Chapter 433 Ge Quan x Fang Jinrong 2

Chapter 433: Ge Quan x Fang Jinrong 2

"Why have you come looking for me, and who are you people?"

Ge Quan wasn't a bloodthirsty man, but this group had dared to seize Fang Jinrong, practically touching his one vulnerability. So his face was cold enough to freeze into ice, and his fingers pressed slightly on the knife handle. A clear bloody mark appeared on Second Brother's neck, frightening him into sweating even more profusely, the sting making his head go numb.

"Don't act rashly! We're looking for Ge Qingtian, we have no grudge against you." One of the skinniest men hurriedly tried to persuade him.

Ge Quan maintained this posture, his endurance seemingly inexhaustible. "Since you know Ge Qingtian is my master, why spout such nonsense about having no quarrel with me?"

Second Brother's eyelid twitched nervously, and he spoke with minimal mouth movement, barely above a breath, "Ge Quan, even if we can't defeat you, your master Ge Qingtian rescued the Green Gang's enemy right under our noses. If we don't get revenge for this, how can we show our faces in the martial world?"

Ge Quan didn't budge. "Ji Wunian, the one you want to kill, is my good friend."

That one sentence said it all. The Green Gang wanted to kill Ji Wunian, and Ge Qingtian had saved her because Ge Quan was temporarily unable to leave and had asked his master to act. Otherwise, it would have been Ge Quan himself who went that day.

The room went dead silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Ge Quan rarely fought with others. Compared to those hotheaded fighters who'd slam tables and throw punches at the drop of a hat, he was cut from a different cloth.

In his early years, Ge Qingtian lived fast and loose, rubbing a lot of people the wrong way—men... and women alike. Until a woman died for him, and then he dropped off the face of the earth. When he reappeared, there was a child beside him, taking his surname Ge, named Ge Quan.

The master and disciple bounced around all over the place, and Ge Quan went through hell following his hapless master around. Eventually, he didn't have to run anymore. Any of his master's enemies who came looking for them, he'd wiped them all out.

Some guessed Ge Quan was a first-rate master. There were only a handful of first-rate masters in the martial world—maybe a dozen or so—but he was the only one that young. The Green Gang was small-time, their whole operation was water shipping. They only had two mid-tier fighters, no match for Ge Quan at all.

"Mmm~"

Fang Jinrong's soft, drowsy whimper sounded from Ge Quan's arms. Second Brother had only used ordinary sleeping powder, and now the drug was wearing off. He had been disturbed by the sound of their voices.

The icy tension around Ge Quan thawed. He withdrew the heavy knife from Second Brother's neck, looked down at Fang Jinrong, and tucked a stray strand of hair away from his lips. "Ji Wunian only has a sharp tongue; she's not an irredeemably evil person. What grudge does the Green Gang truly hold against her, that you're out for blood like this?"

His words carried a mediating intent. When you're at someone else's mercy, you have to play nice. Second Brother and his dozen or so men combined were no match for Ge Quan, so they were naturally willing to talk things out.

Second Brother tore a strip of cotton from his undershirt and pressed it to the wound on his neck. "Ji Wunian's treatment killed our boss."

Ji Wunian was an itinerant healer, though she called herself a miracle doctor. She talked herself up to anyone who'd listen, but she actually did have some real talent.

Because the Green Gang was in water transport, they inevitably dealt with all sorts of people, even government officials.

With so many people and prying eyes, trouble was bound to brew.

The Green Gang had endless disputes of all sizes. Even when their boss got poisoned, they couldn't figure out who did it. Regular doctors couldn't handle the poison, so the second-in-command invited Ji Wunian to treat him.

"We're not unreasonable. If we couldn't save the boss, we should blame whoever poisoned him, not pin it on Ji Wunian." Second Brother's voice was heavy with frustration.

By this time, Ge Quan had laid Fang Jinrong down on the bed, with one arm draped around him, his body angled to shield him—in a protective stance. He read between the lines of what the Green Gang was saying, then guessed at Ji Wunian's nature. "After Ji Wunian cured him, she poisoned him again?"

Second Brother's eyes flew open, and he and his men stared at him, all fired up.

See? Even Ji Wunian's friend knew she was that kind of person.

But Ge Quan changed his tone. "She's eccentric, sure, but she's not the type to kill innocent people. I'll reserve judgment until I've met Ji Wunian."

And it wasn't just him—the Green Gang was hunting for Ji Wunian too.

After Old Ge whisked her away, the two of them dropped off the map. The Green Gang had just gotten word that Old Ge was in Yangzhou City, chased him here, only to have Ge Quan put a knife to their throats before they realized they'd come for the wrong guy.

Unfortunately, when Ge Quan went to the ruined temple yesterday to find his master, he hadn't found him either. Only a little beggar who also lived in the temple remained, saying the old man had left a message—he'd gone to Qinzhou. The master and disciple were often separated; when the old man got chased down and couldn't fight his way out, he'd naturally go find his disciple.

Ji Wunian's whereabouts were anyone's guess, but this time Ge Quan had come specifically to find her.

By the time Fang Jinrong fully woke up, the paper window had turned orange. He rubbed his eyes groggily, his brain slowly churning back to life, then shot upright in bed. "Ge Quan!"

"I'm here, what's wrong?" Ge Quan rushed in from the doorway, taking only a single breath.

Fang Jinrong was babbling, waving his hands around. "A lot of people burst in, they shoved a cloth over my mouth..."

Ge Quan knelt by the bed, one hand resting on Fang Jinrong's blanket with careful restraint, doing his best to calm him down. "I know, I've already chased them all away. Don't be afraid."

"Oh, chased them away." Fang Jinrong's head still felt foggy, and his arms and legs felt like jelly, but going back to sleep was definitely out of the question.

Ge Quan poured him a cup of tea, and he cradled it in both hands and took small sips. After a while, when he was fully awake, he remembered to ask questions.

"Who were those people?"

"Why did they knock me out?"

"Did you chase them all away by yourself?"

Ge Quan stayed quietly by his side, answering his endless questions without a hint of impatience.

"They were from the Green Gang, a gang that does water transport business."

"The one who knocked you out was called Fan Er; he mistook you for someone else."

"They weren't very strong; they could be defeated."

Fan Er, who was not very strong, cowed by Ge Quan's sheer intimidation, had to pull his men back. The Green Gang losing their boss was a huge deal. If he couldn't uncover the truth, his men would start badmouthing him. Either way, he couldn't just let it go.

Fang Jinrong was fascinated by all the feuds and romances Ge Quan talked about, eating with his mind elsewhere. When Ge Quan saw him pick up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, without even picking out the bones, and shoved it right into his mouth, his eye twitched. "Rong'er!"

Fang Jinrong's eyes went wide. "Why you gotta yell like that?"

He felt bad the moment he yelled, and stood up angrily. "And what's this 'Rong'er'? Who told you to call me that? It's so cheesy!" Only his dad called him that. Ge Quan was way too young to be trying to act like his dad!

Ge Quan's heart clenched. He knew Fang Jinrong didn't mean it like that, but the coldness in his tone still stung. His already narrow, upturned eyes dimmed a little, and the mood around him turned heavy and weird.

Fang Jinrong didn't understand; he just thought the vibe was off. "Hey, that... I didn't mean to yell at you... Ugh, whatever, call me whatever you like!"

After saying this, he felt awkward and grabbed his bowl, trying to hide his embarrassment by scarfing down his rice. Ge Quan pressed his bowl down, and before Fang Jinrong could react, took his chopsticks and fished out one, two, three bones from the bowl.

Fang Jinrong knew when someone was being good to him. He held his bowl and watched the silent man across from him scoop the fish meat from his bowl into his own, then pick out a fresh piece from the fish belly for him. He squirmed like he had ants in his pants. "I can do it myself, you eat yours."

His tone came out a little harsh. Ge Quan thought Fang Jinrong was put off by him. The hand that never so much as trembled holding a heavy blade faltered for a moment, but he kept at it, stubbornly placing piece after piece of deboned fish into Fang Jinrong's bowl.

Fang Jinrong was baffled, but his easygoing nature made him shake off that flicker of guilt in no time, and he settled right into letting Ge Quan take care of him.

Yangzhou was humid, and autumn didn't make it much better. Fang Jinrong, who'd grown up up north, couldn't quite get used to it. He only felt clean and dry after his nightly bath. While Ge Quan was dumping out his bathwater, he toweled his hair dry and started to piece things together. "Ge Quan, were you in a bad mood today?"

Ge Quan felt a quiet thrill at what sounded almost like concern, and the weight on his chest lifted a little. "No."

Realizing his answer came out too curt, he added, "We might leave Yangzhou tomorrow and head to Lingnan." He needed to find his master and get the full story on Ji Wunian's whereabouts.

Fang Jinrong had never even heard of Lingnan, but the moment he heard Ge Quan was leaving, he got all excited for no reason.

"Then I'll go pack!" He even had the sense to dig out all his clothes and roll them up to bring along.

Ge Quan unfolded the clothes he'd rumpled, picked out two long robes and a thick padded jacket. "Don't pack too much. I'll buy you new stuff when we get there."

"Oh, oh!" Jin Rong followed behind him, as excited as a kid heading to a temple fair with his folks for the New Year.

The night had grown deep, but Jin Rong wasn't the least bit sleepy. Ge Quan practiced his sword in the courtyard, and he dragged over a little stool and plopped down, his bright eyes darting between Ge Quan's blade and the bright moon it pointed at.

His face was clean and fair, his gaze unblemished. When he looked at someone, it seemed as if that person was the only one in his eyes. Ge Quan kept swinging his sword without a hint of fatigue until midnight, when the moon slipped behind thick, layered clouds that smothered the sky, making the night even darker and more oppressive.

Jin Rong covered his mouth and yawned. Ge Quan immediately sheathed his sword, his voice full of tenderness. "Are you sleepy? Go on inside and get some sleep?"

Jin Rong nodded sleepily, shuffled back to his room, and flopped onto the bed. In the wee hours, a light drizzle started falling, and with the rain's hypnotic patter, Jin Rong couldn't drag himself out of bed the next morning.

Ge Quan leaned against the eaves, sword in hand, thinking it might be better to hold off till tomorrow so the young master wouldn't catch a chill from the sudden cold.

Good thing the rain held them up. By the time Jin Rong got up at noon, two more people had shown up in the courtyard—a man and a woman. The man was none other than Fan Er, who had knocked him out the day before.

Jin Rong clutched his steamed bun, fuming, and glared at Fan Er from behind Ge Quan.

Fan Er gave a light cough. "Brother Ge, we got word from our guys down below that there's news on Ji Wunian."

He could've just led the Green Gang straight there, but tipping off Ge Quan was a way to score some goodwill.

A wind kicked up outside, and Ge Quan nudged Jin Rong inside. His long hair, tied up in a hurry, was a mess, with a stray strand falling across his cheek. Ge Quan didn't bother with it. "Where?"

The woman beside Fan Er answered, "Our guys on the boat spotted her in Yong'an Town."

Yong'an Town was a small town near Yangzhou, real close, which saved Ge Quan the hassle of hauling Jin Rong all the way to Qinzhou to see Old Man Ge.

Once the rain stopped, their group of two turned into four. The woman with Fan Er was his wife, Hong Ying. She didn't say much but came off as real gentle, with that soft, graceful air of a Jiangnan lady.

From Yangzhou to Yong'an Town was only half a day by boat, and since the Green Gang had their own vessels, it was easy—they just headed to the dock and hopped on.

The rain had stopped, but the sky stayed gray and heavy. The bluestone streets by the dock had been rinsed clean by the rain, making them slicker and trickier than usual. The moss on building corners and brick walls, usually easy to miss, now stood out bright and green against the gray, but it gave off a faint, sour smell.

Fan Er and Hong Ying took the lead, while Jin Rong, in the same black boots as Ge Quan, trailed about a dozen steps back.

"Mind the slippery ground."

Ge Quan stuck close behind Jin Rong, telling him to watch his step, but the kid didn't listen, looking all over the place until his foot slid and he nearly ate it. Ge Quan caught him with a quick hand. "Rong'er."

"I tripped on something, that's why I fell!" Jin Rong argued stubbornly.

He lifted his foot, and stuck to his new boot was a dark red envelope, soaked through by the rain, its edges falling apart into a soggy mess.

Jin Rong grabbed Ge Quan, wobbling as he peeled the envelope off. It had some ink characters on it, most smeared beyond recognition, with just a few still readable.

"Born of parents, died... ...made a pact, bound as ghost spouses..." Jin Rong struggled to make out the words, then slowly read the last four, "Living... man... do not approach?"

"What the hell is this? Creepy as hell." After reading it, Jin Rong got goosebumps and instinctively glanced at Ge Quan. Seeing the guy's calm face, he felt better.

Ge Quan took the envelope from him, and the second his fingers touched the soaked paper, the rotten mess gave way, dropping a shiny copper coin that clattered on the street and made a few hurried passersby look back.

"Is that a ghost-marriage red envelope?"

"Looks like one of those cursed deals."

"Who's doing a ghost wedding now?"

"Regular folks can't afford that—has to be one of the big families in town."

"But I haven't heard of any young master dying?"

"Enough, let's go. Even talking about it's bad luck."

Fan Er had already come back with Hong Ying. "What's so special about that? Toss it, and don't pick up the coin either."

Jin Rong caught the passersby's muttering and asked, curious, "What's a ghost-marriage red envelope? And what's a ghost wedding they mentioned?"

Hong Ying pressed her lips together, her brow knitting slightly, like she hated this kind of stuff. "When a young, unmarried son of a rich family dies suddenly, they're called 'unfulfilled souls.' The elders will find a young woman or young man who also died young, and hold a 'ghost wedding' to marry them off in the afterlife. The wedding happens at night, and the lucky money tossed along the route is called a ghost-marriage red envelope."

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