Chapter 15: Joy for Some, Sorrow for Others

Chapter 15: Joy for Some, Sorrow for Others

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan deep in thought, Wang Yunchong assumed he was considering how to punish him and began pleading once more. "Brother Ning Xiaochuan, we’re actually the same kind of people. You’re called ‘Ning the Sickly’ in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, suffering endless humiliation. And I’m no better—people call me Wang Yunchong to my face, but behind my back, they call me ‘Wang the Lecher.’ I’m really a decent person at heart!"

"If you were decent, would you still visit brothels?"

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled, then stood up and walked out, leaving Wang Yunchong kneeling alone on the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t the type to push someone when they were already down. A minor character like Wang Yunchong was merely a pawn used by others. If he really broke his legs or cut out his tongue, the matter would inevitably escalate—and that would bring Ning Xiaochuan no benefit at all.

Wang Yunchong felt as if all the strength had drained from his body. It took him a long time to finally stand up, realizing that Ning Xiaochuan had spared him. A wave of relief washed over him, as if he had narrowly escaped death.

"This time, you really brought it upon yourself. You almost got me killed along with you," Wang Shi said with a grim expression.

Wang Yunchong wailed, "Third Brother, how was I supposed to know Ning Xiaochuan suddenly became a Heart Nurturer? Just three days ago, he was still a sickly weakling!"

Wang Shi replied, "There’s something else I need to tell you. Ning Han really is dead—it happened yesterday. He was killed by the Blood Devouring Demon Sect."

Wang Yunchong, who had just begun to relax, immediately collapsed back onto the ground in terror. "B-Blood... Devouring... Demon... Sect..."

Wang Shi was no idle playboy—he was an elite of the Heavenly Elephant Marquis House, known for his meticulousness. "I’ve looked into Ning Xiaochuan’s records. His mother was a member of the Demon Sect while she was alive, and her status within it was extremely high."

Wang Yunchong’s face turned deathly pale. "S-So... Ning Xiaochuan ordered the Demon Sect to kill Ning Han? Third Brother, Third Brother, you have to save me! The demons of the Blood Devouring Demon Sect devour people alive and drink their blood! I don’t want to be eaten alive!"

"Tsk. If you knew this would happen, why did you provoke him in the first place? I can’t save you—only Ning Xiaochuan can. Even if he doesn’t come after you, those Demon Sect members will surely take your life."

Wang Yunchong stammered, "I understand, I understand! Ning Xiaochuan really likes a silver-ranked courtesan from the Jade Viewing Pavilion. I’ll buy her and gift her to him as an apology!"

Wang Shi shook his head with a sigh. If Wang Yunchong weren’t his own younger brother, he wouldn’t have bothered getting involved in this mess. He stopped Wang Yunchong and warned him again, "I’ve already inquired with the people at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall. Ning Xiaochuan is indeed a Heart Nurturer, which means he’s been hiding his cultivation all along. This is likely a move orchestrated by the Blood Devouring Demon Sect. So, regarding Ning Xiaochuan’s affairs, you’d better not breathe a single word to anyone. This isn’t something we can meddle in. The best way to survive is to pretend you know nothing."

"I’ll keep my mouth shut—I won’t dare say a word!" Wang Yunchong’s legs trembled uncontrollably. He realized that provoking Ning Xiaochuan was the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life.

...

The foremost princely manor of the Yulan Empire—the Golden Roc Prince’s Manor.

The Golden Roc Prince's Manor was grand and majestic, with jade slabs a foot wide paving the corridors and golden pillars as thick as a man's embrace supporting magnificent palace towers, exuding a luxury and opulence rivaling that of an imperial palace.

Hua Zhishi was currently in the Golden Roc Prince's Manor, reporting Ning Xiaochuan's matter to Yu Qianqian.

Yu Qianqian wore a green silk robe embroidered with golden threads, paired with a moon-white long skirt. Her figure was as slender as a crescent moon, and her skin was as smooth and tender as jade. Though still a youthful maiden, her breathtakingly beautiful oval face was enough to make women across the world envious!

This was the bearing of a noble princess from a marquis's household. Women from ordinary families might also be beautiful, but they could never possess such an elegant and noble temperament as hers.

"Refining ten Heart Nurturing Grass plants overnight, extracting four drops of Heart Nurturing Liquid from each—this is simply unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! He is a once-in-a-generation prodigy in the path of a Heart Nurturer! His Martial Arts Heart Palace must be an extraordinary variant. An ordinary person could never achieve such a level." Yu Qianqian's starry eyes shone with astonishment.

Her own Martial Arts Heart Palace was also a variant, known as the "Immortal Lotus Heart Palace." Her heart took the shape of a jade-green lotus, capable of emitting a delicate lotus fragrance, and her skin was even fairer and more translucent than the petals of a lotus, exuding a natural fragrance.

She, too, was a genius in cultivating the Heart Nurturer path, but she could only refine six Heart Nurturing Grass plants a day—far from reaching Ning Xiaochuan's terrifying level.

Hua Zhishi said, "This young man is indeed extraordinary. His future achievements will be limitless. However..."

Yu Qianqian asked, "However what?"

Hua Zhishi bowed respectfully to her and said, "This subordinate investigated his background. He is a fourth-generation descendant of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. Born with a hidden ailment that prevented him from cultivating Martial Arts Profound Qi, he was mockingly called 'Ning the Sickly' and held little status in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. But through my interactions with him, I found him to be anything but sickly—he is a true prodigy. There must be some hidden circumstances behind this."

Yu Qianqian's eyes brightened slightly. "So it's him. No wonder his name sounded familiar."

"Has the Princess met him before?" Hua Zhishi asked.

Yu Qianqian shook her head. "No. I’ve only heard his name mentioned among the talented youths of many noble households. They say he is the son of a peerless genius from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, but while the father was a tiger, the son is a sickly dog—a laughingstock among the noble heirs. That’s why his name rings a bell."

Hua Zhishi nodded. "Ning Xiaochuan's father was more than just a peerless genius. A decade ago, he was a figure who swept across the entire Yulan Empire, an unrivaled existence among his generation. Even Yue Wuyang, hailed as the youngest Martial Venerable and titled 'Marquis of the Clouds,' suffered four consecutive defeats at his hands. Unfortunately, ten years ago, an incident occurred, and both Ning Xiaochuan's father and mother died in the Ning family ancestral hall."

"What happened back then?" Yu Qianqian asked curiously.

Hua Zhishi shook his head and said, "This matter caused quite a stir at the time. Even half of the Demon Sect's Six Paths Demon Venerables arrived in the imperial capital. But as for what exactly happened, only the elders of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House know, and they have never revealed a single word to the outside world. Ten years have passed, and this incident has gradually faded from people's memories."

"How intriguing, how intriguing. The father was a peerless genius, and the son is an extraordinary prodigy. The Jian Pavilion Marquis House truly has no shortage of talent. If I'm not mistaken, Ning Xiaochuan's nickname 'Ning the Sickly' is merely a smokescreen by the Jian Pavilion Marquis to conceal the truth. In reality, he is a true genius," Yu Qianqian remarked.

Hua Zhishi nodded and said, "This subordinate thinks the same. After all, if a prodigy like Ning Xiaochuan were truly exposed in the open, there would certainly be those who wouldn't let him grow. The Jian Pavilion Marquis is doing this to protect him. Your Highness, what should we do now?"

Yu Qianqian rested her chin on her hand, her long eyelashes fluttering as she mused, "Since he's an extraordinary prodigy, we naturally can't let him fall into someone else's hands. We must keep this matter as confidential as possible and ensure the other two major Heart Nurturing Halls don't find out. As for his treatment... let's elevate it directly to the standard of an Intermediate Heart Nurturer."

"Understood!"

Hua Zhishi initially considered reporting Wang Yunchong's situation to Yu Qianqian as well, but after some thought, he decided the matter was too trivial to bother Her Highness. Thus, he respectfully withdrew.

Yu Qianqian gently smoothed her long hair with her delicate fingers, her curiosity about Ning Xiaochuan growing—not just regarding his background but also his extraordinary talent and the nickname "Ning the Sickly."

"Another interesting person has appeared. Perhaps I should pay a visit to the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to meet him in person," Yu Qianqian thought to herself.

Of course, this notion merely flickered through her mind before she turned her attention to other, more pressing matters.

After all, in her eyes, Ning Xiaochuan was just another unique genius—and the Golden Roc Prince's Manor was never short of geniuses.