Bang, bang, bang—
The shadows of the trees swayed in the darkness.
In the courtyard where large trees were planted, a tall figure was throwing punches. The speed of the fists seemed to follow a strange rhythm, continuous and unbroken. The thick tree, too large for one person to embrace, swayed again and again in the sound of the punches.
The courtyard was not luxurious. An old two-story wooden building sat in an "L" shape. A tattered lantern hung at the corner, emitting a dim light in the night, illuminating a small area, which only seemed to make the night darker.
There were others in the courtyard. Inside the railing at the corner of the second floor of the wooden building, a swordsman stood silently in the darkness. On the roof tiles, there were also black figures standing.
In the distance, the chaos in Fuzhou City, large and small, was still ongoing.
After a while, the figure upstairs sent a simple signal, and then someone came in.
The punching near the tree stopped.
The middle-aged man who entered the courtyard looked around, clasped his hands silently, and then walked towards the big tree in the center of the courtyard, "Grandmaster Ni is still practicing his punches."
"Since I came of age, I have punched for an hour every day." Iron Fist Ni Po released the cloth strips on his hands, "I thought there would be something to do this afternoon, so I saved half an hour of strength, but nothing happened, which is a bit disappointing."
"Miss Chen made careful arrangements, and the government can't find this place for the time being."
"Then what is the purpose of Uncle Yan coming here..."
"It was also Miss Chen's instructions, there are some things to discuss with Grandmaster Ni."
"Hitting someone, killing someone, who to kill. Just say it."
The person who came this night was Chen Yan, the steward beside Chen Shuangran. The two sides had dealt with each other quite a bit, and Ni Po's temperament was also straightforward. Chen Yan was silent for a moment, then clasped his hands.
He spoke in the courtyard:
"The first group of people to take action left the city this evening. They were personally selected by Grandmaster Ni. Miss Chen believes that no matter whether the government can catch the people leaving the city, Grandmaster Ni's challenges throughout the city in the previous period cannot be concealed."
"I just like to fight, to make friends through martial arts, so what?"
"The government won't listen. In any case, Grandmaster Ni, you have completed this task. Miss Chen said that this is the reward from before."
As Chen Yan spoke, he took out a small box, opened his hand, and handed it over. Ni Po reached out and took it, frowning.
"Then what?"
"Then, if Grandmaster Ni is willing, we can arrange for Grandmaster Ni to leave the city at any time. Within three to five days, you should be able to completely leave Fuzhou and avoid this chaos in Fuzhou."
"Hmph, crossing the river and demolishing the bridge? -- You want to get rid of me?"
"Absolutely not." Chen Yan said frankly, "This time Miss Chen is using people, and Grandmaster Ni is not the only friend who came to help. Miss Chen said, if you can leave safely, it shows our sincerity in using people this time, but if you die immediately after completing the task, other friends probably won't let us off easily... right?"
He spoke frankly, and the last sentence was addressed to the others in the courtyard. Someone on the second floor snorted, but generally acknowledged the righteousness of this side's actions. Ni Po also opened the small box, stuffing the several silver notes and gems inside into his arms.
"Hmph, leaving now, you women running the place are a bit too petty."
"It's all for Grandmaster Ni's consideration."
"But I don't plan to leave yet."
Ni Po spoke slowly.
Chen Yan looked at him from across the yard, his gaze calm.
Ni Po raised his finger, "When I came, I said that I, 'Iron Fist' Ni Po, from Ji Province, came here to make a name for myself in the martial world, to make a name for myself! What you are doing is a major rebellion, and you have a methodical way of doing things, which is good, but at most the government suspects me now, which doesn't mean they can find me, let alone catch me. Your Chen Shuangran, and that Pu Xingui, Cao Jinlong, and others are still walking in the city. Let me leave now, are you looking down on me?"
Chen Yan stared at him, then smiled, "Grandmaster Ni, do you really want to stay and play bigger?"
Ni Po also smiled.
"Uncle Yan." He said slowly, "Ji Province, like many places in Fujian, is a small place. I, Ni, have loved martial arts since I was a child. When I was a teenager, I thought I was invincible, but it wasn't until the Jurchens went south and the Jingkang Incident that northern boxing masters came to our place. After a few exchanges, I realized that I was just a frog in a well in the past. I re-studied with a teacher, and after several years, there was also the Jianyan Southern Migration, and northerners went south in large numbers. I realized the greatness of the world and the wonderfulness of boxing."
He untied the cloth strip on his other hand, "...By the time of the Jiangning Conference last year, I finally saw the strongest boxing techniques and the most wonderful skills in the world. I was terrified, but I knew that sooner or later, I would be able to get there... Before that, I will fight step by step until one day, I can stand in front of Cult Master Lin and spar with him!"
Under the night, he threw the cloth strip in his hand with a whoosh.
"Uncle Yan, this trip to Fuzhou is far from my limit. I am not afraid of death, and the hounds in the yamen are just chickens and dogs. You need me, and I can help you do great things."
He said these words here.
In the night, Chen Yan seemed to be impressed by his courage, and finally laughed heartily.
"Miss Chen said... If Grandmaster Ni can have such awareness, then we... can indeed do some powerful things together."
"Don't be as boring as before, create something unsafe."
"Don't worry." Chen Yan smiled, "It won't be too safe... for anyone."
...
Outside Fuzhou City.
From afar, some figures could be seen running in the darkness, and there were also knights holding torches, passing through fields, villages, and forests by the ponds outside the villages in the yellow halo...
As the time approached midnight, the patrol army and the Ministry of Justice's forces had extended for dozens of miles, controlling all major roads around Fuzhou, and besieging and screening the assassins who assassinated in the city in the evening.
Above an official post station on the edge of the city, figures were playing chess in a room that was faintly lit. A veiled girl sat by the window, drinking tea and observing the scene in the night through the slightly opened crack.
At one point, a warning knock came from the roof, and then the window opened, and a figure in a black robe returned to the room like a ghost.
"Something's not right." The voice of Monk Tunyun was slightly hoarse, "Several teams of soldiers went to Weizhuang."
In the room, Chen Shuangran's action of holding the tea paused slightly. The two figures playing chess in the center did not move. Another person walked to Tunyun's side, picked up the telescope in his hand, and looked quietly into the distance from the window.
"Were we discovered?" Chen Shuangran sighed.
Tunyun said, "Are we going to save them?"
"There's no need." The man with the telescope at the window opened his mouth, "Preparations have been made."
Chen Shuangran took another sip of tea.
In the center of the room, the chess game continued. The night outside was still anxious. At one point, a ball of fire suddenly lit up in the distance in the night. The man by the window put down the telescope.
"It exploded," he said.
"Amitabha." Tunyun raised his eyebrows, "Whether they can escape depends on their creation... But I am a little curious, how were they discovered?"
The man holding the telescope looked at the distance in the night, and then, he also moved the corners of his mouth slightly, as if smiling, "Tie Tianying has long known that in this Fuzhou turmoil, we rely on the various wealthy households who harbor ill intentions. Although they will not come in person, their family's assets are our reliance for hiding... Fujian has been noisy for two years, and I think the Ministry of Justice has long had a list of who may rebel, who is suspected of being large, and who is suspected of being small, including their villas inside and outside Fuzhou, they must have touched them all..."
He said, "If I were Tie Tianying, I'm afraid I would have secretly placed eyeliners outside the various suspected villas last month, leading them out without firing, and then when it came to such a big battle tonight, many people are running, maybe they can catch a big fish... Now it seems that Detective Tie is still sharp, and it's also our luck this round that it's a bit bad..."
"Hmph." Tunyun smiled, "It seems that we should find a chance to get rid of him first."
Chen Shuangran put down the teacup, "If there is a... master to take action, I would also like to try..."
"He's not that easy to deal with." The figure holding the telescope shook his head, "Back then in the martial world, it was always Tie Tianying who besieged others, and few could surround him... Over the years, the only one who could make him lag behind step by step in planning and layout was that person..."
"Who is it?" Tunyun asked.
The two people playing chess in the room also looked over at this time. But then, everyone saw him shaking his head and remaining silent, and they all realized who was being talked about at this time. Immediately, the two people playing chess turned back, and Monk Tunyun's face was as ugly as if he had swallowed a maggot.
"Damn." The monk cursed.
Chen Shuangran put down the teacup, "Actually, I heard that he also miscalculated a move in Lin'an back then, and was tricked by Wanyan Xiyin's disciple..."
Everyone nodded, and the person by the window sighed, and then smiled, "...That's right."
...
The sleepless night, light and fire spread bit by bit outside the city. Inside the city, from the palace to the princess's mansion, from Li Pin's school to the Zuo family's courtyard, a large number of people did not sleep until dawn. The lights in the Ministry of Justice were even on all night, and the traffic in front of the door was heavy, like a market all night long.
It rained in the morning.
Near noon, Tie Tianying brought a team back from outside the city, and his armor was wet. He asked Chief Constable Song Xiaoming to get dry ones to change into, but Song Xiaoming joked, "Master, wouldn't it be better to enter the palace wet?"
"Heretical ways, don't use your mind on this."
"That's a bit difficult, you have to speculate on the minds of bad people."
"Stop talking nonsense, how is it on your side?"
He came here first to understand the progress of the situation. Song Xiaoming presented the summary of the case files that had been prepared.
"Not so good." He opened some of the important ones, "A lot of people have been caught, and some can be convicted, but the main ones exposed are not the big shots we want. According to their confessions today, the Tan and Yan families can already be raided. I'm afraid that two or three more families can be interrogated next, but their family fortunes are not very large, and with this incident, I'm afraid they have already gone up the mountain and need to be suppressed... These three people who were being watched earlier have not taken any action, and are not connected to the bandit leaders Chen, Pu, and Cao..."
As Song Xiaoming spoke, he pointed to one of the files, hesitating, "Master, if Chen Shuangran can't be found, should we close the net on the one in Houguan County first? With him and some other people caught, the death of Zhong Ergui can put together the ins and outs of the incitement... The pressure from Fuzhou Prefecture is also great..."
Tie Tianying stared for a moment, "This Zhang Li must have met Chen Shuangran."
"But has Chen Shuangran abandoned him?"
"...There are people from the yamen behind Chen Shuangran." Tie Tianying pressed his hand on these files, "Either this current yamen, or the former head of the Six Doors, maybe they even know me..."
Song Xiaoming opened his mouth.
"...Last night, I received a tip from the dark line outside the city that there was a problem with Weizhuang. When I went there, I did find people, but the other party was prepared. Some of the people below were almost blown to death. The twelve people who committed the crime in the evening were hiding in the village and escaped through a secret passage... One was killed, two were caught, and they were interrogated on the spot. No one knew how to find Chen Shuangran. At most, they could know their upline, and they are all hiding now... From last month to today, so many lines have been cut off cleanly. You can't do it if you're not familiar with the yamen. Moreover, the gunpowder that exploded last night... is not simple..."
Song Xiaoming hesitated for a moment, "...Is it... ours, from the army, or from outside?"
"...It seems to be from outside."
"Someone is reaching over?"
"I can't be sure who."
"There are only a few families in the world, and the closest one... is Prince Gongping?"
"I'm not sure, I can't say." Tie Tianying said, "I will report this matter, you can't mention it to anyone..."
"Yes."
"Don't move Zhang Li for now. Zhong Ergui's case is sensitive. Whether to close the line or not, I will ask for instructions before saying. Prepare a carriage. I will look at the things on the road." Tie Tianying grabbed these summarized case files. Before leaving, he thought of something else, "By the way, one of the people who was caught mentioned a name, a 'Iron Fist' Ni Po, who was sent out by Chen Shuangran..."
"I was just about to say that, we also asked about this person." Song Xiaoming took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, "I have already asked someone to draw a portrait, here, he looks like this..."
He handed the image to Tie Tianying, Tie Tianying nodded, "The opponent is experienced, and has probably already broken the line, but it doesn't hurt to investigate... Don't send it out first, see if we can find him faster."
Song Xiaoming nodded, but did not place too much hope on this.
However, the person was found that afternoon.
...
In the evening, Song Xiaoming, with two elites under his command, felt something was wrong in an alley in the east of the city.
The alley was not narrow, but the old walls on both sides were quite high. A huge pagoda tree cast a thick shadow in front. The rare cool road in Fuzhou City seemed a bit gloomy at this moment. There were pedestrians outside the alley, and there were still vendors hawking, but the nearby watchtower couldn't take care of the situation in the alley for a while. The other two companions were circling towards the other end of the alley from the street.
The figure who was originally being followed stood under the big pagoda tree and gave him a smile.
Then, he roared.
"Damn."
Song Xiaoming drew his knife, and at the same time, his other hand waved, and a whistling arrow rose into the sky.
There was movement in the courtyard on one side, and the light of the knife flowed; above the big pagoda tree, a hidden figure swooped down like an eagle.
Sunlight falls through the tree shadows, and everything will happen very quickly.