Shi Sheng’s lips stretched into a strange smile. “Since it was your choice, I won’t talk about it. But… Ning Xian, your story had a lot of flaws. The truth isn’t what you said, is it?”
Ning Xian’s pupils instantly shrunk. Her mind whirred as she tried to recall everything she had just said. But because she was too nervous, Ning Xian couldn’t remember what she’d just told Shi Sheng.
‘What did I say wrong? Or is she just playing with me and has actually regained her memory already?’
Seeing her panicked expression, Shi Sheng spoke in a mocking tone, “No, I haven’t regained my memory. According to your story, I was very much favoured in the Ning Clan. If that was true, then a logical consequence would have been that you and Ning Yan were more neglected. Under these circumstances, you’re trying to tell me that you’d nobly volunteer to marry that ghost king just for my sake?”
“And don’t try to deceive me with all that nonsense about sisterly love and whatnot. If our relationship was really that good, you wouldn’t have called me by my full name the the first time you saw me. And you were clearly nervous, or should I say… afraid? But you visibly relaxed the moment I asked if you knew who I was. Ning Xian, aren’t you going to explain why your first reaction upon meeting your beloved long-lost family member is not excitement, but rather nervousness? What are you so nervous about?”
Ning Xian anxiously tugged on her sleeve as she tried to explain herself. “We hadn’t met in such a long time… And you appeared so suddenly; of course I’d be nervous!”
“Seems like you’re not planning on telling the truth.”
Shi Sheng had unexpectedly felt disgust rise up inside her upon first seeing Ning Xian. It was impossible for her to have felt that way upon meeting a ghost she didn’t know.
So it must have been part of the original Ning Ying’s instinctual reaction. Even after having been through so many worlds, she had hardly ever felt the original body’s reactions. How much must Ning Ying have despised Ning Xian for Shi Sheng to feel the remnants of her loathing even now?
The truth of her past definitely wasn’t as Ning Xian described.
“Big Sis, Second Sis… what’re you talking about?” Ning Yan didn’t really understand what was going on. His confused gaze wavered between the two of them. However, it was clear he was rather dissatisfied with Shi Sheng.
After all, on one side was the older sister who had just returned, while on the other was the older sister who had taken care of him all these years. Ning Yan obviously leaned more towards Ning Xian’s side.
Shi Sheng didn’t say anything even upon noticing his blame-filled gaze. She merely shot forward without a word and attacked. Ning Xian protected Ning Yan behind her as she fought with Shi Sheng.
Ning Xian didn’t have a weapon, so she had an inherent disadvantage; Shi Sheng kicked her to the ground within ten moves and held her at sword-point.
“Xiaoyan, run!” Ning Xian turned and shouted at Ning Yan.
“Second Sis! Let go of Big Sis! Big Sis didn’t do anything wrong!” Ning Yan sobbed and desperately shook his head. “Big Sis— Second Sis, let go of Big Sis, please, I’m begging you! Xiaoyan is begging you!”
“Run, Ning Yan!” Ning Xian shouted anxiously, “Go find him! Tell him Ning Ying’s back! Go!”
Ning Yan seemed to think of something as he immediately ran towards the exit.
Shi Sheng shot Feng Jin a look. He immediately took out a talisman and tossed it at Ning Yan, trapping him in place.
“Want to call that ghost king for help?” Seeing Ning Yan had been trapped, Shi Sheng turned to look down at Ning Xian.
Having her only hope smashed before her eyes, Ning Xian could no longer keep up the pitiful expression on her face. She suddenly shot a hate-filled glare at Shi Sheng. “Ning Ying, why didn’t you just disappear?!”
‘That man had clearly told me…’
“Oh?” Shi Sheng dragged out her words. “Well sorry to disappoint you, but I clearly haven’t disappeared. Soon, you will though.”
“Hahahaha! Ning Ying, do you think he’ll believe you?! If he knows you returned, he’ll kill you with his own hands!”
Shi Sheng’s temper flared up. ‘For fuck’s sakes, can’t you gimme the whole story in one go? Why give me little snippets and force me to guess the rest? Guess your head off!’
Shi Sheng had plenty of tools to interrogate humans, but none for ghosts…
“System, do you have anything in the system shop that can get her to stop wasting words and get to the point?” Shi Sheng called out to System in her mind.
[Please do not raise questions that insult the System Shop, Host.]
‘Alright, I guess that means there is an item!’
Shi Sheng opened up the System Shop and was dazzled by all sorts of purchasable items that appeared in her mind’s eye. Fortunately, System helped her narrow down her search.
Truth Pill
D Grade Item
1,000 Contribution Points
After use, will cause all words spoken to be the absolute truth. Suitable for forcing confessions from undercover spies.
Can be used on all races.
1,000 contribution points. The pill was neither inexpensive nor too expensive. In the end, Shi Sheng still gritted her teeth and bought it. ‘I(bbb) want to flirt with Feng Jin more than waste my(bbb) time with this woman.’
Shi Sheng force fed Ning Xian the Truth Pill.
……
The only difference between the two retellings of the past was Ning Ying’s attitude towards the matter of the wedding. All the children of the Ning Clan had received a talisman from the person who helped Father Ning complete the contract that allowed them to see the ghost king.
Ning Ying didn’t hate the ghost king; he’d accompanied her as she’d grown up after all. They were childhood sweethearts who had mutual feelings for each other. Ning Ying had really liked the ghost king, and had always been eagerly awaiting the day she came of age and became his bride. She looked forward to marrying him and spending the rest of eternity with him.
But Ning Xian liked the ghost king too. Adding on the fact that their parents had always doted on Ning Ying more, she grew jealous of her.
So she had secretly sought out that person of unknown origins and hired him using a lot of money. On the day of Ning Ying’s coming of age ceremony, he killed her and brought her sealed soul away with him.
Ning Xian then took Ning Ying’s place.
When the ghost king discovered the person he married wasn’t Ning Ying, he flew into a rage and wanted to kill Ning Xian. Ning Xian had only ever seen the ghost king quietly accompanying Ning Ying or showing her a slight smile—she’d never seen him this angry.
Even under the threat of death, Ning Xian was unwilling to accept defeat, so she lied to the ghost king and told him that Ning Ying didn’t like him at all. She liked someone else and had already eloped with him.
The ghost king didn’t believe her.
Ning Xian then told him that Ning Ying had been putting up a pretence of fondness all these years because she’d known they had a contract. Afraid he would hurt her family if she revealed her true feelings, she had faked her affection for him.
It was precisely because of Ning Xian’s deceitful words that the ghost king had cleansed the Ning Clan with blood out of rage and to force Ning Ying to show herself.
But Ning Ying had already died, and her soul had been sealed, so how could she show herself?
This was the truth behind the events back then.
Ning Xian plotted to kill Ning Ying out of jealousy so she could take her place as the ghost king’s bride. When she was rejected, she then misled the ghost king, causing him to massacre the Ning Clan in a fit of rage. But then what? What had happened after Ning Ying was taken away?
Feng Jin suddenly reached out to take Shi Sheng’s hand in his own as he apologised in a low voice, “Sorry.”
“En?” ‘What’s with this sudden apology? You ill?’
Feng Jin rubbed her head. “I can tell you what happened after that, but… let’s finish our business here first.”
“Is that ghost king still here?” Shi Sheng asked Ning Xian.
Her gaze still dull, Ning Xian nodded.
“Ning Xian! You dared to lie to me!” An enraged roar suddenly burst out.
A pitch-black shadow appeared in the air and grabbed Ning Xian by the neck. Although his expression was extremely ferocious, it was unable to hide his handsomeness.
Ning Xian’s eyes filled with blood and the ice-cold touch around her neck made her regain awareness. The Truth Pill wouldn’t cause the person who ingested it to lose their memories, so she was very clear as to what she had just revealed.