Chapter 146: The Ungrateful Dog

Duan Rong looked intently by the lamplight, only to see that the two men seemed to be merely unconscious; unlike those gang members who had died miserably, they had sustained no injuries.

Furthermore, they were wearing the clothes of Personal Attendants from the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

These two Personal Attendants were the ones who had previously hidden behind the grave mound to identify Duan Rong to Yu Wenlong, but they had stayed on the periphery, and because the lighting in the graveyard was dim, Duan Rong had never noticed them.

Duan Rong held the lamp and drove the cart, while Ruan Fengshan held Ruan Jing and sat on the cart; the escort cart swayed as it drove out of Luanfen Mound and headed toward the Official Road.

Ruan Fengshan held Ruan Jing with one arm and stroked the steel box containing one thousand catties of gold with the other; at this moment, he was somewhat confused in his heart—in his heart, which was more important: this thousand catties of gold, or the young son in his arms?

The escort cart soon turned onto the Official Road and immediately traveled much more steadily.

Ruan Jing was, after all, a child at heart; he soon cast his previous fear to the back of his mind and began to turn into a little chatterbox, asking about this and that.

Ruan Jing seemed very interested in Duan Rong and asked him many questions.

"Where is your home? Do you like eating beef or chicken?..."

Duan Rong patiently answered them one by one.

"Brother Duan Rong, was it Brother Zhou An who asked you to come and save me?" Ruan Jing suddenly blinked his large eyes and asked with a serious face.

Hearing this question, Duan Rong's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Ruan Fengshan immediately grabbed Ruan Jing's arm and asked, "Jing'er, did Zhou An say anything to you?"

"Brother Zhou An asked me to write, saying that if I wrote, you would come to save me."

"Where did he make you write?" Ruan Fengshan asked with a grave expression.

Seeing Ruan Fengshan's expression change, Ruan Jing could not help but feel a bit afraid.

Ruan Fengshan noticed the fear on Ruan Jing's small face, his heart softened, and he loosened his grip on his arm, soothing him in a gentle voice: "Jing'er, don't be afraid! Tell Daddy, where was Zhou An when he made you write?"

"It was in that... pitch-black... broken... dirty place..." Ruan Jing said somewhat stammeringly; he did not yet know that place was called a Kiln Cave.

Ruan Fengshan's gaze turned suddenly icy; the two unconscious Personal Attendants on the escort cart were, in fact, the trusted aides who usually followed Zhou An to handle matters.

Ruan Fengshan had already concluded that this matter was Zhou An's doing, and now that Jing'er had spoken, it was confirmed even more firmly.

But Zhou An had actually met Jing'er directly inside the Kiln Cave, which meant that from the very beginning, he had never intended to let Jing'er live.

A beast-like, ferocious glint shot from Ruan Fengshan's eyes. "This ungrateful, vicious dog!"

The escort cart was traveling along the pitch-black Official Road when a dark shadow suddenly appeared in front; Duan Rong was greatly alarmed, only to see that the person was wearing a night-traveling outfit and had their face covered.

"No need to fear, it is Mr. Luan!" Just as Duan Rong was about to act, Ruan Fengshan's voice came from behind him.

Seeing that Ruan Fengshan and Duan Rong were both sitting on the escort cart and that Ruan Jing was in Ruan Fengshan's arms, Luan Jingfu moved his body and jumped onto the escort cart as well!

Luan Jingfu cupped his hands to Ruan Fengshan on the cart and said, "Manager, your subordinate has arrived late!"

"No matter, you didn't alert that yamen runner who set the signal, did you?"

"No!" Luan Jingfu replied with a certain tone.

Ruan Fengshan nodded and said to Duan Rong, "Detour to the East Gate, we will enter the city from the East Gate!"

Duan Rong agreed; it seemed Ruan Fengshan and the others had also seen that Rice Character Sky Lantern flying above the city wall.

Duan Rong steered the escort cart, turned onto a side road, and headed toward the East Gate.

"Manager, who exactly is it that wishes harm upon the young master?" Luan Jingfu sat on the escort cart and asked, looking at Ruan Fengshan.

"It is people from the Bitter Fate Gang!"

"The Bitter Fate Gang?"

Ruan Fengshan, while on the escort cart, recounted the general sequence of events to Luan Jingfu.

Luan Jingfu's gaze swept over the box on the escort cart and then fixed firmly on Duan Rong's profile.

Duan Rong was merely an Intern Escort, yet he had managed to escape from his schemes time and again, and what's more, it was likely that even Liu Ao had died at his hands.

And this time, this lad had actually managed to escape from the tiger's mouth and even rescued the young master Ruan Jing!

This was a bit too bizarre!

A trace of malice gradually emerged in Luan Jingfu's eyes; Ruan Fengshan, sitting to the side, clearly noticed the look Luan Jingfu was giving Duan Rong.

Luan Jingfu suddenly sensed that Ruan Fengshan was watching him, so he tilted his head slightly and shifted his gaze away from Duan Rong.

The escort cart entered the city through the East Gate, clattered along West Street, and at the time when the sky was just beginning to brighten, it drove directly into the Back Courtyard of the Yuanshun Escort Agency from the side of a small alley.

By this time, Ruan Jing had already fallen fast asleep on Ruan Fengshan's shoulder.

As soon as the escort cart entered the Back Courtyard, Ruan Fengshan threw the two unconscious Personal Attendants from the cart onto the ground and instructed the two Guards at the gate, saying, "Watch these two dead dogs well for me!"

The two Guards cupped their hands and accepted the order.

Ruan Fengshan turned his head, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Duan Rong, go tell Xiao Lao! Tell him to release the others who were detained, and only keep Zhou An."

"Yes!" Duan Rong cupped his hands, accepted the order, and left.

"Mr. Luan, you store the gold in the Sealed Treasury." Seeing Duan Rong leave, Ruan Fengshan looked at Luan Jingfu and said.

Only three people had keys to the Sealed Treasury in the Back Courtyard; besides Ruan Fengshan himself and Xu Shouxian, who managed the finances, there was one more key held by Luan Jingfu, which showed the trust and reliance Ruan Fengshan placed in Luan Jingfu.

Upon hearing this, Luan Jingfu pulled the cart and prepared to head toward the Sealed Treasury; he had only walked a few steps when Ruan Fengshan suddenly called him back.

Luan Jingfu stopped and turned around; Ruan Fengshan took two steps forward, looked at him, and said, "I know you and Duan Rong don't get along. But this time he performed a meritorious service and saved Jing'er; I am pleading for him, so do not mess with him in the future."

Luan Jingfu was taken aback; he had not expected Ruan Fengshan to point it out directly, nor that he would plead for Duan Rong. He had always held this Helmsman in awe, so his expression changed immediately, and he cupped his hands, saying, "This subordinate would not dare!"

Ruan Fengshan saw Luan Jingfu's panic, smiled faintly, and said, "After storing the gold, Mr. Luan, go and rest; I will handle the aftermath!"

"Yes!" Luan Jingfu responded respectfully before pulling the escort cart away.

Ruan Fengshan held the sleeping Jing'er and went first to Ma Chunying's room.

Ever since Ruan Jing's incident, Ma Chunying had been deeply remorseful, washing her face with tears every day; seeing Ruan Jing return safely, she was immediately so happy that she burst into tears. Ruan Jing, who had already been fast asleep, woke up at this moment; upon seeing Ma Chunying, he immediately hugged her neck and refused to let go.

Ruan Jing had been raised by Ma Chunying since he was small; Ruan Fengshan was busy with affairs and sometimes could not see Ruan Jing often, and because Ruan Fengshan was usually strict, Ruan Jing was also somewhat afraid of him.

Having experienced a brush with death, the child finally released the emotions suppressed in the bottom of his heart upon seeing his birth mother...

Ruan Fengshan walked out of Ma Chunying's room; he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and his previously moved expression instantly turned ferocious and terrifying. He gritted his teeth, strode away, and said, "A dog that even bites its master—what use is there in keeping it?"

(End of this chapter)