A Clash of Gods - Chapter 90

Chapter 90 A Persistent Follower
Yang Ning was absorbed in the swordsmanship in the dozens of pictures for a whole night and practiced in person from time to time. He didn’t realize that it was already dawn.

He knew that if somebody found that he sneaked into the courtyard, even though he was the heir of the Marquis of Honor, it was not a good thing. After all, the old marquis set the rule when he was alive and nobody was allowed to enter that courtyard. Yang Ning didn’t give a lead but entered it secretly and broke the rule, so it would inevitably make people criticize him.

He arranged the pictures and put them away under his arm, thinking that the old paper had been thrown there for many years and nobody found it, so nobody would care after he took it away.

He jumped over the wall and got out of the courtyard. Then he went back to the room arranged for him and found some silk fabric to pack the pictures before putting them under the bed. As soon as he finished everything, he heard somebody call him from outside to give him water to wash up. After he washed, somebody came and asked him to have breakfast. When he reached the dining hall, Qi Feng and the others were waiting for him, but he didn’t see Gu Qinghan.

Yang Ning knew that Gu Qinghan was tired these days and must be still sleeping. He saw Wei Dong, so he asked, “The third lady hasn’t got up?”

“Your Excellency, I have sent somebody to call her, and she is still sleeping. She didn’t answer, so we can’t disturb her. Please don’t worry. The people in the kitchen were preparing. After she gets up, she will have breakfast,” Wei Dong answered respectfully.

There were rules in the old house, and three meals every day would be served on time, while the pecking order was paid attention to. Qi Feng and his men were guards in the marquis’ mansion, but they were servants after all and couldn’t have meals with Yang Ning. However, Yang Ning still wasn’t used to this life style, so he told the servants to send their breakfast to the dining hall.

There were two tables in the dining hall of the old house, with one on the left and one on the right, but the left one was obviously much more exquisite and valuable than the right one.

Yang Ning told Qi Feng to sit with him at the table on the left, and the other guards sat at the table on the right. After the breakfast was served, Yang Ning ordered the servants to go out and then whispered to Qi Feng, “Eat quickly. After breakfast, you go to Jingzhou City with two guards.”

Qi Feng was stunned and asked, “Jingzhou City?” He wondered why he had to return to the city early in the morning after they rushed here last night.

Yang Ning replied, “You go to find the governor of Jiangling. After seeing him, ask him how many people he sent to escort the tax silver to the capital. If he really sent some people, you bring two soldiers who escorted the silver to me, and I will inquire in person.”

Qi Feng was surprised. “Ah? Your Excellency, the tax silver…has been sent?” He brought people to escort Gu Qinghan back to Jiangling this time, so he also knew that they came here because of the delayed tax silver.

Yang Ning responded in a low voice, “You don’t need to ask more. Do you know the governor of Jiangling?”

Qi Feng nodded in an instant. “The governor of Jiangling is a good, upright and clean-handed official. General recommended him in the past. General seldom recommended somebody, but in order to bring benefit to his hometown Jiangling, he specially recommended a sagacious and capable official to work as the governor in Jiangling.” He lowered his voice. “I have seen this governor only twice and don’t know if he can remember me, but as long as I bring up Marquis of Honor, he wouldn’t turn me down but would cooperate with me cautiously.”

Yang Ning expressed gently, “That’s great. Moreover, I have heard that the chief steward in the old house had a paralysis, and he is in Jingzhou City now. If it’s true, the governor of Jiangling must know something about it. You ask the governor to help you find the chief steward by the way. Anyway, he worked hard for the old house and the Qi family for many years, and we can’t ignore him. You visit the chief steward for me first.”

Qi Feng responded. “Your Excellency, please rest assured.” Then he asked softly, “What else can I do for you?”

Yang Ning pondered for a while and then asked in a low voice, “Do you know the chief steward’s background?”

Qi Feng whispered, “I just know that the chief steward came from Jiangxia, but he is also a member of the Qi family and seemed to have connections with the old marquis in the past, but I don’t know what kind of connection. However, the chief steward came to seek refuge with the old marquis, and the old marquis immediately let him stay and told him to work as the chief steward in the old house, trusting him a lot. In the past many years, the chief steward managed the old house in order.”

“Do you know his family?” Yang Ning asked. “Since he was the chief steward in the old house, we couldn’t know nothing about his family, right?”

Qi Feng shook his head. “I don’t know. Nobody in the mansion talked about these.” He asked gently, “Your Excellency, do you think there is something wrong? How about I send somebody to Jiangxia to inquire about it? Jiangxia is not far from Jiangling. If we travel day and night with a fast horse, it would take only three or four days to go there and come back.”

Yang Ning thought for a while and then responded, “It’s okay, but don’t tell anybody about this matter. Just send a man to Jiangxia with a fast horse and to ask about the chief steward’s family…”

Qi Feng nodded. “I will arrange for it at once.” He stood up and was about to go, but Yang Ning stopped him. “If you don’t eat enough food, how can you have energy to work? Eat something first.”

Qi Feng scratched his head and spoke to the other guards. “Eat quickly. We have something to do.”

Yang Ning ate something quickly and didn’t feel hungry. Then he went out and happened to see Wei Dong whispering to a servant not far away. He frowned and walked over, asking, “What are you doing sneakily?”

Wei Dong hurriedly answered with a smile, “Your Excellency, have you finished eating? We are talking about a madman outside.”

“A madman?” Yang Ning was surprised. “What madman?”

Wei Dong explained, “Here is the thing. Master Cheng said he would come back last night, so I waited at the gate all the time but there was no news till midnight. I thought he had something to do, so I prepared to go to sleep. Then I went out to have a look, to find something hairy lying under the wall outside the gate. I was scared and thought it was a wild dog.”

“Something hairy?” Yang Ning furrowed his brows.

Wei Dong replied in an instant, “Yes, but I checked it carefully under the lantern and found it was a person. He slept under the wall. He was like a homeless beggar, but he had a black cloak…”

“It’s him!” Yang Ning was shocked and immediately thought of that ugly man. Did the ugly man covered with the black cloak trace him and come here? But he and Gu Qinghan urged the fast horse yesterday and had shaken off the ugly man on the way. How could he know the way and follow them? Did he follow their smell like a dog?

“Take me to have a look. Where is he now?” Yang Ning asked while walking.

Wei Dong led the way lamely while responding, “Your Excellency, that is a madman. I thought he would go away this morning, but when I opened the gate, he was still lying there. I gave him two pieces of steamed bread, but he threw them to others. I had to tell somebody to drive him away with a stick, but now he has run back and is still at the gate.”

Yang Ning expressed coldly, “He doesn’t eat steamed bread. Why didn’t you give him something else to eat? I found there were many cakes on the dining table this morning. Why not give some to him? Why did you drive him away with a stick?”

Wei Dong answered in embarrassment, “Your Excellency, not everybody can enjoy those cakes. Because you and the third lady are here, the people in the kitchen made them last night. It’s remote here and not the same as the capital. There is no good food, and only these cakes are the best to entertain you…”

Yang Ning stated crossly, “Cut the crap. Tell somebody to bring some cakes now. I tell you and you inform the others in the house. If a beggar or somebody in distress comes here but you dare to kick him out with a stick, I will skin you alive. Anybody might be in distress sometimes, and try your best to help them. You are so old, but you don’t know this?”

Wei Dong obviously didn’t expect that Yang Ning would rebuke him mercilessly because of a guy like a madman. He felt terrified but didn’t know that Yang Ning had once been on the streets. Although it was a short period, the experience made Yang Ning feel those people’s misery and sadness.

When they came out of the old house’s gate, Yang Ning saw that ugly man with the black cloak under the wall as expected. Hearing the footsteps, the ugly man turned around in an instant and looked frightened. When he saw Yang Ning clearly, there was a smile on his ugly face. He got up and ran to Yang Ning, reaching out his hand. “Hungry… Food… Hungry…”

Looking at his messy hair and dirty face, Yang Ning felt pity for him. He always became stronger in front of the strong and softened when facing the weak, so he asked with a smile. “Why did you come here after us?” He turned around and received a big plate with beautiful cakes. “Would you like to eat something?”

The appearance and aroma of those cakes made people have a good appetite. The ugly man stretched out his hand, trying to grab some, but he got nothing and was about to get mad as Yang Ning dodged, who then expressed with a smile, “Look at your hands, full of dirt. You will get sick if you eat something with your dirty hands. If you want to eat these cakes, you need to listen to me. Follow him in first and let him help you take a bath and get changed. After you are clean, all these cakes will be yours. Okay?”

This ugly man with the black cloak traced them and came here, and Yang Ning certainly wouldn’t think it was just a coincidence. Perhaps this weird ugly man could run at a high speed like a leopard and also had other unknown special capabilities, so he could tail them. Since he chased Yang Ning, the latter needed to help him clean.

But the ugly man was anxious and repeated the two words, circling around Yang Ning. He just wanted to get the cakes.

Yang Ning’s face fell. “Don’t you listen to me? If you don’t, you can’t get any cake and I won’t give you anything to eat in the future.”

The ugly man obviously understood what Yang Ning said and looked scared. Yang Ning gave the plate to Wei Dong and pointed at him, speaking to the ugly man. “Follow him in now and he will find somebody to help you wash yourself and change into clean clothes. Then he will give you food.”

The ugly man looked at Wei Dong and suddenly nodded for several times while making sounds of “hmm”.

Wei Dong was just a doorkeeper in the old house, but he thought he had a much higher position than the ordinary doorkeepers and disdained the ugly man who was filthy. However, he didn’t dare to disobey the order of the marquis’ heir. Moreover he had been reproached earlier, so he tried to put on a smile and said to the ugly man, “Follow me. I will take you to have a bath.”

Yang Ning ordered, “This guy hasn’t washed himself for a long time apparently. Wash him for longer and give him suitable clothes to change into. The clothes don’t need to be very good. It’s fine if they are clean and comfortable.” He paused for a while and then added, “Just let him stay in the house temporarily and give him food and clothes. Before I return to the capital, I will make arrangements.”

“Yes.” Wei Dong was doubtful and asked cautiously, “Your Excellency, have you met before? This guy seems to know you?” Seeing that Yang Ning glanced at him coldly, he didn’t dare to ask more and led the ugly man into the house.

As Yang Ning ordered, the people in the house didn’t dare to neglect the ugly man. After bringing six or seven buckets of water with much strength, they finally cleaned him and helped him change into suitable clothes. The ugly man wanted to eat the cakes, so he let the people wash him and change his clothes. But after he put on clean clothes, he didn’t allow anybody to take the black cloak away, so they had to let him keep it.

After Qi Feng and the others had breakfast, they set out separately and three guards were left. Qi Feng left the house with two men, and the workers in the house didn’t dare to ask.

It was late in the morning, but Yang Ning still didn’t see Gu Qinghan. He wondered why she slept in for so long today. She didn’t eat anything at night, and he didn’t know if she was hungry. He sent a maid to call her twice, but there was no answer.

Gu Qinghan didn’t get up, and Qi Cheng hadn’t returned to the old house. So Yang Ning had to take out those pictures to check in his room. Before he knew it, it was already noon, and he went out of the room. Knowing that Gu Qinghan still hadn’t got up, Yang Ning felt there was something wrong. He found the maid who served Gu Qinghan before sleeping last night and told her to take him to Gu Qinghan’s house. Another maid was waiting in the courtyard. Yang Ning entered the courtyard and knocked at the door of the house, which was bolted inside, but nobody answered.

Yang Ning called for a few more times but there was no reply. He knew that Gu Qinghan had slept for one night and should have regained her energy. Even if she was still tired, she couldn’t have slept so soundly. He felt nervous and asked, “The third lady didn’t come out since last night?”

A maid replied, “Your Excellency, I served her when she took a bath and got changed last night. Then she went to bed. I wanted to stay in the house in case that she needed anything, but she said I didn’t have to, and she bolted the door in person from inside. We watched in the courtyard in turns last night so that she could find us if she needed help. We have called her three times today, but she didn’t answer once.”

Yang Ning pondered for a minute and then suddenly turned pale. He took out the Cold Blade and opened the door neatly under the two maids’ surprised eyes. After opening the door, he looked back and asked in a deep voice, “Which room is she in?”

A maid pointed to the left instantly. Before she spoke, Yang Ning walked over quickly and kicked the door open. As soon as he entered the room and just glanced at it, his expression changed suddenly.