1337

Chapter 1342: [NCheng] A shriek

Hearing Yujin’s explanation, Ning Cheng didn’t react much. He said “Oh,” and turned to leave. Yujin’s face grew doubtful. Was this man not going to bother with Cheng’er anymore? She quickly chased after him and asked, “Master Cheng, you…you don’t care about Cheng’er?”

“She brought it on herself, so she can fix it herself. What virtue or ability do I have to bother with her?” Ning Cheng retorted.

Yujin wanted to retort but couldn’t find a reason even after more thought. Ning Cheng then added, “If she has the skills to seduce Shangguan Ze, why didn’t she stand out earlier? Does she really think I want to get involved with Han Xiang?”

Yujin felt something was off about his words. She watched Ning Cheng leave while thinking over what was the matter. But Ning Cheng actually stopped walking abruptly, causing Yujin to nearly crash into him. Fortunately, she realized it in time and quickly backed away in fright. Ning Cheng looked back with contempt. Despite being an assassin, this woman’s vigilance was too low, right? He had no idea that Yujin’s situational awareness was actually very high, but it fell after she met Cheng’er. Anything related to Cheng’er would also lower her alarm.

Ning Cheng stood for awhile before Yujin noticed they had already circled around the Shangguan Estate to end up at its front doors. Currently, Ning Cheng was staring at the plaque over the gate.

“Master Cheng, what….do you plan to do?” Yujin asked curiously.

Ning Cheng didn’t answer. He strode up the steps and starting banging on the door. Soon enough a servant came to open the door. Sensing something amiss, Yujin quickly slipped away. The servant saw that Ning Cheng was dressed in ordinary clothes and asked irritably, “Who are you? Know where this is? Are you worthy of knocking on the door?”

Ning Cheng replied, “Please tell Young Master Ze that Liubei Trade Consortium’s Ah-Cheng requests an audience.”

“You’re Master Cheng of Liubei Trade Consortium? Haha…” Before the servant stopped laughing, Ning Cheng used the silver draft he’d previously offered the mama to gag his mouth.

“Go!”

The servant took out the money in surprise. “Please wait!”

When he found Shangguan Ze, the latter was currently in the rooms that shut up Cheng’er.

“Young Master Ze, a so-called Master Cheng of Liubei Trade Consortium is requesting your audience at the door,” the servant said.

There was a spell of silence before the doors were pushed open. But it wasn’t Shangguan Ze that came out, but Cheng’er.

“He came? Did he say why he came?” Cheng’er asked happily.

Shangguan Ze followed her out, his eyes filled with nothing but doting for this long-lost little sister. After all, she looked too much like his late mother! Ever since she went missing, father and mother had never given up searching for her. Unfortunately, they’d scoured all of Mysterious Continent in the past few decades without any clues. He never expected her to seek them out herself. If not for the ornaments worn in her youth and this face, he would have hardly believed this was true.

Although Cheng’er was determined to be a waste at birth, it didn’t affect how everyone spoiled her. In a world where martial strength was king, deep affections still existed between parent and child, brother and sister. He couldn’t imagine what father’s reaction would be once he emerged from closed door cultivation to see Cheng’er. Before that happened, he could only temporarily conceal the news and keep her here for now. After all, these were clan matters and Cheng’er’s previous identity would affect their reputation. Thus, he only said Cheng’er was “his person” when rescuing her from Han Xiang without explaining anything else.

Cheng’er was thinking of Ah-Cheng the entire time after she was brought back, too sad to care about anything else. It wasn’t until she reached the Shangguan Estate that she began to feel afraid. She knew that Mysterious Continent was a world where martial arts reign supreme. She felt it even more keenly after coming here herself. She couldn’t imagine how much of a laughingstock a useless waste like her would be in a big clan like the Shangguan.

But everything was different from what she imagined. After entering the courtyard, the proud and haughty Shangguan Ze actually hugged her tightly and almost cried. She almost cried back. If she knew there was still a father who cherished her and an older brother who loved her, she would’ve come back much earlier!

Cheng’er kept asking the servant urgent questions, but he couldn’t answer any of them.

“He only said he wanted to see Young Master Ze,” the servant replied.

“Don’t! Warn him that if he comes again, we’ll break his legs!” Shangguan Ze said coldly.

“You dare!” Cheng’er glared back.

Shangguan Ze was dumbfounded. He had no idea what kind of relationship Cheng’er had with Ah-Cheng, but he knew that the man was involved with Han Xiang and that Liubei Trade Consortium would fall into the Wolf Sect’s hands eventually.

“Big bro, let him in,” Cheng’er pled.

“What’s he here for?” Shangguan Ze didn’t understand.

“I don’t know either, but…but in any case, he came, so just let him inside!” Cheng’er’s heart was pounding as if a little fawn was jumping around inside. She had no idea what sort of good thing Yujin had done, but she had nearly given up herself. She thought Ah-Cheng wouldn’t care about her anymore, not that he’d actually show up.

“Han Xiang is no good. You should keep your distance from anyone that hooks up with her,” Shangguan Ze said seriously, but Cheng’er was even more serious.

“Big bro, I’m no good either. Ah-Cheng’s even worse than me. If we get tangled up together, you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Shangguan Ze was left speechless. He silently thought he’d have to watch out for his little sister and protect her more. The Shangguan Clan was quite strict, especially with its family rules towards females. Wouldn’t anyone take advantage of her daily with that kind of personality?

“Call him in!” Cheng’er was already tugging at his hand, so he could only agree.

Soon enough, Ning Cheng was brought into the courtyard by the servant. Shangguan Ze sat at a stone table while Cheng’er hid inside the rooms to peek from a window. She was so nervous. That day, her older brother said words that would definitely make this fellow misunderstand. She could only silently mutter, Take me away, take me away, take me away…

Shangguan Ze was a proud sort and had every right to be that way. He sat unmoving and arched a brow at Ning Cheng. But Ning Cheng wasn’t humble either and stood with his back straight. When he stood in front of the other man, his aura didn’t lose against his.

He said, “Young Master Ze, today I’m here to discuss a sale with you. I don’t know whether you’d be interested.”

Hearing this, Cheng’er’s heart gave a jolt.

Shangguan Ze didn’t invite him to sit, but stood up and asked, “What sort of sale?”

“Something related to the Wolf Sect,” Ning Cheng replied.

Now Shangguan Ze was interested, while Cheng’er’s heart sank. So it has nothing to do with me, ah.

Ning Cheng said, “Liubei Trade Consortium is already an empty husk. Han Xiang can only clean up the mess. If you object, I can create a new consortium solely loyal to the Shangguan Clan. I promise that after a year, no one from the Wolf Sect will be able to steal anything from you on the bidding field!”

Shangguan Ze finally realized that Ning Cheng was no simple man and looked at him directly. The Wolf Sect was richer than the Shangguan Sect, so in the past few years they had stolen lots of elixirs and pills from them at auctions. He and his father had been suppressing their temper over the fact for ages. He never thought this fellow could stab their weak point as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Why should I believe you?” Shangguan Ze asked.

“By the fact that Liubei Trade Consortium established itself until my rule, and the two keys I hold to its treasury,” Ning Cheng replied.

Shangguan Ze smiled. “Since you can trick Han Xiang today, you can trick me tomorrow!”

“If Young Master Ze doesn’t believe me, I can sign an indenture agreement as a slave,” Ning Cheng replied simply.

Inside the room, Cheng’er was gaping. She couldn’t understand why Ah-Cheng was doing this. She wondered if he was hiding some sinister plot instead? Shangguan Ze thought as well and laughed coldly. “After saying all that, what terms do you want?”

Ning Cheng stared at him squarely and said, “Let Cheng’er go.”

The world grew still.

But Cheng’er’s world was ever quieter.

Abruptly, she couldn’t help but shriek, “Ah…ahhhh….ahhhh!”

After that she opened the door and ran out to lunge at Ah-Cheng. Her momentum was so strong that Ning Cheng might have fallen to the ground if he wasn’t tall and sturdy enough. Just like the time she forced a kiss on him, she pounced on him directly with her arms around his neck, legs around his body, and buried her head in his shoulder to cry out nonstop.

Ning Cheng was lost.

Shangguan Ze was as well, but he was intelligent enough to quickly understand what was going on. He wanted to laugh as he felt helpless, but didn’t get to speak before Cheng’er gestured behind her body for him to shoo.

What could Shangguan Ze do? He left them.

“Have you yelled enough yet? Get off!” Ning Cheng snapped.

Cheng’er looked up at him with a wordless grin. Ning Cheng was about to pry her off when she held on as tight as death.

“Enough!” Ning Cheng was really angry.

“You came…”

Before Cheng’er had finished, Ning Cheng actually threw her on the ground and demanded, “What’s going on?”

Cheng’er sprawled unhappily on the ground. “I’ll tell you if you help me up!”

Ning Cheng turned to leave without hesitation. Cheng’er didn’t fuss and climbed to her feet before chasing after him to wrap her arms around his back.

“Can you not—” Ning Cheng tried to pry off her hands.

“You like me!” she cried. “You didn’t even care about selling yourself off in order to save me. I brought on the trouble myself, but you still came to help me. You like me, you have to!”

“You’re thinking too much,” Ning Cheng rejected without hesitation.

“Then why did you come?” Cheng’er asked.

“Between the Shangguan Clan and the Wolf Sect, I prefer the former more. Saving you was something I did on the way,” Ning Cheng easily said an excuse.

“But it’s still liking me. Otherwise, why not pick something else to get along the way?” Cheng’er asked cheerily.

Ning Cheng fell silent a while before saying, “Because I don’t want to see you in the Shangguan Clan.”

Cheng’er was even happier. She shouted outside the courtyard, “Big bro…big brother! Come here! Hurry back! This person agreed to sign himself into slavery with you! A gentleman’s word is worth nine cauldrons, don’t let him go back on it!”

Big brother?

Ning Cheng slowly turned around to look at Cheng’er hugging him as his face gradually grew white…

Chapter 1342: [NCheng] A shriek

Hearing Yujin’s explanation, Ning Cheng didn’t react much. He said “Oh,” and turned to leave. Yujin’s face grew doubtful. Was this man not going to bother with Cheng’er anymore? She quickly chased after him and asked, “Master Cheng, you…you don’t care about Cheng’er?”

“She brought it on herself, so she can fix it herself. What virtue or ability do I have to bother with her?” Ning Cheng retorted.

Yujin wanted to retort but couldn’t find a reason even after more thought. Ning Cheng then added, “If she has the skills to seduce Shangguan Ze, why didn’t she stand out earlier? Does she really think I want to get involved with Han Xiang?”

Yujin felt something was off about his words. She watched Ning Cheng leave while thinking over what was the matter. But Ning Cheng actually stopped walking abruptly, causing Yujin to nearly crash into him. Fortunately, she realized it in time and quickly backed away in fright. Ning Cheng looked back with contempt. Despite being an assassin, this woman’s vigilance was too low, right? He had no idea that Yujin’s situational awareness was actually very high, but it fell after she met Cheng’er. Anything related to Cheng’er would also lower her alarm.

Ning Cheng stood for awhile before Yujin noticed they had already circled around the Shangguan Estate to end up at its front doors. Currently, Ning Cheng was staring at the plaque over the gate.

“Master Cheng, what….do you plan to do?” Yujin asked curiously.

Ning Cheng didn’t answer. He strode up the steps and starting banging on the door. Soon enough a servant came to open the door. Sensing something amiss, Yujin quickly slipped away. The servant saw that Ning Cheng was dressed in ordinary clothes and asked irritably, “Who are you? Know where this is? Are you worthy of knocking on the door?”

Ning Cheng replied, “Please tell Young Master Ze that Liubei Trade Consortium’s Ah-Cheng requests an audience.”

“You’re Master Cheng of Liubei Trade Consortium? Haha…” Before the servant stopped laughing, Ning Cheng used the silver draft he’d previously offered the mama to gag his mouth.

“Go!”

The servant took out the money in surprise. “Please wait!”

When he found Shangguan Ze, the latter was currently in the rooms that shut up Cheng’er.

“Young Master Ze, a so-called Master Cheng of Liubei Trade Consortium is requesting your audience at the door,” the servant said.

There was a spell of silence before the doors were pushed open. But it wasn’t Shangguan Ze that came out, but Cheng’er.

“He came? Did he say why he came?” Cheng’er asked happily.

Shangguan Ze followed her out, his eyes filled with nothing but doting for this long-lost little sister. After all, she looked too much like his late mother! Ever since she went missing, father and mother had never given up searching for her. Unfortunately, they’d scoured all of Mysterious Continent in the past few decades without any clues. He never expected her to seek them out herself. If not for the ornaments worn in her youth and this face, he would have hardly believed this was true.

Although Cheng’er was determined to be a waste at birth, it didn’t affect how everyone spoiled her. In a world where martial strength was king, deep affections still existed between parent and child, brother and sister. He couldn’t imagine what father’s reaction would be once he emerged from closed door cultivation to see Cheng’er. Before that happened, he could only temporarily conceal the news and keep her here for now. After all, these were clan matters and Cheng’er’s previous identity would affect their reputation. Thus, he only said Cheng’er was “his person” when rescuing her from Han Xiang without explaining anything else.

Cheng’er was thinking of Ah-Cheng the entire time after she was brought back, too sad to care about anything else. It wasn’t until she reached the Shangguan Estate that she began to feel afraid. She knew that Mysterious Continent was a world where martial arts reign supreme. She felt it even more keenly after coming here herself. She couldn’t imagine how much of a laughingstock a useless waste like her would be in a big clan like the Shangguan.

But everything was different from what she imagined. After entering the courtyard, the proud and haughty Shangguan Ze actually hugged her tightly and almost cried. She almost cried back. If she knew there was still a father who cherished her and an older brother who loved her, she would’ve come back much earlier!

Cheng’er kept asking the servant urgent questions, but he couldn’t answer any of them.

“He only said he wanted to see Young Master Ze,” the servant replied.

“Don’t! Warn him that if he comes again, we’ll break his legs!” Shangguan Ze said coldly.

“You dare!” Cheng’er glared back.

Shangguan Ze was dumbfounded. He had no idea what kind of relationship Cheng’er had with Ah-Cheng, but he knew that the man was involved with Han Xiang and that Liubei Trade Consortium would fall into the Wolf Sect’s hands eventually.

“Big bro, let him in,” Cheng’er pled.

“What’s he here for?” Shangguan Ze didn’t understand.

“I don’t know either, but…but in any case, he came, so just let him inside!” Cheng’er’s heart was pounding as if a little fawn was jumping around inside. She had no idea what sort of good thing Yujin had done, but she had nearly given up herself. She thought Ah-Cheng wouldn’t care about her anymore, not that he’d actually show up.

“Han Xiang is no good. You should keep your distance from anyone that hooks up with her,” Shangguan Ze said seriously, but Cheng’er was even more serious.

“Big bro, I’m no good either. Ah-Cheng’s even worse than me. If we get tangled up together, you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Shangguan Ze was left speechless. He silently thought he’d have to watch out for his little sister and protect her more. The Shangguan Clan was quite strict, especially with its family rules towards females. Wouldn’t anyone take advantage of her daily with that kind of personality?

“Call him in!” Cheng’er was already tugging at his hand, so he could only agree.

Soon enough, Ning Cheng was brought into the courtyard by the servant. Shangguan Ze sat at a stone table while Cheng’er hid inside the rooms to peek from a window. She was so nervous. That day, her older brother said words that would definitely make this fellow misunderstand. She could only silently mutter, Take me away, take me away, take me away…

Shangguan Ze was a proud sort and had every right to be that way. He sat unmoving and arched a brow at Ning Cheng. But Ning Cheng wasn’t humble either and stood with his back straight. When he stood in front of the other man, his aura didn’t lose against his.

He said, “Young Master Ze, today I’m here to discuss a sale with you. I don’t know whether you’d be interested.”

Hearing this, Cheng’er’s heart gave a jolt.

Shangguan Ze didn’t invite him to sit, but stood up and asked, “What sort of sale?”

“Something related to the Wolf Sect,” Ning Cheng replied.

Now Shangguan Ze was interested, while Cheng’er’s heart sank. So it has nothing to do with me, ah.

Ning Cheng said, “Liubei Trade Consortium is already an empty husk. Han Xiang can only clean up the mess. If you object, I can create a new consortium solely loyal to the Shangguan Clan. I promise that after a year, no one from the Wolf Sect will be able to steal anything from you on the bidding field!”

Shangguan Ze finally realized that Ning Cheng was no simple man and looked at him directly. The Wolf Sect was richer than the Shangguan Sect, so in the past few years they had stolen lots of elixirs and pills from them at auctions. He and his father had been suppressing their temper over the fact for ages. He never thought this fellow could stab their weak point as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Why should I believe you?” Shangguan Ze asked.

“By the fact that Liubei Trade Consortium established itself until my rule, and the two keys I hold to its treasury,” Ning Cheng replied.

Shangguan Ze smiled. “Since you can trick Han Xiang today, you can trick me tomorrow!”

“If Young Master Ze doesn’t believe me, I can sign an indenture agreement as a slave,” Ning Cheng replied simply.

Inside the room, Cheng’er was gaping. She couldn’t understand why Ah-Cheng was doing this. She wondered if he was hiding some sinister plot instead? Shangguan Ze thought as well and laughed coldly. “After saying all that, what terms do you want?”

Ning Cheng stared at him squarely and said, “Let Cheng’er go.”

The world grew still.

But Cheng’er’s world was ever quieter.

Abruptly, she couldn’t help but shriek, “Ah…ahhhh….ahhhh!”

After that she opened the door and ran out to lunge at Ah-Cheng. Her momentum was so strong that Ning Cheng might have fallen to the ground if he wasn’t tall and sturdy enough. Just like the time she forced a kiss on him, she pounced on him directly with her arms around his neck, legs around his body, and buried her head in his shoulder to cry out nonstop.

Ning Cheng was lost.

Shangguan Ze was as well, but he was intelligent enough to quickly understand what was going on. He wanted to laugh as he felt helpless, but didn’t get to speak before Cheng’er gestured behind her body for him to shoo.

What could Shangguan Ze do? He left them.

“Have you yelled enough yet? Get off!” Ning Cheng snapped.

Cheng’er looked up at him with a wordless grin. Ning Cheng was about to pry her off when she held on as tight as death.

“Enough!” Ning Cheng was really angry.

“You came…”

Before Cheng’er had finished, Ning Cheng actually threw her on the ground and demanded, “What’s going on?”

Cheng’er sprawled unhappily on the ground. “I’ll tell you if you help me up!”

Ning Cheng turned to leave without hesitation. Cheng’er didn’t fuss and climbed to her feet before chasing after him to wrap her arms around his back.

“Can you not—” Ning Cheng tried to pry off her hands.

“You like me!” she cried. “You didn’t even care about selling yourself off in order to save me. I brought on the trouble myself, but you still came to help me. You like me, you have to!”

“You’re thinking too much,” Ning Cheng rejected without hesitation.

“Then why did you come?” Cheng’er asked.

“Between the Shangguan Clan and the Wolf Sect, I prefer the former more. Saving you was something I did on the way,” Ning Cheng easily said an excuse.

“But it’s still liking me. Otherwise, why not pick something else to get along the way?” Cheng’er asked cheerily.

Ning Cheng fell silent a while before saying, “Because I don’t want to see you in the Shangguan Clan.”

Cheng’er was even happier. She shouted outside the courtyard, “Big bro…big brother! Come here! Hurry back! This person agreed to sign himself into slavery with you! A gentleman’s word is worth nine cauldrons, don’t let him go back on it!”

Big brother?

Ning Cheng slowly turned around to look at Cheng’er hugging him as his face gradually grew white…