Ning Buwei said, “Minding your own business is how you live longer. There are more miserable people than her. Am I supposed to help each one? I’m not a bald donkey practicing the Compassionate Dao.”
“Hey, I see you have a lot of opinions about my family’s monk,” Yan Jinzhou’s eyebrows bristled. “What’s wrong with the Compassionate Dao? They selflessly save all beings, with a heart that is soft, kind, and full of virtue, radiating with the light of good deeds. You wish you could be like that.”
Ning Buwei said coldly, “The light reflected from a bald head.”
“Evil creature! I’ll beat you to death today!” Yan Jinzhou raised her foot to kick him.
The random beggar child was just an insignificant little incident. Ning Buwei followed Yan Jinzhou to the Yan residence. The entire mansion was decorated with red lanterns and festive decorations, with a sweet atmosphere of joy filling the air.
“My mother was killed by my father with a sword right in this courtyard,” Yan Jinzhou crouched on the wall, pointing it out to Ning Buwei. “I was eleven years old and watched it happen. In the end, she couldn’t even cry, only bleeding tears.”
Ning Buwei remained silent.
“So is it too much for me to want their entire family’s lives?” Yan Jinzhou asked with a smile.
“Not too much,” Ning Buwei nodded.
Yan Jinzhou laughed while sighing, “Killing one’s father would invite heavenly punishment and be struck by lightning. If I kill him, I’d probably have no hope of ascension… though I never planned to ascend anyway.”
Ning Buwei said, “I’ll help you kill him.”
Yan Jinzhou reached out and patted his head, “What are you talking about? You two have no grudge. You’re just my disciple. You shouldn’t bear such heavy karma.”
Ning Buwei frowned, “If you want him dead, does it matter who does it?”
Yan Jinzhou shook her head, sighing deeply, “It’s different. You don’t understand yet. Some things can only be done personally, or you can’t get past the hurdle in your heart… for cultivators, not getting past it means certain death.”
Ning Buwei’s expression became more solemn, “Killing your father will help you get past it?”
“I don’t know,” Yan Jinzhou gave him a crooked smile. “Maybe I’ll get past it, or maybe I’ll just trip and die on the spot.”
“So you’ve never come to seek revenge?” Ning Buwei asked.
“Mm, I’m afraid,” Yan Jinzhou nodded candidly. “But I’m also truly unwilling to let it go—”
She suddenly turned to Ning Buwei, “Those who are dead are already dead. Revenge, at its core, is just about making those who are still alive feel better inside. Do you understand?”
Ning Buwei looked at her and countered, “Don’t you want to feel better inside?”
Yan Jinzhou gave a bitter smile, “I naturally want to feel better, but sometimes revenge doesn’t bring satisfaction. It might just become a new hurdle to cross… forget it, with your blockhead brain, you wouldn’t understand anyway.”
Ning Buwei perceptively asked, “Do you know who was behind the Ning family’s destruction?”
Yan Jinzhou looked bewildered, “Ah? What Ning family matter? Weren’t we talking about the Yan family?”
Yan Jinzhou’s talent for playing dumb was top-notch. Ning Buwei was wise enough not to pursue it further.
“The wedding is the day after tomorrow. Go do something for me first,” Yan Jinzhou said.
“Okay,” Ning Buwei nodded.
Yan Jinzhou laughed, “You’re not even asking what the task is?”
“You won’t let me get involved in Yan family matters anyway,” Ning Buwei looked at her.
“You, aiya, are nothing like your brother at all. You’re like a blockhead,” Yan Jinzhou said helplessly. “Go to the Yan family and beat up Yan Liuguang. Tell him it’s my wedding gift.”
Ning Buwei responded and jumped down from the wall.
Li City was considered one of the most prosperous cities in the seventeen states. It was spring, and countless pear blossom trees were blooming with flowers, creating an unparalleled beauty.
“Pear Blossom Wine! Shiji Winery’s Pear Blossom Wine!” The waiter in front of Chengyun Restaurant was enthusiastically calling out. “Sir, come and taste! Rich in spiritual power with an excellent flavor!”
Ning Buwei saw several servants wearing the Yan family’s jade insignia enter, so he followed them into the restaurant, choosing a seat by the window. Soon, a waiter approached, “Sir, what would you like? Our restaurant has Pear Blossom Wine from Shiji Winery, the finest in the seventeen states, and—”
“A jar of Pear Blossom Wine,” Ning Buwei said. “Bring some signature dishes as well.”
The waiter, hearing this, knew this guest was wealthy and cheerfully went to prepare.
The servants at the next table were drinking and chatting, discussing internal Yan family gossip. Ning Buwei drank his wine and listened, not feeling bored.
Previously, when he returned to Danhuai Courtyard, he would occasionally see Ning Xingyuan drinking this wine. He had tasted it a few times and found it quite bitter, far inferior to the fine wines in the Ning family’s cellar.
But Ning Xingyuan always seemed to enjoy it.
“… I heard their second young master was originally betrothed to the Yan family’s eldest miss, but she died early. What misfortune,” the conversation from the next table drew Ning Buwei’s attention back.
“Well… that young miss was from a concubine line, and our second young master isn’t a legitimate heir. They were quite a match… but it’s quite honorable that the Yan family’s second young miss is willing to honor the marriage agreement…”
“Actually, our second young master isn’t particularly valued. The family head originally wanted to replace him with the fifth young master. But guess what? The Yan second young miss refused to accept this and insisted on marrying him, saying she would only marry him!”
“But what if the family head doesn’t agree with her statement?” Someone whispered in a low voice, “I heard that a client surnamed Pei who came to the mansion spoke up for the second young master, which is why the marriage was approved…”
“That surnamed Pei seems strange. Once when I was sweeping the courtyard, he suddenly asked me if I was content. Damn, what contentment? I have no spiritual root, but at least sweeping can earn me some spirit stones to support my family. He acts like he’s sympathetic when he clearly looks down on people…”
“Exactly. Pei Heguang is so annoying. I saw the second young master’s head maid smiling at him the other day… Hmph, just because he’s good-looking, what’s so great about that? He’s just a dog for the Yan family, running to the family head’s courtyard all the time. The whole mansion has been on edge recently…”
Ning Buwei, drinking his wine, wasn’t particularly interested in this Pei Heguang and mostly ignored the conversation after hearing that Yan Liuguang would be hosting a feast for friends at Chengyun Restaurant the next evening. He prepared to stand up and leave.
“It’s you again, you fool!” A young man in black clothes disgustedly waved his sleeve, “Don’t touch me! How disgusting! Waiter! What’s going on? How did you let this fool in again?”
“Hey, Jiang Liu, isn’t this your family’s wild seed?” Someone laughed from the second floor.
“She is not a member of the Jiang family. Her mother was unchaste and was expelled from the family long ago,” someone spoke with a gloomy tone. “If you dare to speak such nonsense again, I’ll make you a fool just like her.”
“Oh, she’s quite pitiful…” someone whispered. “Her mother didn’t know who she was with, and after it was discovered she wasn’t of Jiang blood, they wouldn’t even treat her illness, letting her brain be damaged by fever…”
“Pah, she deserves it. Wild seeds deserve to die.”
“You’re terrible. She’s just a child who hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“If you’re so sympathetic, why don’t you be her father? Take in this foolish daughter for free, hah!”
“Get lost!”
Most people were just enjoying the spectacle. Ning Buwei didn’t like watching drama and liked interfering even less. He finished his wine, placed some spirit stones on the table, and was about to leave when the little beggar was kicked and rolled right in front of him.
Ah Ling slowly got up, patted her ragged clothes, looked up along his clothes, and her eyes gradually brightened. Just as her bruised lips were about to move, Ning Buwei coldly said, “Shut up.”
He had no interest in being anyone’s father.
Ah Ling opened her mouth, unsure whether to call out or not. Her messy hair was stuck with half a sweet potato, the yellow and sticky sight was painful to look at.
Then she curved her eyes and smiled at Ning Buwei.
Strangely, although she was a beggar child everyone despised, her smile was cleaner and purer than anyone else’s.
Ning Buwei glanced at her and was about to walk around her when she grabbed his sleeve.
“Ah Ling is very hungry,” her crisp voice had a hint of nasal sound. She pointed at the almost untouched dishes on the table, “Ah Ling wants to eat.”
Before Ning Buwei could respond, the little beggar threw herself on the table and pulled out a chicken leg to stuff into her mouth, her black little hands covered in oil.
Ning Buwei frowned and was about to stride forward, hearing the waiter’s reprimand and the child’s crying behind him.
Ning Buwei’s footsteps paused but did not stop. He walked straight out of the restaurant.
He had no time for such matters. He had traced the Ning family’s events to Ning Fan, but Ning Fan’s whereabouts were unknown, and his branch of the clan had disappeared. If the Ning family’s destruction was related to Ning Fan, how could a small clan leader accomplish this…
Ning Buwei walked on the street, with vendors’ calls everywhere. As he passed a stall, a greasy little hand quietly grabbed his hand. Ning Buwei was startled and reflexively flung it away, accidentally slapping a dirty little face.
“Pa” rang out.
“Sor-” Ning Buwei instinctively started to apologize, his temples throbbing when he saw who it was, but still completed the apology, “Sorry.”
He realized he had been tailed by the little beggar without even being aware, and had even… accidentally slapped her.
Ah Ling covered half her painful face but still looked at him, smiling. Her other hand pointed at the roasted sweet potatoes on the stall, her bright eyes reflecting Ning Buwei’s gloomy face with a hint of helplessness.
“Father, Ah Ling wants to eat this.”
