NoGift

YING HUA could feel the huge amount of Mana from two floors below. The sheer power of that Mana was terrifying. No doubt that all the people in the brothel or even in the nearby establishments could feel that immense power. If it continued, Zhi Qing Hua might very well be destroyed tonight.

"You're not going to check that out? If you'll just stand here, your brothel might be eviscerated," Argent said in a mocking tone.

This body might have barely any Mana in it, but it didn't mean that Argent couldn't feel the Mana that people and certain objects produced. But it had to be fairly powerful for her to naturally sensed it. Since this body being a NoGift meant that she didn't have any natural Mana sensitivity. Add that to the fact that something inside her seemed to be cancelling that very small amount of Mana this body had and it just made her Mana sensitivity decreased by tenfold.

That's why during the past seven years, aside from learning swordsmanship from her master, he also taught her how to properly sensed any incoming attack caused by Mana. That somehow made up for what she's lacking as a NoGift with a different constitution.

But right now, she didn't need to concentrate just to feel the overwhelming Mana coming from below. It was just that powerful. Argent didn't need to think too hard to guess who the owner of this Mana was. She could only think of one. And based on where it was coming from, it could only be from Lei Feng - someone with a double Gift and based on this amount of Mana, those Gifts were probably both SS level.

The question now was, what actually set him off?

Ying Hua no longer paid Argent any attention and just walked outside the room. Argent shortly followed. The moment they went out, they immediately saw the manager running towards their direction. He was catching his breath, a sign that he ran there as fast as he could.

"What was that explosion?" Ying Hua immediately asked.

"It's the younger General Zhang, Madame." So it was that young general. The rumor about him being very powerful had a basis after all. "I- I think Master Ying Yue had done something to him."

"Ying Yue? How could he be with the general?" Ying Hua asked, confused.

"T-the fourth prince asked for a m-male courtesan to serve the general and Master Ying Yue volunteered."

Argent raised her brow when she heard that. The prince asking for a male courtesan for Lei Feng? Then she suddenly remembered what her sister said on the ship, about the two being gay. Could that really be the case?

Ying Hua had no time thinking why the fourth prince wanted to send a male courtesan to the general. Because all she could think was that her troublesome brother had done something idiotic again. She sighed helplessly. "First, make sure that no customer go near the private room where the general is. Then gather all the brothel guards and then tell them to stop the general's rampaging no matter what."

"I already did the first one, Madame. But the second one... there's a man wearing all black standing in front of the room. He put some kind of barrier arround it. I think it's the general's guard. I don't think he would allow any of our guards to also go there."

After the manager said that, a black shadow suddenly passed by them and knelt in front of Argent.

"Milord, please help our Master," the man wearing all black said.

He and An Wu were the ones in charge of following their master today. There were always one or two of the dark guards who followed the master in case he needed some help. But they always followed him at a distance and never go near him unless he called. That way, they could at least give some privacy to their master. It was the same today. They just never thought that something like this would happen. Especially since they knew how good their master's control over his Gift was.

Argent looked at the man kneeling in front of her. If she was not mistaken, this was one of Lei Feng's dark guard - An Er. But what he requested was just a bit weird. "I don't think you should be asking me for help. If you couldn't stop your master, then what makes you think I can?"

Of course this young duke could. He was the only one that managed to attract their master's attention. So even if they - the seven dark guards - didn't know the full detail why their master became interested with the young duke, they knew, at least, that this little lord had a special place in their master's heart. So if there's anyone who could stop their master's rampage, it's him - Argent Blackbourne.

The dark guard didn't explain any further and just said, "Please, milord."

Argent stared at the dark guard, he certainly looked convinced that she might be able to help Lei Feng. Normally, she would just ignore something like this and not bother to help. But then, if she thought about it carefully, if Lei Feng got into trouble because of this, then the one who was supposed to supervise her during her supposed search for location would change. Argent didn't really want to travel with a stranger. Her movements might become restricted because of that. It's still better to travel with Lei Feng who seemed like the type who would cater to anything she wanted to do.

"Fine. I'll do it. But don't expect anything."

"Thank you, milord."

The manager and Ying Hua already ran ahead of them. To go there faster, once Argent was near the stairs, she jumped over the railings. She landed on the stairs on the fourth floor. Then she jumped again and immediately reached the third floor.

An Er momentarily froze when he saw what the duke did. But he immediately copied it and arrived at the third floor just right after the duke. Just like what the manager said, the third floor was almost deserted. It just showed how efficient the staffs here in Zhi Qing Hua were. But even if they didn't allow any people near here, An Er thought that no one would voluntarily come to an area with such terrifying Mana.

When they reached the room, they saw An Wu standing in front. His hands were raised to maintain the barrier surrounding the room. But one look at his sweaty face and unstable footing, anyone could easily tell that he was having a very hard time maintaining the barrier.

Argent looked at the dark guard in front of the room, this was probably the same dark guard who put up that barrier around the ship during that thunderstorm. "Can you make a small opening so I could enter?"

The guard nodded. Then an opening as big as an adult male appeared in the barrier. Argent entered and opened the door and was almost immediately hit by a passing lightning. Good thing she had good reflexes and managed to dodge it. But the mask on her face still split in half because of it.

The private room was thrashed thoroughly. Almost all the decorations and furnitures were destroyed. There was even a huge hole on the wall facing the outside of the building. But the most attention grabbing was the man standing at the center of the room. His long hair was floating and lightning was continuously coming out of his body. The sheer amount of Mana he was releasing could make any grown man faint in fear. This Lei Feng. What a fearsome guy.

One of Lei Feng's arms was raised and was gripping the neck of another young man. The young man was trying with all his might to make Lei Feng let go, but to no avail, he was still suspended in the air. The clothes he was wearing was scorched, no doubt by lightning. There were even visible wounds on him, especially on his face. If he wasn't healed on time, he might really remained disfigured. That face was now starting to get paler and paler by the second. If Argent didn't do something now, this guy would probably really die here.

Argent sighed. Looked like she really had to deal with this troublesome thing now. She walked towards the two, avoiding any stray lightnings as she went along. When she reached them, that's when Argent noticed how darker than usual Lei Feng's eyes were. This guy was probably not even concious right now and was only driven by emotion - particularly anger.

Argent put her hand on Lei Feng's hand that was choking the young man. "Lei Feng, let go of him."

She wasn't sure that it would work, but his eyes started to clear up when she called his name. Then he slowly turned to her. "Ar...gent?"

"It's me."

Lei Feng threw the man he was choking like a rag doll then suddenly pulled Argent's body towards him, completely engulfing her in his arms. Argent's body immediately stiffened. Before she could try to push him away, she heard him say in a hoarse voice; "Please, just let me stay like this for a little while. I beg you."

The desperation and helplessness in his voice made Argent stand still, her body no longer as stiff.

The feel of her body against his, her natural lavender scent filling his senses, immediately made Lei Feng realize that this moment was very real. He was really holding Argent in his arms. This was just not a dream that his subconcious created. Which meant that if he didn't control his Mana, he might hurt her. Slowly, he calmed himself. As his breath evened out, the Mana around them also started to dissipate. Until none of it was left. And with much reluctance, he also let go of Argent. Because he knew that if he held her longer than neccessary, she would definitely hate it.

"Looks like you're already back to normal," Argent commented. She didn't really expect that she would be able to stop him and with no great effort on her part too.

"Yes, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused," Lei Feng said, trying hard not to look at Argent. Because for fear that he would try to hug her again.

"Well, as I understood it, you're not exactly the main culprit for this incident," Argent said glancing at the now unconcious man on the floor.

Lei Feng also saw the man and his anger was immediately lit once again. Just before he could do anything, the door opened and a woman came in and immediately ran towards the unconcious man. She breathed a sigh of relief once she had checked that the man was just unconcious. Then she turned to Lei Feng and didn't hesitate to bow.

"General Zhang, Ying Hua wishes that you could forgive my brother's foolishness. He's just an idiotic boy who didn't know any better," Ying Hua apologized, her face almost hitting the floor.

"Did you know what your brother did?" Lei Feng asked coldly.

"Ying Hua is sure that whatever my brother did was wrong. But he was just under the impression that he had to serve you in any way possible. Since that was what the fourth prince instructed. Ying Hua hoped that the mighty general could find it in your heart to forgive him."

Argent almost laughed. This woman was good. In just a few sentences, she managed to put all the blame on the fourth prince's head.

Lei Feng clenched his fists, he could feel his Mana getting violent again. "Leave," he bit out.

The manager who was just outside quickly ran inside the room and helped Ying Hua carry the unconcious Ying Yue. Once they're gone, Lei Feng called for his two dark guards.

"Escort Argent back to the Zhang household," he ordered.

"Where are you going?" Argent curiously asked.

"I need to calm myself down." The effect of whatever that man did to him was still in his body. If he continued to stay in close proximity to Argent, he might really lose his mind and just throw her down and have his way with her.

Just as he was about to jump through the hole in the wall, Li Jun entered.

"What the heck happened here? Lei Feng, did you just snapped and--" Li Jun wasn't able to continue what he was saying because a strand of lightning went straight to him, just narrowly missing his ear. His knees shook and he almost lose his balance. "What are you doing?!"

Lei Feng glared at the prince. "Don't show your face in front of me for a while or I might just forget that you're a prince and strike you down with my lightning." Then he jumped through the wall.

Li Jun swallowed. That glare just now really brought cold sweat down his back. "Is he perhaps mad at me?"

Argent glanced at the prince with an expression on her face saying that he's ridiculous. "You think?"