Chapter 293: The Eagle’s Master
Chapter 293: Chapter 293: The Eagle’s Master
With Ye Shangyi unconscious, however, things were much more convenient for her.
Shen Ningning quickly took a Spirit Grass from the Immortal Realm and fed it to her.
Then, she had her drink two bowls of Spiritual Spring Water infused with ginseng root.
After she was given these two potent remedies, Ye Shangyi’s complexion became visibly rosier.
Shen Ningning ate a Spirit Grass herself as well.
Then, the little girl pulled two thick quilts out of the Immortal Realm.
She laid one on the floor, pushed Ye Shangyi onto it, and covered her with the other.
Once she was sure Ye Shangyi wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon, Shen Ningning slipped into the Immortal Realm to feast to her heart’s content!
The fragrant lamb hotpot she had saved from before.
The little girl picked up a piece of marbled, creamy-white lamb with her chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it into her mouth.
She kicked her little feet in bliss. "This is delicious!"
After eating some lamb, Shen Ningning moved on to the sliced fish poached in chili broth.
This was her grandmother’s signature dish.
With expert knife work, each slice of fish was cut as thin as a cicada’s wing.
A quick dip in the fiery hot pot and they were ready to eat.
The fish was so soft and tender, it melted in her mouth.
After eating until she was about half-full, Shen Ningning nibbled on a small, sweet, milky steamed bun.
Finally, after gulping down a bowl of palate-cleansing lotus root soup, she was completely full.
Rubbing her little tummy, she stepped out of the Immortal Realm.
She saw that Ye Shangyi was feeling warm now; she was sprawled out like a starfish and had kicked off a corner of the quilt.
Just a moment ago, she had been crying out that she was freezing to death. ’Now, in her dreams, she probably feels as warm as if she were nestled by a roaring fire.’
Shen Ningning walked back to the window and gazed out at the gloomy night, the frost, and the snow.
A little snow was no match for the little girl.
Her large, limpid eyes were dark and bright.
’No matter what Consort Rong planned to do, she wouldn’t let her succeed.’
「The next day」
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the snow had stopped.
Xie Ming’an, who had been working all night in the government office, put down his Calligraphy Brush.
He had been so absorbed in reviewing the archives in the palace the previous night that he hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.
When he thought of Ye Shangyi and Shen Ningning’s plea for help, his expression turned cold.
He called to the guard outside. "I sent you to Consort Rong’s palace with a message. Have they been released yet?"
The guard nodded. "They should have been. It’s already past 7:00 AM."
And so, Xie Ming’an didn’t inquire any further.
He hadn’t helped Shen Ningning out of kindness, but simply because it required minimal effort.
He didn’t care why she had been locked up in the first place.
「Meanwhile, inside the Sunlight Tower.」
Ye Shangyi stretched lazily and sat up.
Shen Ningning had also been awake for a while and was flipping through some scriptures to pass the time.
Ye Shangyi looked around, realizing she had slept on the cold, hard floor. And yet, she had felt incredibly warm all night!
She ran over to Shen Ningning. "You’ll never believe what I dreamed last night! The gods and Buddhas of the Sunlight Tower performed a miracle!"
Shen Ningning closed her book and blinked her large eyes. "How was it a miracle?"
"I dreamed that a gentle Goddess covered me with a quilt and even gave me water to drink."
Ye Shangyi recalled the dream, lost in the memory. "The moment she did, my whole body felt warm and comfortable, and I wasn’t cold anymore."
"I thought it was just a dream, but I woke up this morning feeling perfectly fine! If that’s not an immortal performing a miracle, what is?"
As she spoke, she pressed her palms together and bowed before each of the small statues of the gods and Buddhas.
Seeing Ye Shangyi’s devout expression, Shen Ningning covered her mouth with a small hand to hide a giggle.
Ye Shangyi ran back to her side. "I never believed it when other people said it, but now I do. You really are a blessed girl!"
"Otherwise, how come every time I’m with you, we manage to get out of trouble?"
As she spoke, she hugged Shen Ningning tightly and nuzzled her cheek.
"Let some of your good luck rub off on me! Maybe it’ll help us get out of here sooner."
Shen Ningning flailed her little arms, struggling. "Ye Shangyi, you’re pulling my hair!"
After roughhousing for a bit, they had both worked up a light sweat.
Panting and a little disheartened, Ye Shangyi asked, "How much longer do you think we’ll be locked up?"
She had eaten all of her dried sweet potatoes last night.
’If we’re locked in here any longer, our luck might run out.’
Shen Ningning shook her head. "I don’t know."
’Xie Ming’an really didn’t pass on the message after all.’
At this thought, the little girl sighed softly.
Suddenly!
An eagle’s cry pierced the vast sky outside.
Startled, Shen Ningning hurried to the window and looked out.
A massive eagle circled in the overcast sky.
Ye Shangyi came to her side and saw the eagle too.
"That’s strange," she said. "None of the other birds can survive in this cold. How is that eagle still alive?"
Shen Ningning studied it for a moment before saying, "It’s domesticated. Someone in the palace keeps eagles."
"I have an idea!"
With that, she pulled some beef jerky from a pocket in her clothes and broke it into small pieces with her little hands.
Ye Shangyi’s eyes widened. "You had beef jerky this whole time? Then why did you only give me dried sweet potatoes last night?!"
Shen Ningning gave a sweet smile. "Because last night, *you* were the one who said you wished you had some dried sweet potatoes. You never asked if I had beef jerky."
Ye Shangyi was thoroughly impressed.
’Shen Ningning was a walking treasure trove!’
’She could always think of a way to save them.’
The little girl began tossing pieces of beef jerky out the window.
She tried to throw them as high as she could, but she was too short; she had to stand on her tiptoes just to lean out the window.
"Let me do it." Ye Shangyi took the jerky from her and tossed it high into the air.
They continued until all the beef jerky was gone.
The two little girls leaned against the windowsill, waiting. A cold wind lifted the hair at their temples and whipped across their fair, delicate cheeks.
As they watched with bated breath, the eagle actually swooped down!
The eagle hopped along the ground, gobbling up the trail of beef jerky.
Shen Ningning called out, "Here, little birdy, come here."
She beckoned with her little hand.
Ye Shangyi said, "That’s an eagle, not a little bird. Besides, there’s no way it can understand you."
However, the eagle tilted its head a couple of times, its gaze fixed on Shen Ningning.
A moment later, it flapped its wings and actually landed on the windowsill.
Seeing it up close, Ye Shangyi jumped back in fright and quickly hid behind Shen Ningning.
Shen Ningning produced another piece of beef jerky from who-knows-where and held it out to the eagle’s beak.
The eagle then lowered its head to eat the jerky, even allowing Shen Ningning to stroke its feathers.
Ye Shangyi stared, dumbfounded.
Stroking the eagle’s feathers, Shen Ningning said, "Little birdy..."
A sharp cry pierced the air as the eagle flapped its wings a couple of times.
Ye Shangyi couldn’t understand it, but Shen Ningning did.
’It was protesting. It said it wasn’t a little bird, but a Great Eagle!’
Shen Ningning covered her mouth with her little hand to stifle a giggle.
"Alright, alright, Great Eagle. Can you help me deliver this letter to your master?"
Ye Shangyi was surprised. "When did you write a letter?"
The little girl replied nonchalantly, "While you were sleeping. There was paper and a brush over there for copying scriptures, so I just borrowed them."
Ye Shangyi was so impressed she could have kowtowed to her on the spot.
’So she can’t just communicate with wolves, she can speak Eagle too!’
After finishing the jerky, the eagle seemed inclined to linger, but Shen Ningning made a promise. "You have to deliver the letter. When you come back, I’ll give you more to eat."
The very next second, the eagle flapped its wings, snatched the letter in its beak, and flew straight off into the distance.
Ye Shangyi was worried. "That’s not a carrier pigeon, it’s just an eagle. Can it really deliver a letter? And besides, we don’t even know who its master is. What if they refuse to help?"
Shen Ningning’s voice was soft and sweet. "I don’t know either. But as long as there’s a chance, we have to try."
’We’ll just have to wait and see. We’ll know soon enough if someone is coming to rescue us.’
About an hour passed.
The sound of steady footsteps approached from outside the Sunlight Tower.
Ye Shangyi jumped to her feet, overjoyed. "Someone’s here to rescue us!"
Shen Ningning wondered, ’Who could it be?’