When the carriages arrived at Zizhou, the sun had already set. Torches were lit on the city walls and the city gates were open. However, there were no pedestrians on the official roads. Ning Xi brought a small group of people to wait at the inn outside the city gates.
Due to the assassination attempt, martial law was in place in Zizhou at this time.
"The martial law on Zizhou is an excuse." After being summoned by Ning Yi, they got on the carriage and after exchanging greetings, Ning Xi started to talk about what happened in the city.
Zizhou had just been surrendered and was the gathering place for a large number of opponents of the Huaxia Army. After the first census, the assassination attempt happened. Now, the general in charge of the security of Zizhou gathered Hunchback Chen and the others to discuss and started a round of martial law checks.
"When the army entered the city, they did not make things difficult for the people in the city. Even if they were old friends with us, or even if their names were on the list, if they wanted to leave, they could do as they pleased. Now that we've given them the time to register and the time to leave, we can take this opportunity to investigate those who still refuse to leave or register. From yesterday morning to this afternoon, we've caught six batches of murderers hiding in the city who previously had a blood debt with the Huaxia army. In desperation, we've injured a few people. "
The carriage moved forward and Ning Xi calmly told her father about the situation in the city. Then she said, "Brother's injuries aren't serious. He was punched and kicked by the enemy and purposely used his arm to take a stab. He bled a bit but he will recover after a few days. I didn't tell him that you were coming so he might have fallen asleep. This incident was caused by my negligence …"
Looking at the blurry lights on the streets through the swaying window, Ning Yi shook his head and patted Ning Xi's shoulder. "I know what happened here. You did well, don't blame yourself. Back in the capital, I couldn't avoid many assassinations and had to kill my way out. You can't take all the advantages in this world. "
Ning Xi lowered her head, her fists pressed on her knees. After a long silence, Ning Yi said, "I heard that Master Yan died in the assassination."
Ning Xi nodded. Ning Yi sighed, "Master Yan Biao used to have a name in the pugilistic world, Poison Doctor. But he's actually a really good person. This year, I asked him to take care of Number Two and he didn't hesitate. From now on, he is our family's benefactor. You must remember this. Master Yan's wife passed away when she was young. Zai and Deng have an adopted daughter. This year … she's probably a little over ten years old. She's studying at school. It'll be our family's turn to take care of her in the future. "
When Ning Yi said this, Ning Xi would nod and memorize it. Although the curfew in Zi Zhou City had started and only soldiers could be seen walking on the streets, there were still all sorts of voices coming from the houses around. Ning Yi looked at this and chatted with Ning Xi for a while before saying, "I heard from Master Nie that with Second Brother's skills, he shouldn't have been caught. He risked his life, is that right?"
Ning Xi hesitated and shook her head, "… I wasn't there so I can't judge. But the assassination happened suddenly, and the situation was chaotic at that time. In a moment of anxiety, Master Yan died in front of Second Brother. After all, Second Brother is still young and has not experienced many things like this. It is not strange that his reaction was slow. "
For a long time, Ning Xi knew that her father cared about his family. As for this sudden assassination that ended like a drama, as well as the unusual things that happened during the assassination, Ning Xi wanted to defend her brother. But she saw her father's gaze outside the window and he said, "News came from Jiangnan, the rescue mission failed. Sword Tower probably won't be able to persuade them."
She didn't expect her father to suddenly talk about this matter. Ning Xi was stunned. In the past, she only knew that Sword Tower and the Chinese Army were at loggerheads but she hadn't heard anything about Si Zhongxian's family. She was stunned, "… En?"
Ning Yi smiled, "I'll tell you later, let's go see Second Brother first."
With that, Ning Xi didn't ask anything else. It was Ning Yi's turn to ask him about his recent life, trivial questions about work, did he fight with Min Chuyi, etc. Ning Xi was almost 18 and looked similar to Ning Yi. She just inherited her mother, Su Tan 'er's genes and looked more handsome. Ning Yi was almost 40 but he didn't have the habit of growing a beard. He just had a thin mustache and sometimes he didn't take care of it. The mustache on his lips and chin was a little darker. He didn't look old but he looked dignified.
Not long later, the carriages stopped in front of the clinic. Ning Yi was led in by Ning Xi. The courtyard of the clinic was relatively quiet and there weren't many lights. The moonlight shone down from the ginkgo tree. Ning Yi waved for everyone to leave. When he pushed open the door, Ning Ji, who was wrapped in bandages, was lying on the bed and sleeping soundly.
He was sleeping soundly and didn't look like he had been assassinated or traumatized at all. Ning Yi stood at the door and watched for a long while.
*****
Everyone had their own fortune and their own cultivation.
If one looked back, in September and October of Wu Jianshuo's 11th year, the Jurchen people had already conquered the entire Wu dynasty. In the southwest, the crucial battle that would decide the rise and fall of the world was about to begin. The eyes of the world were all gathered here.
This year, the thirteen-year-old Ning Ji was in the center of the storm. In his heart, there were changes no smaller than the storm gathering and brewing. Perhaps to the world, his changes were insignificant, but to him, they were irreplaceable.
Perhaps everyone in this world would also use the same path to reach a further place.
Compared to the time he had spent traveling with the military doctors, Ning Ji's life was very peaceful in the ten days after he came to Zizhou.
The medical center that the military doctors had requisitioned was near the military camp in the west of the city. After some renovations, it was still open to the public. Many times, they even volunteered to treat the local residents. Other than medicine, they didn't charge extra money. Ning Ji followed the medical team and helped them take care of medicine. When he had nothing to do, he practiced martial arts. There were also martial artists in the medical team who could give him some pointers.
His sister-in-law, Min Chuyi, came to see him every two days and helped him pack his clothes that needed to be washed or mended. Ning Ji had already learned how to do these things. In the past year in the medical team, he had done it himself. But every time Min Chuyi came, she would forcefully snatch away his dirty clothes. Ning Ji couldn't beat her so he could only tidy up his things every morning. The two of them fought like this. Although they were uncle and sister-in-law, they were like siblings.
His elder brother took him out for two meals, during which they talked about the recent developments in the political situation. After taking over the towns in the north of Chuansi Road, the number of Huaxia soldiers who gathered in Zizhou from different directions quickly exceeded 20,000, then 25,000, and was close to 30,000. The logistics and engineering teams mobilized from all over the country also arrived in the shortest time possible and built a defense line at the key points in the north of Zizhou. At the same time as the arrival of a large number of Huaxia soldiers, the original residents of Zizhou quickly moved out. Because of this, although the Huaxia army was in control of the overall situation, many details of the people coming and going in the past half a month still filled the city with a busy atmosphere.
Such an atmosphere didn't spread to Ning Ji. His elder brother took good care of him and eliminated many dangers early on. Life in the medical center went according to plan, like a quiet corner of Zizhou that no one noticed. There was a huge ginkgo tree in the courtyard of the medical center. It was unknown how long it had lived. Its branches were luxuriant, and it looked calm and graceful. It was September, and the ginkgo fruits on the ginkgo tree ripened. Ning Ji, under the guidance of the military doctors, harvested the fruits and prepared them for medicine.
Warm and pleasant sunlight often shone through the leaves of the ginkgo tree. Ning Ji squatted under the tree and began to be lost in thought and daze.
This was the age when a teenager gradually learned to think about things. Many questions had long been fermented in his heart. Of course, although the outside world was cruel, stupid, and unreasonable, Ning Ji always had the warmth of a family by his side. Although he would complain in front of his elder brother, his overall mood naturally wouldn't be too extreme.
Because of this, no matter how many times he thought about it after he became an adult, the decision he made at the age of thirteen could not be considered to have been formed in an extremely twisted way of thinking. In a sense, it was even the result of careful consideration.
On September 22nd, the blade of the assassination was in front of him.
In the courtyard with the golden ginkgo tree, an assassin hysterically threw a steel knife. Master Yan, Yan Biao, almost subconsciously blocked in front of him. This was an extreme move, because Ning Ji was extremely calm at that time. It was not too difficult to avoid the steel knife. But just before he launched a counterattack, Master Yan's back appeared in front of him. The blade went through his heart and came out from his back. Blood splashed on Ning Ji's face.
At this time, in a farther place, someone was setting fire, creating a chaos. A more skilled assassin rushed over with a ferocious face. Looking over Master Yan's back, Ning Ji could almost see the saliva in the other's mouth.
There was great anger in his heart. "You are obviously bad people. Why do you look so angry?"
At that moment, he made a decision.
The other rushed over, and Ning Ji staggered back. After a few blows, Ning Ji was caught by the other.
Being able to catch Ning Yi's second son, the three assassins present were both shocked and overjoyed. They carried Ning Ji and left, using leather ropes to tie up Ning Ji's hands. The three rushed out of the city, leaving one person behind to cover their retreat. When they quickly left the city through the secret tunnel according to plan, the nine surviving assassins met outside the city.
They were originally local tyrants who had been operating in Zizhou for several years. Their plan was thorough, and they fought fast. Although it was risky, they finally got the result. Ning Ji was carried on the shoulder of a tall and strong man. His hands and body were tightly tied, and the long and short knives had naturally been taken away. The nine people thought they had done something great. The next step was to quickly escape from the encirclement of the Huaxia army. At this time, Ning Ji suddenly launched an attack.
For a child who had not yet fully grown, the ideal weapon did not include knives. In contrast, weapons such as swords, daggers, and other weapons were more suitable for children to use. Pointing, cutting, poking, and stabbing required the least amount of force to attack the vital parts. Ning Ji had loved knives since he was a child. The long and short knives made him feel cool, but his real trump card was actually the third knife in his sleeve.
It was a short knife no bigger than a palm, but it was the weapon that Red Grape, Watermelon, and Ning Yi had given him after much thought. As Ning Yi's child, his life had its own value. Although he would encounter danger in the future, as long as he did not die immediately, many enemies would be willing to spare his life for a short period of time. After all, this was a crucial bargaining chip.
Ning Ji had trained hard since he was a child with this short knife hidden in his sleeve and palm. It was not just a matter of mastering martial arts, but also magic tricks. At the age of 13, Ning Ji could use this knife from his sleeve to his palm. He could even wave it in front of his opponent without them noticing. Its greatest use was to cut the ropes after being caught.
After the nine assassins gathered outside Zizhou City, they were still on high alert against the pursuers of the Huaxia army behind them. They did not expect that the greatest danger was the child they had brought with them. The man carrying Ning Ji was a giant nearly two meters tall. He grinned and laughed. The next moment, the hand of the youth on his shoulder turned and slit the man's neck.
He was still standing, but blood gushed out. Ning Ji flipped in the air and landed on the ground. When he landed, he threw the knife with all his strength, aiming for the left eye of a woman opposite him. The female assassin's husband was standing beside her. The next moment, she screamed and her face was covered in blood. Her left eye had been swept by the knife, and her eye had been destroyed. The flying knife grazed the side of her face, but she did not die. Ning Ji landed on the ground, picked up a steel knife, and jumped into the forest.
Everyone chased after him. Ning Ji walked quickly, leading the group in a small circle, and rushed back to the original place. At that time, the husband and wife were still dealing with their injuries. Ning Ji rushed out from behind and slashed at the stomach of the woman with the eye injury who was lying on the ground with all his strength. The husband hurriedly blocked Ning Ji, and Ning Ji took the opportunity to roll on the ground. Then, he launched the most cunning knife to kill the woman.
It was difficult to defend against the knife, and Ning Ji was not big, so the knife light was even sharper. The woman with the eye injury was also lying on the ground, and Ning Ji's knife light just happened to cover her. The woman's husband was still standing. He could not block with his weapon, nor could he retreat. He still could not believe that a pampered child could be so cruel. In the blink of an eye, his legs were hit by the knife. Ning Ji rolled past his legs and directly cut off a pair of tendons in his legs.
How could they understand? Although Ning Yi cared about his child's psychological growth in many things, in such a harsh war environment, no one dared to hold back when it came to fighting and self-defense. Ning Ji had been taught martial arts since he was a child by masters like Red Grape and Watermelon who had experienced many battles, ruthless people like Du Sha, or evil masters like Hunchback Chen. They would do anything to take advantage of the enemy's weakness. In comparison, it seemed that only Chen Fan, who occasionally gave Ning Ji some pointers, could give him some heroic aura.
As for Ning Yi, he could only use these methods in the art of war to explain them one by one: the cicada shedding its carapace, waiting at ease for the enemy to be exhausted, looting a burning house, creating a diversion, besieging the besiegers to save the besiegers, and so on.
Ning Ji had long been familiar with these art of war. It was only this time that he finally put them to use when he encountered so many enemies. He chopped the leg tendons of the couple but did not kill them. Before the others rushed back, he quickly escaped and ambushed the stragglers in the forest.
In this way, when the reinforcements arrived not long after, Ning Ji killed three more enemies in the woods. The other three people, who might have been local tyrants or even famous people in the Greenwood Forest when they were in Zizhou, had been killed and fled desperately, abandoning their companions.
Most of the reinforcements from Zi Zhou were also wily old foxes. Seeing that Ning Ji was injured but not seriously injured, they couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. But on the other hand, when they saw the entire battle and reviewed it, they couldn't help but be secretly shocked by Ning Ji's methods. Someone mentioned it to Ning Xi. Although Ning Xi felt that her brother was fine, after thinking about it, she thought it was better to let her father make a judgment.
As for Ning Ji, after this incident, he seemed to have put down his worries. After seeing the dead Master Yan, he concentrated on healing his wounds and fell into a deep sleep. Many things in his heart, at least temporarily, had found a direction.
*****
He seemed to feel something and subconsciously woke up. When he turned his head to the side, his father was sitting by the bed, looking at him through the faint moonlight.
"Father, you're here." Ning Ji didn't seem to feel the bandages on his body and sat up happily.
Ning Yi hurriedly went to help him. "Don't be too fast. How do you feel?"
"I'm fine. I slept for a long time. Father, when did you come? "
"Not long ago. I heard something happened to you so I rushed over. But I didn't tell your mother, I didn't want her to worry."
"I'm fine. Those guys were all chased away by me. It's a pity that Master Yan died. "
As Ning Ji spoke, he was about to lift the blanket and get out. Seeing that he was so energetic, Ning Yi didn't stop him. Ning Ji got off the bed, mumbling that he slept for too long and couldn't sleep anymore. Ning Yi ordered the people outside to prepare some porridge. He got a shirt for Ning Ji and walked out with him. The moonlight in the courtyard was slightly cool, and there was already a yellow light. The others had left. Ning Ji walked slowly under the eaves, showing Ning Yi how he defeated those enemies.
"I heard that you seemed to be caught by them on purpose, Xiaoji."
At a certain moment, Ning Yi asked with a smile. Ning Ji was slightly stunned, but after a moment, he nodded. "… Yes."
"Why? Is it because of Master Yan? "
"Master Yan died …" Ning Ji repeated, but it wasn't a definite statement.
"Over the years, there have been others who died in front of us. Living in such a world, I've never seen a dead person. I don't know if there are any more in the world. Why do you put yourself in danger when Master Yan died?"
Ning Ji was silent for a moment. "… When Master Yan died, I suddenly thought … If I let them run away separately, maybe I won't be able to catch them again. Father, I want to avenge Master Yan, but it's not just because of Master Yan. "
The teenager was frank and fair. Although he didn't speak fast, he didn't seem too confused. Ning Yi asked, "Then why?"
"Father, I've been living a peaceful life in the clinic these days."
"Your brother has blocked a lot of things for you."
"But it's quite chaotic outside. Many people want to kill our family. Father, there are many people rushing ahead. Why should I hide here?"
When the teenager said this, Ning Yi nodded to show that he understood. Ning Ji said, "Father, you once said that you dare to risk your life to fight with others, so you are equal to everyone. Our Huaxia army also dares to fight with others, so even Female Perfected Ones can't beat us. Father, I also want to be as powerful as you, Uncle Chen Fan, Auntie Hong, and Auntie Gua. "
"…" Ning Yi fell silent.
"When Master Yan died, those people rushed over with their claws and fangs bared. They also risked their lives and came to me. At that time, I suddenly felt that if I continued to hide, I would never have the chance to become a powerful person in my life."
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