Chapter 96: 096. You’re the Weird One (First Update)
Translator: 549690339
Lin Bojun was a powerful martial artist with agility and strength. With a single sweep of his long blade, it felt like he could cut through the cold and piercing wind, exuding a heavy and oppressive might.
Ever since he was a child, he was extremely hardy. Sitting down to read never suited him, and he never lost or shied away from a fight.
Lin Shuzhi didn’t expect his two sons to follow the same path as him. The eldest son loved studying, and it seemed right to fully support and guide the second son who showed aptitude for martial arts. Lin Shuzhi managed to pull some strings through a friend and invited a famed master of blade technique from the martial world to teach Lin Bojun.
At that time, the master’s condition was that Lin Shuzhi had to teach his grandson to read.
Lin Bojun’s strength was far from weak. Had it not been for protecting Lin Boyan this time, he should’ve been able to handle the assassins sent by Duanmu Ao on his own – at least, his life wouldn’t have been at risk.
Before the fight with Su Liang, Lin Bojun made up his mind to show restraint and avoid harming her at all costs.
However, he quickly realized that he had been too arrogant.
Su Liang’s strength was formidable and her experience in battle was far from lacking.
Watching the battle intently, Lin Shuzhi and Lin Xueqing couldn’t decide who had the advantage. For a while, they thought Lin Bojun had the upper hand, forcing Su Liang to continuously retreat. Yet, she always managed to counterattack effectively at crucial moments.
“Sister Su is so strong!” Lin Xueqing’s eyes sparkled. “I bet Sister Su will win.”
Lin Shuzhi’s expression was serious. “I also think Liang has the edge.”
Upon seeing Lin Boyan and Ning Jing walking side by side, Lin Xueqing said, “Let’s bet on who will win. The loser won’t be allowed to eat for an entire day tomorrow! ”
Lin Boyan didn’t quite understand but after watching for some moments, he felt that Su Liang’s steps were steady, and her moves were versatile and full of surprises. In comparison, his younger brother seemed to be a bit clumsy. He smiled and said, “I think Sister Su will win.”
“What about you, Brother Ning?” Lin Xueqing asked Ning Jing.
Ning Jing’s expression was indifferent. “Su Liang will lose.”
Lin Xueqing was surprised at Ning Jing’s judgment, but since they had different opinions, the betting was on. She confidently said, “Just you wait and see, Brother Ning!”
In the end, Lin Bojun and Su Liang fought for half an hour, appearing evenly matched. Forced to retreat once more, Su Liang didn’t counterattack. Instead, she feigned a fall and announced, “I lost.”
Lin Bojun’s face was bewildered. “Xiaoliang, what are you doing? Get up and fight on!”
Lin Xueqing couldn’t accept the result. “Sister Su, you clearly lost on purpose! Were you in collusion with Brother Ning?”
Su Liang got up from the ground, her smile gentle. “Heavens and earth are my witnesses, I did not collude with him. Brother Lin has been through a lot, and I wouldn’t feel honorable if I won given his condition.”
Lin Xueqing stomped her foot. “But I, my father, and elder brother all bet on
Sister Su! Now that you’ve admitted defeat, we can’t eat tomorrow!”
Su Liang’s lips curved slightly. “Listening to it all, it seems less fun to make Ning Jing be the only one who can’t eat. If three people don’t eat, it’ll save more food. ”
Lin Shuzhi rubbed his forehead.
Lin Boyan couldn’t help but laugh.
Lin Bojun laughed heartily. “Xiaoliang’s reasoning is impeccable! Let’s save it for another day!”
Lin Xueqing sighed. “Sister Su, you’re so mean! I really misjudged you!” She turned to Ning Jing. “Did you guess that Sister Su would lose on purpose?”
Ning Jing shook his head, his expression calm. “I was just going along with your plan.” There would’ve been no fun in the bet if he’d also chosen Su Liang to win, as he was the last to express an opinion.
After the fight, Lin Bojun exclaimed, “If only I didn’t have someone I’m in love with, I’d definitely pursue Xiaoliang! But my elder brother is too weak to match her. It’s still the best for her to be with Ajing!”
As for the insistence that Ning Jing and Su Liang should get married right away and start a family, Su Liang was used to it by now and had made a habit of ignoring it.
As for the bet about not eating, it was just a joke.
“Jingjing, where do you and Liang plan to go next?” Lin Shuzhi asked. Though Ning Jing initially planned on escorting Su Liang back to Bei’an County after returning, there had been a few changes. Duanmu Ao hadn’t given up, and his retaliatory acts were persistent. Lin Shuzhi wondered if they might choose to travel to the capital together.
“We’ll return to Bei’an County tomorrow,” Ning Jing replied.
Lin Boyan spoke up. “My brother and I don’t have much time left on our leave. We need to return to the capital as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow.”
“But what if Master runs into danger on the way?” Su Liang asked, voicing Lin Shuzhi’s concern. She didn’t think Ning Jing intended to wash his hands of it all. She had assumed they might need to make a trip to the capital first.
Once the Lin family arrived in the capital, they wouldn’t necessarily enjoy peace, but at least the Second Prince wouldn’t dare harm them openly.
Furthermore, Duke Qin had already declared that if the Lin family got in trouble, the Qin family wouldn’t sit idly by.
Moreover, Su Liang believed that once Xing Yusheng knew Lin Bojun had saved his cousin, he would lend a hand if he could. The sachet from earlier had already proven that he and his cousin had a close relationship.
Ning Jing’s expression was calm. “I’ve hired a master who will secretly protect you all.”
Clearly, he had already made arrangements.
“So let’s settle on this for now, and get some rest. We can talk about anything else tomorrow.” Lin Shuzhi said.
“Where am I going to stay?” Ning Jing asked again.
Lin Xueqing, holding Su Liang’s arm, said, “Little Su has been looking forward to Brother Ning’s return for the past few days, and has prepared a room for him, in the same courtyard as our father!”
Ning Jing walked over and, just when Lin Xueqing was full of confusion, heard him say, “Get out of the way.”
Lin Xueqing: …
Su Liang cleared her throat, “Master, you guys go ahead first. We still have something to talk about. ”
Lin Xueqing muttered under her breath, “Brother Ning is acting as if I stole his wife, really…”
Everyone from the Lin family left, leaving only Su Liang and Ning Jing in the back garden.
“Who did you hire?” Su Liang asked.
Ning Jing said a name, ‘Yan Shiqi.”
Su Liang raised her eyebrows, “Wasn’t he hired by Ning Yao and then ran away at a critical moment? How did you find him?”
“He found me,” Ning Jing replied.
Yan Shiqi had ignored Ning Yao and avoided Ning Jing at the time but didn’t go far, just watching him nearby.
When Ning Jing was leaving Xunyang City, Yan Shiqi followed him all the way and only showed up a day later, stating that they had no grievances or enemies and he had no hostility towards Ning Jing; he just wanted to talk business with him.
Su Liang was somewhat surprised, “He wants the Yanyun Building Master’s MO Yu ring?”
Ning Jing nodded, affirming her guess.
Back then, Ning Jing didn’t know that the two Lin brothers would return from the capital city, and he planned to hire Yan Shiqi because no matter whether Lin Boyan or Lin Bojun would come to pick them up, the road to the capital city would not be safe for Lin Shuzhi and Lin Xueqing.
Ning Jing mocked Ning Yao for talking business with an assassin.
But he himself agreed to Yan Shiqi’s transaction.
In the former case, Ning Yao was completely fooled by Yan Shiqi.
In the latter case, what Ning Jing asked Yan Shiqi to do didn’t pose much difficulty for him. If Yan Shiqi dared to cheat, he should be worried about being killed by Ning Jing.
In the end, it boils down to a matter of strength.
But there is another issue for Su Liang regarding this matter. She had previously told Yan Shiba to get lost with the MO Yu ring when they clashed.
Although Su Liang was under no obligation to give the ring to Yan Shiba for free, if Yan Shiba learns that Ning Jing gave the ring to someone else, she won’t let it go given her temperament.
Su Liang wasn’t afraid, nor did she think there was anything wrong on their part in this matter. She just felt it was troublesome.
“I promised Yan Shiqi that once the task is done, I’ll tell him where the MO Yu ring is,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang nodded, “That works too. If Yan Shiqi and Yan Shiba have a grudge, let them fight it out. Maybe they were actually on good terms in the first place.” With that, she suddenly looked around, “He’s not nearby, is he?”
Ning Jing shook his head, “He’s in the city, not nearby.” He would be secretly following the Lin family tomorrow.
“So, are we still going to see Zhengzheng?” Su Liang asked.
“Yes,” Ning Jing nodded, “Talk business with Zhengzheng’s mother while you’re at it. Write a letter to collaborate with Yang Yu and target the Li family.”
Of Qian Country’s four big merchant families, Ning Jing and Su Liang have the Ning Family, Yang Family is an absolutely trusted ally, the Wan Family has a great opportunity to be wooed and has a longstanding feud with the Li Family.
Everything is in their favor.
Su Liang shook her head, “I don’t understand business.”
“Both the Wan family and Yang Yu do,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang smiled, “Not bad, I’ll give it a try.”
Ning Jing added, “Zhengzheng is Li San’s biological son, but he doesn’t need that father. Take the Li family’s property and give it to Zhengzheng as a gift.”
Su Liang nodded, “Agreed. But didn’t you find kids weird at first?”
“You’re the weird one.” Ning Jing said and left right away.
Su Liang: .