The peaceful wind of the bamboo forest could always calm her heart, so she loved staying here and loved staying with these pure little animals.
He Cang no longer spoke as well. She didn’t belong in the scheming and dirty cold palace. In He Cang’s eyes, she was like a pure lily that blossomed alone in the dirty and bloody palace. Her tendril of purity was something only also unaffected could truly experience.
Sadly, in this palace built on the foundations of absolute strength, how many people could feel it?
……
Ten days alter
Still, on the white cold palace rock path, He Cang quickly went along it in a wind coat.
He Cang was named Ning Maner’s personal servant. Thus, even though the palace was very safe, he would spend most of his time beside Ning Maner.
“Are you sure about what you said?” He Cang asked the man beside him.
“Subordinate doesn’t dare to joke with my life.” The other servant guard said.
After entering the fairy palace, He Cang went straight towards Ning Maner’s bedchamber.
These servant girls wanted to stop He Cang but he didn’t care and walked right in.
On a white bed laid a sickly young girl. She lightly coughed but tried to mask it so no one else could hear it.
He Cang walked beside the bed. Seeing her frail figure, his heart felt like it was shattered.
Them again!
With his inner mercy also came a raging fury!
This wasn’t the first time Ning Zhuang’s clan troubled Ning Maner!
Initially, Ning Zhuang’s clan was extremely cold and even averse to Ning Maner at the clan conference and mocked her. They thought that giving a wild child like Ning Maner having such a high position was a disgrace to the entire Ning Royal Family.
When Ning Maner was still young, Ning Zhuang’s clan was extremely strict. They gave large amounts of young soul items, xuan items to Ning Maner to nurture her.
Ning Maner’s Spirit aura needed mental power. Endless spirit items and xuan items were sent to her, putting immense pressure on her mind daily.
The most annoying thing was the hateful Ning Tianyou. He was Ning Maner’s grandfather. This high authority man was always seemingly gentle and benevolent when around Ning Maner, treating her like a good granddaughter.
However, He Cang has been in the palace for many years. How could he not tell Ning Tianyou’s actual character. The person was known to be disingenuous and was constantly plotting against others, including his own family!
The reason he took Ning Maner seriously was because she had the inheritance of the Messiah Tree. In the years before, his doting appearance was only to lay the basis for today.
In He Cang’s eyes,Ning Tianyou wanted to let Ning Maner gain a sense of reliance when she was lonely and then use this reliance to make her stay and continue to create xuan items for him willingly even when she’s rejected by everyone else.
Then most annoyingly, Ning maner continued to trust Ning Tianyou and kept silent…..
In the recent years, Ning Maner’s power had received a raise. At this time, Ning Zhuang’s clan only pressed harder. Ning Maner spent the majority of her days helping them nurture xuan items.
The endless mental consumption often needed a break. However, that was when her “caring” grandfather would comfort her for a bit before saying “Just a little longer, things will be better after this period of time…..”
This lie, He Cang didn’t know how many times NIng Maner heard it, but even He Cang had heard it countless times.
He Cang really wanted to tell her that her grandfather was a cruel and apathetic man. He Cang was scared that, after telling her the truth, she would be truly isolated in this world, surrounded by icy waters with no end in sight.
This life went on for year after year with no change.
In the end, she fell sick.
It wasn’t because of anything other than mental pressure that caused her to become incredibly weak and no different from a young girl.
Her sickness was growing worse as her mental world was empty without any soul power.
“Brother He…. You came to visit me?” A weak voice came, her pale face smiling faintly.
When He cang saw this smile, his throat choked up. He didn't know what to say back.
However, it was this sad smile that made He Cang come to a decision. He had to take her away from this dirty palace!
He Cang glanced at the servant beside him and said with mental voice to the servant.
The servant guard nodded and immediately left.
He Cang sat aside without a word.
After not long, someone walked over.
From the footsteps, He Cang already knew it was Ning Maner’s powerful grandfather Ning Tianyou.
He Cang stood up from his chair and stood aside apathetically.
Ning Tianyou stared apathetically at He Cang, and sat back to where He Cang was.
Ning Tianyou looked like a middle aged man with a thick mustache above his lips. With an equally bushy eyebrow, he looked righteous and upright.
“Grandfather.” Ning Maner smiled as usual and called out sweetly.
“You should’ve paid more attention. Grandfather told you that you should focus on rest when you feel tired.” Ning Tianyou extended a hand and lightly stroked Ning Maner’s head.
“En, for some reason, i don’t feel any soul power in my body anymore.” Ning Maner said ashamed.
“That’s normal. When you overuse your soul power, you’ll fall into a drought. Don’t use your soul power for now. Just focus on resting and it’ll recover after this period. Grandfather brought a special piece of ginseng for you and told a xuan teacher to prepare it for you already. He’ll bring it up later.” Ning Tianyou said.
Ning Maner nodded.
“Grandfather still has many important things to handle. You rest well and don’t run to the forest these days. Those little animals also are invisibly taking away your powers, so its bad for your body.” Ning Tianyou said.
Ning Maner still wanted to say something but paused. At this moment, Ning Tianyou already stood up and told the servants to take over while swiftly leaving himself.
In reality, Ning Maner spent most of her time seeing her grandfather’s swiftly leaving figure.
After Ning Tianyou left, He Cang hesitated for a long time before speaking to Ning Maner, “About your grandfather, I don’t want to make any more comments.”
“Brother He, he isn’t as bad as you imagine….” Ning Maner said.
“Brother wants to ask you. Do you want to leave here?” He Cang asked seriously.
Ning Maner was stunned, not expecting why He Cnag would suddenly ask such a question.
“I want to go back to the Grandpa Messiah Tree to see him. His soul must be lonely in the Quiet Forest.” Ning Maner said faintly.
“If you left, would you want to come back?” He Cang said.
Ning Maner fell silent.
In reality, if she could leave, there was no way she would want to come back.
However, if she left, where would she be able to go?
The Quiet Forest was no longer what it used to be. The powerful organisms all left because of the shrivelling of the Messiah Tree. The forest was no longer as lively as it used to be.
Suddenly, Ning Maner remembered a place.
She could go there. There, there were White One to White Ten always around her. There was a cool devil man big brother and a sister Ye that would treat her really well. They never forced her to do anything, nor came off the slightest as fake.
Ning Maner wanted to go back to New Moon Ground, but she didn't dare.
She wasn’t the naive kid she used to be. Just like how Zhen Wu slaughtered the Nightmares when he went to forcefully take her, they could do the same thing again when they inevitably found her. If she appeared in New Moon Ground now, it would only create greater conflict between Chu Mu and Ning Family Dynasty.
Finally, Ning Maner didn’t know where to go and so could only stay in the palace.
“I’ll send you away.” He Cang said seriously to Ning Maner.
“Send me away?” Ning Maner was even more surprised.
He Cant nodded.
“However, even if I left by myself, they’ll find me back.” Ning Maner said.
“To them, your greatest value is nurturing items. If you lost this power……” He Cang said with a mental voice to her.
Ning Maner was shocked by those words, but seeing He Cang so serious, he didn't seem to be joking.
“Maner, my subordinates found a type of poison that would have no side effect to you but will permanently cause you to lose your soul power when your body is weakened….”
“If you lost your soul power, no one would restrict your freedom anymore.” He Cang said.
Lost her powers?
Ning Maner was shocked. She had never even thought about it.
However, when thinking about it, if she could return to her old carefree life, she’d rather give up her powers.
Ning Maner didn’t need soul power to communicate with soul pets. It was a nearly innate talent. Only the nurturing of soul items needed soul power.
Maybe, her loss of power will allow her to live a life that wasn’t defined by numbness.
Ning Maner couldn’t make a decision in the moment but was considering it seriously.
“Take these days to consider it some more,” He Cang said.
“En, thank you Brother Cang for wishing the best for me.” Ning Maner said.
