261 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

"Don't rush, don't rush, don't rush." "Trying to kill me, are you?" "Then I won't hold back either." "Why is she smiling-" "Isn't this the Outer Sea and Sky?!" "How could there be Source Poison here?!" "I must win the family challenge." "As for the Source Poison... let's see how many have been affected first." ### Chapter 103: Outer (5) "Who else?" "Let me see if there are any among your Ning family who haven't been tainted by the Source Poison." "Even with these poisons, you could only barely elevate yourselves to this level?" "Something seems off, it shouldn't be like this." "Your Ning family is truly... mad!" "So, this was a flaw from the previous life, with enemies on all sides, winning was nearly impossible..." "Thankfully, I discovered it early this time." "Breaking one blockade is one less blockade." "Ninth one." Difficult to confess? What could I have to hide? Oh, right, this should work. Ran Fanyan's words suddenly enlightened Ning Songwu. She paused for a moment and then said with difficulty, "To be honest, I indeed have something difficult to confess—actually, I have a hidden illness." "That's perfect. I've studied medicine for years and have substantial knowledge in it. Diagnosing and prescribing is as easy as pie for me. No matter what hidden illness you have, as long as you take the medicine I prescribe, you will surely be cured. Then having two children in three years won't be a problem." Ran Fanyan stifled her laughter and sniffled. Ning Songwu admitted to having an illness just to hide her identity, which indeed made Ran unable to tease her further. "No, no, no need to bother madam. I have, I have medicine and am already taking it." Ning Songwu began to sweat on her forehead again. Two children in three years? Definitely not necessary. Dragging the matter out further would mean no sleep tonight. Ran Fanyan cleared her throat and said seriously, "Rest easy. There are many men in the world with hidden illnesses, you're not the only one. I won't use this to blackmail you. To be honest, I didn't want this marriage either. But since the Emperor has given the decree, concerning the fate of both families, I had to agree." Ran Fanyan stared at the flickering oil lamp slowly, saying, "Though I was born into a noble family, I long for a life of roaming the world and practicing medicine. Whether you are a woman or have a hidden illness, means nothing to me." She shifted her gaze to Ning Songwu and continued, "In public, we just need to act as a loving and respectful couple. In private, we can be allies who keep each other's secrets. At the right time, you give me a divorce paper and grant me my freedom." Ning Songwu was so shocked that her mouth was slightly open, the phrase 'At the right time, give me a divorce paper and grant me my freedom' kept playing in her mind. She thought, if this is not blackmail, then what is?! Seeing Ning Songwu's dazed expression, Ran Fanyan waved her hand in front of her eyes and patted her shoulder, asking, "Did you hear what I just said?" Ning Songwu came to her senses and pointed at herself, "Me? Give you a divorce paper?" If she gave a divorce paper, she wouldn't be able to survive under Ning Jingyang's watch, she would face family punishment. However, dragging on with Ran Fanyan made her feel guilty. "We need to think this through together. We can surely come up with a solution that satisfies both parties." Ran Fanyan understood what a divorce would mean. It needed to be justified so as not to disgrace both families. "Really? How about we sign an agreement?" Not waiting for Ran Fanyan’s response, Ning Songwu strode out of the room and quickly ran to the study. She soon returned with two sheets of paper with ink yet to dry, looking completely different from her earlier drunken state. Ran Fanyan was quietly delighted; she was one step closer to a divorce. "Here, I've signed and stamped. Now it's your turn." Ning Songwu said while handing over the brush and sealing ink, pointing at the empty spot, "Sign here and place your seal, and the agreement will be effective." "In the future, if there's anything I can help with, just call on me. We're allies now!" Ran Fanyan signed and handed one copy of the agreement to Ning Songwu. "Allies?" Ning Songwu repeated. Ran Fanyan explained, "Our common goal is a divorce, so until then, we need to keep each other's secrets and act as allies." After this clarification, Ning Songwu felt relieved. At least she could get a good night's sleep in this room now. However, Ran Fanyan had already started planning how to roam the world and practice medicine after the divorce. She seemed to have forgotten that in the Ran Mansion, there was an old father, Ran Houmeng, who was widowed early. He raised her single-handedly, acting as both father and mother. Now, his daughter was willing to abandon him for freedom. “So, can I sleep now?" Although they had signed an agreement, Ning Songwu still had to maintain her male identity in front of Ran Fanyan. They had shared a bed last night, but now that they were allies, it became a dilemma where she should sleep. Ran Fanyan found her hesitation amusing, dismissed her with a "Suit yourself," and promptly lay on the bed. "We are allies now, and I am a man. There is a difference between men and women. It’s truly inappropriate to sleep together. From now on, I'll sleep on the chaise longue." "Do as you say." Ran Fanyan yawned and sprawled out in a big 'X' shape on the bed, thinking that as long as she didn't have to share the bed, Ning Songwu could sleep wherever she wanted. --- The next day, early morning. Knock, knock, knock—urgent and heavy knocks came from outside the door. Since getting married, Ning Songwu had spent many nights in this room but had never felt so sleepless. She got up, tidied the sheets, placed the quilt at the bedside, and, seeing Ran Fanyan still asleep, quietly closed the door behind her. She turned to the maid, Wenxiang, outside the room and asked, "What's the matter?" Wenxiang whispered, "Zha Le has urgent business with you, young master." She didn't want to disturb the harmony between the young master and miss, but that damned Zha Le kept insisting, leaving her no choice but to knock. "I see. You may go about your duties." After a quick wash, Ning Songwu headed to the main hall for breakfast, where Zha Le had been waiting for some time. Zha Le approached nervously and said, "Master, finally! There’s been a murder. You’d better take some buns with you to eat on the way. I'll explain everything in the carriage."