Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

The words that came out of his mouth were clearly filled with disbelief.

The large, fat figure visibly froze, continuing to wield the spatula to force back a man in black while denying the allegations in a muffled voice.

"What nonsense about 'second pig' and 'third pig'! You've mistaken me for someone else! I just saw injustice and... I was just helping out!"

Jiao Si looked at the large spatula in his hand, which was clearly a "specialty" of the academy's kitchen, and the blackened pot that had just been smashed, and his lips twitched.

"Second Brother Pig, stop pretending!"

"You won't find another pot and spatula like this in the entire city of Jinling."

The large, fat figure seemed somewhat enraged, slapping away the incoming blade with a spatula and letting out a roar.

"So what if it is! So what if it isn't!"

"Enough with the nonsense, let's deal with these black dogs first!"

Seeing that the two pigs refused to admit it, Jiao Si stopped asking questions, took a deep breath, and focused on facing the enemy again.

With the addition of the two pigs, the battle situation immediately changed.

The second pig mainly attacks from the front. His black pot sometimes becomes a shield and sometimes a hammer, and his spatula is even more unpredictable, specializing in some underhanded tricks.

Jiao Si, meanwhile, roamed the flanks, his fists and feet flying like the wind, targeting vital points.

"A celestial being descends upon us!"

The two pigs roared and slammed the black pot directly onto the face of a man in black.

The man in black hurriedly swung his knife to block, but unexpectedly, Er Shi's other hand silently swung his large shovel upwards!

"Grottoid shovel!"

The man in black screamed, clutching his groin and staggering backward, his face turning deathly pale.

"Poison Dragon Drills into Your Ass!"

"Ah—!" Another piercing scream rang out.

Jiao Si's eyes twitched as he watched.

Ershi's fighting style... while effective, is really too uncivilized.

But at this critical moment of life and death, there's no time to worry about anything else.

Seeing his men being injured one after another, with several already lying on the ground, unable to fight, the leader of the men in black realized that they were all wounded.

After a prolonged siege, they failed to break through and instead began to suffer casualties on their own side.

His face was gloomy, and a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.

But someone as experienced in life and death as him has a keen sense of timing when to advance or retreat.

"withdraw!"

He gave a low shout and took the lead in retreating.

Upon receiving the order, the remaining men in black did not hesitate. They covered each other and quickly retreated into the shadows of the roadside woods, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Only a few pools of blood and a few weapons that had been knocked off the ground remained on the ground.

Silence returned to the riverbank, broken only by Jiao Si's heavy breathing and Ping'er's low sobs.

Jiao Si first checked Ping'er's ankle and, confirming it was just a sprain and nothing serious, breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to the large, fat figure who was tidying up the big black pot and spatula.

"Brother Ershi, thank you for your help tonight."

He bowed anxiously.

"But why does Senior Brother happen to be here?"

Ershi had already slung the black pot over his back and tucked the spatula into his waistband. Upon hearing this, he still covered his face and spoke in a muffled voice.

"I already said it's not a pig!"

"I ate too much tonight, so I came out to digest. Is that not allowed?"

Jiao Si looked at his night clothes, which were somewhat deformed by his large body, but it was clear that Er Shi's physique was unique.

"Wearing a spatula and a blackened pot while digesting? And dressed like that?"

Ershi choked for a moment and stammered.

"Training arm strength? What do you know!"

"Then why is my senior brother wearing a mask?"

He pressed on anxiously.

"I'm ugly, I'm afraid I'll scare people! Is that not allowed?!"

The two pigs started to argue and cause trouble.

Jiao Si knew that he wouldn't get anything out of him if he kept asking. This Second Brother Pig looked simple-minded, but he was extremely stubborn.

He recalled that Ershi usually worked in the academy's kitchen. Although he was a cook, he seemed to have a close relationship with the headmaster, Xinli Ke, and was often called over to "taste the dishes," where he would stay for half a day at a time...

Perhaps, it was Headmaster Xin who sent him?

This thought flashed through Jiao Si's mind.

He stopped worrying about Ershi's identity and turned to look in the direction where the man in black had disappeared, his brows furrowed.

"These men are exceptionally skilled and well-trained; they are far from ordinary gangsters or the assassins the Qian family could afford to keep. Just who are they?"

Ping'er was still shaken and said softly.

"It seems they never intended to leave any survivors in the first place."

The two pigs also came over at this moment. Although their faces were still covered, their tone was less playful than before and more serious.

"Hey, I think we shouldn't guess."

Jiao Si looked at him: "What are your thoughts, Senior Brother?"

Ershi patted his head. "I wouldn't call it a brilliant insight."

"However, when I was sparring with them just now, their moves looked a bit familiar."

"Years ago, when I was at Chongzheng Academy, I heard Xin... uh, I heard the storyteller tell me about it."

Ershi almost let it slip, but quickly corrected himself.

"When these people make a move, they emphasize coordinated attacks, their moves are vicious, and they specialize in using underhanded tactics."

"Oh, this is different from what I just did. They're genuinely ruthless. And they're all wearing soft armor, with protection at their joints..."

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"Most importantly, when I used that 'Monkey Steals Peaches' move just now..."

Ping'er blushed and turned her face away.

The two pigs, completely oblivious, continued speaking.

"I noticed that several of them were completely empty; they didn't have that thing!"

Jiao Si was stunned for a moment, then it was as if a lightning bolt had flashed through his mind!

There's no such thing?

eunuch?!

Furthermore, considering the characteristics described by the two pigs—"ruthless moves, combined attacks, and soft armor"—as well as their understanding of the "Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman" and the attitude of the palace...

A name is about to emerge—the Eastern Depot!

"Are they from the Eastern Depot?"

Jiao Si's voice was low and cold.

Ershi nodded, then shook his head.

"It's hard to say whether it's the Eastern Depot or not, but this approach is definitely from the palace."

"I once heard our headmaster mention it while drinking. He said that the Eastern Depot recruited many scoundrels from the martial arts world and skilled soldiers, castrated them, and trained them. Their methods were extremely ruthless."

Jiao Si was plunged into deep confusion and chill.

Eastern Depot?

Cao Shaoqin had clearly accepted the jade token that day, indicating that he would present it to the emperor for inspection. Later, an imperial edict confirmed that the jade token was genuine, and the emperor even summoned him.

Although the matter was eventually shelved, logically speaking, the Eastern Depot shouldn't have targeted him again.

Unless... someone within the Eastern Depot is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant?

Or perhaps these people tonight are not acting on orders from the Eastern Depot, but rather under the direction of others closely connected to the Eastern Depot?

Qian Chou?

He had just been punished by Prince Zhongshun and Wei Xian and was barely able to protect himself. How could he have such great power to mobilize skilled people with backgrounds in the Eastern Depot?

Prince Zhongshun?

Or Wei Xian?

Why would they target someone who had already been sidelined?

Is it because the old story involving the Yellow Dragon Jade Amulet makes them uneasy?

Or...did I unintentionally get in the way of something else?

As the night deepened, the sound of the Qinhuai River seemed to carry a chill.

Seeing that Jiao Si was deep in thought, Ping'er gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered.

"Brother Jiao, let's go back first. It's not safe here..."

Ershi scratched his head as well.

"Yes, let's get out of here quickly. If this group fails in one attack, they might come back again."

Jiao Si nodded and said solemnly, "Second Brother Pig, I am deeply grateful. I will remember what happened tonight."

Ershi waved his chubby hand.

"Alright, alright, let's go. I need to get back to the academy too... uh, I need to digest my food!"

After saying that, he slung the iconic big black pot over his shoulder, and with a swift movement, disappeared into the darkness of the woods, quickly vanishing from sight.

Jiao Si helped Ping'er up and once again set off on the road to Huifengping Courtyard.

This time, his mood was even heavier than when he arrived.

The shadow of the Eastern Depot did not seem to dissipate with the appearance of the Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman; instead, it descended upon us in a more direct and bloody way.

Several invisible hands seemed to be firmly blocking his path.

It's a little nerve-wracking, yet...

I'm a little excited.