Volume Two: Inherited Honor, Bloodstained Brocade Chapter 112: Enigmatic and Unfathomable

"I don't know...!" The fake Qi Cheng stammered, seeing the murderous intent in Yang Ning's eyes. "I truly don't know. I only followed the Judge's orders. As for why the tax silver was handed over to the three elders of your Qi family, I have no idea of the reason."

"Since you controlled the ancestral home, why have you been sending the full amount of tax silver over these past few years?" Yang Ning asked. "Was it to keep the Marquis's Mansion stable?"

The fake Qi Cheng replied, "If the tax silver hadn't been delivered in full and on time, you would have surely investigated, and all our plans would have been ruined. Only by keeping your side stable could we take action in Jiangling." He paused, then added, "After we took control of the Qi ancestral home, we raised the taxes on the fief by twenty percent. That extra twenty percent all went into Zhao Yuan's pockets."

"Three years of taxes—that is no small sum. What did he use it for?"

The fake Qi Cheng was about to say he didn't know, but feeling the cold blade at his throat tighten, he could only say, "I really don't know where that money was spent, but... but from what I know, it was likely all transported to Ba-Shu."

"Transported to Ba-Shu?" Yang Ning was startled.

The fake Qi Cheng continued, "Yes. I was only responsible for controlling the Qi ancestral home and had no contact with others. Everything was orchestrated by the Judge. He likely has connections in Ba-Shu. Every year, that silver was secretly transported there, but where exactly it went... I truly don't know."

"So, the purpose of controlling the Qi ancestral home was simply for that extra twenty percent in taxes?" Yang Ning sneered. "But as far as I know, it isn't that simple. You had private contact with Qi Yu and even wanted to use him to replace me. How do you explain that?"

The fake Qi Cheng wore a bitter expression. "I really don't know what the Judge is planning. He only said he would set a trap to catch you and the Third Madam in a clandestine affair, and that we would use that to control you. As for why, I truly don't know. As for this 'Qi Yu,' I have never even heard the name."

Yang Ning observed him and sensed that the fake Qi Cheng was likely telling the truth. He asked, "Who exactly is this 'Jiuyou Dizang' (Nine Nether Ksitigarbha)? Have you ever seen him?"

The fake Qi Cheng shook his head. "No. I only know that Dizang possesses supernatural powers, but I have never seen him."

Yang Ning scoffed, "You've never seen Dizang, so how do you know he has supernatural powers? I don't find that Judge to be anything special either. Could he really win your total loyalty with just a few words? You are a man of seven feet; how could you so easily become a lapdog?"

"I have seen the supernatural with my own eyes," the fake Qi Cheng insisted firmly. "Apart from the Judge, I have seen an emissary of Dizang. He... he is impervious to blades and fire. I personally watched his hand being scorched by flames, yet it remained unharmed. That was absolutely real."

Yang Ning frowned. "You have seen an emissary of Dizang?"

The fake Qi Cheng replied, "Yes. The emissary even said that he would leave no one alive in your Qi family...!"

"A bold claim. Does Dizang hold a grudge against the Marquis of Brocade?" Yang Ning sneered. "Leave no one alive? If he were truly capable, why resort to such underhanded, ghostly tactics?"

The fake Qi Cheng said, "I have said everything I know. You... you promised to spare my life."

Yang Ning said, "Think again. Is there anything you have forgotten to tell me?"

"No, I know nothing else," the fake Qi Cheng said.

Yang Ning smiled faintly and said, "If you know nothing, then you are a piece of waste. What point is there in keeping a piece of waste alive?" He exerted force, and the cold blade swept across, severing the fake Qi Cheng's throat.

Qi Feng, standing to the side, was startled; he had not expected the young master to be so swift and ruthless in killing.

Yang Ning had never intended to let him live from the very beginning. These people had set a trap that nearly cost him his life and risked the safety of Gu Qinghan. Yang Ning never showed mercy to such people.

He rose and sheathed his blade, ordering, "Dispose of the body. The others in the ancestral home were merely deceived; let them go. As for those thugs, they likely don't know the inside story either—give them a lesson and send them packing."

Yang Ning returned to the hall, where Gu Wenzhang sat with a look of disappointment. Seeing Yang Ning, he sighed, "Young Master, we arrived too late."

Yang Ning understood his meaning and smiled. "Uncle, there will be other opportunities. However, you command troops well; had Magistrate Mao not taken the lead, your arrangements for tonight would surely have swept through them like a hot knife through butter."

Gu Wenzhang stroked his beard, his expression softening as he chuckled. "A soldier is raised for a thousand days to be used in a single moment. My men are all battle-hardened. I don't mean to boast, but had Magistrate Mao's troops not arrived first, I would have wiped those rebels out to the last man. By the way, Young Master, with the Great General's passing, the title of Marquis of Brocade will naturally fall to you. You are of the Qi family, and you will inevitably have to lead in battle. If you ever need your uncle, just send someone to deliver the word, and my elite troops will follow me to assist you."

"Then I thank you in advance, Uncle," Yang Ning said with a bow. He turned to Mao Wenshou at the side and added, "Magistrate Mao, there is one more thing I wish to entrust to you."

"Please, Young Master, speak your mind."

Yang Ning said, "Such a major incident occurred at the ancestral home, yet the Marquis's Mansion was completely unaware, leaving these rebels to run wild here...!"

Before he could finish, Mao Wenshou apologized self-reproachfully, "It is my dereliction of duty."

"It has nothing to do with you, Magistrate Mao," Yang Ning waved his hand. "But please keep a watchful eye here in the future. Furthermore, regarding the taxes on the fief, per the late Marquis's regulations, they must never exceed twenty percent under any circumstances. I should have summoned the village heads to explain this myself, but time is short and we must return to the capital, so please have your men relay this message to all the villages."

"The Young Master is returning to the capital so soon?" Mao Wenshou said hurriedly. "Rest assured, Young Master, I will arrange this immediately."

It was the dead of night, and the group rested at the ancestral home for the night. Yang Ning returned to his room and retrieved the dozens of pages he had hidden under the bed, each depicting sword techniques. No one had touched them. He packed them away and kept them on his person. Knowing Gu Qinghan must have been worried, he did not delay the next morning; as soon as the sky began to brighten, he and Gu Wenzhang's group returned to Qinghe City.

At the ancestral home, although Mao Wenshou had withdrawn his troops, he left a few men behind to keep watch.

By the time they reached the Gu residence in Qinghe City, it was nearly noon. Gu Wenzhang felt a sense of frustration, having prepared for a major operation only to find no room to display his strength.

Upon entering the Gu residence, Yang Ning saw the ugly man in the black cloak sitting at the base of the wall by the hall entrance, lazily sunning himself, looking quite at ease.

Gu Wenzhang, fearing a misunderstanding, explained quietly, "Young Master, this man is your aunt's savior, so we have been treating him with good food and drink these past few days and prepared a guest room for him. But he is a strange one; he doesn't sleep in the room, preferring the base of the wall, and sometimes wanders the courtyard in the middle of the night. It is quite unsettling."

Yang Ning smiled. "Uncle, do not be afraid. This man has no ill intentions. As long as he is well-fed, there will be no trouble."

"The man has a truly massive appetite; he can eat three whole chickens in one sitting and still not be full," Gu Wenzhang remarked. "Young Master, what exactly is his background?"

"Did Third Madam not tell you?" Yang Ning asked curiously.

Gu Wenzhang sighed, "After she returned, she only asked me to send men to inquire about your situation. She was worried about you day and night and never mentioned the man's origins, so I did not press her."

"Uncle, look at the black cloak he is wearing—is it bear fur?"

Gu Wenzhang nodded. "That is certain. It must be made from black bear hide. My residence has three tiger-skin cloaks and several fox-fur ones, but not a single bear-skin cloak. Bears are the most difficult to hunt, and even if one manages to kill a black bear, it is not necessarily possible to make a cloak from it."

"Because of the risk of leaving wounds?"

Gu Wenzhang nodded. "Exactly. Whether it is a blade wound or an arrow wound, once there is a hole in the hide, it is difficult to craft into a cloak. Even the best craftsman cannot repair it to look as perfect as an undamaged one. Subduing a bear without leaving a single wound on it is no easy feat." He pointed to the cloak on the man. "Although the black fur on his cloak is shedding, I can see the bear hide underneath is perfectly intact."

"Uncle, you are well-traveled and one of the most prominent figures in all of Jiangling...!" Yang Ning said slowly. Gu Wenzhang straightened his chest, a faint glow appearing on his face, clearly pleased by the remark. Yang Ning continued, "Do you think it is possible this man is from Jiangling? Looking at his bear-skin cloak, can you find any clues through it?"

Gu Wenzhang said, "When I first saw him, I found it strange. To possess such a bear-skin cloak, one must be from a wealthy or noble background, certainly not a common family. By all rights, the Gu family has dealings with all the major, wealthy families of Jiangling; even if we aren't close, we would at least be familiar with their faces. This man should be a few years older than me, of my generation. If he were a Jiangling gentry member, I would certainly know him."

"Are you suggesting, Uncle, that it is likely he is not from Jiangling?"

Gu Wenzhang was very certain. "I cannot say for sure if he is from Jiangling, but he is definitely not from a gentry family. If he were from Jiangling, this cloak might well have been stolen. However, in all of Jiangling, to my knowledge, there are no more than three such cloaks. I know them all, and their owners treat them as precious treasures, rarely wearing them out in public. Stealing one would be no easy task, unless the person were an expert at scaling walls."

Yang Ning had hoped to use Gu Wenzhang's knowledge to uncover the man's identity, but it seemed that was not to be. He felt even more puzzled about the man's background.

The man in the black cloak was clearly full and content, lazily sunning himself. Although he saw Yang Ning, he merely gave him a silly,憨憨 smile and did not ask for more food.

"Young Master, the Third Madam invites you to come over," a voice came from the side. It was a maid from the Gu residence.

Yang Ning and his group had returned, and naturally, someone had informed Gu Qinghan. Thinking of how she had worried for him day and night, Yang Ning felt a surge of gratitude and said, "Take me to see the Third Madam!"