Ning Jing and Xiao Wanqing

In the back mountains of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Wanqing stood alone, lost in thought. Whenever she had spare time, she would come here for a stroll—it let her relax and admire the beautiful scenery.

"Wanqing, what are you thinking about?" A familiar voice reached her ears. Her heart trembled slightly, and a complicated look appeared in her eyes.

"Come out. Why are you in the mood to visit the Xiao Clan?" Xiao Wanqing said helplessly.

"I can't help it. Someone bullied me. Shouldn't you help me vent my anger, Wanqing?" A teasing voice rang out as a beautiful woman stepped from the void.

Beautiful enough to stun the soul, beautiful enough to seem apart from the mortal world.

"Wanqing greets Third Miss." Xiao Wanqing bowed to the woman.

"Wanqing, are you still bothered by what happened that day? You know that although I seem to have everything, sometimes... I cannot make my own decisions either. I can only follow their wishes." For some reason, seeing Xiao Wanqing bow to her hurt—hurt so much. How wonderful it would have been if they could return to the past.

This woman was the one who had toyed with Xiao Yan before: Ning Jing, the manager of the Merchant Guild Alliance.

"I only did what I should have done. In my heart, you will always be my elder sister. That will never change. If it had not been for you that time, Yuting and I might already have died." Xiao Wanqing smiled and extended her right hand toward Ning Jing.

"Sure enough, you have not changed one bit." The two women clasped hands tightly and spoke in unison.

"Why did you come to Spirit Prefecture? And who would dare bully you? It would already be a blessing if you did not bully others." Xiao Wanqing said to Ning Jing.

"It was someone from your Xiao Clan who bullied me. Just in time—you can help me teach him a lesson." Ning Jing smiled.

"Who?"

"Do you remember what I told you when we first met?" Ning Jing asked with a smile.

"Of course. Someone who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth actually dared tell me to take a detour, so I taught her a lesson." Xiao Wanqing said.

Thinking back to those days, it was as though they had returned to that time, when the two of them had been inseparable.

"Yes, but after that, did I not become much more diligent?" Ning Jing said.

"What is it? Why did you suddenly bring that up?" Xiao Wanqing asked.

"A few days ago, I went to the auction house and happened to encounter a Xiao Clan disciple. He actually dared to tell your elder sister to take a detour in front of everyone. Tell me, should I teach him a lesson?" Ning Jing said angrily.

"Could you be that rich lady who spent one hundred million to buy a battle skill?" Xiao Wanqing seemed to recall the person Spirit Prefecture had been discussing lately. Whenever everyone thought of that woman casually throwing out one hundred million Spirit Coins, they called her a rich lady.

"Your elder sister merely took a little revenge. Besides, if that battle skill had been sold for only two million Spirit Coins, it would have been far too beneath my status." Ning Jing said.

"That battle skill was meant as compensation for the Xiao Clan. Its true grade is low Immortal rank. Otherwise, I would not have personally come to Spirit Prefecture." Ning Jing slowly revealed the truth.

"Immortal rank!" Xiao Wanqing suppressed her shock.

She knew Ning Jing's identity, yet even Ning Jing, who appeared to possess everything in others' eyes, had pains she could not speak of. This single battle skill was enough to prove Ning Jing's repayment to her.

"Enough. It has all truly passed. You do not need to blame yourself either. We are good sisters. I have never blamed you." Xiao Wanqing comforted her.

"I have already had someone deliver this battle skill to Xiao Yan. Perhaps he can help you break the seal." Ning Jing said.

"So it really was him." Xiao Wanqing said helplessly. Within the Xiao Clan, other than Xiao Yan, she could not think of anyone who would say such words to a beauty like that.

Ning Jing and Xiao Wanqing

"However, he owes me one billion Spirit Coins, so I will take this. Besides that, he owes me one condition. Let that condition be that he removes your seal for free. I believe he will not refuse. Only then will he be worthy of that Immortal-rank battle skill." Ning Jing said.

"As expected of a cunning merchant. After not seeing you for a year, your methods have grown even sharper. That battle skill has helped you so much, yet you still said you were returning it to me." Xiao Wanqing said unhappily.

"I still have to give Grandfather, the Guild Leader, an explanation." Ning Jing said with a smile.

"Are you really so confident that Xiao Yan can reach the height you hope for?"

"I believe in him. I said the same thing before—I absolutely believe he can do it." Ning Jing said.

The two sisters had not seen each other for a year, so naturally they had much to talk about after meeting again.

But a voice broke their conversation.

"Miss, Elder Xiao Xuan says he has an urgent matter to discuss with you," a maid said.

Though displeased, Xiao Wanqing still replied, "Alright, I will go at once."

Xiao Wanqing and Ning Jing went to the main hall together.

"Wanqing, where are Xiao Tian and the other elders?" The moment Xiao Wanqing arrived at the main hall, Xiao Xuan immediately asked her.

"The elders should be occupied. Tell me first—what is it?" Xiao Wanqing said.

Elder Xiao Xuan had just wanted to say something when he noticed Ning Jing. He immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Third Miss."

"Speak. In the Xiao Clan, I believe Wanqing has the right to know anything." Ning Jing said.

Elder Xiao Xuan hesitated for a while before finally saying, "That girl Yuting said Xiao Yan was a heartless man and told me to throw a battle skill delivered by the auction house into the Beast Zone. Unable to bear it, I secretly opened it and saw that it was an Immortal-rank cultivation method. I was frightened out of my wits. When I hurried back to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan had actually gone alone to the Beast Zone. I estimate that he went there to search for this battle skill. For a moment, I did not know what to do, so I returned to ask the elders for advice."

Xiao Xuan explained it in the simplest terms.

"That girl is causing me trouble again. How would she know whether Xiao Yan is a heartless man? She does nothing but stir up trouble for me." Xiao Wanqing said, patting her forehead, though the affection in her voice remained undiminished.

"Xiao Yan went to the Beast Zone?" Compared to Xiao Wanqing, Ning Jing paid more attention to Xiao Yan. Though she liked Xiao Yuting too, Xiao Yan was now her hope and her fortune.

"That battle skill originally belonged to Xiao Yan. There is no need to report it to the elders. Elder Xiao Xuan, personally make a trip to the Beast Zone and bring Xiao Yan back." Xiao Wanqing said.

"This... Wanqing, this is..." Elder Xiao Xuan hesitated. This was an Immortal-rank battle skill. There was not even a single Immortal-rank battle skill in all of Spirit Prefecture. If they gave it to someone who had not joined the Xiao Clan like this, how could they convince everyone?

"Give the battle skill to me. I still have a few days left. Wanqing, leave Xiao Yan's matter to me. One billion—I will not let him die." Ning Jing said.

"Ah, Ning Jing, you..." Xiao Wanqing said in confusion.

Ning Jing took the battle skill from Elder Xiao Xuan's hands and vanished from the Xiao Clan.

"Do not be surprised. This battle skill was originally a gift from Third Miss to Xiao Yan. The Xiao Clan has no right to interfere." Seeing Elder Xiao Xuan's pained expression, Xiao Wanqing comforted him.

Poor Xiao Yan naturally had no idea that his battle skill had returned to the hands of the woman he both thanked and hated.