Chapter 29: Warm Embrace, Stirring Hearts

Chapter 29: A Place of Warmth, A Heart Stirred

Outside the window, the chirping of insects and birds never let up, with the occasional cry of a street peddler passing by. If you set aside their public identities, you'd call them a perfect match, a couple in perfect harmony.

But even in this cozy setting, the two were talking about something that could get them killed and their whole families wiped out.

Ning Xishi carefully listed off everything he'd done since becoming the Gang Leader of the Beggar Gang, like setting up stricter gang rules and banning random fights and get-togethers.

Since everyone just wanted a better life, compared to begging for scraps and never knowing where the next meal was coming from, being able to support themselves by their own labor was the way to go long-term.

Xie Jingxing slowly caught on to what Ning Xishi was getting at and said, hesitantly: "Then... I guess I should thank you on behalf of the court?"

Ning Xishi had gotten so into his own recap that he'd almost moved himself to tears.

He chugged two big cups of cold tea in a row, and when he went for another, Xie Jingxing put a hand on the teapot, saying cold tea was bad for you and telling him to go heat up some water.

Ning Xishi just gave up on drinking and plowed through the rest of his "great achievements" in one breath.

And all he got back was Xie Jingxing saying—I thank you on behalf of the court.

Ning Xishi nodded on instinct first, genuinely thinking he'd just removed a huge threat for the court. After all, given the Beggar Gang's scale, if someone like Ming Hanche had gotten ahold of them and used them for a rebellion, it would've been a massive headache for the court.

But after nodding, Ning Xishi raised his eyebrows all proud, only to lock eyes with Xie Jingxing's unreadable expression.

Ning Xishi felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head, and he snapped right back to reality.

Oh, right. Now wasn't the time to be bragging. The guy in front of him didn't want to hear his achievements—he was here to kill him.

Xie Jingxing watched as the strands of hair that had been practically standing up with excitement went limp, his whole face drooping like a wronged little wife.

He tapped the table, pulling Ning Xishi's attention back, and said, "The Beggar Gang really has kept itself hidden well these past few years, and its reputation has gone from mixed to straight-up mysterious."

The main reason he'd never been able to relax about the martial arts world was mostly because of how quiet the Beggar Gang had gone over the years.

As they say, the dogs that bite don't bark. Back in the day, the Beggar Gang had so many brilliant people, and now they'd all vanished. Even the members who could once give a prefect a headache just by showing up had now disappeared...

One or two people going missing wasn't a big deal, but when tens of thousands suddenly seemed to vanish from the martial world, it had nearly become an obsession for Xie Jingxing.

After all, if those tens of thousands really did plot a rebellion, with Jiangnan's weak military, they could swallow up a few prefectures and declare themselves kings in no time.

Xie Jingxing thought about how he'd lost sleep and his appetite over the Beggar Gang going quiet, and now looked at the current gang leader's pitiful, wronged face. If he could go back in time, he'd punch his past self a few times and tell himself to go take a nap and stop overthinking.

The Beggar Gang hadn't been hiding away to become some venomous snake threatening the Dynasty—they'd genuinely... settled down to live peaceful, prosperous lives.

Ning Xishi stayed all droopy, but where he needed to defend himself, he still fought for his side.

"I just wanted everyone to live good lives without being spied on or bothered, so I deliberately spread some mysterious rumors for the rest of the martial arts world to chew on. Only by keeping everyone guessing about what we were really up to could we grow in peace."

This wasn't the first time Xie Jingxing thought his husband had a silver tongue, but being able to twist every argument so it landed on his side was a real special kind of talent.

Since Ning Xishi wouldn't look at him, Xie Jingxing took the chance to study him over and over again.

His eyes wandered from the limp strands of hair, down his smooth forehead, straight nose, to his Adam's apple, and the veins in his neck that twitched every now and then from nerves.

Every little detail got his heart racing.

It was weird—when they'd been traveling to Jiangnan before, they'd shared the same carriage and slept in the same tent at night. Xie Jingxing had thought Ning Xishi was good-looking, but he'd never felt such a rush of feelings like he did now.

He even felt like he was losing his mind a little.

It was like, because he liked the guy, he just automatically believed every word that came out of his mouth.

His mind had lost all its usual caution and critical thinking.

But Xie Jingxing wasn't scared of Ning Xishi lying, and he wasn't scared that all of this was a trap to reel him in either.

—If that were really the case, he'd lock the guy up, throw him in a dungeon, and never let him off his body, day or night.

Xie Jingxing poured another cup of cold tea and drank it in one gulp.

Ning Xishi stared at him, surprised, then quickly looked away, feeling guilty: "General, that's my cup."

Xie Jingxing said, "There are no other cups on the table."

Ning Xishi fell silent—indeed, there was only one cup on the table.

This all went back to the first rule he'd changed after becoming leader—be thrifty and frugal for the long haul.

Like, when you go out, don't put too many cups and bowls on the table, and don't buy too many either. One cup could be traded for three steamed buns.

Ning Xishi had been on edge for way too long and still wanted to know how this would end.

"General, will you kill me?"

Just like in the original novel—locked in a dungeon and killed by a thousand cuts.

Ning Xishi was pretty much immune to that original novel by now. He felt like the plot was way off from his actual life, but weirdly, every outcome still seemed to snap back to the original path.

It was like an invisible thread of fate was tied to the soul of every character in the book. Whenever someone grew their own will and tried to break free, a "Divine Right Hand" would come down and put everything back in place.

"If I said I wanted to kill you right now," Xie Jingxing laughed, exasperated, glancing around. He couldn't see anyone, but he knew countless experts were hidden nearby. The earlier sounds of insects and birds had gone completely quiet, leaving an eerie, dead silence. "I'd probably be the first one dead."

Ning Xishi suddenly sat up straight: "..." Oh, right.

This was his turf—why was he so scared?

But Ning Xishi's spirits only lasted about a second before drooping again. He whispered, "But I can't use this to threaten you, General."

Xie Jingxing thought the kid still had a conscience, or maybe at least some respect for him.

But then he heard Ning Xishi say, "If I threatened you now, the moment you got back to the capital, you could have my parents, my brother, my whole family thrown in prison. I can't drag them into this."

The anger in Xie Jingxing's brow was practically visible—so it wasn't affection for him like he'd guessed, it was worry for his family.

Xie Jingxing was pissed—pissed that the other guy didn't give a damn about his feelings—but he quickly reined it in when Ning Xishi looked up at him.

"Let's put you aside for now," Xie Jingxing said, tired. He remembered Ning Xishi was only seventeen, and back when he was seventeen himself, he'd been raising hell in the military under the name of a royal relative. "For now, I've decided to stick by your side and keep an eye on how you handle the Beggar Gang's business. We'll set your identity aside for the moment. As for Ming Hanche—what does he want from you?"

"He wants me to become the Martial Arts Alliance Leader," Ning Xishi said.

When it came to the martial world, Xie Jingxing knew way more than Ning Xishi.

After just a moment of thought, he figured out what Ming Hanche was up to.

"Right now, the martial world is split into four mansions, seven sects, twelve gangs, and seventy-two schools. Sounds like a lot, but really it's just three major powers holding things up like a tripod. Those three powers are: the separatist forces led by the big aristocratic families, with Ming Mansion at the top; the refugee groups led by the Beggar Gang; and the sects that call themselves heroes, who love nothing more than taking down bullies and helping the weak."

As Xie Jingxing talked, Ning Xishi watched him, eager to hear his take on Ming Hanche.

"Those chivalrous types who think they're more high-minded than scholars are the most stubborn. If Ming Hanche wants to rebel, the second they catch wind of it, they'll cut ties with him on the spot. So when Ming Hanche looks to pick a Martial Arts Alliance Leader, the first group he'd cross off the list is the chivalrous camp."

Ning Xishi nodded, pouring Xie Jingxing another cup of tea as he listened on: "As for the Four Houses, with their fancy pedigrees, they don't have a grip on the lower-tier sects. Even if one of them declared themselves the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, the brothers of the Twelve Sects and Seventy-Two Factions wouldn't accept it—it'd be nothing but an empty title."

Ning Xishi felt everything suddenly click into place: "So Ming Hanche has no choice but to pick someone from the sects to be the Alliance Leader. But none of the other sect leaders have any leverage on him, so I, the unlucky one, just happen to fit the bill. Isn't he just looking for a puppet leader to unite the martial arts world while he pulls the strings from behind?"

Xie Jingxing shook his head and smiled: "Half right."

Ning Xishi was still puzzled.

"Young Chief Ning, just how much are you underestimating your reputation and standing in the martial arts world?" Xie Jingxing said with a helpless look, gazing into Ning Xishi's striking eyes. "When the Beggar Gang stomps its foot, the whole jianghu shakes. Before you took charge, the Beggar Gang was basically a ragtag mob—give them a meal, and they'd follow anyone. But now the gang's got money and discipline, and while they never start trouble, they're not afraid of any either. Over the years, countless martial artists have tried to join. Even if Ming Hanche didn't push you forward, others from the sects would want to elevate you."

Xie Jingxing paused and met Ning Xishi's eyes: "Because they only respect you, Young Chief Ning."

Ning Xishi felt like Xie Jingxing was complimenting him.

If this kind of praise came from Aunt Ye, Senior Martial Brother Xiao, or someone else, Ning Xishi would puff up with pride and then casually toss off a few modest words.

But this was Xie Jingxing saying it!

General Xie was praising him! Praising his skill, praising how he'd led the Beggar Gang to thrive!

For a moment, Ning Xishi felt the whole mood brighten, completely forgetting to be modest, puffed up with confidence and pride: "Of course."

Xie Jingxing looked at Ning Xishi like that and felt a warmth in his heart, saying, "Since Ming Hanche wants to rebel, he's definitely got more planned than just Ningzhou. A Xi, I need you to play along with Ming Hanche's act and find out where his final trump card is."

Ning Xishi thumped his chest: "Don't worry, even if you hadn't said it, he's got my biggest leverage—I'd be keeping a close eye on him anyway."

If Ming Hanche were the only one who knew his identity, the Beggar Gang could mobilize in full force to hunt him down.

But clearly, it wasn't just him. Didn't Old Fourth Ming, who'd gone to the Imperial Academy in the capital, have some vague idea too?

Ming Hanche, that old fox, was deeply cunning. He'd clearly figured out what the Beggar Gang was planning and sent them a message—if I die, no one can keep the others in line, and they'll spread word across the world that Ning Xishi is the Beggar Gang Chief.

That alone was enough to make the gang's protectors and elders think twice.

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

Worked overtime today, sobbing.

Only one chapter. Goodnight.