In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 842 Dripping Water Forms a River: Hidden Killing in the Formless
A day passed in the blink of an eye, and the sky gradually darkened.
The common people were doing odd jobs, and the government offices were doing odd jobs.

Daning City became lively again.
The only less bustling place is in the north of Daning City.

The place looked rather desolate because many workshops had stopped operating.

The vendors looked at everything before them with a somewhat bewildered expression.
For the first time, I directly experienced the importance of workshops to a city.

Many people looked toward the Kangle Building and Kangle Trading Company on Anhe Street.
That was the only place that could still stay lively.
People came and went in front of the Kang Le Building, and many went inside with a somewhat somber expression on their faces.

Judging from their demeanor, although they weren't wearing work clothes, they were undoubtedly workshop workers.

Meanwhile, at the Kang Le Trading Company next door, the sale of white sugar was nearing its end.
The four enormous bamboo baskets, each taller than a person, were already empty.
Those who hadn't managed to buy sugar left the queue with regrets, shaking their heads and sighing.

But many people still took a chance and continued to queue there.

They didn't stop until the business completely ceased operations.

Mongoaser stood on the street, smiling as a teenage girl walked towards him dejectedly, and asked with a chuckle:

"Didn't manage to get one?"

The little girl shook her head, and her two ponytails fell down.

"There are so many people today, we've never had this many people before."

Asir smiled and nodded, looking at the many workshops with their doors tightly shut not far away, and said:

"The workshop closed in the afternoon, and many people had nowhere to go."

"Ang~"

The little girl also knew the reason.

Because she saw many unfamiliar faces while queuing today.

However, she quickly put this worry out of her mind, and instead took Asir's hand, skipping and hopping as she said:
"Big brother, you only come back once every few months, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

The little girl's eyes were bright, her gaze lingering on the many stalls.

My mouth watered just looking at those golden, crispy snacks.

Asir patted her head:
"After Father finishes work, let's go out to eat together. Let's go to Kang Le Lou."

"really?"

The golden light in the little girl's eyes shone even brighter.
She tilted her head to look at her older brother, feeling enveloped in happiness.

Then she became worried and said anxiously:

"Brother, I heard the food there is very expensive."
"Why don't we buy some to eat at home? It'll save us a lot of money."

Asir smiled:

"Don't worry, little sister, I've already joined the surveying team, and my monthly salary has increased significantly."
We have more than enough money to eat out a few times; we can eat our fill and celebrate properly.

Upon hearing this, the little girl held her breath, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
She had already heard that the surveying teams at the forefront of the construction sites outside the city were the ones who earned the most money.
The wages are more than double those of others, making it a very respectable job.

"Big brother, you're amazing!"
I heard from Huang San next door that it's very difficult to join a surveying team; you need to be literate and know arithmetic.

Asir's lips curled slightly; he felt a bit proud of himself for mastering mathematics in such a short time.

"Mathematics is difficult for those who don't know it, but easy for those who do."

The little girl scratched her head, looking a bit bewildered:

"Brother, can I learn it too? The neighbors can learn it too, and then we can all make a lot of money."

Asir was taken aback for a moment, then patted her head and laughed:

"Little sister, by then everyone will know how to do it."

Then the calculation work wouldn't earn that much money.

He's probably only slightly better than the laborers working in the workshop.

"Ang~"

The little girl nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

She thought of her mother.
If there weren't so many people doing laundry, we could earn a lot more.

Asir's eyes were deep-set, and his gaze swept across the street, lingering for a long time on the closed shops.

If Daning City didn't have these workshops, and if there weren't construction sites outside the city, it would be different.

It will remain as deathly silent as ever.
Even if they work hard every day to survive, they might only be able to make ends meet.

Even a minor mishap could cost them their lives.

Unlike now, those who can work usually have some savings at home.
They may not become extremely wealthy, but at least they can live a good life.

In the past, if the workshop stopped operating and people weren't allowed to work,

It's possible that once this news breaks, the shops will be vandalized and unrest will break out in the afternoon.
Instead of being somewhat depressed like this now.

Asir feels incredibly lucky to be able to support his family at this age.

But he didn't understand why there were always people who wanted to ruin this good day.
It's simply intolerable, what can't be tolerated!
Taking a deep breath, Asir saw a familiar figure emerge from the blacksmith's shop, and he smiled:
"Little sister, let's go, Father's off work."

The little girl suddenly became lively, clapping her two small hands:

"Let's go, let's go eat out."

Night fell as dark as ink, gradually enveloping the city of Daning.

The hustle and bustle of the streets gradually subsided as night fell.

After Asir and his family enjoyed a delicious meal at Kang Le Lou,
The little sister was still immersed in the pleasure brought by the food, chattering away nonstop.

Asir smiled and responded patiently, his eyes full of affection.

After the family returned home, Asir said to his parents and younger sister:
"I'm going out for a bit to visit a coworker at his house to discuss some things at the construction site."

"I might be back late tonight, so don't wait up for me. Get some rest."

The parents nodded slightly, and the little sister waved goodbye knowingly.

"Big brother, go ahead, we'll behave."

Asir stepped out of his house
In the night,
His eyes instantly turned cold, and with a flash, he disappeared into the dark alley.

Asir quickly arrived at his own safe house.

This is a small house with a small courtyard.
Broken farm tools and millstones were piled up haphazardly, covered with cobwebs.

A complex emotion flashed in Asir's eyes upon seeing the safe house.
Even if the room is arranged haphazardly by adults,

Everything was much better than the shack where the family of four lived.

Taking a deep breath, Asir entered the house.

The letters and black clothes on the table were immediately noticeable.

He strode forward, opened the letter, and his gaze sharpened.

After reading the letter, he lit a candle, destroyed the letter, and changed into the black night clothes that were placed to the side.

After finishing everything, Asir left the safe house.
We wandered through the city streets and alleys and soon arrived at the agreed-upon location.

This is a house located near the government office in Daning City.
More than a dozen spies dressed in black had already gathered here.

They were all tall and slender, standing in different corners of the courtyard.

Asir was startled when he arrived here.
He had long suspected that there were many other undercover agents like himself.

Today has proven this idea to be true.

Asir nodded to each of them.

Without saying a word, he stood aside and silently read the instructions on the document.

"Between 2:40 and 4:40 at Hai hour, arrest a middle-aged man in his thirties who was passing through Zhengyuan Lane. He was accompanied by two to four guards who were following orders and acting cautiously."

Time passed slowly, and soon it was Hai hour (9-11 PM).
The entire city of Daning became quiet, and the occasional footsteps and noises disappeared.

A tall figure standing at the doorway stood up.

He waved his hand, and led the group out!

Before long, the group quietly arrived on the rooftops on both sides of the adjacent alley.

Under the cover of night, like a cheetah lurking in the darkness,

Quietly waiting for the prey to appear.

Asir lay on the roof tiles.

His body was pressed close together, his eyes fixed on the alley entrance, his heart pounding uncontrollably. In the past, he had only carried out tasks such as intelligence gathering and tracking spies.
This was his first time carrying out such a mission, which made him somewhat nervous.

Time passed by minute by minute,

The surroundings were so quiet that you could only hear your own heartbeat and the occasional hooting of an owl.

Finally, several blurry figures appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Asir squinted as a middle-aged man and two attendants walked over with steady steps.

By the moonlight, everyone could see that the middle-aged man was tall, with a steady gait, and exuded an aura of authority.

Two attendants followed closely on either side.
His eyes scanned his surroundings warily, his hand gripping the hilt of the knife tightly.

Asir raised an eyebrow, and the instant he saw the three of them...

He was certain that the middle-aged man was an official!
Without any hesitation, he made a slight gesture.
Everyone immediately held their breath and became even more careful to conceal themselves.

When the three of them had walked about halfway through the alley...

Observer Asir made another gesture.
They waved their arms left and right twice in the air, making an "X" shape, which was their signal for action.

In an instant, more than a dozen spies shot off like arrows.
They leaped off the rooftops and landed silently on either side of the alley.

They swiftly drew their short knives from their waists, the blades gleaming coldly in the darkness.

The three people in the middle immediately became alert upon hearing the noise!
Two guards instantly shielded Gao Haoxuan behind them, drew their swords, and assumed a defensive stance.

"who?"

A guard shouted, his voice echoing through the quiet alley.

No one answered, and the crowd immediately formed a surrounding formation, slowly approaching.

Gao Haoxuan looked at the group of men in black in front of him and inwardly cried out that something was wrong.

"Who exactly are you people? Intercepting imperial officials is a capital offense!"

Gao Haoxuan forced himself to remain calm and spoke loudly, attempting to intimidate the other party with his status.

Asir remained silent.
He approached step by step, his eyes fixed on the middle-aged man.

Suddenly, one of the guards shouted.
He swung his sword at Asir, the wind whistling through the air, his momentum fierce.

Asir dodged the attack with a swift movement.

At the same time, the short knife in his hand flashed like lightning, aiming straight for the guard's throat.

The guard reacted extremely quickly, taking a step back and dodging the fatal blow.
But Asir's knife slashed across his chest instead.

It left a deep wound.

Seeing this, another guard seized the opportunity to attack from the side, his blade aimed directly at Asir's waist.

Asir dodged to the side and kicked the guard's wrist, causing the knife in the guard's hand to fly out of his grasp.

Asir seized the opportunity and plunged his dagger deep into the guard's abdomen.

The guard stared wide-eyed at Asir in disbelief before slowly collapsing.

Having dealt with one of the guards, Asir did not pause for a moment and immediately turned and charged toward another guard.

Meanwhile, the other spies were not idle either.

They launched a coordinated attack on the middle-aged man, and their advantage was obvious!
The others also blocked the remaining guard, and a fierce fight ensued!
Swords flashing in the alley!
Asir could clearly see that these unidentified companions had the same experiences as him and showed signs of training!
They are so similar in every way!

The remaining guard was clearly a master.
The swordsmanship was fierce, and the defense was tight.

While resisting the attack, they moved closer to the middle-aged man, hoping to join forces to resist the attack.

But ultimately, they were outnumbered and outgunned.

After several rounds, the guards gradually became exhausted and revealed their weaknesses.

A man in black seized the opportunity and slashed at the guard's arm with a knife.

The guard couldn't dodge in time and his arm was slashed open, bleeding profusely.

He cried out in pain, and almost dropped the knife in his hand.

The tall, black-clad leader seized the opportunity to launch an attack, thrusting his short sword straight at the guard's heart!

There was a soft pop.

The guards stared wide-eyed, trying to dodge, but it was too late.

The dagger pierced his heart precisely.

The guard's body trembled a few times before he slowly collapsed.

After the two guards were quickly dealt with, Asir immediately turned his attention to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man had lost his earlier imposing manner.

He was pinned to the ground by two men in black, who skillfully tied him up and blindfolded him!
Gao Haoxuan gritted his teeth and hissed in a low voice:

"Who are you people? Why are you arresting me?"

"You don't need to know who we are, you just need to know that you're not getting away today."

Gao Haoxuan remained silent for a moment, feeling the marks left by the ropes binding his body, and frowned slightly:

Which production are you from?

He could tell that the rope-tying technique was from the military.
But no one answered.
His mouth was quickly gagged, and he felt himself being lifted into the air.

He was carried on the shoulders of several people, and his whereabouts were unknown.
The group didn't take the main road, but carefully navigated through the alleyways.
They evaded the patrolling soldiers and arrived at a secluded mansion in the city!
At the entrance, another man in black was waiting; his sharp eyes could be seen even in the darkness!

Seeing the crowd and the sacks they were carrying,
The man in black chuckled softly, stepping aside to let everyone in.

You can still hear its cold, clear voice echoing at the doorway:
"Well done. Leave the man in the courtyard, collect your reward, and then go home."

Upon hearing this voice, Asir raised an eyebrow.
If I remember correctly, this person should be the one who recruited me into the organization.

He instantly became extremely respectful.

His steps became much steadyer, and he consciously or unconsciously synchronized with the pace.

Upon entering the courtyard, everyone was startled.
There were several people standing in each of the four corners of the courtyard, their sharp longswords already drawn, and the crossbows in their hands gleaming with a sharp, cold light, which was especially chilling under the moonlight!
The people did as instructed and placed the sacks containing the people in the center of the yard.

At this moment, the gate was tightly closed.
The man in black who had greeted them earlier stepped forward, carrying a heavy wooden box.

He smiled slightly, a hint of approval in his expression:
"You've all worked hard today, this is a reward for you."

After saying that, he began to distribute the reward money to everyone one by one.

When it was Asir's turn, the man in black gave him a second look.
A barely perceptible hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes.

He handed him the reward money and said softly:

"You did a good job on this mission, keep up the good work."

Asir bowed slightly and responded respectfully:
"Thank you, sir. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

The man in black nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, indicating that everyone could leave.

Everyone bowed and took their leave.

Their steps were hurried yet cautious, and they soon disappeared into the night.

Asir mingled in the crowd and headed towards the back gate of the mansion.

Asir carried a money bag.

They carefully left the mansion and disappeared into a small alley.
After many twists and turns, and half an hour of wandering, he finally returned to the safe house!

He opened the money bag immediately.

What came into view was a thick stack of neatly folded, somewhat worn banknotes.
Asir held his breath abruptly, and he counted excitedly.

"Fifty strings of cash!"

It took Asir a long time to calm down.

Although he didn't know who the person he had captured was, nor what secrets lay behind this mission,
But he knew that these fifty taels of silver,
That's enough for me to buy a bigger house for my family.

Asir changed his clothes and returned home.

He gently pushed open the wooden planks of the shack and found that his parents and younger sister were already asleep.

He tiptoed to his bed and gently lay down.
In the darkness, the light of the future illuminated Asir's eyes, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.

(End of this chapter)