WT 13 - Don’t let anyone read it

 

“Don’t let anyone read it,” Bao Hai suddenly said when he saw the content of the book in Wan Ting’s hands. Before Wan Ting could ask why, Madam Wan informed them softly, but enough for the person inside to hear.

 

"Wan Ting, Prince Heng had arrived with the doctor!"

 

Shoving the book into her spatial bag, Wan Ting and Bao Hai quickly slipped out of the room and headed to her bedchamber. Madam Wan had called for a bath prepared for Wan Ting earlier, so Wan Ting quickly disrobed and sank into the wooden tub to continue the play. Bao Hai was given a bath next door, who willingly went after Wan Ting told him he needed to be clean before the medicine could be applied to him.

 

As Wan Ting bath, her mind quickly arranged what she could tell Prince Heng about the incident. But it was a difficult decision on whether to tell about Chu Jin's betrayal or not.

 

If she told the truth, there would certainly be an investigation about Chu Jin, which she does not mind. But what she was hesitant about was the book in her hand, for she would be interrupting the investigation by keeping the clue to herself. She wanted to read the whole book first before passing it to anyone to see. Bao Hai’s words with his serious gaze made her a little afraid of the Flame Spirit’s secrets that she barely knew about.

 

Madam Wan came over after Wan Ting finished cleaning. "Prince Heng is asking for you."

 

With her mother staring at her, Wan Ting decided to come clean. "Chu Jin is aiming to kill me."

 

Madam Wan took in a deep breath, her face rapidly darkening and Wan Ting hurriedly pats her back. "Mother, I'm fine. I killed her before she could harm me."

 

Hearing her daughter killing a person does not sit well with Madam Wan either. But she was not bigoted and glad that her daughter was safe and alive. "Did you find anything?"

 

"... No," Wan Ting lied, carefully lowering her gaze, using her eyelashes to hide her eyes. "She works with the kidnapper. I think they want my Flame Spirit."

 

Madam Wan gasped in horror. Although she was a normal person without any knowledge of cultivation, the man that had rescued her daughter had told her to never reveal to anyone that Wan Ting had a Flame Spirit, or she would be in danger.

 

"How do they know? Chu Jin should never know of it as well!"

 

"Mother, although my possession of Flame Spirit isn't widely known, it is known by the Fruity Herb’s owner. Or else they won't accept my pills that well."

 

"Wan Ting!" Madam Wan was outraged. "Did I not tell you not to speak of it!"

 

"Mother, everyone would be suspicious of my creation if I didn't reveal it! My cultivation is only in the first rank, but my pill concoction is at the third rank! Everyone would think I'm cheating!" Wan Ting protested weakly. 

 

However, Madam Wan still scolded her daughter. "Your teacher had told you about the dangers, did he not? You are currently in danger too because of it."

 

“He does not exactly explain the dangers either! How am I supposed to know about it?”

 

“Wan Ting!” Madam Wan admonished her stubborn daughter. Wan Ting pursed her lips, stayed silent until Madam Wan finally sighed, giving in. "You will rest after the doctor have a look at you while I convey to Prince Heng what you had told me. Your father and I will handle everything."

 

Wan Ting grabbed her mother's hand, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry, mother."

 

Madam Wan sighed again and hugged her daughter. "I just want you to stay safe."

 

The doctor was invited in and Madam Wan stepped aside. The doctor diagnosed that Wan Ting was only exhausted with bruises that can be taken care of with some medical cream. Madam Wan and the doctor left, leaving Wan Ting to rest.

 

Wan Ting was indeed tired, but her mind and heart were united in the desire to read the book. Grabbing her spatial bag, she pulled out the book and continued reading with intense concentration. 

 

She was disturbed when Prince Heng left and her parents dropped by to see her. Wan Ting faked to be deeply asleep, the book hastily hidden under her blanket. After they left, she resumed reading and barely noticed Bao Hai had slipped into the room. 

 

Bao Hai climbed onto her bed and read along with her in interest. 

 

The sun had risen, but no one disturbed Wan Ting, allowing her to sleep in. Mister Wan had helped to pass along the word to Fruity Herb shop that Wan Ting would not be working today to recover her injuries. But it actually gave her more time to finish reading the book.

 

When it nearly reached the time for the afternoon meal, Wan Ting finally reached the last word of the book, her eyes red from exhaustion. 

 

"Why did they kidnap you?" Wan Ting asked, trying to distract herself from what she had read and gave her some time to understand the content.

 

Actually, she could never digest the heavy content of the book, for it was hardly similar to her situation. 

 

Bao Hai's eyes clouded over, remembering what he had suffered. "They are draining my energy."

 

"Your energy?" Wan Ting frowned. It was illegal to harm people, much less draining a person's life force. "Are there other kids like you in their captive?"

 

"I'm the only one… No,” Bao Hai shook his head. “There are many others in their captivity, with reasons unknown. I only know of one child who will not last long if they continue beating him up."

 

"What?" Wan Ting sat up, tossing the blanket away. "Then we need to save that kid and the others!"

 

"Who exactly will be joining us?" Bao Hai sighed in melancholy. "You are not from a sect and without any strong backing. We could never defeat them."

 

Bao Hai's words also made Wan Ting follow suit to sighed in dejection. "That man is from a powerful sect? Will they try to kidnap you again?"

 

"Likely… along with you."

 

Wan Ting's body tensed. Until she read this book, she had never thought her Flame Spirit was that valuable. She only used the flame to concoct pills or refine them, and she always succeeded on the first or second try. 

 

How she got the Flame Spirit was an accident. 

 

When she was fifteen years old, she climbed up a mountain to play and saw a pretty red flower she had not seen before. Keen to possess it, she ignored the danger and stretched out her hand in hopes to reach it. Just when she managed to grab the flower, her foot slipped and her whole body fell down, hitting her head heavily.

 

The red flower was actually a resting place for a new-born Flame Spirit until it matured. As the flower was plucked away from its root, it was no longer a suitable resting place and the Flame Spirit had to quickly leave and find another flower. But the only living things around it were grass and the dying Wan Ting. Her soul was gradually leaving her body and the Flame Spirit merged with her soul to survive, which also saved Wan Ting’s life. 

 

Fortunately, a man happened to pass by and rescued her, before becoming her teacher for ten days. He never told her much about the Flame Spirit in her, other than saying she should not let anyone know she had it or people would want to kill her.

 

After ten days, his teacher left and she never saw him again. As she grew up, she slowly forgot about his warning, right until yesterday.

 

"I need to show this book to Prince Heng." Wan Ting gripped the book that shook her mind and heart into disarray. This book had written about the basics of what was the Flame Spirit and its uses, which answered why the kidnapper wanted her.

 

But how were they going to use her was a question she was afraid to search for the answer to.

 

"You trust this person?" Bao Hai asked carefully. "This book is very dangerous to you if it falls onto a person with a greedy heart."

 

Wan Ting gulped, the book feeling cold under her fingers. "I know. But I trust Prince Heng the most about this matter."

 

To her surprise, the word flowed out of her mouth easily and it was her genuine feeling. 

 

Wan Ting used to trust her father the most, viewing him as the most dependable adult. But after knowing that he had accepted bribery and some ambiguous gifts, the trust crumbled away. It also somewhat affected her trust towards her mother who knew what her husband did, but yesterday had proven to Wan Ting that she could never stop trusting her family when she had not hesitated to involve her mother with Chu Jin's matters.

 

But her mother would not be able to protect her and Wan Ting does not want her mother to get caught in danger because of her. She could not further involve her mother in the matter of the kidnapper.

 

Although she had not known Prince Heng for long or well enough, their interaction assured her that he was a reliable adult man. He was dependable and trustworthy, helping her when she faced danger and cared for her. Unknowingly at which time, he became the person she trusted wholeheartedly and also the first person she thought of whenever she faced trouble. 

 

She could kill Chu Jin easily because she could cut ties with her servant that had only been with her for a few months. It does not hurt her deeply after finding out the truth, her heart barely shook from her betrayal. But if Prince Heng betrayed her, she believed that her heart might break completely.

 

He was the man she had fallen for and also trusted the most. If even she could not trust him, who else could she trust?

 

Will she only dared to trust someone after they had died for her?

 

"Which pill do you need to help recover your energy?" Wan Ting asked.

 

Bao Hai did not press on the issue of trusting someone again, as the book was now under the ownership of this girl. "Energy gathering pills. Lots of it. Make as much as you can."

 

"Energy gathering pills? Its eighth rank pill!" Wan Ting hissed as if she was scalded. "The highest grade I can forge is the fourth rank and that was already pushing my limit. Can you make do with energy recovery pills?"

 

"Energy recovery pill is useless to me. I can teach you how to make an Energy Gathering pill using the Flame Spirit."

 

"I'm just a third rank pill forger…"

 

"I can help you raise your rank as thanks for your help, along with that book to teach you about your ability."

 

Bao Hai said with such confidence that Wan Ting felt a headache. Since he was the one that needed the pill, she will let him do whatever he wants.

 

 

 

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