Chapter 79#

World 4: You Are the Snow on the Branch#

This fall left Qin Qing’s brain in a daze. He lowered his head, staring blankly at the chubby cat lying in his arms.

This cat… can talk!

“Qin Qing, I’m 996! Don’t you recognize me?” The fat cat didn’t open its mouth, but its voice transmitted directly into Qin Qing’s mind.

Demon… a demon?

Qin Qing shrank into a ball in fright, his fingertips trembling slightly, his lips quivering, yet he didn’t dare throw the little fat cat in his arms away. A demon’s claws are sharp, and right now they were pressing against his heart. If he moved even slightly, it would dig his heart out!

It is said that demons cultivate by eating human hearts raw.

Qin Qing’s eyes reddened, and he was almost scared to tears.

Hearing these fearful ramblings in his consciousness, 996 said: “…Meow damn it, you’re the demon! I’m a celestial being sent by God to protect you! Don’t just stand there, let’s go find a quiet place to talk!”

Qin Qing propped his hands on the ground, leaning his body back, with a talking fat cat on his belly, not daring to move a muscle.

He didn’t want to go to a quiet place; if he went, he would be eaten. He wasn’t stupid.

996: “…”

This Qin Qing was completely unfamiliar to 996. Although his soul was as faint as a wisp of green smoke, it fused well with this body, showing that the Main God had sent him here to be nurtured since the early stages of pregnancy.

He was a complete ancient person, and also a clean sheet of paper. He had forgotten his past as Qin Qing.

In an instant, 996’s eyes grew hot.

That Qin Qing who would smile and tell the Main God, “Please let the world see 996,” could never be found again.

996 dropped two golden tears, but still clung tightly to the clothes on Qin Qing’s chest. Damn it, it was sticking with Qin Qing!

Qin Qing leaned back further, supporting the little demon with his belly. Just as he didn’t know what to do, a pair of coarse cloth shoes walked up to him and stood firmly. The shoes were wide, indicating large feet, likely belonging to a very tall person.

Qin Qing looked up from the coarse cloth shoes, and what came into view was a face with temples cut like knives, eyes like bright stars, handsome beyond compare. The slight aura leaking from his dark pupils was as sharp as an unsheathed sword.

“A cat can talk? Little Young Master, I’m afraid you’ve fallen silly.” A deep, resonant voice sounded in his ear.

The newcomer lowered his head slightly, his thin lips hooked in mockery. Although he wore the simplest coarse cloth clothes, he had an imposing aura. He was very tall, making the stable behind him look a few inches shorter.

Qin Qing blinked, slowly realizing that this was Ye Li, the person he secretly admired. To get close to Ye Li, he didn’t hesitate to disguise himself as a groom and worked hard in the county office for half a month.

Qin Qing looked up, staring blankly at the other person.

Wait, why did Ye Li call me Little Young Master? I’m a groom right now!

Ye Li bent down, used the horsewhip in his hand to lift open Qin Qing’s outer shirt, and mocked: “Little Young Master, if you want to pretend, pretend a bit better. Don’t wear coarse linen on the outside and silk underwear on the inside. And—”

Ye Li used the horsewhip to lift Qin Qing’s cuff again, revealing a slender wrist, and continued to ridicule: “The soot on your body isn’t smeared evenly; it’s easy to spot. Although we are homeless refugees, illiterate and ignorant of scholarly talk, we are not fools. Please, Little Young Master, do not play tricks on us and treat us as amusement.”

“Yeah! Little Young Master, you’d better hurry home. This isn’t a place for playing. You can’t even distinguish fodder from croton beans when feeding a horse! The horse suddenly got diarrhea on the road and almost threw Brother Ye to his death! I went to help Brother Ye and got sprayed with liquid dung by the horse! Damn, what bad luck!”

A burly man with a full beard walked over, cursing fiercely. He was Ye Li’s good brother, named Ah Niu, and also the one who had pushed Qin Qing down earlier.

Qin Qing finally understood what trouble he had caused and why he was being pushed and blamed.

He subconsciously hugged the little fat cat in his arms tighter, scrambled up quickly, ran to a place far away from Ah Niu, and pinched his small nose.

This person was sprayed with horse manure; he had to stay far away.

Ah Niu: “…”

Ye Li grew more impatient, raised his chin towards the side door at the back, and ordered: “Little Young Master, we found this livelihood with great difficulty and can’t afford your tossing about. You’d better go home.”

Ah Niu immediately waved his hand: “We’ve already told the County Magistrate, and he also told you to leave quickly. You can’t do anything, you’re terribly stupid, and you cry when scolded a few times. Truly, ugly people do strange things! We can’t afford to serve you here.”

Qin Qing lowered his head, looked at his palms which had been scratched with many bloody marks by the gravel, then raised his head and looked straight at Ah Niu.

“What did you say about me just now?” he asked.

“I said you can’t do anything, leave quickly!”

“Not that sentence! The next one.”

“I said you’re stupid!”

“The next one.”

“Damn it, are you done yet? Ugly people do strange things!”

“That’s the one!” Qin Qing put down the little fat cat, ran to a water vat nearby, took out a pure white silk handkerchief from his bosom, wetted it, and wiped his face vigorously.

After wiping back and forth many times, he turned around angrily, strode up to Ah Niu, puffed out his chest and said: “You said I can’t do anything, I admit it. You said I’m stupid and clumsy, I admit that too. I indeed haven’t been a groom and don’t understand anything. But you can’t call me ugly! Calling me ugly is slander! I’m not ugly!”

He glared at Ah Niu forcefully. Ah Niu’s expression had become dumbfounded.

Then he looked at Ye Li aggrievedly and whispered: “Sorry, I almost harmed you. I’m leaving now.” With that, he turned and ran out of the side door.

Ye Li looked straight at him, his gaze involuntarily chasing his retreating figure.

996 had finished reading the script, glared fiercely at Ye Li and Ah Niu, and quickly chased after him.

A gust of wind blew down a withered yellow leaf from the treetop, landing at their feet with a soft sound.

Ye Li and Ah Niu finally came back to their senses.

They never expected that after washing away the thick layer of soot, what was revealed was such snowy skin and flower-like appearance. Eyes reddened from grievance held a hint of moisture like rain and mist, fragile as the moon’s reflection on water, which could be shattered by just a wisp of breeze.

Ye Li shook his head, discarded all distracting thoughts from his mind, and sneered: “Now, I can understand why Grandfather was so absurd.”

Ah Niu coughed and said resentfully: “Did I bully him too hard just now?”

Ye Li glanced at him expressionlessly and turned back to the stable. The ill-fitting clothes clung thinly to his back, outlining an extremely robust physique. It was as if a beast was hidden inside this body, causing the surrounding horses to neigh uneasily.

Ah Niu scratched his nose, not daring to speak nonsense anymore. He knew that what his master tabooed most was the sordid affair between the Qin family and the Retired Emperor. The Little Heir of the Qin family had grown into such a bewitching appearance; he would definitely be loathed by the master.

Qin Qing left the county office but didn’t go to the main street. Instead, he hid in a dark alley. The world was chaotic now, and he knew his appearance was very unsafe.

He squatted on the back door steps of a house, holding a small stick in his hand and poking into the brick cracks, piling all the dug-out soil onto his shoe uppers.

996 walked around him twice and asked curiously: “What are you doing?”

“I can barely keep my eyes open. I have to bury my feet in the soil to get better,” Qin Qing said seriously.

996: “…” Although he had been reincarnated into a mortal body, it seemed he hadn’t forgotten that he used to be a plant.

“Stop burying them, you’re a human now. You feel sleepy because your soul is too weak. Just sleep more and you’ll be fine.” 996 slapped the small stick out of Qin Qing’s hand with its paw.

“Are you going to eat me?” Qin Qing asked with red eyes.

He had just turned sixteen this year, still a child. His small face was pink and tender, his big eyes misty. He was clean and clear, like a dewdrop hanging on the tip of a leaf.

Was Qin Qing like this when he was a child?

996 looked at him nostalgically and explained: “I told you, I’m sent by a celestial being to protect you. In your past life, you were a little fairy in heaven, down here to undergo a trial. In one year, County Magistrate Qi Sifeng will send people to raid the Tai’an Marquis Manor. Why are you still wandering outside? Hurry home and hide to avoid this calamity!”

“What? Tai’an Marquis Manor will be raided?” Qin Qing was scared stiff.

“Someone reported that your Tai’an Marquis Manor embezzled the imperial court’s disaster relief silver. Qi Sifeng sent troops to raid, and sure enough, they found the silver in your family’s cellar. Hurry home and check the cellar!” 996 said according to the script.

“Impossible, our family has so much money we can’t spend it all. Why would we embezzle disaster relief silver! Someone must have framed us!” Qin Qing immediately stood up and hurried out of the alley.

He somewhat believed this little fat cat; after all, how could a talking cat be a mortal thing?

996 followed Qin Qing closely and continued: “Also, stop liking that Ye Li. He’s lying to you. He’s not a refugee at all, but the current Fourth Prince, whose real name is Li Suye. He came to Jiangbei City in disguise to inspect the disaster relief situation everywhere and see if the relief silver has been embezzled. Qi Sifeng raided your home and handed the case to him for trial. He personally signed the conviction document, sentencing your family to death or exile. And you still think he’s a good person!”

996 didn’t want to live in fear anymore. It wanted to eliminate the possibility of Qin Qing falling in love with the Child of Destiny.

Whether the Child of Destiny’s luck would be stolen was none of its business; the Main God didn’t ask it to intervene. It just needed to protect Qin Qing.

Qin Qing, who was walking hurriedly, suddenly stopped.

“He is the Fourth Prince? His name isn’t Ye Li?” The soft voice carried a thick grievance. “Then why did he scold me just now for hiding my identity and playing tricks on him?”

996 spat: “Exactly! Only he, the official, is allowed to set fires, but we commoners aren’t allowed to light lamps! It’s okay for him to lie to you, but if you lie to him, it’s a heinous crime. Bah! What a jerk! Let’s not like him anymore, okay!”

996 persuaded with coaxing and deception.

Qin Qing rubbed his sore eyes and said stubbornly: “No, I’m going back to find him! He’s so bad to me, I’m determined to make him fall in love with me. In the future, when I ignore him, he will come to me pitifully, pulling at the corner of my robe, begging me to bestow a little affection on him.”

Qin Qing turned and walked towards the county office, limping. He had gotten injured at some point.

996: “…Meow damn it, why have you become so willful! He’s here to investigate the disaster situation, and your family is a key target. Why are you looking for him? You should be avoiding him!”

“I believe my father wouldn’t do such a thing. Our family never lacks silver to spend. Since he is here to investigate the whereabouts of the relief silver, I should keep him by my side even more. I want him to see clearly that our Tai’an Marquis Manor is innocent.”

Qin Qing was anxious, but he couldn’t walk fast. The fabric of his shoes was too rough and had rubbed the skin off his heels.

He firmly believed that the Qin family was innocent because the Retired Emperor had once loved his grandfather. The two lived in the same room, were inseparable, and had deep affection for each other.

To show his favor for the Qin family’s great ancestor, the Retired Emperor even granted the Qin family the right to mint coins.

In the entire Great Yan Dynasty, the Qin family was the only aristocratic family that could mint private coins. They also owned several silver mines, so how could they lack money?

Qin Qing limped back to the county office.

Ye Li turned around, his face full of annoyance. “Little Young Master, why are you here again? The world is in chaos now, with constant natural disasters. Who else but you spends all day playing tricks on others for fun? Ah Niu and I don’t want to play with you. Did you hear clearly?”

996: Meow damn it, this Child of Destiny is so arrogant! Indeed, he should be made to cry and beg Qin Qing to like him later!

Qin Qing looked at Ye Li indignantly.

I won’t like you anymore! When you fall in love with me, I’m going to mock you! He thought silently, then said straightforwardly: “I am the Heir of Tai’an Marquis Manor. My real name is Qin Qing.”

Ye Li, who had already investigated Qin Qing’s true identity, couldn’t help but be slightly stunned, obviously not expecting the other party to suddenly show his hand.

“Half a month ago, I was returning home from outside Fulin Town in a carriage when I encountered bandits. You and Ah Niu saved me. I was in the carriage at the time and saw your face through the window crack. I was very grateful to you, so I disguised myself as a groom and came to the county office to befriend you.”

This was the process of their acquaintance and the origin of the secret crush.

“Why would I do this? So stupid!” Qin Qing said confusedly in his heart.

“Where is it stupid?” 996 didn’t understand these romantic affairs.

“Such a way of admiration will never gain Ye Li’s favor. Ye Li is royalty. From the moment he was born, he was surrounded by people bowing and scraping. How could he fancy someone as humble as me? This is wrong.”

996 didn’t make a sound. The previous Qin Qing hadn’t awakened yet; he was ignorant and didn’t know how to capture a heart.

While the person and the cat were talking, Ye Li bent down, cupped his hands, and performed a grand salute: “So it is the Heir of Tai’an Marquis Manor. I offended you just now, please forgive me, My Lord.”

Ah Niu also reacted, pretending to be terrified and apologizing.

Qin Qing said with satisfaction in his heart: “This is the right way. Now I am noble and he is humble. He should be respectful and obedient to me. To make him remember and take notice, I can only be more arrogant than him.”

996 sneered: “He is a prince, yet you are more arrogant than him. When he reveals his identity later, the first person he’ll kill is you.”

“You don’t understand. There are many tricks to master in this.”

Qin Qing took two steps forward and grabbed Ye Li’s arm: “I want to repay your kindness. Come back to the Marquis Manor with me and be my personal attendant. I’ll give you one tael of silver every month.”

Ye Li was stunned again, annoyance rising steeply in his heart. Why did this Little Young Master repeatedly ruin his plans! If he became a personal attendant, how could he move around outside?

Ah Niu quickly refused, saying they couldn’t climb so high to the Marquis Manor.

Qin Qing gave a reason that Ye Li couldn’t refuse.

“Didn’t you say you were separated from your sister on the way to escape the disaster? I can hire the best painter in Jiangbei City to draw a portrait of your sister and hand it over to merchant caravans, escorts, and government offices to be distributed and posted everywhere. Jiangbei City is the territory of our Tai’an Marquis Manor. There is no one the Marquis Manor cannot find. Will you go back with me?”

Ye Li, who had to go out for one or two hours every day to walk through the streets and alleys “looking for his sister,” how could he respond to such a condition?

Ye Li: “…Then I thank the Little Marquis. Ah Niu is my brother, can I bring him along?”

Ye Li was terribly annoyed in his heart, but didn’t show it on his face, only his eyes darkened a few shades.

From his pupils, Qin Qing saw a trace of anger, so he turned his head away and curled his lips slightly.

Hmph, for not liking me! I’m determined to make you unhappy!

“Don’t worry, I will definitely help you find your sister. You saved me before, and I haven’t thanked you yet.” Qin Qing limped out.

Ye Li pretended not to notice his difficulty in walking and didn’t even step forward to support him. He had a deep hatred for the Qin family. Finding that Qin Qing had inherited his grandfather’s bewitching appearance, and was even more enchanting, his repulsion towards Qin Qing was beyond words.

“Little Marquis is too polite.” Ye Li endured his annoyance and accompanied him for a while, saying respectfully: “We two still have to find the foreman to resign. Please wait a moment, Little Marquis. If the Little Marquis can help me find my sister in the future, I am willing to work like an ox or a horse for the Little Marquis, and die without hesitation.”

The sister didn’t exist, so this sentence could never be fulfilled.

Work like an ox or a horse for Qin Qing? Ye Li sneered coldly in his heart, thinking firmly: I must take back the Qin family’s right to mint coins!

“You go, I’ll wait for you at the back door.”

Qin Qing waved his hand and watched the two leave, thinking secretly: Embezzling disaster relief silver is a trumped-up charge, so what is the source of the trouble? It’s the right to mint coins, isn’t it? This person is here to take back the Qin family’s right to mint coins. Those charges were fabricated by Qi Sifeng under his instructions, right?

I won’t like you anymore, no matter how much seeing your face makes my heart flutter. Qin Qing covered his aching chest, endured the sourness in his eyes, and thought silently.

A short, middle-aged man quickly walked into the servant’s room behind the county office and reported in a low voice: “County Magistrate, the Fourth Prince is leaving.”

“Why? Could it be that he knows I discovered his identity?” Qi Sifeng put down his paintbrush, his eyes full of worry.

“No, it’s Qin Qing, the Heir of Tai’an Marquis, who wants to take the two of them away, saying he wants to repay the life-saving grace from last time.”

“Hmph, finally couldn’t stand the hardship and wants to leave? Fine, let them go. ‘Behind vermilion gates meat and wine go to waste, while on the road lie frozen bones.’ The Fourth Prince should see with his own eyes what extravagant life the Marquis Manor lives. I know he came for the right to mint coins. If I help him, why worry about not being reused in the future. By the way, where is Siyu?”

“Miss is setting up a shed by the roadside to distribute porridge.”

“Which road?”

“The necessary road leaving the county town to the Marquis Manor.”

“That’s good, let them go.” Qi Sifeng waved his hand and smiled with satisfaction.

Besides helping the Fourth Prince take back the right to mint coins and showing his ability, he also wanted to marry his sister into the Fourth Prince’s manor to try being a royal relative in the coming year.

Ye Li and Ah Niu soon came out of the county office.

The two looked up at the sky and asked: “Little Marquis, shall we stay for one night before returning to the Marquis Manor?”

Tai’an Marquis Manor was in Yong’an Village, far from the county town. It would take one or two hours by carriage. By then it would be dark. There were many refugees on the road, as well as bandits lying in ambush and wolves appearing. It was fraught with danger.

“We leave now. I miss my father.” Qin Qing sat on the steps pounding his legs and ordered: “Go rent a carriage now. I want to set off immediately. I sent my entourage away yesterday; they don’t know I’m going back today.”

Ah Niu quickly advised: “Little Marquis, it’s unsafe to travel at night. Let’s stay overnight. Tomorrow you can send a message to the Marquis Manor and ask them to send a car to pick you up.”

“No, leave now. I don’t want to stay here for a moment longer!” Qin Qing shook his head repeatedly, his heavy eyelids blinking slowly, already so sleepy he was about to fall asleep.

He missed home, missed his father, missed his soft bed.

Ah Niu wanted to persuade him again, but Ye Li pulled his sleeve.

Secret guards were lurking around at all times, so they weren’t afraid of traveling at night. It was just that this Little Heir was stupid, clumsy, and particularly willful, which was really annoying.

The two soon rented a carriage.

“Go to the bank to withdraw some copper coins.” Qin Qing got into the carriage and ordered listlessly.

The two didn’t talk nonsense either. They drove the carriage to the bank and watched helplessly as the bank clerk moved a heavy money box, two feet square, onto the carriage. There were at least a few thousand copper coins inside.

Not only traveling at night in troubled times but also carrying so much copper money, this Little Heir didn’t know how to write the word “death”!

“Truly stupid beyond cure!” Ah Niu tightened the reins and whispered in his master’s ear.

The horse’s neighing covered his ridicule.

Ye Li lowered his eyebrows and eyes, suppressing the contempt and disgust in his heart.

“Go to the wild game market. I want to buy some game for my father to eat.” Qin Qing’s lazy voice came from the carriage.

So the two drove the carriage to the wild game market. The night was getting dark. Most of the hunters carrying game to sell here had already left, leaving only some very expensive goods that hadn’t found buyers who could afford them.

Jiangbei City had suffered natural disasters for years. Now in the height of summer, first there was a flood, then a severe drought. The people had no clothes to cover their bodies and no food to fill their stomachs. Where would they have spare money to buy game? Even very wealthy families were about to be hollowed out.

The horse pulling the carriage suddenly let out a panicked neigh, raising its front hooves in fear.

Ah Niu quickly calmed the horse and looked back: “Heir, someone is selling a tiger by the roadside, which startled the horse.”

The drowsy Qin Qing immediately lifted the curtain and looked out intently.

He saw a beaten-to-death white-fronted tiger lying by the roadside. The tiger skin was shiny and thick, the tiger body was as strong as a mountain, and the tiger face was fierce and ferocious. A hunter, looking even more fierce and mighty than the tiger, sat cross-legged behind the tiger corpse, waiting with great patience.

Ye Li had jumped off the carriage, stroking the tiger skin constantly, his eyes full of surprise. If his identity allowed, he would have taken out silver to buy this tiger immediately.

“What is your asking price?” he asked in a low voice.

“Two hundred taels! Not a tael less.” The hunter said in a muffled voice: “There were a dozen groups of people looking to buy the tiger today, but I refused them all because they wanted a discount. Don’t bargain with me either. Even if this tiger meat rots, I can take the tiger skin back. I won’t lose out.”

“Two hundred taels, I’ll buy it.” Qin Qing raised his arm and threw a delicate purse onto the tiger’s soft belly.

The hunter opened the purse and took out a huge, lustrous East Pearl. This thing was worth at least three or four hundred taels; he made a big profit.

The hunter suppressed the joy in his heart and cupped his hands: “Little Young Master gave too much, I am ashamed to accept it.”

Qin Qing looked him over carefully and smiled with satisfaction: “You are brave but not greedy. You are exactly the person I am looking for.”

He closed the curtain and said lazily: “Move the tiger onto the carriage, sit and guard the carriage for me, and take me back to Yong’an Village. The extra money is your labor fee. You must have companions here. Call them to come with you. When we arrive at Yong’an Village, each person will be rewarded with two taels of silver. If there are many people, I will rent carriages for you.”

He knew the hunter would agree.

Sure enough, the hunter didn’t talk nonsense. He immediately moved the ferocious tiger corpse onto the carriage and placed it on the front shaft. The two horses jumped in fright but were subdued by his palm, as big as a palm-leaf fan, pressing down gently.

After that, he also climbed onto the shaft, stood high, and gave a loud whistle.

In an instant, the hunters sitting on both sides of the road selling game all stood up and gathered around the carriage. They all carried bows and arrows on their backs and machetes tied to their waists. Each one was imposing and mighty.

“We all came in ox carts. Little Young Master doesn’t need to rent carriages for us.” The crowd harnessed their ox carts one after another and followed the carriage in a mighty procession.

Meeting such a team in the middle of the night, who would dare to rob them? Even a tiger as big as a small mountain could be killed with one punch; wouldn’t killing dozens of people be easy?

Ye Li and Ah Niu looked at each other, realizing with hindsight that this Little Heir traveling at night was neither due to stupidity nor willfulness, but because he had a plan.

“Little Marquis is so clever, making me worry for nothing.” There was no place to sit outside, so Ye Li could only enter the carriage and said with a smile.

Qin Qing leaned against the carriage wall, blinking his eyes sleepily, and said faintly: “No wonder you lost your sister even while escaping disaster. I found that you really have no brains. When you return to the Marquis Manor with me in the future, I’ll find a teacher to teach you, at least to recognize all the characters.”

Ye Li: “…”

996: “Hahaha, well scolded!”

Qin Qing slowly stroked 996’s head, enduring his grievance and saying in his heart: “Since he wants to pretend to be an illiterate, short-sighted refugee, let’s let him pretend enough!”