A Deal with Fate

"There are thousands of spirit beast species in this world. If a race is naturally rare, it must possess something unique."

As she spoke, Ning Tian carefully glanced at Ning Huan.

Only after confirming that he was not angered by her previous slip of the tongue did she secretly heave a sigh of relief.

She then continued:

"Species like the Dark Gold Dragon-Claw Bear, the Emerald Swan, and pure-blooded dragons are all like this."

"And as one of the rarest races, the Jiao Maiden naturally possesses special innate abilities."

"Furthermore, they are related to [Fate]."

"What?!"

Ning Huan, who had been playing with Cang Lan, froze on the spot, his face filled with disbelief.

He knew the child was special, but he truly hadn't expected her to be this special!

Fate...

An attribute that almost no one on the continent had ever seen with their own eyes, existing only in legends.

And yet, he had obtained it so easily?

Seeming to sense the confusion of her Contract holder, Cang Lan, who was still playing in the pool, gave her dragon tail a gentle flick.

In the blink of an eye, she swam before Ning Huan, locking eyes with him, her pupils revealing a hint of worry.

Looking into those sky-blue vertical pupils, the former took a deep breath.

He then turned to look at Ning Tian, his expression unreadable.

"Ning Tian, please, explain it to me in detail."

"Mm."

Having an opportunity to improve their rapport, Ning Tian would naturally not refuse.

"Actually, using [Fate] to define it is certainly an exaggeration."

"After all, through the research of generations of scholars, they generally believe that the ability of a Jiao Maiden leans more toward a certain degree of [Blessing] and [Wishing]."

"Simply put, it is to achieve a predetermined result in the sequence of time through 'reasonable' means."

"Yet even so, the Jiao Maiden still makes people across the world flock to them, desperate to hunt them down."

Upon hearing this, Ning Huan's expression did not change, as if he had already anticipated this.

This was because the word [Fate] was too heavy; it was a weight that ordinary living beings could not possibly bear.

Even that Emperor Auspicious Beast, which gathered the fortune of all spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, could likely only catch glimpses of fragmented scenes of the future.

Locking onto the [Result], then inducing the [Cause], huh... There must be side effects!

"Then what about the records in the history books?"

After thinking through the crux of the matter, Ning Huan raised another crucial question.

"In reality, there has never been a spirit master in ten thousand years who left behind any real, verifiable evidence."

"Because a Jiao Maiden can only choose between activating her ability or being hunted for her spirit ring."

"The few written records that exist are merely oral accounts from those who benefited."

As her voice fell, Ning Tian took a yellowed book from her Soul Tool.

She quickly flipped to a certain page and handed it to Ning Huan.

"Take a look. The relevant records of the sect are all here."

"Many thanks."

Ning Huan thanked her, and as he took the book, he also retracted the reluctant Cang Lan and the pool of water.

Walls have ears, and loose lips sink ships.

Even though this training ground belonged privately to Ning Tian, one could never be too careful about someone lacking a brain suddenly barging in.

Previously, it was excusable because he didn't know Cang Lan's background, leading to an accidental exposure.

Now that he knew, he had to be more vigilant.

Seeing this, Ning Tian immediately guessed what he was thinking.

A flash of light passed through her eyes, and she promised without hesitation:

"Brother Ning Huan, please rest assured. No fourth person will ever know of Cang Lan's existence, including my father and the three elders."

Before Ning Huan could respond, she turned to look at Wu Feng beside her, her tone becoming exceptionally stern.

"That goes for you too, Sister Feng. Keep Brother Ning Huan's secret locked tight in your stomach!"

"Otherwise, don't even think about continuing as my guardian!"

Wu Feng, who had been idling nearby, snapped to attention instantly, not daring to show the slightest hesitation.

"Yes! Wu Feng saw nothing! Wu Feng remembers nothing!"

There was no helping it; she knew her Young Mistress far too well!

That was a person who meant exactly what she said!

If she let anything slip, she truly wasn't certain if Ning Tian would take their past friendship into account.

For a lesbian, that would be no different than the sky collapsing and the earth shattering.

Having received a satisfactory answer, Ning Tian nodded, only then turning her gaze back to Ning Huan.

"Brother Ning Huan, please continue."

"Quite a bold spirit for someone so young."

Seeing this, Ning Huan couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, feeling his heart relax slightly.

What did it matter how high one's status was?

Without sufficient strength, one would never truly be at ease...

The waiting time passed in a flash.

With only two or three pages of records, it took but a moment to grasp the general idea.

"Once in a lifetime, use it and die... what a bunch of lucky devils, indeed~"

Ning Huan gently closed the book, his sigh sounding slightly melancholy.

According to the records, there had been six humans blessed by the Jiao Maiden over the span of ten thousand years.

Commoners, Spirit Masters, civilians, nobles...

Regardless of their background or the strength of their power.

The outcome was without exception: they all reached the pinnacle of their respective groups.

Peasants who had been impoverished for generations inexplicably became wealthy magnates.

Spirit Masters with mediocre talent suddenly encountered endless opportunities, defying fate to reach the title of Titled Douluo.

The supposedly unbreakable class barriers were actually shattered by a capability that sounded like a tall tale.

It was no wonder so many factions would go to war over the rumors.

"I suppose Uncle Ning intended to use Cang Lan to break through the predicament of that time..."

"Correct."

Ning Tian responded subconsciously:

"It's just a pity that in the end, nothing was gained."

"No, even if he had been fortunate enough to obtain Cang Lan, he would never have realized his heart's desire!"

"Why?"

"Because... the price is one he could not afford~"

Ning Huan opened the tome once more, took out a pen to mark a few spots, and only then handed it back to Ning Tian.

"You must remember, all gifts of fate have already had their prices marked in the dark."

The cryptic words left the young girl somewhat panicked.

As her gaze swept rapidly over the circled content, a chill ran down her spine.

Enemies arriving at the door due to conflicts of interest...

Attempting to advance further, only to be buried in a secret realm...

Rising to the nobility, only to be devoured by other nobles...

Six types of normal yet miserable deaths appeared before her eyes one after another.

Without a doubt, what was being described were the final ends of those 'lucky ones.'

They were also the parts that those blinded by greed instinctively ignored.

"Have you figured it out?"

The sudden question awakened Ning Tian's reason.

Coming back to her senses, she realized her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Yes... just like the realization of their dreams, their disappearances... were also too 'reasonable'."

"Not bad, better than your father; at least you aren't deceiving yourself."

Ning Tian: "..."

Saying that about my father right in front of me, isn't that a bit much?

Ning Huan, of course, didn't care about that and continued speaking to himself.

"Cang Lan's ability may appear to be a Blessing of Fate, but in reality, it is more akin to a Fate Trade."

"It can make your wildest dreams come true for no apparent reason."

"Yet, it can also cast you into the abyss the moment you are unable to pay the price."

"Do the people of this world not know?"

"No! On the contrary, they are perfectly aware!"

"But in the face of such immense profit, what does awareness matter?"

"Even a hero like your father pinned his hopes upon it, did he not?"

As these words fell, Ning Tian instantly lost all desire to argue.

She collapsed to the ground with a thud, staring blankly into space, which left Wu Feng in a state of panic.

Tsk... I was too harsh; it seems I've frightened the child.

Glancing at the young girl whose idol had just shattered, Ning Huan curled his lip and thought to himself.

However, Fate Trade...

To think that foolish Cang Lan actually possesses such a skill...

It seems this could yield unexpected results if used on certain individuals...