Chapter 255: Brother Nine Leads You to Roam the Jianghu

A half‑grown child who looked only a few dozen years old was fumbling through the bundles in the carriage, and the sound of a door opening made him shudder sharply, causing a silver ingot he had just touched to fall with a "clang".

He was pale and thin, wearing an old cloth shirt patched all over; when he was grabbed squarely, the color drained from his face and he froze in terror.

Lu Qi stretched out his hand, like an eagle snatching a chick, and yanked him out of the carriage, pressing him to the ground.

He cried tears and sobbed, covering his head with both hands, and shouted hoarsely, "Spare me, brave man! Don't hit me! I won't dare again! Please have mercy!"

Xiao Ningxun held Tuan Tuan, and the two frowned and looked down at him.

Xiao Ran let out a chuckle, "You siblings really are alike!"

Lu Qi expressionless, quickly searched the boy and found not a single copper coin, but an unusual hard object in the inner lining of his chest.

He tore open the boy's collar, pulled it out—a half‑torn wooden military badge, its edges smoothed, with a faint, blurred "soldier" character, which the boy had kept close to his body.

Lu Qi held the badge up to his eyes and asked, "Is this yours?"

The boy's tears flowed even more fiercely as he choked out, "Yes, yes, I was in the military camp before…"

"Military camp?" Xiao Er raised an eyebrow, "How old are you to have served?"

"I was an auxiliary soldier of the Xibei Border Army," the boy lay on the ground, shoulders shaking violently, "Our superiors have long been deducting our rations."

"Auxiliaries suffer the worst; even sand‑mixed old rice doesn't fill us, the winter clothes issued are as thin as paper, we can't survive, so I… I became a deserter."

"I dare not return home for fear of implicating my parents; I can only wander and steal food."

Hearing "border army" and "rations", Tuan Tuan immediately thought of her father.

She hugged Xiao Ningxun's neck and said, "Third Brother, he's also a soldier, how pitiful, why does he have no food while serving?"

Xiao Ran replied, "Exactly! Do the soldiers of Fiery Nation not even afford meals?"

Xiao Ningxun was also puzzled: after training soldiers for a thousand days, using them for a moment, is the Xibei Border Army this badly maintained?

He pondered briefly, nodded to Lu Qi, who understood and released his grip.

Xiao Ningxun said gently, "Since you once were a soldier of Fiery Nation, you should not have fallen to a life of theft." He looked at Xiao Er, "Give him some money."

Xiao Er took out two silver ingots and stuffed them into the boy's hand.

The boy clutched the silver, looking at the people before him in stunned disbelief, as if dreaming.

Tuan Tuan took out a small packet of candied fruit and handed it over, "Here, it's sweet! My father is Prince Ning; go find him, he's powerful and will surely help you!"

Prince Ning? The boy's eyes instantly lit up; that's the war god of Fiery Nation!

Xiao Ningxun nodded; this plan was appropriate, both giving the boy a real chance at life and bringing back to his father the true situation of the local border army.

He handed Tuan Tuan to Xiao Er, slipped into the carriage, quickly wrote a letter, stamped his private seal, and gave it to the boy.

"Take this letter and go straight to the Ning Prince's Mansion in Jingcheng."

"My father, upon seeing this letter, will properly settle you," Xiao Ningxun instructed, "Do not stray on the road; go straight to Jingcheng."

The boy looked at the silver, the candied fruit, and the light‑yet weighty letter, his eyes reddening, knelt and with a heavy "thud" bowed his head.

"Thank you, young master! Thank you, miss! I am Wang Xiaofu; in my next life I will be a beast of burden to repay your great kindness!" He bowed again, wiped his tears, rose and hurried away.

The group immediately found the largest inn and lodged there temporarily.

The next day, Xiao Ran, in his capacity as a prince, after reviewing local officials' records, ordered that a deputy who had not colluded with the prefect temporarily take over administration, pending the Imperial Court's appointment of a new prefect.

Xiao Ningxun compiled the evidence against Huang Lianfa, along with his own recommendations for handling the case, sealed them together, and sent them urgently to Jingcheng.

The public sentiment, which had been unsettled by the sudden downfall of the prefect, quickly steadied.

With everything completed, the carriage set off again, heading straight toward Qingzhou Prefecture.

The scenery along the official road changed quietly; houses and fields grew sparse, replaced by increasingly desolate, rugged yellow‑soil hills and ravines.

A strong wind blew, kicking up gusts of sand and dust, carrying the unique coarse feel of the Xibei region.

That afternoon, the group rested at a simple roadside tea stall.

Traveling merchants and footmen gathered, sipping strong tea and loudly discussing their observations.

"Have you heard? Qingzhou Prefecture hasn't been peaceful lately!" a weather‑worn merchant whispered, "The gangs are multiplying; on the streets, fights break out every two or three days—it's chaotic!"

An elderly man nearby sighed, "Alas, it's only because Taoist Priest Qixiazi of Qingyunguan is a kind‑hearted person. He opens a convenient gate, often sheltering those wounded in the conflicts of the jianghu; otherwise, who knows how many more would die in vain."

"What about the Western Ridge Horse Gang? Aren't they the strongest? Aren't they intervening?"

"Hey, the jianghu always produces talent," the merchant sneered, "The Horse Gang's size draws attention; every pair of eyes in the Xibei jianghu watches them closely."

"Those newly emerged gangs are ruthless and greedy; who doesn't want to topple the Horse Gang and take over their routes and horses?"

"Indeed, if they succeed, they could replace them."

Lu Qi and Xiao Er exchanged a glance, their expressions growing solemn.

Lu Qi whispered, "Lord Master, it sounds like the situation in Qingzhou Prefecture is more complicated than we originally anticipated."

"It seems the Horse Gang, though dominant, still faces many new forces rising quickly; the situation is chaotic, and we must be doubly cautious."

Xiao Er nodded, "Challenging the Horse Gang is no ordinary ragtag group."

Tuan Tuan recalled the Willow Leaf Sword, "Uncle Liu was right! It seems the Taoist Priest of Qingyunguan truly is a great good person!"

Xiao Ran listened with interest, rubbing his fists, "Interesting! Qingzhou Prefecture is getting livelier! Little one, Jiu Ge leads you to roam the jianghu together!"

Xiao Ningxun furrowed his brow, "In Qingzhou Prefecture, fish and dragons mingle, various forces gather; this journey may not go smoothly."

The nearby chatter suddenly rose: "Hey! Did you know? They say the Western Ridge Horse Gang's fate is sealed!"

"How can you tell?"

"You didn't know? A few days ago I heard that the members of the Horse Gang all, at the same moment, suddenly couldn't hold it and got diarrhea!"

"Brother, diarrhea is no big deal!"

"You don't understand! How can thousands of people all at once have diarrhea? Even immortals can't do that! They aren't even in the same place!"

"That does sound suspicious! Could they have been poisoned simultaneously?"

"It's possible; then which gang poisoned them? Such a bizarre act!"

Tuan Tuan was stunned, recalled carefully, and suddenly realized, "Oh! That day I said 'make all the Horse Gang members have diarrhea together!'"

The others: "……"