209 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Unexpectedly, Helan Mianmian pulled her up to the second floor, then the third, and still didn't stop, before finally reaching the fourth floor! Ning Songwu yanked Helan Mianmian to a halt: "What are you doing? We're almost at the restricted book zone!" "I know, it's on the fourth floor. Besides, there's someone guarding the entrance to the fifth floor; I've just checked. However, there's also a... Suddenly, Helan Mianmian lowered her voice and leaned close to Ning Songwu's ear. "I just discovered that there's a small section of restricted books here on the fourth floor too, in a particularly secluded spot where no one is around. Let's go take a look." "The fourth floor also has... restricted books?" Ning Songwu was stunned, but her childlike curiosity quickly surged. Since there's no one guarding it, it might not be something too crucial. There shouldn't be any harm in taking a quick look… Helan Mianmian led the way, making several turns until Ning Songwu forgot the route they had come by. After walking for a while, they arrived at a dark, shadowy book collection area. There stood three large bookshelves. Upon closer inspection, the sides of each bookshelf were engraved with the small, upright characters "Restricted Books." Furthermore, the material and color of those three bookshelves differed from the others, clearly indicating that these books were extraordinary. "Did you see what these books are about?" Ning Songwu felt a bit nervous and didn't dare to step forward. She tugged at Helan Mianmian's sleeve, her voice taut with tension. "I just briefly glanced over them. It's really strange—other bookshelves have wooden plaques clearly stating the categories of the books, but these three bookshelves have nothing, just rows upon rows of books with no titles on the spines. Let's pick a couple at random and take a look." After saying this, Helan Mianmian walked to the first bookshelf and casually pulled out a thick book. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and started reading. Ning Songwu closely watched Helan Mianmian's expression. After a while, Helan Mianmian gently smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. The one I picked is about some old history concerning the northern sanctions. It's probably been listed as restricted because it's not very flattering. It seems rather insignificant and was placed here. Judging by what’s stored here, these restricted books probably aren't a big deal." Ning Songwu asked, "So, if we read these restricted books, will we be expelled from the Northern Sanctions Palace?" Helan Mianmian replied with a cunning smile, "As Master Zilai said? He only mentioned that going up to the fifth floor would get us expelled. This doesn’t violate his command. I'll pick a few more to look at; you can also take a look. No matter what, these will definitely be more interesting than those proper books." Feeling slightly more at ease, Ning Songwu walked to the third bookshelf, still somewhat apprehensive. She scanned through hundreds of books twice, not knowing what they were, and randomly pulled one out. The cover was pitch black, with nothing written on it. She flipped through it carelessly, thinking it was a sword manual, and then concentrated on the first page. One glance, and she was so startled she nearly threw the book away! Ning Songwu snapped the book shut, her eyes wide in disbelief. She blinked hard several times before regaining her composure and furtively checked her surroundings. Confirming no one was around, she re-opened the book. The drawings depicted a man and woman in intimate entanglements. The artistry was delicate, the figures lifelike, and even their expressions were vividly portrayed. The scenes made Ning Songwu's heart race and her mouth dry. This is wrong… She shouldn't be looking… can't look… No, but no one will know if she looks now… she's never seen such drawings… Ning Songwu furrowed her brows tightly, sweat forming on her temples from the tension, yet her hands kept flipping the pages. Each page was filled with various intimate positions between men and women, depicted with such clarity that it left her mouth watering and her mind in chaos. Halfway through the book, suddenly an image of two women in an intimate embrace leapt out at her! The same beautiful bodies were tightly entwined, with the two women sharing a kiss, their expressions blissful, seeming to deeply relish the closeness. Ning Songwu's mind exploded with a bang! She dared no longer glance, throwing the book hard on the ground, retreating several steps until her back slammed against the wall, panting heavily, looking at the book on the floor as if it were a monster. Hearing the commotion, Helan Mianmian walked over, asking, "Ning Songwu, what's wrong…?" Seeing Helan Mianmian approach, Ning Songwu hastily stepped forward, picked up the book, and stuffed it back into the shelf, feigning calmness. "Nothing, nothing… nothing…" Helan Mianmian gave her a suspicious look and asked nothing more. Helan Mianmian returned to the first bookshelf and placed her book back. "I've read a few, they're all about some secret tales of the martial world. There's stuff about the Northern Sanctions Palace, the Disordered Flowers Valley, and events involving a long-gone sect called Tiansun Jiao… and some complicated relations with the royal family. Things are far more complex than they appear on the surface…" "Mm… mm…" Ning Songwu mumbled in response, not really listening, her mind still filled with images from the book. "It seems that relationships between men and women are truly harmful. Otherwise… Tiansun Jiao wouldn't have been annihilated for no reason. What a pity. Hey, Ning Songwu, do you have someone you're fond of?" "Huh?" Ning Songwu jerked her head up, looking at Helan Mianmian in shock, not understanding her question. Helan Mianmian, thinking Ning Songwu hadn't grasped her meaning, clarified, "I mean, is there someone you always think about, someone you'd want to spend your entire life with?" Someone always on her mind, someone she'd want to live with forever. Master. Master… No… that's not possible… it's different… "That… that doesn't count…" Ning Songwu flustered, muttering nonsensically.