Chapter 85: Ning He
Chapter 85: Ning He
"Ning He? I have a vague memory of her."
Xue Lin's gaze swept over Ning He, and he suddenly smiled faintly, "Isn't she the little attendant by Xu Hongyu's side?"
"It's an honor for you to remember me, Sir." Ning He bowed slightly.
As Xu Hongyu's maid, Ning He would take charge in her absence, issuing orders on her behalf. Ning He had no fear or hesitation when dealing with He Ming Xuan, but the same couldn't be said for Xue Lin.
Not only would Xu Hongyu herself yield to Xue Lin's status if she were here, but even in her absence, Ning He knew she must show deference to Xue Lin's position.
Xue Lin surpassed Xu Hongyu in both strength and official rank, and within the Xue family, his status was even higher.
Among the heirs of the four prominent families in the inner city, there was an unspoken hierarchy.
Take He Ming Xuan, for example. Although he was also an heir of the He family, his martial talent was average, and he only barely entered the Sinew Transformation Realm at the age of twenty-seven. Moreover, he wasn't the eldest heir of the fourth generation but was born later, putting him at a disadvantage in terms of status and strength compared to Xu Hongyu.
On the other hand, Xue Lin was among the most exceptional heirs of the four prominent families. Even within the Xue family, he held a high position and had considerable influence, far surpassing He Ming Xuan.
This was why, after learning about the situation, Ning He hesitated but ultimately decided to come alone, without informing anyone or bringing any companions.
With Xue Lin involved, she had to handle it herself. Even if Xu Hongyu were in the city, Ning He couldn't involve her.
After all, Ning Yu was her younger brother and the only male heir in her family. Despite knowing how challenging it would be to deal with Xue Lin, she had no choice but to come.
"Xu Hongyu's demon-hunting expedition was quite successful, and she didn't tarnish the Yu family's reputation." Xue Lin withdrew his gaze and casually picked up a fruit from the table, popping it into his mouth.
Ning He lowered her head slightly, remaining silent. As Xu Hongyu's maid, she obviously didn't have the right to speak up while Xue Lin was evaluating her mistress.
Xue Lin seemed deep in thought about Xu Hongyu. After a while, he turned back, his gaze casually scanning the distance. Spotting Ning Yu, who was tied up and kneeling, he asked, "Is that your brother?"
"Yes," Ning He replied, then added in a low voice, "My brother had no intention of offending you, Sir Xue. I hope you can forgive him this once."
Xue Lin gave Ning He a cold look and said, "Do you have the right to speak out of turn about whether I'll forgive him or not?"
His words, accompanied by a chilling aura, seemed to make the air in the room grow colder. The young masters from the inner city, including He Ming Xuan, stiffened, their faces tense. But inside, He Ming Xuan was smirking.
The lowly woman, relying on Xu Hongyu's influence, dared to flaunt her power before him daily. Now, if she angered Xue Lin, even Xu Hongyu wouldn't have the ability to plead for her.
Xue Lin's words made Ning He tremble slightly. The vast difference in status and power was overwhelming, and the pressure from his words made her feel slightly suffocated, even though she was a martial artist of the Sinew Transformation Realm.
However, Xue Lin suddenly shook his head.
"There's no point in making things difficult for a mere maid. Let it go..."
He raised his hand and threw the wine jar beside him toward Ning He, saying, "This jar contains Firecloud New Wine, an extremely potent brew."
Ning He caught the wine jar with one hand. As a martial artist of the Sinew Transformation Realm, she instantly understood the wine's powerful medicinal properties without needing Xue Lin to explain. Yet, she remained calm.
The deep red wine in the jar transformed into a thin silk thread and flowed downward. The singer had passed out after just a sip, but now, Ning He drank it like a flowing stream, finishing the entire jar in no time.
Ning He's cheeks flushed slightly as she put down the jar and looked at Xue Lin.
"Good," Xue Lin praised, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You're indeed Xu Hongyu's maid; your temperament is similar to hers. You may leave."
His Firecloud New Wine, while tolerable for martial artists of the Sinew Transformation Realm, was like drinking fire itself. Ning He had maintained her composure throughout.
"I take my leave, Sir," Ning He bowed politely and then walked towards Ning Yu, lifting him up and carrying him outside.
She didn't spare a glance at He Ming Xuan.
He Ming Xuan watched this scene, surprised that Xue Lin would let her off so easily. He was even more infuriated by Ning He's nonchalant attitude, and as he watched her leave, he couldn't help but speak up, "Brother Xue, even Xu Hongyu's maid dares to act so boldly."
"You're drunk," Xue Lin replied, his gaze cold as he looked at He Ming Xuan.
This glance made He Ming Xuan's heart turn cold, and he froze, not daring to speak for a moment.
The room fell silent again.
Xue Lin slowly poured himself a drink. The indifferent expression on his face suddenly transformed into a smile as he said, "Alright, continue the music and dancing."
He wasn't in a good mood and letting Ning He off lightly, nor was it to give Xu Hongyu face. Today, he vaguely sensed He Ming Xuan's involvement in this matter.
He had no interest in meddling in the affairs of the He and Yu families.
Even earlier, I only asked her to drink a jar of wine as compensation for disturbing my peace," he thought, referring to Ning Yu. "As for anything else, I have no interest."
If He Ming Xuan wanted to use his influence to do something, and he was so insensitive, Xue Lin wouldn't mind throwing another person into the river.
As Xue Lin spoke,
The singers in the room reacted and smiled, resuming their performance.
Some young masters from the Inner City resumed their cheerful conversations, flattery flowing from those beside Xue Lin, while He Mingxuan stood aside, his gaze cold and indifferent.
He glanced at the entrance and made a subtle gesture.
A figure outside quickly disappeared into the night.
...
Outside the painted boat.
Xiao He half-dragged and half-carried Ning Yu, pulling him from the boat to the shore. Then, with a sudden surge of strength in her fingers, she snapped the ropes binding him.
"Sis... Today I..."
Ning Yu trembled, finally mustering the courage to speak softly now that they were on land.
But Xiao He interrupted him.
"Let's go!"
She spoke in a low, firm voice.
Only then did Ning Yu notice that Xiao He's fingers were slightly trembling, and her forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat. Her neck, flushed red, seemed to be scorched.
"Sis, you..."
"Don't talk, let's go."
Xiao He spoke softly and hurried forward, with Ning Yu quickly following behind.
She glanced at the boat docked by the riverbank and led Ning Yu swiftly into the dark alleyways, moving quickly through the darkness.
After passing through several alleys, Xiao He's body suddenly staggered, and she steadied herself against the wall.
Ning Yu was shocked and wanted to support her, but Xiao He shook her head.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
"I'm fine, just a little disoriented. It's still not safe here, we need to get back to the south side quickly."
The boat was docked on the west bank of the city's defense river. In her normal state, she could have crossed the river directly, reaching the other side at Willow Grove, even with the thin ice, while carrying Ning Yu without any issues.
But after drinking that jar of Fire Cloud Wine, her entire body's energy was in disarray. She had to walk along the shore, through the Ancient Cypress Alley in the west part of the city, cross the Righteous Heart Bridge, and return to the south side.
"This wine is indeed something special, but..."
Xiao He sighed inwardly.
If consumed slowly, this wine's effects were no less than a medicinal wine worth a thousand gold. It could greatly nourish one's energy, but drinking a whole jar at once required her to suppress its potency.
The most critical issue was their current location in the west part of the city, and it was already night, making it unsafe.
In reality, even under normal circumstances, she could easily deal with ordinary thugs, but she was more concerned about He Mingxuan. The He Family held far more influence in the west than in the south, and there was no telling if He Mingxuan would take advantage of the situation. After all, today's incident was most likely orchestrated by He Mingxuan.
"Mhm."
Ning Yu nodded and followed Xiao He as they swiftly navigated through the alleys.
After crossing several more alleys...
Two figures appeared in the darkness ahead.
"Hey, it's a young lady."
"Where is this young miss going so late at night?"
Two shabbily dressed thugs, squatting at the intersection, noticed Xiao He and Ning Yu hurrying through the alley and approached with ill intentions.
Seeing a woman daring to roam the alleys at this late hour was unusual, but what caught their attention was the pair's haste, especially the man's apparent anxiety.
"Scram."
Xiao He spoke coldly.
The two thugs exchanged glances, and one of them smirked, "Hey, quite a fiery one. Let's take a closer look at this top-notch beauty..."
As they looked at Xiao He, the other thug reached out with a lecherous grin.
But before his hand could even move...
Crack! Crack!!
Two crisp sounds of breaking bones echoed.
Xiao He quickly retracted her hand and, with Ning Yu, walked between the two thugs.
The thugs' eyes bulged, and their necks twisted unnaturally as they convulsed and fell to the ground.
Sister is so powerful...
Ning Yu glanced back at the thugs' corpses, his heart filled with admiration for Xiao He.
For generations, their family had served the Yu Family, and in this generation, Xiao He was fortunate to be chosen as a maid for Xu Hongyu, caring for her daily needs. Alongside Xu Hongyu, she trained and practiced martial arts, and their family prospered, even acquiring some shops and businesses in the Outer City.
Ning Yu had come to deliver wine to the boat, and out of curiosity, he boarded to see the commotion. When he accidentally bumped into someone and learned they were an important figure from the Inner City, he felt deep regret.
Xue Lin, the Deputy Director of the Demon Slayer Bureau, was a significant figure.
Offending such a person left him with no hope, and he feared he might lose more than just his life.
But then Xiao He arrived, safely escorted him off the boat, and as they walked through the dark alleys, any troublemakers who dared to cause trouble were swiftly dealt with... His admiration for his sister grew.
However, Ning Yu didn't notice that after easily dispatching the two thugs, Xiao He's fingers trembled more violently, and even her arms seemed to be stained with a hint of redness.
They continued through dozens more alleys without encountering anyone, and as they neared the Righteous Heart Bridge, a short distance away, they felt a sense of relief.
In the distance, they could see the bridge spanning the defense river.
Xiao He's heart slightly eased, knowing that once they crossed the bridge, they would be in the Southern District, specifically Willow Grove, Chen Mu's territory.
But just as they quickly approached the bridge...
Step, step, step.
Footsteps echoed from the darkness, each heavy and steady. The gait alone revealed the presence of a trained martial artist.
Xiao He stopped, her expression darkening as she faced the group emerging from the shadows.
(End of Chapter)
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