C9 You’ll Pay For This

You’ll Pay For This

Ning Qi mockingly sneered. “What could possibly be wrong with me? This is the honest truth. I have been beaten many times while young. If it wasn’t because of my tough life, do you think I would be still standing today?”

Then he turned to look at Ning Hongdou. “Seventh Uncle, where’s your proof that I killed Ning Long? Where is Ning Long’s body?”

With tightly gritted his teeth, Ning Hongdou said, “You have scattered his pieces all over the courtyard!”

“So no dead body?”

Ning Qi outrightly sneered and focused his gaze onto Great-Grandfather. “Great-Grandfather, I actually came back for my mother’s ashes and to ask for your permission to establish my own clan outside. By our manor law, as long as one becomes a Battle Master and can pass the Eighteen Copper Men Formation, they are free to do so!”

Great-Grandfather slowly nodded his head. “Such a rule does indeed exist. However, until more light is shed on Ning Long’s matter, in order to avoid arousing more suspicion, you should stay put in the manor.”

Ning Qi nodded. This made sense.

Ignoring Ning Hongdou, Ning Hongtian, and the others wouldn’t be a problem, but he didn’t dare to offend the old master. Doing so would just be asking for trouble.

“Father! There’s no further need for investigation. I know in my heart that he was the one who killed my son!”

Ning Hongdou viciously growled.

Great-Grandfather chose to ignore him entirely. Instead, he turned to look at Ning Hongtian. “As Champion Marquis, you are responsible for this matter. Do not disappoint me.”

Ning Hongtian right away replied, “Yes, Father!”

“As you all can see, this child has no respect for his elders. As punishment for his behavior, he will be given a hundred from the staff. Manager Ning will personally take action from here!”

Ning Hongtian shouted this out loud.

Great-Grandfather nodded his head, obviously in agreement with this punishment.

Ning Qi turned to look at Ning Hongtian with a cold smile on his face. “Tell me, when did I display any disrespect in front of my elders? Besides the old man, who else deserves my respect? You never cared to raise me while I was growing up in the manor. Yet you still have the face to beat me?”

“Such an unfilial son! Today, I will personally take the rod to beat you!” Ning Hongtian’s face, as he stepped up to Ning Qi was furious. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Manager Ning, who had been holding the stick. Grabbing ahold of the stick, Ning Hongtian made his way towards Ning Qi.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to get away with it, Ning Qi’s facial expression shifted a few times. He saw that his great-grandfather was looking at him, which made his resolve to put up a stand fade a little. Today, he would take on some losses but swore to himself that it would be his turn to exact his revenge soon.

Ning Hongtian used all his strength to strike Ning Qi on the back with his stick. Purple combat power was unleashed from the stick. Ordinary sticks combined by purple combat power were harder than iron rods.

Puff!

The level on Ning Qi’s Haemal Strand immediately fell by a good deal.

This one blow had cost him a total of 200 health points!

“Ning Hongtian, is it my life you want?!”

Ning Qi was feeling shocked and furious.

If he didn’t have the Herculean Bear Leather Armor, the Dragon Horn of Life, and the Dragon Elephant Form Technique, he would have 2150 HP, which would have given him 2350 HP. This blow was already sending his value flying southward!

Seeing that Ning Qi was still alive, Ning Hongtian cast him a cold glance. He threw the stick in the direction of the supervisor of Champion Marquis Mansion. Manager Ning grabbed ahold of the stick and walked behind Ning Qi. A purple combat power glowed from his fists and he used it to hit Ning Qi with the stick. After this, Ning Qi had about 1000 HP left. Ning Qi gritted his teeth and stood his ground, staring at Ning Hongtian aggressively.

Seeing that Ning Qi did not appear to be too affected by the beatings, Manager Ning did not bother to suppress his laugh. He only continued to increase the strength of his blows. After 100 strikes, Ning Qi was left at 700 HP.

Everyone stood there with their mouths agape. Manager Ning was reputed to be a one-star Dou Ling. After a hundred strikes, even a Great Battle Master would find himself compromised by now, right? Ning Qi actually appeared unaltered by the beatings. Could it be that Manager Ning was showing him mercy on purpose? Everyone turned to look at him suspiciously. But Manager Ning knew that he wasn’t letting Ning Qi off by the slightest at all!

“The punishment is done. I’ll head back now.”

Ning Qi glanced over at Manager Ning, then turned to the old man to ask for his permission to leave.

Great-Grandfather nodded his head and with a wave of his hand, dismissed him.

Back in the courtyard, Ning Qi found the broken urn and the ashes scattered all over the ground.

“Why are you here? Are you looking for death? Ah!”

An incredibly loud roar sounded out from his courtyard. The nearby disciples of the Marquis Estate, servants, and maidservants turned to look at each other in astonishment. They could not wrap their mind’s around why Ning Qi was suddenly so angry at this moment.

Just as Ning Qi stormed out of the courtyard angrily, there were seven or eight young men standing around at the entrance of the courtyard. Among those in their group, the one with the lowest cultivation was a one-star Dou Shi. The young man who looked to be the leader of the group appeared to be very similar to Ning Hongtian. He happened to be the eldest son of Ning Hongtian and was second commander of the Xiao Qi Camp. The others standing around him were Ning Hongtian’s other sons. However, their eyes when looking at Ning Qi held not the slightest trace of familial warmth in them.

“A good dog doesn’t block the way. Get lost now!”

Ning Qi wasn’t able to suppress his anger as he shouted this out loudly.

Ning Yan continued to coldly stare at Ning Qi. “You bastard, do you think you can behave in such a way in front of me just because you happen to become a four-star Dou Shi? If it wasn’t because of the old man taking your side today, Seventh Uncle would have torn you into two for the death of Ning Long! And how dare you insult my mother! You’re just asking for it.”

“Ning Qi, don’t think that you can call yourself our equals just because you’re a four-star Dou Shi now. Let’s just say a bastard is always a bastard. And that will never change.”

Ning Qi looked at them with a cold expression on his face. “If you want to fight, then let’s go ahead. Stop with this nonsense!”

Ning Yan could not help but sneer and say, “Relax. In another month, Hunting Day will come around. In the past, you were not qualified enough to participate in the Hunting Day festivities. However, now as a four-star Dou Shi, you are. I will ask my mother to arrange it so that you will be in the group. Seventh Uncle will be there too. Or perhaps you will find some excuse not to go?”

After having said that, he took the lead and the crowd followed him out of the courtyard.

Hunting Day?

Ning Qi’s memory overflowed with images from the past. This was a big day for the noble class of Qin Tang Empire that was being held annually. Led by the descendants of the royal family, this was an important day for all those who had noble blood in them.

Whoever showed the most skill during Hunting Day would be greatly rewarded by the Emperor!

But it was also at this time of year every year that saw the most deaths in the population.

Many noble families in the capital would seek out to settle personal grudges, assassinations, ambushes, and sneak attacks on this day. Nothing would be too low for them. It became common knowledge even among ordinary people. The royal family seemed to approve of this underhandedness and did not bother to deliberately manage any of it.

Thinking about this, Ning Qi did not want to stir up any further trouble with Ning Hongdou. Instead, he made his way to the main gate of the manor.

“Young master Ning Qi, where are you heading?”

When the guard saw Ning Qi heading out of the gate, he quickly called out to stop him. He wanted to shout out the name on the tip of his tongue, but when he thought back to how Lee Si ended up, he immediately revised his words.

Ning Qi gave him a cold glance. “I want to head out for a while to get some fresh air.”

The servant said with some difficulty, “Lord Seventh has made specific orders that you are not allowed to leave the residence!”

Ning Qi could not help but burst out laughing. “And who is he? Since when is it his turn to speak in the Champion Marquis Mansion?”

After he finished with his speech, he made his way forward. Silver Dou Qi could be seen being faintly emitted from his body. After seeing this, the servants hurried to move out of his way and Ning Qi swaggered out of the manor with no further trouble.

At this very instant, a figure appeared out of the shadows.

“Manager Ning, this is not my fault. This lowly one’s cultivation level is too high, so I didn’t have the power to stop him,” the servant quickly explained himself.

Manager Ning sneered at him and chose to ignore him. Seeing that Ning Qi had not gotten far, he decided to chase after him.

The Long’s were a reputed family in the capital. Although they were not a noble family but just a business family, the patriarch of the Long family happened to be a nine-star Dou Wang. His cultivation was higher than the Champion Marquis’, and he was also a guest in the Divine Marital Duke Mansion. Therefore, it was not hard for Ning Qi to ask around and find the directions to the Long’s place. Not long after, Ning Qi found himself at the entrance of the Long family’s residence.