Chapter 95: Hooves Like Thunder

Yawning, Wei Hai walked closer and said, “Everything went smoothly, and we even met the Old Man Emperor’s teacher. We handed over the evidence to him and then left.”

“Imperial Preceptor!”

Patriarch Ren’s pupils trembled, and after a moment of silence, he turned to Gu Ning’an and the others. “After a night of travel, you must be exhausted. Hurry back and rest. With the Emperor’s teacher here, the Sun family won’t be able to stir up any trouble.”

Gu Ning’an nodded and walked toward the guest room.

“Alright, Patriarch Ren, you all should rest as well. Things aren’t settled yet, and who knows what kind of trouble might arise later,” Wei Hai waved his hand.

“The biggest troublemaker is you. Calling the Emperor ‘ The Old Man Emperor’—you really aren’t afraid of losing your head!” the old beggar said with a helpless expression.

Wei Hai clicked his tongue. “We’re all on the same side, what’s there to be afraid of? Besides, you said it earlier too.”

“You… Fine, do as you like!” The old beggar waved his hand and, holding the sleeping Yuanqiu, hurried to the guest room.

Soon, only Patriarch Ren and Li Xunshan remained in the courtyard.

Li Xunshan cupped his hands and said, “Uncle Ren, go get some rest. I’ll stand watch tonight.”

“Stand watch?” Patriarch Ren pursed his lips, his gaze shifting toward the guest room where Gu Ning’an was. “No need to stand watch. In this Jiangling Prefecture, there’s probably no place safer than here now.”

Li Xunshan looked confused and said, “Uncle, what do you mean? I’m not quite following.”

“You’ll understand in time,” Patriarch Ren said, grabbing Li Xunshan’s arm and smiling. “Quickly tell me, what happened tonight? What did you encounter?”

Seeing how interested Patriarch Ren was, Li Xunshan suppressed his drowsiness and began recounting the events of the night, bit by bit…

About an incense stick’s worth of time later, after hearing the full story, Patriarch Ren couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wonderful, wonderful… This night of yours, it’s probably the most exciting night of your life. I’m truly envious.”

“There’s nothing to envy…” Li Xunshan smiled wryly. “The whole way, I was on edge, with danger at every turn. One misstep, and I could have lost my life.”

Patriarch Ren shook his hand dismissively. “Tch, you couldn’t have lost it, couldn’t have lost it…”

Li Xunshan felt something strange about Patriarch Ren’s demeanor. He looked at the sky and said, “It’s nearly dawn. Uncle, you should rest. To be safe, I’ll stand watch for a bit longer.”

“Ha, you don’t trust me, do you?” Patriarch Ren rolled his eyes. “I’ll tell you this: Even with the courtyard door wide open, nothing will happen tonight.”

Li Xunshan hesitated. “But…”

“But nothing. If you keep hesitating like this, I’ll have to seriously think about whether you’re capable of taking care of my Yue’er.”

With those words, Patriarch Ren stood up, and Li Xunshan hurriedly bowed. “Uncle, I’ll go to sleep now. You should rest too.”

“Go on, go on.” Patriarch Ren waved his hand with a smile, in a good mood.

After hearing the sound of the door closing, Patriarch Ren’s smile faded. He stood up straight and deeply bowed in the direction of Gu Ning’an’s guest room. “I, Ren, thanks Mr. Gu, for saving my life…”

Inside the guest room, just as Gu Ning’an was about to fall asleep, he felt warmth in his palm, and Worldly Qi began to swirl. Without opening his eyes, he clasped his hands together and turned over. “No need to thank me.”

…

The next morning, the weather was perfect, with a clear and boundless sky.

In the streets and alleys of Jiangling Prefecture, the clatter of horse hooves echoed incessantly.

Inside the Ren family courtyard, the noise roused many from their sleep.

A drowsy-eyed Ren Yue walked into the courtyard alongside Madam Ren. Spotting her father, she asked, “Father, why is it so noisy outside? It disturbed my sleep, and I woke up halfway through a beautiful dream.”

Patriarch Ren, sitting in the courtyard sipping tea, shook his head. “I haven’t been outside, so how would I know? What kind of dream were you having, Yue’er?”

Ren Yue smiled, the corners of her mouth curling up. “I dreamt of marrying Xunshan…”

“You silly girl! I’ve never seen anyone as eager to marry herself off as you!” Patriarch Ren scolded her with a sharp tone.

“Hmph! None of your business!” Ren Yue turned her head away, completely ignoring her father’s reprimand.

“You—!” Patriarch Ren blew his beard in frustration, just about to lose his temper when Madam Ren intervened to mediate. “Can’t you two go one morning without arguing? We still have guests in the house—don’t let them laugh at us.”

Cre-eak!

At that moment, Li Xunshan, Wei Hai, and the old beggar pushed open their doors. After greeting each other, they joined the Ren family in the courtyard to exchange morning pleasantries.

The old beggar had somehow trimmed his beard and hair. His once-long facial hair was now clean-shaven, and his messy hair was neatly tied up. Though he still wore tattered clothes, his entire demeanor seemed much more refined.

As the group discussed buying the old man a new set of clothes, a sudden urgent knock came from the outer gate.

Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!

Everyone exchanged glances, their faces displaying various emotions.

The old beggar, Wei Hai, and Li Xunshan appeared on alert.

Madam Ren and Ren Yue only seemed puzzled.

Patriarch Ren, however, appeared indifferent. He casually called out, “Coming, coming,” while making his way to the gate.

Outside the gate, a row of majestic horses stood in formation, each accompanied by a sharp-looking soldier.

At the forefront stood a military officer clad in chainmail, a longsword at his waist, and a polished silver helmet tucked under his arm.

Seeing the imposing scene, Patriarch Ren instinctively stepped back. But upon recalling that Mr. Gu was still in the courtyard, his heart quickly steadied.

He cupped his hands respectfully and asked, “May I ask, sir, what brings you to the Ren family residence?”

The officer’s sharp eyes scanned the merchant before him. Seeing his sudden shift from hesitation to confidence, the officer was slightly curious but refrained from asking further. Instead, he returned the salute and said, “We are here under the orders of Lord Qi to escort Master Wen Songmo back to the capital.”

Under Lord Qi’s orders?

Could it be that the matter had already been resolved?

The few who were aware of the situation exchanged glances, their minds swirling with doubt.

The old beggar stepped forward, his expression serious. “I am Wen Songmo. Has the Sun family matter already been dealt with in just a few hours?”

The officer first gave the old beggar a scrutinizing look, then cupped his hands again and replied, “Reporting to Master Wen, all of the Sun family’s rebels, save for their leader Sun Hong, have been eradicated!”

“As for Sun Hong… Lord Qi has decreed that he shall be personally judged by Master Wen!”

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