Chapter 5

"Gongzi is really cold; His Highness Qing Wang said he misses you so much," Ting Shu remarked.

"How can Shizi do this? Gongzi came to deliver medicine, and yet—" Ting Shu angrily complained in a low voice.

Ning Shiting, however, simply patted his shoulder as he had done before.

Ting Shu looked down at the heavy medicine packet in his hand, then at Ning Shiting, his face full of confusion.

Ning Shiting's eyes remained hidden behind the beaded veil, indistinct, showing only his calm, lowered brows and eyes.

He was looking at the pond on the other side.

The Shizi’s Mansion was not small, but since Shizi was not yet married and never allowed anyone to serve him, the only well-kept place was the main courtyard just inside the entrance.

This pond was originally filled with lotuses, with a pavilion in the distance for moon viewing and drinking wine in the summer. But due to neglect, it had fallen into disrepair.

The pond water was murky, and overgrown with weeds, and walking by would send insects and ants flying.

Now, there was a faintly visible oil paper packet floating on the surface, which had spread out after rising to the top. It was clearly the same packet of immortal medicine that Ting Shu had delivered that morning. Besides the medicine packet, there was also a sachet floating nearby.

Following his gaze, Ting Shu saw it and was so distressed that tears nearly fell. "Such good medicine, the Gongzi couldn't even afford to use it himself, and now it's all thrown into the water."

The rusty red iron stuck by the wall made creaking noises, and suddenly a small silver wolf with greying fur sprang out from the corner, struggling to break free from the heavy iron net weighing it down.

Half of its body was out, but its left hind leg was still trapped.

The small silver wolf's eyes were bloodshot, clearly driven mad with anger, as it twisted its head to bite at its restraints, frantically clawing at the dirt with its front paws, but still unable to move.

Ning Shiting squatted down and with one hand lifted the red iron net off the silver wolf's hind leg.

The small silver wolf, now free, jumped up and shrank back into the corner, its fur bristling with extreme fear and anger.

Its tail stood high, baring its teeth at Ning Shiting, a low growl rumbling from its throat.

The silver wolves of Xianzhou were naturally large, capable of changing size at will when fully awakened, even the fierce beasts like Qiongqi and Taotie would think twice before confronting a lone silver wolf.

Ting Shu, in a panic, hurried over to pull him back. "Gongzi, be careful, a bite from a wolf isn't a joke, it can tear flesh."

Ning Shiting continued to look at the small silver wolf and said softly, "It's alright, Ting Shu, bring me my hand warmer."

With tenfold reluctance, Ting Shu handed it to him.

Previously, when they were defending against enemies in the perpetually snowy Dongzhou, everyone in the army had a hand warmer for the freezing cold.

Those with loved ones at home, whose wives and daughters were thoughtful, knew that regular gloves were just thick cloth that didn't allow for finger movement. Some would even specially make gloves with separate finger spaces for better functionality.

Ning Shiting's hand warmer was custom-made, using mist from the Luoshui River, extremely thin and almost colorless. When worn on the fingers, it formed a fixed water membrane. While others used gloves for warmth, he used his to avoid harming others.

He squatted down, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The silver wolf was two or three chi away from him.

He remained still, and so did the silver wolf, its tail still held high. After the silver wolf calmed down from its anger and fear, it slowly recognised the person in front of it as someone it had seen the night before, someone who posed no threat.

The silver wolf cautiously walked over, circling Ning Shiting once before sniffing him.

When the silver wolf paused in front of him, Ning Shiting quickly stroked its furry head with his hand.

Very cautiously, he only touched it once before swiftly withdrawing his hand.

The silver wolf did not react to this action, only raising its pale eyes to glance at him.

The jewels on Ning Shiting's forehead swayed, appearing amusing to the small creature, which then raised a paw to press it against his face.

Ning Shiting blocked with his sleeve and tilted his head with a smile, seriously telling it, "Don't touch me; I am poisonous. If you like this, I'll give it to you to play with."

The silver wolf seemed to understand and refrained from pawing him again. It obediently retracted its furry paw and sat down, looking at him expectantly.

Ning Shiting tilted his head, took the jewelled veil from his hair, and threw it to the silver wolf.

The silver wolf found the shiny, swaying toy and wagged its tail, quickly grabbing it and running off.

Ning Shiting remained crouched there.

Ting Shu saw clearly this time: Ning Shiting was smiling with such a gentle smile.

He must really like this fluffy little animal, Ting Shu thought, watching the silver wolf dart back into the residence. He asked, "So what do we do now, Gongzi? Shizi won't accept it, and if we leave these precious herbs here, they might be picked up by wandering spirits or demons. That wouldn't be good."

"Let's go back for now. I'll come back this afternoon," Ning Shiting said, standing up and brushing the dust from his clothes.

The two guards had already returned to their posts.

With Ning Shiting present, both stood very straight, eyes forward, with no mistakes to be found.

In the letter Gu Feiyin had sent this time, he instructed him to quickly establish a firm foothold in Xizhou.

Qing Wang had been away fighting wars for years and did not manage affairs. The one who actually managed things here was not someone from the Qing Wang Mansion, but a confidant sent by the Immortal Emperor five years ago.

This confidant was a relative of the current Imperial Concubine, serving as an Immortal Chief. He did his job with neither merit nor fault. Now, with the winds of change stirring, everyone knew openly and secretly that Qing Wang intended to govern, but this Immortal Chief was steadfast in not aligning with Qing Wang.

Because of this, Gu Feiyin instructed Ning Shiting, "This person can be won over. If not, kill him, leaving no one alive to eliminate future troubles."

The letter ended with a line written in cinnabar ink: "I have been thinking of you recently, feeling anxious without you by my side. A’Ning, my love, take great care of yourself."

Ting Shu, peeking over Ning Shiting's shoulder, saw his reply, a single word, "Understood."

He thought Ning Shiting was shy—the final words of the Qing King's letter had made him blush, but Ning Shiting seemed unaffected.

"Gongzi is really cold; His Highness Qing Wang said he misses you so much," Ting Shu remarked.

But Ning Shiting did not respond. He lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the thin letter, not lingering on the final words.

"This letter does not mention Shizi at all," he said softly.

Hearing this, Tingshu was also taken aback.

It was well-known that Shizi was neither likeable nor favoured.

People often say that those of royal blood are heartless, and the power struggles, resource plundering, and strict selection of heirs in the Immortal Realm are even more intense than in the mortal world.

From the age of ten, it was an indisputable fact that the Shizi became physically disabled.

Someone like Gu Feiyin likely wouldn't spend much effort on this son. Qing Wang was decisive in killing and unyielding in his determination, which had kept countless foreign demons and monsters from daring to set foot in the Immortal Realm for years.

Who can truly say what lies behind such matters?

As the sun gradually moved west outside the window, Ning Shiting set down his pen and paper and told Ting Shu, "I'll visit the Shizi once more. You don't need to come with me. Instead, go out and look for spice shops in Xizhou and inquire about the family of the Immortal Chief mentioned in Qing Wang's letter. Go quickly and be careful on the road."

Tin Shu agreed, handed him the medicine packet, and quickly left.

Ning Shiting also went out, summoned a crane, and headed towards the heir's residence.

A cool evening breeze gently brushed his cheeks. Ning Shiting reached up and realised his forehead was empty.

Only then did he remember that he had given such a precious and delicate thing to a wolf cub to play with.

Just as he reached the courtyard gate, Ning Shiting hesitated before striding inside.

He couldn't quite explain it, but every time he visited, he would catch the heir being bullied by the servants. Was it a mere coincidence, or did Gu Tingshuang live like this all year round?

With his keen hearing, he had heard the two guards bullying Gu Tingshuang in the morning. Now, he heard something else entirely...

It was clearly the sound of something cutting through flesh and bone!

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

One shichen ago. 

Outside the small courtyard, a tall, thin guard dangled a soaked sachet from a bamboo pole, tauntingly waving it in front of the boy inside. 

Like teasing a dog, he said, "The Shizi is gracious today, not exposing us, which shows he's sensible. So we'll reward you by retrieving this sachet. Come and take it yourself." 

When Gu Tingshuang reached out, the tall, thin guard pulled back, causing the sachet to sway away. 

After several tries, no matter what the tall, thin guard said, Gu Tingshuang remained motionless, lips pursed, eyes dark as the sea. 

The tall, thin guard continued to tease with the bamboo pole, while the plump guard stuffed greasy pastries into his mouth, grinning wickedly. 

Suddenly, a flash of bright silver shot through, crashing into the tall, thin guard and knocking him over. 

The guard stumbled several steps, tripping over the threshold and getting viciously bitten by the silver wolf. 

In that instant, blood spurted, and the tall guard screamed in pain. 

Seeing the situation turn, the plump guard dropped his food, grabbed his sword, and mercilessly swung it at the silver wolf!

The wolf dodged, but the tip of its tail was cut off. 

It growled, darted into the house, placed something in Gu Tingshuang's hand, and then quickly leapt out the window. 

The tall guard, both in pain and fury, cursed, "Stinking beast! I'll kill you!" and chased after it with the bamboo pole. 

However, the plump guard noticed something shiny in Gu Tingshuang's hands and approached instead.

"What did your little wolf cub bring you this time, Shizi?"

The silver wolves of the Immortal Realm recognise their masters.

 Despite being driven away many times, this little silver wolf frequently brought treasures to Gu Tingshuang. 

It brought items like Immortal Ganoderma and Divine Ginseng, and occasionally priceless Spirit Stones and treasures, though no one knew where it found them.

Naturally, these were all "kept" by the guards.

Only worthless trinkets were left for the fourteen-year-old Gu Tingshuang.

Now, with his hands on his knees, Gu Tingshuang held something bright and shiny, which was the jewelled veil Ning Shiting had worn on his forehead the night before.

The guard, driven by greed, wanted to snatch it.

Gu Tingshuang's fingers gently brushed over it.

The material was warm, with a faint scent. Touching it lightly, he could almost feel the lingering warmth.

A flicker of coldness flashed in Gu Tingshuang's eyes as he smiled faintly, "Come closer, and I'll show you."

The Author has Something to Say

Congratulatons to “Shizi” for winning "Ning Ning's Veil" x1.

[author still using “persimmon” here instead of “crown prince”.]