Volume One: Carefree Journey Amidst Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Eighty: Crawling Out

Gu Qinghan saw the cold severity in Yang Ning’s actions and furrowed her delicate brows. The Frost Blade was a rare weapon, not only unmatched in sharpness but also clean and unstained by blood—even after being pulled from a shoulder, it remained bright and spotless. Steward Luo’s voice was already hoarse: “Young master, ancestor... it really... really was the marquis’s orders. We... we were only carrying out our duties...!”

Yang Ning was somewhat surprised. At this point, he believed that, given Steward Luo’s spineless nature, he would never still persist if someone else were orchestrating things. If another had truly given the orders, Luo would not be stubbornly insisting it was the Marquis of Brocade Robes.

“Whoever sent you, go back and tell them their good days are coming to an end.” Yang Ning sheathed the Frost Blade and rose slowly, his gaze as sharp as a knife as he looked at the tough men nearby. Although he was much shorter than them, the aura he exuded at this moment was chilling and unassailable. “Do you still want to fight?”

These men had already realized that they’d run into a hard case today. They had witnessed Yang Ning’s skill—though he looked scholarly and weak, when it came to fighting he was ruthless and merciless. Seeing even Steward Luo stabbed in the ankle, none dared step forward. After all, they were just trying to make a living, not looking to die here.

“Let’s go...!” Luo, seeing his men still dazed, grimaced through the agony in his ankle and shouted, “Hurry up and carry me out of here!”

He was a man of the world and knew that there were countless extraordinary people in this vast land. Today, he had run into a formidable one, and his only thought was to retreat.

“Not so fast.” Yang Ning shook his head. “You’ve injured people here. Do you really think you can just walk away?”

Luo immediately understood and shouted, “Everyone, hand over your money!”

The men quickly tossed their pouches onto a pile, Steward Luo adding his own as well, then said to Yang Ning, “Young master, this is all we have. If it’s not enough, I’ll send more later.”

Yang Ning replied coolly, “Steward Luo, I know you’re a man who returns slights a hundredfold. Let me make myself clear—if you dare seek revenge on King Lu’s Village, even if you harm a single blade of grass here, I will take your life. Do you understand?”

Luo hastily replied, “I wouldn’t dare, absolutely wouldn’t dare!” Then barked at his men, “Why aren’t you moving? Let’s go!”

Some of the men moved to lift their unconscious companion, others stepped forward to help Luo up. Yang Ning sneered, “Do you really think you can leave just like that?”

Luo thought bitterly, You’ve beaten us and taken our money—what more do you want? His ankle throbbed with pain, blood flowing freely; he knew the blade had surely severed his tendon, and he might never walk properly again. If he angered this young man further, he might lose his other foot as well. Voice trembling, he asked, “Young master, is there... anything else you require?”

“I recall someone telling me to crawl on the ground like a dog,” Yang Ning said with a frosty expression, pointing at one of them. “You—carry your unconscious friend. The rest of you, crawl out of this village like dogs.”

The faces of Luo and his men changed color. Yang Ning’s gaze darkened as he sneered, “What’s wrong, are you not convinced?”

Luo was filled with hatred, but could do nothing. He shouted angrily, “Get down and crawl out of the village!” Not wanting to linger, he turned, lay on the ground, and, gritting his teeth through the pain, led the others crawling out of the village like dogs. None dared go near the fine horses they’d left behind.

The villagers, seeing the previously arrogant Steward Luo reduced to such a state, felt a rush of satisfaction. Children, unaware of the world’s ways, clapped and laughed; even the young men cheered. Only the older, more prudent villagers, though pleased, felt a deeper worry.

The Marquis of Brocade Robes was a hereditary noble of the empire—a figure far beyond the reach of ordinary folk. The Qi family’s power in Jiangling was also deep-rooted and overwhelming. Now that they had offended the Qi family, though there was a moment of exhilaration, disaster would surely soon follow.

Even though Yang Ning had warned Luo in front of everyone not to seek revenge, the older villagers were not convinced. They thought Yang Ning was merely a chivalrous passerby, lending a hand to those in need. Once he left, Steward Luo would surely return with reinforcements.

At this moment, Gu Qinghan felt both alarmed and delighted—shocked that Yang Ning had kept his skills hidden and possessed such martial prowess, and glad that he was safe. She hurried over, gave him a thorough look, and, seeing he was unharmed, breathed a long sigh of relief. “Ning’er, you nearly scared me to death.”

Yang Ning chuckled, ignoring the men crawling away, picked up the money pouches from the ground, and walked over to Han Yi, pressing them into his hands. “Use this money to treat the injured villagers, and to help them recover. As for those horses, keep them here in the village for now.”

Han Yi, after a moment’s thought, handed the money to someone behind him, then bowed deeply to Yang Ning. “Young hero, thank you for helping us today. The whole village of King Lu will not forget your kindness. But this isn’t a safe place to linger—I think you and your companion should leave as soon as possible. I will remember this debt and repay it if I ever have the chance.”

“You’re worried that Steward Luo will come back for revenge?” Yang Ning easily guessed Han Yi’s concerns.

Han Yi did not conceal it, nodding. “The Qi family’s influence is not something our small village can resist. Luo is a vindictive man—after suffering such a loss, he will never let it go. He’ll likely return with more men, and the Qi family has connections with the authorities. If they bring in government constables, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”

At last, Gu Qinghan spoke, “Han Yi, the Marquis of Brocade Robes would never allow his own household to bully and oppress others. Nor is the Qi family the kind to prey on the weak. Steward Luo’s extortion and false taxes—whoever is behind it, the truth will soon come out, and the Marquis will give the people a proper answer.”

Han Yi couldn’t help but glance at Gu Qinghan, surprised by her striking appearance. He hadn’t paid her much attention before, but now realized Yang Ning’s companion was unusually handsome. Hearing her defend the Marquis with such certainty, he was a bit taken aback.

“Headman Han, it’s getting late, and it’s not safe to travel by night,” Yang Ning said with a sudden smile. “Would it be possible for us to trouble you for a night’s lodging in the village?”

Though Han Yi felt it might be dangerous for them to stay, these two had just aided them, and dusk was indeed falling. To drive them out now would be unjust. As he hesitated, the other villagers spoke up: “We have empty rooms at home—if you don’t mind, you can stay with us.”

Han Yi finally said, “If you wish to stay, you are more than welcome.” He had the villagers tie up the horses, then invited Yang Ning and Gu Qinghan to his own home. Meanwhile, at the village entrance, Steward Luo and his men, not daring to look back, scrambled to their feet and staggered away in shame.

Life in the village was simple, without any extravagance. Han Yi, ever hospitable, had a chicken slaughtered for their guests. Other villagers, grateful to Yang Ning, brought what they could—precious cured meat, eggs, and more.

As Han Yi’s household bustled, Yang Ning found a moment to quietly ask Gu Qinghan, “San-niang, is there anyone named Luo at the old residence?”

Gu Qinghan frowned. “When I married into your Qi family, I attended the ancestral rites at the old house, but since then I’ve always lived in the capital and never returned to Jiangling. The old general hadn’t come back for four or five years before he died, either. Everything here is managed by the chief steward. Every year, the chief steward makes a trip to the capital to report on local affairs—I’ve met him twice, but usually it’s Steward Qiu who comes to discuss these matters.” She thought for a moment. “I only know there are about a dozen people at the old house, but I’ve never heard of a steward named Luo, nor of keeping such a gang of men.”

“Earlier, that Luo said someone went to the capital to complain to the marquis’s residence. You know nothing about this?” Yang Ning frowned. “If someone from Jiangling went to the marquis, how could you not know?”

“I’ve been thinking about that as well.” Gu Qinghan’s beautiful eyes flashed with anger. “If such a thing happened, I couldn’t possibly be unaware—unless... unless someone deliberately concealed it.”

“You mean Steward Qiu?” Yang Ning’s expression turned cold. “Steward Qiu hiding things from above?”

Gu Qinghan shook her head. “Ning’er, without evidence, we can’t jump to conclusions. Steward Qiu can be a bit slippery at times, but he’s served the marquis’s house for years, always diligent. Besides, why would he hide such a thing? As for the chief steward at the old residence, I’ve only met him twice and don’t know him well, but he’s efficient and honest—not the cunning sort. He’s managed things here for decades, chosen personally by the old marquis, whose judgment was keen—I doubt he’d choose the wrong person.”

Yang Ning had long suspected the chief steward of foul play, but after hearing Gu Qinghan’s words, he began to doubt his own judgment.

Gu Qinghan was a woman of remarkable intelligence, and the old marquis was even more formidable. If the chief steward was chosen by the old marquis and had Gu Qinghan’s approval, he truly didn’t seem the type to deceive his masters. If that were so, things were even stranger.

“Ning’er, thank goodness I listened to you and didn’t go straight to the old residence,” Gu Qinghan sighed softly. “Otherwise, how would we have discovered all this? I always thought that the marquis’s fief was peaceful and prosperous, the people free from worry, but today I see that’s not the case.” Her bright eyes turned to Yang Ning. “How did you know there was trouble in the fief, and insist on going undercover to investigate?”