Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

The sounds of fighting gradually subsided. The Green Dragon Gang members lay dead in disarray, and those who survived had lost all their ferocity, scrambling and crawling as they fled out of the alley, not even bothering to glance at the corpses of their companions.

The black-clad guards remained expressionless, not pursuing the enemy to the bitter end; the crisp sound of blades sheathing echoed throughout the room.

He bent down and quickly cleaned up the scene.

Just as the deathly silence was about to descend, a series of hurried yet unsteady footsteps stumbled in from the end of the alley.

The "thump, thump, thump" of the cane, mixed with heavy breathing, was particularly jarring.

It was none other than Old Man Sun, who had rushed over all the way, his heart still pounding:

Zhou Kui and his gang of good-for-nothings must not recklessly injure Miss Lin, or they'll not only fail to complete their mission, but they'll also lose their own lives.

But when he saw the situation inside the alley, his pupils contracted sharply, and the worry on his face was instantly replaced by astonishment.

The black-clad guards that Shui Rong brought were all extremely skilled, and they had dealt with dozens of members of the Green Dragon Gang so thoroughly. Their fighting prowess was beyond his expectations and unbelievable.

Gong Ji had already sensed the commotion. Without moving, his long sword flashed half an inch from its sheath with a clang, its cold gleam reflecting the moonlight, aimed directly at the approaching Old Ghost Sun. He said in a deep voice:

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

Old Man Sun's heart tightened. Without a moment's hesitation, his legs buckled and he knelt down, his forehead almost touching the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Greetings, esteemed gentlemen!"

"I am Sun Laogui, a penniless idler who happened to be passing by when I heard the sounds of fighting. I thought I'd try my luck and see if I could pick up some discarded materials from some nobleman to make a living..."

At this point, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself across the face with both hands.

The sound of slaps echoed clearly in the quiet alley, accompanied by wailing and screaming.

"Oh dear! I deserve to die! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I shouldn't have bothered you gentlemen here. Please spare my dog's life!"

Gong Ji glanced down at his tattered clothes, patched upon patched, even the soles of his shoes were worn through. Though some doubts remained in her heart...

But then he thought, given his impoverished appearance, he probably couldn't cause any real trouble, so he suppressed his guard, took out a handful of loose silver from his pocket, flicked it with his fingertips, and said in a deep voice:

"In that case, old man, take this money and buy some warm clothes. Don't wander around here anymore."

The broken silver coins landed on the bluestone slab with a "clang," rolled twice, and then stopped.

Old Man Sun's eyes lit up, but he dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately crawled forward on his knees, his fingertips trembling as he picked up the broken silver coins one by one, carefully tucking them into his pocket, and kowtowing repeatedly.

"Thank you, sirs! Thank you, sirs! I'm leaving now and will never come back!"

Watching Old Man Sun, his body hunched over, stumble and disappear at the end of the alley.

Gong Ji's eyes still held a cold glint as he turned to the shadows and said in a deep voice, "Two people, quietly follow him and see who he really is. Don't alert him."

"Yes, sir!" Two dark figures flashed by and silently followed.

Inside the room, Shui Rong stood with his hands behind his back in front of the table, his brows slightly furrowed, his mind filled with doubt:

No, could it be that I'm being too paranoid? If the Eastern Depot really wanted to deal with me, why was there no trace of them during the battle just now? Strange, very strange.

As he pondered, he raised his hand and lit the oil lamp on the table. The dim light instantly dispelled the gloom in the room and illuminated the map spread out on the table.

As my fingertips slowly traced the mountains and rivers on the map, I suddenly paused, and a remote place name caught my eye—Black Wind Canyon.

"Could this be it?"

Shui Rong pressed his fingertips heavily on the Black Wind Canyon, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, his doubts deepening.

Black Wind Canyon is a treacherous place, and has always been a haunt of powerful figures. Could it be that they are planning to make their move there?

Just then, a gentle and obedient voice softly sounded in my ear:

"My lord, what are you looking at? I'm tossing and turning, unable to sleep."

Before he could finish speaking, a pair of warm and soft hands gently rested on his shoulders. The fingertips were slightly cool, but they instantly soothed the restlessness in his heart.

Shui Rong grasped Lin Daiyu's hand in return, gently squeezing her slightly cool fingertips.

As she turned, the sharp glint in her eyes had faded, replaced by tenderness, and she said with a smile:

"I wasn't looking at anything. My husband was just thinking that we're going to pass through Black Wind Canyon next. That place is treacherous and full of hidden dangers. It's really dangerous. I need to plan carefully to ensure our safe journey."

Lin Daiyu tilted her head slightly, looking at the sorrow between his brows, and softly advised:

"My lord, there's no need to rush. Why don't we stay here for a few days, slow down, and thoroughly explore the terrain of Black Wind Canyon before setting off?"

Just as the water was about to respond, a sudden change occurred!

A pebble, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind, hurtled through the air from outside the window, striking the paper windowpane with tremendous force.

With a crash, the window shattered, wood chips flew everywhere, and pebbles shot straight at the water in front of the table!

Shui Rong's face darkened instantly, his eyes turning icy, and his movements were so fast they left only a blur.

Before Lin Daiyu could even react or see his movements clearly, she heard a crisp "smack" as Shui Rong raised his hand and slammed the small celadon bowl on the table away!

The small bowl, carrying a strong gust of wind, struck the stone precisely.

"when"

The pebble veered sharply due to the force, grazed Shui Rong's shoulder, and slammed heavily onto the bed behind her.

Almost simultaneously, Shui Rong drew his longsword from his waist with a clang.

With a chilling glint in his eyes, he tightly shielded Lin Daiyu behind him.

Lin Daiyu, shielded behind him, felt a momentary panic, but was reassured by his calm tone and quickly nodded.

He quickly hid behind the bed, tightly covering his mouth, not daring to make a sound.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the stairs, "thump thump thump".

Gong Ji's clothes were slightly disheveled, indicating he had rushed over. The moment he pushed open the door, his gaze swept over the mess in the room, and he asked in a deep voice, "My lord! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Shui Rong frowned, his longsword pointed directly at the broken window, his tone icy.

"Didn't we already drive back the Green Dragon Gang? How come there are still assassins?"

Gong Ji strode to the window, bent down to examine the sawdust and pebbles on the ground, picked up a pebble embedded in the mattress with his fingertips, and felt the sharp energy lingering on it with a slight pressure.

His eyes darkened, and he said in a deep voice:

"My lord, look at the power of this stone. Its force is fierce and the technique is precise. It is not something that a commoner could do. It must be someone from the Eastern Depot! Only the secret agents of the Eastern Depot have such skills."

Before he could finish speaking, a slight noise came from outside the window.

A note floated lightly onto the windowsill.

Shui Rong slowly sheathed his longsword, bent down to pick up the note on the table, and gently unfolded it with his fingertips. Under the dim light, a few lines of hastily written words were clearly visible:

"Jiang happy of the Eastern Depot intends to commit treason against the Emperor; this is a secret order from the palace."

These few words, without any unnecessary elaboration, carry immense weight.

Shui Rong looked at the handwriting on the note, a cold smile suddenly appearing on her lips, a sharp glint in her eyes. She turned to Gong Ji and said:

"See, I told you so, they finally came."

He ran his fingers over the note, and his doubts vanished instantly.

Sure enough, it wasn't that he was overly suspicious, but rather that the people in the palace had already laid a trap, waiting to deal with him.

"interesting."

Shui Rong chuckled, crumpled the paper into pieces, and casually tossed it into the oil lamp. A flicker of flame quickly burned the paper to ashes.

Turning to look at Gong Ji, his tone suddenly became sharp, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Gong Ji, come here. Tomorrow morning, you will personally go to see Jiang happy and Lu Bingming and demand that they be punished on my behalf."

"Just tell them that I was attacked by assassins last night and suffered minor injuries. I need to rest in Baoding for a few days. Tell them to go ahead and not wait for me."

Shui Rong paused, a calculating glint in his eyes.

"Observe their attitudes carefully, remember their every word and action, and report back to me truthfully. Their reactions will determine our next course of action."

Gong Ji knelt on one knee, his expression respectful, his tone firm: "Your subordinate understands! As you command, Your Majesty!"