you several times.”

“Mm, I’m teaching at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion now.”

Nangong Jinghong elegantly prepared tea.

The usually calm Ling Hegui was not so calm now.

“No wonder we couldn’t find you. You’re teaching at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion in Great Ning. Who would have thought?”

“Third Martial Aunt, come back to the Qingling Sect with me.”

His tone changed from anger to pleading.

“Don’t tell anyone you saw me, can you?” Nangong Jinghong’s brow furrowed slightly, a worried look on her face.

Ling Hegui’s lips were pressed into a straight line. “You suddenly disappeared. Father and several martial uncles were heartbroken. Some said you were dead. Father didn’t believe it and has never given up looking for you. How can I, in good conscience, help you deceive them?”

“Your Highness, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to—”

Nangong Jinghong’s expression was hesitant.

“You guys talk. We’ll wait outside,” Ning Shengsheng said, understanding. She pulled Xue Chen and left.

They didn’t know what was being discussed inside. Ning Shengsheng stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach the top of the wall, her whole body burning with the desire to eavesdrop on the gossip.

Xue Chen sighed and silently moved behind her, lifting her by the legs.

“Oho?”

Ning Shengsheng looked down. “Thank you!”

Just as she was about to prick up her ears, Nangong Jinghong threw a leaf at her. The leaf was imbued with spiritual power. It was a strong attack, but not enough to truly hurt her.

“Oh my!”

Ning Shengsheng’s body tilted back, and her arms flailed in the air. If it weren’t for Xue Chen, she would have fallen. After landing, she explained sheepishly, “The top of the wall… is too slippery.”

Xue Chen silently withdrew his hands and agreed, “Indeed.”

“What do you think they’re talking about?”

Ning Shengsheng picked up the leaf and played with it, occasionally looking inside with curiosity.

Xue Chen leaned against the wall, his tone light. “Ling Hegui is asking her to return to the sect, and she is unwilling. It’s nothing more than that she has done or thought something she shouldn’t have, and she feels guilty and has no face to go back.”

“Hey, what you said makes a lot of sense.”

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they didn’t know what the two had discussed. When Ling Hegui came out, he no longer mentioned returning to the sect.

“Hostage Prince Xue, please show Hegui around. The princess and I have a few words to say.”

Nangong Jinghong’s eyes were moist, as if she had been crying.

Xue Chen glanced at Ning Shengsheng. She nodded. Only then did he take Ling Hegui to other places.

Ning Shengsheng followed behind Nangong Jinghong. The two of them found a place to sit.

“Why does the princess know about the mirror demon?”

“A maid found some miscellaneous books for me to pass the time. I was bored and flipped through a few pages—”

“Your Highness!” Nangong Jinghong interrupted, a doting smile on her delicate face. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

So direct. She shifted her buttocks in embarrassment.

“I know the princess has a secret. Your Highness is a kind person. The mirror demon will not do evil if it is with you. So it doesn’t matter whether it is captured by the Qingling Sect or not.” Nangong Jinghong paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly. “I will help the princess keep her secret. If one day, someone discovers that I am at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion…”

“I hope the princess will protect me. May I?”

Ning Shengsheng quickly understood the meaning and nodded. “Alright, I promise you.”

The two of them, with a tacit understanding, smiled at each other.

Ling Hegui did not find the mirror demon, and just as he received an urgent summons from the sect, he had Xue Chen come back to tell her. He then hurriedly returned to the Qingling Sect.

After a busy day, Ning Shengsheng dragged her tired body back to rest. She had a good nap. When she woke up, the sky was tinged with a red glow. She suddenly remembered that she had not yet asked the system for her mission reward.

【Host, you finally remembered me.】

The cold, mechanical voice had a hint of grievance.

“Your host is very busy. By the way, where is my reward for completing the mission?”

【Host, please wait a moment. The reward is being drawn—】

Well, well. Her reward this time is being drawn on the spot.

【Two have been drawn: a high-grade soul technique and a heaven-grade spiritual treasure. Which one do you want?】

“Of course, the high-grade soul technique!”

In Xue Chen’s illusion, when she fought Xue Heng, she had seen how powerful soul techniques were. The soul technique she had used then was called “Binding Vine,” and it was only at the beginner level, yet it was so powerful. If she learned a high-grade soul technique, she would not be any weaker than those exceptionally talented spiritual cultivators in the future.

A black memory cluster merged into her sea of consciousness, and the soul technique was automatically stored. She read it through once, then analyzed it word by word, and found its mysteries to be endless.

She cultivated to the point of forgetting herself. When Songgao came in with dinner, Ning Shengsheng finally stopped. She asked, “What’s for dinner?”

“His Majesty had an eight-treasure duck made and had this servant bring it to you. There’s also crab roe lion’s head and crucian carp soup.”

“I want the crucian carp soup~”

Zaoni helped her wash her hands. Ning Shengsheng sat down at the round table, picked up her chopsticks, and suddenly remembered Xue Chen’s thin back.

“Songgao, have Xue Chen come here.”