Chapter 23: Seen Through, a Great Brawl

Chapter 23: Exposed, Chaos Ensues

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go." The maid beside Ning Xishi quietly reminded him.

Those words snapped Ning Xishi back to his senses, and he quickly followed the others out.

The maids serving in the inner chamber were displeased by how slowly their group was moving, but with honored guests in the private room, they dared not voice their complaints, fearing they might anger the guests and lose their heads.

Ning Xishi exited the private room and was once again scrutinized from head to toe by the thuggish-looking leader at the door.

It felt like being watched by a venomous snake—every hair on his body stood on end.

Such subtle physical reactions couldn't be faked or disguised. Though the leader sensed something off about this maidservant named Ning Xishi, his behavior seemed entirely too normal.

The Beggar Gang—no, now renamed the Jule Gang—were all hardened scoundrels. Such situations only got them excited; they had no time for fear.

Ning Xishi's reaction was indeed that of an ordinary person encountering a situation like this for the first time. But the leader went with his gut and pointed at Ning Xishi: "You, stay."

A chill shot up from the soles of Ning Xishi's feet, his scalp prickling as if about to explode.

He forced a smile that looked worse than tears and pointed at his own nose: "M-me?"

Ning Xishi had actually disguised his voice somewhat, but Xie Jingxing inside the room still found it slightly familiar—he had definitely heard this voice before, but couldn't remember where.

Ming Hanche was now over eighty years old, with thinning hair on top of his head, but his skin was oily and shiny, his spirit vigorous, and his eyes held the weight of years of scheming. He exuded even more authority and presence than General Xie Jingxing himself.

Yet at this moment, he was showering 'Qiu Changyu' with care and attention.

Noticing him furrow his brows slightly, Ming Hanche's gaze fell upon the spread of dishes before them, and he asked: "Does the food not suit the military advisor's palate? My chefs here in Ningzhou can only manage some simple, home-style dishes—nothing compared to the bold, hearty cooking of the north."

Xie Jingxing neither showed nor feigned any sign of being flattered. His gaze wary, he looked at Ming Hanche and said: "Master Ming, we didn't come here to eat, did we?"

With that, before Ming Hanche could react, he made a gesture of salute toward the north: "I have been dispatched by imperial decree to suppress bandits. As long as the Ming family does not collude with thieves and outlaws, even if I don't eat this meal, I will not take action against the Ming family."

The advisor hiding in the private room's back chamber cursed under his breath—this Qiu Changyu actually dared to talk back! He was treating a chicken feather like a general's arrow—abusing his authority! What could his four hundred horsemen possibly accomplish?

Besides, Qiu Changyu was merely a military advisor—who did he think he was?

Didn't he see that even his own general, Xie Jingxing, was having his command taken away by the emperor?

Once these military men lost their command, what difference was there between them and toothless hunting dogs? And still they dared to be arrogant?

But the old master they all revered kept a placating smile: "Yes, the military advisor is right. Our Ming family will do everything we can to help you suppress the bandits. However, Ningzhou has always been peaceful and has never caused any problems. I've also heard that General Xie has already taken his troops to Chuzhou..."

Xie Jingxing interrupted him bluntly: "I know the Ming family holds great power in Ningzhou, but how is it that you know the general's movements so clearly? It's fortunate we're not in active combat, or else this would be considered spying on military matters during wartime."

In truth, Ming Hanche's intention was to threaten Xie Jingxing—to let him know they were aware of the movements of all eight hundred cavalry, and that in Ningzhou, they were the undisputed kings. Nothing escaped the Ming family's vigilant eyes.

But Xie Jingxing reacted too quickly, and he was putting on airs—like a donkey in a lion's skin.

No matter how the Ming family boasted of their power and influence, Xie Jingxing had only one response: I am the imperial envoy, acting on the emperor's orders.

Needless to say, the common folk across the land swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

Believe it or not, even if Ming Hanche wanted to kill Xie Jingxing right now, if given the chance to rush to the window, throw it open, and shout "The Ming family killed the imperial envoy—they're rebelling!", the peaceful citizens of Ningzhou would trample the Ming family flat.

The common people were just that simple and honest.

Unfortunately, those in power rarely appreciated the people's support. By the time they truly lost the people's hearts, it was already too late.

This was one of the reasons Ming Hanche was wary of the imperial envoy.

Ming Hanche had originally assumed the envoy would be a rough soldier, lacking the sharp cunning of a scholar. He hadn't expected to meet his match.

Ming Hanche and Xie Jingxing stared each other down, neither showing the slightest sign of backing down.

But both played dumb—neither mentioning the true purpose of this meeting: the selection of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.

Xie Jingxing's reason for not raising the matter was simple: he right now had only four hundred cavalry. Even combined with Qiu Changyu's four hundred, that was just eight hundred men—nowhere near enough to take on the martial artists gathered here.

Even if, in a moment of crisis, he could raise the banner of "The Ming family is rebelling" to rally the common folk, if all the martial artists were assembled here, the citizens would be quickly suppressed, and Ningzhou could easily become a base for their own separatist forces.

It might even escalate into large-scale civil unrest.

That was the last thing Xie Jingxing wanted.

The Ming family, of course, didn't want to bring the disputes of martial arts sects to the imperial court's attention either. What if the emperor sent a full army to suppress them?

Many things, if left unsaid, might weigh nothing at all; but once put on the scale, they might weigh more than a thousand catties. [1]

The two men spoke in riddles over the dinner table, everything understood without being said.

·

Meanwhile, Ning Xishi, singled out by the leader at the door, was trembling with fear.

The leader didn't take him seriously, nor did he think he was from the Beggar Gang—he just felt something was off. So he summoned two subordinates and ordered: "Take him away, lock him in the woodshed, and keep a close watch."

This 'verdict' put Ning Xishi somewhat at ease. As long as he wasn't killed on the spot, he still had room to maneuver.

So when the two guards came to escort him, he didn't resist and obediently followed them down the stairs.

But just then, Ning Xishi spotted the guard who had been threatened with having his hand chopped off earlier. The man was rushing over frantically.

Ning Xishi's stomach dropped!

This man must have found the girl he had knocked out and hidden in the woodshed.

His hands moved faster than his mind. Channeling inner energy into his palms, he hurled the two guards escorting him off the stairway on either side, while executing a swift somersault to grab onto the hanging lantern above, planning to execute his first escape route—jumping from the rooftop.

But the leader reacted even faster. A long blade, hurled with all his might, came hurtling straight toward Ning Xishi!

At the same time, someone shouted: "Assassin! Get the assassin!"

The blade wasn't just aimed at Ning Xishi—its true target was the rope supporting the lantern he was clinging to!

If the rope snapped, Ning Xishi would immediately fall to the first floor. Glancing down at the sea of armed guards below, his scalp went numb—if he fell, even with nine lives, he wouldn't escape.

Desperation gave Ning Xishi courage. The instant the blade came thrusting toward him, he twisted his waist, used the momentum to kick off, and yanked the lantern aside just in time to dodge the blade's edge. At the same time, he reached out and caught the long blade squarely in his hand.

With just that one move, the leader knew exactly what Ning Xishi was capable of.

His face darkened instantly, and he barked: "What are you waiting for? Shoot him down!"

From inside the private room came Ming Hanche's voice: "What's going on out there?"

The leader answered respectfully from the doorway: "Master, an assassin has infiltrated the Juxian Tower. His martial arts are considerable—the men are apprehending him outside."

"Why make such a big deal over such a small matter? Deal with it quickly."

The leader clasped his fists: "Yes, Master."

After Ming Hanche gave his orders, he turned to Xie Jingxing: "My apologies for startling you, Strategist Qiu. That was remiss of me. These are all fine Ningzhou dishes; please, Strategist Qiu, do them the honor of trying them."

Seeing that Xie Jingxing seemed to be pondering the commotion outside, Ming Hanche added, "Just small fry, nothing to worry about. Rest assured, Strategist Qiu, the men outside will handle it in no time. It won't hold up our drinks and dinner. Come on, come on."

Below, a few men eavesdropping on the conversation had grim looks on their faces.

"How did we let an outsider slip in?"

"That guard captain's as good as fired."

The advisor, however, remained unruffled, waving a hand to calm the two Ming heirs: "Don't worry, young masters. Whoever that assassin is, they can't cause any real trouble."

"Isn't this making our family lose face in front of Qiu Changyu?"

The advisor smiled again: "Not at all—it actually boosts our reputation. Right now, Qiu Changyu must be wondering who sent the assassin. Since they dared to pull a stunt like this, their martial arts must be no joke. And yet the Ming family is so sure they can nab them fast?"

"Nice! So this shows off our strength?"

The advisor chuckled: "Exactly. As long as we kill this assassin within the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, it'll serve as a warning to Qiu Changyu—"

No sooner had he spoken than a loud crash rang out from the private room above, followed by the shrieks of maidservants and Old Master Ming Hanche's furious voice: "I told you to grab the guy, not drag him up here!"

That said, anyone with eyes could tell whether Ning Xishi had been dragged in or had barged in on his own.

Ning Xishi was really after the window in that private room—it was the only one facing the water, and he needed to jump out of it to make his getaway.

His goal had been to find out who the court official was, and now that he knew, he felt more at ease.

The guard captain had clearly stopped underestimating Ning Xishi, yet he was still sent running in circles by Ning Xishi's incredible lightness skill.

When he chased into the private room and saw the assassin thrust his blade straight at Old Master Ming, he was so horrified his eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and he rushed forward to block the blow.

Though Ming Hanche was past eighty, he'd been a top name in the martial arts world in his youth. He waved the captain off.

Ming Hanche turned to Ning Xishi, who was preparing to flee, and effortlessly deflected his blade with a sword hidden in his sleeve, saying calmly, "Young friend, since you're here, don't bother trying to leave."

With that, he shot the captain a meaningful glance: "And Strategist Qiu—wounded by the assassin, dead from his injuries."

The captain immediately led his men to strike at Xie Jingxing.

Ning Xishi, seeing them dare to attack Xie Jingxing, felt more worry than shock—hadn't General Xie's leg not yet healed? How could he possibly escape?

But he was tightly entangled by Ming Hanche, unable to spare a moment's attention, and could only desperately parry Ming Hanche's killing blows.

This time, it was clear Ming Hanche was truly enraged. The unsheathed sword in his sleeve gleamed coldly, driving straight for Ning Xishi's throat!

"Young Chief, I gave you a chance, but you've proven ungrateful. This old man has no choice but to do this."

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

"1" comes from a golden quote by Yang Jinshui in Ming Dynasty 1566.

First update.