Chapter 14: Enemies Cross Paths

Chapter 14: Enemies Cross Paths

The two youths in crimson brocade robes were both handsome, standing before Ning Xiaochuan. The younger of the two was grinning at him—none other than Wang Yunchong from the Heavenly Elephant Marquis House.

Wang Yunchong was the same age as Ning Xiaochuan, both sixteen this year.

Ning Xiaochuan frowned slightly, eyeing Wang Yunchong. "Do I know you?"

"Haha! Ning the Sickly, did dying once make you forget even me? Then you must at least remember Yu Yan, the Silver-ranked Courtesan from the Jade Viewing Pavilion, right?" Wang Yunchong hadn’t expected to run into Ning the Sickly here. Truly, enemies cross paths—this sickly fool was just too unlucky! Haha!

Three days ago, at the Jade Viewing Pavilion, Ning Xiaochuan and Wang Yunchong had clashed over Yu Yan, the Silver-ranked Courtesan. The two young nobles had quarreled, and Ning Xiaochuan, frail as he was, had been knocked to the ground by a single light palm strike from Wang Yunchong. The shock triggered his congenital illness, stopping his heart and killing him on the spot.

Wang Yunchong had been terrified at the time, but luckily, Ning Han from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House had been present. Together, the group of young nobles had hushed up the incident, claiming Ning Xiaochuan had died from sheer rage after losing the competition for the courtesan.

But no one had expected Ning Xiaochuan to come back to life, crawling out of his coffin. When Wang Yunchong heard the news, he was so frightened he couldn’t sleep all night, terrified that Ning Xiaochuan would expose the truth. If that happened, he’d be in deep trouble.

Later, word came from Ning Han that the matter had been suppressed. Even if Ning Xiaochuan tried to complain, nothing would come of it. Only then did Wang Yunchong finally relax.

So today, when he saw Ning Xiaochuan, he boldly approached him, eager to see how the sickly fool would react upon seeing him.

Not that Wang Yunchong was afraid of any outburst. A single slap could knock Ning Xiaochuan down—the only concern was hitting him too hard and accidentally killing him again.

Ning Xiaochuan seemed to understand something. A name Ning Xin'er had mentioned surfaced in his mind—Wang Yunchong. The original owner of this body had apparently been "angered to death" in a brothel by this very noble brat.

"You’re… Wang Yunchong?" Ning Xiaochuan wanted to confirm the other’s identity.

Seeing that Ning Xiaochuan had finally remembered him, Wang Yunchong burst into laughter. "That’s right! Ning the Sickly, you finally recall me! Honestly, I have to say—how can a descendant of a marquis be such a sore loser? Over a mere brothel girl? And to actually die from rage! Weak constitution aside, a man’s tolerance shouldn’t be so small!"

Wang Yunchong knew full well that he had killed Ning Xiaochuan with that palm strike, but he deliberately twisted the truth, mocking him just to see him lose his temper.

But to his disappointment, Ning Xiaochuan barely reacted, as if hearing about something entirely unrelated. He merely let out a soft "Oh" and turned to leave.

Just an "Oh"?

This was not the reaction Wang Yunchong had hoped for. He quickly blocked Ning Xiaochuan’s path again, sneering. "Ning the Sickly, I suppose Ning Han has already told you what happened to that Silver-ranked Courtesan?"

Wang Yunchong knew Ning Xiaochuan had been fond of that courtesan and that Ning Han had silenced her. He deliberately brought it up, watching Ning Xiaochuan’s face with anticipation.

Let’s see how long you can keep your cool.

Although Ning Xiaochuan had a good temperament, even he couldn't tolerate Wang Yunchong's repeated provocations. His brows furrowed deeper as he said, "Ning Han? He died yesterday. Didn’t you know?"

"What? Ning Han is dead?" Wang Yunchong's face paled drastically, and he stumbled back two steps, nearly collapsing to the ground.

After a long moment, Wang Yunchong steadied himself, his expression slightly recovering before he burst into laughter. "Trying to scare me? Hah! Ning the Sickly, do you think I was born yesterday? Who in the imperial capital would dare kill a disciple of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House? Come up with a better lie if you want to frighten me! Please, scare me! Hahaha!"

Hua Zhishi, standing nearby, could no longer tolerate this. His face darkened with fury—how dare someone provoke a Heart Nurturer of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall right in front of him, completely disregarding his authority?

This was nothing short of pulling hair from a tiger's body and urinating on a dragon's head!

"Insolent!" Hua Zhishi's voice carried thick waves of Martial Arts Profound Qi, forming faint rippling rings that shook both Wang Shi and Wang Yunchong violently, as if a massive hammer had struck them.

Wang Shi, at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi, merely turned pale and broke into a cold sweat.

But Wang Yunchong, a mere spoiled young master with only the Fourth Level of Profound Qi, had blood trickling from his lips as he trembled uncontrollably. If not for Wang Shi supporting him, he would have collapsed on the spot.

"An expert!" Ning Xiaochuan, standing beside Hua Zhishi, could feel the overwhelming surge of Profound Qi, like a towering mountain pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

No wonder Hua Zhishi was ranked sixth among the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall’s overseers—his cultivation was unfathomable, far surpassing the Ninth Level of Profound Qi.

Hua Zhishi glared at Wang Yunchong with undisguised fury. "This is the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, and the person before you is a Primary Heart Nurturer of our institution. How dare you insult him so brazenly? Guards! Drag him away, break his legs, and cut out his tongue!"

Two guards clad in Crimson Scale Armor stepped forward, their auras thick with killing intent. Shing! Shing! Their crimson warblades, curved like bloody crescents, left their sheaths, radiating a Crimson Glow.

It was obvious at a glance—these guards had taken many lives, their blades frequently bathed in blood, which explained their overwhelming murderous aura.

Wang Yunchong immediately dropped to his knees, stammering, "Th-there’s… a m-misunderstanding! A b-big misunderstanding! H-he’s just a… a worthless trash from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House! H-he can’t possibly be a Heart Nurturer! Overseer, y-you’ve been fooled! I-I slapped him to death just two days ago—he couldn’t even cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi! How could he be a Heart Nurturer?"

Ning Xiaochuan caught a crucial detail—wasn’t his body’s former owner supposed to have died from anger? Why did Wang Yunchong claim to have killed him with a slap?

There was definitely more to this story!

Hua Zhishi's expression darkened further. "Nonsense! Do you think my eyes are blind? That I can't tell the difference between a peerless genius and a sickly waste? Enough of this. Anyone who dares to cause trouble at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, even the descendants of marquises, will not be spared. Drag him away!"

Wang Yunchong was so terrified that his legs trembled uncontrollably. A warm, wet liquid trickled down his thighs, soaking his crimson brocade robe and emitting a foul odor.

Wang Shi, too, hadn't expected things to escalate so badly. He knelt and pleaded for mercy, knowing the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall's terrifying background—even their Heavenly Elephant Marquis House couldn't afford to provoke them. This time, they'd truly kicked an iron plate.

"Wait!" Ning Xiaochuan interjected with a genial smile. "Hua Zhishi, could you hand this man over to me? There might indeed be a misunderstanding here. I'd like to have a proper talk with him."

Wang Yunchong, already seized by two fierce-looking guards, immediately knelt before Ning Xiaochuan, kowtowing frantically until his forehead bled. "There's a misunderstanding! There really is! Ning... Ning Brother, Boss Ning, save me! I'm innocent, save me!" His wails were heart-wrenching, nearly driving him to cry out "Ning Daddy" or "Ning Grandpa."

Since the involved party suggested a possible misunderstanding, Hua Zhishi could hardly press further and handed Wang Yunchong over to Ning Xiaochuan for disposal.

Inside a quiet room of the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall, a fragrant incense burner filled the air with its scent. Only Ning Xiaochuan and Wang Yunchong were present.

Ning Xiaochuan, clad in his Primary Heart Nurturer Robe, sat leisurely in a rattan chair, sipping tea with deliberate grace.

Wang Yunchong, who had been scared out of his wits earlier, had somewhat recovered. With a thud, he knelt again. "Ning Brother, I was wrong! I was truly wrong! I shouldn't have competed with you for Courtesan Yu Yan. She's yours—I always knew she was yours! Please spare me this once!"

Ning Xiaochuan set the jade teacup down on the table. "Answer one question for me, and I might let you off this time."

"Not just one—a hundred! If I know, I'll answer them all!" Wang Yunchong stammered in terror.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Everyone believes I died of rage after failing to win the courtesan at the Jade Viewing Pavilion. Yet you claim you killed me with a single palm strike. Who is covering up the truth?" Given Wang Yunchong's character, Ning Xiaochuan doubted he could calmly handle the aftermath of a murder.

Wang Yunchong hurriedly replied, "It was Ning Han! It was all Ning Han! He goaded you into competing with me for the courtesan, stirring conflict between us. That's why I struck you in anger... I didn't mean to! I really didn't! I had no idea your body was so weak... I... I..."

Ning Xiaochuan waved a hand. "Enough. I know you were manipulated by Ning Han. It wasn't intentional."

Wang Yunchong was moved to tears, finding Ning Xiaochuan incredibly reasonable. "Actually, there's a powerful figure behind Ning Han. Without their orders, Ning Han would never have dared to plot your death."

"Oh? Who is it?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"It's Ning Han's father, the Fourth Master of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, Ning Qianwu." Wang Yunchong, hoping Ning Xiaochuan would spare him, declared with righteous indignation: "This Ning Qianwu is utterly ruthless and ambitious. Knowing the Marquis of Jian Pavilion favors you greatly and might even pass the title to you in the future, he wants to eliminate you."

Ning Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes, recalling Ning Qianwu's figure. No wonder he always sensed a faint killing intent emanating from this Fourth Uncle whenever they met.

"So, the one behind the plot to kill me is him! Ning Qianwu is a top expert in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. Even Ning Xin'er's cultivation is far inferior to his. If not for the old Marquis currently in seclusion, he would have likely killed me himself by now."

"It seems I can't stay in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House any longer. Remaining here is no different from living in a den of wolves. Once Ning Qianwu discovers I can now cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi, he will stop at nothing to eliminate me."

Ning Xiaochuan knew his ability to cultivate martial arts couldn’t remain hidden for long. Once exposed, there would likely be more than just Ning Qianwu within the marquis house seeking his life.

The only way to keep it concealed was to leave the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

He regretted using his real identity at the Golden Roc Heart Nurturing Hall. Had he known, he should have used an alias. In short, his experience was still too shallow, and his understanding of this world's ruthlessness was far from deep enough.