Poison Genius Consort (Web Novel)

Ning Cheng told Cheng'er, "After tomorrow, Batu will be the head of my Liubei Trade Consortium guards. If you really have the guts, knock on the door all you want."

When he finished, he turned to enter the room. This time, he didn't slam the door, but closed it slowly and methodically. Cheng'er was left speechless in place, her entire heart feeling stifled. She suddenly felt like she was out of the game. She always thought the match was between her and Ah-Cheng, but realized now that it was a play between Ah-Cheng and Han Xiang. He had completely kicked her out.

She always thought he really couldn't bear to kill her; as it turned out, he just couldn't be bothered. Yujin walked over from the side and was clearly surprised by Ah-Cheng's words as well.

"Cheng'er, let's go," she said earnestly.

"I just won't!" Cheng'er gritted her teeth. Even if Liubei Trade Consortium ended up in Ning Cheng and Han Xiang's hands, so what? She was still going to stir things up!

"I refuse to believe that he's someone who would willingly serve others!" Cheng'er said icily.

The afternoon of the next day, Cheng'er indeed saw Han Xiang coming from a distance away. She had never seen her before, but recognized the luxurious carriage as the Wolf Sect's at a glance. When Han Xiang got off, Cheng'er immediately asked, "Jin, who's prettier between her and me?"

"You." Yujin wasn't lying. Han Xiang's looks were truly ordinary. She relied on her rich clothes and accessories with fine makeup to look exquisite. Without these things, no one would spare her a second glance in the crowd.

"Her innate talent is good, you had to admit," Yujin added.

"She just has a good life. There are plenty of people with higher innate talents than her, but she happened to run into the Wolf Sect patriarch." Cheng'er said with dissatisfaction.

Han Xiang wasn't the Wolf Sect leader's biological daughter, but a foster child. Everyone in the Mysterious Continent knew this fact.

"No matter what, her innate talent is just better than yours!" Yujin was always objective. If Cheng'er's innate talent wasn't so poor, her origins would really win against Han Xiang's.

"Jin, can't you comfort me instead?" Cheng'er lost her temper.

Yujin only spoke the truth. "Cheng'er, the way you're speaking now, does it mean Ah-Cheng and Han Xiang have…something between them?"

"No!" Cheng'er muttered. "Ah-Cheng's really blind. If he wanted a backer, can't he find someone from the top[1]? Why did he find an adopted daughter? Stupid!"

Yujin smelled the strong stench of vinegar and hugged her sword to stand aside without saying another word. They two of them kept watch for so long that they forgot to eat.

...

Night fell before Han Xiang finally emerged with Ning Cheng personally escorting her to the door. He was clear about the Wolf Sect's foundation and aware that Han Xiang wasn't the Sect Leader Han Chen's real daughter. Without a doubt, he had been so busy fighting in Northern Li at the time he only knew Han Yunxi had been taken to the Poison Sect's forbidden grounds by Bai Yanqing, but not that Han Chen had shown up there, or the man's relationship with Han Yunxi.

After the war, he left Northern Li and never contacted anyone else. He had no idea about Han Chen's matters or the ten-year agreement. He had already sent the guest to the gate, where she would typically say something polite like, "Stay."

But Han Xiang did not as she walked down the steps. Ning Cheng had an inkling of her thoughts and sent her all the way down, but Han Xiang suddenly tripped and grabbed his arm in a panic. "Ah!"

Scorn flickered past Ning Cheng's eyes before he simply picked her up princess-style and walked with long strides to the carriage to carry her inside. Seeing this, Cheng'er was still calm. After all, she'd done her share of improv acting too. But a long time passed and Ah-Cheng still didn't come out. The more she watched, the faster her breathing became.

Finally she cursed under her breath, "Does he really want to be a servant?"

Inside the carriage, Ning Cheng had long wanted to leave, but Han Xiang dragged him back to talk about topics they hadn't finished yet.

"Since Eldest Miss Han isn't tired, why not find a place for us to talk it over slowly?" Ning Cheng asked.

"No need, here is fine. Tell me how you plan to sell that batch of goods?" As Han Xiang spoke, she sprawled lazily against the high pillows and examined Ning Cheng carefully. Although she was only 25 years old and hadn't married, she had intimate relations with plenty of men and lots of male pets at home.

A few years ago, she reached the rankings for Mysterious Continent's nobles. Her father gradually handed over the Wolf Sect's affairs to her for managing. As he retired, she gradually took control of the sect's massive power. With high martial arts skills and the right of command, she naturally attracted many men's favor. Unfortunately, none of the ones she fancied agreed to marry into the Wolf Sect. Meanwhile, those she scorned could only act as playthings for a while instead of accompanying her long-term.

Recently, Liubei Trade Consortium had suddenly appeared in the south of Mysterious Continent and became a huge trade consortium. She naturally had her eye on them, but only found out about the man named Ah-Cheng when she went to sell a few goods last year on behalf of the Wolf Sect. This man's martial arts were ordinary, but he was well versed in the ways of business. After all, the market was a battlefield and those without skills couldn't stand on firm footing. What she needed most of all was exactly this kind of man.

If he could stay by her side and help her with Wolf Sect matters, she would be able to practice martial arts without worries. In one year, the ten-year agreement would be up. In that battle she was not only going to win over Han Yunxi, but seize the chance to plan an important matter.

As Han Xiang listened to Ning Cheng speak, she rested a hand on his shoulder. His eyes flickered with frost but he didn't make a sound. Unexpectedly, Han Xiang's fingers actually slid down his shoulder to try and hold his hand. Ning Cheng avoided her without a trace and prepared to bid farewell.

But suddenly Cheng'er started cursing them out outside. "Ah-Cheng, get out! You negligent swine! If you don't explain things clearly to me today, I won't let you go! Get out!"

This…

What was she cooking up now?

Ning Cheng quickly got off the carriage with Han Xiang following behind. They saw Cheng'er running in a huff towards them, but she was soon blocked by Han Xiang's guards.

Although Han Xiang was curious, she remained calm and asked with a smile, "Ah-Cheng, who is she?"

Ning Cheng glanced at Batu who was standing on the side and was about to speak when Cheng'er admitted it first. "I'm Cheng'er, the huakui of Carefree Koy. I'm also Le Zheng's foster daughter Lele!"

Batu was immediately angry. "So you were that slut! Hand over your life!"

Cheng'er didn't dodge but snapped back, "You stay put!"

Shocked, Batu actually stepped back, but quickly recovered. "Little slut, how dare you speak to me that way? If I don't play you to death today, I'll write my name backwards!"

"You just hold on! I'm going to ask Ah-Cheng one question and then you can do as you like!" Cheng'er snapped back.

Ning Cheng was already knitting his brows, but couldn't speak much in front Han Xiang. He really had no idea what Cheng'er was playing at and could only watch silently for now. But Cheng'er looked at her and asked, "Ah-Cheng, do you still like me?"

Ning Cheng almost died from rage. He was even more clueless about her intentions and retorted, "Eldest Miss, I've never liked you, have I?"

Cheng'er's eyes turned red-rimmed as she looked back at Batu. "All right. I did trick you, so take my life! Come here."

Ning Cheng's right hand clenched subconsciously into a fist. He realized that Cheng'er was being serious this time. How many days had it been? Why did someone so smart turn into such an idiot? Or had she gone insane instead?

Does she really not want her life?

Didn't she know that ending up in Batu's hands was a worse fate than Steward Ma's?

Batu leered. "Little woman, you're brave enough. As expected of Liubei Trade Consortium's second-in-command. Heheh, how could I bear to kill you? I'll dote on you very well!"

Cheng'er didn't move as Batu walked closer, but only stared fixedly at Ning Cheng. Actually, she wasn't insane at all. She was gambling.

She was betting on whether Ning Cheng would protect her and gambling on his heart. She had already made full preparations by taking her secret file from Le Zheng's study to find reinforcements. She might be a waste, but she was still the daughter of the Shangguan Clan. No family would allow their own people to be bullied outside, because it would lose them too much face.

The Shangguan Clan was on par with the Wolf Sect in Mysterious Continent in terms of strength and power. Although it couldn't surpass them, they would at least break even. She didn't care what Ah-Cheng and Han Xiang had going on. She was the one who incited Batu, so she would clean up the mess without implicating anyone else. She just wanted to use this chance…to test how hard that man's heart really was.

Seeing Batu draw closer and closer, Ning Cheng couldn't steel his heart. Perhaps it was foreordained after he saved her from Steward Ma's hands. This little minx wasn't docile at all and never put things like morals or benevolence in her mouth. But she really wasn't a bad person. He knew full well how many countless children she had saved from being trafficked in Liubei Trade Consortium throughout the years. She already made her own rule that any child under 13 had to be saved at all costs! Even if they were sold, they had to be redeemed in any way possible and sent back home.

It was very easy to be a good person among good people since that was just a matter of choice. But to be good in a crowd of villains was so difficult, which Ning Cheng experienced firsthand. When he was about to speak, Han Xiang suddenly beat him to it, her voice cold and arrogant. "Batu, back off!"

No matter how itchy Batu felt, he still had to obediently withdraw without daring to make a peep. Han Xiang walked over to Cheng'er and examined her haughtily from head to toe. It was very rude to stare like that, especially when Han Xiang was intentionally doing it very slowly. She didn't have to say a word; her stare was contemptuous enough.

Cheng'er might be Le Zheng's foster daughter, but she had never been stared at like this in her life. She asked unhappily, "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a beauty before?"

Han Xiang withdrew her gaze and chuckled lightly. "Indeed, you're quite beautiful. No wonder you could set up Carefree Joy so well and seduce away one of this young lady's dogs."

Batu hung his head in full respect as if he hadn't heard himself being cursed just then.

Cheng'er hated people like her who cursed others indirectly, especially when they were women. They were all hypocritical, sinister types, not open or spontaneous at all. She openly retorted, "Eldest Miss Han, you didn't even feed Batu until he was full, so of course he has to sneak out to steal food. I actually haven't fed him for real. Heheh, he must have a big appetite, right?"

Batu's legs turned to jelly at her words.

Han Xiang simply raised her hand for a slap at speeds so fast that Ning Cheng didn't have time to stop her.

1. 天都 tiandu – This could also refer to "capital city," but I'm unsure without context. I'll come back and fix it if that's the case.