The playboy county magistrate

Upon hearing the sound, the driver immediately tightened the reins.

The horse neighed loudly and raised its front hooves high.

The carriage came to a heavy halt, barely stopping beneath the dense forest.

Li Xuanzhi inside the carriage did not move an inch, except that his fingertips suddenly tightened, pressing hard on the corner of the drawing.

Without even checking or asking, they had already sensed something was amiss.

Along the way, although the official road was secluded, there were occasional merchants and farmers traveling by.

But at this moment, the ten-mile-long official road around Luoxia Slope was deserted. There wasn't even a sound of people or a car in sight; it was eerily silent.

The wind suddenly stopped.

The next second, the dense forest overhead shook violently. Dozens of dark figures leaped down the slope with swift and agile movements. They were clearly the same martial arts experts and battle-hardened warriors Li Xuanzhi had encountered before.

The newcomers were all dressed in black and masked, their figures lithe and agile. The cold blades in their hands gleamed blindingly in the sunlight. They landed silently, forming an encirclement, pressing closer and closer to the carriage.

A chilling murderous aura swept through the surroundings in an instant.

Tang Zheng drew his sword from its sheath with a crisp clang, the sharp blade flashing with a cold light.

He flashed forward, already blocking the way in front of the carriage. His gaze was fixed on the approaching man in black, showing no sign of backing down.

Several long swords slashed down at the same time.

Tang Zheng moved with lightning speed, his blade flashing, and the ear-piercing sounds of weapons clashing exploded one after another.

One person desperately protected a small space in the carriage, fighting against many others in an instant.

However, the enemy outnumbered them and coordinated perfectly. Their attacks were layered and relentless, and they were fearless in the face of death.

In a matter of moments, Tang Zheng was at a disadvantage, and a deep gash was accidentally cut on his shoulder by the tip of the blade. It was instantly soaked in blood, and warm blood slowly dripped down his arm.

Li Xuanzhi remained seated and motionless.

There was no trace of panic or fear in his eyes, only a cold indifference.

He slowly untangled the creases in the drawing with his fingertips, calmly took out the bone flute from his waist, and put it to his lips to play.

The plain-colored carriage curtain was suddenly lifted in the next instant.

With a flash of cold light, Li Xuanzhi raised his hand and grabbed the short sword he had placed aside for emergencies, precisely parrying and forcefully blocking the long blade that was slashing down.

The moment the forces collided, the assassin felt his hand go numb and his long sword nearly slipped from his grasp.

A look of astonishment flashed across his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected this frail-looking censor to possess such skill.

Li Xuanzhi snorted coldly.

Having been assassinated and seriously injured, if he doesn't learn some self-defense skills, he deserves to die.

Do you really think he's a useless piece of trash who can't lift a finger and only knows how to talk big?

Li Xuanzhi's eyes were as cold as frost, and with a flick of his wrist, the short sword slashed diagonally, the movement swift and ruthless.

Almost simultaneously, a muffled groan from the assassin rang out.

The assassin who was approaching the car door fell to the ground with a thud and remained motionless.

Another person came from the left, sweeping his sword with great force.

Li Xuanzhi neither dodged nor evaded, his forearm steadily blocking the blade. Taking advantage of the opponent's momentum, he turned to the side, his short sword precisely touching the opponent's blade, and then thrusting it forward.

The cold, metallic sound of metal piercing flesh produced a muffled thud.

The assassin froze instantly, his eyes wide open. The long sword in his hand clattered to the ground, and he fell straight down.

Before the others could react, Li Xuanzhi flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed again, and another person fell to the ground.

In just a few breaths, three people fell down in succession.

The surviving assassins felt uneasy as they saw dust billowing up from afar, heading towards their location.

"No, Li Xuanzhi played the bone flute, he must have someone protecting him in secret! Retreat! Retreat now!"

At worst, failing the mission would mean losing your life.

But if the mission fails and they are captured, it won't just be a few of them who lose their lives.

Li Xuanzhi frowned slightly and took a deep breath. He stepped firmly onto the carriage shaft, and his body suddenly soared into the air.

He landed precisely on the spine of the nearest assassin's blade with his toes, using the momentum to flip in mid-air.

In the instant he was suspended in mid-air, his short sword slashed down with precise and ruthless force.

With another muffled groan, the leader of the suicide squad who had just ordered a retreat collapsed to the ground.

Upon landing, Li Xuanzhi slightly bent his knees to absorb the force. His body remained as steady as a rock, without the slightest sway.

However, this intense struggle ultimately took a heavy toll. His hands were numb from the impact, and his arms ached terribly.

"This body is still too weak. Once we get to Jinling City, I need to find some time to train more."

Soon, reinforcements arrived and brought everyone under control.

Li Xuanzhi didn't care how the emperor would deal with these people after they were captured. He only knew that he couldn't waste any more time, lest someone try to get there first and take the opportunity to arrive in Jinling City ahead of him to set up their own plans.

Li Xuanzhi pulled Tang Zheng directly into the car and spoke in a deep voice.

"Drive! Full speed ahead south!"

The driver dared not hesitate and gave the reins a sharp jerk. The horse, in pain, reared up and galloped away.

Tang Zheng hadn't expected that the emergency medicine he had prepared before leaving home would end up being used by him first.

The carriage sped along without daring to stop for even a moment.

Tang Zheng's face was still pale, and his breathing had not yet calmed down.

"My lord, I am truly worried. What if the enemy sets up checkpoints in the counties ahead to obstruct our path and delay our entry into Jinling?"

"We will travel without stopping tonight," Li Xuanzhi said calmly. "We will bypass the official roads and post stations and take country roads and back roads. We must enter Jinling territory before the enemy completes their defenses."

Li Xuanzhi raised his hand and gently smoothed out the wrinkles on the Linghe River engineering map.

The edges of the blueprints were slightly damp with sweat, and the dense lines on them connected the canal transport funds and river works accounts of Jiangnan over the years, as well as countless buried injustices.

His fingertips traced the outline of Nanjing's territory inch by inch, his eyes growing ever sharper.

Five days later, at dawn.

The outline of Nanjing gradually became clear.

The white walls and black tiles stretch out in a continuous line, creating a gentle and graceful scene reminiscent of the Jiangnan region.

But in Li Xuanzhi's eyes, there was not a trace of leisure.

The more peaceful and prosperous a place is, the more filthy and corrupt it becomes underneath.

He raised his hand to brush away the thin layer of dust from his sleeve, his expression unchanged. He then straightened his slightly disheveled hair, concealing his weariness, and sat up straight with dignified composure.

Entering Jinling meant entering the territory the enemy had cultivated for years. Every step from here on out would be several times more difficult than the previous battles.

Tang Zheng leaned against the car, the wound on his shoulder still throbbing. His face was as pale as paper, but his eyes were incredibly sharp.

"Young master, we have arrived at the outer city of Jinling. The Grand Canal Transport Office is just ahead. Local officials will be on duty early in the morning. I previously inquired and found that the chief transport official in Jinling is named Gao Huai'an. He used to be an advisor to the Left Prime Minister Ren Jianxiao and was also a male favorite of the Left Prime Minister's wife, that princess."

Li Xuanzhi sneered, secretly thinking to himself that the shameless couple really knew how to play games.

Then he coughed lightly and said calmly, "As expected."

With powerful officials in the capital obstructing the court, they will never allow Jinling to slip out of control.

The core officials in charge of the canal engineering were inevitably their trusted confidants and cronies.

"Enter the city and head straight for the Grand Canal Transport Office."

The carriage entered the city gate, and the shops along the streets of Jinling City had already opened, while the awning boats on the river swayed slowly.

Before long, the carriages and horses stopped in front of the canal transport office.

The vermilion-lacquered government office was solemn and dignified, with two stone lions guarding the entrance.

The gatekeeper stood with a sword at his side, his expression arrogant.

Even ordinary officials are humble and courteous when they come here, let alone strangers.