Chapter 41: The Ball Leaves the Hand

Zhi Que whispered quietly to Qing Yun from the side,

"Brother Qing Yun, that is Young Master Rong Rong Xian of Hou Fu Chang's household; his sister is Consort Rong, the most favored in the palace."

Xu Xu Zaijing lifted his chin toward Rong Rong Xian.

Since the Rong family had produced a favored concubine, Rong Rong Xian was naturally born with Bai Xi skin and handsome features, yet his eyes held a certain arrogance and ferocity.

Qing Yun picked up the cuju ball and walked toward Rong Rong Xian.

Bu Wei shouted from behind, "Young gentleman of the Rong family, please be careful!"

Rong Rong Xian's servant retorted, "This young fellow, please watch your words; it was merely an accident while playing cuju!"

Seeing Qing Yun approach and present the ball with both hands,

a flash of ferocity passed through young Rong Rong Xian's eyes.

He kicked out, aiming not at the ball Qing Yun offered with bowed hands, but at Qing Yun's hands themselves.

Shouting, "Watch the ball!"

But his target was actually Qing Yun's hands.

Over these past few years, training daily with Xu Xu Zaijing, Qing Yun's reaction speed was countless times faster than that of this wealthy young master who spent every day in pleasure.

Sensing Rong Rong Xian's flying kick from the corner of his eye, Qing Yun swiftly withdrew his hands.

Rong Rong Xian's foot should have struck Qing Yun, allowing him to steady himself after meeting resistance.

Perhaps even injuring Qing Yun's hands.

But Rong Rong Xian kicked empty air.

Having kicked nothing, Rong Rong Xian immediately flipped and crashed to the ground.

Because he had used such great force, the flying leg even slammed heavily onto the ground.

"Ah! It hurts so much, my leg is broken!!! You bird-brained wretch, you dare dodge Grandpa's kick!" Though young, his face was full of viciousness.

"Young Master!! Young Master!"

The tall young servants surrounding Rong Rong Xian all swarmed forward.

"How bold, to actually injure our Young Master!"

Rong Rong Xian's personal attendant, with a ferocious expression, handed Rong Rong Xian over to others and strode toward Qing Yun.

Just on the other side of a wall lay the women's courtyard.

In the middle of the wall was a large flower gate.

The noble ladies and officials' wives on the other side also heard the commotion on this side.

When Rong Rong Xian began clamoring to beat Qing Yun, some noble ladies who loved excitement sent their maids to inquire.

When Rong Rong Xian started wailing, a female relative in her forties among the officials' wives showed concern and hurried toward the men's courtyard.

Shouting as she went,

"My child! My child, don't scare me!"

Even some favorite legitimate daughters who enjoyed a spectacle called out softly,

"Someone is fighting over in the men's courtyard~~~"

At this, the Da Da Niangzi and the officials' wives, who loved watching excitement, all gathered at the gate to look into the men's courtyard.

Miss Qin Er of the women's courtyard was leisurely strolling with her maid in a quiet spot by the wall.

Seeing the various middle-aged Da Da Niangzi crowd the flower gate wanting to see what excitement was unfolding,

Miss Qin Er unobtrusively snatched a good position with an excellent view.

Inside the men's courtyard,

this servant of Rong Rong Xian, who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, slapped straight at Qing Yun.

But Qing Yun caught it in one grab.

The servant tried to pull back, only to find his wrist clamped as if in a vice.

Trying to kick at Qing Yun's crotch, he was instead blocked even faster by Qing Yun's shin.

Qing Yun released his hand, and the servant, clutching his leg in pain, collapsed onto the ground.

These moves were quite swift, filling both Gu Gu Tingye and Zhi Que with admiration.

Rong Rong Xian on the ground shouted,

"All together! All together! Beat him for me! If you beat him to death, I'll take responsibility!"

The ladies by the flower gate discussed loudly, while acquainted Da Da Niangzi exchanged glances,

and close sisters in their boudoirs silently passed messages with lip movements:

'Bricklayer'

'Broken household'

and similar words.

After recognizing each other's words, they smiled at one another, their eyes full of mockery.

Hearing these words, Gu Gu Tingye's eyes filled with delight, and Zhi Que was eager to try, but Xu Xu Zaijing stopped him.

"These few do not require you to intervene."

"Brother Jing, those servants of the Rong family, two of them are holding small wooden mallets for ball-hitting."

"Qing Yun, do not take a life; whoever is holding a weapon, cripple him," Xu Xu Zaijing said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

By now, a managing female official from Marquis Xiangyang Hou Fu was approaching to mediate the fight, but she was still some distance away.

"Attack! Whoever doesn't fight, I'll beat him to death when we return! Ah, my foot!"

Instantly, six or seven servants around Rong Rong Xian surrounded Qing Yun.

Among them, two held long-handled small wooden mallets used for ball-hitting.

The noblewoman approaching while wailing was the Wu Da Da Niangzi of Hou Fu Chang.

She arrived before her own son.

She even shrieked, "Hurry up! My son!"

The Hou Fu of Hou Fu Chang had little foundation to begin with, and most of its servants knew only crude, amateurish martial arts.

Since Brother Qingyun trained daily with his Young Master, whose strength was monstrously abnormal, fighting them came naturally to him.

Having learned from his young master, Brother Qingyun dodged the attack and punched the man straight in the stomach.

Soon, four or five unarmed men had knelt on the ground, retching continuously.

It hurt without causing injury.

Two servants wielding long-handled wooden mallets struck at Brother Qingyun's head; Brother Qingyun raised his arms.

After two dull thuds,

came two sharp cracks.

The long handles of the small wooden mallets snapped; Brother Qingyun closed the distance, and the two servants immediately spat fountains of blood from their noses.

It turned out they had taken two headbutts.

Gu Gu Tingdi, looking surprised, said to Xu Xu Zaijing, "Your pageboy is actually wearing copper bracers?"

"Doesn't your Zhique wear them?"

Zhique and Gu Tingdi exchanged bewildered glances.

Brother Qingyun's copper bracers were plated with copper on the outside,

while lined with cowhide on the inside, making them inconspicuous when worn close to the body.

Raising his arms, he could block clubs, blades, and swords.

The female steward of the Marquis Xiangyang Marquis Manor also arrived, separating the two parties.

The injured servants of the Hou Fu Chang Manor were helped out.

The wife of Hou Fu Chang stood with hands on her hips beside Rong Rong Xian, her face flushed red with anger and her fingers trembling.

Ever since the Rong family of Hou Fu Chang had risen to prominence,

they had never suffered such humiliation.

With a vicious expression, she said, "Just you wait; you'll get your comeuppance soon enough!"

Brother Qingyun returned to Xu Xu Zaijing's side, not even out of breath.

Xu Xu Zaijing took the cuju ball from his hand and glanced at it.

"Just you wait, you sons of bitches, you bird-like bastards without parents! Once I go fetch my elder sister, I'll make sure you know that I, Rong Rong Xian, am not someone to be trifled with—"

"Smack!"

A cuju ball smashed into Rong Rong Xian's face, cutting off his remaining words.

A red circular mark instantly appeared on his tender cheek.

The Wu Da Da Niangzi of Hou Fu Chang cried, "You! Good, good, good!"

Observing the speed and force with which Xu Xu Zaijing had thrown the ball,

the women beside the Flower Gate could not help but gasp softly, which made the noble ladies at the back of the crowd very curious and anxious.

"Elder Sister, Elder Sister, what happened over there?" Han Wuniang asked anxiously, patting the shoulder of the Second Miss of the Qin family in front of her.

For some reason, the expression of the Second Miss of the Qin family, usually as still as dead water, changed;

her face brightened, and light filled her eyes as she turned to look at Han Wuniang.

Han Wuniang, struck by the breathtaking beauty of that single glance, blushed slightly and whispered,

"Elder Sister, you are truly beautiful."

This compliment made the Second Miss of the Qin family somewhat embarrassed as well.

Behind them, Peng Peng Erniang said, "Qin Elder Sister, what exactly happened? Why are all the Da Da Niangzi gasping like this?"

Looking at the bright-eyed and lovely Han Wuniang, and the thoroughly curious Peng Peng Erniang, the Second Miss of the Qin family said softly,

"The Zhang Zhang Sanlang of Marquis Marquis Yongyi's household smashed a cuju ball right into the face of the Zhang Zhang Sanlang of Hou Fu Chang. It looks painful just watching it. And he's still looking at his own hand with an innocent expression."

"Ah? The Zhang Zhang Sanlang of the Xu family truly has a violent temper! How old is he?" Han Wuniang exclaimed.

"Isn't he afraid that Hou Fu Chang will go to the palace to seek out Consort Rong? Consort Rong dotes greatly on this younger brother of hers!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his own hands with a puzzled expression.

"Ah! Wah!! It hurts so much!"

Rong Rong Xian stamped his feet in pain.

The middle-aged steward of the Marquis Manor shouted irritably at Xu Xu Zaijing,

"Aiyo! My young master, please stop adding fuel to the fire!"

"Wah!!!"

Rong Rong Xian's crying suddenly grew louder.

Seeing this scene, the women beside the Flower Gate actually began to chuckle softly.

Their own brothers had suffered no end of humiliation in Bianjing at the hands of this favored consort's brother.

A family that rose to power because a daughter won the Emperor's favor, ennobled as Hou Fu Chang due to her beauty,

should have been cautious and humble, using Consort Rong's favor to forge many marriage alliances and strengthen their clan.

However, the Rong family originated as bricklayers, and the clan possessed few capable descendants.

Having gained positions through imperial favor yet unable to bear the responsibilities, they were mocked by colleagues who had entered officialdom through the imperial examinations.

Intense inferiority sparked intense pride, and so the Rong family of Hou Fu Chang began to act lawlessly in Bianjing.

Relying on the Emperor's doting love for Consort Rong, the Rong family, under her protection, acted lawlessly, and even when they caused trouble, few people pursued accountability.

Such conduct made the noble families ashamed to be counted among them.

Rong Rong Xian was also frequently subjected to cold mockery and sarcasm, his temper growing ever more stubborn and fierce.

Perhaps he had heard gossip about Princess Princess Pingning from his own elder sister in the palace.

Today, to vent his sister's anger, Rong Rong Xian actually launched an attack on Qi Heng.

Rong Rong Xian's ball skills were not such that he could miss by so wide, nor send it flying toward a person.

Yet, Xu Xu Zaijing's servant had single-handedly wiped out all his attendants.

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(End of this chapter)