Boom—

The morning sun filtered through the swaying shadows of the trees, casting a flickering golden light. In a courtyard of a security bureau in the south of Fuzhou city, figures weaved and crisscrossed. Amidst the slight distortions caused by the light and shadows, a man surrounded in the middle stood with a stern and impenetrable stance. Occasionally, he would strike out like a heavy cannon, sending his opponents flying.

It wasn't a large security bureau, and the martial artists involved in the melee appeared somewhat shabby in their attire. It was likely a chief guard from the bureau, leading four lackeys, jointly fighting against the fist-wielding man. Around the small courtyard of the bureau, several other martial artists were watching the battle.

Before long, all five men were knocked down.

The shadows of the large locust tree in the courtyard swayed, and the cicadas chirped noisily. The fist-wielding man surveyed his surroundings and proclaimed loudly, "I am 'Iron Fist' Ni Po from Ji Prefecture. I have long heard of the Flying Cloud Security Bureau, but having witnessed it today, it is nothing more than this... Is there anyone else who would like to come up and offer guidance?"

There were some underworld figures among the spectators in the courtyard, but they were not internal members of the Flying Cloud Security Bureau. Some people stepped forward and shouted a few sentences, to which Ni Po responded with his head held high. However, no fight broke out for a while. Just as he was about to walk out of the courtyard, a thin man wearing a black cloak and with his hands tucked into his chest stepped forward.

"Chief Guard Mu of the Flying Cloud Security Bureau is a friend of mine. He's just not here today..."

"Good, you want to stand up for him..."

"Not really..."

The thin man didn't want to start a fight, but Ni Po was already approaching. The auras of the two men intertwined. With a flick of his hand, the thin man drew two swords, transforming into two flashes of sunlight in the summer, slashing and twirling like a dance. For a moment, it seemed as if sunlight was leaping and flying wildly in the courtyard of the security bureau. "Iron Fist" Ni Po roared, "Ah—," and waved his arms. A series of clangs and clatters echoed in the courtyard.

The next moment, with a bang, the thin man wielding the double swords was sent flying, crashing into the wall behind. "Iron Fist" Ni Po's arm sleeves were torn apart, revealing precious golden silk soft armor underneath.

"Your swordsmanship is not bad," Ni Po said.

"I thought you... were not using weapons..."

"Haha, today they came at you in waves, taking a little advantage of you. If you're not convinced, we'll have a fair fight another day."

"Inferior skill, no need for further attempts..."

"Hmph, you're a tough guy..."

The two exchanged some polite words.

If Ning Ji were present, he would surely recognize that many of the people in the security bureau were the lackeys who had followed He Zhang to Silver Bridge Quarter. At this moment, on the second floor of a shop across the street from the security bureau, several pairs of eyes were watching the entire fight unfold from the window.

Pu Xingui, dressed as a young nobleman, watched the outcome of the fight with a blank expression. Opposite him was the so-called "Literary Marquis Sword" Qian Dingzhong. He Zhang stood respectfully to the side, his face tense and ashamed.

"More than a year has passed, and so much money has been spent. I asked you to bring some useful people this time, and you brought a bunch of useless trash?"

"It's just that... Young Master came too suddenly. My strongest martial artist is not here, and..." He Zhang looked embarrassed. "And... Young Master Pu also knows that Xu Nanjiang has started an uprising in Tigerfall Stronghold. Originally... he and I had the best relationship..."

"I came suddenly?" Pu Xingui slapped the table in front of him. "What if the constables come one day? Wouldn't that also be sudden? What will you do?"

"But... Young Master should at least have told me. My subordinates would know what was going on, and they could show off their skills..."

He Zhang was also helpless. It was still morning when Pu Xingui suddenly appeared and called him upstairs. Then "Iron Fist" Ni Po entered the Flying Cloud Security Bureau, claiming to be making friends through martial arts. The several skilled fighters present probably hadn't figured out what was happening, making it quite embarrassing. After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Young Master, I really do have some skilled fighters with me this time, but they're not here right now. If Young Master wants to test them, you should at least give me some time..."

"That double-sword wielder just now, his moves were actually decent," Qian Dingzhong said on his behalf.

He Zhang nodded quickly.

Pu Xingui glanced at him. "I know that this kind of test is not very reasonable, but in the current situation, the higher-ups want safety. They would rather miss out than announce it in advance and be set up... Old He, I know your abilities. Do you really have someone who can fight?"

"Yes."

"How does he compare to this 'Iron Fist' Ni Po?"

"I don't know where Young Master found this Ni Po, but he is indeed powerful..."

"I didn't find him," Pu Xingui waved his hand.

"Yes," He Zhang had a good idea in his mind. "Either of the two I found, Li Lang with the double swords wouldn't even have a chance to draw his swords."

"...You really have such skilled fighters?"

"Yes, but these two are notorious outside. It is said that in Jiangnan, they had a major feud with Equality King Shi Baofeng..."

"Oh? Shi Baofeng is well-connected and has a good temper. He can befriend heroes from all over the world. What kind of feud did these two have with him..."

"It should be... that they raped the women in Shi Baofeng's family..."

"Whoa—"

"So I can't casually order such experts around. They are very fierce..."

The men gossiped for a while at the window. Pu Xingui then dismissed He Zhang. After the latter left the room, Pu Xingui frowned at Qian Dingzhong, "That woman's way of doing things is really ridiculous."

"She is indeed extremely cautious," Qian Dingzhong said.

After saying these two sentences, Pu Xingui got up from his seat, opened the door, and walked to another room on the second floor of the teahouse.

Guarding the door of this private room was a middle-aged steward in his fifties. He was thin and wiry with dark skin, a former sea pirate and now the butler, Chen Yan, who had been wandering with Chen Shuangran. After they met, he let Pu Xingui and Qian Dingzhong in. By the window in the room was Chen Shuangran, the madwoman with slightly dark skin but delicate features.

"Today's trip... was disappointing," Chen Shuangran said, looking at Pu Xingui.

"You've been like this recently. You suddenly want to come over, but the people aren't all here. How can it not be disappointing?"

"I just want to pick some good fighters, and—be safe."

"There are good fighters, but how many have you picked these days?" Pu Xingui sat down and slapped the table. "I'm so annoyed with you now! Do you think real experts are like dogs you keep at home? Waiting at home for you to come knocking anytime? Don't they need to go out and have fun? You come barging in without saying a word.

"That's what makes it real."

"I really believed in your lies... You said you wanted to do something big. Do you know that dozens of families are rushing to Fuzhou this time? After they arrive, you haven't made it clear what you want to do. You're secretly looking here and there, saying you want to pick good fighters... Chen Shuangran, what do you think you are? Zhuge Liang? Or Wu Zetian? Do you think the people below are all ants, all pawns? Do you think they can't see through your plan?"

Pu Xingui knocked on the table. "I'm telling you, many people are already saying in private that you, Chen Shuangran, want to do something big, but you've called everyone here to be cannon fodder for you, right? They came here, and you just want them to cause trouble. You don't want to share the benefits with them at all, do you!?"

Pu Xingui suppressed his voice, roaring softly.

Opposite him, Chen Shuangran tilted her head, looking at him with a strange sneer on her lips.

"...What benefits are there?"

"...Huh?"

"Young Master Pu, what benefits are there this time?" Chen Shuangran said softly, but also distinctly, "I'm fighting against the court. I want to overthrow this ridiculous little court. The powerful families are fighting with the court, wanting power in Fujian. As for the people below, they came here, didn't they want to make trouble for the court? Haven't they received money in private?"

"They received... Even if they received money, they don't want to be blindfolded!"

"What's wrong with being blindfolded? When the Emperor wants to take a concubine, Fujian is shaken, and families come to Fuzhou to join in the fun. The guards and underworld figures raised by each family also come to Fuzhou to seek a future... Blindfolded, even if the government catches them, it's just a small matter. If they knew my plan, some would be scared away, and some would inform the government... These untrustworthy lackeys, in the face of great events, are naturally used as cannon fodder. The branches and masters in various places haven't spoken yet. What are you in a hurry for, Young Master Pu?"

"You..."

"What you're in a hurry for, Young Master Pu, is just that I've stolen your thunder."

"..."

Chen Shuangran's tone was light, and she had left Pu Xingui speechless. After a moment, he chuckled and sat up straight at the table.

"Sister Chen, we're both in the same boat. I'll make it clear to you. I haven't figured out what you're planning yet, and I don't know which old officials you've bewitched. I just listened to your nonsense. But the power of the Pu family and the power of the Cao Alliance are still in my hands. If I don't let you succeed this time, you won't succeed either."

After he said this, the eyes opposite him looked over, the girl staring straight at him.

Pu Xingui licked his lips at the corner of his mouth and stared straight back.

In Fujian, the real conflict with the royal family was essentially the clans whose power was being shaken. Some of these clan forces were firm, some were wavering, and some radical elements had formed alliances. There were also more who, while watching, would never mind making corresponding or secretly providing help to the rebellion at the appropriate time.

This huge and loose alliance was the foundation of the rebel forces.

And on the surface, Chen Shuangran and Pu Xingui were now the representatives of the rebel military forces. If they could operate well, the radical clan elders behind them might pay them the benefits.

Recently, Chen Shuangran had obviously received support from various parties. For Pu Xingui, although he had initially chosen to support her, he still didn't know what she was up to. He was obviously impatient.

If one day things really succeeded and Chen Shuangran took the greatest credit, how could he, Pu Xingui, possibly become emperor?

The girl's eyes in front of him were chilling, but he tied his head and rebelled, and he was not easily frightened. After staring at each other for a moment, a cold sarcasm appeared in the girl's eyes: "The old officials have already approved my plan. If you have the guts to make trouble, I'm afraid you won't live to enjoy the rewards."

Pu Xingui also laughed, suddenly reaching out and pinching the back of Chen Shuangran's hand on the table. Chen Shuangran frowned, trying to pull her hand away but failing. Chen Yan and Qian Dingzhong moved in the room, but then stopped, exuding murderous intent.

Pu Xingui said: "But this is your plan, not mine. The old officials support you on the premise that you can succeed. If things don't succeed, Sister Chen, we will definitely die together."

Chen Shuangran was pinched by his hand, her eyes widened for a moment. Then she kicked Pu Xingui in the calf from under the table, and her other hand swung over, slapping Pu Xingui in the face. Only then did she withdraw her hand, moving back a bit with her chair. Pu Xingui didn't mind, growing up in a pirate's den, the girl had learned a pirate's aura, but her martial arts were poor. His face was only slightly red from the slap. He smiled at her.

"You're so beautiful."

At this moment of turning against each other, he also showed the madness of a desperate man.

Chen Shuangran was suppressed for a moment, and after a moment of silence, her face became a little more gentle. After a while, she picked up the teacup on the table and poured the tea on her left hand that had been pinched by Pu Xingui, saying: "We are all desperate people. You will naturally be told what you should know."

"Then you have to tell me sooner. I have a narrow mind and I am suspicious. If I feel that there is no share of the good things for me, I won't let you have a good time."

"You'll see it later."

"...Huh?"

Chen Shuangran took out a handkerchief and wiped the water stains on her hand. Pu Xingui looked at her suspiciously, and the people waited in the room for a while.

Outside the window, the traffic was heavy, and the cicadas chirped in the summer, mixed with human voices.

At the first quarter of the hour of Ji (10:15 AM), an alarm arrow sounded to the left of the field of vision.

Soon after, fireworks rose on the right as well.

Pu Xingui stood up and observed the outside of the window for a while. A large number of constables began to move out in the city.

"This is..."

"The Li family's school and the Princess Mansion," Chen Shuangran said calmly.

"Both sides together..." Pu Xingui turned to look at her. "How many experts do you have to achieve this?"

"Just a test," Chen Shuangran stood up and looked into the distance: "Brother Pu, I have capable people from the Six Doors who know the laws of the government's response and the limits of their abilities. Once the alarm sounds, even the most rigorous defenses will be thrown into chaos. Now that the enemy is in the open and I am in the dark, when the action day comes, I will kill whoever I want, and I will succeed."

"But if you do this, you might force the court to seal the city and search..."

"The Emperor's concubine selection is imminent. Now a dozen large families are entering the city to compete for places. He is about to tout the grand event. How could he possibly seal the city and search... Moreover, I have already said, even if the city is sealed and searched, what can he do? Arrest some underworld figures who have entered the city and lock them all up? They entered the city to make money, at most making friends through martial arts, private sparring. They haven't committed any crimes. How many can the court deal with?"

"Then... who exactly is your target?"

"...My silly brother..." Chen Shuangran turned her head, staring at him with a strange and beautiful face. After a moment, she grinned. "As long as there's an opportunity... who can't I kill?"

The alarm sounds in the distance were chaotic and incessant, seeming to prove that those acting on both sides were experts, who had been maneuvering for a long time and had not been caught. Although Pu Xingui did not know how Chen Shuangran had gathered these experts, he vaguely understood what she was thinking, and he even felt: if both sides were great grandmasters like the Devouring Cloud Monk, perhaps this attack could yield some results.

Chen Shuangran was unwilling to say more, so he left some harsh words before leaving. After going downstairs to the teahouse, recalling today's performance, he became a little complacent. In the past few times he had seen Chen Shuangran, her crazy state had always suppressed his momentum, but this time he had gone all out, and his rogue aura had finally allowed him to win back a game, especially when he pinched her hand and took liberties with her. Seeing the girl's annoyed and angry face, he really felt his heart stirred.

Objectively speaking, in terms of appearance alone, Chen Shuangran, while considered a beauty, was just a woman with outstanding looks. But the moment of manipulating and conquering such a strong woman truly ignited the fighting spirit in his heart. This was an experience he had never had before.

"Brother Qian, let me tell you," he said to Qian Dingzhong, "To deal with this kind of woman, you can first pretend to be submissive, but the moment you show your ruthlessness and catch her off guard is the most interesting. Do you believe that after today, she won't forget me."

Qian Dingzhong smiled proudly: "I understand this kind of thing as well."

……

The chaos in the distance was still spreading.

At this time, when Pu Xingui and Qian Dingzhong left, He Zhang, leading some people from the Flying Cloud Security Bureau, also cautiously observed the situation in the distance for a while. When the chaos gradually subsided, they roughly discussed the "investigation" of the day in the security bureau's room.

Everyone had followed He Zhang to Fuzhou, but they had never expected that someone would do such a test. For a while, some were annoyed, and some were cursing.

"...Who knew that today was about finding experts to spar with?"

"...That person only said he was here to smash the Flying Cloud Security Bureau's sign. We couldn't all attack together..."

"...It's a pity that Brother Xu isn't here."

"...That person's martial arts were indeed superb..."

"...If we had known, we would have gone all out..."

Everyone spoke one after another, and He Zhang came out to appease them: "Today's matter was not done fairly. The person who contacted me above also had a lot of complaints. He knows us. Xu Nanjiang, Brother Xu, couldn't come this time, which was not our fault. And, maybe someone will come a second time, so we have to be prepared."

"Is that 'Iron Fist' Ni Po coming again?" someone said.

In fact, none of the heroes present were confident of winning against this person.

"Brother Xu should be able to fight him..."

"Where did he come from..."

A discussion, chirping...

……

When the street was in turmoil, in the small courtyard of Huaiyun Quarter, Qu Longjun, who had woken up relatively late due to lack of sleep last night, was having brunch of rice porridge and soup with Ning Ji.

Having just woken up, she was wearing loose robes, and since she was at home, she was still barefoot. Her slightly washed face was fair and rosy, looking quite cool.

Therefore, he secretly kissed her.

She kissed him back.

He gently kissed her again...

She again...

This kind of thing childishly repeated a few rounds, and the commotion of the whistling arrows outside gradually expanded, and the two took the soup cakes and ran to the roof to watch the excitement.

"What's wrong?" After watching for a while, Qu Longjun asked.

Ning Ji shook his head.

"Nothing interesting, just trouble for the little court." He took the girl's soft hand. "Let's go back."

Qu Longjun's face turned red, and she followed Ning Ji down the stairs.

Although they each had different pasts, the young man and woman at this moment could be considered to be experiencing the beginning of love. Even if they stayed in the room that day, they only felt that there were countless things to say and countless things to do, so they said many childish words and did many childish things. Of course, in the intervals between these things, they also seriously discussed some issues related to Zuo Xingzhou.

Many things, whether childish or serious, could not be sorted out in a single day. By evening that day, neither of them wanted to set up their stall. Ning Ji asked: "Who is Zuo Xingzhou?"

But in the end, Qu Longjun first dressed up in men's clothing, and then dragged Ning Ji to sort out the goods. During this period, she was naturally teased by Ning Ji, and her face was red when she went out.

Fortunately, the sunlight gradually descended, and the lights on the road shone on her face, adding a bit more heroism, and perhaps even more killing power to the woman at this time.

Not long after nightfall, He Zhang, with Meng Biao, appeared on the streets of Silver Bridge Quarter...