Volume One, Chapter Five: Isn't That So? They've Become Experts Without Me Knowing
“Orphans of the Former Dynasty’s Clans”—most people wouldn’t grasp the gravity of such a title, but Qin Yuan, as the daughter of the Marquis of Anyang, certainly understood.
The former dynasty’s martial arts flourished to an unprecedented peak, giving rise to countless martial clans whose fame echoed through the ages.
Back then, the “War of the Ten Clans” among the former dynasty’s families shook heaven and earth, almost causing cataclysmic upheaval.
In the end, the clans fell into decline, the nation’s fate waned, and the mighty Northern Chong Kingdom was swept aside by the Da Ning.
The orphans of the former dynasty’s clans… were not to be underestimated.
Immediately, within the grand hall, both father and daughter turned toward Xie Zheng with expressions of shock and admiration, leaving him momentarily stunned.
“It’s not that I wasn’t informed,” Xie Zheng said inwardly, though he kept it to himself. Confusion clouded his mind about the thirty-six women; the original owner hadn’t given it much thought. Earning a little money, he naturally wouldn’t pry into their backgrounds, fearing the truth might be worse: “An eighty-year-old mother at home, several infants to nurse, and some cruel husband or other…”
It seemed the women of Yichun Tower had kept secrets from him.
Clearly, it was time for a thorough investigation.
Without speaking further, Xie Zheng rose and cupped his hands in respect. “Marquis, since all matters have been discussed, this prince shall take his leave.”
“Farewell.”
He departed decisively, leaving only his silhouette behind for the father and daughter.
Qin Yuan remained dazed. “Father… you’re not joking?”
The Marquis of Anyang smiled indulgently. “Would I aimlessly speak? If I lacked certain intelligence, would I choose a useless, good-for-nothing prince?”
“Father, Yichun Tower harbors orphans of the former dynasty’s clans. If the Northern Marquis’s household finds out, it will surely bring untold disaster!”
Though Qin Yuan held no fondness for Xie Zheng, her heart was kind.
Her father looked at her. “What’s this? A daughter married off is water poured out. Now you’re defending him already?”
Teasing her, Qin Yuan pushed him playfully.
“Old man, I just don’t want innocent people caught in the crossfire. With your relationship to the Northern Marquis, it’s not as you said earlier—you two are truly sworn enemies, willing to kill each other!”
The Marquis’s brow furrowed coldly. “Some matters are cruel. He may be unwilling, but there’s no choice… so…”
“He cannot be allowed to refuse!”
This last was addressed to Xie Zheng, yet at that moment, Qin Yuan struggled inside. She knew her father’s plan.
But the sacrifice it demanded was clear—
Xie Zheng.
***
Yichun Tower.
Xie Zheng sat upright, face blazing with anger.
Before him stood thirty-six women, each strikingly beautiful and uniquely charming. Such a scene might cause anyone to avert their gaze.
Their delicate beauty and slender grace created a breathtaking spectacle.
Yet in Xie Zheng’s eyes, there was no desire—only money, and the troubling revelations from the Marquis of Anyang that made him furious as the master of this establishment.
“Ning Ling! One chance—tell me honestly about your past.”
Ning Ling, the head courtesan and eldest sister of Yichun Tower, wore a crimson gown. Beneath her exquisite face radiated endless allure, her figure curved and poised like a deadly blade. To linger too long in her presence would be a sin of desecration.
Yet Ning Ling only pouted playfully.
“Master, I’ve said before—at home there’s an eighty-year-old mother, and…”
“Silence!” Xie Zheng snapped.
Ning Ling smiled coyly. “But Master, you asked me to speak.”
The snowy scene before him was startling.
Good heavens, what a temptress!
Hastily, Xie Zheng withdrew his gaze and spoke solemnly, “I’ll say it again—confess your true identities, or I shall make sure you regret it.”
Seeing their master so serious, the thirty-six women, led by Ning Ling, blossomed like a fury of flowers, stunningly beautiful.
“Master, what’s gotten into you today? Usually, you tell us to care for customers, to help you gain more patrons in a short time!”
“Yes! It’s annoying—today you come and shut us down, demanding the head sister reveal her background. Don’t you already know our origins?”
“You’re being such a spoilsport today, Master. Zhuo’er’s a bit upset, hmph!”
Faced with these rebellious women, each seemed ready to mutiny.
It appeared they responded only to force, not kindness.
Very well! If they won’t be honest willingly, he would make them.
He slammed the table, the thunderous sound startling them into pale faces and uncertain glances.
“Ning Ling, when did you all become masters behind my back? If I hadn’t visited the Marquis’s manor today, I wouldn’t have known you were orphans of the former dynasty’s clans!”
“You dared to lie even to me—do you really want out?”
Xie Zheng’s outburst stemmed from the tangled history between them, a story far too long for a few words.
Ning Ling’s face grew serious, her gaze toward Xie Zheng tinged with shame.
“You knew, Master?”
“You’ve truly been hiding it from me!”
Just as Ning Ling seemed ready to confess, she realized the Master was furious.
“Master, you’re truly wicked!”
The women looked both annoyed and amused, not genuinely angry but caught in an emotional whirlwind by their master’s treatment.
“Enough with the giggling—no more nonsense! From now on, each of you will explain yourselves. I don’t even understand my own people, and that’s unacceptable!”
Xie Zheng grabbed a ledger, placing it before him, and dipped a pen in ink, tapping the table for emphasis.
“Now, immediately disclose your identities, or I will expel you from Yichun Tower!”
Startled by their master’s threat, Ning Ling and the others exchanged glances.
Had it not been for this man’s protection, most of them would have perished at the hands of the organizations hunting down remnants of the former dynasty.
Thus, these clan descendants harbored immense gratitude toward Xie Zheng.
“Yes, Master saved us from peril, gave us names, allowing us to live safely in the capital. We naturally don’t want to cause trouble for him!”
“Then let me be the first!”
In Xie Zheng’s memory, these were acts of kindness by the original owner, but they were far from naive—there was no need to whitewash the truth.
“Ning Ling, originally named Nangong Ling! Eldest daughter of the Nangong Clan, one of the Ten Clans of the former Northern Chong Kingdom. During the War of the Ten Clans, the Nangong were nearly wiped out—siblings slaughtered under the blade. I happened to be away and narrowly escaped, but was left homeless and alone.”
At this, Nangong Ling’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“Later, captured by Northern Chong forces, I was passed through the seven prefectures of the Northern Marquis’s domain, imprisoned in the death row cells of the Northern Army, tortured for five years. Only when my martial skills reached a certain level was I freed…”
Xie Zheng had heard of the Northern Death Row cells—prisoners there lived and died like grass, survival was the sole goal.
He looked at this enchanting woman before him, whose eyes spoke volumes—she had emerged from those very death row cells.
“Continue.”
“Alone and adrift, barely surviving, I first met Master when attacked by several corrupt officers. I was badly beaten but killed them, only to fall into the hands of worse villains…”
“Then Master appeared and saved me!”
Gratitude shone in Ning Ling’s eyes.
A noble daughter of the former Nangong Clan, spared from death row but nearly slain by villains—her spirit would never rest.
In her heart, the master was her entire life.
For Xie Zheng, it had been a mere coincidence, a hand extended out of pity.
Yet that act earned him the loyalty of this orphan of the Nangong Clan.
“Next!”
Though outwardly calm, Xie Zheng felt deeply shaken.
Ning Ling was the eldest daughter of one of the Ten Clans of Northern Chong—a gifted genius and a true heroine.
Now he finally understood what it meant—
They had become masters behind his back!