Chapter 138 - The Person from Niu Mansion
"One hundred liang, I … I really …" The child clenched his fist and held the cuffs of his linen robe in silence."Enough, there"s no need for him to compensate us."
It was at this moment that Xiang Yun opened the curtains of the large palanquin in the middle of the group and walked out. He looked at the familiar short figure in front of him and waved his hand as he spoke.
"Uh, Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"
Since Xiang Yun had spoken, the servants naturally did not dare to disobey and hurriedly retreated.Xiang Yun strode in front of the youth, and the linen robed youth stared blankly at Xiang Yun. After staring for a while, he hurriedly kneeled on the ground and kowtowed.
"Greetings, master Crown Prince." The way the youngster addressed him seemed somewhat out of place.
Xiang Yun did not mind, the youth"s dirty linen clothes had personally helped him up, a smile on his face as he asked, "Little friend, why are you walking in such a hurry?"
The youth timidly raised his head, not daring to look at Xiang Yun"s face. It was not that Xiang Yun was repulsive.
In the heart of this poor youth, the existence of His Highness the crown prince was like a statue of a G.o.d in a temple, something to be worshipped and not to be offended in the slightest!
The teenager lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to the crown prince, I"m in a hurry to go back and cook dinner for my father. I accidentally ran into the crown prince. Please spare me!""Heh heh, who wants your life now?" Xiang Yun was amused by the youth as he looked at him with a smile.
Perhaps it was because he had been infected by Xiang Yun"s warm smile, but the youth"s jet-black eyes were sparkling as his pursed lips finally relaxed, revealing a trace of a smile."What are you going to cook for your father today?" Xiang Yun asked with a smile.
"I want to stew chicken soup for my dad!" The young man proudly waved the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves with a bright smile on his face.
"So powerful." Xiang Yun gave the youth a thumbs up.
"Yes, I earned all of this money by myself. A bucket of water and a copper coin was given to me by Uncle Zhao. When I"ve finished cooking the chicken soup, I"ll also send him a bowl of it!"
The teenager patted his chest, as if he was proud of himself for being able to make money on his own and buy chicken for his father.
"Alright, then go back quickly. Don"t let your dad get hungry." Xiang Yun said as he patted the youth on the shoulder.
The young man nodded and grabbed the chicken in his hand. Then, he quickly ran in the direction of the mud-tile alley to the south of the city. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the crowd.
Looking at the youth"s departing back, Xiang Yun could not help but secretly nod his head. The people"s filial piety came first, and they did not forget to repay their kindness. If one were to use the words of the sages from his previous life to criticize this youth, it would be "a child can be taught"!
Soon after, Xiang Yun brought his entourage along with him as they continued their journey. They arrived at the entrance to Niu Mansion in a formidable array. Surprisingly, upon arrival, the entrance to Niu Mansion was shut, leaving no one outside.It was already late in the morning, so why would the entrance of Niu Residence still be open? Xiang Yun ordered someone to knock on the door.
After knocking for a long time, the door finally opened a crack. When they saw the Crown Prince, the nervous Ox-servant, and the horse-faced Crown Prince outside, they heaved a sigh of relief but still did not open the door, instead poking their heads out to ask.
"Your Highness, what business do you have here?"
Xiang Yun saw that the gatekeeper had actually not opened the door to welcome him, and was puzzled. He asked.
"I"m here to see your Young Master Niu. Where is he?"
The gatekeeper"s expression slightly changed. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Reporting to your highness, your highness, your highness, he hasn"t recovered yet. He needs to rest, so he said that no one is to be seen. Your highness, your highness, this …""Outsider? Does your young master think that I"m an outsider? "
Xiang Yun"s hawk-like eyes sized up the gatekeeper"s face, causing the latter to feel weak in his heart. His face was fl.u.s.tered, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Your Highness, it"s best if you go back. It"s not convenient for Young Master to see guests right now."
"Oh, really?" Xiang Yun cast a sidelong glance at the gatekeeper and said, "Then I"ll send these gifts in. It"s fine, just the front courtyard. They won"t disturb your young master."
"This …" The gatekeeper was somewhat hesitant. He turned around and glanced at them before turning his head and speaking with a bitter expression.
"Your Highness, please keep this gift. We"ll send someone out later to carry it ourselves. Please go back first."
Seeing the strange look in the gatekeeper"s eyes, a glint flashed across Xiang Yun"s eyes. However, he immediately smiled amiably and said, "Alright, alright. Then we"ll head back first."
The moment Xiang Yun turned around, the gatekeeper immediately let out a long breath. Just as he was about to close the door, who would have thought that Xiang Yun, who had just turned around, would actually turn around like lightning and kick the door!
"Bam!"With a dull thud, the door burst open!
The gatekeeper screamed and was sent flying by the door!
The moment the door opened, Xiang Yun saw eight burly men dressed in black clothing, wearing treasured swords at their waists, and with burly stature. They had shocked expressions as they looked towards the entrance!
"How dare you!"
The eight people angrily shouted as they prepared to draw their sabers! However, Xiang Yun"s reaction was even faster than theirs.
"Arrogant! Capture all of them!"
At Xiang Yun"s command, all of the guards behind him rushed forward!
Just as the two groups of men were about to engage each other, an explosive shout suddenly came from the depths of Niu Mansion!
"Stop!"
This shout was like a clap of thunder, causing everyone to feel dizzy. Xiang Yun was inwardly shocked. This person"s power and influence was not the least bit inferior to the City Lord of Qinfeng, Lu Yongchang.
The next moment, in the inner hall of the Ox Mansion, two people walked out side by side. One of them was indeed Fatty Ox. Looking at his plump and rosy complexion, it was obvious that he had already recovered from his injuries.
Moreover, Xiang Yun also discovered that even though Fatty Niu was still as round as a ball of flesh, rolling about like a ball of flesh, there seemed to be some sort of inexplicable change happening to him.
If it was anyone else who was familiar with Fatty Niu, they would definitely not have been able to see such a change.
However, Xiang Yun, who cultivated the Art of Creation, was keenly aware of this subtle change in Fatty Niu"s body.He only felt that Fatty Ox"s aura had become a little sharper and a little sharper than before!
For example, if Fatty Ox used to be like a round, soft, and heavy lump of black iron, it would be nothing out of the ordinary. Furthermore, it would not be lethal at all.
Now, Fatty Niu was like a fine sword that had been meticulously polished, hammered thousands of times, and forged thousands of times. Although he was only in his infancy, he already had a horn and a sharp blade.
However, at this moment, Fatty Niu did not look too good. He was sobbing with a sullen face. From time to time, he would glance sideways at the person beside him while mumbling something.
Xiang Yun, who knew Fatty Ox"s morals like the back of his hand, only needed a glance to know that this fellow was once again secretly cursing, even bringing along the other party"s eighteen generations of ancestors!
Seeing this, Xiang Yun"s heart relaxed a little. It seemed that Fatty Niu had not been in danger.
Earlier, when he saw the strange expression on the gatekeeper"s face, he had thought that something had happened to Fatty Niu and that he had been taken captive. This was the reason why he had broken into the gatehouse earlier.
At this moment, Xiang Yun"s gaze shifted to Fatty Niu"s side. It was a tall and stern old man dressed in a black robe.
Even though this person"s hair had already turned completely white, his eyes were still br.i.m.m.i.n.g with energy and vitality. They were glazed with a precious light, and with a single glance, one could tell that he wasn"t an ordinary old man!
The old man and the fat ox man walked out of the inner hall. They looked at the eight guards that had drawn their weapons and shouted, "b.a.s.t.a.r.d, greet the prince! Hurry up and greet him!"Upon hearing this, the eight guards immediately sheathed their swords and knelt down on one knee!
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The eight of them kneeled down as if they were one person, and their voices were even more orderly. Such training clearly showed that they were not ordinary family guards!
At the same time, the old man also stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed as well, saying in a neither humble nor haughty manner, "I, Deng, greet His Highness the Crown Prince!"
While Xiang Yun was sizing up this old man, he did not know that this old man was also quietly using his spiritual will to sense Xiang Yun"s situation.
When he discovered that the legendary good-for-nothing, the crown prince, had a tyrannical body and a stable spiritual sense, the old man couldn"t help but be secretly alarmed.
However, he did not dare to point this out. He was worried that some giants would play a game of chess. If he were to recklessly watch and interfere, he would not even know how he died.
"Fatty Niu!" Xiang Yun turned to look at Fatty Niu."You brat, you can do it! You actually shut your doors to thank the guests! Even I dare to disappear!"
Fatty Niu walked up and pouted with a helpless expression. He looked at the black-robed elder behind him and said in a low voice.
"Boss, I can"t help it, it"s all this old man"s idea. He won"t let me see anyone during this period of time, and he"s locked up all the servants in my residence."
"Hmm?" Xiang Yun asked, puzzled, "Who is he?"
Without waiting for Fatty Niu to reply, the old man seemed to have clearly heard their conversation in whispers. He immediately took a step forward and said.
"I am the steward of the Board of Punishments, Lord Niu"s house, Deng Pang. I have come to Qinfeng City to visit the young master on behalf of the lord."
Xiang Yun cast a doubtful gaze towards Fatty Niu, clearly confirming the authenticity of this old man"s words.Fatty Niu could only nod helplessly, "That"s right, Boss."
This old man is indeed the steward of our residence. When I was born, I was already staying at the Ox Residence.
After speaking, Fatty Niu turned to the old man and said, "Steward Deng, since my boss is here, I shall reminisce with him. Don"t follow him, just wait outside."
The old man, who was called Manager Deng by Fatty Niu, hesitated for a moment. In the end, he nodded and said, "Yes, Young Master."
Afterwards, Fatty Ox brought Xiang Yun into the inner hall and into the backyard, where Fatty Ox lived.
The two of them closed the door and entered the inner room. Fatty Niu came to his bed and lifted the edge of the bed, revealing a winding staircase underneath. There was even a secret room hidden under the bed.Xiang Yun was not the least bit surprised by this. He had long since known that there was a secret chamber beneath Fatty Niu"s bed. This was the secret chamber that he had personally designed for him when he first arrived in Qinfeng City.
The two of them walked down the stairs and closed the bed. Then, they walked down the stairs. After turning a corner, they quickly arrived at a square secret room.
He walked into the secret chamber without using any lanterns or candles. Bejeweled lights were all around him, and they were as bright as stars. They were embedded into the walls and lit up the entire secret chamber.The items placed in this secret chamber were not just any other objects. They were items that Fatty Niu especially liked. There were no small amount of gold, silver, and jewelry, as well as antique calligraphy and paintings. Of course, most of them were unsightly objects.
At the very least, in the mahogany box at the corner of the secret room, Xiang Yun knew that Fatty Niu had hidden several hundred books of the Spring Palace"s paintings within."Tell me, what is going on?" After entering the secret room, Xiang Yun"s voice did not seem to be intentionally suppressed, appearing very casual.
This was because Fatty Ox"s secret chamber was completely sealed off in all four directions with special Cloud Ink Stones. Although these stones were not particularly hard, they possessed a miraculous soundproof effect.
Even if they were separated by the Cloud Ink Stone that was as thick as a pinky finger, it would still be difficult to penetrate it with just a loud noise, so they did not need to worry about that old man overhearing their conversation.
The fat cow first pulled out a chair for Xiang Yun, then brought a bench over for himself to sit on.
He then said with a helpless expression.
"Boss, it"s a long story. It"s all my fault for having such a cheap hand. How did you manage to pull out this blade and sword? What bad luck!"