The manager immediately set aside what he was doing and greeted the young man with a smile. "Welcome, young Sir. Please have a look and see if there's anything you need."
Nangong Lingyun stopped walking and looked at the manager as he asked, "Rumor has it that this Hundred Herbs Tower is the largest herb seller in the Inner Cloud City. Some pharmacists also use this place as a platform to sell the medicines that they have refined. I would like to know if you sell any medicine which can gather the Neixi within a person's body?"
When the manager heard the young man's words, he was stunned for a moment. He then replied, "We do have a bottle of the precious Yuan Solidifying Liquid at our store. However, this liquid is for cultivators who want to stabilize their power. How about if I can check what type of situation you are referring to in terms of gathering Neixi?"
Nangong Lingyun frowned and said, "I have a friend who lost all her power overnight. She also lost the ability to gather and cultivate, so…"
His heart sank after he heard the news about the accident.
Ning'er had been a talented child since she was young. Now that she has lost all her cultivation, he wondered how she was dealing with this blow? Or if she was even able to deal with it.
After he was enrolled in the academy, it had been four to five years since he last saw her. He wondered how was she now?
"Lost power?" The manager was shocked for a moment. He then shook his head and sighed. "If that is the case, then, unfortunately, this Yuan Solidifying Liquid would be useless to your friend, young Sir."
"Are there any other drugs that may be effective?" Nangong Lingyun asked.
The manager shook his head and said pitifully, "If it was only a case of losing one's power, one can always start all over again and become powerful. But if someone loses their ability to gather Neixi, then they probably won't be able to cultivate again."
Before returning, Nangong Lingyun had previously also asked the academy teachers about any possible solution. And now, since the manager also repeated what the teachers had said, his heart immediately sank.
"Thank you, benefactor. I have already cleaned up the tools."
A voice suddenly sounded and caught Nangong Lingyun's attention. He subconsciously turned his gaze to look in the direction the voice came from.
He saw a little monk speaking to an apprentice with a smile. The monk's clear and pleasing voice, his refreshingly pure smile, and the exquisite side view were all so captivating. It brightened the eyes of everyone looking at him.
Tang Ning could feel someone looking at her, and so she turned to look. She saw a handsome man dressed in an expensive purple robe standing not too far away, staring at her. When her eyes landed on the man's face, snippets of her memories started flashing through her mind.
The memories of their relationship as childhood friends, his protection, and adoration towards Tang Ning, it all flashed in her mind one after another like a movie. The memories were crystal clear. She felt as if she had personally experienced those memories before.
The moving memories finally stopped at a scene on the day when the young man was about to leave.
"Ning'er, when this magnolia tree that we have planted together grows as tall as the wall, I will take you to be my bride."
"Okay, it's a promise. I will become Brother Yun's bride when I grow up…"
The 15-year-old Nangong Lingyun and the nine-year-old Tang Ning once made such a promise under the magnolia tree they planted together.
As the two continued staring at each other silently, the manager couldn't help but notice the change in atmosphere from normal to weird with those stares. The manager said with a smile, "Is the little Master done using the tools?"
Tang Ning regained her focus. She thought of the late original owner of the body, and then about her current predicament. Her emotions became calm again, and she approached the manager with a smile and thanked him.
"Thank you, benefactor. I have finished using the tools." She placed her palms together at her chest and said calmly.
Nangong Lingyun found the gorgeous looks of the little monk familiar. But before he could think further and recall who the monk resembled, the little monk smiled, nodded lightly at him, and left the premises.
Nangong Lingyun stared dazedly. He couldn't recall when had he seen that little monk.
Tang Ning left the Hundred Herbs Tower and stopped for a while after she had walked a little further away. She turned back to look at the store and sighed. "Old friends not recognizing each other despite a destined meeting. Who would ever know of the pretty woman's death…"