Chapter 1237: The Guardians.h.i.+p Contract
Wei Lingnan said to Xia Yingluo slowly, “The wind in the Wilderness was very cold and I got weaker and weaker. At some point, she’d stopped crying and reached her little hand out to touch my damaged flesh, using the little energy she had to heal me. This little energy saved my life—a guardian’s life was the least valuable, but also the most tenacious; we live on any energy we find. Fortunately, I survived.
“But she was extremely weak from expending all her energy.
“There were already wild creatures coming closer as they sensed the change in her energy levels.
“I had thought of leaving her behind, as that was the best choice. Having just made a trip to the gates of h.e.l.l, I was still recovering, and not strong enough to defend her from those ferocious creatures. If I stayed with her, it was certain death for us both.
“The growls from those creatures could be heard.
“She was obviously about to pa.s.s out, but she still looked at me and said, ‘Quick, leave.’
“I was surprised, she wasn’t acting like one of the Skatana species at all. Every person, even if it was a female, would never have an ounce of sympathy for any life. There was only one goal, which was to survive at all costs.
“But she gave up her chance of survival for me.
“I mocked her on the inside for being so silly and decided to leave the scene. But behind me, I heard her sing. Maybe it was because she was dying, her voice sounded so calm, so peaceful… that was the most moving sound I’ve heard in the Wilderness.
“I told myself, don’t be foolish, don’t turn back.
“But my feet were rooted to the ground and I couldn’t go further.
“Eventually, I turned back. I told her coldly, ‘You’ve won, come and conclude the contract.’
“She looked at me in shock, ‘The Guardians.h.i.+p Contract? You want to be my guardian?’
“I thought I must’ve been crazy to have agreed to be the guardian of such a weak princess. Chances were that she’d be killed by the other sisters in no time, and as her guardian, I’d die with her. If I did not conclude the contract with her, I’d likely live for a much longer time.
“But at that point, I had already bitten her wrist and ruptured her blood vessel. Her blood was already all over my injured flesh, and changes were taking place. I was no longer an insignificant fruit, I had become a golden creature, and I felt more powerful than ever before—the power of the contract.
“But this sort of power was still rather minute compared to others of the Skatana species.
“And yet, we were lucky that day. The creature that came to us following the changes in energy wasn’t too strong and ferocious, and I managed to kill it. Ah Luo cried as she treated my wounds, and after that, we hid here and there before finding a way to escape the Wilderness.”
Wei Lingnan’s voice was very soft, sounding as if he was telling someone else’s story.
Xia Yingluo was invested in the story and couldn’t help but ask, “Then what happened?”
“After that?” Wei Lingnan smiled and kissed her eyes. “As I’d expected, my Ah Luo was the weakest, least valued among the princesses. Because of that, she’d earned a fighting chance. While others were out attacking one another, no one would think of eliminating this girl first, since she was the least threatening. As such, I took those opportunities to hone my skills and improve myself.
“No, don’t be misunderstood. I wasn’t doing that to protect you, Ah Luo.
“Initially, I did it all for self-protection. After all, our lives were bound to each other, and her death would mean the end of my life too. We laid low and never issued any challenges, but they still found a way to send us to battles. They gave us the toughest of missions, in which the chances of success were low.
“But we survived.”
Wei Lingnan smiled. “Ah Luo, they were wrong about us. They’d underestimated my will to become stronger, and your… foolishness. Each time I got seriously injured, you’d heal me at all costs, doing way more than any princess should do for a guardian. I survived time and again, and as for you, with each time you approached the limit, your intuitions improved. Your eyesight became better, and so did your hearing, and your claws were sharper than before…
“But you still hated to attack or kill, you were unwilling to embrace this huge power within you.”
Xia Yingluo said, “Which girl enjoys such violence? All they’d like to do is to have some sweets, look for nice clothes and all that.”
Wei Lingnan said, “The Skatana species don’t have such fortune. But it’s good that we’re on this tiny planet now, we can fulfill your wishes. Do you know why I implanted some of your genetic material into Xia Ling’s body? It’s not only because she’s the Phoenix of the Xia family, but also because… I want to fulfill your dreams.”
“What dreams?”
“To be an actual princess, to have no qualms or worries, to be loved and pampered your whole life.”
Well, she really was carefree without worries. Her life had been smooth-sailing and wonderful before Wei Lingnan appeared, but he changed everything, and he had the gall to tell her about this?
After thinking for a while, she smiled dryly, realizing that it was better not to offend him.
Wei Lingnan’s eyes flickered. “You don’t believe it?”
“I do,” Xia Yingluo said without much sincerity. She yawned. “I’m tired, I want to sleep.”
Wei Lingnan watched as this beautiful girl lied in his embrace and fell asleep. Meanwhile, he stayed up the whole night.
Xia Yingluo had a very good sleep. She realized that Wei Lingnan’s story was actually a pretty good lullaby.
In the following days, she spent a lot of time listening to him tell his stories about the guardian and the little princess. She knew that the guardian in the story slowly fell in love with the princess, but the princess only saw him as a partner, a buddy, and that was it.
Xia Yingluo acted as a good listener, expressing sympathy occasionally.
But he was a little temperamental sometimes. One night, he forced himself on her although she didn’t give consent.
She swore at him a hundred times over on the inside and wished he’d be punished for all his deeds. She cursed for him to never find his princess, for him to be lonely for life.
The desire to escape was getting even more urgent.
The chance finally came.
As they strolled by the lake one day, Ouyang Ziyu told her that he’d be going up to ground level soon for the holidays.
She said enviously, “How nice, I can only stay home and wait for my husband to be done with his work. Do you have a lot of luggage? I could send you off on that day.”
Ouyang Ziyu looked at her. “Do you know the rules here? If you don’t get the admission ticket to the pa.s.sageway, you won’t be able to send me to ground level. In fact, you won’t even be able to get out of the family members zone.”