Chapter 93: 093. Crush the Bones and Scatter the Ashes (Second Revision)
Translator: 549690339
Dawn broke.
The Ning Family was quiet. The servants, with uneasy expressions on their faces, hurried about with their heads low.
The stewards and servants in the Ning Family Mansion located in Xunyang City were all gathered at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, as silent as cicadas in the cold.
The great clan, which had almost been swallowed up by the outsiders since the death of the Ning Family’s elder, finally had its bloodline return!
But when referring to the great clan, only one descendant was left.
Fortunately, both Ning Feng and Ning Yao, the father and son, wanted to take control of the Ning Family’s property and develop it further, never intending to destroy Ning Family.
Thus, over the years, although the Ning Family was not as glorious as before, it had not fallen and was still among the top four merchants of Qian Country.
The conflicts within the Ning Family arose due to the bloodline inheritance. A group of people who were once loyal to the Ning Family’s elder saw Ning Feng’s ambition to devour the Family. They suspected that the elder was murdered by him and wanted to support Ning Qingqing to seize power, expelling Ning Feng. Unfortunately, Ning Qingqing was just too naive, she exposed those people to Ning Feng, causing the loss of many capable stewards in the Ning Family. However, there were also many who did not recognize Ning Feng and chose to submit to him for survival. Now that they had heard Ning Jing had returned, they nurtured some hope.
“The Seventh Young Master is here!” someone exclaimed.
Everyone turned around and saw Ning Jing walking alone from the misty morning fog, his thin clothes and tall stature making his cold and detached face seem like that of a banished immortal.
As he got closer, they noticed that Ning Jing was holding something in his hand – a spirit tablet.
As they got even closer, they saw what was written on the tablet, and everyone was horrified!
Ning Jing passed through the crowd and entered the Ancestral Hall.
People outside could see him placing the tablet he brought under the tablets of the Ning Family’s elder and Ning Qingqing, then lighting incense.
“Why did Young Master Ning Jing set up his own spirit tablet…” An old steward couldn’t help but speak up.
The others were also puzzled.
That was because the tablet read “Ning Jing’s Spirit Tablet.” The scene was quite eerie.
When Ning Jing turned around, the stewards and servants lined up to watch him walk out, calmly saying, “The old Ning Jing is dead. From now on, I am the head of the Ning Family.”
Zhen Ningjing longed for freedom and didn’t want to take over the Ning Family’s business, which was related to Ning Feng and Ning Yao’s brainwashing.
The genuine members of Ning Family were all gone.
Ning Jing was not doing this for Zhen Ningjing. He just wanted to minimize trouble because as long as he had this identity, he could never break away from the Ning Family.
“What about the Master and the Madam…?” someone asked in a low voice.
All they knew was that a courtyard in the mansion caught fire the night before, but they didn’t know what had happened to Ning Feng, Hua Mei, and their children.
“There are no Master or Madam in this family. This has just been me all along.” Ning Jing’s expression was indifferent. “The people you are thinking of never belonged to the Ning Family. Last night, Wan Feng admitted to murdering my grandfather and mother. Hua Mei and their children are all accomplices.”
Although everyone had some suspicions about these matters, it was still shocking to hear Ning Jing speak them out so bluntly!
“They have gone to the Underworld to apologize to my mother.” Ning Jing said without any expression, dropping another bombshell.
Everyone had previously known the Seventh Young Master to be the gentlest and kindest of them all.
After a year, nobody expected that upon his return, Ning Jing would assume the posture of a murderous Asura. His first move not only wiped out the unwanted son-in-law and his woman and children but also eliminated the evil forces within the Ning Family.
Certainly, there were those who had followed Ning Feng and Ning Yao in the past, but with those people gone, no one would dare to challenge Ning Jing’s authority in the family at this moment.
Because, from the very beginning, Ning Jing was the only legitimate heir to the Ning Family.
This was also the reason why those evil people, who had already gained control of the Ning Family’s power, wanted to drive away the real Ningjing, killing him and desperately hunting him when they learned that he was not dead.
“In an hour, I want to see the account books and know the current state of the Ning Family’s business. I can let go of the past, but the Ning Family doesn’t keep idlers, ” Ning Jing coldly said. “Go and prepare.”
The stewards’ expressions changed, and they all hurried away.
Ning Jing looked at the remaining servants, finally resting his gaze on the middle-aged housekeeper.
This was not the original housekeeper when the Ning Family’s elder was alive. He was Ning Feng’s confidant. He was sweating profusely, his head hanging low and his face pale.
“I have a task for you,” Ning Jing said.
The housekeeper immediately nodded, “Yes, Master, please give your orders!”
“Go and throw Wan Feng, Hua Mei, and their children’s bones on the wild cemetery, and scatter their ashes!” Ning Jing coldly ordered.
The housekeeper looked horrified, and the other servants were also frightened.
“Master, if we go during the day and the outsiders find out…” The housekeeper’s voice trembled.
“Go openly and honestly. If anyone asks, tell them the truth.” Ning Jing stated.
The housekeeper nodded with a grim facial expression, “Yes.”
“For those who want to leave, you can go to the Accounting Office to take 100 silver taels and leave today. For those who want to stay, everything remains the same.” Ning Jing declared.
The Ning Family was rich and did not need so many servants now. Ning Jing had given them a choice.
With that, he left and went to the courtyard where the real Ning Jing had lived from childhood to adulthood.
Only a year had passed, and the courtyard was covered in weeds.
Opening the door, dust filled the air.
He fetched some water and cleaned the room where Zhen Ningjing had lived, cleared the weeds in the courtyard, and then lay on the bed to sleep.
That day, the weather in Xunyang City was gloomy.
A group of strong young servants came out of the Ning Family Mansion, carrying poles and bamboo baskets, with the housekeeper looking serious by the side.
Someone approached to see the charred human bones in the bamboo building and screamed in terror.
Those who knew the housekeeper asked him what was happening. He told them as Ning Jing instructed, “The real master of the Ning Family has returned. The son-in-law Wan Feng and the poisonous Hua Mei, along with all their children, conspired against Lord Ning and Ning Qingqing. With conclusive evidence, they all committed suicide in apology.”
These words left everyone speechless and wide-eyed!
Everyone believed that Wan Feng and Hua Mei from the brothel had conspired to take the Ning Family’s property. Many people had suspected that they had murdered Lord Ning and Ning Qingqing.
But to say that the poisonous couple, along with their children, committed suicide by self-immolation in apology—who would believe that?!
Nearly everyone thought that this was Ning Jing getting revenge after returning. They all believed that all of them were killed by Ning Jing! Who would ever choose to bring their children with them to commit suicide by self-immolation? The bones were all burned black!
“Where are you taking these corpses?” someone asked.
Forcing himself to speak, the housekeeper said, “As instructed by our master, we are throwing these mongrel bones at the Chaotic Burial Mound. As for their ashes, they should be scattered!”
As the procession led by the Ning Family to the Chaotic Burial Mound departed, the news of Ning Jing’s return and his thunderous revenge spread at lightning speed throughout Xunyang City.
Some people say that whether it was Wan Feng or Ning Feng, both were Ning Jing’s biological fathers. He was a bit too cruel.
Others argued that a son-in-law wasn’t really a legitimate father. Losing their family name, these men were not officially Ning Jing’s fathers. Ning Jing was the only real heir to the Ning Family, and Wan Feng was just a man who sold himself into the Ning Family. Not to mention, as a son-in-law, Wan Feng had a bunch of illegitimate children who were older than Ning Jing. It was ridiculous.
As for Wan Feng poisoning Ning Qingqing and even driving Ning Jing out of the house, who didn’t know how evil his intentions were? He deserved to die! As for Hua Mei and her children, they were nothing more than servants after joining the Ning Family.
Ning Jing should have been this assertive long ago, taking back everything that belonged to him and getting rid of those greedy villains!
Some people applauded Ning Jing’s thunderous means.
Others condemned Ning Jing for being too ruthless and vicious.
The news that Ning Jing had taken the imperial examination in Pingbei City and won the Top Scholar position had recently reached Xunyang City.
After waking up and washing his face, officials from the Xunyang Government Office came to question him.
It was normal for the government to investigate when there had been such a
disturbance and several deaths.
So Ning Jing went to the government office under watchful eyes.
He came out soon after, unscathed.
Although there was a murder in the Ning Mansion, Ning Jing, by status, had the right to dispose of those who were not of the Ning Family but still relied on them for survival. Even if they were nominally of the Ning surname and had lived lavishly before, once Ning Jing turned against them, their status would be no different from a servant.
The government could cause trouble for Ning Jing if they wanted, but with the dead bodies burned and Ning Jing claiming they self-immolated, they didn’t have any evidence to prove that Ning Jing set the fire.
Most importantly, Ning Jing had won the Top Scholar title, and his future was boundless. The officials in Xunyang City did not want to go against him. The questioning was just a formality, a courteous gesture.
Upon returning to the Ning Mansion, the stewards were waiting in the council hall.
Ning Jing went over and asked them to hand over the account books one by one, reporting on the business operations they were in charge of.
Some stewards thought Ning Jing knew nothing about business and tried to deceive him. However, they were immediately exposed, and without even a chance to defend themselves, they were stripped of their positions and sent away.
The servants served tea and dessert twice and two meals, but Ning Jing barely ate.
Not until late at night, after the last elderly steward finished reporting, did Ning Jing gain a preliminary understanding of the Ning Family’s business.
However, he didn’t plan to stay and manage it. Instead, he would use today’s “interviews” to select a few clear-headed and experienced stewards to promote, reassign, and ensure that the Ning Family’s business wouldn’t fall into chaos after he left.
The only reason why ning jing went to the government office today and took over the affairs of the ning family, was to prevent anyone from attacking him openly.
But the same reason applied: he was a Top Scholar. Perhaps in half a year’s time, he would become the top talent, suddenly transform into an official, and who would dare to provoke him?
Moreover, everyone had seen the ruthlessness of Ning Jing’s methods when crushing the bones and scattering the ashes of his enemies—an enormous deterrent to both internal and external forces.
After giving the order to throw Wan Feng and the others’ crushed bones and ashes away, the original housekeeper was taken by Ning Jing’s men to the Government Office, accused of stealing the master’s property and conspiring to kill several people.
This was not a false accusation.
The housekeeper had secretly helped Wan Feng do many evil deeds, harming many original stewards in the Ning Family, and a large number of valuables were found in his house.
Although they were actually awarded by Wan Feng, if Ning Jing said they were stolen, then they were stolen.
As for evidence to prove he harmed people, Ning Jing didn’t have any and didn’t have time to investigate. He simply suggested that the government use torture.
The newly appointed housekeeper was an old man in the back garden responsible for the flowers and trees. He had originally been in charge of purchasing for the mansion, but later claimed he was not in good health and hid in the garden.
Hearing that Ning Jing wanted him to be the housekeeper, the old man’s eyes overflowed with tears. He kept saying, “The old master and the young lady can rest in peace now that they’ve seen your capabilities, young master!”
Before dawn, Ning Jing left Xunyang City alone on horseback, taking only two boxes of tea leaves: one for Lin Shuzhi, and one to share with Su Liang.
He was pressed for time, so his arrangements for the Ning Family may have been hasty, but they should ensure that no problems arise for the time being. As for the future, he would ask Su Liang if she was interested in taking over the Ning Family after their meeting..
This content is taken from free web nov𝒆l.com