Chapter 135: Serving as Cannon Fodder

As Jiang Mohe had anticipated, no sooner had they emerged from the mountains the next day than they encountered another group of attackers.

Following the plan he had coordinated with A-Qi, Jiang Mohe lured a portion of the enemy away during the skirmish, separating himself from the others.

Once A-Li and A-Jiu had dispatched the remaining pseudo-variants, they noticed Jiang Mohe was missing and asked A-Qi, "Where is Cang Yu?"

As A-Qi retrieved his silver darts, he explained the plan they had devised the night before to the siblings.

A-Li nodded after hearing him out. "That works well. Splitting up saves us the trouble of dealing with those old fossils."

The "old fossils" A-Li referred to were the various aristocratic families within Xiao City.

Unlike the trendy and prosperous Imperial City, Xiao City preserved the architectural style of an ancient fortress, along with traditional customs and etiquette. Naturally, as the former fiefdom of the Nangong family, its people were loyal only to the Nangong kin and ostracized outsiders—especially those with special identities, like the variants.

Before entering Xiao City, the three of them stopped at a gas station outside the city limits to report their status to A-Si. They then waited for someone from within Xiao City to come and meet them.

The person sent to escort them was Qi Rong, dispatched by the Qi family—the mother’s family of Lady Nangong and the second most powerful clan in Xiao City.

The Qi family was large, but the only member of note was the eldest daughter, Qi Hua. Her style of conduct mirrored that of Lady Nangong, which was why the latter had elevated her to lead the Qi family.

Qi Rong was Qi Hua’s cousin. Because he was an adopted son, he was blunt and taciturn, and had originally been held in low regard by the family; only Qi Hua had cultivated him as her trusted confidant.

A-Qi had once been a member of the Qi family himself and was well-acquainted with Qi Rong. Seeing him arrive, A-Qi struck up a conversation: "How is the situation in the city?"

Qi Rong was a man who spoke his mind. "The moment your people arrived, they were detained by Nangong He and Nangong Peng." His tone sounded as if he were questioning just how incompetent they were.

A-Qi felt a bit awkward. "Our young master has always been a bit soft-hearted."

Qi Rong glanced at the injuries on the three of them. "Do you still think those two tumors are nothing to worry about?"

Two years ago, Qi Hua had warned Nangong Ao to purge those two treacherous individuals from the Nangong family as soon as possible. But at that time, Nangong Ao had only just secured his position as head of the family and was busy dealing with external threats, leaving him no time to attend to matters at home.

"Ha!" A-Qi gave a sheepish laugh. "We’re counting on the eldest lady to lend us a hand this time."

"If the eldest lady weren't willing, she wouldn't have sent me to get you," Qi Rong replied.

"Hehe, of course, of course. We are all family, after all!" A-Qi said, trying to curry favor.

Qi Rong said nothing more and led the three of them to his car.

A-Jiu, sitting in the back with her brother, eyed the worn leather seats and muttered with slight disdain, "I can't believe someone from the Qi family drives such a beat-up car..."

Qi Rong’s cold gaze flickered in the rearview mirror, and A-Jiu glared back defiantly. Ever since they met, this hulking brute had been mocking them. They were elites under the young master’s command—they had never suffered such indignity!

A-Qi turned around to explain, "Sister A-Jiu, don't underestimate this car. Its build cost is no less than a hundred-square-meter apartment in the Imperial City!"

A-Li and A-Jiu exchanged a look: this dusty, nondescript exterior with old, tattered seats was worth nearly ten million? Poverty truly limited their imagination!

A-Qi smiled; the value of the car wasn't in its appearance. He had seen with his own eyes this old beast withstand the attacks of over a dozen pseudo-variants.

The people of the Qi family were ordinary humans; they relied on armaments to fend off their opponents. This car was merely one of their daily defensive weapons.

The group entered Xiao City and arrived at the Qi family estate. Most of the family did not live here; many worked in various companies under the ZR Group, leaving behind mostly the elderly.

Qi Hua, as the head of the family, remained in Xiao City only to help Lady Nangong monitor and contain the Nangong family members, and to maintain the interests between Lady Nangong and the other aristocratic families of Xiao City. Naturally, after Nangong Ao took power, she began serving him as well.

In terms of seniority, Qi Hua was a cousin-aunt to Nangong Ao. Her appearance was somewhat similar to Lady Nangong’s, and she was accustomed to wearing modified traditional gowns and wearing her hair in an old-fashioned bun, though she was slightly taller. Every time A-Qi saw Qi Hua, he felt as if he were seeing Lady Nangong herself—only, where Lady Nangong was soft with an underlying strength, Qi Hua was strong with a touch of softness.

Sitting in the main seat of the hall, Qi Hua swept a sharp gaze over the three standing before her and said in a low voice, "Just the three of you?"

A-Li and A-Jiu looked at A-Qi. Having left Xiao City long ago, they had no impression of Qi Hua, but her imposing presence told them this woman was not to be trifled with.

A-Qi stepped forward to answer, "Indeed, it is just us!" He didn't know if his boss had revealed to Qi Hua that Jiang Mohe was also accompanying them. For the sake of caution, he decided not to mention it voluntarily.

Qi Hua raised an eyebrow. "Young Master Ao certainly thinks highly of you three!"

A-Qi gave an awkward laugh. "Not at all, not at all. We are relying entirely on the eldest lady’s help."

"Fine," Qi Hua stood up and instructed Qi Rong, "Since we have been entrusted with this, we should do our best, shouldn't we? Take them to the Nangong estate now and get the business finished."

A-Qi was stunned. Go to their door just like that? Wouldn't they just get detained again? But after giving her orders, Qi Hua walked into the inner chambers.

Feeling uneasy, A-Qi whispered to Qi Rong, "Brother Rong, does the eldest lady have a plan?"

Qi Rong replied expressionlessly, "You came to bring those two back to the Imperial City, didn't you? Just go to the door and invite them."

A-Qi looked troubled. If it were that easy to invite them, they wouldn't have needed to detour through the Qi family in the first place!

A-Li and A-Jiu were equally bewildered. "Aren't you going to prepare some manpower?"

Qi Rong maintained his stone-faced expression. "In Xiao City, fighting is forbidden. That is the rule set by the Nangong family!"

A-Li and A-Jiu: "..."

If they followed the rules, how were they supposed to complete their mission? If the others just said "we aren't leaving," wouldn't they be completely helpless?

A-Qi mused to himself: It seemed the eldest Lady Qi was displeased with his earlier concealment.

"Brother Rong," A-Qi stepped forward, "If we just barge in like this, those two young masters of the Nangong family certainly won't comply easily. Why don't we consult the eldest lady again on how to handle this properly?"

Qi Rong rejected the idea without a second thought. "The eldest lady said what to do, so that is what we will do. What is there to consult?"

A-Qi felt very frustrated. Fine, if the eldest Lady Qi wanted them to be cannon fodder, they would have to go and see the situation for themselves. He just hoped things were going smoothly for Cang Yu.

It was three in the afternoon when the three of them followed Qi Rong to the main gate of the Nangong family’s ancient estate. The guards blocked them the moment they saw them.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Qi Rong remained silent. A-Qi braced himself and stepped forward to state their purpose: "We are acting on orders from Young Master Ao to invite Young Master He and Young Master Peng to the Imperial City."