Chapter 28: Ni Ximei’s Thoughts

Liu Qing and his companions ultimately dared not cross Ni Ximei. They had no choice but to drop the carcass of the Ice Prison Eagle and slink away in defeat.

Fearing further unnecessary trouble, Shuisheng quickly used his ability to store the carcass inside the boundary-stone ring gifted to him by Mei Yulang. The space within was limited, and the creature took up more than half of it.

He then turned to thank Ni Ximei: "Thank you, Inspector Ni, for your timely rescue."

"Think nothing of it. You are traveling with the young mistress, and it is the duty of us guards to ensure your safety." Ni Ximei’s gaze fell upon Shuisheng’s spatial ring, her eyes momentarily unfocused. "To think you possess a spatial ring... these are incredibly expensive items. Even if we ignore everything else, this alone is enough to make many people kill for it."

"Uh, this ring was a gift," Shuisheng replied. "I could never afford one myself. By the way, Inspector Ni, how did you end up here? And where is the young mistress and the others?"

"I don't know," Ni Ximei shook her head. "After I entered the boundary point, I was randomly teleported to the southeast corner of the island and became separated from them. I have been searching along the coast ever since. When I heard sounds of battle, I rushed over. I didn't expect it to be you."

"Then let's continue searching toward the northwest. The young mistress and the others should be in that direction," Shuisheng said.

"You are in such a hurry to reunite with them because you are worried that the Crocodile God Society will grow greedy and bring in stronger experts to settle the score, aren't you?" Ni Ximei saw through his intentions. "Let’s be on our way, then."

She led the way, with Shuisheng following close behind.

"How did you manage to kill an Ice Prison Eagle?" Ni Ximei asked without looking back.

"Uh, luck. Would you believe that?" Shuisheng replied.

"No," said Ni Ximei. "But I know you are no ordinary person. I heard Captain Yan Tong and Yan Ning talking; they say you harbor a secret regarding the elder patriarch of the Yan family."

A secret regarding the Yan family patriarch...

"However, your secrets are your own private business. Since you do not wish to speak of them, I will not press you," Ni Ximei added.

This inspector was remarkably empathetic. She seemed to be a person of good character, as the words of Yan Ruobing and Yan Tong had indirectly confirmed. Still, Shuisheng felt something was slightly off.

"It is not really much of a secret anymore," Shuisheng said. "I have told everyone in the Yan family that I do not know the patriarch at all. Perhaps his mind was failing him in his final moments..." He used to think this explanation was ninety percent believable. Now, he didn't believe a word of it himself.

He had witnessed the power of that water droplet with his own eyes and hands. Such power, such miraculous effects—it was no exaggeration to call it a supreme treasure.

But why would such a miraculous treasure be given to someone he had never met? Did the members of the Yan family even know the true efficacy of this droplet?

After walking for a while, Ni Ximei suddenly slowed her pace. "Mr. Shuisheng, about the incident on the island earlier, regarding my husband and child... I hope you weren't too offended by the spectacle." Her expression was melancholy, clearly troubled by the matter.

"It is fine, it is fine. Every household has its own difficulties. It is normal for couples to argue. In our fishing village, every husband and wife argue, and they shout loud enough for half the village to hear," Shuisheng said. "I am an orphan who was fished out of the sea by the village chief. I have lived for nearly fifteen years, and I don't even have a family member to hit or scold me... You have a husband and a child; enjoying that family life is far better than my lot."

"Is that so?" Ni Ximei gave a desolate smile.

"My husband and I are not on good terms. I am a Level 5 ability user, and he is just an ordinary man. He is not my equal. Most importantly, he does not understand my career. As an inspector for the guard, my responsibilities are heavy. I am busy with work and must also look after the family; the pressure is immense." Her eyes grew misty as she recalled, "He cannot find proper work, yet he is unwilling to stay home and care for the children and the elderly. He throws tantrums and wants me to quit and return home to help him. My salary is stable, and I even take on part-time jobs to earn more. If I go home, who will earn this income? Can he?"

"A grown man with no capability, unable to earn money—just a commoner with a small mind who cannot see the big picture. If it weren't for the children being ill, I would have divorced him long ago. I truly despise him and no longer wish to live with him," she murmured, her eyes wet and her nostrils reddening.

She was very restrained. But the fact that her husband, Chen Tao, dared to lay a hand on her in public... that was simply too much, Shuisheng thought.

As the cold sea breeze blew, Ni Ximei could not help but cough several times.

"Inspector Ni, are you ill?" Sensing the congestion in her cough, Shuisheng stepped forward to walk beside her, observing her closely.

"It is an old ailment," Ni Ximei gave a forced smile. "It comes from years of cultivating wood-poisonous substances, which have invaded my lungs and internal organs. It is nothing of consequence."

"I will look for a prescription later and write one for you. We can see if it helps alleviate the symptoms," Shuisheng offered.

"You have knowledge of medicine?" Ni Ximei asked in surprise.

"A little bit. I wouldn't say I am an expert, but I have read many books on herbal prescriptions. Sometimes I write prescriptions to treat my own ailments, and they are quite effective," Shuisheng said. "It just so happens I have a few formulas that might be appropriate. Even if they don't treat the root cause, they are harmless to the human body. I will write them down for you once we return to Fuling City."

Among his hundreds of collected books, besides those on abilities, he valued medical texts the most. He had pored over the dozens of medical books in his possession time and again. Though he lacked practical experience, he had memorized a vast array of prescriptions. He could speak with great authority on which herbs treated which symptoms.

"Returning to Fuling City..." Ni Ximei’s eyes glazed over, and she murmured to herself.

The two continued along the beach. They encountered more and more ability users, but no further magical beasts. It made sense; with so many people around, any beast that appeared would have been swarmed and dispatched in an instant.

Before long, a large group of people appeared in the distance. The grey-blue uniforms of the Yan family guard were very conspicuous.

"The young mistress is there," Shuisheng said, spotting Yan Ruobing from afar. Even in a crowd, she was always the most prominent and radiant figure.

"Oh, right," he turned back suddenly. "Inspector Ni, may I ask a favor of you?"

"Go ahead," Ni Ximei said, wiping her tears as she pulled her thoughts away from her domestic troubles.

Shuisheng looked a bit embarrassed. "Uh, it’s about that dead Ice Prison Eagle. Because... because it was my personal gain, and I am not a member of the Yan family... I believe it should be my spoils of war. I was hoping... I was hoping you wouldn't mention this in front of the young mistress or the others, to avoid making people jealous and causing unnecessary trouble."

"You have quite a sharp mind for one so young," Ni Ximei said, though she understood. "You are indeed not part of the Yan family, and that eagle was your hunt. However, if the young mistress learns of this through other channels—say, from members of the Crocodile God Society—and asks me directly, I will not lie to her. But if she does not ask, I will not say a single word. That is all I can promise."

"That is more than enough. Thank you, thank you," Shuisheng said. Selling this Ice Prison Eagle at an ability shop in Fuling City would surely be enough to buy a new fishing boat.

"Since I have helped you and rescued you, you must do me a favor in return," Ni Ximei said, as if remembering something. "The situation is this..."