He Could Slouch Around Again

Chapter 30: He Could Slouch Around Again

Ning Manor, inside a carriage.

The situation on the Go board was already clear.

With Old Master Ning placing his final stone, he had nowhere left to play.

The scholar didn't even bother to count. "Mister Taiyi, you've lost by thirty-seven points."

Old Master Ning stroked his beard and smiled. "I'm old, I'm old. Top Scholar, you let me win."

The scholar looked at his smile and frowned.

To lose without looking like a beaten dog was itself a mark of poise.

But poise needed confidence to support it.

Old Master Ning's confidence came from Manfeng Mountain.

If he'd won outside the game, then the game was just a game. Winning or losing no longer mattered.

The scholar's thoughts shifted, and he suddenly understood. He said coldly, "Mister Taiyi, your people still went ahead and wiped out the demons on Manfeng Mountain. You've taken the Dragon Qi, so now you have confidence too. May I know why?"

Manager Zhao, sitting beside them, turned his gaze over as well. His round face, usually creased with a smile, was now utterly grim, cold as iron.

It could be said that if Ning Taiyi gave even one wrong answer, the Ning Family would be finished.

No one liked having a settled matter overturned.

Ning Taiyi dipped his head slightly and clasped his hands toward Manager Zhao. "This old man was at fault. Allow me to get out first and make arrangements for a banquet, so I can apologize and make amends."

Then he turned to the scholar and chuckled. "Top Scholar, don't lose your temper either. This old man will explain everything clearly."

Manager Zhao frowned impatiently and spoke bluntly. "Old Ning, you've already broken the rules. What's left to explain?"

As his last word fell, hurried footsteps and the clink of metal scales suddenly sounded outside the carriage.

The black-armored soldiers blocking the entrance to Ning Manor were all seized with dread and abruptly stood bolt upright.

Not far away, golden light welled up from the ground.

Within the golden light, two masked figures appeared.

The black-armored soldiers stared at the masked Daoist Boy, who rested a saber across his shoulders with both hands, as if facing a formidable enemy. Some had already put their hands on the hilts at their waists.

In their eyes, the masked Daoist Boy's blood and vitality surged like billowing wolf-smoke.

When the masked Daoist Boy took a step forward, their bodies tensed further. Only their military discipline kept them from retreating.

The black-armored leader asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?!"

Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted.

Three people inside looked out.

When Old Master Ning saw his two sons back, he let out a very, very long breath. He would rather die himself than see those two sons die.

The scholar closed his eyes slightly, picked up a stone, and slowly set it in the Go bowl.

The masked Daoist Boy didn't answer.

In the distance, Ugly Slave clasped his hands in a respectful salute, using the etiquette of a subordinate addressing his superior. "Mister Taiyi, on Manfeng Mountain, Qingfeng and I were intercepted by another Celestial Master and Daoist Boy."

Inside the carriage, the scholar's hand paused at the news, but only for a moment. He still had some skill at keeping his composure.

Ugly Slave continued, "Those two were aiding the wicked and helping the demons, so Qingfeng and I killed them."

As he spoke, Ning Xuan flung the large sack he carried on his back straight onto the ground.

Bloodstained, shattered crossbows, along with torn purple robes and broken personal ornaments, spilled everywhere.

Clack.

The Go stone slipped from the scholar's hand in shock, struck the board, bounced off, and landed on the ground. It rolled in circles into a dark corner.

The scholar hurriedly bent down to retrieve it.

Old Master Ning abruptly turned to Manager Zhao, his face full of indignation. "Manager Zhao! Come to think of it, I'm one of the general's men too, aren't I?"

Manager Zhao was taken aback as well. He looked at the scholar, who was bending to pick up the Go stone, and furrowed his brows. Then he gave an awkward laugh, raising a hand to placate him. "All right, all right, Old Ning. Let's investigate before we say anything."

As he spoke, he looked toward the two in the distance, his gaze finally settling on the masked Daoist Boy.

He knew Ugly Slave, but he didn't know this one.

From their exchange, he'd also grasped the gist of what had happened: to ensure there was no chance of failure, Top Scholar had sent a trusted subordinate to wait on Manfeng Mountain. If Ning Taiyi dared send Ugly Slave to exterminate the demons there, that subordinate would secretly intervene, use someone else to do the killing, then leave without a trace. There would be no evidence, so the matter could never be brought into the open. But now, the plan had gone wrong.

He was curious how it had gone wrong.

His instincts told him the problem lay with this masked Daoist Boy.

Tilting his head, he asked curiously, "And who might this be?"

Old Master Ning smiled. "Xuan'er, take off your mask and come say hello to Uncle Zhao."

The masked Daoist Boy immediately removed his mask, revealing a young boy's face.

Ning Xuan called from afar, "Uncle Zhao!"

Manager Zhao nodded blankly, then looked at Old Master Ning. "This..."

Old Master Ning said, "My son doesn't have any demonic aura on him, does he?"

Manager Zhao stared at him for a long while, then shook his head.

Old Master Ning said, "My son went to Manfeng Mountain with Ugly Slave this time. He was the Daoist Boy."

Manager Zhao's Adam's apple bobbed. Suddenly, he understood what Ning Taiyi was trying to do.

Old Master Ning said, "If you don't believe me, you can have someone test him."

Manager Zhao glanced at the dozen or so black-armored soldiers. He was about to ask them to test Ning Xuan's strength, but at a glance he saw sweat covering the leader's head, and the others behind him looking extremely tense.

He wasn't a martial artist.

But those men were all capable martial artists.

He glanced again at the shattered crossbow and purple robe, still stained with blood.

Of course, he knew Top Scholar would only send someone if he'd calculated that victory was certain.

In other words, Ugly Slave couldn't possibly have killed those two.

So...

Manager Zhao now fully understood Ning Taiyi's plan. He closed his eyes and sighed softly. "This matter is of great importance. It isn't up to me to decide."

Old Master Ning said, "I'm one of Great General Qin's men too, which is why I let you take a look first. Otherwise, I could simply take Xuan'er to the Imperial Capital."

Manager Zhao hurriedly replied, "Understood, understood."

Then he turned to Ning Xuan. "Nephew, show us a single strike."

Ning Xuan nodded without wasting words. He drew his saber in an instant and unleashed a single Yan He at the empty air.

A shrill, piercing hum rang through the air.

The black-armored soldiers beside them all changed expression.

Manager Zhao knew what he was looking at, too.

He looked Ning Xuan over solemnly, then said, "Nephew, you're truly a young hero. Your future is limitless."

Then he looked at Ning Taiyi and said, "Old Ning, the general will investigate the ambush on Manfeng Mountain and give you an explanation.

"I've also learned about your nephew's situation.

"There'll be a reply by the end of the month at the latest.

"As for the handover due by the end of next month, it will certainly be put on hold too. But I have no authority to decide that, so let me report to the general first.

"Don't worry. General Qin values talent, and you're one of the people under the general's command too. You won't be cast aside."

Ning Taiyi nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Brother Zhao."

The smile lines spread across Manager Zhao's chubby face as he clasped his hands. "Brother Ning, you're too polite."

Then he glanced at the scholar, who was still searching for the Go stone, and called out, "Top Scholar?"

The scholar didn't answer.

He called again, "Top Scholar, have you found your stone?"

The scholar saw that he couldn't avoid him and muttered hesitantly, "It's... hard to find."

Manager Zhao said, "You can explain this to the general yourself when you get back."

A moment later.

The soldiers from General Qin's Manor, who had arrived in a show of force to demand an explanation, hurriedly left.

In the study at Ning Manor.

After Ugly Slave explained what had happened, Old Master Ning stared at Ning Xuan in astonishment.

How had he not known his own son had been raised to be like this?

But after his astonishment came heartfelt relief and delight.

His furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile spread across his solemn face.

He praised him again and again. "Good, good, good."

Only then did Ugly Slave say, "Mister Taiyi, Young Master Ning has exceptional talent. The Son of Heaven will surely value him. Why speak to General Qin first, then have him report it up the chain?"

He spoke rather hastily, clearly displeased.

Old Master Ning stroked his beard and smiled.

What sort of person was Ugly Slave? How could he not know?

Ugly Slave wasn't asking for himself. He was asking on Ning Xuan's behalf, helping Ning Xuan get this grievance off his chest.

Ning Xuan was young and hot-blooded. He'd already been unwilling to live under someone else's roof before. After what he'd just done, he must be thinking, "The heavens come first, and I come second." Surely he was wondering, "I could become a general myself, so why do I still have to go through this so-called Great General Qin?"

So he said, "Before the Dragon Qi appeared, the government was already unbearably complicated. Now that the Dragon Qi is here, it's even harder to imagine how tangled things have become. The puppet court on the surface and the true imperial court beneath it are both far from simple.

"This old man has spent his whole life clawing his way up, yet I've never seen through the rules of the game, nor fathomed how deep these waters run.

"The various powers are all entangled with one another. Xuan'er may have talent, but he has shallow roots."

Ugly Slave said unhappily, "So what if his roots are shallow? Didn't everyone fight their way up? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west; never look down on a poor young man! Mister Taiyi, are you underestimating Young Master Ning?"

As the two spoke, they both stole glances at Ning Xuan.

But Ning Xuan's expression looked rather anxious.

Old Master Ning couldn't help asking, "Xuan'er, what... are you thinking about?"

Ning Xuan finally let out a breath and said, "I was wondering if I could move."

"Move?" Old Master Ning asked curiously. "Where do you want to move?"

Ning Xuan said solemnly, "I've been too bloodthirsty this time. I want to move to Wangyue Prefecture, so I can visit the temple often and use its serenity to cleanse the bloodlust in my heart."

Old Master Ning looked at Ugly Slave.

Ugly Slave nodded. He'd seen Ning Xuan's bloodlust for himself and knew the boy wasn't exaggerating.

Old Master Ning thought about it and decided there was no problem.

He'd spent nearly thirty years building his influence in Wangyue Prefecture. Everyone there was one of his people, and besides, his own son was so fierce.

His son had finally grown sensible.

Old Master Ning was overjoyed.

"Pack your things and go." Old Master Ning waved a hand in satisfaction. He didn't even ask where his son would move to.

The whole of Wangyue Prefecture was under his watch. Why ask?

They left at once.

By day, a demon-slaying hero; by night, off to Chenxiang Pavilion.

Xiao Jie stopped the carriage and glanced at Young Master Ning. "Didn't you say you were going to worship the Bodhisattva?"

Ning Xuan said, "A female Bodhisattva."

With that, he eagerly headed toward the distant land of tenderness, where the lights blazed bright and incense smoke curled through the air.