Chapter 27: System, You’re Acting Strange

Nangong Jinghong’s expression froze for a moment. After a long while, her consciousness finally returned from the shock of the Huan Li beast being called “Mianmian.”

“Do you know why I kept you behind?” she asked, composing herself, her tone without the slightest fluctuation, as if the shock from before had not been hers.

“I do.”

Ning Shengsheng held out her arm and opened her palm. “Master Nangong, this student is willing to accept her punishment.”

She held out her hands for a long time, but the expected ruler did not fall. She moved her numb arms and hesitantly looked up at Nangong Jinghong. The other woman’s eyebrows were slightly raised, her eyes sharp and determined, and her tightly pressed thin lips held a hint of stubbornness. She should have been a heroic and valiant person. Why did she wear a plain gray robe every day and not speak to anyone besides giving lessons?

Ning Shengsheng suddenly became a little curious about this female teacher.

“Ning An, was it worth it to offend the Third Princess like this for a spirit beast egg?”

“Huh? Of course it was worth it!” The girl’s eyes widened in confusion, as if she didn’t understand why she was being asked this. In her eyes, taking revenge for a wrong was perfectly normal.

A touch of emotion appeared on Nangong Jinghong’s cold face. “Do you know that even in the Heavenly Phoenix Nation, which specializes in beast taming, they look down on the spirit beasts and demonic beasts they raise?”

“They even think of beasts as slaves and themselves as masters, who can be driven, enslaved, and discarded at will.”

“Then they don’t deserve to use beast taming techniques, and they certainly don’t deserve to have those little beasts fight for them!” The girl interrupted indignantly, then lifted her face and said happily, “The Huan Li is my partner, my friend. Watching it hatch little by little, it’s also my family.”

“If only everyone thought like you.”

Nangong Jinghong put away her ruler, smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeve, and calmly left the academy. As she left, she tossed a sentence over her shoulder.

“Princess Ning An, I won’t punish you today. There will be no next time.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Master Nangong!” she called out, waving on her tiptoes.

No wonder the Heavenly Phoenix Nation had weakened so much. Treating their little beasts, who fought alongside them, like that, they deserved to be punished. She was indignant. However, in the later stages, after Xue Chen’s cultivation had reached a certain level and he had returned to Heavenly Phoenix to seize the throne, he had specifically issued a law to protect the little beasts, and cultivators were not allowed to abandon their contracted beasts at will. This was the other half of the reason why she liked the character of Xue Chen. She liked people who cared for animals.

After leaving the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, Ning Shengsheng didn’t forget to go to the Frigid Spirit Pool to visit the Huan Li.

“Duofu, how is Mianmian?”

The little eunuch scratched his head, his face a picture of bewilderment.

“Your Highness, look.”

She walked two steps to the edge of the lake and saw an egg jumping up and down on the surface of the water, playing with abandon. The dark red and dark green on the eggshell had mostly faded. Coupled with the Huan Li’s lively jumping, there should be no danger to its life.

It smelled Ning Shengsheng’s scent and shot up with a whoosh, flying into her arms. The round egg rubbed against her, as if acting coquettishly.

Duofu, in the back, clicked his tongue. He would go back and tell Laicai that the Huan Li was much better at flattery than he was.

After playing with the Huan Li for a while, Ning Shengsheng gently stroked it before leaving and urged, “Be good. When you’re all better, I’ll take you home.”

The Huan Li egg jumped twice in response.

Ning Shengsheng did not borrow Ning Xuan’s Thunder and Lightning Lion. On the way back to Zhaoxia Palace in her carriage, she was thinking that it was precisely because of the cultivators’ discrimination against spirit beasts and demonic beasts in this era that demonic beasts were so rare, and there were even fewer spirit beasts. As the ruler of Great Ning, Ning Xuan only had that one Thunder and Lightning Lion, which had been a tribute from the Heavenly Phoenix Nation a few years ago. They revered weapon refinement more, and the Qingling Sect, which had half the weapon refiners, held a high status.

Lost in thought, she soon arrived back at Zhaoxia Palace. Shuangxi was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Princess Ning An return, he greeted her with a smile.

“Princess, His Majesty has asked me to inform you that the Third Princess, Ning Jin, has been grounded for five months.”

Fearing that Ning Shengsheng would be dissatisfied with the result, Shuangxi opened the three boxes at his feet. “His Majesty asked this servant to bring these. Inside are many precious spiritual herbs and pills, which may be of help to Your Highness’s spirit beast.”

She knew that Ning Jin could not be touched. If Ning Jin were touched, Ning Xuan would be criticized to death by the court officials. Her brother’s temper was fiery, but he wasn’t stupid.

“Mm, go back and tell Older Brother I’m fine.”

“Yes. Princess Ning An is so sensible and considerate of His Majesty. His Majesty will surely be pleased to know.”

“This servant will take his leave. If the princess has any matters, just have Duofu send word.”

“Mm, you may go.”

Shuangxi’s departing footsteps were exceptionally light. He had almost thought that Princess Ning An was going to throw another tantrum. Fortunately, she hadn’t!

…

She had just stepped into the hall when the system’s alarm sounded.

【Warning, please note, a hidden mission has been triggered. Host, please proceed to the imperial garden to rescue Snowball.】

“Snowball is?”

【Xue Chen’s spirit beast.】

“I know.” She took two large gulps of tea, quenched her thirst, and ran towards the imperial garden. As she ran, she asked the system, “Wait, the main mission is for me to continue the original owner’s persona and bully Xue Chen mercilessly. But the hidden mission is for me to save his spirit beast. Your settings are very contradictory.”

The system silently grumbled: Can’t this girl’s brain just slow down a little? The previous hosts never asked about this.

“System? Speak, System!”

The system let out a grunt: 【Host, I told you from the beginning, your main mission is to complete Xue Chen’s side quest. How you interpret that is your business.】

【And if you want to complete Xue Chen’s life trajectory, there will be good and bad. Life is not a piece of paper with only two sides. It’s not just about you being good to him or bullying him. You can’t just bully him and then be good to him…】

Listen to this, is this even human language!

Ning Shengsheng was at a loss for words. The system also knew that its own words were a case of the left and right brains fighting. It guiltily shut up.

Something’s not right. The system was hiding something. Sooner or later, she would dig it all out.

Ning Shengsheng ran panting to the garden and saw Ning Xuan teasing a cat through an iron cage.

“Get me a longer willow branch. This little one is so fat and chubby, but it’s very fast.”

“Meow!”

The little cat arched its back and hissed at Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan was amused. He found it quite interesting. He took the willow branch and stuck it through the gap in the cage. “Fat cat, so wild? Here, catch the branch, and I’ll reward you with a whole pond of red carp.”

The iron cage was small, and it was difficult for it to even turn around. Snowball was so angry its eyes turned red. Its claws were bleeding, and its broken nails fell off.

Xue Chen, hidden in the trees, was filled with rage.

“Meow!!! Oww!!!”

Its paw was tangled in the willow branch. The more it struggled, the tighter it became. The cat let out a piercing cry of pain.

Forget it! Worst case scenario, I’ll die here, but I have to save Snowball. Just as Xue Chen was about to step out, a girl came running down the stone path. She ran to the iron cage and spread her arms. “Older Brother, I like this little cat! Give it to me!”

Her hair was a mess, her rosy lips were pale, and her skirt was covered in dust. It was clear she had run here.

Ning An? Why is she here?

Xue Chen slipped back behind the tree, ready to act as the situation required.

Ning Xuan frowned and shot a cold glance at Shuangxi. The princess had arrived, and no one had even announced her.

Shuangxi lowered his head in fear, not daring to speak.

Ning Xuan threw the willow branch aside and said nonchalantly, “An’er, if you want a cat, Older Brother will get you one. This little beast is too wild to be tamed. If I give it to you, it will hurt you.”