Chapter 19: Jealousy Flares, Touching the Heart

Chapter 19: Jealousy Stirs the Heart

Looking at this large gathering of elite troops and fierce generals, Second Young Master Ning couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety about his future.

His title of Beggar Gang Chief sounded impressive, but in reality, he was just a boss who led everyone in business. If it came to a real fight with the regular army, he wouldn't stand a chance.

It wasn't that the gang couldn't beat these eight hundred men, but rather the eighty thousand, even eight hundred thousand troops behind them.

That was a force that could wipe out every last member of the Beggar Gang, grinding their bones to dust.

The Sword of Damocles hanging overhead was already enough to make one sick to the stomach. And now the Ming family wanted to nominate him as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader—wasn't that just asking for a quicker death? Ning Xishi really wanted to shut that guy up for good, right then and there.

Only if his identity wasn't exposed could the Beggar Gang brothers, including his own family, be safe.

The march was more than twice as fast as Ning Xishi's previous pleasure trip to Jiangnan. For the first two days, Ning Xishi could still ride out and let loose.

By the third day, he was sprawled in the carriage, completely unwilling to move, just playing with the little bird with the broken wing in his hand.

The bird was dead tired, burying its head in the nest in the corner, leaving Young Master Ning with nothing but a bird's butt.

Xie Jingxing didn't bother him or kick him out, listening to the rustling sounds beside him while sitting quietly in the carriage, minding his own business.

But the carriage was really bumpy. Young Master Ning couldn't stand lying down for long. He really didn't want to get off, so he just wanted to lean over and chat with Xie Jingxing.

To be precise, it was Young Master Ning doing all the talking or asking, while Xie Jingxing would occasionally grunt "mm" or nod in response.

Ning Xishi was practically flattered by this. After all, just a while ago, the other had been ignoring him completely.

He guessed that General Xie must be a lover of fine wine. It must be that jar of wedding wine he gave him that did the trick!

How else could you explain the change in his attitude!

Ning Xishi deliberately tried to cozy up to General Xie: "Once we reach Shaozhou, my maternal grandfather still has quite a bit of fine wine stashed away. On the way back, I'll steal it all for you, General."

Xie Jingxing shot Ning Xishi a sidelong glance, without giving any indication of agreement or disagreement.

Ning Xishi thought he didn't like being buttered up like this, so he hastily leaned back a bit, putting more distance between them, and said earnestly: "It's all because I admire the General's great achievements that I offered them willingly. It has nothing to do with trying to curry favor or anything."

Xie Jingxing: "..." Fine, he'd pretend he was blind.

Still, it did work on him.

Whenever Xie Jingxing didn't know how to respond to Ning Xishi, he'd either stay silent or look out the window. At that moment, he lifted the curtain again.

Over there, Qiu Changyu rode over, as if sensing something, and paused in surprise at the sight: "General, why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden?"

There's no report of victory either.

Ning Xishi was surprised, studying Xie Jingxing's profile from inside the carriage—wasn't his face as expressionless as always?

He couldn't see a single sign that the man was in a good mood.

The curtain was instantly dropped, which was a classic case of trying too hard to cover something up.

If Young Master Ning had pressed on with a couple more questions following Qiu Changyu's lead, he might have made General Xie fly into a rage from embarrassment.

But Young Master Ning was too worried about his identity being exposed to pay closer attention to Xie Jingxing. Outside, Qiu Changyu wanted to lift the curtain for another look, but didn't have the guts.

So by the time they set up camp at night, General Xie had returned to his impenetrable state.

This was the third day of the march. Their journey was expected to take seventeen days total, so the trip was still early, yet Ning Xishi was already worrying about his stamina.

Dongshuang huddled beside Ning Xishi, eating roast chicken, and said: "I asked one of the chiliarchs today. Usually when General Xie goes to Jiangnan, it takes eight or nine days, ten at most. This time it's only delayed to seventeen days because we have to travel by carriage."

Ning Xishi, who had never spent fewer than forty days on a trip to Jiangnan: "..."

Ning Xishi ate the tasty roast chicken and muttered to Dongshuang: "Good thing my father isn't a military officer. According to Qi Huairui, every year when his family returns to their hometown, the whole journey nearly kills him, and even then his father complains that he's all looks and no use."

His own father was better, letting him take his time on the road.

Xie Jingxing had rarely seen such an intimate master-servant relationship.

He had been quietly observing the two. In private, their dynamic was more like brothers than master and servant.

Xie Jingxing couldn't help but think of how many families in the capital would keep several study boys for their legitimate young masters. In name they were study boys, but in reality they also served in the bedchamber—teaching them the ways of the world.

He had seen such people before at the Imperial Academy, being just as intimate with their study boys.

With such unpleasant associations, Xie Jingxing felt inexplicably irritated. This Young Master Ning cozied up to him in the carriage, then kept company with his study boy once he got off—truly not missing a single one.

So for the first time, he carefully eavesdropped on the conversation beside him—

Ning Xishi was complaining that the journey was exhausting, and thank goodness his father never urged him on.

That study boy named Dongshuang said: "Young Master, lucky you're a man. You and the General won't have children. Otherwise, if you produced one like yourself, it would probably infuriate the General during the journey."

Xie Jingxing: "..."

It didn't sound like anything good, but for some reason he felt this study boy knew what was what.

Qiu Changyu nudged Xie Jingxing with his elbow: "General, why do I feel like you've been in a good mood lately?"

Ever since the General lost the use of his legs, he hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Xie Jingxing looked over with an expressionless face, and Qiu Changyu, who had wanted to press further, could only swallow his words.

The next ten or so days passed in the same manner—traveling by day, setting up camp at night—until they finally reached the Jiangnan region.

Even the wind here was warmer than in the north. The soldiers found it somewhat uncomfortable, but Young Master Ning, thanks to his cold-natured constitution, adapted to this climate quite well.

Over these days, the little bird with the broken wing had grown a size rounder. Though its wing wasn't fully healed, it could already fly two circles around Ning Xishi.

Ning Xishi's spirits, which had been low throughout the journey, finally lifted. Looking at Xie Jingxing, who sat all day every day, he said: "General, the little bird's wing is almost healed. Your leg injury should be on the mend soon too."

Xie Jingxing's heart stirred, and his breath hitched for a moment.

His leg injury was originally a taboo. Apart from the physician and Qiu Changyu, no one else dared to mention it.

Proud as he was, his leg injury and disability were now his most sensitive spot.

The reason he hadn't controlled his inner energy on their wedding day and sent Ning Xishi flying was precisely because Ning Xishi had regarded him as a cripple...

But now, looking at the bird, Xie Jingxing rarely felt no anger. Yet his emotions seemed to surge even more violently than when he was angry.

So violently that he wanted to reach out and touch the place over his heart. But since only he and Ning Xishi were in the carriage, such a sudden gesture would seem rather strange. So Xie Jingxing held back.

And the bird, whose wing had healed slightly, kept proudly showing off to Ning Xishi, much to General Xie's disgust.

He unconsciously imagined himself as that bird, watching Ning Xishi raise his hand to catch it and gently scratch its head with his fingertip. Xie Jingxing felt the atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat... charged.

So Ning Xishi heard the general's request: "Get out of the carriage."

Ning Xishi thought he had misheard, staring in disbelief: "Why?"

"I have confidential military reports to review."

"Oh—" Ning Xishi drew out the word, reluctantly putting on his outer robe and stepping down from the carriage.

The carriage was left with just the general and the bird.

The two cripples of different species glanced at each other, then both turned away in unison, refusing to acknowledge each other.

Meanwhile, Dongshuang quietly relayed a message to Ning Xishi: "Shopkeeper Xiao left a signal along our route, saying he's let Old Fourth Ming go, but Master Xiao Qi has been secretly following him to see what the Ming family is scheming."

Hearing the name Xiao Qi, Ning Xishi's eyes lit up: "Has the senior martial brother come back from his travels?"

Dongshuang couldn't bear to disappoint his young master, so he nodded with a guilty conscience.

In truth, those three senior martial siblings of his master's were said to be wandering abroad, unreachable by anyone, but actually... it was because seven or eight years ago, when the boy was still young, he used the Beggar Gang's carrier pigeons, meant for transmitting confidential messages, to pester his senior siblings.

"Senior Sister Zhou, I've grown a bit taller today! Next time you see me, I won't be the little squirt anymore!"

"Senior Martial Brother Xiao, when are you going to take me to the frontier to see the Hu Xuan dance? Master keeps making me practice internal energy lately, and I'm so tired, so tired, so tired."

As for the last one, Senior Martial Sister Tong, Ning Xishi had earnestly written over a dozen hundred-character essays—hoping she would take him as her disciple.

Senior Sister Tong was skilled in both medicine and poison, truly the coolest ancient profession Ning Xishi had ever come across.

After that, these three senior siblings gradually became people Ning Xishi could no longer reach.

Whenever he asked, the answer was that they were wandering abroad, with no fixed residence, making it inconvenient to receive messages.

Ning Xishi had a soft spot for ancient heroes and quickly accepted this arrangement.

Only Dongshuang knew that apart from the Gang Leader, the other protectors and elders could all get in touch with the old leader's three senior disciples.

When Shopkeeper Xiao learned that the Ming family knew the gang leader's identity, he sent a message to his nephew Xiao Qi, telling him the gang leader might be in danger and that he should return as soon as possible.

And so, Xiao Qi ended up tailing Old Fourth Ming.

Hearing this, Ning Xishi was happy for only a moment, before worry quickly overshadowed his joy: "Over the years, my senior martial brother has always been so impulsive. The Ming family is now a dragon's den in my eyes; I hope he doesn't walk into a trap."

Originally, having only heard Old Master Ming's stories, Ning Xishi had some goodwill toward the Ming family, but after they co-opted the Beggar Gang's former protector and set their sights on him, the new gang leader, his opinion of them instantly plummeted to zero.

It was like chatting with someone while unarmed, as the other person holds a dagger to your throat.

How could that conversation even go on?

Dongshuang had absolute confidence in Xiao Qi: "That's the senior martial brother for you! His martial arts are so formidable; nothing can happen to him."

Ning Xishi looked into Dongshuang's eyes, thinking to himself that he often failed to fit into the senior martial brother's circle because of his lack of confidence. Well, he should also become a bit more gullible and confident.

"Can you contact the senior martial brother? Send him a signal that we'll meet up briefly tomorrow," Ning Xishi said.

Dongshuang shook his head: "Based on the signal I saw this morning, Master Xiao Qi was planning to enter Ningzhou territory three days ago, where the Ming family estate is. It might be hard to get in touch with him now."

Ning Xishi's naive smile froze on his face, and he nearly ground his teeth: "He went to the Ming estate three days ago?"

Dongshuang corrected: "He was tailing him secretly."

Ning Xishi slapped his forehead, his smile turning a bit sinister: "I really hope he makes it out alive."

Dongshuang still said: "The senior martial brother is so formidable; charging in and out seven times is as easy as picking his own pocket."

==========Author's Note:==========

Ning Little Cat: Doesn't know how to please the general, so he fumbles around with random attempts.

Xie Little Bird (I think more like a fierce raptor): Aloof on the surface, but internally going through some serious self-delusion.

First update.