The chaotic figures closed the distance in an instant, leading to collisions and conflicts. Some sacrificed themselves, some lunged forward, some dodged, and some swung their blades amidst hysterical shouts. Steel clashed in the air, producing intense sparks and chilling sounds that made one's teeth and jaws tingle.

A constable who tried to dodge had his arm chopped off. The severed limb flew into the air with a gush of blood. The diagonal slash also tore through his intestines. He staggered backward as the assassin, still swinging his long saber like the wind, passed through his body with even greater ferocity. Another constable, brandishing his broadsword as he charged forward, locked blades with the enemy's full-force swing. Both men shouted, pulling and tugging with desperate strength in the narrow alley, colliding and vying for dominance.

At the same moment, Ni Po's fists and Song Xiaoming's blade collided with all their might. Ni Po used his fists against the weapon, his arms bound with heavy iron strips. His hands guarded his upper body, rotating and swinging outward, similar to the Iron Wire Fist of later generations. Relying on the advantage of short-range attack, he directly broke through the center of the long saber's defense. This was an unconventional offensive technique in the martial world. Song Xiaoming twirled his long saber, aiming to draw the blade's arc towards his opponent's lower body while retreating, trying to create distance. The assassin, swooping down like a falcon, slashed several times at the retreating constables and then swung his blade back towards Song Xiaoming's back.

Song Xiaoming blocked with an iron ruler in his other hand. The iron fists crashed in like thunder, and he dodged while retreating, feeling the burning sensation as a fist grazed his forehead.

Thump, thump, thump—

The distance between him and the green brick wall of the alley was three steps. During these three steps, he let out a long roar, swinging his long saber and iron ruler continuously, but even fiercer fist winds and blade lights swept over him from the front and sides.

The sunlight waned. Birds took flight from the alley and the surrounding courtyards. In a short time, the sounds of shouting gradually ceased, and the violent pounding of fists slowly became subdued.

The stench of blood permeated from the alley.

Before long, on the road outside the alley, a tall figure with bloodstained fists emerged. He smeared the thick blood from his fists on the wall beside the street and then shouted loudly:

"Ni Po, the 'Iron Fist,' is the one who killed Chief Constable Song Xiaoming!"

...

It was already dusk. In the distance, a signal arrow whistled, probably indicating that the constables were arresting criminals somewhere. But after a while, the signal arrows became more frequent, and the streets of the eastern part of the city grew increasingly uneasy.

Ning Ji climbed onto the roof and gazed around. He watched as the mounted constables frantically rode through the already crowded city streets. The subtle chaos even seemed to extend towards the direction of the imperial city...

Pedestrians on the streets and residents in the neighborhoods gradually began to discuss the situation. Of course, since yesterday evening, the city had been filled with commotion, big and small, and this latest disturbance seemed to be another troublesome event.

Qu Longjun, dressed in men's clothing, prepared the carriage and then stood at the courtyard gate, watching and listening to the meaningless rumors from the neighbors.

After a while, Ning Ji saw Chen Hua from the Gui Tai Alliance on the roof. He jumped from his own courtyard to the roof next door and cupped his hands to shout a few words. When Chen Hua noticed him, he "hehehe'd" and jumped back amidst the annoyed glances of the neighbors.

Chen Hua approached the courtyard like a lackey, smiling and greeting Qu Longjun at the gate: "Hehehe, Young Hero Long and Young Hero Sun, so you're living here?"

Qu Longjun began to converse with him. Ning Ji only shouted, "Let him tell us what happened." He didn't rush down but continued to watch the city's commotion from the roof. During dusk, the crowded traffic conditions in Fuzhou would amplify any unusual disturbances. Even though he couldn't get a complete view with a telescope from his vantage point, as a trained individual, he could deduce a lot from the traces of the unrest's spread.

Something big is happening...

After a while, Qu Longjun climbed onto the roof via the stairs and informed him of Chief Constable Song Xiaoming's death not long ago.

Ning Ji frowned.

...

At the same moment, within the imperial city, one could see the setting sun gradually turning blood-red, spreading its hue across everything.

In the imperial study, the officials were still in conference. A large map of Fuzhou and its surrounding areas hung high, with various events that had occurred since the previous night marked on it.

To prepare for the anticipated changes, the Ministry of Justice, the Zuo family, and the Imperial City Division, under Tie Tianying's direct command, had made numerous preparations. Many long-targeted leads had been acted upon, with arrests and raids commencing the previous night. They were also attempting to find clues about Pu Xingu, Chen Shuangran, and Cao Jinlong during these raids.

The ongoing game, in essence, was the imperial family and a few large clans and gentry tearing at each other. However, the focal points were the symbolic presence of Pu Xingu, Chen Shuangran, and Cao Jinlong. Capturing these three would extinguish the flames and silence those with ill intentions. But failing to capture them would turn the purging of certain large clans into a futile effort.

In other words, the essence of the strategy was to target the large clans, but the tactical presentation revolved around the three major rebels.

After a day and a night, there were some achievements, but they had not touched upon the core of the operation. Therefore, they could only continue the investigation, hoping to find a few clues among the massive amount of information that would ultimately allow them to pinpoint the whereabouts of these three rebels.

The discussion had been going on for a long time, but at this moment, due to the sudden arrival of information from outside the palace, everyone in the study fell silent. The emperor's expression was terribly gloomy, and Tie Tianying also seemed somewhat dazed. However, after a moment, he sent his subordinates out of the palace to handle his disciple's affairs, while he remained in the imperial study.

Emperor Jun Wu did not speak. Zuo Wenhuai, who had been summoned to the palace, did not speak. Tie Tianying also remained silent. After a while, a young and vigorous official in the room stood up first.

"Your Majesty, I dare to offer another suggestion—please make a firm decision and order the Zhenhai and Beiwei armies to take action against the disloyal clans in Fujian! As I said before, many clans in Fujian have long revealed their rebellious intentions. We should not treat these people with courtesy. The chaos in Fuzhou is caused by ruthless bandits, which is nothing more than these clans shielding them with their industries and connections within the city. The imperial court still holds absolute superiority in Fujian. This matter is urgent. In my opinion, we should mobilize the army to thoroughly search the entire Fujian and interrogate these clans in detail. We will surely find evidence..."

"Enough—" Jun Wu slammed his hand on the table, his face darkened.

The blood-red sunset spread through the hall. The young official knelt down. He was actually a highly valued young official who had accepted the ideology of "honoring the king and expelling the barbarians". His ideas were radical and represented the thoughts of many young people: "I beg Your Majesty to make a decision even at the cost of my life! I guarantee with my life that I have no personal motives!"

Jun Wu was silent for a moment: "...What if, no evidence is found?"

The official was also silent for a while, gritting his teeth: "...These Fujian clans do not submit to the king's rule. This conflict is fundamentally difficult to resolve. Even if we fabricate charges, it will not wrong them too much. Only by eliminating these people can the people of Fujian be governed by Your Majesty... I know that this is absolutely impossible in a time of peace, but today the world is in danger, and Your Majesty wants to reverse the situation. You must not hesitate any longer. I beg Your Majesty to make a decision! If you are worried about any problems afterward, I am willing to deal with these disloyal villains for Your Majesty. If anything is not done well, Your Majesty can arrest me and punish me at any time—"

His words were firm and resolute, even with a generosity that regarded death as home. Zuo Wenhuai frowned slightly but did not speak. Jun Wu stared at him for a while and sighed.

"...Tie Tianying, the one who died...was my chief constable, and also your disciple...Tell me, what do you think?"

Tie Tianying took a step forward, seeming to sigh slightly.

"In my opinion...it is absolutely impossible," he said calmly.

Jun Wu nodded.

"Why?"

...

The light of the setting sun was like a huge magic weapon, covering people, the city, and extending to the boundless horizon.

Ning Ji and Qu Longjun packed the carriage and headed towards Yinqiao Lane.

He sighed: "...Speaking of which, this is the most useless emperor I have ever seen, hehe. I thought he was doing well..."

Chief Constable Song Xiaoming was killed, and the murderer even appeared openly on the street, then disappeared into the nearby streets and alleys amidst the constables' encirclement. This not only showed the enemy's martial arts skills but also revealed the underground opposition's control over the city.

In the month or so after entering the city, Ning Ji at least believed that the imperial court, although not strong enough in the mountains, still maintained absolute control in the major cities. Who knew that after this fierce exchange of blows, he would discover that the numerous villains in the shadows also had enormous power over the city.

After staying in Fujian for three years, he still hadn't fully grasped the capital city. After tearing off the mask, he still had to engage in such a struggle. It was simply too pitiful.

Qu Longjun shook her head: "Things can't be said that way. These large clans in Fujian, when the Wu Dynasty was prosperous, certainly didn't have the right to speak to the emperor. But when you really think about it, they also represent the combined strength of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people. They want to fight the imperial court. The chief constable of the Ministry of Justice may seem important, but in reality, he is just a single person..."

"Having gotten to this point, they should seal off the city and search it thoroughly," Ning Ji said. "Mobilize the patrol army, block off all the neighborhoods, and then search them one by one. They can find a lot of people...Do you think the imperial court will do that?"

He proposed the idea. Qu Longjun was silent for a while, then leaned over and whispered, "...I don't think they will."

"...Why?"

"The emperor of Fuzhou summoned many people over to select concubines, and the villains in the shadows also summoned many people to cause trouble. The two sides started fighting yesterday. If I were Chen Shuangran and Pu Xingu, I would escape far away once he sealed off the city...If this extensive search of the city fails to catch the mastermind, the more people that are dealt with, the worse the impact on the world will be. First, everyone will think that His Majesty has torn off the mask and started killing people indiscriminately in Fujian. Second, they will think that the imperial court can't even control the situation in Fuzhou. At that time, Chen Shuangran and the others will raise the banner, and all the clans in Fujian will go up the mountain to respond..."

"Heh." Ning Ji smiled. "That's why I say, this emperor is really useless, so constrained..."

Because her elders occasionally mentioned this "disciple" in the southeast, Ning Ji had always had a good impression of this little emperor. This trip to Fuzhou, after seeing how well-organized the city life was, he had also felt some goodwill. But now, with this round of killings, those little dogs like Chen Shuangran and Pu Xingu were able to have the chief constable of the Ministry of Justice assassinated on the road. Ning Ji really felt wronged for him.

Of course, this matter didn't have much to do with him right now. He was still planning the assassination of Tie Tianying when he left the palace, and how to make Pu Xingu see that he was also a "villain". Things had just started, there were not enough clues, and there was no use in rushing. He thought about it and decided to just watch the excitement and take things one step at a time.

He was also a little curious. When his father spoke of this little emperor, he always said that he was a simple and obedient child. Even when talking about the events before and after the fall of the Jianshuo Dynasty, he had high praise for the little emperor's several heroic battles to the death. Now that this great chaos had broken out, and Zuo Wenhuai and the others hadn't shown the same kind of meticulous planning as they had in the southwest, he wondered what method his father would use to drag out and strangle those little dogs in the shadows like Chen Shuangran and Pu Xingu if he were here and saw the little emperor being bullied like this.

Sometimes he thought that if he had such abilities, he should help the other party—of course, he would also strangle Tie Tianying, that bastard.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Qu Longjun, his strategist, who was beside him. She had great potential. Although she couldn't do these things yet, if she followed him to travel around the martial world and then joined several special operations teams of the Huaxia Army, maybe she could make him as famous as his father someday.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but "hehe" to himself.

On the other side, Qu Longjun frowned and thought for a moment, then said: "The situation in Fuzhou is not peaceful now. After the momentum grows, the large clans observing in secret will probably make their final decision to choose sides. When you think about it carefully, the imperial court's decisive advantage mainly lies in the nearly 200,000 troops under its command. If they are pushed too hard, the army might really be mobilized to attack these people..."

Ning Ji looked ahead and didn't think too much this time: "Then in the game of competing for the world, the little emperor will be completely out."

"Hmm?" Qu Longjun looked at him, blinking her eyes.

...

In the imperial palace, Tie Tianying stood there and sighed.

"...I came from the Ministry of Justice and have always been closest to the constables below. I also know the most about the people in the various yamen. The one thing I have always been clear about is that many officials in the yamen have a heart of pity for the people when they first start out, but often after they have done their first forced confession and fabricated charges...this person will no longer be able to handle difficult cases, because when they encounter difficult cases, they will mostly resort to fabricating charges and forced confessions..."

Jun Wu's hand tapped the table helplessly.

The young official kneeling below gritted his teeth: "The bandits are rampant, and the knot between the imperial court and the large clans is, in my opinion, almost impossible to untie...Just this once, as an expediency..."

"Enough," Jun Wu said from above, "I only have this team of yours, only these useful ministers of yours. This time we are facing such a big issue, and I say it can be expedient. In the future, when you encounter an issue of the same magnitude, you will still be expedient. Using the power of the imperial court to untie the knot with the various large clans in Fujian is a big issue, but is the issue of the Fair Party not big? Is fighting the Jurchens not big? Is fighting against the southwest not big? There are many big issues in this world, it's just a matter of taking each step as it comes, slowly untangling it..."

These words were not spoken with much generosity or emotion, but the will in his words was clear. After speaking, he paused slightly: "Also, Yu Qing, I know your loyalty, and I also know that many of the young officials who have been promoted to the court have the same thoughts as you...For this reason, as a warning to others, I will demote you three levels this time and have you start from scratch below. I hope you will learn from your pain and make new achievements, and be able to discuss matters in front of the court again in the future."

"...Do you have any complaints?"

The imperial study was quiet for a moment, then the official kowtowed on the ground with a thud.

...

The setting sun gradually turned blood-red, and the carriage approached Yinqiao Lane.

Ning Ji gently flicked the whip.

"...Competing for the world is actually also competing for the hearts of the people. In Fuzhou, the hearts of the people are not entirely with the imperial court because in the mountainous areas, those clans do have a reason to exist. It is the people who want the clans, not just the clans enslaving the people...Even if the little emperor kills all the clans in Fujian, will the people submit to him? No, instead the army will become warlords, relying on high pressure and robbery to seize taxes and military expenses from the people. At that time, the Zhenhai Army and the Beiwei Army will also become bandits who can't fight at all...In this kind of competition for the world, it's not that you can't kill people, but killing people not to win the hearts of the people will actually only kill yourself..."

He spoke casual words. Qu Longjun on the side was surprised at first, then her eyes gradually brightened, and her face turned slightly red, and her eyes became admiring. In fact, during the time she was recovering from her injuries in the southwest, she often had such a look when she looked at the cold-faced little military doctor. Now that she had established her position with him, she felt more of his liveliness and loveliness, but he ultimately had this side of his wisdom.

Ning Ji noticed this gaze, and was smug. After a moment, he smiled.

"Hehe, the Huaxia Army often talks about these things..."

Before long, the two arrived at Yinqiao Lane and set up their stall.

...

Night gradually replaced the setting sun.

Several carriages naturally traveled through the streets of Fuzhou. Although they could be seen before and after, they were scattered far apart and at first glance, did not look like people who knew each other.

In one of the carriages, the curtain was quietly lifted, and a pair of eyes, both calm and surging, saw the Jin Yinqiao archway in the distance.

"...Stop near a hidden place, then you can leave."

"This..." The coachman hesitated.

"I'm going to handle some things. Those above know...Your safety is not my concern."

"..."

The carriage finally turned to one side.

...

In the carriage in front, the disguised Chen Shuangran was chatting in a low voice with the middle-aged man in the carriage, while the middle-aged man was paying attention to the surrounding situation. He first noticed the abnormality of the carriage in the middle.

"Drive slower," he ordered.

After a while, someone ran over, silently got into the carriage, and reported the movements of "Iron Fist" Ni Po to Chen Shuangran and the others.

"The thing that was ordered?" The middle-aged man frowned.

"...There is one thing," Chen Shuangran thought for a moment and said lazily.

"What is it?"

Chen Shuangran described it roughly. After hearing it, the other party frowned.

"He just killed the chief constable of the Ministry of Justice, and the yamen is still searching nearby. To test his skills at this time, think clearly, the possibility of an accident is not small."

"The second half of Yinqiao Lane is the fish market..." Chen Shuangran smiled, "There are already arrangements...Moreover, even if he is caught...what does it have to do with us..."

The middle-aged man reluctantly nodded: "Let's change the carriage. We can't let Ni Po know that we are nearby again."

"Okay," Chen Shuangran nodded, smiling, "Actually...martial arts heroes are like this, sometimes doing their own thing, and sometimes...there are some fun...Don't you think so..."

The middle-aged man shook his head: "Forget it, Ni Po's martial arts are good. His foundation is solid, and now after a lot of experience, he will have great achievements in the future. I'm not worried about him being defeated by a bunch of show-offs. Even if he is temporarily targeted by the yamen, it's not like he has no way out. It's just that if he can control his desire for fame and wealth...If he can listen to people's commands, our chances of success will be greater..."

"...You really admire him."

"Alright, we'll still be using him for a long time..."

They got out of the carriage and then changed transportation. In the night, the stars were twinkling slightly.

...

Ni Po wore a thin cloak over his body and walked through the dim alley.

The blood in his body was surging.

Killing Chief Constable Song Xiaoming put his whole body in a state of great excitement. Previously, the fierce life-and-death fight for a moment had put his state at its peak, especially after successfully killing the enemy, the great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction made him burn fiercely.

He was a martial artist from a small place, who had been honing himself for half his life. He originally planned to make a name for himself at the heroes' conference in Jiangning City, but before his name was revealed, Lin Zongwu, the number one person in the world, repeatedly stepped on the various arenas in Jiangning City, making him feel the gap between people for the first time, and also felt the enthusiasm and surge behind that strength.

During his time in Jiangning, he focused on martial arts and fought in the arena in a down-to-earth manner, but in the second half of the arena, due to the King of Fair's disturbance, all the high-level figures in the city turned their attention to boring politics, and the arena competition became a boring chore, especially at the end of the competition, when He Wen overturned the table and a group of people fought in the city, even directly leading to the eunuch of the arena competition. His enthusiasm was like a bucket of cold water being poured on him, but he also learned the meaning of this life.

He suppressed his anger.

During his time in Fuzhou City, he sparred with many experts from Chen Shuangran's side, and even received guidance from grandmasters, including Master Tunyun, and his cultivation and vision improved by leaps and bounds. Everyone knew that his future was limitless, and he himself understood this very well.

He was not stupid, and certainly not a simple reckless man - the fight between the great clans and the imperial court had just begun, the Ministry of Justice had not figured out the details of his group of people, and Chen Shuangran and others still had the strength to spare in the city. This time period was the best moment for him to show his talent and retreat completely. At this time, he had just killed Song Xiaoming not long ago, and had proudly announced his existence in the street. If he could do another feat and retreat completely within an hour, the green forest would talk about him in the future with a sense of style like Guan Yu passing five passes and killing six generals.

Chen Yan had told him a lot of things yesterday, one of which was a small matter that came along the way.

"...My young lady heard that Pu Xingu, the young master, is indiscriminately trying to recruit two teenagers in the city for his own use. I heard that they are only sixteen or seventeen years old. Last year in Jiangning, they even had the name of lewd thieves. Maybe you have heard of them...If you have the opportunity and confidence these few days, go and try them out...Of course, the main thing is the big things..."

Ni Po vaguely remembered that he had heard the names of two little dogs.

They seemed to have caused some trouble in Jiangning City.

But these little dogs who have not yet grown up...to recruit?

Chen Shuangran sneered at it, and Ni Po also found it ridiculous. Of course, that Pu Xingu was indeed ignorant and ridiculous in the eyes of experts like Ni Po. Although they were said to be accomplices in the officialdom, he did not mind teaching the other party a lesson.

This is the best time.

It didn't matter if he seriously injured the two or killed one of them. He completed the fight in the fastest time, and then, before the constables arrived - or after - he left proudly. He had arrangements here in Yinqiao Lane, and he had already thought about the path to leave. And by reaching the peak of his sharpness on this day, he could carefully chew on this understanding afterwards and go to the next level.

At the first quarter of Xu time, Ni Po stepped into the streets of Yinqiao Lane.

Although there were fewer people in the market than usual, the lights were continuous and there were many spectators.

He was tall, with the bloodiness of the killing, and strode forward, like a demon god, reaching out a hand, grabbing the cloak on his body, and waving it towards the night sky on the side.

The heat wave of the night was like poetry, intoxicating.

In front of a grocery stall not far away, a little dog looked at him dumbfounded...