A Clash of Gods - Chapter 155
Chapter 155 The Rising Sun Escort Agency
There was fear in Pearl’s eyes, but she still walked over slowly. After she took only two steps, she felt that her wrist was tight. She was surprised and lowered her head, to see that Yang Ning grasped her wrist.
When Pearl was about to speak, Yang Ning stated with a smile, “Pearl, I want to ask how you made this cake. It’s really delicious and looks nice. If you can, please tell me the way to make it. I will have a try by myself later.”
Pearl was stunned as she hadn’t expected that Yang Ning would care about how to make the cake at this hour, so she didn’t know how to answer him.
The man with a prominent nose frowned and looked Yang Ning up and down. Then he sneered. “Yo, bitch, you even provide for a toy boy? No wonder you didn’t set out after so long.”
Yang Ning turned his head and looked at the man. Then he waved his hand and smiled. “Come over. I have something to ask you.”
The man stated with disdain, “Who are you? Do you think that I will come over as you said? Cut the crap. Pearl, hurry up and go with us.”
As soon as the man finished his words, he saw that Yang Ning suddenly pounced on him, like a cheetah. The man was astonished. Since Yang Ning looked young and stayed with Yuan Rong, the man thought that this was a playboy, who would talk big but didn’t have strength to truss a chicken. He had never expected that the other party was so powerful in martial arts.
When the man with a prominent nose was dumbfounded, Yang Ning rushed to him. The man reacted and waved his fist to punch his opponent, yet he felt that his waist tightened. He was petrified and then felt severe pain on his belly, as if a hard rock were smashed to his belly. Then he tilted and fell on the floor heavily as Yang Ning had thrown him away.
The three burly guys behind him were surprised and walked forward in a hurry. When they were about to punch Yang Ning, they felt dizzy and one of them found that he was flying in the air out of the side of the boat like a ball. He fell into the river with a splash and there was spray everywhere around, which attracted many people’s eyes in the neighborhood.
The other two were shocked. Yang Ning didn’t hesitate to raise his leg and kick the belly of one guy when they were distracted. The man screamed and flew backward. Then he fell on the deck heavily. He struggled several times and couldn’t get up for a moment unexpectedly.
The rest one felt scared. Seeing that Yang Ning stood in front of him with his hands behind his back and put one foot on the chest of the man with a prominent nose, he moved two steps backward involuntarily. Then he finally found that this man who looked young and thin could hardly be offended, more than a warrior attendant of Buddha.
Yang Ning said casually, “Go back and tell your master that if he wants to see Pearl, he needs to come in person. I am waiting here for him.”
Seeing that Yang Ning had defeated three people in an instant, the man knew that he was not this young man’s opponent. He turned around and prepared to leave, but Yang Ning frowned and stopped him. “Wait!”
The man stopped and turned around, asking in fear, “What else…can I do for you?”
“I told you to send a message, but I didn’t tell you to walk down like this.” Yang Ning sighed. “If the people who broke in can leave here safe and sound, won’t more people act recklessly here in the future?” He pointed to the side of the boat. “Jump!”
That man was petrified. Yang Ning asked with a frown, “Do you need my help?”
The man noticed that Yang Ning’s eyes were cold, so he could do nothing but walk to the side of the boat. He hesitated for a moment and then went up. Later, he jumped suddenly with a splash, and some people around looked at this boat.
Yang Ning lowered his head and looked at the man with a prominent nose who was stepped by him on the floor, saying with a smile, “Just lie here and wait a moment. If somebody comes to take you away, you may have a chance to leave. Otherwise, I am afraid that you can’t get out of this boat alive.”
“You… Do you dare to kill me?” The man was unconvinced.
Yang Ning sighed. “You can have a try.” He turned around and walked back. Seeing that Yuan Rong and Pearl were looking at him blankly, he laughed. “What’s wrong?”
Yuan Rong sighed in the end. “Qi Ning, you have the blood of the Qi family. You are out of the ordinary, sure enough.”
Pearl smiled bitterly. “My Lord, in fact…you don’t need to offend them because of me. It will get you into trouble.”
Yang Ning said, “Pearl, don’t worry too much. I didn’t do it for you, but for myself. They were impolite to me, and I want to teach them how to be a man.” Noticing the fear which couldn’t be concealed in Pearl’s eyes, he comforted her. “Pearl, are you afraid that after I beat them, it will bring more trouble and even you will be implicated?”
Pearl shook her head. “My Lord, you worry too much. I am ill-fated, and my life is worthless. It’s nothing to me. I am just worried that it will bring trouble on you.”
Yang Ning sat down and responded, “I have eaten your pastries, and I should repay you for your work. Rest assured. I am not the kind of person who causes trouble yet doesn’t take responsibility. Since I happen to see it today, I want a result.” He thought, “I don’t like the people who play the bully. Moreover, I have been titled. Will we suffer from injustice on the Qinhuai River?”
Yuan Rong also had a seat. Then Yang Ning asked, “Do you know these guys?”
“I don’t know them, but I know who is behind them.” Yuan Rong picked up the wine cup and drained it with one gulp. Then Pearl poured wine for him.
“Which high official or nobleman is so unbridled?”
Yuan Rong shook his head. “He is not an official at the imperial court. They are from the Rising Sun Escort Agency.”
“The Rising Sun Escort Agency?” Yang Ning furrowed his brows.
He was sensitive to the escort agencies. He had known from Duan Canghai about the top three escort agencies in the capital city, the Rising Sun Escort Agency, Four Seas Escort Agency and Peace Escort Agency.
The Head Constable in Huize County Xiao Yishui colluded with the gangdom in private and dealt in human trafficking through the escort agencies. Xiaodie had been taken away from Huize County by an escort agency.
Yang Ning was still uncertain whether Xiao Yishui colluded with the Four Seas Escort Agency or Rising Sun Escort Agency. Something significant had happened to the two agencies in the past, as one escort team of each had been robbed and killed.
He knew that most of the workers in the Four Seas Escort Agency were from society, while many of the key personnel and spies in the Rising Sun Escort Agency were from the army. In some way, the Four Seas Escort Agency was close to people in society, and the Rising Sun Escort Agency had a military background.
Since they could be called the top three escort agencies in the Chu State, they were certainly different from the ordinary ones, and they had powerful force, with complicated interpersonal connections. So it was difficult to cope with them. Yang Ning wanted to inquire into the root and investigate the channel of human trafficking, but it was not easy to reveal the shady deal behind it in the past as he was alone and weak.
After entering the mansion of the Marquis of Honor, Yang Ning prepared to make use of the mansion’s influence and start to investigate the shady deal.
Unexpectedly, before he took actions against the escort agencies, the people from the Rising Sun Escort Agency offended him first.
Among the top three escort agencies, the Rising Sun Escort Agency had the greatest chance of dealing in people.
Yuan Rong nodded. “The most powerful among the top three escort agencies in the capital city is the Rising Sun Escort Agency. You must know something about it.”
Yang Ning said in a soft voice, “I have heard that the Rising Sun Escort Agency has connections with the military force. Is it true?”
Yuan Rong responded, “In fact, many people know this. The manager of the Rising Sun Escort Agency Ding Yitu was once a deputy general in the Qinhuai Army.”
“The Qinhuai Army?”
Yuan Rong nodded. “Since the Qinhuai Army was set up, the commanders in chief were from your family. The old Marquis of Honor and your father were the commanders in chief of two generations in the Qinhuai Army. Ding Yitu was a deputy general who served under your father those years.”
“As a deputy general in the Qinhuai Army, how did he become the manager of an escort agency?” Yang Ning asked with a frown.
Yuan Rong looked around and then lowered his voice. “Ding Yitu violated the military regulations in the army that year and was almost beheaded, yet some people asked mercy for him and he had outstanding military exploits indeed. What’s more, some people at the imperial court spoke for him, so he escaped from death, but he was expelled from the army.”
“Do you mean that he opened an escort agency after being expelled from the army?” Yang Ning frowned. “Is he from a wealthy family?”
Yuan Rong answered, “I don’t know if he is from a wealthy family. I only know that he was enrolled in the army without a powerful background, and he isn’t from an influential family. Although he got paid in the army, he is crazy about gamble, and he couldn’t have saved some money.” He paused for a moment and then added, “At least, he absolutely didn’t have enough money to open an escort agency.”
“In this case, how could he open an escort agency which became one of the top three in the Chu State?”
Yuan Rong said mysteriously, “If somebody offers him money in secret, it is not difficult to open an escort agency. Moreover, your father was strict with the soldiers and there were soldiers who were punished as they violated the military regulations every year. Although there were few soldiers who were beheaded, a lot of them were expelled from the army.” He picked up the wine cup but didn’t drink. Then he shook the cup and added, “The people with martial skills who were expelled from the army naturally became the talents most welcome in the Rising Sun Escort Agency.”
Yang Ning looked as if lost in thought. He finally knew that the Rising Sun Escort Agency seemed more powerful than he could imagine, and it was more than an escort agency.
Yuan Rong continued, “In merely less than ten years, the Rising Sun Escort Agency became the most powerful escort agency in the country from an unknown one. Of course, it is not so simple. But I don’t know how many dirty plans there are behind it.” He smiled faintly. “However, many people at the imperial court know that the Rising Sun Escort Agency is in frequent contact with the Ministry of Revenue.”
“Do you mean Dou Kui?”
Yuan Rong replied, “The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the finance, goods and taxes of the country and allocates and transports many goods and materials every year. Sometimes the Ministry of Revenue is short of hands, and the Ministry of War won’t send more people, so they can only utilize the escort agencies. The Rising Sun Escort Agency transports goods and materials for the Ministry of Revenue every year, which is a major source of income. The Rising Sun Escort Agency is developed so fast these years, and at least, the Ministry of Revenue has helped them a lot.” He smiled and then took a sip of wine. “We should say that the Dou family helps them a lot.”
“Ding Yitu,” Yang Ning repeated this name in a low voice.
He suddenly found that the family of the Marquis of Honor once enjoyed much glory indeed but had made many enemies. He had known that Dou Kui in the Ministry of Revenue was at odds with Qi Jing. The manager of the Rising Sun Escort Agency Ding Yitu had been expelled from the army by Qi Jing, and the two colluded with each other. Of course, they took the family of the Marquis of Honor as a thorn in their flesh.
Suddenly he heard footsteps on the stairs, which were slow, yet every step was forceful and heavy.
Yang Ning found that Pearl’s eyes were full of fear and her beautiful face was ghastly pale.