A Clash of Gods - Chapter 214

Chapter 214 The Last Night

Seeing that this way was effective, Duan Canghai stated, “Marquis is precious. Imagine the consequence if he loses a hair.” He looked at Mrs. Tian, saying in a softer voice with a smile, “Mrs. Tian, Marquis walked past the arena today, so he exercised. You can’t keep him here because of that, right?”

Mrs. Tian bit her ruddy lower lip with her white teeth and asked in disbelief, “Is…he really Marquis of Honor?”

“Madam, who dares to impersonate Marquis of Honor?” Duan Canghai raised his head slightly. “Anybody will be put to death by dismembering the body if he impersonates Marquis of Honor.”

Qi Ning’s heart beat fast, and he thought, “I am really an imposter. It turns out that the person who impersonates Marquis of Honor will be put to death by dismembering the body.”

Of course, he knew what it meant. He felt terrified even when he thought about it.

Mrs. Tian wrinkled her beautiful brows and kept silent for a moment. Then she retorted, “Since…he is Marquis of Honor, he should reason things out. Can…a marquis go back on his word?”

Qi Ning walked up, and all the servants looked at one another speechlessly, feeling restless. They thought that the Marquis of Honor was a hereditary marquis in the empire, quite honorable, and the nobodies like them couldn’t afford to offend him.

“Madam, I really did something recklessly this time.” Qi Ning winked at Duan Canghai. “I will give the one hundred taels of silver back to you, but the marriage…” He suddenly remembered that Mrs. Tian went to bring the young lady in person, yet the lady was nowhere to be seen, so he didn’t know why.

However, since Mrs. Tian looked charming, the young lady must be beautiful.

Duan Canghai took out the one hundred taels of silver and gave it to Mrs. Tian. Qi Ning thought that she would surely tell somebody to receive it, while she rolled her pretty eyes slightly and then expressed, “You are a marquis, and I won’t argue with you as I am a woman. Anyway…we can reason things out someday.” She turned to Butler Tian. “See Marquis off.” Then she didn’t say more but turned to leave.

Qi Ning was surprised and wondered if they scared Mrs. Tian to retreat because they revealed the identity of the marquis.

He watched Mrs. Tian twisting her waist and leaving, and she looked attractive.

Butler Tian waved away the servants and then raised his hand, saying with a smile, “Marquis, I am sorry that we were inattentive to you. Please.”

Qi Ning was afraid that Mrs. Tian would change her mind later if he stayed here. Although he was a marquis, he couldn’t quarrel with a woman here, so he didn’t delay. After Butler Tian walked him out of the mansion, the sun had set. Qi Ning heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Ximen Zhanying, to see that she turned away to avoid seeing him. Then he smiled. “Duan Canghai, how about we find a place to loosen up? Let’s go to Qinhuai River, okay?”

Duan Canghai saw that Qi Ning winked at him, so he understood and said, “Marquis, no matter where you are going, I will naturally follow you.”

“Is there no end to it?” Ximen Zhanying got furious as expected. “Qi Ning, don’t go too far.”

Qi Ning laughed loudly. “Yo, Zhanying, do you want to kill me with your sword again? What? Do you need to decide where I am going? Who am I to you?”

“I…” Ximen Zhanying gritted her teeth. “Fine. Qi, are you going to Qinhuai River? Let’s go now. I will accompany you till the end.”

She gritted her teeth and her eyes were red. Qi Ning knew that it was her limit. He thought that he had let this girl see how powerful he was this afternoon, so he chuckled. “Do you want to go to Qinhuai River? Aha, I suddenly change my mind. Duan Canghai, let’s go back home. I am hungry.”

Ximen Zhanying was stunned, and her face softened. Then she snorted.

There were just two streets between the Tian family’s mansion and the mansion of the Marquis of Honor. As soon as they reached the gate of the marquis’s mansion, Ximen Zhanying sighed with relief and turned to leave. Qi Ning coughed and stated, “Wait a moment.”

Ximen Zhanying stopped and didn’t look back but snorted, asking, “What bullshit are you going to say?”

“Zhanying, I haven’t entered the mansion. Why are you so anxious to leave?” Qi Ning stood at the door and would enter the mansion after taking one step, yet he didn’t take this step. Ximen Zhanying looked back at him involuntarily, getting mad. “Please go in. I am waiting.”

“Look. We have spent one afternoon with each other anyway. Why are you still so cold?” Qi Ning smiled. “How about coming in and having a seat? I have a lot to tell you.”

“I have nothing to tell you.” Ximen Zhanying sneered. “You are Marquis of Honor. I will never enter your mansion.”

Qi Ning laughed. “You can’t say that. Perhaps you will enter my mansion someday, and you can’t decide it yourself.”

“I don’t want to enter, so I won’t do it even if you kill me.”

“It’s uncertain.” Qi Ning had a big smile. “If eight people carry you into the mansion in a sedan chair someday, will you come in?”

Ximen Zhanying was stunned and soon understood that it was a bridal sedan chair. She was shy and angry with a blush, saying in a rage, “Asshole. I…will never marry you.”

“Look, you misunderstand me again, right?” Qi Ning laughed. “I didn’t say that you would marry me after entering the mansion. There are one hundred to three hundred men in the mansion. Perhaps…”

Before he finished his words, Ximen Zhanying rebuked harshly, “Qi, I will kill you.” She drew her broadsword and rushed over.

Qi Ning was nimble and entered the mansion in a flash. He shouted, “Duan Canghai, don’t stop her. Let her come in. Everybody, be prepared. Close the door and release the dogs as soon as she comes in.”

He waited with both hands behind his back, but Ximen Zhanying didn’t rush in, so he popped his head out, to see that she left quickly.

“Marquis, this girl almost went crazy today after you irritated her.” Duan Canghai smiled. “Will Divine Marquis blame you if he knows it?”

“What do you know? Such a woman should be punished in this way,” Qi Ning said. “Haven’t you seen her? She is hot-tempered and conceited. Fortunately, I am a marquis. If I were an ordinary person, wouldn’t I be cut into pieces by her?”

Duan Canghai burst into laughter and was about to speak, while his face got tense all of a sudden. Qi Ning was surprised and saw him looking at the street in front of the door, so he turned his head, to see that a man in his early thirties bowed and walked forward with a smile. Duan Canghai asked in a deep voice, “Who are you?”

That man was astonished but soon smiled flatteringly. “Marquis, do you remember me?”

Qi Ning thought that this man looked familiar, yet he couldn’t remember who it was. He asked, “I can’t remember clearly. Did you come to see me?”

“Marquis, I came to your mansion to see you at noon, but you were not in the mansion, so I was waiting all the time.” The man showed a flattering smile. “My name is Wang Xiang. I was sent by Lady Xian’er. Do you remember?”

Qi Ning finally remembered that Wang Xiang had been here once to ask him to see Zhuo Xian’er as she ordered. Then he said with a smile, “It’s you. I remember now.”

“Marquis, I came to invite you last time, yet you were busy with work. Lady Xian’er waited for you but you didn’t come,” Wang Xiang explained cautiously. “She sent me to invite you today. She said that it is the last night. If you can’t go to see her, it will be inconvenient for her to see you…in the future.”

Qi Ning asked with a frown, “What does it mean?”

Wang Xiang was embarrassed and smiled, without saying anything.

Duan Canghai moved closer to Qi Ning and whispered, “Marquis, according to the rule on Qinhuai River, the winners of the election, including the beauty queen and beauty concubines will give the first three days and nights to the benefactor who has paid most. It’s the last night today. After tonight, Zhuo Xian’er can’t serve you only.”

Qi Ning was stunned, while Wang Xiang smiled bitterly, saying, “Marquis, I venture to say that after that night, Lady sent me to invite you, but you didn’t go as you were busy with work, so she doesn’t want to eat or drink since then. I have heard that she sheds tears frequently these two days. It’s the last day today. If you can’t go, tomorrow…Lady…will…” He sighed in a low voice and didn’t continue.

Qi Ning understood what he meant.

After Zhuo Xian’er was selected as a beauty concubine, he was the first guest she received. Undoubtedly, she was satisfied as he was her first man, but nothing happened that night, and she didn’t see him these two days. According to the rule, Zhuo Xian’er would officially become a member on Qinhuai River after tonight. Then nobody knew who would be her first man since many officials and noblemen coveted her.

It was surprising. Although Qi Ning had seen Zhuo Xian’er only once, as long as he thought that her soft and fair-skinned body with fragrance would be owned by somebody else, he felt unhappy and even jealous. He pondered for a moment and then said, “In this case, I will go to see Xian’er tonight.”

Wang Xiang stopped frowning and asked joyfully, “Marquis, really? Then…it’s great. I…I am going back to tell her to make preparations now.” He bowed to Qi Ning and then turned to leave quickly.

Duan Canghai sighed. “Marquis, do you have pity on her?”

“It’s not pity,” Qi Ning said impassively. “Since I came into her cabin that night, she is my woman. Do you think that my woman can be defiled by others?”

Duan Canghai was astonished and then asked in a hurry, “Marquis, do you plan to redeem her?”

“How much do you think I should pay to redeem her?” Qi Ning asked.

Duan Canghai pondered for a while and then replied, “It depends on who is behind her, but since she has been selected as a beauty concubine, she is a money tree to the person behind her, and you can’t redeem her with only eight hundred to one thousand taels of silver.” He paused and hesitated for a while before saying in a soft voice, “Moreover, she hasn’t received other guests. She is a virgin, so it will be more expensive. Marquis, according to the price in the past, I am afraid that you don’t need to talk about it unless you take out three thousand taels of silver.”

Qi Ning was surprised and thought that it was so expensive.

In the capital, they could buy a nice house with three hundred to five hundred taels of silver. Although three thousand taels of silver was not a big amount to the high-ranking officials, noblemen and rich merchants, it was an astronomical figure to the ordinary people.

“In fact, one thousand taels of silver is enough to redeem an ordinary girl on Qinhuai River, and some of them can be redeemed with hundreds of taels of silver.” Duan Canghai noticed Qi Ning’s amazement and explained, “But the beauty queen and beauty concubines are uncommon. They are brands and just tools to show off the wealth in the eyes of the rich men. They redeem the beauty queen or a beauty concubine not for the girl but for their titles. If somebody can redeem such a girl on Qinhuai River, he must be a very wealthy person.” He paused for a moment and then added, “In fact, in three to five months, the price to redeem Zhuo Xian’er will be reduced to one half at least, and one thousand taels of silver will be enough to redeem her at this time next year.”

“Next year?” Qi Ning sneered. “It will be too late.” He rolled his eyes and asked, “Is Dou Lianzhong behind Zhuo Xian’er?” He thought, “If Xian’er is under the control of Dou Lianzhong like Pearl, I will take out the loan agreement and use it again.”

The loan agreement of the Dou family was convenient. No matter whether he was outside or at home, it was a magic weapon to benefit him in every way.