Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

The same thing happened with Miss Zhang this time. However, he had ulterior motives towards her, so he didn't kill her on the spot, but instead placed her under house arrest at the Wanghai Tower.

"What are you plotting?"

"I heard he wants Miss Zhang to be his daughter-in-law."

His son, Wang Jizong, was a complete wastrel, indulging in all sorts of vices. He met Miss Zhang by chance that day and couldn't forget her.

Although Wang Donghai turned hostile on the spot, he spared Miss Zhang's life, intending to force a marriage alliance.

Li Xin listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously twirling the small silver bottle in his arms, his expression calm.

What is the relationship between the Wang family and the Red Lotus Sect?

“The Red Lotus Sect has a branch in Guangping, whose leader, Quan Longxiu, was killed by you in the capital a few days ago.”

As Wang Jingya spoke, she pulled at the wound on her shoulder, hissing in pain, before continuing, "After Quan Longxiu died, his junior brother Quan Longyuan took over the branch altar."

This man was even more ruthless than his senior brother. He had been instigating the Wang family to cooperate with the foreigners, and had even taken a batch of Karmic Fire Talismans from the sect, intending to set up the Karmic Fire Heaven-Burning Array.

"And then there's the foreigners."

"The Ansar merchant ship, the Sea Wolf, was anchored three miles outside the harbor."

There was a man on the ship named McRae, a retired naval officer who was extremely skilled with a Western rapier.

There was also a small gunboat escorting them; its captain, Smith, was an old and cunning sailor.

More than three hundred innocent civilians were imprisoned in the port warehouse, guarded by Wang's family guards and foreigners. They changed shifts every two hours; the security was very tight.

Li Xin listened attentively, silently sorting out all the names, forces, and connections.

The intelligence gathered by Wang Jingya was far more detailed than that of Zhang Youqiu, especially regarding the two hidden dangers, Yulong Daoren and Quanlongyuan, as well as the shift change patterns and terrain defenses at the docks.

"How many of the镖局 (security escort agency) disciples you brought with you are left?"

"It's Lin Si and Sun Qi now. Sun Qi was shot in the leg, so I had him stay at the dock to keep an eye on things. Lin Si's injuries are also quite serious; he should be resting, but he insisted on waiting for you in the city."

"Finally, we've waited for Master Li." Lin Si, standing at the door, replied with a grin.

Li Xin stood up, separated the remaining four character cards into two, and handed them to Wang Jingya.

"Keep one for yourself for self-defense, and give the other to Lin Si."

The method is very simple: burn it to ashes, dissolve it in water, and drink it. External wounds will heal completely overnight; internal injuries will heal a little slower, but it can still stabilize the injury and suppress toxins. In your current state, you simply won't be able to fight at full strength tomorrow.”

"How did you know I was going to make a move tomorrow?" Wang Jingya looked up at him.

“You’re not the kind of person who would just swallow your anger after being beaten,” Li Xin said with a faint smile. “But I advise you to rest for another day. I’ll take care of the Wang family’s matter first. I need you to bring people to meet us at the dock tomorrow.”

Wang Jingya remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

She knew in her heart that Li Xin was right.

He was still recovering from his injuries. He could handle a few small fry, but if he were to run into Wang Donghai or Yulong Daoren head-on, he would only lose his life for nothing.

"Are you going alone?"

"Let's scout ahead and explore the terrain first." Li Xin put the silver bottle back in his pocket, picked up the Panlong Spear, and said, "I need to check the Wang family's defenses first, and then confirm Miss You Rong's situation."

Wang Jingya watched his departing figure and suddenly spoke, "Brother Xin."

Li Xin turned around.

"Beware of the Fish-Dragon Taoist. His underwater skills are too strange; he's faster in the water than on land."

"Faster in the water than on land?" Li Xin raised a slight lip, his tone calm. "Then we won't let him stay in the water."

Looking at his confident smile, Wang Jingya felt a chill run down her spine, a coldness rising in her heart.

Wanghailou is located in the northwest corner of the Wang Family Compound, next to the main street leading to the port.

Two alleys away, you can see the three-story building with upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, and two rows of red lanterns hanging under the eaves, swaying gently in the night breeze.

The lantern light reflected on the pond in front of the building, making the water shimmer. Every now and then, koi carp would leap out of the water and fall back into it with a splash.

Across the pond is an artificial hill, and behind the hill is the main residence of the Wang family. The sounds of string and wind instruments and boisterous laughter, along with the clinking of glasses, can be faintly heard.

Li Xin did not approach rashly.

He first walked around the outer wall of the Wang family compound, stopping every so often, closing his eyes and concentrating, activating [Void Reflection] to allow his senses to gradually penetrate into the compound.

In his perception, the entire Wang family compound was like a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness.

The courtyard wall was over two zhang high, and the top of the wall was covered with broken porcelain pieces and barbed wire. There was a guard tower every twenty steps, and the guards patrolled back and forth, making the place heavily guarded.

On his side alone, there were six visible sentries and three hidden sentries.

A deep ditch was dug around the inside of the courtyard wall. The ditch was filled with water, and unknown creatures lurked in the water. Every now and then, a gray-black back would skim across the surface of the water, creating ripples.

It's obvious that this was a backup plan set up by the Fish-Dragon Taoist to defend against enemies.

Further into the courtyard, the guards became less numerous.

Along the way, one could sense many faint fluctuations in energy, which were all nodes of the formation.

These nodes mostly surround the large pond in the backyard, subtly encircling it and forming a circular killing formation.

A heavy, gloomy aura hung at the bottom of the pond, like a block of ice that had been submerged for millennia, both deathly still and dangerous.

Just as Wang Jingya said, this Fish-Dragon Taoist used the aquatic environment to set up his formation, gaining a significant advantage in terms of terrain.

Wanghailou is a separate courtyard with a small garden downstairs planted with several crabapple and osmanthus trees.

Two sentries were hidden in the flower bushes, their breathing extremely low, both being experts in holding their breath.

The building has three floors, with lights on the top floor and windows half-open, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Li Xin opened his eyes, and with a light leap, landed on the roof of the rice shop next to him.

He did not act immediately, but used [Void Reflection] again to carefully scan all the corners around Wanghai Tower.

In the brightly lit room on the third floor, there was only a gentle and calming aura, without the slightest fluctuation of internal energy.

Two burly men stood outside the door, breathing heavily; they were ordinary thugs who practiced external martial arts.

At the end of the corridor, a person sat cross-legged in meditation, his breathing long and steady, with a faint mist of water vapor. He was probably a disciple of the Fish-Dragon Taoist.

After thoroughly understanding all the defenses, Li Xin took a deep breath, and his figure suddenly became blurry and illusory.

After his agility broke through forty points, his [Phantom] technique had become incredibly refined, leaving behind afterimages that were so realistic they could be mistaken for real images.

His true form had already transformed into a wisp of green smoke and swept across the alley.

With a light touch of his toes on the eaves of the watchtower, he landed silently in the small garden of the Wanghai Tower without alerting any guards.

The two sentries hidden in the flower bushes were still chatting quietly, completely unaware that the deadly person was just three feet away from them.

"Third Master is treating the Prefect to drinks tonight; it seems there's another big deal brewing."

"What else could it be? Sharing the silver, of course. The second manager said that this shipment to Southeast Asia will earn at least this much." The man held up three fingers.

"Three thousand taels?"

"Thirty thousand taels! With your limited vision, you'll never amount to anything."

Li Xin walked silently past the two men, like a gentle breeze, and the two sentries remained completely unaware, still dreaming of getting rich.

The wooden stairs of Wanghai Tower made a lot of noise when stepped on, making it easy to be spotted. Li Xin simply abandoned the stairs and moved his body close to the wall.

With a light touch of the toes on the window frame and eaves, and a few leaps, I landed steadily outside the third-floor window.

The window was half-open, and the interior was fully visible.

This is an elegant boudoir, kept clean and tidy. There is a mahogany bed, brocade quilts, a bronze mirror and dressing case on the dressing table, and a plate of snacks and a pot of tea on a small table next to it.

If the host hadn't been tied to a chair, this would have been a top-class private room for entertaining guests.

Zhang Yourong was sitting by the window, her hands tied behind her back to the back of the chair with thick hemp rope, leaving deep red marks on her wrists.

Her hair was slightly loose, with a strand of black hair hanging down her cheek. Her face was pale, her lips were chapped, but her eyes were still clear and bright, showing no trace of the dishevelment of having cried.

She quietly turned her head to look out the window, as if counting the stars in the night sky, her quietness heartbreaking.

The night breeze blew in through the window, gently ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead, cool and soft.

Outside the walls, the compound was brightly lit, bustling, and extravagant; inside, he was imprisoned alone, living in darkness. Separated by a single window, they were two different worlds.

Li Xin gently pushed open the window, and like a night bird returning to its forest, silently slipped into the room.

Hearing the noise, Zhang Yourong suddenly turned her head, and when she saw who it was, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she forced them closed. After a while, she finally uttered a soft sentence.

"I knew you would come."

The voice was extremely soft and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the guards outside the door, or as if afraid that the hard-won scene before them would shatter in an instant.

Li Xin walked behind her and released a small amount of true energy from his fingertips.

The sturdy hemp rope could not withstand the impact of the true energy and broke silently, falling to the ground in pieces.

He moved to Zhang Yourong's side and squatted down, looking at the deep marks on her wrists, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt." Zhang Yourong shook her head gently, but her eyes were secretly reddening. "How are Uncle De and the others...?"

"Uncle De escaped with his injuries, but his life is not in danger. Zhang Youqiu has already returned to the capital to inform me. Most of the guards you brought have been killed or wounded."

Li Xin didn't hide anything, and said calmly, "I will settle this score with the Wang family sooner or later. But for now, I'll take you away first."

"I can't leave." Zhang Yourong suddenly reached out and gripped his wrist tightly, with a strength far exceeding that of an ordinary, frail woman. "If you rescue me now, the Wang family will immediately know that a master has infiltrated."

They would evacuate the people at the docks beforehand, or even kill them to cover their tracks. More than three hundred lives must be lost; I cannot be the only one to suffer.

Li Xin looked at her quietly.

This usually gentle and quiet girl, who was in dire straits and under house arrest, did not think of her own safety first, but of the innocent people she did not know.

He suddenly chuckled softly.

"I have a way. It can save lives without you having to leave now."

"any solution?"

Li Xin took out a small silver bottle from his pocket, which contained black smoke. He gently placed it in Zhang Yourong's palm.

"If you encounter a deadly danger, smash the bottle."

"What is this?" Zhang Yourong asked curiously.

"It was formed from the condensation of the most resentful aura and the deathly aura of the underworld," Li Xin explained frankly. "Once the bottle shattered, the aura instantly spread, and no one within a radius of seven or eight zhang could survive."

"Ah!" Zhang Yourong's face turned pale instantly.

Li Xin then took out two more "Life" characters and gently stuffed them into her clothes.

"Don't be afraid. These two talismans can protect your entire body. The death energy and resentment will be immediately neutralized when they come into contact with the talisman's power. They will absolutely not harm you, nor will they deplete your life force."

Zhang Yourong's body stiffened slightly. She looked up at his serious expression and felt a warmth and tenderness in her heart.

She vaguely sensed that this person was using the opportunity to get close to her, but she couldn't bring herself to blame him at all. With the talisman tucked into her chest, she felt warm and at peace.

How did you know I was in danger?

"This is information Wang Jingya found out," Li Xin said bluntly. "Wang Donghai wants you to marry his son, Wang Jizong."

He added, "That kid is a complete playboy, skilled in everything from eating and drinking to gambling and whoring."

Zhang Yourong's face turned pale, and she said resolutely, "Even if I die, I will never marry this kind of person."

“It is precisely because you refused to submit that danger has come knocking on your door.” Li Xin’s eyes turned slightly cold. “He dared to make a move on you, which means he is already courting death.”

Zhang Yourong stared at him blankly.

The young man spoke of killing and plundering with the same nonchalance as discussing the weather, yet it was precisely this composure that gave people a sense of security.

When do you plan to make your move?

"Tomorrow," Li Xin said clearly, "the foreign merchant ships will set sail the day after tomorrow. The best opportunity is for the Wang family to hold a grand banquet tonight and relax their guard."

"I'll go to the docks to rescue the civilians first, then I'll come back and deal with the Wang family."

He paused, then gently instructed, "There will be a lot of gunfire and explosions. If you hear any unusual noises, hide under the bed to avoid any stray bullets."

Under the bed?

"That location is the safest."