The sky was overcast, and the autumn wind was chilly. After seeing Liu Guihua in the yard of the main house of the Tyrant's Blade Camp, someone came to look for him.
There were three people from the academy. Because Ning Yi hadn't gone to class that day, Feng Yongli led him here. The three of them were all well-built and seemed to be trained in martial arts. The leader was around forty years old. His eyes were sharp and arrogant, and he had a condescending aura. He looked like an experienced constable who was greedy but could often solve cases. The two following him were young martial artists in their twenties. Their gazes were somewhat cold.
"Censorate, are you Ning Liheng?"
The leader took out his official card and introduced himself. After looking at Ning Yi for a while, he added, "Did you surrender?"
Fang La established the Yongle Dynasty and followed the system of the Wu dynasty. The purpose of the Censorate was to monitor the internal officials. But a little while ago, the so-called Censorate was just an empty yamen with only a name and no members. In the past few days, Li Tianrun had come back to settle the previous enlistment faction, so he used the name of the Censorate on the surface. In the past few days, the middle and lower level officials in the outside world had become pale when they talked about the Imperial Censorate. Because once such people came to find them, 90% of the process would be to put them in prison and interrogate them. Although it seemed to be an official name, in fact, the process of interrogation was basically free testimony, and there was no way to argue.
Now that these three people had come to find him, it must be Li Tianyou's doing. Ning Yi had already prepared for this, but he had thought that they would suddenly attack outside the Tyrant's Blade Camp. This time, it seemed that they were trying to be polite before resorting to force, which was a little confusing.
But after a while, he found that things might be a little different from what he had imagined.
"… You were originally surrendered. The Yongle Dynasty thought that you were somewhat knowledgeable and allowed you to teach in the Wenlie Academy. You should remember the importance of the country. But you didn't teach in the academy. Instead, you deceived people with evil words. You promoted Qian Xiwen, who was a lackey of the imperial court, as a person of great virtue. You made many students in the academy form cliques and groups for personal gain. Now, the influence is very bad. Do you know your crime? "
They found a room nearby, and the leader said this sternly. The other two used various expressions and gestures to threaten him. It seemed that they were already interrogating him. But what kind of person was Ning Yi? He could easily tell what people's intentions were with just a glance. Now that they were acting like this, it was obvious that they were just bluffing and had no intention of arresting anyone. At the moment, such a warning might be able to scare some of the truly inexperienced followers, but how could it be useful to him? Li Tianyou must know this as well, so what was he planning?
He was puzzled, but on the surface, he didn't show too much fear. After talking for a while, the other party seemed to feel that his unresponsive attitude was arrogant. One of the young men wanted to hit him, but was stopped by the middle-aged man. The other party was probably also wary of the fact that this was the Tyrant's Saber Camp's territory and did not want to make a big deal out of this. However, he had added more weight to his warning about the fact that his students had formed a clique. In other words, he wanted him to take the initiative to disband the two groups of his students.
"The higher-ups already know about this, and it has a very bad influence. The adults up above are magnanimous. They only said that they would take a look and not bicker with you. People like you who have surrendered are like pigs and dogs. I could have beaten you up or crippled your arms and legs, and no one would have said anything. But you are the academy teacher after all, so I will give you some face. If they come again after a while, they will definitely arrest you. You're on your own. "
After the leader said this, the two people who followed him cursed and left. Ning Yi wanted to create an atmosphere in the Saber Camp that he was forced into a corner, so he didn't care about the leader's arrogant attitude. He was just puzzled. He followed them for a while and vaguely heard the conversation. It seemed that the young man was asking the middle-aged man why he didn't beat him.
"This kind of scholar is always a bit arrogant. Even if he is afraid, he likes to pretend …"
"Humph, he has surrendered. Why is he still arrogant …"
"Do you know how he surrendered? You warned him like this, so he must be afraid. He will be afraid in the future … Let me teach you how to judge people. His expression just now was strange, but he was fearless. He obviously has some backing. We are not afraid of that, but if we start to quarrel, we will look for both sides. Today will be over. I have something to do tonight, so I don't want to cause more trouble … I will ask him in a few days. If he still doesn't stop, I will not let him go … "
Hearing this, Ning Yi turned around and saw Zhuo Xiaofeng had just come out from the courtyard where he had been warned, panting heavily as he looked for him.
"Mister Ning, they, they didn't make things difficult for you, did they?"
"What happened?"
"Celestial Master Bao … Celestial Master Bao made his move. He arrested Chen Teng's parents and family at noon, saying that they colluded with the imperial court. But the people who did it were all people related to Celestial Master Bao. I heard that someone from the Censorate came to look for you, so I was worried that they would make things difficult for you … "
"I'm fine." Ning Yi furrowed his brows. "How did the news leak so quickly? You and I weren't on good terms before. They only came to warn me, so it's fine. But how is Chen Teng now? And you, will you be affected? "
He had heard that Bao Daoyi had a lot of friends and connections, but he didn't expect him to be so resourceful that he could find the target in just half a day. Zhuo Xiaofeng was obviously frightened, but he still shook his head.
"Chen Teng is fine. They won't be able to find the place that Brother Chen arranged. I went home this afternoon and asked Dad. Dad said that we won't be implicated for a while, and Celestial Master Bao won't offend the public like this. At most, he will make the Chen family his target …" After saying that, he hesitated. "Mister Ning, do you think … do you think so?"
"Yes, it would be too much to do anything to them. You should stop investigating this matter. It should be fine … Oh, the one who leaked the news is probably a child in your family. I guess some of your family members are related to Bao Daoyi."
Zhuo Xiaofeng nodded. "That's what my dad said … Mister Ning, it's good that you're fine. I'll go back first and discuss with them … with them."
After saying that, the young man returned to the academy. Ning Yi frowned and thought about the incident. Bao Daoyi was really ruthless. Once provoked, he would kill the whole family, and even warn the teacher of the school. However, Zhuo Xiaofeng's father was quite calm. After all, the families of the children in the school were all middle-level officials of the Euphoria Dynasty. He knew that Bao Daoyi wouldn't make things worse and let the children go back to the school to appease the situation.
Thinking about this, Liu Tiannan came over and asked about the trouble he had been given just now. After getting a general understanding of the situation, he waved his hand and said, "They can't do anything to you because of the Censorate. If they come looking for trouble again, don't waste time talking to them. Just call a few people, beat them up, and throw them out. They came here to say that kind people will be bullied … Okay, I still have something to do, so I'll go first. "
Ning Yi said it vaguely. Liu Tiannan thought that it was Li Tianrun's people who came to provoke him. For a moment, he regretted not stopping them. To be honest, as the director of the Tyrant's Blade Camp, Liu Tiannan's style was usually steady. However, the reason why the Tyrant's Blade Camp attacked the Qi family was to show their strength before Li Tianrun came back. Even Liu Guagua, the master of the Tyrant's Blade Camp, was injured. If they were still provoked at this time, according to the Tyrant's Blade Camp's usual style, they would really draw their sword and fight back, even if the opponent was Li Tianrun. Otherwise, how could they have a foothold in the Euphoria Dynasty?
It was already afternoon. After Liu Tiannan left, Ning Yi returned to the small courtyard. When it was almost evening, Yang Zhiwu and Chen Xiluo came to knock on the door. Ning Yi guessed that the situation might have worsened further. As expected, the two children were talking about the actions of the Vital Energy Association.
"… Just now, I saw Zhuo Xiaofeng and a dozen other people gathered together and headed towards the east gate. I heard that something big happened. Mr. Ning, they made a big deal out of it. Can you come with us to take a look …"
Yang Zhiwu and Chen Xiluo didn't know that Ning Yi was in contact with Zhuo Xiaofeng, but they probably had a premonition that the situation was serious. They knew that even if the Euphoria Youth League joined in, they might not be able to do anything, so they came to ask Ning Yi for advice. Ning Yi nodded. "Is it about Chen Teng's family?"
"No … I heard that it was Chen Teng himself …"
"Hmm?"
"I also heard that Big Brother Chen Fan went too …"
Due to the interaction they had recently, Chen Fan, who was straightforward and flamboyant, was quite popular among the children. However, when it came to handling matters, they might have more faith in Ning Yi's ability to plan. When they walked out of the courtyard, there were already seven or eight core members of the Youth League waiting for them. Along the way, someone came to report to them. It turned out that Chen Teng's injuries were quite serious. After Chen Fan saved him, he arranged for him to be treated by a doctor he knew. He didn't tell anyone the location, but Bao Daoyi's men found the doctor in the afternoon. No one knew what exactly happened, but it turned out that … the doctor and the young man named Chen Teng were both dead.
When they arrived at the market near the east gate, a section of the market was filled with a murderous atmosphere. The door of the clinic was wide open, and there were a few corpses inside, all covered with white cloth. According to Ning Yi's understanding, when Bao Daoyi's men found Chen Teng, they probably wouldn't just end him with a single slash. They would probably scold and beat the young man until he died slowly.
More than a dozen young men stood on the street, their eyes red, and some were talking while gritting their teeth. A team of Black Feather Guards separated the pedestrians on both sides. An Xifu and Chen Fan stood at the entrance of the clinic, but it seemed that the two had already quarreled. An Xifu pulled out his steel knife and pointed it at Chen Fan. Chen Fan sneered and pointed at his chest.
They had known each other for a while. Although they didn't interact as much as Chen Fan, Ning Yi had a rough idea that An Xifu wasn't good at martial arts, and his skills were similar to his own. If they really fought, he wouldn't be able to last more than a few moves against Chen Fan.
When Ning Yi and the others came over, An Xifu looked over. By then, Chen Fan had probably calmed down a little. He looked at the red-eyed young men, then at Ning Yi, and finally spread out his hands and left …
*****
Life or integrity, which was more important? This was a difficult question to answer. Ning Yi had never been an extremist, and extremes couldn't solve any problems. He always believed that people should have ideals and perseverance, but they shouldn't lose their lives for perseverance. Even so, ideals and perseverance were still necessary. People without these things were no different from insects.
A mature man could live a humble life for his ideals, but an immature man was willing to die a heroic death for his ideals. There was a saying that went like this. Ning Yi was a pragmatic person. If he set a goal, he would achieve it by hook or by crook. Even if there were setbacks, it wouldn't be a big deal. Of course, if this person's ideal was to never bend his back for the rest of his life, or to die as a model of the Confucian spirit like Qian Xiwen, then it would be a different story. Life was a struggle. Bending, setbacks, and twisting were nothing. As long as one had a breath, one could always squeeze forward.
Of course, these things couldn't be explained to those children, and they wouldn't understand. Seeing those children's red eyes, Ning Yi roughly knew that they were young after all, and they wouldn't understand the meaning of being stronger than others. Moreover, in this era, the hands of their fathers were also dyed red with blood. Their fists were hard, and they had integrity, so they had everything. Those who knelt were cowards.
After all, Bao Daoyi had pushed them too far. When Zhuo Xiaofeng wanted to stay out of the matter because of the Chen family's matter, these children had already chosen to retreat. But when they were slapped in the face, they probably couldn't back down. Of course, Bao Daoyi probably didn't take these children seriously. Perhaps in his opinion, children should naturally be slapped one by one until they became obedient.
Something might happen. If something happened, it would also be good for Ning Yi. But for the matter in front of him, Ning Yi didn't intend to intervene and guide them. He didn't intend to calm them down, nor did he intend to really instigate anything. He knew that the Taoist temple Bao Daoyi was in was called White Deer Temple. It was heavily guarded and majestic. That night, he dreamt of a group of youths attacking the Taoist temple with knives and spears.
The next day, Yang Zhiwu and a group of youths from the "Youth League" came to him.
"… The Vital Energy Association is preparing to make a move. We … plan to help them …" the youth said.
"What do you plan to do? If you kill your way to White Deer Temple and kill Bao Daoyi, I'll cheer for you."
"Uh … We've thought about it, and there's an opportunity. We can make a move this afternoon … After the incident at Ancient Tong Temple, Bao Daoyi probably felt that the place was no longer usable, so he wants to move the women away. We heard that the convoy will pass by Peace Chang Street this afternoon …"
Ning Yi's expression turned solemn. He nodded. "Continue."
"That's a busy city. We plan to find a way to block the road. As long as we smash one of the carriages and let people see the women in the carriage, we'll cause trouble. With so many women in public, they won't be able to justify themselves. Anyway, there's already a grudge between us. We can't defeat Bao Daoyi, but if things get out of hand, those women will be saved. Mister, you've said before that there must be a way to do things, and we can't act rashly. We've thought about it, and I'm afraid this is the only way to do things. "
Ning Yi looked at him for a while, then laughed. He walked to the window and nodded. After a while, he said, "There should be at least forty to fifty people on both sides, and all of you have connections in your families. Actually, it's very well done. You don't have to worry about Bao Daoyi's revenge. I didn't want to tell you this before because you might not be able to do it. But I'm telling you now, after this, no matter how the adults in your families beat or scold you, you kids can't back off. You have to stick together. If you don't back off, the adults in your families won't be able to back off. As long as you go all out and force them to stick together, Bao Daoyi won't be able to do anything to anyone. Since you're not acting rashly, I'll help you after this. "
"Thank you, Mister!" Hearing this, Yang Zhiwu bowed to him happily. They had been dealing with Ning Yi for a long time, so they naturally knew their teacher's past. In the past, those things were only passed on by word of mouth, and most of them thought their teacher was very powerful. But from the beginning to the end, they did the things of the Youth League on their own, and Ning Yi didn't participate in it at all. In this matter, Ning Yi's attitude had been ambiguous, and it was not until now that it became clear, which made them feel that they really had a backbone. After a while, they asked excitedly, "Then … Mister, do you think we can succeed?"
"If the information is accurate …" Ning Yi nodded with a smile. "It should be."
That was what he said. After Yang Zhiwu left, Ning Yi stood in front of the window and frowned. Whether it succeeded or failed, it would not be easy. Originally, he only wanted to use the pressure from Li Tianyou to make a fuss, but if he really intervened in Bao Daoyi's matter after this, the situation would probably be even more complicated and out of control.
In the afternoon, there were nearly thirty people from the Euphoria Youth League. Some of them were students from the class, and some were young people in their twenties. Some were Chen Xituo's cousin, and some were vagabonds from the Youth League when they were doing good deeds. They didn't care about Bao Daoyi's power. Yang Zhiwu had originally discussed with Zhuo Xiaofeng and the others about doing this together, but Zhuo Xiaofeng refused. After all, it was his brother who had died, and he was furious. At noon, he had already gone to ambush them, and they would go to Pingchang Street after they gathered. Before they left, Ning Yi gave each of them two bags of quicklime powder, and a small wooden bucket for each of the children.
"… Use the quicklime for self-defense. Get a small bucket of water and put it on the side … I don't approve of using it if it's not an emergency. It's too much of a grudge, but you guys don't have enough stamina. If there's a conflict, sprinkle some quicklime. If that doesn't work, sprinkle some water …"
After giving these instructions, Ning Yi put on some makeup and the group went to Pingchang Street. They only parted ways when they reached their destination. The children from the Youth League went to the teahouse at the corner of the street, while the children from the Morality Association had already sat down in the restaurant across the street. When they saw each other, they were touched, but they didn't greet each other. Ning Yi went to the side of the street a little further away, and pushed a small cart to sell rapeseed oil as he observed the movements around him.
When it was about time to scout, a young man who had been tailing them came back on a horse, confirming that the information was correct. Ning Yi looked at the street from afar, and unknowingly, Chen Fan sat down beside him. When the group of carriages appeared, he tilted his head and smiled at Ning Yi.
"They've got the wrong information."
"Hmm?" Ning Yi was slightly stunned.
"Those women weren't transported from here. Last night, after the children received the news, I went to investigate. Bao Daoyi had set them up … But maybe they didn't keep it a secret, so they were used instead."
Ning Yi glanced at him. "Why did you only tell me now?"
"I thought about it last night. Warning them now won't help them in the future. If the only reason they won't be at a disadvantage is because someone is protecting them, they might get used to it. But if the plan fails, they'll be caught, and their families will be oppressed. I'm afraid they won't be able to do anything in the future. I thought about it all night, and there's only one thing I can do … "
Ning Yi closed his eyes and said,
Bitch … "
His voice was soft, and Chen Fan couldn't understand what he meant. At this moment, there was a hint of excitement in his smile.
"I used to be like them. I'm not afraid of anything. Many people I know are like that. They're not afraid of anything, but gradually, they've been taught to be afraid. In fact, it's okay to be afraid, but later on, they don't dare to do anything. After they don't dare to do anything, they come up with all kinds of excuses to convince themselves. Then, they talk about others as if it's a great honor that they don't dare to do anything. In fact, I'm also slowly getting afraid. I don't know what to do. I always feel that in this world, nothing can be done, because everyone is afraid. "
He paused. "These children you teach have a lot of ideas in their minds. It's okay if they fail, they can learn how to do things. But I can't let them be afraid from the beginning. I have to let them see that some adults aren't afraid. Some things, as long as they remember when they grow up, are not as difficult as others say. "
As the carriage approached, Chen Fan stood up. Then, he tilted his head and asked in confusion, "Why are you pushing the carriage? If it's useless, can you lend it to me?"
Ning Yi glanced at him. "This is rapeseed oil. I've asked the students to prepare some lime. If anyone gets splashed, they can come here to wash their eyes. "After a moment, he added," … It won't hurt our friendship. "
"Then I'll still be alive?" Chen Fan was stunned for a moment. "You're so cunning."
After saying this, Chen Fan turned his head. The autumn scenery was bleak and gloomy. There weren't many people in the bustling market. He took a deep breath, and the sound of his bones softly echoed in the air.
At the corner of the street, the group of youths from the "Morality Association" had already subconsciously stood up. Then, they saw a figure on the side of the street roar and rush in that direction.
There were a total of seven carriages. Each carriage was pulled by two horses, and they were moving at a fast speed. The figure was like a swift arrow. In this bleak autumn scene, the entire atmosphere instantly turned into a constantly taut bowstring. In the blink of an eye, the figure charged towards the second carriage, and a fist that had accumulated its strength to its peak smashed heavily on the head of the steed.
Blood splattered, and the horse neighed. With this punch, the galloping horse's entire body almost left the ground and crashed into another horse beside it. The galloping horse pulled the shaft, and the entire carriage suddenly began to tilt. The wheels left the ground, and in an instant, the carriage flipped to the side.
With a loud rumble, the body of the carriage fell to the ground. It was still pushed forward by the huge inertia, and the dirty water and rubbish on the street were instantly stirred up. In front of the carriage, the figure used both hands to push the straightened carriage strings. His entire body was pushed backward by the body of the carriage, but the momentum of the sliding finally stopped. The carriage at the back turned in a hurry, and almost crashed into a big tree on the side of the road. The figure pushed the carriage strings and began to exert force.
At this moment, one of the carriage shafts had already broken, and the galloping horse on the ground had also lost its reins. The toppled carriage began to slide backward from the person's push, and the momentum was getting faster and faster. With a loud rumble, the person shouted, "The grudges of the martial world, if you don't want to die, scram —" A few stalls on the side of the road fled.
The carriage knocked over a stall that was originally selling fried snacks. A pot of boiling oil was knocked over, and firewood flew everywhere. The carriage rolled over it, and crashed into the wall on the other side of the road. It stopped, and in the next moment, flames rose with a loud rumble.
The carriage was large, and at this moment, seven or eight people crawled out of it, screaming. They were all martial artists who were lying in ambush. The figure grabbed half of the carriage shaft and kicked the carriage forcefully. He used the huge piece of wood in his hand as a weapon, and smashed the head of the first person who crawled out of the carriage. In the distance, on the fifth carriage, someone tore open the brocade curtain, and the figure stood out. "Chen Fan! What are you doing?! "It was Bao Daoyi.
In the third carriage, the driver waved a long whip and lashed it at Chen Fan. Chen Fan didn't move, and reached out to grab it. He pulled hard, and the long whip broke into several pieces, and the figure rolled on the ground like a gourd. However, the martial artists with different expressions and weapons had already come out of the carriages. Seven carriages blocked the front and back of the long street, and there was a commotion. Chen Fan walked forward with the carriage shaft in his hand.
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