Love Lock

Chapter 267 "Come back! Don't be afraid!"

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, as if they were about to crush the entire imperial city beneath the sky.

The bronze bells on the eaves of the imperial study jingled in the cold wind, and the vermilion window panels creaked and trembled. A few withered leaves clung to the bright yellow window screen, just like the gloom that Emperor Jing could not shake off at this moment.

Li Zhongxin was dozing off while standing when Emperor Jing suddenly threw his wolf-hair brush onto the dragon-patterned desk.

Ink splattered on the spread-out Xuan paper, blurring the words "Em XVI" into hideous claw marks.

His mind was in turmoil. Staring at his trembling right hand, he suddenly remembered that when Lu Heming met the emperor earlier, the clothes under his armor seemed to be soaked with cold sweat, which showed that he had been terrified by the Cangzhou King's weapon.

"Your Majesty..." Li Zhongxin was startled and fell silent as soon as he opened his mouth.

He saw Emperor Jing unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist with the sleeve embroidered with golden dragons. It was the late emperor's favorite gesture; whenever the court was in turmoil, this small space became the emperor's last bastion.

The sky outside the window grew even darker. Emperor Jing walked to the map and saw that the location of Cangzhou was circled in cinnabar, making it stand out starkly.

What kind of divine weapon was this so-called "Em-16"? It could turn a hundred thousand troops into nothingness, like snow meeting boiling water.

He traced the contours of the mountains and rivers on the map with his fingertips, and suddenly made deep, random finger marks on the location of Cangzhou.

"Announce the time."

Emperor Jing looked at the finger marks and spoke irritably, his voice so hoarse that it startled even himself.

Li Zhongxin quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is three quarters past Shen Shi (3:45 PM)."

The commander of the secret guards has been gone for almost an hour. It's only a half-hour walk from Jinxiufang to the capital. I wonder if the secret guards have arrived at Jinxiufang yet? Why hasn't any news come back?

This thought coiled around Emperor Jing's mind like a venomous snake. Perhaps the seemingly纨绔无能 (wan ku wu wu neng, meaning a spoiled and incompetent young man) Wei Chengchao had already hidden weapons in Jinxiufang. What should he do?

Just as Zhao Zun had predicted, ever since Lu Heming reported the situation in Cangzhou, Emperor Jing had been restless in his study and had no energy left to deal with Liu Yan, the King of Jingzhou.

The King of Cangzhou is now so powerful that he has to look up to him.

According to Lu Heming's description of the power of that so-called "Aim Sixteen", his general who was suppressing the rebellion died before he could even exchange a single blow, and his 100,000-strong punitive army was completely disintegrated.

The presence of the King of Cangzhou in the north, eyeing the city with predatory intent, was already a major headache for him.

His cousin, Wei Chengchao, is now involved in some ambiguous relationship with the Turks, and it's unknown whether he also has any connection with the King of Cangzhou. The truth will only be known after the commander of the secret guards leads his men to Jinxiufang to investigate.

Emperor Jing anxiously awaited the result, while the chief eunuch Li Zhongxin dared not utter a word. His master's face was grim, and he wisely dared not provoke him.

Meanwhile, on Suzaku Avenue, due to the sudden change in weather, there were very few pedestrians.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the street.

The commander of the secret guards, dressed in a dark-colored uniform, strode ahead, followed by more than ten guards with embroidered spring knives at their waists, the scabbards looking even colder in the wind.

"Make way! Make way!" a guard shouted sternly, and pedestrians on the street scattered to both sides like mice seeing a cat.

A vendor selling candied hawthorns couldn't dodge in time, scattering bamboo skewers all over the ground, with bright red hawthorns rolling into the cracks between the stone slabs.

In front of the Brocade Pavilion, several elegantly dressed ladies were selecting newly arrived embroidery fabrics. Hearing the noise, they turned around and were immediately shocked.

A lady's silk slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, only to be stepped on by a maid who was hastily retreating.

"Oh dear! My Yun brocade..." Shopkeeper Tang Xiaotong cried out in distress, then stared wide-eyed in surprise at the intruding guards.

But he was, after all, the shopkeeper. When he saw someone barging in menacingly with a knife, even though he knew the visitor meant no harm, he still gritted his teeth and went forward to greet them.

"This official..."

Tang Xiaotong put on a smile and went to greet him, but before she could finish speaking, the commander of the secret guards pushed her away.

He staggered a few steps, his back hitting the corner of the counter, and he gasped in pain, but his right hand instinctively pressed the walkie-talkie at his waist.

All the conversations that took place here were transmitted via walkie-talkie.

"By order of His Majesty, search for prohibited ironware!" the guard captain said coldly, his hawk-like eyes scanning every corner of the shop.

Then, he waved his hand and said, "Search! Search everything thoroughly."

The commander of the secret guards was about forty years old. A scar on his left cheek stretched from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, making him look particularly ferocious.

At the order, the guards scattered like wolves and tigers, knocking over embroidery frames, tearing off cloth, and even moving aside to inspect the blue and white porcelain vase in the corner.

A young embroiderer trembled with fear, and the iron scissors in her hand clattered to the ground.

"There's iron here," one of the guards shouted sharply, picking up a pair of scissors.

"Sir, those are just scissors for cutting fabric..."

The embroiderer reached out to take back her rice bowl, but hesitated to go forward.

Tang Xiaotong rubbed her aching lower back and quietly turned up the volume on the walkie-talkie.

He cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, my shop is a legitimate fabric business. How could I possibly have any prohibited ironware? At most, I have a few pairs of scissors and an iron."

The commander of the secret guards narrowed his eyes, his scar appearing even more terrifying in the dim light: "Enough nonsense! Where's the warehouse?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaotong's pupils contracted slightly, and her Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

storehouse?

There are twenty M16 assault rifles and several boxes of ammunition hidden inside!
In an instant, he felt a layer of cold sweat seep out of his back, sticking stickily to his clothes.

"Warehouse...warehouse?" He feigned confusion. "It's in the backyard, but it only contains some old, dusty stockpiled fabric..."

"lead the way!"

The commander of the secret guards gave the order without room for argument, raising his embroidered spring knife and pointing it at Tang Xiaotong. The meaning of the gesture was clear—if you dare disobey orders, I dare to cut you down.

How to do?
Who leaked the wind?
Tang Xiaotong's heart was pounding like a drum. He didn't have time to think about who had leaked the information; he was only focused on quickly figuring out how to deal with the situation.

He deliberately tidied up the ransacked counter slowly, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the commander of the secret guards' face was growing increasingly gloomy.

"What are you dawdling for?" The commander of the secret guards suddenly stepped forward and shoved Tang Xiaotong hard. "Hurry up and lead the way!"

"Yes, yes, this way please, sir." Tang Xiaotong could no longer delay, so she forced a smile and led the guards through the main hall.

With each step he took, he felt as if his legs were filled with lead.

With each step he took, he muttered to himself, "What should I do? What should I do?"

The stone path in the backyard was covered with moss. He deliberately slipped on it and then delayed for a few seconds.

The warehouse was a small house made of blue bricks, with a large brass lock hanging on the wooden door.

Tang Xiaotong's hands trembled slightly, and it took him three tries to insert the key into the lock.

The commander of the secret guards noticed his unusual expression and drew his embroidered spring knife with a "whoosh." "If you dawdle any longer, believe me, I'll chop you down with one stroke!"

"Yes, yes, yes," Tang Xiaotong replied repeatedly, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

He gently turned the key, and with a "click," the brass lock opened.

Tang Xiaotong took a deep breath and turned to the commander of the secret guards, saying, "Sir, it's dark inside. I'll have the waiter light a lamp first..." Before he could get a response, Tang Xiaotong winked at the waiter hiding in the corner, "Afu, go and get the oil lamp."

There were solar-powered lights in the warehouse, but he dared not turn them on. The light from the solar lights was too bright, making it easier for these people to see during the search.

Moreover, if things went wrong, he could blow out the oil lamp at any time.

The commander of the secret guards frowned: "Why aren't we using lanterns? Hurry up!"

"Reporting to you, sir, the lantern was just knocked over by... by the gentlemen. Please hurry up with the oil lamp."

Tang Xiaotong smiled apologetically, the sweat on her forehead seemingly solidifying into sheets.

Afu brought over the oil lamp, its flame, no bigger than a soybean, flickering in the breeze, looking as if it might be blown out at any moment.

Tang Xiaotong took the lamp, her fingers inadvertently brushing against the hard object under her clothes at her waist—a lightweight pistol was tucked there.

He gritted his teeth in the end; if he were really discovered, he might have to…

With a creak, the warehouse door was slowly pushed open, and a smell mixed with camphor and dust rushed out.

In the dim light, neatly stacked bolts of cloth could be vaguely seen, reaching all the way to the roof beams.

"Search!"

At the command of the commander of the secret guards, the guards swarmed in.

Tang Xiaotong stood inside the door, feeling as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

The guns were hidden under the pile of "defective" fabric at the very back, covered only with some rough burlap.

"Sir, you see, there's really only cloth inside, nothing else..."

Tang Xiaotong's voice was strained, and his hands were on his waist as if he were rubbing his back, but in reality, one hand was on the walkie-talkie and the other was on the pistol.

The commander of the secret guards suddenly turned his head, his scarred face appearing like a ghost in the flickering lamplight: "You seem very nervous?"

Tang Xiaotong subconsciously paused, swallowed hard, feeling his throat burning dry: "I...I've never seen anything like this before..."

Just then, a loud "whoosh" came from deep inside the warehouse, and a guard ripped over a stack of cloth.

Tang Xiaotong was startled, and cold sweat streamed down her back.

He was about to reach into his clothes and pull out his pistol when the commander of the secret guards ignored him and strode toward the source of the sound.

"Search every inch of the place thoroughly for me!" the commander of the secret guards shouted as he walked.

Inside the warehouse, the soles of iron boots rolled over the blue brick floor, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Tang Xiaotong watched as they roughly tore open bolts of shimmering brocade, their sharp embroidered spring knives slicing through the binding ropes, the silk cascading to the ground like a waterfall, quickly leaving messy muddy footprints under their feet.

"Wow!"

The shelf closest to the innermost room was completely overturned, and the porcelain jar containing peacock feather threads was smashed to pieces.

Tang Xiaotong's pupils shrank sharply—there were only three rows of shelves left to the shelf where the M16 was hidden!
He bit his lip and unconsciously clenched his sleeve, the fabric making a soft tearing sound in his palm.

"Boss, it looks like this behind us..."

One of the bodyguards suddenly stopped and reached out to touch the carved panel on the innermost shelf.

Tang Xiaotong's breath caught in her throat, and the image of those black gun barrels gleaming coldly under the oiled paper flashed before her eyes.

Just at this critical moment, a calloused hand suddenly landed on Tang Xiaotong's shoulder.

He was startled and turned around abruptly. Da Jiu's angular face was right in front of him, and the man who always had a blade of grass in his mouth had eyes as sharp as knives.

Six members of the Big Font Squad stood like ghosts in the shadows, each holding a gleaming black M16 with a silencer pinned to the front.

"Get out of here!" Da Jiu's lips barely moved, his voice as soft as a falling leaf, signaling Tang Xiaotong to leave the warehouse.

When Da Jiu and the others arrived, Tang Xiaotong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quietly left the warehouse as instructed, pulling Afu aside.

Da Jiu quickly made a few hand gestures on the side of his neck with his right hand, and the team members immediately squatted down, crouched low, and entered the warehouse one by one, then quickly moved into position and took aim.

Because of the shelves and the rummaged-through goods, none of the guards in front noticed them.

Tang Xiaotong noticed that the brothers in the Big Character Team were only wearing cotton socks, and their footsteps were lighter than a cat's on the blue bricks.

"boom!"

The first gunshot sounded like someone smashing a watermelon next to his ear. The guard who was examining the fabric suddenly had blood explode on the back of his head and fell forward.

The first shot was like a signal, followed by several more shots.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Tang Xiaotong smelled the familiar pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with blood, and saw the hem of the cloak fluttering as the commander of the secret guards turned around in astonishment.

"There's something buried..."

A guard's warning was stuck in his throat. A bullet pierced through his open mouth, leaving several broken teeth embedded in the camphor wood box behind him.

The warehouse instantly descended into chaos, the clanging of embroidered spring knives being drawn mingling with the hurried footsteps.

Those selected to serve as the emperor's secret guards are all top-notch in both martial arts and skills.

Unfortunately, the warehouse was filled with upright and overturned shelves and fabrics and silks scattered everywhere. Coupled with the dim lighting, even the most skilled fighters couldn't maneuver effectively. Before they could even get close, they were taken down one after another.

Da Jiu knelt behind the pile of blood-stained brocade, the butt of his rifle firmly against his shoulder.

"Three o'clock," he said softly. The moment he pulled the trigger, a guard's chest exploded with a bloody hole the size of a bowl, and his back crashed into two rows of shelves.

"Ah! What kind of sorcery is this!" someone cried out in despair, only to be hit in the knee by a ricocheting bullet, and then shot again as he fell to his knees.

The commander of the secret guards finally saw the attacker clearly. He roared and swung his sword at the nearest member of the large squad.
But he couldn't outrun the speed of pulling the trigger.

When his blade was still three inches from his opponent's throat, a 5.56mm bullet had already blown his skull off.

The last guard huddled in a corner, his trembling hands holding up a leather shield.

Bullets struck the shield repeatedly, tearing the tanned leather like paper. By the time he could see the metal bullet embedded in the wooden core, the fourth bullet had already pierced his forehead.

Although a silencer was installed, the echoes of the gunshots lingered in the sealed warehouse for a long time.

Tang Xiaotong had known about the existence of these guns and ammunition for a long time. When the gunshots rang out and the guards fell one after another, he remained relatively calm.

Ever since the princess entrusted him with hiding these guns and ammunition back in the capital from Cangzhou, he knew this day would come sooner or later. He had long been prepared.

But Afu, who was just a shop assistant at Jinxiufang, had never seen such a scene before.

He turned to run away, but Tang Xiaotong grabbed him.

"Come back! Don't be afraid!"

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