Volume Two: Continuing the Legacy in Brocade and Blood Chapter 156: Chief Escort

The man who walked out of the stairwell was not particularly broad-shouldered; in fact, he was somewhat slender. However, his steps were steady, and with just a single glance, Yang Ning knew that his martial arts were not weak.

The man appeared to be around forty-five or forty-six years old, dressed in a black cotton robe with a fox-fur hat perched on his head. Standing at the top of the stairs, he swept his gaze across the room. The high-nosed fellow who had been sprawled on the floor, too terrified to move, had already climbed back to his feet. Rushing forward to greet the newcomer, he cried out, "Chief Escort, this punk hit someone......!"

"Crack!"

Before the high-nosed man could finish his sentence, a heavy slap landed squarely across his face. The force behind the blow was immense, and instantly, half of the man's face swelled up.

"Chief Escort......!" The high-nosed man looked horrified, seemingly unable to comprehend why he had been struck.

The middle-aged man said coldly, "I sent you to invite Miss Zhenzhu. How did you handle it? Since there were guests present here, you should have discussed it properly. Why resort to offenses?"

"Chief Escort......!"

"Shut up!" the middle-aged man snapped harshly. "Do you think I am unaware of your usual behavior? You must have acted rudely and presumptuously here, which is why you were taught a lesson. Young Master Yuan is here, and he is a man of letters and propriety. Birds of a feather flock together, and naturally, his friends are also reasonable men. If not for your outrageous conduct, would they have ever resorted to fists?"

The high-nosed man lowered his head, not daring to utter another word.

Only then did the middle-aged man stride forward, cupping his fists in a salute and smiling. "Young Master Yuan, these worthless wretches have disturbed your fine mood. Allow me to apologize to both of you on their behalf." With a flick of his hand, a money pouch landed right beside Yuan Rong. "Consider this a small token of my sincerity. There are countless maidens along the Qinhuai River, and this bit of silver should be more than enough to cover Young Master Yuan's expenses for tonight."

Yuan Rong frowned and asked, "Chief Escort Ding, what is the meaning of this?"

The middle-aged man was none other than Ding Yitu, the chief escort of the Rising Sun Escort Agency. He smiled faintly. "To make amends for these worthless fellows causing trouble for the two of you, I offer this as an apology. Furthermore, I have a friend visiting from afar today. He rarely comes to the capital, and his arrival just happened to coincide with tonight's selection of the Flower Queen. My friend is fond of the zither and musical melodies, and having heard of Miss Zhenzhu's exceptional skill, he wishes to invite her over to play a tune."

Yang Ning glanced at Zhenzhu, only to see her head lowered, her delicate frame trembling slightly as if she did not even dare to look at Ding Yitu, harboring a profound and deep-seated terror toward him.

Yuan Rong frowned. "Yet I came here today precisely to listen to Miss Zhenzhu play the zither."

Ding Yitu smiled. "Young Master Yuan comes from a scholarly family, well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It is only natural for you to appreciate Miss Zhenzhu's musical talent. Moreover, Young Master Yuan arrived before me and boarded Miss Zhenzhu's boat first; it is not my place to snatch away what another holds dear. However, my friend cannot stay in the capital for long and only has free time tonight, as he must likely depart tomorrow. Therefore......" He took a step forward, his expression sincere. "I ask Young Master Yuan to grant me this favor and allow Miss Zhenzhu to make a brief visit. Tonight's expenses for both Young Master Yuan and your companion will be entirely covered by me. If Young Master Yuan can grant me this courtesy, I will certainly repay you handsomely another day."

Yuan Rong hesitated slightly, glancing over at Yang Ning. He saw that Yang Ning was calmly holding his wine cup, entirely unbothered, acting as though Ding Yitu did not even exist and refusing to spare him a single glance.

"Miss Zhenzhu, would you grant me this favor?" Ding Yitu turned his gaze to the silent, head-bowed Zhenzhu. "If you come, you will be richly rewarded."

Finally, Zhenzhu raised her head, cast a look at Yuan Rong, and gave a bitter smile. "Young Master Yuan, please forgive Zhenzhu's discourtesy, but I will be unable to serve the two of you tonight......!"

A slight curve formed at the corner of Ding Yitu's mouth.

"Miss Zhenzhu, go tidy up first and dress a bit more prettily." Ding Yitu spoke as though he had already deemed her compliance certain. "My friend is a man of refined tastes, so do not keep him waiting. I will have someone wait for you downstairs." With that, he cupped his fists toward Yuan Rong. "Young Master Yuan, I shall thank you another day!" He turned and walked away.

Having taken merely two steps, he heard a calm voice ring out from behind him. "This must be Chief Escort Ding of the Rising Sun Escort Agency, am I right?"

Ding Yitu's stride hitched, and he came to a halt. Turning back around, he looked at Yang Ning, only to find him leisurely swirling his wine cup with absolute nonchalance. Ding Yitu smiled and said, "Indeed, Ding Yitu of Rising Sun. I have yet to ask for your honorable name, sir!"

Clearly, he did not recognize Yang Ning, but since the man was in the company of Yuan Rong, he was naturally no ordinary individual.

"Who I am is not important," Yang Ning said indifferently. "I had someone summon you here not for you to take Miss Zhenzhu away, but to demand an apology. Your attitude has been passable, and you did take the initiative to admit fault, so I will let bygones be be bygones. You may take your subordinates and leave, but remember to discipline them properly when you return, lest you trouble others to do your parenting next time."

Ding Yitu furrowed his brow slightly, though his tone remained courteous. "What the young master says is true." Pausing for a moment, he added, "However, you saw Miss Zhenzhu's attitude yourself; she seems quite willing to leave with me."

"My apologies. Putting aside whether Miss Zhenzhu is truly willing to go with you, even if she were, I'm afraid you still cannot take her." Reaching out, Yang Ning pinched a pastry between his fingers and said leisurely, "I, too, wish to hear Miss Zhenzhu play the zither, so you may leave now."

Ding Yitu was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "Is the young master joking?"

"Does it look like I am joking with you?" Yang Ning suddenly turned his head to stare at Ding Yitu, his gaze sharp. "I do not have the leisure to banter with you." Shifting his attention back to Zhenzhu, he smiled, "Miss Zhenzhu, you may begin."

Zhenzhu's delicate brows knitted together. Standing where she was, she was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Ding Yitu's expression chilled slightly. "I said before that I would repay this handsomely another day, and I will cover all expenses for the two of you tonight. The maidens along the Qinhuai River are as numerous as the hairs on an ox; you may choose whichever you please."

"There is only one pearl along the Qinhuai River," Yang Ning replied. "Since the maidens along the Qinhuai River are as numerous as the hairs on an ox, you, too, may choose as you please. Do not linger here and ruin my mood."

Ding Yitu suddenly burst into laughter. "And if I insist on taking her with me?"

Yang Ning smiled as well. "Those subordinates of yours said the exact same thing just a moment ago, but you saw how they ended up."

"Are you threatening me?" Ding Yitu smiled. "Do you truly believe Ding would yield to threats? I admire your boldness, young man, but excessive arrogance is rarely a good thing."

"Can one truly be called a young man without arrogance?" Yang Ning countered with a smile. "You claim you have guests, but what does that have to do with us? You ask us to show you courtesy—is your face truly so grand? What if I refuse to grant it? What will you do then?"

The corners of Ding Yitu's eyes twitched slightly. He turned his gaze to Yuan Rong and said calmly, "Young Master Yuan, I gave you face. How do you propose this matter be handled?"

Yuan Rong seated himself and picked up his wine cup. "Chief Escort Ding, I might be able to persuade others, but this man's temper is exceptionally peculiar. Whatever he chooses to do is not something I can sway."

Ding Yitu scrutinized Yang Ning for a few moments, his brows tightly knitted. Just when Yuan Rong expected him to fly into a rage, Ding Yitu merely cupped his fists, uttered not another word, and turned to leave. His two subordinates quickly followed behind him.

Yuan Rong looked somewhat surprised and murmured softly, "That hardly seems like Ding Yitu's usual temper."

Yang Ning also seemed slightly taken aback, a faint smile touching his lips. "He is much smarter than you think, and far more patient......!" In his heart, however, he knew that Ding Yitu was no rash and reckless brute; the man was deeply calculating and far from a simple character.

Zhenzhu let out a mournful sigh and seated herself nearby.

"You seem deathly afraid of him," Yang Ning asked. "Why are you harboring such dread? Has he harmed you?"

After a brief hesitation, Zhenzhu forced a smile. "My Lord, drink your wine. Since you've come to the Qinhuai River, just enjoy yourselves and pay no mind to the rest."

Yuan Rong also looked at Zhenzhu, frowning as he asked, "Zhenzhu, are you hiding something from me?"

"N—No!" Zhenzhu's gaze darted away as she lowered her head. "Young Master, please do not ask any further."

Yang Ning sighed. "Before you even saw him, terror had already taken root in your heart. Upon seeing Ding Yitu, you didn't even dare to look at him. This certainly isn't just because he is the chief escort of the Rising Sun Escort Agency; there are clearly deeper reasons behind it. Since you are unwilling to speak of it, I will not force you."

"Zhenzhu, back then Young Master Xue asked me to look after you, but these past two years I......!" Yuan Rong's expression turned desolate. "Though I gave him my word, I failed to fulfill it. I have always wanted to help you, but......!" With a bitter laugh, he shook his head, his face filled with helplessness.

A trace of gratitude surfaced in Zhenzhu's eyes as she said, "Young Master, you have already cared for me greatly. Zhenzhu is endlessly grateful."

"I know you must have suffered a great deal over the past two years, yet you have never once asked me for anything," Yuan Rong sighed. "I understand your heart—you simply didn't want to burden me too much. But if you truly harbor unspeakable grief and require my help, no matter what, you must tell me." His voice turned cold. "Tell me, what on earth has happened?"

Zhenzhu's delicate frame shivered, and her eyes flushed red. After a moment of hesitation, she finally reached up and gently rolled back her sleeve. Her skin was remarkably fair, her wrists crystalline like jade, but as the fabric was pushed up, several crisscrossing scars marred the snow-white flesh—a horrifying sight that struck the soul.

Yuan Rong's expression shifted drastically, and Yang Ning furrowed his brow deeply.

"Th—What on earth is the meaning of this?" Yuan Rong abruptly stood up. "Where did those scars on your arms come from?"

Zhenzhu gave a bitter smile. "It is not just my arms; my entire body bears even more scars than this. The places that can be seen reveal nothing, but the places hidden from view are covered entirely in scars."

A cold glint flashed in Yang Ning's eyes as he demanded, "Are these scars inflicted by Ding Yitu? Is this the real reason you fear him?"

"Tell me everything that has happened," Yuan Rong, usually an exceptionally refined and cultured man, was now consumed by fury, his expression fierce and twisted.

Zhenzhu spoke softly, "Ding Yitu is a beast. He...... he takes pleasure in torturing people. Every single month, he sends someone to fetch me, and then......!" She could not bring herself to finish. Such sorrow was a burden too heavy to share with anyone, but now that the words were out, grief welled up from the depths of her soul, and tears burst uncontrollably from her eyes.