A Clash of Gods - Chapter 205

Chapter 205 The Reward

Divine Marquis Ximen trembled, and Ximen Zhanying looked shocked slightly.

After a moment of silence, Divine Marquis clapped and praised, “The younger generation will surpass the older. Marquis, in fact, I have heard that the heir in the mansion of the Marquis of Honor is slow-witted. Today I finally know that the hearsay is unreliable. You are thoughtful and scrupulous. Even the experienced masters in handling cases may not consider so carefully.”

“Divine Marquis, you flatter me.” Being praised by this old detective, Qi Ning felt shy. “I just teach fish to swim and incur ridicule.”

Divine Marquis shook his head. “Marquis, don’t be so modest.” He looked at Ximen Zhanying and asked, “Do you know what profiting more from one consultation than from ten years of reading means? Marquis analyses reasonably. Can you think of this point?”

Ximen Zhanying thought that what Qi Ning said made sense, but she still stated reluctantly, “Father, how can you know that he has figured it out? If he told his subordinate after going back, and his subordinate figured it out for him, it would be not uncommon.”

“You don’t know how to repent.” Divine Marquis snorted. “I have told you many times. Two heads are always better than one. You can’t be conceited.” He looked away from Ximen Zhanying and turned to Qi Ning. “Marquis, if you were not the Marquis of Honor, I would ask you to work in my mansion at any price.”

Qi Ning laughed. Divine Marquis Ximen’s behavior was not as Qi Ning had expected. He didn’t put on airs. Although he showed momentum that was alarming occasionally even when he was not angry, he mainly looked easy to get along with.

The two men talked agreeably and drank several cups of liquor in succession while eating home cooking. Qi Ning had practiced swordsmanship till late last night and got up at noon before coming to have dinner. When he was on the way, he was hungry, and the home-made dishes Divine Marquis cooked were delicious indeed. They didn’t decline modestly while drinking liquor and eating dishes. In a short while, three plates of dishes had been eaten up.

Seeing that Qi Ning didn’t restrain himself but acted freely, Divine Marquis was happy.

Only Ximen Zhanying looked cold. Every time the two men finished the liquor in their cups, she would pick up the pot and refill their cups. Seeing that Qi Ning ate food like wolves and tigers, she turned away from time to time with disdain.

“It appears that the murderer must be an official at the imperial court.” Divine Marquis drained the cup, as if lost in thought. “Marquis, what you said made my mansion find the targets.”

Ximen Zhanying furrowed her brows. “Father, are you going to send people to investigate the military officers in the capital? There are three hundred to five hundred military officers in the capital. Will you send all people and spy on every officer? And…if the officials at the imperial court are involved, can our mansion meddle?”

“Lady Zhanying, there are many military officers, but how many of them are good at flying skills?” Qi Ning thought that this girl was inexperienced. She even wanted to work in the mansion of Divine Marquis, yet with her power of understanding, she might not be able to finish her apprenticeship after she toughened herself for ten more years. “And the dead body shows that the murderer practices masterly skill with bare hand. With the two points, you can find the officials who are good at flying skills and fistfight.”

Divine Marquis nodded. “Exactly.”

Ximen Zhanying felt awkward at once and had to keep silent.

“Divine Marquis, I just said something after drinking, and I am not sure if it is the truth.” Qi Ning smiled. “I hope that your mansion won’t take the wrong turning because of my words.”

“No way,” Ximen Zhanying finally found his fault and expressed instantly. “Your words will merely be some clues, and our mansion certainly won’t be in a panic because of your words. Marquis of Honor, you think too highly of yourself.”

Qi Ning thought, “Little girl, are you going to be my enemy? You try to provoke me all the time. If I find a chance, I will teach you a good lesson.”

Ximen Zhanying had a nice figure, with slender legs, large hips and plump breasts, and she looked beautiful and heroic, but she was too distant, as if somebody owed her money.

“Lady Zhanying, as you said that, I am relieved.” When Divine Marquis Ximen was around, Qi Ning was calm and looked cultivated. “In fact, not only the officials can’t leave the capital, yet perhaps there are some people else. What’s more…Divine Marquis, Lady Zhanying is right. If the officials at the imperial court are involved, can your mansion meddle?”

Divine Marquis Ximen smiled faintly and picked up the liquor cup. “If it is an official at the imperial court, he should be dutiful and do his own jobs, but as an official, he practices evil skills with cruel methods in secret, so it will be something in the gangdom.” He laughed. “Marquis, you have helped my mansion a lot today, and I owe you a favor. Tell me what reward you want. Just say it as long as I can give you.”

Qi Ning was stunned and then burst into laughter. “Divine Marquis, you are so nice. I just talked at random. How can I accept your reward?”

“Marquis, you are wrong. We are going to solve a case, which is official business of the imperial court. Since you help me analyze the clues, you have helped my mansion, and we should express our thanks.” Divine Marquis laughed.

Qi Ning looked at Ximen Zhanying, while she was scared and couldn’t help but move backward, saying coldly, “What…are you looking at?”

Qi Ning laughed secretly and thought, “Do you think that I will ask Divine Marquis to marry you? You show a long face every day with no tenderness of a woman, like a block-ice. If I take you with me, you can’t warm me but will make me uncomfortable. Not to mention that Divine Marquis won’t give his daughter to somebody else as a gift, even if it is possible, I won’t want to take you home.”

He pondered for a moment and then stated with a smile, “Divine Marquis, since you said that, if I refuse you, I will show disrespect for you. How about giving me a painting if you are willing to?”

“A painting?” Divine Marquis was astonished.

“Yes, yes.” Qi Ning showed a big smile. “I know that you are one of the top experts of four kinds of arts nowadays, and your painting skill is matchless. In fact, I always long for your paintings and even hope that I can have one of your paintings at the head of my bed. I will greatly appreciate it if you can reward me with a painting.”

Ximen Zhanying reminded in a hurry, “Father, you have said that you won’t give your paintings to anybody else.”

Qi Ning was dumbfounded and sighed. “If so, I won’t make things difficult for you, Divine Marquis.”

Divine Marquis hesitated for a moment and then stated, “Marquis, I won’t hide it from you. Speaking of the paintings, in fact, I am merely a beginner and enjoy undeserved fame. It’s my honor to be thought highly of and listed as one of the top experts of four kinds of arts. In the past, I liked to make friends and meddle in the affairs of the gangdom, so I made a lot of friends in the gangdom and gave several paintings to others, but…” He sighed. “But unexpectedly, after my paintings were given to others, they were sold…at a high price, so it raised a babel of criticism. Many people commented on me behind my back and said that I lusted for gold. Aha. As a matter of fact, I don’t care about what others say, yet I feel unhappy when my paintings are mentioned in the same breath with money.”

Qi Ning got nervous in an instant.

In fact, he knew that Divine Marquis’s reputation as the most famous painter, and the paintings he had painted must be priceless. If Qi Ning got a painting and told Yuan Rong to sell it, the latter must be able to sell it at a good price as he had many educated friends.

Now that Divine Marquis said that directly, it was embarrassing. Even if Qi Ning got a painting, he would be too ashamed to sell it, so he had to bite the bullet and say seriously, “It’s so annoying. The zither, game of Go, calligraphy and paintings are works of art. How can they be sold? Divine Marquis, we can’t make friends with such people who profane art.”

Divine Marquis laughed loudly. “Marquis, as you said that, how would I be unwilling to?” He got up. “Follow me to the studio and choose one.”

Qi Ning had eaten and drunk to repletion and thought, “Even if I can’t sell it, when a painting of the most famous painter is hung in my mansion, it will make me proud.”

Ximen Zhanying had served them for a long time and had been impatient earlier. Seeing that, she expressed in a hurry, “Father, I will get ready and go back to the mansion first.”

“No hurry.” Divine Marquis shook his head and seemed to have seen through Ximen Zhanying. “Pour us tea.” Without saying more, he led Qi Ning to the studio.

Qi Ning walked a few steps and looked back, to see that Ximen Zhanying was staring at him coldly, so he winked at her and followed Divine Marquis Ximen in a feigned manner.

Ximen Zhanying clenched her fists resentfully.

After they walked only several steps, they suddenly saw Qu Xiaocang rushing over. Seeing Divine Marquis, he looked respectful and sped up. Then he walked forward and cupped his hands. “Divine Marquis!”

“What happened?” Divine Marquis asked with a frown.

This was his private residence. If there was nothing special, nobody dared to come in at will except his daughter.

Qu Xiaocang glanced at Qi Ning, while Divine Marquis ordered, “Just say it.”

“Divine Marquis, there seems to be something wrong in the Beggar Sect,” Qu Xiaocang reported. “The people in the Investigation Department find that the Beggar Sect is unusual these days and have spied on them for a few days in succession. They came to report just now that many people from the Beggar Sect have died lately.”

Divine Marquis was at leisure. “Some people from the Beggar Sect died? What happened?”

Hearing that it was about the Beggar Sect, Qi Ning paid attention to it, but he intentionally turned around, as if he didn’t care about the affairs of the mansion of Divine Marquis.

Qu Xiaocang replied, “The detailed information is being investigated. Our people kept an eye on the members of the Beggar Sect today while they went out of the city, to find that they took dead bodies out of the city and buried them in the suburbs.”

“Did they have conflicts with other forces or have internal disorder?” Divine Marquis asked casually, “Why didn’t they find it earlier?”

Qu Xiaocang had sweat on his forehead. “Divine Marquis, we keep an eye on the Beggar Sect all the time, and this thing happened all of a sudden, with no sign in advance. We didn’t find that this sect has conflicts with other forces. According to the reported number, they have sent out thirteen dead bodies these two days. Because it’s the Beggar Sect’s business, the Tiger God Camp let them out and sent somebody to report it to our mansion.”

Divine Marquis pondered for a moment and then ordered, “Tell Wenqu Captain Han Tianxiao to investigate this case personally. If the Beggar Sect really made trouble, tell Xuanyuan Po and Han Tianxiao to see the elder in the Rosefinch Hall in person, asking them to give an explanation. Tell the elder that nobody is allowed to cause a disturbance in the capital. If the Beggar Sect can’t handle it well, our mansion has to deal with it for them.”

Qu Xiaocang responded respectfully, “Yes.” He bowed and retreated.

Qi Ning was clear that the seven Big Dipper stars were Jumen, Tanlang, Wenqu, Lucun, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, and Han Tianxiao must be Wenqu Captain.

After Qu Xiaocang left, Divine Marquis turned around and stated with a smile, “Marquis, let’s go to the studio.”

The studio was the room aside. As soon as they entered the studio, the style changed. Qi Ning saw that there was no table or chair in the room, but a square wooden board was on the floor. The walls in the four directions were in ancient styles, and the brush pen, ink stick, ink slab and paper were next to the wooden board. There were many pieces of drawing paper, and the studio looked simple yet with a free style.

A steel wire was on the left wall with clips hung. Several paintings were placed in between the clips and hung under the steel wire.

“These are several paintings that I am satisfied with.” Divine Marquis put his hands behind his back and walked to the row of paintings, saying with a smile, “Marquis, have a look. Which one do you like? You can choose any one.”

Although Qi Ning knew something about paintings, he knew little and couldn’t tell whether such high-level paintings were good or bad.

Four paintings were hung there. The first two were landscape paintings, and one of the last two was a running fast horse, white the other was a tercel flying in the sky. Although Qi Ning didn’t know the quality of the paintings, he clearly felt that these paintings were of great momentum and that the unconstrained implication seemed to be out of the paper.

He knew that brilliant paintings attached importance to spirit instead of form. These paintings were smooth and free. Not to mention the technique of drawing, the majestic artistic conception could be fully shown. Only with this point, these paintings were top masterpieces.

The four masterpieces were in the front, and it was hard to choose.

Qi Ning lowered his head and prepared to think about which one he should choose. Suddenly he found that some pieces of drawing paper were put in a mess not far away from his feet, and one of them seemed to be unfinished. They were only a few strokes and seemed to be clouds, but he couldn’t confirm it. He walked over and picked it up. When he unfolded it and checked it, he asked, “Divine Marquis, why didn’t you hang this painting?”

“Oh?” Divine Marquis walked to him and had a look. “This was drawn at random. You must not like it.”

“No.” Qi Ning stared at the painting. “Divine Marquis, I think that this painting seems to be abstract.”

Divine Marquis was stunned and asked in confusion, “Abstract? Marquis, what does it mean?”