April 6th, the sky was clear, and the spring breeze was gentle.
When the news of Xue Family Young Master's assassination first broke, it startled all the high-ranking officials and nobles in the city, but now, after just over a week, it has become somewhat forgotten.
In the small courtyard, Ning Yue led his subordinates on rotating shifts, following the rules daily, his life so uneventful it seemed he had been forgotten. Only Xue Youwei would come daily to chat with Ning Yue, lamenting his cousin's ill-fated destiny, his expression desolate, no longer possessing his former high spirits.
Oh, Xie Qing also visited yesterday.
Although he was an unfavored illegitimate son of an aristocratic family, his information was much more well-informed than ordinary people. After learning of the Xue Family's latest developments, he wanted to bring Ning Yue into the military prison to enjoy a comfortable life with him daily, so he could leave this troubled place sooner. He even arranged all the connections for him.
Ning Yue was very moved but remained loyal, sternly refusing, and Xie Qing left in a huff.
However, just as he finished his shift today, three more people arrived in the small courtyard.
Xu Mu, who led the group, was the eldest among Xue Ren's subordinates, but he was still strong and vigorous, no less mighty than in his youth. At this moment, he was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, a waist-saber at his hip, and carried two large jars of wine, walking at the very front.
Behind him followed two people. One had a square nose and a wide mouth, firm eyebrows, and a face as black as coal; this was Feng Hai, the strongest among them.
Ning Yue didn't have a deep impression of the other person, only knowing his name was Chen Ye. He heard he was a disciple from a declining sect who had come out into the world, but he had always been obscure, his martial arts neither outstanding nor at the bottom.
Both of them carried a food box.
Through the courtyard gate, Ning Yue could already smell the fragrant aroma of braised Nine-Yang Chicken.
The Nine-Yang Demon Chicken had a fiery red comb, a fierce temperament, and strong aggressiveness, making it one of the most ferocious first-tier demonic beasts.
Yet, its meat was exceptionally delicious, and after braising, it emitted an extraordinary aroma that made people drool.
Ning Yue greeted them at the courtyard entrance to show his closeness, then led the three into the courtyard to sit. The junior officials, understanding the situation, had already wisely stepped out and closed the courtyard gate, standing guard outside.
Xu Mu, being the eldest, sat down first. After prying open a jar of wine, he chuckled at Ning Yue, saying, "Xiaoqi Ning has been protecting Chief Xue's safety these past few days, working tirelessly. The three of us are off duty today, with nothing else to do, so we wanted to come and see you, to save you from loneliness."
Ning Yue waved his hand and replied, "It's no hardship, no hardship at all, just serving Chief Xue. Esteemed colleagues, I wonder if the city has been peaceful lately? I've been confined to this courtyard and rarely hear news from outside."
Chen Ye, while taking out dishes from the food box, smiled and replied, "Besides that short-sighted Third Boss who hasn't been caught, there's not much else going on. These past few days, we've heard quite a few of your legendary stories... defeating Lin Shanhe with a saber, bravely slaying the Second Boss, and I heard you even sent Chief Mo, who tried to act arrogant, back a few days ago. Ning Yue, you're truly impressive!"
Ning Yue humbly said, "It's all just everyone praising me; in fact, it's an exaggeration. My heart has always been uneasy. That Second Boss was already heavily injured, and I only succeeded by a sneak attack. Chief Mo is a sensible and polite person, and he left after I politely persuaded him a few words."
"As for Lin Shanhe..." Ning Yue chuckled, "I estimate that if Brother Feng were to make a move, he wouldn't even last three rounds, so there's nothing worth mentioning."
Lin Shanhe was among the top hundred in last year's Grand Competition, while Feng Hai, only twenty-five, had already perfected his physique and secured a spot in the top thirty of the Grand Competition. Above him were mostly older martial artists who had toiled for ten or even more years, their prospects no longer bright.
Feng Hai smiled without speaking, silently serving the dishes, only raising an eyebrow, clearly agreeing with Ning Yue's words.
"Such a sycophant is not worth mentioning. Come, let's drink!" Xu Mu was the first to raise his wine cup.
Feng Hai also raised his cup.
But Ning Yue suddenly stopped Chen Ye's hand as he was about to pour wine, "Please forgive me, elder brothers, but I am on duty and dare not drink. Once this period passes, I will surely drink to my heart's content with you all."
Xu Mu's smile faded, and his face fell, "What's wrong? Could it be that Ning Yue, now that you've gained some influence, you look down on us?"
Chen Ye also chimed in, "This courtyard is quiet and empty, and it's getting late. No one else will come. Ning Yue, don't be so stiff."
Ning Yue remained silent, only blocking the cup in front of him, unmoving as a mountain.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
"Bang!"
The wine pot was slammed down heavily. Chen Ye, disregarding the splashing wine, angrily said, "Ning Yue, forgive my bluntness, but Chief Xue is so severely injured that even if he recovers later, his martial arts will be difficult to fully restore. If that's the case, what use is his past regard for you?"
"Do you know how Xue Youwei has been humiliated these past few days? That Han Yiming, who is just a Xiaoqi, even dared to use Qianhu Han's name to make Xue Youwei lead his horse?"
"And Mo Yingshuo, who was already at odds with our Chief, now his lackey Shi Lei is taking advantage of training to provoke trouble in every way, almost forcing Xue Youwei to kneel. Fortunately, he's been absent these past few days, claiming illness, otherwise, I'm afraid Youwei would have suffered more. And there's the Xie Family's eldest son..."
"Enough! Stop talking!" The indignant Chen Ye, who hadn't even had a drink, still had a flushed face but was suddenly interrupted by Xu Mu.
Xu Mu looked at Ning Yue with a solemn gaze and slowly said, "Ning Yue, do you know that the three of us came here today precisely to resign from Chief Xue?!"
As the words fell, there was no lingering sound, and the air seemed to solidify.
It wasn't until Wei Xian, sensing something was wrong, pushed open the door and brought people in, breaking the silence.
Ning Yue didn't turn his head, waving his subordinates away, his gaze gradually becoming stern.
Although Xue Youwei came every day, he never mentioned these things to him, but he could generally guess.
Xue Ren was seriously injured and difficult to recover, and the Xue Family had no successor. Xue Zhenfu held a high position and power, so naturally, no one dared to provoke him.
Xue Youwei, however, was different. Over time, those who were at odds with Xue Ren would inevitably jump out, testing him intentionally or unintentionally.
Xu Mu raised his cup, drained the wine in it, slowly sat down, and said, "I was born in Huainan and grew up in Huainan. Now that I am old, I can't do it anymore. Fortunately, I have both sons and daughters, and they are all married. Tomorrow, I plan to pack up and leave the camp."
Chen Ye said, "I was originally a sect disciple. A few days ago, the Sect Master summoned me, asking me to end my training and return to the mountain to continue cultivating."
Ning Yue listened silently, only nodding when he heard this, then looked at Feng Hai and asked, "Brother Hai, what about you?"
Feng Hai smiled a bit awkwardly, "Qianhu Han has taken me on as his personal guard. I'll be reporting in a few days. Speaking of which, I owe it to you."
If it weren't for Ning Yue's tactful refusal that day, there would naturally be no glorious appointment for Feng Hai today.
Ning Yue didn't mind, only nodding and saying, "Qianhu Han is good at discerning talent and is magnanimous. I imagine he won't treat Brother Hai poorly."
After saying that, he stood tall and bowed with cupped hands.
"Elder brothers, each has his own aspirations. Ning Yue knows he cannot persuade the three of you. As comrades for many years, I only wish you all a long and prosperous journey, and that we may meet again someday."
The three returned the bow in unison.
Xue Ren hid in the house, quietly watching the scene outside the window, not moving for a long time, as if he had turned into a statue at this moment.
The four in the courtyard sat down again in unison. Ning Yue, using tea as wine, drank heartily with his former brothers, and no one was tactless enough to object anymore.
Words were short but feelings were deep. As the wine flowed and faces flushed, the small courtyard, for the first time in days, had a lively atmosphere.
However, with separation imminent and comrades who had accompanied each other for years about to go their separate ways, everyone, though not speaking of it, felt a touch of sadness in their hearts.
Xu Mu, having drunk too much, kept laughing and offering to play matchmaker for Ning Yue, saying that the women of Huainan were gentle and completely different from those in Gu City, pulling on his sleeve and not letting go; Feng Hai's face also turned red, a dark reddish-black. He was no longer taciturn but frequently urged them to drink, not caring that Ning Yue only drank tea.
And Chen Ye, after drinking, became much more talkative, telling everyone many embarrassing stories about his sect, the Bajizhuoyin Sect. The old sect master couldn't recruit disciples and was almost starving, yet he stubbornly held onto the old sect grounds, refusing to sell them, saying that ancient powerful treasures were hidden in the mountains, so he often needed Chen Ye's help.
The banquet lasted from sunset until the moon hung on the willow branches. The spring breeze in the evening still carried a hint of chill, but everyone had achieved success in martial arts, so they naturally didn't mind.
During the banquet, the three would occasionally mention Xue Ren, sighing that the Chief was a gentleman and skilled at managing his subordinates, a rare good superior.
Ning Yue listened to the three talk about everything under the sun, but he himself did not say much.
It wasn't until the two large jars of wine were empty that Xu Mu slowly stood up, but he was a bit unsteady on his feet. Ning Yue stepped forward to support him.
Xu Mu, with hazy eyes, exhaled a breath of wine and said to Ning Yue, "A'Yue, from now on, you and I, brothers, will go our separate ways. Before we leave, we want to... we want to personally bid farewell to Chief Xue."