Silence. Nothing but silence all around.
The moon was shining very brightly on this night. However, Jiang Nannan was feeling very mixed feelings.
Right now, she was standing outside a village as she carried something in her arms.
Everything around her felt very familiar and clear in her memory. Her heart seemed to be trembling as she felt the surrounding aura.
She gently bit her lip as her purple hair flowed behind her head. She looked up at the sun and moon, and silently asked, Why am I back here? Why? Why am I back in this place, where I was once extremely frightened?
Is this to remind me of my most painful memory? Is this to make me experience that pain once again?
No, I don't want to! I don't want to!
Jiang Nannan shook her head forcefully, and her tears flowed down uncontrollably.
She would never, ever forget this place.
That night, that guy, whose body suddenly started glowing black, brought me so much pain and humiliation. I've been traumatized ever since that experience, even though that guy…
Jiang Nannan was in low spirits as she walked forward. She still clearly remembered that she had sent the sum of money back after receiving it and immediately left for Shrek Academy. That was because she was too ashamed to see her mother anymore…
A few years had passed since then, but she had only communicated with her mother through letters. She also sent some money back to her, but she had never had the courage to return to see her. She was afraid of reliving the pain if she saw her mother.
I want to see my mom again and personally pass her money. Although she always claims to be well every time she writes me a letter, is she really well? I'm so foolish. No matter what I've done, mommy will always love me. She'll forgive me. Mommy, I really miss you.
Her tears flowed even more uncontrollably. Her yearning to see her mother seemed to lessen the trauma that she was experiencing.
She ran quickly. Even though her abilities had only recovered to the standard of a three-ringed soul master, she was still much faster than other soul masters of the same level, as her martial soul was a Softbone Rabbit.
Finally, she saw the place. It was a reputable clinic in the city, which offered the best treatment and rehabilitative services.
The reason why she had agreed to that guy's family's request was because her mother…
She was getting closer and closer to the clinic. Just like that day, the owner of the clinic was standing at the door. The owner passed her the sum of money and a Xuanwu Divine Pill that only the Xuanming Sect had to treat her mother. After she saw her mother consume the Xuanwu Divine Pill from outside the window, she quickly turned and ran away. She was tormented then, and that torment had lasted even until now.
Mommy, how are you?
She missed her mother incredibly. However, the clinic turned illusory just as Jiang Nannan was about to reach the front door. Everything around it turned illusory.
"No! No… why did you bring me into this illusion, but not let me see my mother? Please, let me see my mother!" Jiang Nannan shouted and wailed.
After that, she realized that everything in front of her had turned clear again. However, she was no longer able to control her body. The clinic in front of her seemed to turn transparent.
Everything distorted, and a thought suddenly appeared in her mind, One day later...
One day later? What does that mean?
Jiang Nannan started to become agitated even before she recovered from her confusion. This was because she finally saw her mother, who was lying on a bed, and appeared very pale. Right now, her mother's body rippled with a black glow. It was the effect of consuming the Xuanwu Divine Pill.
"Mommy, mommy!" Jiang Nannan shouted. However, her voice couldn't be heard.
At this moment, she saw another person. Another person had walked into her mother's ward.
Why, why is he here?
Jiang Nannan was stunned. The person who had walked into the ward was Xu Sanshi. Chen Wen was also following close behind him.
Xu Sanshi seemed very puerile, but Jiang Nannan knew that his cultivation was already close to four rings. He was stronger than her.
Suddenly, Xu Sanshi and Chen Wen started conversing with each other.
"Is she the mother of that girl? Why is she not here?"
Chen Wen scratched his head and replied, "I don't know, either. I only heard that her mother was staying here. She sold her body to us because her mother was sick. Her mother has a congenital heart disease, and needed our Xuanwu Divine Pill to improve her condition. At the same time, she needs to rest for a long time before she can recover. I think she had no choice, thus she had to…"
Xu Sanshi clenched his fists tightly and furiously said, "Why didn't you mention this earlier? She was doing it to save her mother, but I…" As he spoke, he punched the wall next to him.
"We have to find her no matter what. I need to make amends for my mistake! I'll marry her once I find her! I'm, I'm really a jerk! Chen Wen, can you help me lift her up?"
Chen Wen was stunned. "Second young master, what do you want to do?"
Xu Sanshi said, "While the medicinal power of a Xuanwu Divine Pill is mild, it digests very slowly. Furthermore, the longer the time needed for digestion, the weaker the effect of the pill. I can use my soul power to speed it up, so she'll be able to absorb the medicinal power of the pill much more easily. After all, my soul power is complementary to a Xuanwu Divine Pill."
Chen Wen hurriedly said, "You can't do this, young master. You've just experienced the second awakening of your martial soul. You can't do this. You'll hurt your vitality."
Xu Sanshi was still furious. "I have to do it no matter what. I hurt her so badly! What's a little vitality? Since I can't find her now, I'll help take care of her mother first."
Chen Wen unwillingly lifted Jiang Nannan's mother up under Xu Sanshi's demands.
Jiang Nannan was in a daze as she watched all of this. She muttered to herself, "Sanshi…"
Everything in front of her seemed to suddenly speed up. Jiang Nannan saw Xu Sanshi sitting behind her mother and activating his soul power. Eventually, he fainted, but her mother woke up.
She also saw how Xu Sanshi told the clinic personnel to take good care of her mother before giving them a large sum of money.
Time passed quickly. The thought that had appeared in her mind earlier surfaced again, One week later.
Chen Wen came to the clinic with a lot of food and daily necessities. He was visiting her mother on Xu Sanshi's behalf.
Two weeks later, Chen Wen came to visit again.
Three weeks later…
Every week, Chen Wen would come to visit her mother on Xu Sanshi's behalf. However, he asked her mother not to include any of his visits in her letters to Jiang Nannan.
Half a year later...
Xu Sanshi personally paid Jiang Nannan's mother a visit. He's, he's actually here to visit mommy. But I never once returned…
Tears streamed down Jiang Nannan's face once again.
As she saw how her mother and Xu Sanshi had a pleasant conversation, how Xu Sanshi helped to massage her mother's shoulders and heal her body with his soul power, Jiang Nannan broke down in tears.
This idiot. He, he never once told me anything. He has been helping take care of my mother all these years. Idiot, fool, jerk! Why, why didn't you tell me?
Her mother's figure slowly faded away. However, her flushed, red cheeks, her benevolent smile and the affable look in Xu Sanshi's eyes were deeply imprinted on Jiang Nannan's mind.
All this are real. It must be real. Sanshi…
Everything in front of her suddenly changed. Her surroundings dimmed, and Jiang Nannan was stunned to realize she was lying down on a bed. After this, she heard a familiar voice.
"I'm sorry for making you so frightened. Trust me, I don't want you to come to any harm. Not now. Not in the future."
"My name is Xu Sanshi. I know that they gave you some money to consummate this ritual with me, but I won't do it. I don't want to hurt you."
"You…"
"You're Jiang Nannan, am I right?" Xu Sanshi asked softly.
Jiang Nannan nodded.
"I'll go to one side. You can put your clothes back on. I think you'll feel safer this way. We can chat afterwards. To put them at ease, I can't leave this room tonight."
Jiang Nannan was stunned. "But, your martial soul has to be cultivated…"
"I can't be a beast even if that's the case. I told you that I won't hurt you. Not now. Not in the future. How can the awakening of my martial soul compare to you? So what if it's the Xuanwu Shield? So what if I become the sect master? They are nothing compared to you. I'm willing to give up everything for you. Even if I can't enter the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy in the future and become a member of Shrek's Seven Monsters, I'm still willing."
As she looked at his resolute back and his determined words, Jiang Nannan could no longer keep her tears from flowing.
"I'm done changing. You, you can come over now."
Xu Sanshi turned around and walked to the bedside, but he panicked when he saw Jiang Nannan tearing up.
"Nannan, don't cry. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you no matter what. I won't harm you. I guarantee you that I won't touch you."
"I don't care," Jiang Nannan sobbed.
"What?" Xu Sanshi was in a daze as he watched Jiang Nannan sit up suddenly on the bed. She wasn't wearing any clothes, and her movement revealed her delicate, white shoulders. "What did you say?"
Jiang Nannan suddenly leapt towards him and hugged his neck. Her voice was almost inaudible because of her crying. "I said I don't care. Fool, I said I don't care. I love you, Sanshi."