It was only a matter of a few breaths. When Zhao Zhige went out, he saw the dim lights outside the door, and there was no trace of the two people, which made him a little dumbfounded.
He had just boasted in front of his sister, and if he couldn't find them and get the money back, it would be embarrassing.
At this moment, shouts and curses came from a distance, the words were so vulgar that he couldn't help but frown.
Following the sound, after a short while, he saw the two people at a corner.
The young man from before was sprawled on the ground, twisting his body like a snake, but he couldn't break free.
Ning Yue was straddling him, his fist, as big as a sandbag, was relentlessly pounding the young man's face.
“Bang, bang, bang!” Dust flew everywhere.
“Damn it, you dare to covet my money, I must be seeing ghosts. If I don't beat your head off today, then you're truly well-built.”
“Bang, bang, bang!” Nosebleed gushed, staining his fist red.
“The thing I hate most in my life is people touching my money. You tried to swindle your grandpa? Do you believe I'll make you infertile today, let you earn it but not live to spend it!”
While hitting, Ning Yue also frisked him, his skilled movements once again shocking Zhao Zhige, who was watching from the side.
“Cough, cough!” Zhao Zhige had no choice but to interrupt Ning Yue's 'ritual'.
Ning Yue looked back, and after recognizing the person, he delivered another heavy punch with a 'bang', and the bruised and swollen young man passed out.
“Your subordinate was reckless, I didn't know Commander Zhao was present.” Ning Yue stood up and brushed the dust from his sleeves, trying to regain his gentlemanly image.
But he saw Zhao Zhige frowning slightly, subtly taking half a step back, “When did you meet my sister?”
Ning Yue answered with a smile, “This morning.”
“Had you ever interacted before?”
Ning Yue continued to smile, “No interaction.”
If it weren't for taking advantage, frankly, Ning Yue wasn't very interested in the yellow-haired girl.
Zhao Zhige paused, then said, “Time is precious, youth is fleeting. You are still young, put more effort into martial arts, and there may be a promising future.”
“Your subordinate understands.”
Zhao Zhige's gaze was sharp as he continued to inquire, “Do you truly understand?”
Ning Yue stopped smiling and replied, “Your subordinate is a frog in a well, Zhao Zongqi is the moon in the sky. Your subordinate still understands the principle that 'the spring breeze does not reach the poor alleyways'.”
Zhao Zhige nodded and said, “You don't need to belittle yourself. The City Lord's military governance has always been fair. If you achieve something in the future, Gu City will not overlook you.”
“This blue-bottomed, silver-lined Flying Fish Robe, I wear it, and in another ten-odd years, you might not be unable to wear it…”
“Thank you for your kind words, Commander.” Ning Yue lowered his gaze, staring at his feet.
Ning Xiaoqi, who had been showing off in front of everyone just now, was silent in the darkness at this moment.
After all, no matter how dazzling a Xiaoqi, he was still just a Xiaoqi officer. There was a world of difference between him and Zhao Zongqi, and an even greater chasm between him and Commander Zhao.
Zhao Zhige got the answer he wanted and returned contentedly, but the moment he stepped into the hall door, he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have forgotten something important!
“Damn it!! I was so focused on business, I forgot the money!” Zhao Zhige slapped his thigh, his heart instantly filled with vexation.
“Sir, Miss Zhao just left, saying she had already returned to the mansion herself.” The attendant who rushed over whispered a reminder.
“Oh, oh, good, good.” Zhao Zhige's expression relaxed, but his heartstring suddenly tightened again!
“She… when did she leave Lucky Restaurant?”
“Right after you, almost at the same time.” The guard replied cautiously, seeing Commander Zhao's displeased expression.
......
After an unknown amount of time, when Ning Yue looked up again, there was no one in sight.
“Ning Yue, why are you here?” Xue Youwei ran over from a distance, “Was Commander Zhao looking for you just now? I saw him chasing you out with my own eyes.”
“Yes, Commander Zhao also wants to recruit me as his personal guard!” Ning Yue answered with a smile.
Xue Youwei gave him two thumbs up, “Awesome! You've really hit it big, two important figures are actually fighting over you.”
“I was wondering why Commander Zhao stopped Han Qianhu just now, so he was waiting for you here.”
At this moment, Xue Youwei felt that his colleague, with whom he spent every day, was somewhat unreal. Before, he was obscure, neither good at academics nor martial arts, and his reputation for greed was spread throughout the guard station.
But after tonight, it was completely different.
Ning Yue's martial arts were clearly not inferior to his, and his words were substantial, his eloquence fluent, far beyond what he could achieve.
The gap between the two was visibly widening. Xue Youwei felt a little uncomfortable, but he was powerless. He could only sigh that times make heroes, and he himself still lacked an opportunity.
“Ning Yue,” Xue Youwei asked furtively, “You wouldn't also want to be a live-in son-in-law, would you?!”
“Pfft! Hahahahaha…” Xue Ren walked over from not far away, first bursting into laughter when he heard it, then calming down before asking, “Then you agreed?”
Ning Yue smiled and shook his head, “No, being a live-in son-in-law is boring. It's better to be your Xiaoqi, it's easy and free.”
“You, you…” Xue Ren's heart was filled with mixed emotions; for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
“Sir, do I still need to return the money I borrowed from you just now?” Ning Yue asked.
“No need.” Xue Ren waved his hand, stepped forward, and declared boldly, “Today's events all started because of my Xue Family. You did very well, and in fact, my Xue Family owes you a favor.”
“Think carefully about what you want in return. A favor from my Xue Family isn't cheap.” Xue Ren said meaningfully.
“Can it be exchanged for money?” Ning Yue asked shamelessly.
Xue Ren was furious, he swung his scabbard and hit Ning Yue's backside, cursing, “Can't you have some ambition, damn it?!”
Xue Ren didn't want to go home tonight. The three of them chatted and laughed as they returned to the military camp.
Dark clouds covered the moon in the sky, but the inner city was already brightly lit. In Gu City, which was about to have a curfew, the crowds were much sparser, either in groups of two or three, or returning home alone, everyone in a hurry.
Ning Yue still followed behind the two, slowly pacing, his smile fading into the darkness.
After crossing three streets, it was Guard Zongqi Xiao Wenjie's turn on duty today, guarding the North City Gate and overseeing the internal and external patrols.
This man had served under Xue Ren's father, was handsome and dignified, and had once been highly regarded by Father Xue. He was also very familiar with Xue Ren. The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment, and then Xue Ren led his subordinates slowly out of the inner city.
The outer city's dim lights were far less bright than the inner city's, but the streets were wider.
In this era, not every household could afford oil lamps, so most of the houses were dark, with only occasional strange noises coming from them.
Xue Youwei scratched his head, confused and unclear about the situation. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Xue Ren quicken his pace and start walking rapidly forward.
Behind him, Ning Yue's expression was silent, his right hand on the Cold Light Blade's hilt, but his steps slowed.
Clang!
Xue Youwei heard three sounds of sharp weapons being drawn, at the same frequency and volume, blending into a single soft chime!
“Ning Yue! Xue Youwei! You two immediately return to the inner city to report and ask Zongqi Xiao to quickly send reinforcements!” Xue Ren's voice was low, like a muffled thunderclap exploding in Xue Youwei's heart.
Then he saw a Black-Clothed Man seemingly transform, his figure suddenly expanding, the long blade in his hand drawing countless streaks of light, as dazzling as the Milky Way, overwhelming and engulfing Xue Ren's figure.
“Running? Hehehe! Tonight, none of you three will likely escape!” The blade light was dazzling, and the Black-Clothed Man laughed wildly upon hearing this.
As his words fell, two more streaks of sword light twisted, one in front and one behind, shooting rapidly towards Xue Youwei and Ning Yue!
“Run! What are you still staring for, trying to die?!” The sudden incident, Ning Yue's crude reminder, abruptly woke Xue Youwei from his panic.
Seeing that Ning Yue had already led one streak of sword light into the darkness, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and headed back the way he came, with the Black-Clothed Man in hot pursuit!