Chapter 67: 067. Found a Good Home (Second Update)
Translator: 549690339
“Master, don’t you think there are too many people? Gai Yun has only arranged six…” Chang’an asked in a low voice.
At the moment, ten tall men surrounded Su Liang.
Compared to them, Su Liang seemed petite and fragile.
Mai Fei sat under a tree, his eyes slightly narrowed, “Don’t underestimate Miss Su. She has signed the contract and said nothing. She must have some real skills.”
Why couldn’t Chang’an hear the sarcasm in Mai Fei’s tone?
Since meeting Su Liang and Ning Jing, Mai Fei had lost his composure more than once.
Chang’an knew that Mai Fei arranged this to teach Su Liang a lesson, so he didn’t say anything.
Nian Jincheng was standing not far away, with his attendant Nian Ye behind him.
“Where is he?” Mai Fei frowned.
The reason they hadn’t started yet was that Ning Jing had smeared ink on his hands while adding the “Feiyun Bow” to the contract. He said he was going to wash it off and that they should wait for him to come before they started.
Mai Fei was unhappy, but he didn’t say anything. However, they had been waiting for a quarter of an hour.
Just as Chang’an was about to go looking for him, he saw Ning Jing coming with a dessert box from Mingxiang Building. He chose a place where the sun was shining and started eating Osmanthus Cake.
It must have been freshly baked, as Chang’an could smell the enticing fragrance from afar.
The Mingxiang Building’s Osmanthus Cakes were known for being exquisite and sold in limited quantities daily.
Chang’an strongly suspected that Ning Jing had timed his arrival deliberately.
Nian Ye couldn’t help but say, “Ning’s seventh son doesn’t look like the down-and-out person rumored to have been expelled from his family. He seems to be living a comfortable and leisurely life!”
Nian Jincheng watched the peaceful and beautiful man eating Osmanthus Cake, nodding slightly, “You’re right.”
Mai Fei glanced at Ning Jing with a slightly dark expression, “He really sees himself as a gigolo!”
Chang’an coughed lightly, “It can’t be helped. Miss Su spoils him, and being a gigolo is also one of Ning’s skills.”
Nian Jincheng, who overheard the conversation: … Although he didn’t agree, it really did seem that way.
Mai Fei shot a glance at Chang’an and asked loudly, “Is Miss Su ready?”
“Just a moment,” Su Liang said, walking out of the circle, picking up a piece of Osmanthus Cake next to Ning Jing. She finished eating it, and when Mai Fei’s subordinates were unprepared, she suddenly launched her attack!
Mai Fei abruptly straightened up, snorting coldly, “Is she trying to cheat?” Chang’an hurriedly said, “Master, it’s up to Miss Su to decide when to start acting. Our people can’t always be gathered around her like this!”
Mai Fei wasn’t blind to what Su Liang was doing; he just didn’t like her today.
Chang’an gave a serious analysis, only to get a cold glance from Mai Fei,
“Enough nonsense! Go and buy Osmanthus Cakes!”
Chang’an weakly requested, “This subordinate wants to see Miss Su’s strength for myself. There won’t be another chance. If Master wants to eat Osmanthus Cake, may I ask Ning for a piece?”
Mai Fei’s gaze was fixed on the battle, “Go ahead. If he asks for money, you pay.”
Chang’an:…lt suddenly felt painful, foreseeing he’s about to be slaughtered…
However, he still boldly approached Ning Jing.
Unexpectedly, Ning Jing was unusually generous, signaling Chang’an to take the remaining two pieces of Osmanthus Cake, “Please give these to Mai and
General Nian.”
He didn’t mention money.
Delighted, Chang’an quickly grabbed the cakes, fearing Ning Jing would change his mind, “Thank you, Ning!”
Thinking it would be best to put the box in front of Mai Fei, Chang’an passed him and ran to deliver the cakes to Nian Jincheng first.
Nian Jincheng rarely had sweets and desserts from his childhood, concentrating on the battle, and did not notice Chang’an fetching the Osmanthus Cake. Suddenly hearing Chang’an mention Ning Jing inviting him for dessert, he was slightly astonished. He reached out, took the box, and said, “Thank you!”
Chang’an hurriedly said that Nian Jincheng could have one piece, and the remaining one was for Mai Fei.
Nian Jincheng took a piece out with a handkerchief, and returned the box to Chang’an.
When Chang’an placed the dessert box in front of Mai Fei and respectfully said, “Master, please help yourself,” Mai Fei did not pay attention to him. But it was not because of the Osmanthus Cake, but because he was staring at the ten-to-one combat situation in front of him with astonishment.
Chang’an stood up straight and stared in shock!
In the time it took for him to share the Osmanthus Cake, Su Liang had knocked down three of the opponents!
Although Su Liang’s confidence before the match made Mai Fei and Chang’an suspect that she was hiding her true abilities,
based on their past understanding of Su Liang and their inherent prejudice towards a young and seemingly helpless girl, they actually felt that Su Liang was overconfident in challenging their opponents without having faced Mai Fei’s subordinates before.
Mai Fei’s dissatisfaction and anger were because he had unconsciously dragged Su Liang into his plan, but deep down, he didn’t really believe that Su Liang’s strength could be that powerful.
Therefore, the always proud Mai Fei found Su Liang’s request to be provoking and underestimating herself!
In fact, in Mai Fei’s original plan, Su Liang was incapable of controlling the situation. It was only because of her enmity with the Wu family father and son that she was irreplaceable.
Mai Fei planned to ask his subordinates not to be too harsh on Su Liang during the match, to create opportunities for her to counterattack and escape, and even thought about how to instruct them to make the fight more realistic.
In short, while Mai Fei insisted on involving Su Liang, he only regarded her as a tool. Although there were reasons he would not let her die, he originally thought that she would only be able to complete the mission under his command and control.
As a result, Mai Fei was proven wrong.
Nian Jincheng was deeply shocked.
The vulnerable village girl from his memory had suddenly become a beautiful, cold-hearted young woman, which was already a great surprise to him.
When he saw that Su Liang could ride a horse, saved Mai Fei in the nick of time, and demonstrated superb medical skills, Nian Jincheng began to reassess her abilities.
But that time, he didn’t have the chance to witness Su Liang’s true power. All he saw were the traitor’s pierced knees and Su Liang’s bloodstained Twin Blades; he didn’t know her actual capabilities.
Now, he saw it for himself.
As a martial artist, Nian Jincheng could tell that because of her physical limitations and lack of power, Su Liang didn’t appear as intimidating as the usual master at first glance. One might think she was struggling in the fight.
After all, it was one against ten, and the opponents were not weak.
However, as time went by, it was clear that Su Liang was indeed struggling, but she was not suppressed!
Her mentality in combat was so strong! Becoming more and more courageous in a fight is extremely difficult, especially when at a disadvantage and facing greater numbers. It requires highly sophisticated tactics and quick reaction abilities!
These were Su Liang’s strengths, having lived twice and trained relentlessly in martial arts and combat under Ning Jing’s guidance in both lifetimes!
The agreement for this match was that it would be a “rehearsal”. They were to fight for real, but not with real weapons.
No matter Su Liang or her opponents, they had to fight with the mentality of defeating each other. Once hit by the wooden weapon in a vital area, one would be considered “dead”.
“Miss Su’s moves change very quickly and are quite tricky!” Chang’an couldn’t help but comment.
“How about compared to you?” Mai Fei asked.
As Mai Fei’s close follower, Chang’an was naturally skilled in martial arts, but at this moment, he couldn’t say for sure that he would definitely defeat Su Liang if they were to fight.
After pondering for a while, Chang’an replied earnestly, “In terms of martial arts alone, I consider myself stronger than Miss Su. But if we really fight, the outcome is uncertain. She has a unique ability to turn the tide and defeat the strong with her weakness.”
Mai Fei sneered, “Strength or weakness, victory or defeat are what matters!”
Chang’an immediately nodded, “Master’s teaching is correct. I hope to have the opportunity to learn from Miss Su in the future!”
“I underestimated her.” Mai Fei sighed as he saw another one of his subordinates eliminated. “She dared to make such a deal with me because she had enough confidence in herself. Had I known she was this strong, I wouldn’t have hesitated to give her what she wanted.”
Mai Fei had great ambitions, and wanted to rise higher in the ranks; naturally, he needed capable people to help him.
He saw Su Liang’s potential, this girl hidden in the small mountain village was a true genius, whether in medical skills or martial arts. And her strongest attribute was her intelligence.
From the beginning, Mu Fei sought Su Liang, intending to use her as a tool for his return to the capital city under the pretext of seeking justice for the Su Family and dealing with certain people.
Even though Su Liang had repeatedly surprised Mu Fei during this period, and he had intended to win her over, his words of “cooperation” essentially still treated her as a pawn, including this time.
It was not until this moment that Mu Fei began to regret; he should have listened to Chang’an and arranged for someone to test Su Liang. If he had known earlier about Su Liang’s prowess, he would have changed his approach in some matters.
The battle ended, Su Liang threw away the wooden sword in her hand, feeling that it was not useful at all, and the one made by Ning Jing was more suitable.
She had no other intentions, just wanted to know if there was any difference between this “rehearsal” and the upcoming “actual combat.”
But when Mu Fei heard this, it sounded like she was implying that his subordinates were all useless…
“There are only six of them. Two are stronger than the rest, but you should be able to handle them.” Mu Fei stood up and smiled, “Young Miss Su has such great talent at such a young age, I wonder who your teacher is?”
Ning Jing took out a small knife and a wooden hairpin from nowhere and was seriously carving them, as if it wasn’t about him at all.
Su Liang laughed lightly, “If I say I’m self-taught, would Lord Mu believe me?” Mu Fei glared at Su Liang, “Would it kill you to tell me the truth?”
“Lord Mu is very generous.” Su Liang looked serious, “This is absolutely true, my true words.”
Mu Fei rubbed his forehead, “As long as you help me crack the iron smuggling case, everything is negotiable.”
Su Liang noticed the change in Mu Fei’s attitude and knew the reason.
And her willingness to help this time was, of course, not for Mu Fei’s sake. To expose the crimes of Gai Yun and Gai Huai’an was the main goal, as these two twisted father and son disgusted her.
If she had any personal interests, the person Su Liang wanted to help was Nian Jincheng.
Seeing Nian Jincheng appear with Chang’an yesterday, and hearing what they said, Su Liang knew what Mu Fei was plotting.
Although Ning Jing did not say, Su Liang had long guessed that his relationship with Nian Jincheng was not ordinary. Nian Jincheng’s impulsive questioning before also showed that he cared very much about Ning Jing.
As such, Su Liang, of course, did not want to see him being entangled by Mu Fei’s schemes, so she decided to help him along and solve his troubles.
And Ning Jing’s lack of objections to Su Liang’s decision meant that he agreed with it.
After finalizing the time and other details of the operation, Su Liang and Ning Jing left the county government and went to the mansion they had bought in the county town.
Mu Fei had Chang’an send over a lot of ingredients.
Upon returning, Chang’an looked astonished, “Miss Su actually took the initiative to ask if she needed to wait for her to finish cooking the meat buns and bring back a portion for Master.”
“Where are the meat buns?” Mu Fei asked.
Chang’an’s face stiffened, “This subordinate thought Miss Su might just be being polite, so…”
Mu Fei seemed lost in thought, “She has always been polite to me, never wanting me to see her true strength before, and even now it’s still a transaction.”
“Miss Su is kind-hearted, and as long as the Master is doing the right thing, she is willing to cooperate,” Chang’an shared his own opinion.
However, Mu Fei’s face darkened slightly. Such a person, to put it simply, wasn’t wrong, having the same nature as Nian Jincheng. They were useful at times but impossible to control completely.
“Tonight, after Su Liang leaves, have someone watch Ning Jing. He’s hiding even deeper than Su Liang; let’s see if he’ll stay quietly at home.” Mu Fei said, “Don’t let him find out. If he leaves the house, don’t get involved.”
Chang’an’s expression turned serious, “Yes, sir.”
Mu Fei rubbed his forehead, “I still don’t understand, how did those two end up in Su family village?”
Chang’an thought seriously for a while before saying, “Perhaps, as Miss Su said, the house they were staying in at Su family village was a Feng Shui treasure land that could change their fortunes!”
Mu Fei: …
In the evening, Nian Jincheng came to find Mai Fei.
“I want to go secretly tonight to protect Miss Su.” Nian Jincheng said solemnly, “Although her strength is not weak, just in case, someone needs to support her. ”
Mai Fei looked at Nian Jincheng and replied with a smirk, “I have arranged it all. Su Liang said that your arm will be unable to practice martial arts for a month. If anything happens to you again, it will be a waste.”
Nian Jincheng nodded, “I know. If all goes well, I don’t need to fight anyone, and if I really have to, I can still use my right hand. I can’t help but feel guilty for letting Miss Su face danger. I can’t just wait here for news, doing nothing.” Mai Fei snorted, “You didn’t really fall for that girl, did you?”
Nian Jincheng shook his head, “I’m just doing my duty, no other thoughts.”
“Since you insist, go ahead. Be careful, you are the emperor’s favorite. I can’t take responsibility if anything happens to you,” Mai Fei waved his hand.
If Nian Jincheng failed his mission, it would be his own fault, but if he didn’t complete it, it would be another story. In the former case, Mai Fei had to take some responsibility because he was in charge of the overall situation.
After receiving Mai Fei’s permission, Nian Jincheng secretly left the county government office.
After finishing the last meat bun, Su Liang and Ning Jing were ready for dinner.
Suddenly they heard a noise in the backyard. They looked at each other, and Su Liang got up, drew her sword, and hid behind the door.
But she saw Ning Jing pick up a meat bun and took a bite.
Su Liang:…What about the tacit understanding? This man is becoming more and more like a spoiled brat…
As the footsteps grew closer, Su Liang tightened her grip on the sword in her hand, ready to strike at any moment. She heard a familiar voice outside the door, “It’s Nian Jincheng.”
Su Liang said nothing and went back to her seat, putting away her knife. It was Ning Jing’s friend; she didn’t care.
Of course, Ning Jing cared even less. He took a small knife and carefully cut the round meat bun into six equal pieces with three cuts. He picked up a piece with chopsticks, and it was much easier to eat.
Nian Jincheng, who was left outside the door, felt embarrassed. The door was open, and he could see the two people enjoying their meal, feeling deeply unwelcome.
Su Liang finally spoke, “General Nian, what do you mean by barging into my house uninvited?”
“I told the Fourth Prince that I would secretly protect Miss Su tonight.” As Nian Jincheng didn’t hear an invitation to come in, he spoke from outside the door. “Your arm is useless, are you sure you don’t need me to protect you?” Su Liang retorted.
Nian Jincheng remained silent for a moment, then spoke again, “Ning…Ning Jing, the Fourth Prince is likely to send someone to watch you. If you want to protect Miss Su, I can stay here in your place.”
Su Liang hesitated for a moment before realizing Nian Jincheng’s sudden arrival’s purpose.
Seeing that Ning Jing still had that lazy, unresponsive appearance, Su Liang had to invite Nian Jincheng in and gave him a set of chopsticks.
Nian Jincheng felt restrained and heard Su Liang say, “I don’t care what kind of relationship you two have, since you’re already here, don’t be so coy! Where’s that bold attitude when you interrogated me before?”
Nian Jincheng became even more embarrassed, “I’m sorry…”
Su Liang picked up one of Ning Jing’s pieces of meat bun and handed it to Nian Jincheng, while Ning Jing took one from Su Liang’s plate…
The atmosphere was a bit strange. Seeing that none of them had any intention of starting a conversation, Su Liang didn’t want to talk either.
The three of them quietly ate their meal. Afterward, Ning Jing went back to his room, and Nian Jincheng hesitated for a moment before getting up and following.
As soon as they entered the room, Ning Jing said, “Take off your clothes.”
Nian Jincheng quickly responded, taking off his coat and exchanging it with Ning Jing’s.
Ning Jing put on Nian Jincheng’s clothes, pulled out a mask, put it on, and walked out. As they passed each other, Ning Jing spoke, “Wash the dishes, scrub the pots, clean up the kitchen.”
Nian Jincheng was a bit confused. He watched Ning Jing walk to the door and blurted out, “I can rest assured now that I see you found a good place to settle down..”
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