The setting sun glowed in the sky. The autumn wind blew through the withered branches and passed over the streets of the city. People came and went on the streets, and the carriages passed by.
When the members of the Tyrant's Blade Camp caught up with the carriage in front, Ning Yi was watching Liu Watermelon, Liu Tiannan, and the others discuss the details of today's operation. Chen Fan, who had not fully recovered, also joined in the fun.
Today's target was Bao Daoyi's White Deer Temple. In the past few days, most people thought that people at Bao Daoyi's and Liu Watermelon's level would remain rational, so there was no large-scale conflict. However, Liu Watermelon knew that Bao Daoyi would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. This conflict would not wait until nightfall. Instead, they would break into Bao Daoyi's nest before nightfall and rescue the women imprisoned there under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Since the Tyrant's Blade Camp had already occupied the high ground, they would naturally show off.
Comparatively speaking, the women in the Ancient Bronze Temple were either women that Bao Daoyi was tired of playing with or women that his subordinates had secretly captured. Only the White Deer Temple truly belonged to Bao Daoyi's harem. Once they touched it, it would be equivalent to digging out a piece of flesh from his heart. Once they did this, the Tyrant's Blade Camp and Bao Daoyi had declared war on each other. There was no need for others to think about mediating. They could only choose sides.
Since they had decided to take action, they couldn't just attack one place for show. With the White Deer Temple as the main target, many other strongholds that belonged to Bao Daoyi also sent people to target them. No matter what, this evening would be the most lively carnival. For Ning Yi, the plan that he had made for Wenren Bu 'er, the situation in Hangzhou in the future, and the key arrangements that would be useful when the imperial court's army attacked, would all be activated in this evening. Therefore, when the messenger caught up from behind and saw Juan 'er's figure, Ning Yi was a bit startled.
Hangzhou was not peaceful. Juan 'er was dressed in men's clothes, and her clothes were a bit dirty. She anxiously told Ning Yi about the situation of the courtyard being surrounded not long ago, and how Lu Hongti had sent her out to inform her of the situation. Her expression was anxious. In fact, with Lu Hongti around, it was not impossible to protect Su Tan'er and escape, or even kill the dozens of people surrounding the small courtyard. However, it would be very difficult to do both at the same time, or even to protect everyone.
Taking a step back, even if she could do it, with the current situation of Su Tan'er and the others, after killing dozens of people, leaving the city would be impossible. Under such circumstances, Su Tan'er asked Lu Hongti to inform Su Tan'er, but Lu Hongti insisted on staying with Su Tan'er. She only sent Juan'er out and left the decision to Ning Yi.
"… The Lou family?" Ning Yi was stunned for a moment.
"I saw the Second Young Master of the Lou family. The Eldest Young Master seems to be there too … Young Master, you know that Lou Shuheng has been coveting Miss. Maybe it's because of this …"
"Ha, this is really …" Ning Yi really could not find a suitable mood to respond to this. He raised his head and opened his mouth. He did not expect such a thing to happen at this time. But no matter how ridiculous it was, it had already happened. Taking a breath, he patted Juan'er's shoulder, "I know. Juan'er, follow Xiaochan back to Xiliu Street. Wait for me and your Miss to come back at night. Everything will be fine then."
After saying that, Ning Yi turned and walked towards the horse carriage waiting by the street. Seeing that Ning Yi had made up his mind so quickly, Juan'er was relieved but also worried. She said to Xiaochan, "Then … what should we do if we leave tonight …" Xiaochan shook her head and pulled her, "Let's go back first." She was afraid that Liu Watermelon and the others in the horse carriage would see some clues.
In fact, everyone was already watching with great interest. They didn't know what this cross-dressing girl had to do with Ning Yi, but Liu Watermelon had a thoughtful look on her face. Ning Yi walked over. Under the setting sun, this scholar in a long robe said a few words on the crowded street. Everyone's expression became interesting. After a while, Liu Watermelon said, "Is 200 people enough?"
"50 people is enough. I will look for the Sharp Vanguard Battalion on the way. You go first."
"I will give you 100, Ah Chang will go with you."
This was a simple and quick conversation. They had made a quick decision on this sudden situation. However, after saying this, Fang Shuchang jumped off the horse carriage. Ning Yi turned around and was about to leave. Liu Watermelon poked her head out, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Set up a banquet tonight. I will welcome sister-in-law."
"Got it." Ning Yi replied unhappily. The horse carriage moved and the curtain was lifted. Another figure jumped out. It was Chen Fan, who was still wrapped in bandages. He smiled and patted Ning Yi's shoulder. "Yi Buck, I will go see sister-in-law as well."
At this moment, hundreds of elite members of the Tyrant's Blade Camp were quietly dispersing from different directions to several important areas in the city. Liu Guagua's carriage went to the White Deer Temple, while Ning Yi, Fang Shuchang, Chen Fan, and the rest headed in the opposite direction to the Lou Manor. A few messengers who were sent out began to gather the hundreds of people on this side. At the same time, a messenger also went to the nearby Elite Vanguard Camp. This was a small group of troops that leaned towards the Tyrant's Blade Camp. The eldest son of the leader was also a core member of the Euphoria Youth League who studied under Ning Yi. After receiving the news, hundreds of people broke camp.
At the same time, the Lou Manor was preparing for dinner.
*****
The sky was not dark yet, but the big lanterns were already lit. The Lou Family had a large business and they were not short of money recently. There were a total of five tables in the main hall. Three of the tables were occupied by the Lou Family's main family members and relatives. The other two tables were occupied by the recruited advisors or guests.
When they sat down, Lou Shuheng was still a little excited. Lou Jinlin glared at him. Lou Shuwang called the housekeeper and asked him to strengthen the defense inside and outside the manor to prevent anyone from causing trouble. He was a cautious person and knew that Ning Yi had some connections in the Tyrant's Blade Camp. If he took the risk, he had to have a plan.
The Lou Family today was different from the past. If they wanted to expand, they could not ignore the power of their relatives. The recruited advisors and guests could not be neglected either. Every day, everyone sat together for dinner. It was a good time to strengthen their relationship. Lou Shuheng had just brought Su Tan 'er and the others into the manor. However, he did not dare to be absent during dinner time. In the past, he would be a little absent-minded at such times. Today, he was obviously much more active. He looked for people to chat with and attracted a lot of attention.
Just like her second brother, Lou Shuwan's mood had been a little complicated lately. Seeing him like this, she felt a little confused. Then, her doubts turned into guesses. After a while, she roughly understood her brother's instructions to the housekeeper. She went over and asked, "Big Brother, what did you and Second Brother do?"
Lou Shuwang was eating. He paused and asked, "What? What?"
"You … you did something to Ning Yi?"
"No." Lou Shuwang shook his head and denied, "But it will happen sooner or later. Don't worry about it."
"You …" Lou Shuwan's eyes widened. She was about to say something when Lou Jinlin, who was sitting at the main seat, frowned and said, "Shuwan, don't talk about things that are not presentable when you're eating!"
He vaguely heard his daughter mention the word "Ning Yi" and was displeased. Lou Shuwan was still afraid of this father. After a moment of silence, Lou Jinlin asked Lou Shuwang, "Shuwang, how is Tang Bingzhang?"
"He has not made up his mind yet …"
"Tomorrow, I will talk to him personally and make a decision."
When Lou Jinlin mentioned this, the eyes of a guest beside him lit up. He said, "Dong Weng wants to subdue Tang Bingzhang? That won't be easy … "
The way the Lou family was recruiting people and power, at least internally, everyone understood what it meant. This was no longer the status of a merchant, but the development of a big family and a big warlord. Everyone started talking about how the outside world's impression of the Lou family had changed recently. Not many people dared to bully them and so on. They were all excited and proud. Lou Jinlin said to Lou Shuwan and Lou Shuheng, "In the future, focus on these things in the family. We are no longer the Lou family of the past. We have to look at the bigger picture."
While they were talking about these things, hundreds of members of the Tyrant's Blade Camp came from a place not far from the Lou family's mansion. When they saw Ning Yi, some of them went over and asked, "Mister Ning, I heard that the one who was kidnapped was your sister-in-law?" Some of them were in groups of three to five, while others were in groups of more than ten. They did not completely form a formation, because according to the previous plan, they were going to disguise themselves as pedestrians and launch a sneak attack. At this time, there were all kinds of whispers among the crowd.
"I heard that Mister Ning's wife was kidnapped …"
"I've never seen her before …"
"Who the f * ck did it …"
"They don't know their place …"
"Why are you guys still so slow? Hurry up … "
"F * ck, peel off their skin …"
In the Tyrant's Saber Camp, Ning Yi could not be considered a boorish man who ate large portions of meat and drank large bowls of wine. However, his position was that of a scholar. Although everyone was not on good terms with him, they already knew of Ning Yi's abilities. Together with Liu Tiannan, the Tyrant's Saber Camp was organized in an orderly manner. To these people, this slap in the face was equivalent to landing on their own faces.
Waves of saber wielders surged forward with a murderous aura …
*****
After three o 'clock, the sky gradually darkened. Big red lanterns were hung high in the sky.
The atmosphere of the banquet had become more harmonious and warm. Unknowingly, a column of smoke appeared in the sky on the other side of the courtyard. It seemed that a fire had started in the city. Everyone looked at it.
"Where is it?"
"The east side of the city."
"It looks like White Deer Temple."
"No way, it doesn't look like it …"
"Something happened." Lou Jinlin frowned. "Are they passing by?"
"No, no, no … no …"
That person usually did not stutter, but at this time, before he could finish his sentence, the main gate of the courtyard was suddenly kicked open, and figures rushed in. There were naturally guards here. Originally, they wanted to go up and stop them, but then they stopped. No one dared to go forward. This was because at this time, on the surrounding walls of the courtyard, groups of people with bows and arrows appeared. From the street on the side of the main residence, there was a vague order like "Rush in!" There was not much shouting and killing, but in an instant, there was movement from all directions. Behind them, there was an occasional "Ah!" from an unknown courtyard. Perhaps someone had died.
The situation in the front yard and the back yard was quickly controlled. There were people in the courtyard who wanted to go over to negotiate, but they were chopped to the ground. The people who rushed in were divided into several groups, but none of them spoke. They only stared at everyone in the courtyard and in the room with their swords stained with blood or not. Some of the people at the five tables in the main hall stood up, while others sat there, not daring to move. Lou Jinlin was also sitting. In the face of this sudden situation, the old man maintained his calm. He only asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
Lou Shuwang stood at the side, thinking about something. Looking at everything, he shook his head. "Impossible."
"What?"
"Maybe … maybe it's Ning Yi … but how could it be …"
"Hmm?" Lou Jinlin raised his head and looked at his eldest son beside him. Lou Shuwang said, "I caught Su Tan 'er two hours ago. She's at home right now."
Lou Jinlin pursed his lips and thought for a while. His eyes were sharp. "Even Marshal Buddha wouldn't easily touch the Lou family." He shook his head. "It can't be because of that Ning Yi. It's just a coincidence … When they come later, let's see what they want."
However, a moment later, Ning Yi appeared at the entrance of the courtyard with Chen Fan, Fang Shuchang, and the others. He was expressionless. He rolled up the sleeves of his scholar's robe and walked straight to the main hall. Lou Jinlin raised his head slightly. Seeing this, Lou Shuwang just frowned and shook his head. He said in a low voice, "How … this is impossible …" But then he walked to the door of the main hall and made a welcoming gesture. He kept wondering what was going on with this ridiculous situation. How could a man who had joined Fang La's army only a few days ago be able to do this?
Everyone was watching. Most of them didn't know Ning Yi, but judging from the situation, they knew that the one who came was the person in charge. When Ning Yi walked up the stairs with a slight frown, Lou Shuwang also cupped his hands. "Brother Ning, about what happened today …" Ning Yi's cold but boring eyes only lingered on him for a moment. Then he turned back to Lou Jinlin in the room. As he walked, he took a crossbow from someone beside him. The next moment, he aimed the crossbow at Lou Shuwang's throat and pulled the trigger.
Puff —
"Ah —"
Someone screamed and the whole hall shook. When Ning Yi stepped into the main hall, Lou Shuwang's body fell two meters away. The crossbow arrow had pierced through his throat. He tried to cover it with his hands, but blood came out of his throat and mouth at the same time. He stared at the ceiling. There was only one thought in his mind. He couldn't understand what was going on. That was Ning Yi. Why, why, why, why, why, why … he clearly had a lot of things to do. That was Ning Yi. When he first met him, Ning Yi was just a husband who had married into Fang La's family. He clearly had a lot of things to do and was in the process of doing them. What should he do with the things that he had arranged for the next day? He had merely kidnapped an insignificant Su Tan 'er.
Lou Shuwan screamed and rushed toward her brother. But with the crossbow arrow pierced through her throat, there was nothing she could do. The sudden impact caused Lou Jinlin, who was sitting at the head of the table, to tense up. The old man was still sitting there, gritting his teeth as he watched his eldest son suddenly collapse. He stared at Ning Yi. Perhaps not many people had expected that the intruder would attack Lou Shuwang so directly. Someone came over and asked, "What are you doing?"
This person was a relative of the Lou family. Perhaps he had just subconsciously stepped forward to face the intruder. Fang Shuchang pulled out his knife and sheathed it. The corpse flew out with fresh blood. Blood stained the floor. Those who were hit by it jumped to avoid it, fell down, and screamed. It was chaos again. But after this scene, the hall was almost completely silent. Ning Yi's footsteps did not stop at all. He just casually threw the crossbow back and walked past the two round tables near the door. He walked straight to the innermost table for the main family.
A member of the Lou family who was sitting opposite Lou Jinlin stood up. He instinctively wanted to avoid it, but he tripped over a chair and staggered a few steps back. In an instant, almost everyone in the hall scattered in confusion. Ning Yi stepped over the gap between two chairs, grabbed the edge of the round table, and flipped it to the side.
With a loud crash, the huge round table, along with a dozen dishes on it, flipped to the side of the hall. The table next to the table was originally occupied by a group of guests recruited by the Lou family. They were all martial artists, and many of them were masters. But now, they could only scramble away. Some of them were drenched in soup, but they still did not dare to say a word. In fact, the most skilled person in martial arts among this group had been beaten up by Chen Fan. At this moment, his hands were shaking as he looked at Chen Fan who was standing on the other side.
The round table flew away, and the shelf supporting it had also been lifted off and smashed to the side. At the original main family table, only Lou Jinlin was still sitting there. This old man was truly imposing. At this moment, his body was trembling slightly, and he stared at Ning Yi like a lion whose child had just died. Generally speaking, if a middle-level general in Fang La's army came to confiscate someone's property, he would be a little frightened by this kind of stare. Ning Yi grabbed the chair next to him and placed it directly in front of Lou Jinlin. Then, he sat down in front of the old man, clenched his fists and pressed them on his knees. He sat upright like a pine tree and looked into the old man's eyes coldly.
After staring at each other for two seconds, he spoke with a cold expression. His tone was not high, and there was no cadence. He just made a simple and peaceful statement. "I'm here to pick someone up. If anyone says no today, I'll kill your whole family."
Lou Jinlin stared at him. His lips trembled slightly, but he did not say anything in the end. After a few more seconds, Ning Yi reached out his hand and patted the back of the old man's palm twice slowly and forcefully. Then, he got up and walked away, not wanting to look at him anymore.
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