Chapter 10

Two days later, someone from the gang came down.

"Is this him?" Tang Ning came to Xi Ti's room, where a tall, stern-looking man in black was looking at him. It turned out to be the man surnamed Qi who had brought him here initially.

"Yes," Qin Luo nodded, "He's only been here for seven or eight months, but he has already condensed internal strength. I found it suspicious and reported it to the gang leader."

"Come with me."

The man stood up and walked out. Tang Ning followed Qin Luo and asked in a low voice, "Where are we going?"

"The gang leader wants to see you."

"I want to bring Ruru with me."

"What?" Qin Luo was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "See the gang leader first, we can talk about other things tomorrow."

Tang Ning stopped and shook his head, "No, I can't."

Qin Luo smiled at his determined look, "Alright then! Hurry up."

Tang Ning rushed to the accounting room. The man surnamed Qi saw him run off and stopped, looking at Qin Luo.

"He's going to get his little wife."

"Huh?"

Liu Ruhang was hunched over a ledger, checking accounts. Tang Ning burst in, came straight to her, and pulled her hand, running back.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Min, who was nearby, was startled and asked.

"Something's up." Tang Ning didn't have time to explain and left the room.

"Ruru, we're leaving here. A man just came, the one who brought us here last time. He's taking us out now." Tang Ning said while running with her hand in his.

Liu Ruhang nodded repeatedly.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, Qin Luo and the man surnamed Qi were already waiting. Seeing them, the two men mounted their horses, and Qin Luo pulled Tang Ning and Liu Ruhang onto the horse.

The horses galloped like the wind. An hour later, the four arrived at the gang. The man surnamed Qi and Qin Luo led the two inside.

After passing through the gate, the man surnamed Qi called a maid over and looked at Liu Ruhang, "Take this little girl to rest."

Liu Ruhang's hand tightly held Tang Ning's. Tang Ning whispered, "Go eat something first, I'll come over later."

Liu Ruhang reluctantly followed the maid.

After passing through several gates, the three entered the main hall.

Tang Ning looked around and saw five people sitting in the hall. The one in the main seat was Cui Yilin, the gang leader, whom he had met once.

"Master, Uncle, I've brought the person." The man surnamed Qi bowed to everyone.

"Good." Cui Yilin nodded, stood up, and walked to Tang Ning, looking him over. He smiled, "Indeed, he has excellent bone structure. No wonder he could condense internal strength so quickly."

"Though his bone structure is good, condensing internal strength in just a few months is quite astonishing. There's probably more to it than that," a person behind Cui Yilin said.

"The path of martial arts is full of opportunities. Haven't there been many strange and extraordinary events in the world? Whatever the case, this is his own opportunity," another person said.

"What is your name and where are you from?" Cui Yilin asked with a gentle smile.

"My name is Tang Ning, and I'm from Tang Liu Village in Anning County."

"Why did you come to the gang?"

"My parents were killed by bandits. I begged my way here and was fortunate to meet the governor. Uncle Wang Dehu brought me here."

"Oh, I remember. One day, Brother Wang entrusted me with two children. I didn't expect it to be you. Since that's the case, Tang Ning, would you like to be my disciple?"

"Yes," Tang Ning nodded.

"Congratulations, Brother, you've gained another talented disciple."

"This boy has great potential. With your guidance, he will surely become a great master, perhaps even a grandmaster."

The others around him agreed.

"Bring tea," Cui Yilin said happily.

"Take the tea to the gang leader and call him Master," Qin Luo whispered.

Tang Ning took the tea from a maid, knelt down, and presented it, "Master."

Cui Yilin took a sip and put the cup down, "Tang Ning, now that you are my disciple, you are a disciple of Cui Yilin. Remember, we must uphold righteousness and help those in need. Never bully the weak or take advantage of your power."

"Yes."

"Today is just a simple ceremony. In ten days, I will gather the gang members for a formal initiation. This is your senior brother, Qi Yunfei. You can ask him for help when I'm not around."

"Senior Brother Qi." Tang Ning turned and bowed to him.

"Yunfei, take good care of your junior brother."

"Yes, Master."

"These are your uncles: Uncle Mo Qianshan, Uncle Yin Xianzheng, Uncle Dong Hai, and Uncle Hou Yutang."

Tang Ning bowed to each of them.

"By the way, I remember Brother Wang brought two children that day. There was another little girl who came with you. How is she?"

"She's my wife, and she came with me."

Cui Yilin was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. The others also smiled.

"At such a young age, you're already like this. You'll surely be a charming person in the future! Brother, this is different from you," Mo Qianshan said with a laugh.

"Alright, you can go rest now," Cui Yilin waved him off.

"Qin, you don't need to worry about the other children. Go to Shanghe County first. There's a batch of high-quality horses from Wu. Go and receive them. Among them, there's a pair of white jade snow horses that the Prince of Qinghe has his eye on. Don't let anything go wrong," Yin Xianzheng said.

"Yes, Master."

"Rest well for a day, and leave tomorrow."

Tang Ning left and asked a maid where Liu Ruhang was, then rushed to her.

"Ruru, do you know why they called me?" As soon as he entered the room, Tang Ning asked eagerly.

Liu Ruhang held his hand and shook her head, smiling at his happy expression.

"Do you remember when Uncle Wang brought us here last time? The gang leader, Cui Yilin, has taken me as his disciple. In ten days, there will be a formal announcement to the entire gang."

"From now on, I can learn better martial arts, and my monthly salary will increase a lot," Tang Ning said, sitting on the bed.

"With the increased salary, we can save more money. In the future, we can buy a big house and won't have to live in someone else's place anymore."

Liu Ruhang looked at him with her big eyes and gestured.

"Yes, we should stay here for now."

"About the things in the house? We can leave them for now. We'll buy them later. But Chenggan doesn't know we're here yet. Neither does Uncle Min. We should go back and tell them, especially Uncle Min and Aunt Min. We'll find a time to go back and buy some gifts for them."

As Tang Ning spoke, a maid brought lunch. Soon, Qi Yunfei came over.

"Senior Brother Qi," Tang Ning opened the door and bowed respectfully.

Qi Yunfei nodded and walked in, "Junior Brother Tang, in ten days, you will formally become Master's disciple. Not only will the gang members be there, but also some of Master's friends from the martial world. The gang is a prestigious and righteous organization, so etiquette is very important. Do you know the ceremony for becoming a disciple?"

Tang Ning shook his head, "Please teach me, Senior Brother."

Qi Yunfei took out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Tang Ning, "This is the Book of Rites. Read it thoroughly, especially the section on the disciple ceremony, to avoid any embarrassment in front of the guests."

"Yes."

"Also, this." Qi Yunfei took out a wooden token, "You are not yet a formal disciple of the gang, so you cannot enter and leave freely. If someone stops you, show them this token, but don't give it to them. It's best not to go out these few days. Master might call for you at any time."

Tang Ning took the token, "I understand, thank you, Senior Brother."

"If you need anything, just come to the West Garden to find me." Qi Yunfei got up and left.

In the following days, Tang Ning stayed in his room reading the Book of Rites given by Qi Yunfei, occasionally taking Liu Ruhang for a walk around the gang.

On the day of the disciple ceremony, the hall was filled with guests, and the atmosphere was lively. Martial heroes from all over Chu came to congratulate, and almost all the gang's external disciples returned to celebrate. In addition, some friendly local gentry and nobles were also present, with dozens of tables set up.

Naturally, Tang Ning was the center of attention. Fortunately, he had read the Book of Rites thoroughly and managed to behave appropriately, but one thing was quite awkward.

He completely forgot what happened that day. He truly forgot, completely and utterly, only remembering that it was very busy.

As for who he met and what he said, he couldn't recall a thing.

The reason was simple: he had drunk too much.

Most of Cui Yilin's friends were martial heroes, many of whom were fond of drinking. In such a setting, Tang Ning couldn't refuse, and with Cui Yilin not stopping him, he drank cup after cup. He had never drunk before.

When he woke up, his head felt heavy. He looked around and confirmed he was in his room. He saw Liu Ruhang on the other side, busy with something.

"Ruru," Tang Ning called out.

Liu Ruhang turned around, saw he was awake, and quickly brought a plate of pastries and a cup of tea to him, then handed the tea to his lips.

Tang Ning tried to get up but found his body numb and weak, unable to move.

Liu Ruhang saw him trying to get up and pressed him down to keep him from moving.

Tang Ning drank the tea in one go, feeling very thirsty.

After drinking the tea, Liu Ruhang fed him pastries and fruits.

After a while, Tang Ning felt some strength returning. He then realized he was naked, lying in the bed.

Moonlight shone through the window, casting light on the floor. Liu Ruhang tidied up the fruit plate and tea, blew out the lamp, and climbed into the bed, snuggling up to Tang Ning, her face against his.

"Ruru, I must have drunk a lot. Why do I still smell so strongly? I've even gotten you dirty."

Liu Ruhang hugged him tightly, turned her head, and kissed his face, her eyes glistening.

Tang Ning stretched, not really caring about being naked. They always slept hugging, and she was his wife anyway.

"How long have I been sleeping? A day?"

Liu Ruhang held up three fingers.

"Three days? So long?" Tang Ning was shocked, never expecting to have slept for three whole days.

Liu Ruhang nodded.

Tang Ning hugged her tighter, "Just this once. I promise I won't drink so much again, even on our wedding day."