Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2(96)

From some distance away came the sounds of whinnying and the angry roars of Qi Rong, and soon after, Feng Xin yelled back, “He’s been stopped!”

Xie Lian rushed toward them just in time to hear Qi Rong howl in rage.

“YOU DAMNED AUDACIOUS LOWLY SERVANT, YOU DARE HURT ME?! WHO GAVE YOU THE BALLS?!”

Turned out, Feng Xin couldn’t stop the horse, so he tried to snatch the reins instead. Of course, Qi Rong wouldn’t let him, so the two pulled back and forth, and in a moment of carelessness, Feng Xin bumped him and pushed him off the carriage. Qi Rong fell to the ground and rolled a few times, scraping his knees. Seeing that he was surrounded by onlookers, he felt nothing but rage and embarrassment.

However, Xie Lian cut in. “I did!”

Qi Rong opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally crying, “Cousin Crown Prince!”

Xie Lian said angrily, “Look at what you’ve done! Qi Rong, I really…”

Just then, he felt the child in his arms jerk. He had loosened the hands hugging his head and was peeking up at Xie Lian from the gap between his elbows.

Xie Lian immediately restrained his anger and lowered his head to soothe him in a gentle voice. “How do you feel? Do you feel pain anywhere especially?”

The child was amazingly still alert, not unconscious from pain, nor frozen in shock. He shook his head. Xie Lian noticed that what little of his face was visible was bleeding, and he was about to check for other head injuries, but the child firmly clutched half of his face with his hands, stubbornly refusing to show him.

Xie Lian coaxed, “Don’t be afraid, everything’s fine. I only want to check your injuries.”

The child, however, pressed his hands down harder, revealing only one large obsidian eye, looking panicked. But this panic didn’t seem like it stemmed from a fear that he would get beaten but rather that something would be discovered.

Looking at this little face, half-covered with only one eye to be seen, Xie Lian suddenly realized he might’ve seen this child somewhere. He squinted as he thought.

Qi Rong saw his upset face and explained, “Cousin Crown Prince, that little non-croaker ruined your grand ceremony yesterday, so I avenged you. Don’t worry, I was careful, he won’t die.”

Sure enough, the child held in his arms was the one who fell from the city wall during the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession the day before!

No wonder Xie Lian thought he looked familiar. This little child hadn’t even changed; he was still wearing the same outfit as the day before, but because of all the beating and dragging, he was filthier and the clothes looked nothing like they had yesterday. He didn’t even look like the same person.

Xie Lian couldn’t hold back his anger anymore. “Who told you to avenge me?! It has nothing to do with this child—it wasn’t his fault!”

Qi Rong justified, “Of course it’s his fault. If not for him, you wouldn’t have been scolded by the State Preceptor!”

This ruckus was getting out of hand, and the crowd watching was growing, the onlookers whispering to each other. Just then, Mu Qing approached, and Qi Rong pointed his whip at him, expression laced with hostility.

“And you! You lowly servant. I can tell this one doesn’t know his place just from the look of him. If you don’t discipline him, sooner or later he’s going to overthrow you and step on you, his master. I helped you discipline him, but you turned around and defended him instead, and told on me too. Now Yifu and Yimu are not only ignoring that I did it for you, they’re even gonna confiscate my golden carriage! Cousin, that was my birthday gift! I’ve wanted it for over two years!!”

Mu Qing gave Qi Rong an unreadable, sweeping look. Xie Lian laughed from sheer rage.

“I don’t need your help, not like this. Are you really avenging me? Or are you avenging yourself?”

“…Cousin, why would you say that to me?” Qi Rong asked, confused. “And what have I done wrong in being on your side?”

Xie Lian couldn’t talk sense with him. “Qi Rong, listen here. From now on, you’re not allowed to touch this child. Not even a finger! Do you hear me?!”

Just then, Xie Lian felt a pull on his neck. He was wrapped up in a fit of anger, so it startled him. He looked down and saw that the young child had buried his face in his chest, his arms tightly circled around Xie Lian’s neck. Xie Lian felt him shake uncontrollably and thought he was in pain.

He asked hurriedly, “What’s wrong?”

That child was covered all over in mud, grime, and blood—filthy and unkempt. It all smeared onto Xie Lian’s white robe, but Xie Lian didn’t mind at all. He gently patted the child’s back to comfort him and soothed him in a low voice.

“I’ll take you to the doctors right now.”

The child didn’t respond, but he hugged Xie Lian even tighter. He held on with a death grip and wouldn’t let go, as if he were holding on to a lifeline.

Qi Rong could see that Xie Lian wasn’t going to acknowledge his goodwill, his heart solely with outsiders. And when he saw that kid sullying Xie Lian’s robes with bloody, muddy smears, his anger flared. He raised the whip to lash the back of the child’s head.

Feng Xin was standing to the side, and in a split-second, his leg flew out and kicked Qi Rong right on the arm.

There was a loud CRACK, and Qi Rong screamed. The whip fell to the ground, and his right arm dropped limply at an abnormal angle. He stood there frozen in disbelief, and it was a while before he slowly raised his head, glaring at Feng Xin, enunciating each word…