A Clash of Gods - Chapter 112

Chapter 112 Confusing the Eye
The fake Qi Cheng replied, “I don’t know…” Seeing the killing intent in Yang Ning’s eyes, he added hurriedly, “I really don’t know. I just followed Judge’s orders and don’t know why we gave the tax silver to the third elder lord in your family.”

Yang Ning asked, “Since you controlled the old house, why did you send all the tax silver to us these years? You wanted to calm down the marquis’ mansion?”

The fake Qi Cheng answered, “If we didn’t send the tax silver on time, you would come to investigate, and all our plans would be ruined. Only when you don’t know anything can we do something in Jiangling.” He paused for a while and then continued, “After we controlled the old house of the Qi family, we increased the tax in the fiefdom by twenty percent, and Zhao Yuan kept this twenty percent in his pocket.”

“The tax for three years is not a small amount of money. What did he use it to do?”

The fake Qi Cheng was about to say that he didn’t know, but he felt that the Cold Blade was closer to his neck, so he had to say, “I really don’t know what he used the silver to do, but…as far as I know, it must have been sent to Ba Shu.”

“Sent to Ba Shu?” Yang Ning was astonished.

The fake Qi Cheng responded, “Yes. I was just in charge of controlling the old house of the Qi family and didn’t contact anybody else. Judge planned everything and should have contacts with the people in Ba Shu. The silver was sent to Ba Shu in secret every year, but I…I don’t know where exactly it was sent.”

“So you controlled the old house just for the twenty more percent of grains as the tax?” Yang Ning sneered. “But as far as I know, it’s not so simple. You contacted Qi Yu secretly and even wanted to replace me with Qi Yu. Why?”

The fake Qi Cheng showed a sad face. “I really don’t know what Judge wanted to do. He just said that we set a trap to make you and…the third lady make love secretly, and we would seize the chance and capture you to control you with this issue. I don’t know why we did that. As for Qi Yu, I have never heard of this name.”

Yang Ning observed the fake Qi Cheng’s speech and behavior and knew that he didn’t tell a lie. Then he asked, “Who the hell is Ksitigarbha in the nether world? Have you seen him?”

The fake Qi Cheng shook his head. “No. I just know that Ksitigarbha has great magic power, but I have never seen him.”

Yang Ning sneered. “You have never seen Ksitigarbha. How do you know that he has great magic power? I found that Judge is not powerful. Could his few words make you follow him loyally? You are a tall man. Why did you become a lackey so easily?”

The fake Qi Cheng made it definitely clear in an instant. “I have seen the great magic power with my own eyes. I have seen a messenger of Ksitigarbha except Judge. He couldn’t be killed either with sword or spear and fire couldn’t burn him. I have seen that his hand was roasted in fire but he was safe and sound. That’s true.”

Yang Ning frowned. “You have seen the messenger of Ksitigarbha?”

The fake Qi Cheng answered, “Yes. The messenger said that they would wipe out the Qi family, with no chicken or dog left…”

“He talked so big. Is the Marquis of Honor Ksitigarbha’s enemy?” Yang Ning laughed coldly. “With no chicken or dog left? If he is capable, why does he act so sneakily?”

The fake Qi Cheng stated, “I have said what I should say. You…said that you would keep me alive.”

Yang Ning asked, “Think it over. Is there anything that you forgot to say?”

“No. I don’t know anything else,” the fake Qi Cheng replied.

Yang Ning smiled faintly. “Since you know nothing, you are trash. Why should I keep some trash alive?” He exerted strength on his hand and wiped with the Cold Blade to cut off the fake Qi Cheng’s throat.

Qi Feng was surprised and didn’t expect that his master killed a person so decisively.

From the beginning, Yang Ning didn’t want him to stay alive. These people set a trap and almost killed him and even Gu Qinghan. Yang Ning would never show mercy to such a man.

He stood up and put away the blade, ordering, “Deal with the dead body. The people in the old house were deceived, so release them. By the way, those hired thugs must not know the inside story. Teach them a lesson and tell them to go away.”

Yang Ning went back to the main hall, and Gu Wenzhang was sitting inside with his arms spreading, looking disappointed. Seeing Yang Ning, he sighed. “Your Excellency, we came late.”

Yang Ning understood what he meant and laughed. “Uncle, we have chances in the future, but you are good at leading soldiers. If Governor Mao didn’t do it in advance, we would make it tonight without difficulty as you planned.”

Gu Wenzhang raised his hand to stroke his beard, and his face softened. He stated with a smile, “Maintain an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour. All my people are capable of fighting. It’s not that I brag. If Governor Mao’s soldiers didn’t come earlier, I would wipe out those traitors tonight. Right, Your Excellency, General passed away, and you will naturally inherit the title of the Marquis of Honor. You are a member of the Qi family and would go to the battlefield to kill enemies inevitably in the future. If you need me to do something, send a message, and all these elites will come with me to help you.”

“Thanks, Uncle.” Yang Ning cupped his hands and then looked at Mao Wenshou. “Governor Mao, I want you to do something for me.”

“Your Excellency, just tell me.”

Yang Ning expressed, “Something so big happened in the old house this time, but the people in the marquis’ mansion knew nothing about it and let the traitors…”

Before Yang Ning finished his words, Mao Wenshou stated with guilt, “I am sorry that I neglected it.”

“Governor Mao, it has nothing to do with you.” Yang Ning waved his hand. “But in the future, please take care of it at any time, and the tax in the fiefdom should follow the old marquis’ rules and can’t be more than two percent of grains no matter when. I should gather the village heads in the fiefdom and tell everybody, but it appears that time is limited, and we need to return to the capital as soon as possible, so please send people to tell every village head about this matter, Governor Mao.”

Mao Wenshou responded hurriedly, “Your Excellency, are you going back to the capital now? Don’t worry. I will make arrangements for it right away.”

It was midnight, and all people had a rest in the old house. Yang Ning returned to his room and took out the pictures with swordsmanship under the bed. Nobody had moved them. After getting ready, he took them with him. He knew that Gu Qinghan was worrying all the time, so he didn’t delay next morning. At dawn, he went back to Qinghe City with Gu Wenzhang and the others.

Although Mao Wenshou led the soldiers to leave the old house, he still left some people to guard it temporarily.

When they reached the mansion of the Gu family in Qinghe City, it was almost noon. Gu Wenzhang took many people away but didn’t show their power in the end, so he was depressed.

After entering the mansion of the Gu family, Yang Ning saw the ugly man with the black cloak sitting under the wall next to the main hall’s door and enjoying the sunshine at leisure.

Gu Wenzhang was afraid that Yang Ning would misunderstand, so he explained, “Your Excellency, this man is kind of my sister’s savior, so we entertain him with good food and drink these days and prepared a room for him, but he is weird and doesn’t sleep in the room. He likes to sleep under the wall and even wanders in the courtyard at midnight sometimes, which is scary.”

Yang Ning laughed. “Uncle, don’t be afraid. This man has no evil intention. As long as we give him enough food and drink, nothing will happen.”

Gu Wenzhang expressed, “This man eats a lot. He can eat three chickens for a meal but he is not full. Your Excellency, where does he come from?”

“Didn’t Aunt tell you?” Yang Ning was surprised.

Gu Wenzhang sighed. “After she came back, she just told me to send people to inquire about you. She was worried about you only every day and night and didn’t mention this weird man’s background, and I couldn’t ask more.”

“Uncle, look at the black cloak on him. Is it the bear’s skin?”

Gu Wenzhang nodded. “Correct. It must be made of a black bear’s skin and fur. We have three cloaks made of tiger skin and several cloaks made of fox skin in our mansion, but we don’t have one made of bear skin. The bear is the most difficult to capture, and even if you can kill a black bear, you might be unable to make a cloak.”

“Are you afraid that a wound would be left?”

Gu Wenzhang nodded in agreement. “Exactly. No matter it is hurt with a sword or arrows, once there is a wound on its body, it’s difficult to make a cloak. Even if the best craftsman repairs the hole, it can’t be excellent without damage. It is not easy to capture a bear without leaving a wound on its body.” He raised his head and pointed to the cloak on the ugly man. “Although the black fur on his cloak dropped, I can see that the bear skin inside is intact.”

“Uncle, you have seen a lot as a big shot in Jiangling…” Yang Ning expressed slowly, and Gu Wenzhang swelled out his chest slightly and looked excited. Obviously, he was satisfied with Yang Ning’s words. Then Yang Ning continued, “Do you think he might be from Jiangling? Look at the bear skin cloak on him. Can you find the clues by this cloak?”

Gu Wenzhang stated, “When I saw him for the first time, I was surprised. He has such a bear skin cloak and must be from a wealthy or noble family. He can’t be from an ordinary family. Logically, our family has contacts with the powerful families in Jiangling. Even if we are not close friends, we must have seen each other. This man must be several years older than me as my peer. If he is from the gentry in Jiangling, I would certainly know him.”

“Uncle, do you mean that he might not be from Jiangling?”

Gu Wenzhang responded firmly, “I am not sure if he is from Jiangling, but he isn’t from a powerful family. If he is from Jiangling, he must have stolen this cloak, but as far as I know, there are no more than three such cloaks in Jiangling, and I know all the owners. They take this kind of cloak as a treasure and would hardly wear one when they go out. It’s not easy to steal it unless this man can leap onto roofs and vault over walls.”

Yang Ning had hoped to use Gu Wenzhang’s experience to check the ugly man’s background, but it appeared that he couldn’t, so he was more curious about this man’s identity.

Apparently, the ugly man had enough food and drink, so he enjoyed the sunshine lazily. Although he saw Yang Ning, he just smiled at him and didn’t ask him for food.

“Your Excellency, the third lady asked you to see her.” When Yang Ning was pondering, a voice came, and it was a maid in the mansion.

After Yang Ning and the others returned to the mansion, somebody told Gu Qinghan. Yang Ning thought that she was worried about him all the time these days, so he was grateful and said, “Lead the way.”