Volume One: Wandering Freely Amidst Unfathomable Leaves Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Reward

Xiao Guang struggled to sit up, sizing up Yang Ning before speaking: “Do you think we’re friends?”

Yang Ning simply sat down across from him, his tone earnest: “That depends on you. If you’re loyal, value friendship, and know how to repay kindness, I’ll naturally treat you as a friend. But if you’re the type who burns bridges after crossing them, I have to say I’d doubt your character, and we’d best not be friends at all.”

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Guang’s lips. “So by your logic, being friends with you isn’t exactly easy, is it?” He was interrupted by a fit of coughing, raising his hand to cover his mouth.

“That’s up to you,” Yang Ning replied with a grin. “You’re able to sit up, so your life isn’t in danger. I can’t linger here. Just tell me outright: are you giving me the silver or not?”

Yang Ning knew all too well that if he was to search for Xiaodie, he’d need some money—otherwise, the journey ahead would be fraught with hardship. The silver he’d gotten after killing Xiao Yishui had already been distributed. He’d also taken a coin pouch from Lord Mu, but the old man hadn’t been well-off either; the money wouldn’t last long. He was even thinking of buying a horse along the way if it came to it, though he didn’t know how much a horse cost. He knew horses were scarce in Chu, so the price wouldn’t be cheap.

Whether it was Xiao Yishui or Lord Mu, the people Yang Ning had killed were never part of his plans. He had no wish to become a highwayman, killing for silver.

He’d half expected Xiao Guang to make excuses, but to his surprise, Xiao Guang nodded slightly and said, “You saved my life. It’s only right I give you some reward.”

“Good man!” Yang Ning’s face lit up with delight, clapping his hands. “I could tell at a glance you were genuine.”

“But you want several hundred taels of silver…” Xiao Guang began, but Yang Ning, thinking he was about to haggle, quickly interjected, “If you think that’s too much, we can talk it over. You seem reasonable, and I’m not unreasonable myself.”

“You misunderstand,” Xiao Guang shook his head. “What I mean is, several hundred taels of silver are nowhere near enough to repay the debt of saving my life. Is my life worth only that much?”

Yang Ning was taken aback, surprised there was still such a generous fool in the world these days. He tried to keep his tone gentle. “Then what do you propose?”

“At least this much.” Xiao Guang raised one hand, spreading his fingers wide. “Five hundred taels of gold!”

Yang Ning was so excited he shouted, “Brother, you’re a man of honor! Xiao Guang, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you—” But then he stopped, eyeing Xiao Guang up and down with suspicion. His expression darkened and he sneered, “Let’s see where you’re planning to pull out five hundred taels of gold from.”

Five hundred taels of gold was no small sum, and from Xiao Guang’s appearance, he wouldn’t be able to come up with it even if he stripped off his underclothes.

Xiao Guang frowned. “Mind your manners. Five hundred taels of gold isn’t such a big sum. Since I said I’d give it, you won’t be shortchanged.”

Yang Ning thought, You sure can talk big with a straight face. Five hundred taels of gold is nothing to you? If there were a competition for bragging, you’d score top marks. Yet his serious demeanor was convincing, so Yang Ning edged forward, still suspicious: “You really have that much gold? I’m not greedy—one hundred taels would be enough for me.”

“My word is my bond. I never go back on it,” Xiao Guang said, pressing a shaky hand to his head, looking weak. “You’ll get every tael of those five hundred when we reach the capital.”

Yang Ning finally understood and said with annoyance, “You mean I have to go to the capital to get it?”

“Do you really think I can produce it now?” Xiao Guang replied.

“If you can’t, then what’s with all the talk?” Yang Ning’s face soured. “Xiao Guang, for someone so young, you’re quite the braggart—better than me, even. You just open your mouth and five hundred taels of gold come out, but I have to go to the capital to fetch it? Do you take me for a fool? I see right through you.”

“Oh?” Xiao Guang remained composed. “And what is it you see?”

Yang Ning jabbed a finger at his nose. “You want to go to the capital, but you’re alone and scared, so you want me to escort you there, right? You think I’d agree just for five hundred taels of gold and play bodyguard for free all the way. Hmph. Look at my face—does this look like someone greedy for wealth?”

Xiao Guang calmly brushed Yang Ning’s finger away and nodded. “You’re not wrong. I do want you to come with me to the capital.”

“You can forget about that,” Yang Ning snapped. So the five hundred taels of gold was an empty promise. He was annoyed. “Just my luck, but at least I’ve learned my lesson. I might take advantage of others, but no one takes advantage of me.” He stood, ready to leave. “You go your way, I’ll go mine. From now on, our paths won’t cross. Goodbye forever.”

It was clear to Yang Ning that Xiao Guang was trouble. He had only saved him because he was at death’s door; now that the boy was out of danger, he had no intention of being dragged along. Yang Ning hadn’t forgotten the mysterious flying cicada assassins from the East Sea—who knew if they were still hunting Xiao Guang? If they caught up with him, Yang Ning would be dragged into the mess.

Xiao Guang tried to stand, but only managed to get halfway up before his body swayed. He pressed his temple and slumped down. Yang Ning had already taken a few steps when he heard the sound behind him. He glanced back, frowning.

“Wait—wait a moment!” Xiao Guang called out. “You said you have urgent business. What is it?”

Yang Ning snorted. “And if I told you, what then? It’s not like you could help me.”

“You never know,” Xiao Guang steadied himself. “I have some powerful friends. If you have a difficult problem, even if I can’t help, perhaps they can.”

Yang Ning considered—the boy was headed for the capital, and judging by his delicate appearance, he was probably from a wealthy family, maybe even with connections. He’d already fallen days behind the escort party after all these delays. If they moved quickly, they might already be at the capital. If he couldn’t catch up on the road, he’d have to search for them in the city, but the capital was vast. Finding one person there on his own would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Time was pressing—he needed to find Xiaodie as soon as possible, or her situation would only worsen.

Still, even if Xiao Guang’s connections could help in the capital, he couldn’t let his need show.

“I’ll take care of my own affairs,” Yang Ning said with feigned nonchalance. “I can’t trust your word.”

Xiao Guang’s face colored. “Since childhood I’ve never broken my word! Are you calling me a liar?”

“There are plenty of liars in this world,” Yang Ning sighed. “Now that you’re in trouble, of course you’d promise anything. But when you get to the capital and see I’m just a beggar, you’ll keep your distance. As for gold or silver, I won’t see a single coin.”

Xiao Guang snorted. “Are you really a beggar? You fight well—matched me evenly. Surely you’re not from the Beggars’ Sect?”

Yang Ning thought to himself, Your skills are above average, but you’re no expert—certainly not on par with Lord Mu or that brown-robed elder. Still, for you to guess I’m from the Beggars’ Sect shows you know something of the martial world. He asked, “You know the Beggars’ Sect?”

Xiao Guang replied coolly, “Their disciples are everywhere, split between the northern and southern branches. How could I not know?”

“Northern and southern branches?” Yang Ning was taken aback. He’d learned a bit about the Sect, but hadn’t known it was divided.

Xiao Guang watched his reaction, then laughed. “You really didn’t know the Beggars’ Sect split into two branches decades ago over the election of a new leader? Seems you’re just a junior member.”

Yang Ning scowled. “You’re the one saying I’m a disciple—I never admitted it. Besides, what do the Sect’s affairs have to do with me?” Still, he couldn’t help asking, “What’s with this north-south split?”

“It’s not entirely clear,” Xiao Guang replied. “Something to do with choosing a new chief decades ago—the Sect split apart. Clearly, you’re not well-versed in their affairs. You’re young, your martial arts are decent. If you really were from the Beggars’ Sect, you shouldn’t be so unremarkable.”

Yang Ning laughed. “No matter how good I am, I’m still a beggar—what’s so great about that?”

“You don’t want to be a beggar?” Xiao Guang countered. “I’ve heard the Sect has all sorts of leaders and chiefs. If you became one someday, you’d be quite the figure.”

“Figure, my foot,” Yang Ning retorted. “There are tens of thousands in the Sect, all wanting to be leaders, even more dreaming of being chief. Leaving aside whether I’d ever get the chance, even if I did, what’s so grand about leading a bunch of beggars? Besides, the higher up you are, the more you have to watch your back. So many want to take your place, one misstep and you’re dead. The higher you climb, the more dangerous it gets—better to live free and easy at the bottom.”

Xiao Guang paused, then nodded thoughtfully. “You’re not wrong.” He spoke with an air of premature wisdom.

At that moment, a voice called from outside, “Sir, this looks like an ancestral hall. We can rest here a while.”

The words were sudden, and both Yang Ning and Xiao Guang’s faces changed. Xiao Guang tried to rise, but his body was weak and he couldn’t get up. Yang Ning hurried over to help, looking around. The only place to hide was behind the altar. He quietly supported Xiao Guang there. Then another, older voice called out, “Everyone rest here for now. They won’t catch up for a while. We’ll leave after dark.” The voice was near the entrance.

Yang Ning settled Xiao Guang behind the altar, then remembered the remains of last night’s campfire. He hurried over—ashes were still visible. He grabbed some dry grass from the floor and spread it over the ashes in a haphazard pile, tossed a couple of crossbeams on top, and darted behind the altar just as footsteps approached.

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