According to Nie Ran, he is a prince of the Xia Dynasty, only six years old, with thirteen older brothers and many sisters.
The Xia Dynasty is a country located in the north, with its capital named Xia Shui, which has existed for over four hundred years.
The population is approximately ten million, surrounded by numerous smaller countries, facing threats from all sides and frequent wars.
He has been learning literature, archery, and horseback riding since childhood, achieving remarkable results.
However, due to the large number of princes, he is not particularly outstanding. Besides mandatory major events, he rarely meets with the ruler.
His mother’s name is Yan Ji, known for her beauty and grace. She was summoned into the palace by the Xia King at the age of sixteen, but unfortunately, only gave birth to him during the ten years. With numerous concubines, the aging Yan Ji has lost the opportunity to serve the Xia King.
Ning Xin felt surprised after listening.
Considering him as having split personalities, his imagination seemed too rich. He fabricated such a complete background for that personality, portraying himself as a pitiful little prince whose mother had fallen out of favour.
He must have watched a lot of period dramas. In another two years, would he even involve himself in palace intrigue?
Since he spoke so seriously, she didn’t want to burst his bubble. Going along with his story, she asked:
“You should be staying in the palace, so why are you here?”
Nie Ran furrowed his thick eyebrows.
“I don’t know… Grandma, could you take me back? My mother will reward you generously.”
“…Don’t call me grandma!”
“Then what should I…”
Ning Xin took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible:
“Call me sister.”
People familiar with her called her Xin Xin in her daily life, but this man was just too peculiar. She didn’t want to treat him as a close friend.
Nie Ran had no objections whatsoever and immediately changed his address.
“Sister, do you know how to get to the palace? Can you take me back?”
She shrugged helplessly. “I’d love to take you back, but I don’t have that ability. Look at those things outside. You’d be torn to pieces within minutes if you went out there, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you heal your wounds, regain your strength, and wield your sword to defeat those things.”
“Sword?”
Nie Ran looked utterly confused, as if he didn’t understand what she was talking about.
Ning Xin exclaimed, “Seriously? Have you forgotten even that? Your huge, heavy chopping knife! Hey, where did you put it?”
She searched the entire room and finally remembered that she had stuffed it under the bed when she was tidying up earlier. She bent down, grasped the handle with both hands, and struggled to drag it out.
“Take a look.”
Nie Ran glanced at it curiously at first, but when he realized what it was, he gasped in horror.
“This is… is… is the Treasure of Zhou Kingdom!”
“Zhou Kingdom?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you know?”
“The name of this sword is Dawn. It has a golden dragon pattern with seven claws on it. For thousands of years, it has been stored in the treasury of the Zhou Kingdom, guarded by dedicated personnel. Dawn is made of mysterious iron, extremely heavy and sharp. Most people can’t even wield it. Legend has it that when the one who can use Dawn appears, the world will usher in unity and peace.”
“Is it real or fake? Is it really that mysterious?”
Ning Xin couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth as she looked at his still shocked face.
Nie Ran stared at the dragon pattern on the sword intently. “Where did you get this? You actually picked it up just now. Could it be…”
“Forget about it. This sword isn’t mine.”
“Then whose is it?”
“You try picking it up.”
Ning Xin gestured towards it with her chin.
Nie Ran hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand tentatively, visibly nervous. His fingertips touched the handle, then quickly retracted as if shocked, and he looked at Ning Xin.
“I think I’d better not…”
“You pick it up!”
Ning Xin’s tone became heavier, as if she would hit him if he didn’t.
He could only grit his teeth and grasp the sword handle with both hands, lifting it over his head with determination.
“Huh?”
Nie Ran stared at the treasure sword that he effortlessly lifted over his head, completely bewildered.
He swung it a couple of times, then released one hand and swung it a couple more times with just one hand.
The sword seemed like an extension of his body, agile and obedient. Wherever he moved, the sword followed suit.
Nie Ran stopped, staring at his hands and the sword, utterly stunned.
Ning Xin patted his shoulder. “I don’t care who you are or what this sword is. All I know is, if you want to get back alive, you need to heal your wounds and defeat those things with your sword.”
At that moment, she could follow him safely out of this terrifying place. If luck was on her side, she might even return to her original world and continue running her little shop.
With that thought, her gaze became even more serious.
“Rest up, and call me if you need anything.”
Nie Ran nodded, watching her leave before sinking into a daze while holding the sword.
As night fell, Ning Xin changed his bandages once more.
In the following days, she changed his bandages twice a day, and his recovery speed matched her care. His wounds had begun to scab over.
The potatoes were gone after the first day, so they relied on water for sustenance.
After drinking plain water for a while, which became tasteless after a while, she remembered the kitchen had some condiments. She decided to boil water, adding oil, salt, and soy sauce to make a clear “soup”.
The soup with some oil was more filling than plain water.
After drinking this for two days, one day Ning Xin went downstairs and saw the canvas piled up in the corner of the living room, she stopped in her tracks.
With the weather being hot, the bodies had started to rot. Anyway, it would be a waste for them to rot away, so why not…
Stop, stop, stop! She didn’t want to do something like that!
Ning Xin snapped out of it, forcefully slapping herself twice.
To prevent such impulses from arising again, she spent a whole day throwing the bodies out of the second-floor windows.
The zombies outside enjoyed a feast, while she collapsed from exhaustion, seeing white spots in front of her eyes due to hunger.
If she went hungry for another two days, she might not be able to hold on.
She needed to find a solution quickly and go to the village the old lady mentioned to find food.
Ning Xin forced herself to muster up her spirits, leaning against the wall as she made her way to Nie Ran’s room.
This guy still insisted he was a six-year-old prince, and she couldn’t be bothered to be polite with a lunatic. She pushed the door open and walked in directly.
Nie Ran lay on the bed, staring at his dawn, and as soon as he noticed her, he quickly sat up and called out, “Sister.”
She nodded. “How’s the wound? Let me take a look.”
He voluntarily rolled up his trousers, and Ning Xin bent down to examine carefully. The injury was at least eighty percent healed, with the skin and flesh almost completely mended, leaving only a thick scab.
She prodded it with her finger and asked, lifting her head, “Does it hurt?”
Nie Ran shook his head.
“If it doesn’t hurt, then come down and take a few steps.”
The other obediently put down the knife, stood barefoot on the ground, and walked around the bed.
Ning Xin nodded in satisfaction. “It seems like it’s really fine now. So, are you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“To go out and find food. Aren’t you hungry?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Nie Ran’s stomach rumbled loudly. He blushed and covered it, humming like a mosquito.
“After we come back, can you do me a favor?”
“You little rascal, bargaining already. Well, what do you want me to do for you?”
Nie Ran’s voice became even quieter.
“I smell a bit bad, and I was thinking…”
“What? I can’t hear you.”
Summoning up courage, he said, “I want to take a bath.”
Ning Xin was puzzled. “Then go take one.”
The well was downstairs; if he had the ability, he could jump in and swim.
“But… I don’t know how.”
“…”
Nie Ran felt extremely embarrassed. “In the palace, it was always the palace maids who helped with bathing. Sister, can you help me take a bath?”
A big man of 1.9 meters saying such words to himself, if not sexual harassment, what else could it be?
In the past, Ning Xin would have definitely slapped him, but now they depended on each other. She was even asking him to help find food, and he was suspected of having a mental illness. It wouldn’t be appropriate to resort to violence.
Moreover, there were no police here. Considering their physical size difference, she might end up at a disadvantage if things got physical.
She decided to first deceive him into getting food before discussing this. She smiled and said, “Sure, but we need to eat first.”
Nie Ran asked excitedly, “What are we going to do now?”
She looked at the clothes on herself. “There are spare patient gowns in the warehouse downstairs. Put on several layers, gather enough water, and then we’ll set out.”
“Okay.”
Nie Ran followed her downstairs eagerly, his injured leg seemingly unaffected as he walked.
Ning Xin put on her clothes and searched for containers to carry water. Last time, they hadn’t brought back the plastic water bottles, so she wanted to find a couple more. However, after searching the small building, she couldn’t find any. Instead, she discovered a huge insulated water bottle in the warehouse.
Judging from its size, it might be more appropriate to call it a water tank.
Ning Xin filled it with water, closed the lid tightly, and lifted it. It weighed about seven or eight kilograms. But it didn’t matter much since there was free labour available anyway.
Just as she was thinking, the labourer went downstairs by himself, wearing three or four layers of clothes. If it weren’t for his decent-looking face, he could pass off as a lunatic.
Of course, Ning Xin herself didn’t look much better, so she didn’t pay much attention to this and simply tossed the water bottle to him.
“You carry this. Even if you lose your life, you’re not allowed to lose this. Got it?”
The water bottle had a strap, and Nie Ran, like a kindergarten kid, slung it diagonally over his shoulder and held the knife obediently with both hands.
Ning Xin went upstairs, greeted the old lady, and double-checked the location again before returning downstairs.
“Alright, let’s go.”
She held the plant they brought back last time, wrapped in several layers of cloth, and held her breath as she opened the door.
A group of zombies was wandering outside the door, and as soon as they spotted her, they rushed over.
She quickly raised her hand, but unexpectedly, the cloth in her hand loosened, and the plant fell to the ground.
Ning Xin hurriedly bent down to pick it up. At the same time, the zombies had already reached her and stretched out their claws toward her.
Just as the zombie’s nails were about to pierce her flesh, she felt a cold breeze at the back of her neck.
The next moment, the zombie’s hand fell to the ground.
Ning Xin’s body stiffened, too scared to lift her head, maintaining her bent-over posture.
With a few more gusts of wind, the seven or eight zombies in front of her all fell to the ground, decapitated.
One of their heads stopped right in front of Ning Xin, less than half a meter from her nose. It stared at her with murky, lifeless fish eyes, its skin so thin that it was almost transparent, with something wriggling underneath.
She took a closer look and found that it was maggots. Unable to bear it, she took several steps back, leaning against the wall and dry-heaving.
“Sister, sister?”
Nie Ran called out to her anxiously.
She raised her head and waved her hand. “It’s okay, let’s go.”
However, he suddenly threw the knife aside, plunged into her arms, and tightly hugged her waist, burying his head on her shoulder.
“Waaah, it was so scary just now!”
Ning Xin: “…”
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