Ning Xuan sized up Chen Nan, then reached out to stroke the Green-eyed Golden Eagle. As her hand made contact, the Golden Eagle comfortably closed its eyes and leaned into her touch.
As Ning Xuan stroked the great bird, Chen Nan, still kneeling on the floor, lowered his head. He felt his face flush. His Superpower Body shared his sensations, and at that moment, a pleasant warmth filled his Spiritual Sea. The pain from his old wounds lessened considerably. He found himself feeling an unexpected desire… a yearning.
Ning Xuan had thoroughly researched the details of the Contract the previous night. For a female Spirit Controller to soothe a Contractor with spiritual power, the first step was to establish a spiritual link. The stronger the Spirit Controller's spiritual power and the higher her compatibility with her partner, the greater her control over the Contractor and the more effective the soothing would be. The decision of when to establish this link was generally up to the female Spirit Controller.
As his Contractor, she felt Chen Nan's request was perfectly reasonable. A Contractor who was wealthy, obedient, handsome, and a strong fighter—no matter how she looked at it, she wasn't getting a bad deal.
Ning Xuan didn't trust people easily, but she also wasn't afraid of those who approached her with an agenda. This was especially true now. Her strength hadn't yet recovered, Ning Chuchu harbored ill intentions toward her, and she genuinely needed Chen Nan's protection.
"If your goal is to detoxify your body and heal your wounds, I can help you. In the meantime, I'll have to trouble you with my daily living arrangements!" Seeing the Exotic Plants had already sparked Ning Xuan's desire to study them. 'I'm a High-level Alchemist, after all. Concocting some detoxification and healing Elixir Pills will be a piece of cake.'
Chen Nan watched Ning Xuan head upstairs with the bag of Exotic Plants, then stood up. He opened his Light Computer and saw over a dozen messages from his father. His hand trembled slightly.
His father's instructions from before he left flashed through his mind. "Ah Nan, she's just an orphan from a Garbage Star whose parents are both dead. She only just awakened as she's about to come of age. With that kind of aptitude, she'll be a low-level Spirit Controller her whole life, matched with a few low-level men to fulfill her reproductive value. No matter how high your genetic compatibility is, she's not suitable for you. It's your good fortune that the Bai Family's Second Miss has taken an interest in you. This Ning Xuan is standing in your way. We can't wait ten years. You are to go to D618 Star personally and use someone else to get rid of her. Remember, leave no loose ends!"
Chen Nan sat there in a daze, not opening the messages. In reality, that Second Miss Bai only possessed C-level strength. She relied on her family's power to run rampant in Light City. Just last year, she had tortured and killed a Contractor she had a preliminary Contract with. The Bai Family merely paid a sum of money, and the matter was swept under the rug.
He had stayed on the battlefield, refusing to return to Light City for treatment even when injured, primarily to avoid situations exactly like this. He never thought the Bai Family would still come knocking at his door!
It was right around that time he'd received the notification about the forced Contract. He had thought he could finally escape the Bai Family, but unexpectedly, his father had immediately hidden his information and warned him not to tell anyone about the matter.
Chen Nan finally opened and read the messages from his father. His expression grew darker the more he read, and by the end, his fingers were trembling with anger. He closed his eyes for a moment before replying. 'Of course, I won't be sending news of my Contract with Ning Xuan back to them,' he thought. 'I'll placate the family for now and slowly look for a way out. If I get along well with my Contractor, I can take her away from D618 Star once she comes of age. We could return to the First Legion or go somewhere else. I'm an adult now. It won't be so easy for my father to force me to sacrifice myself for the family.'
Ning Xuan tore a leaf from the Blue Flame Grass and crushed it between her fingers. The blue juice slowly stained her skin. Her fingers, now coated in the liquid, felt a cool sensation as a faint chill seeped through her skin and into her bloodstream. Ning Xuan could perceive her blood flow slowing down. Blue Flame Grass was a common remedy for external injuries, possessing hemostatic properties. It was also quite effective against the bleeding, swelling, and fever that accompanied such wounds.
After surviving a world-ending crisis, the Federation had widely implemented gene-fusion technology, causing the physical constitution of its citizens to improve dramatically. However, this was coupled with the mutation of flora and fauna. Many plants developed toxins, and the use of traditional medicines greatly decreased. In the century since the crisis, the birth rate had plummeted, while the problem of genetically-induced mental breakdowns had grown increasingly severe. In response, the Federation Government increased its investment in pharmaceutical research, establishing specialized departments such as the Exotic Plant Research Institute and the Institute of Pharmacology.
However, according to the information Ning Xuan found on her Light Computer, most finished medicines were designed to restore spiritual power and were sold at exorbitant prices. The remedies commonly used by the general public were simply Exotic Plants with known medicinal properties, like Blue Flame Grass. Using unprocessed raw materials directly, however, greatly reduced their efficacy and was far less convenient than using a finished medicinal product.
Ning Xuan studied all the Exotic Plants Chen Nan had bought, cross-referencing them with data available on the Star Network. Afterward, she ordered an Alchemy Furnace from the network and prepared to attempt Alchemy.
At the same time, she submitted an application on the school's website to change her major to Alchemy. She was confident in her pharmaceutical abilities, but she was still a newcomer. 'The Exotic Plants in this world are different from those in my previous one,' she mused. 'It's essential for me to understand the current mainstream pharmaceutical system.'
To change her major to Alchemy, she not only had to submit an online application but also had to go to the school for an in-person assessment to confirm she had awakened her spiritual power.
Ning Xuan arrived at school early the next morning, found the academic affairs office, and applied to change her major. The administrator was pleasantly surprised to see that Ning Xuan's initial spiritual power test registered as D-level and immediately processed all the necessary paperwork for her.
In truth, the number of women who awakened their spiritual power by skipping levels was extremely small, especially by two full levels. Had she awakened at a younger age, she would have attracted immense attention, even on an A-level Star or the Central Star.
"Student Ning Xuan," the administrator suggested, "medicinal ingredients and food ingredients have a lot in common. You could continue taking the culinary arts course as an elective. As long as you reach C-level, you'll pass the course and even get a certificate!"
"Okay, ma'am, I'll consider it." The school was more concerned with student assessment results than with class attendance, which wasn't strictly managed.
"Contractor, I only have one class today. I can accompany you to yours for the rest of the day!" Ever since her Divine Sense had stabilized, Ning Xuan was constantly practicing the Cultivation of the Soul Nourishing Scripture. When her spiritual power fluctuated, a small amount would leak out. This ambient spiritual power brought great relief to the poison-tormented Green-eyed Golden Eagle, which was why Chen Nan was more than willing to stay close to her.
"You may," Ning Xuan replied, recalling the breakfast Chen Nan had bought for her that morning. "However, as a Contractor, it is your duty to prepare three meals a day for your Contractor. I'd like to eat some decent food. If you have the time, you might want to take that culinary arts class."