37. Willing to Accept the Discipline of the Covenant

He grew up in the Capital of Light and had seen far too many Bonded who were mistreated by their Masters. Those living examples had left deep psychological scars on him.

He craved freedom, so he studied hard to get into the First Military Academy. After graduation, he joined the First Legion, fighting, advancing, and honing his strength—all because he refused to become a Bonded trapped by the side of a future Master. After all, only a Bonded powerful enough to earn vast resources for their Master could hope to secure a greater degree of liberty.

However, when issues arose in his mental sea, the Legion ordered him to leave the front lines for recuperation and recovery, notifying his family of the requirement. Upon returning to the Capital of Light, he was treated like a marionette, dragged by his father to countless banquets, and inspected like merchandise. Even now, he could recall those people making unabashed comments to his face:

"He looks decent enough, but he’s like a piece of wood—utterly devoid of charm!"

"I’ve seen his records from the Advanced Academy and the First Military Academy. Aside from combat courses, he failed in cooking, housekeeping, singing, and dancing!"

"He served in the First Legion, so he must make a fair amount of money!"

"What kind of merit is earning money? Are we short on cash? Oh, wait—if he earns enough, I suppose that’s fine. But how much can one really make in the Legion at the very most?"

"He does have one advantage: he’s sturdy. He should be able to take a beating!"

"Speaking of that, when he was at the Advanced Academy, he beat up a female classmate. The only reason it wasn't recorded in his file is because his father paid a hefty sum to bury the matter!"

"There’s such a thing?"

"No wonder. Look at his eyes—rebellious and defiant. He’s not the obedient type!"

"Well, there are still people who like this sort of thing. Look, isn't someone heading over there now?"

"The second daughter of the Bai family. She’s got blood on her hands, you know!"

"She’s the only child of Dean Bai. If she sets her sights on this little beauty, he’s in for a miserable time!"

Recalling those unscrupulous remarks, Chen Nan couldn't help but clench his fists, accidentally aggravating his wounds and causing him to hiss in pain.

When his father first told him he was to be bonded to the second Miss Bai, he had already been secretly preparing to flee. He would rather die from a mental breakdown than be controlled by another. He never expected to suddenly receive a matching notification from the Mainframe. His father, standing right beside him, saw the message, immediately clicked "hide," and ordered him to handle this sudden trouble personally.

"You targeted me? You decided that because my strength is low and I have no family influence to rely on, I would be someone you could easily manipulate, didn't you?" Ning Xuan sneered.

Looking back, Ning Xuan realized that Chen Nan had bonded with her initially only to escape a family-arranged marriage. Her helping him soothe his turbulent mental power and purging his mental toxins had been an unexpected bonus. He had known full well how his family treated her, yet he had bonded with her regardless of the risks to her, likely having already decided to drag her away with him without ever considering if she was willing.

"A-Nan would not dare. A-Nan would not dare to show any disrespect to my Master. I was impulsive and acted wrongly this time. I am willing to accept your discipline and beg you to give me a chance to make amends!" Chen Nan knelt on the ground, his head obediently lowered. If Chen Hui could see this scene, he would never believe this was his younger brother, a man with a spine of pure defiance.

"Impulsive, and willing to accept discipline? Very well. You mean to say that as your Master, I have a duty to discipline and instruct you, and that you acted wrongly because I failed to govern you properly, is that it?" Ning Xuan pinched Chen Nan's chin, forcing him to look up. His handsome, clean-cut face was now swollen, bruised, and purple—a sorry sight.

"It is because I did not learn my place properly that I acted so audaciously. I can only trouble you to discipline me further," Chen Nan said, looking up at Ning Xuan as she leaned over him. He noticed she seemed to have grown taller than she was a month ago.

Ning Xuan studied him seriously and nodded. "I caught a glimpse of the family rules the Bai family sent you; they were quite unique. Kneel here and transcribe them ten times. I will check them tomorrow."

When Ning Xuan finished speaking, Chen Nan wore a look of resistance. "Master, those belong to another house..."

"Can you do it?" Ning Xuan’s expression was mocking.

"Yes!" Chen Nan resigned himself to his fate, tapping his optical computer to pull up the document.

Although there was no StarNet coverage here and the optical computer couldn't connect to the outside world, the information stored within it remained accessible.

Satisfied that Chen Nan was temporarily under control, Ning Xuan toured the courtyard and the interior of the house. The courtyard was barren and unremarkable. The side rooms were connected to the main hall. One side was stacked high with ores, while the other was filled with exotic plants. The main residence was spacious; aside from the front hall she had just entered, there were three large, square living rooms, a study, two small, dark rooms of unknown purpose, three bedrooms with excellent privacy, and a kitchen equipped with pots, pans, and a refrigerator. Ning Xuan opened the fridge to find it spotlessly clean. There was a bathroom with a tub and two washrooms. The entire house was immaculate, not like a place that had been vacant for long, but rather like one cleaned constantly. Yet, there were no housekeeping robots in sight. Who had been cleaning the house?

After her tour, Ning Xuan returned to the front hall. Chen Nan was kneeling with good posture, diligently transcribing the rules. Ning Xuan took a bottle of Blue Flame Herb potion from her spatial button—a remedy for injuries that could be used topically or ingested. She took a piece of gauze, soaked it in the potion, and dabbed it onto his face. The 100% pure Blue Flame Herb potion was fast-acting, and the swelling on his face quickly subsided.

Feeling the cooling sensation where Ning Xuan had touched him, the burning pain began to fade, and his eyes, which had been swollen almost shut, were now able to open. He looked up at Ning Xuan and whispered, "Thank you, Master."

With his face clean, he looked much more comfortable. Ning Xuan patted his cheek with satisfaction.

"Since you had this planned for a long time, you brought everything you needed, didn't you? Aside from the study materials I require, there is also the food..." Ning Xuan gestured toward the study and the kitchen, then pointed to the sides. "And my laboratory!"

Chen Nan reached into his pocket and produced four spatial buttons, handing them to Ning Xuan. "Master, the yellow one contains..."

"Go put it away!" Ning Xuan shot him a glare.

"Yes!" Chen Nan struggled to his feet and limped toward the kitchen.

Ning Xuan had always been particular about her diet, and he dared not be careless with the ingredients. However, the City of Eternal Frost had one thing going for it: the variety of food was far richer than on Planet D618, and the quality and flavor were no less than those of an A-grade planet. As long as Ning Xuan was willing to stay here for a while, she would surely grow to like it.