23

The next day was a solemn day for few students and some adults who had come to associate Hong. Especially the winged dragon family.

In their clan grounds, a small crowd consisting of the main cast of the novel and a few higher ups of other clans , holy orchid institute and other influential parties had gathered, while the city lord was holding a speech.

"...Even though he was still a youth yet to reach his prime, his self less sacrifice saved countless lives and damage from the beast horde....."

Ye Zong was not a happy person at the moment. Infact he was positively infuriated. A talented seed, enough to reach the legend ranks , but still the same age as his own daughter had fallen under the wicked claws of the dark guild.

Though he didn't know how, the child had done his best by killing at least five black gold demon beasts and a dozen silver ranked demon beasts before falling prey to another spiritualist of the dark guild.

Ye Zong was suprised, proud, grateful and ashamed at the same time. Thanks to his sacrifice, they were able to identity the involvement of the dark guild in the matters of beast horde and reduce the casualties. He was suprised at the power he had possessed to bring down that many demon beasts. He was proud of the boy's sacrifice and ashamed at himself for letting a child , especially one talented enough to create his own techniques fall at the hands of the beast horde.

He remembered his vow as his city lord as he continued his speech before gripping his fists hard. The dark guild and glory city cannot exist under the same sky. And as the city lord, he was determined to erase the dark guild .

Nei Li was also present in the crowd. To be honest, he was feeling a bit regretful too. To be able to kill five black gold rank demon beasts while being only silver ranked? He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had given him a better cultivation technique. There's no point in being attached to the past, he shook his head as he forged his mentality. What was done, is done. Just make sure to learn from it. Nei li decided to give all his close ones better cultivation techniques, especially Ye Zong and his trusted ones. He also decided to hand out many moderate cultivation techniques so every student in the holy orchid acadamy would be able to reach the peak of gold rank without side effects, no matter the social standing . This was his way for atoning to his mistake. Besides, the stronger the people of glory city, the more safe it would be.

Amoung the crowd from the winged dragon family, Xiao Ning'er was standing in a daze. It seemed only yesterday Hong had practiced with her and gave her sword.

According to appraisers, it was worth its weight in gold. The sword could conduct soul force with no wastage. It was perfectly balanced, sharp enough to even cut the hide of a legend rank demon beast without soul force and stronger than the bones of a black gold demon beast. Also Xiao Ninger has a feeling the sword had more to offer than what meets the eye.

The exploration group had found at least four of the ten storage pouches Hong had carried around. And to the fortune of Xiao Ning'er, one of the pouches they found was the one Hong had kept separated for her. She felt it in her left hand while she gripped the handle of her sword with her right hand till her knuckles turned white. She was sad. And at the same time angry .

Hong was someone she considered to be, more than her best friend. He was her guard, her teacher, her senior, benefactor and someone she could open herself completely to. She kept no secrets from him, not her studies, her emotions or her thoughts.

In the brief time they spent together, Xiao Ning'er had found someone she was able to trust with her life. And Hong had barely kept secrets from her either. Except for his rebirth and regression, he kept no secrets from her.

Though they had a slightly rocky start, by time they had laughed together, trained together, vented and cursed at each other. She had come to depend on Hong than anyone else. Even more than her best friend, Ye Ziyun and even her father.

And now, she felt as if her life had missed something.

After the proceedings ended, she went into her room and locked herself in. Her servants had tried to call her, but after a shake of head from the patriach, they left her alone.

Laying on her bed, Xiao Ning'er opened the pouch and began laying down it's contents on the sheet. A scroll, a box, the note book used to write down his assignments, some rocks with scribblings on them, the winged dragon emblem and a thick handmade book written in English.

The scroll seemed to be attached to the box with a string, so she pulled a lose end, completely unravelling the string and unfurled the scroll.

'To dear 'Miss' Ning'er

Happy birthday. And your present is in the box. But please take care and follow the instructions when using it. Usually I would've been there when you use things like this, but when you read the instructions, you will see why I will sit this one out. Hope for your best results.'

It was a birthday gift to her. As she read, tears emerged once more from her eyes. She had spent enough time around Hong to understand modern verbal tics, so she was able to understand the letter in it's entirety.

Wiping away the tears and the small amounts of mucus flowing from her nose with barbarity she had inherited from her teacher, she opened the box to find a shiny red ball the size of a jaw breaker.

Reading the instructions, she sent a servant to the city lord house who returned with Ye Ziyun.

The moment she entered the servant guided her to Xiao Ning'er's room where she found herself facing her best friend who had an ornate box on her lap.

"Ziyun, I need your help"