Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

Chapter 92: His Majesty Ning sneaks into rescue at the Grand Preceptor’s estate

While Ji Yuerong left with her team, Ning Xiaoyao put on a right and proper face mask from Supreme Commander Lou and prepared to head out. In the end, Ji Yuerong’s only job was to cause a commotion at the Grand Preceptor’s estate and attract their attention. Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyao would sneak into the compound and “steal” away one Miss A’Xin. Lou Zigui looked at the valiant and dashing Ning Xiaoyao on her way out and thought he could still salvage the situation one more time.

Thus, Supreme Commander Lou asked, “Xiaoyao, you can have Shadowgale and the rest do things like this. Doesn’t your magpie know the way?”

“But Shadowgale and the rest aren’t doctors, ah,” Ning Xiaoyao replied.

“Then we can have Imperial Physician Gao look after née Qin’s injuries,” Lou Zigui said.

“What if Imperial Physician Gao doesn’t know what to do?” Ning Xiaoyao said as she tied up her sleeves. “Miss A’Xin’s been tormented by the Xie Clan to the point that she’s paralyzed and her face is ruined. Supreme Commander, aren’t you afraid that General Qin will fall apart at the sight of Miss A’Xin like that?”

“Wouldn’t he hate the Xie Clan all the more for that?” Lou Zigui asked.

“Whaa?” Ning Xiaoyao was about to leave, but Lou Zigui’s words stopped her. She looked at him in disbelief. “So what you’re saying is, you want to use Miss A’Xin’s miserable plight to incite General Qin’s feelings of revenge? Dang it, Supreme Commander. Do you think Miss A’Xin will want General Qin to see how she’s changed beyond recognition?”

Supreme Commander Lou hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Forget it,” Ning Xiaoyao shook her head. “You’re a bachelor, so you don’t understand women. I’ll forgive you because of that.”

Ning Xiaoyao ran off like a streak of smoke with a fat black cat chasing after her heels. Supreme Commander Lou stood, depressed, in the walkway for a long time. Even if he could understand this Miss Ning, did that mean he understood all women? That didn’t seem possible, right? Nothing about her was normal in the least!

“Supreme Commander,” a Black Frost Cavalry general ran over just then. “The brothers are prepared.”

Lou Zigui straightened out his clothes and murmured, “We’ll go pick up Qin Xuan, then.”

By the time Supreme Commander Lou had left with his men, Big Boss Black caught up with Ning Xiaoyao outside a meatbun stand. Even though Ning Xiaoyao had an important mission to do, she couldn’t help stopping at the sight of the large, steaming meatbuns. She stared at them while swallowing her saliva and the urge to eat them.

“Miaow!” Big Boss Black darted up to Ning Xiaoyao’s shoulders and smacked her with his paw. “Aren’t you going to save someone?”

Ning Xiaoyao couldn’t resist the temptation of meatbuns, and tossed out three copper coins so she could buy one to eat.

“What time is it already?” Big Boss Black cried, “You’re still in the mood to eat meatbuns?!”

“I’m in the mood to eat meatbuns anytime. Meatbun skins, too. You want some?” Ning Xiaoyao waved the meatbun skin in her hands as she asked Big Boss Black.

Big Boss Black swiped his paw at Ning Xiaoyao again. If you’re going to offer anything, offer the meat filling, you bastard!

Ning Xiaoyao stuffed the skin into her mouth and asked, “Speaking of which, why did you insist on following me, ah?”

“Because you’re too much of a blockhead, so this cat has to tail you,” Big Boss Black said, speaking with the particular arrogant air that all cats had.

Ning Xiaoyao wanted to toss him aside again.

Big Boss Black continued, “Forget about meatbuns. You have to remember that you still owe this cat five fish from our 10 fish agreement last time.”

Ning Xiaoyao replied, “Don’t mention the fish, and we’ll still be pals.”

“Five fish,” Big Boss Black said, still as haughty as before.

“Alright,” Ning Xiaoyao relented as she started walking.

Human and cat reached the back wall of the Grand Preceptor’s estate just as a loud hubbub of voices rose from the front courtyard. Elder cousin magpie flew out of the courtyard and stood on the wall to report, “Xiaoyao, that Miss Ji is really tough. Even the combined forces of the Grand Preceptor’s estate can’t out argue her.”

Ning Xiaoyao started climbing the wall as she replied, “That’s right. When our Miss Ji went into battle, she even fought verbal spars against the coarse men of the Northern Hu.”

Elder cousin magpie nodded his head. No wonder, then.

Ning Xiaoyao reached the top of the wall and flipped inside, before telling elder cousin magpie, “Let’s go save that girl.”

Big Boss Black said, “Are you wearing a face veil so you can blow your nose?” That’s my Supreme Commander’s facemask!

“.........” said Ning Xiaoyao. How she wanted to kill this cat, minute by minute!

“Who are you?!” After Ning Xiaoyao finishing tying her face veil, one of the Grand Preceptor’s elderly female servants saw Ning Xiaoyao and pointed at her with a shout. Since it was daytime, Ning Xiaoyao wasn’t dressed in black, but her concealed face was an obvious sign that she was up to no good. As soon as the servant finished her question, she prepared to scream for help. The instant before she spoke, Ning Xiaoyao rushed to her side and neatly punched her unconscious.

“Hurry, bury her!” Big Boss Black shouted. Ning Xiaoyao simply carried the servant into a raised flowerbed while telling Big Boss Black to shut up at the same time. For a cat, all he wanted to do was kill humans everyday. Just what was he thinking?

“You’ll regret it if you don’t pull out the grass by its roots!” Big Boss Black mewled.

“Shut up,” Ning Xiaoyao smacked Big Boss Black’s head.

“Let’s just bury her,” elder cousin magpie spoke up.

“.........” said Ning Xiaoyao. Why are you like this too?

“She’s always hitting the little servant girls in the estate. This is a bad woman, tweet!” elder cousin magpie cried. Hearing this, Ning Xiaoyao punched the woman in the flowerbed two more times until her face was swollen like a pig’s. Then His Majesty Ning jumped off the raised flower bed and said to the elder cousin magpie, “If she beats up anyone else in the future, just find me. I’ll beat her up in turn. After a few beatings, she won’t dare to bully the little servant girls anymore.”

“Okay,” elder cousin magpie said as he circled around Ning Xiaoyao’s head a few times. “Xiaoyao, you’re a good person.”

“Lead the way,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “I think I’m a good person, too.”

The unlikely trio quickly found and entered née Qin’s courtyard.

“There’s two people inside the rooms,” Big Boss Black reported as soon as they arrived.

Elder cousin magpie flew to the window for a look, before coming back to report, “It’s Xiping looking after eldest young madame. She’s a bad servant girl!”

“..........” said Ning Xiaoyao. Did the Grand Preceptor’s estate have any good people at all?

“She’s the head servant girl of little née Wang,” elder cousin magpie added.

“Little née Wang?” Ning Xiaoyao asked.

“That’s Xie Anyi’s younger female cousin, the one you call that little tramp, miaow,” Big Boss Black explained.

“Xiping was only under orders to give eldest young madame her medicine. But yesterday she even slapped eldest young madame on the face,” elder cousin magpie said.

“She’s a little tramp too!” Big Boss Black was convinced. Ning Xiaoyao walked to the door and lightly pushed it open. Once she entered, the first thing she saw was Xiping digging through née Qin’s wardrobe. There were already a few sets of robes laid out on the table, probably pieces the servant girl was set to take away for herself.

“She even steals!” Big Boss Black meowed in rage.

The noise startled Xiping, who quickly turned around--just in time to meet Ning Xiaoyao’s fist. Before she fell over, Big Boss Black was already leaping onto her face with his claws extended. Ten bloody gashes appeared on her skin. Ning Xiaoyao didn’t feel satisfied with just one punch, so as soon as Xiping fell to the floor, she added two kicks to boot. Xiping could struggle before, but the kicks left her half conscious until she lost all power to fight back.

Big Boss Black shouted at Ning Xiaoyao, “You really don’t know how to use your brains. Go look after eldest young madame and leave this to this cat, miaow!”

Ning Xiaoyao fell silent. Who needed brains when it came to beating people up? Just where were her brains inferior to that fat black furball? (Author: Why do you have to compare IQs with a cat? Even if you come out on top, what of it? o(╯□╰)o)

Née Qin was still awake. When she heard the sounds of punching, kicking, and meows coming from the area of her wardrobe, along with Xiping’s wretched cries, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. She wanted to know what was going on, but her body wouldn’t move. All she could do was lie on the bed impatiently. It was then that Ning Xiaoyao poked her head into née Qin’s line of vision. She took off her face veil and gave her a carefree grin.

“You’re Miss A’Xin, right? Hello, I’m Ning Xiaoyao.”

Frightened, eldest young madame née Qin didn’t even know what to say.

“Yuerong told me to come,” Ning Xiaoyao added. “Do you still remember Ji Yuerong?”

“Little sister Yuerong?” née Qin asked.

“Right, right,” Ning Xiaoyao nodded hastily as she rested her hand on née Qin’s face. “I’ve come to take you away.”

“I--” née Qin wanted to say. I can’t leave. I can’t hurt you guys as well. You can’t afford to offend the Xie Clan. But a warmth soon suffused her entire body before she fell asleep. Ning Xiaoyao’s smile faded as soon as née Qin fell unconscious. Rage replaced it, because the very skin beneath her hands had been thoroughly rotted away! Just how much enmity did they have against this woman?!

Pale green light shimmered between Ning Xiaoyao’s fingertips. In the next second, the light engulfed née Qin’s face. First, it dried up all the yellow pus coming from her sores until they turned into scabs and fell off. Then, new skin began to grow beneath the broken layers. Slowly, née Qin’s face resumed its original state.

“Xiping?” a servant girl called from outside the door. Both Ning Xiaoyao and Big Boss Black turned around. The servant was still standing outside as she spoke. “Mistress is going with eldest young master to the palace. She wants you to stay here and look after née Qin. There’s a Ji woman currently making a ruckus at our gates for née Qin’s sake. Xiping, why aren’t you answering?”

Xiping’s head had been covered in scratches by Big Boss Black. Currently, she was still unconscious. Because the servant girl didn’t hear a reply, she pushed open the door and walked inside. “Are you digging through née Qin’s things again? We had an agreement before, you have to split some of the good stuff with me.”

Ning Xiaoyao and Big Boss Black’s glances met. Looks like this one’s no good, either.

“Xiping?” the servant girl raised the curtains leading into the bedroom. Ning Xiaoyao picked up a chair and used it to knock the servant girl to the floor. Big Boss Black crouched on Xiping’s face, licking his bloody claws as he asked, “Xiaoyao, can I bite them to death?”

Ning Xiaoyao brought out two bedsheets from the wardrobe and spread them out on the ground. She put everything she could take with her into those sheets as she replied, “Wake up, you. You’re only a cat!”

Big Boss Black asked, “What are you doing now?”

“Moving house,” Ning Xiaoyao said succinctly. Sure, she was rescuing someone, but she had to bring along the goods as well! Big Boss Black hastened to help Ning Xiaoyao flip over the chests and empty the cabinets. Elder cousin magpie flew in from the window after checking out the front gates. When he saw the cat and human busying themselves with work, he felt silent before he spoke up.

“Xiaoyao, they’re about to start fighting at the front gates. Shouldn’t you and Black Tubby hurry up and take eldest young madame away?”