Whispers filled the air, a sense of impending doom. Search: (Complete Book Website) to read high-quality literature for free.

"Who is that?"

"Li Tianyou... the younger brother of General Li Tianrun, the Defender of the Nation..."

"What's he doing here..."

"With that kind of status, someone must have done something..."

At Siji Restaurant, Zhu Yanlin's banquet had originally invited many people, but even after half had left, there were still forty or fifty people lingering. Adding the waiters who were originally in the store and the courtesans brought in for entertainment, the scale was actually even larger.

Among the forty or fifty people, most had some connection to Fang La's current system. But people like Liu Xiyang felt that Qi Yuankang's matter had nothing to do with them, and stayed behind out of respect for Zhu Yanlin, Lou Jingzhi, and others. There were also young people who were originally in Fang La's rebel army, mostly there for the courtesans who had been kept behind, chatting and laughing with their favorite girls, offering their affections.

On the one hand, they didn't want to get involved, and on the other hand, because the environment around them had stabilized somewhat, the attendees mostly understood some poetry and admired the demeanor of famous scholars who remained unmoved by both praise and criticism. From the beginning of the turmoil in the city until now, the atmosphere at Siji Restaurant had remained quite leisurely. But with the arrival of this group of soldiers, especially after recognizing the leader, Li Tianyou, everyone was truly startled.

Zhu Yanlin's expression had been somewhat stiff from the beginning, frowning, his gaze uncertain. Even Lou Jingzhi subconsciously stood up from his seat. To be fair, everyone came from a rebel background, and Fang La's army was full of talented generals. Li Tianyou was unremarkable among them, but his elder brother, Li Tianrun, was truly a first-rate figure in the army. No one could ignore the title of the Defender of the Nation's younger brother.

At this time, Hangzhou was focused on stabilizing public morale, and only engaged in writing poetry. Even if they encountered a major event like Qi Yuankang's rebellion, Zhu Yanlin and others were certain that nothing would go wrong. But at this moment, Li Tianyou suddenly led troops over, and the first thing everyone thought of was that Qi Yuankang's matter had spread, and someone was being dragged down along with this disaster. Given his status, even Lou Jingzhi, the son of the Left Chancellor, had some suspicion that this political struggle, which was about to begin with Li Tianrun's return, would drag his family into it as well.

When Li Tianyou walked to a table on the side and sat down directly, seeing the two people sitting there, many people breathed a sigh of relief. Some could recognize the identities of the two, like Liu Xiyang and Zhu Yanlin, and guessed that the rising Lou family was being brought down. Lou Shuwan's face turned pale.

Under the current situation in Hangzhou, although the higher-ups said that the new dynasty had just been established and everything needed to be stabilized, the disaster of two months ago was still vivid in their minds. Everyone spoke with swords in hand, their lives like floating duckweed, and no one could feel safe. Although the Lou family was thriving under Fang Qifo's instructions, being raided and exterminated was not difficult to understand.

When he realized that the matter had not affected him, Zhu Yanlin finally regained his composure and approached the table as the host. With his status, as long as the other party didn't draw their swords, they could still talk.

Over there, Li Tianyou and Ning Yi stared at each other for several seconds, with a smug look in his eyes as if he had finally caught him. Liu Jin stood beside Ning Yi with his hand on his saber, looking at Li Tianyou's men with a fierce gaze. He was a disciple of A Chang, but he was still young, and no one took him seriously. Now on the streets of Hangzhou, there were many young people who had killed with knives. Since Li Tianyou had not yet given the order, a dozen people sat down around them. When Zhu Yanlin came over, someone whispered in Li Tianyou's ear, and Li Tianyou stood up.

"Academician Zhu." He cupped his fist in greeting, then gestured to the other side a little further away, his voice full of energy, "Young Master Lou is also here, apologies for the intrusion."

"Uncle Li." Lou Jingzhi cupped his fist and sat down to observe the situation. Zhu Yanlin said, "General Li, I am holding a banquet here today, I wonder..."

"The Xuanwei Camp has come today to settle an old score. This matter has nothing to do with others. I didn't know that Academician Zhu was holding a banquet, and I have offended you greatly. After the score is settled tonight, I will come to your door to apologize to Academician Zhu another day, please forgive me."

It was obviously false that he didn't know Zhu Yanlin was holding a banquet, but Li Tianyou's words at this time were sonorous and forceful, already revealing his determination. Moreover, the Xuanwei Camp's grievance was not Li Tianyou's grievance. This so-called Xuanwei Camp was actually Li's family army. The one truly in charge was Li Tianrun himself. Zhu Yanlin hesitated slightly, "This... I wonder what kind of grievance General Li is talking about? If it can be resolved..."

"It can't be resolved!" Before he could finish speaking, Li Tianyou had already answered coldly. Zhu Yanlin's expression froze, but he was relieved in his heart. As the host, he should have helped mediate, but at this time, the other party's attitude was firm, so he simply saved face and went along with it. Li Tianyou, having said this, glanced at Lou Jingzhi over there, ignored Zhu Yanlin, took a breath, and sat down again opposite Ning Yi. After a moment, he even laughed.

"After so long, I finally caught you. It wasn't easy... Ning Liheng, you know what's going to happen, right!"

********************

"...Ning Liheng, you know what's going to happen, right!"

When she heard these words, Lou Shuwan's mind was still blank.

It wasn't that she was a woman with a weak heart, but rather that the experience after the army broke through the city was too terrifying for those who were in it. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, been there herself, no one could understand that kind of fear of being unable to protect oneself. Officials, rich people, commoners, everyone in the city was uneasy during that time. People were killed in batches, and the misery of women after being insulted and raped was indescribable. Some women from wealthy families who couldn't escape were caught in the army and raped all day long. Those who dared to commit suicide found relief, but even though it was relief, the fear brought about by suicide was still unbearable.

In fact, women were not necessarily the most miserable at that time. She had personally seen some captured officials being slowly sliced to death, buried alive, and even skinned alive. During that time, people went crazy. Although the Lou family was protected by Fang Qifo, they were still constantly harassed by people before the knives were sheathed. She hid in her room all day and didn't dare to go out, but even so, the situation outside still trickled into her ears. Some of the maids in the mansion, who accidentally showed their faces, were caught and taken away. Some hadn't even left the mansion. One of the maids disappeared one day. When she asked about it later, she learned that she had been working in the mansion when she got close to the outer wall of the courtyard, and a group of soldiers outside rushed in, tied her up with ropes, and when she was found, she was already dead, naked and covered in blood...

These things could never be investigated.

Some people would be devastated by a terrible blow, while others would find the strength to force themselves. Later, when the situation really calmed down a bit, and her elder brother returned, she came out to manage the affairs of the family because she knew it was necessary. But... when this possibility returned, she was really scared.

What finally awakened her was the name Ning Liheng. Before her mind could fully turn, she saw the man next to her laugh and say loudly, "What will happen, I don't know, but since you've come, let's get started. Do you want to come at me one by one, or all together?"

A jolt went through her heart, Lou Shuwan stood up and stared at the man beside her.

This matter was sudden, and Ning Yi didn't have many good ways to respond, but since there was no room for maneuver, he wasn't a timid person either. At this time, he pressed his hands on the table, and his usual restrained sharpness and pressure vaguely revealed, and he actually confronted the dozen or so people in front of him. Everyone else present thought he was just a weak scholar, and now they thought he was crazy.

On the other hand, Liu Jin, beside Ning Yi, suddenly stepped forward. At the same time, among the people who came with Li Tianyou, five or six also stood up, each holding their weapons, their aura locking onto this young man. It wasn't that they were afraid of how powerful this young man was, but rather that they were preventing him from attacking Li Tianyou with a knife, which would be a great loss of face.

Li Tianyou laughed in anger and was about to speak, but the first to speak was Lou Shuwan, who suddenly stood up and glanced at Ning Yi. She hesitated slightly, and then reacted immediately: "General Li... this General Li, I am from the Lou family..."

"I know your Lou family!" Li Tianyou said, "I have also met your father, Lou Jinlin. Marshal Buddha gave your Lou family the opportunity to manage the rice and grain matters, and I respect Marshal Buddha! But today, girl, you need to weigh your own worth. The blood feud of thousands of lives! If you think you are qualified to intervene, then intervene. If you don't think you are, then leave immediately."

"But..." Lou Shuwan was stunned. She knew in her heart that if the higher-ups hadn't decided to move against her Lou family, she could say a few words and beg for mercy, and they wouldn't necessarily kill her with a single knife. But for a moment, she was also frightened by the "blood feud of thousands of lives" in Li Tianyou's mouth. She looked at Ning Yi's bright smile, which vaguely resembled a lion, and didn't know why such a scholar would get involved in such a thing.

Many people present were also surprised by Li Tianyou's statement. At the same time, Liu Jin took another half step forward and said loudly: "General Li, don't talk nonsense. Mr. Ning is not a high official of any dog court! At the beginning, Mr. Ning was among the refugees and only took action to protect himself. Everyone fought separately and cannot be considered enemies! He has now abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, and is working wholeheartedly for my Tyrant Blade Camp. All grievances should be written off. If you have any grievances in your heart, you should come to my Tyrant Blade Camp. What kind of heroes are you to bully the few like this!"

"What are you, daring to talk to me like that!" Li Tianyou snorted coldly, "This guy has thousands of lives on his hands, and your Tyrant Blade Camp says to protect him, and says to write it off. What great airs. For the sake of harmony in the city, I am unwilling to force the issue directly. Otherwise, do you think my Xuanwei Camp is afraid of your Tyrant Blade Clan's mere eight hundred people here! I will kill him today, and if you want to seek revenge for him in the future, you are welcome to come!"

"These words are not mine, they are said by my Clan Leader. I, Liu Jin, am just a small person, but the Clan Leader asked me to follow Mr. Ning. If you want to move him, you have to step over my corpse!"

A tall, thin man on the side drew his sword: "Taking your life is not simple."

"Then come on." This young guard with a clang

brandished his saber in hand. He was a disciple of A Chang, and this starting stance of the Tyrant Blade, "Protecting the Heavenly Pillar," was strict and disciplined, and it was unknown how long he had practiced it. The Tyrant Blade valued momentum the most. Although this starting stance was called protection, his feet were slightly heavy, and his hands held the saber to the side, clearly showing the spirit of dying with the enemy. For a time, the atmosphere between the two sides became grim and tense. The dozen or so people brought by Li Tianyou had different weapons, and were obviously elites from the Xuanwei Camp composed of Jianghu experts. Ning Yi only had one person helping him, but seeing the young man's momentum, if these people really wanted to hurt Ning Yi, they would probably have to step over his corpse. As long as Li Tianyou nodded, someone might be splattered with blood within the next moment.

At this time, behind Lou Shuwan, who was still at a loss, the two Jianghu bodyguards she had hired had also approached. It wasn't that they were intentionally helping, originally these two, along with a group of Lou family servants, saw Li Tianyou's aura and knew they couldn't afford to offend him, even if they were Jianghu people, they didn't dare to come. But then, seeing that Li Tianyou had no intention of looking for trouble with the Lou family, Killer Monk Qin Gulai and Spirit Mountain Fairy Wei Lingxue approached.

But as they held their weapons, this approach made a man in his forties beside Li Tianyou look over and say, "Qin Gulai, go be a bodyguard if you want to be a bodyguard. You dare to interfere in this matter. When did you eat a bear's heart and leopard's guts? Are you tired of living!"

This person's words were contemptuous, and he obviously looked down on this fierce-looking Killer Monk, perhaps even less than the attention he paid to Liu Jin. Qin Gulai was a little embarrassed, and cupped his fist in a deep voice: "Hero Luo, nice to meet you. There's nothing shameful about being a bodyguard." This was just a weak statement to show that they are weak and the other party would not force them to come over. He walked to Lou Shuwan's side and said, "Miss, we can't afford to offend this matter..." After saying this, he added, "The Lou family probably can't afford to offend him either."

"But, but..." Lou Shuwan was also a little disoriented at this time. She was indeed afraid of offending Li Tianyou. But intuitively, she felt that Ning Yi seemed to have someone who could speak for him behind his back. Since the Li family didn't intend to completely deal with her Lou family, then she might be able to say something, for example, if she were tougher and asked the people around her to help, and Ning Yi's follower was so generous and determined, perhaps there might be a chance to prevent Li Tianyou from taking Liheng's life. If her father stood on her side in the future, apologizing or something, things could pass.

This was the intuition she had cultivated in dealing with people in the business world, but for a moment she didn't dare to gamble. While she was anxious, a voice appeared not far away.

"Mr. Qin is right, Shuwan, we can't handle this matter."

The tone of that voice was gentle and calm. Lou Shuwan suddenly turned her head and saw a man wearing a white robe appeared in her field of vision, and his face was somewhat similar to Lou Shuwan's, but he was older, and there was a faint tiredness and melancholy between his eyebrows. He was followed by some henchmen, including a few martial arts people.

"Brother, you... you help me say something..."

The person who came was Lou Shuwang. Compared to Lou Shuwan and Lou Shuheng, his influence was far greater than his younger brother and sister, whether in the Lou family or outside. Seeing him appear, Lou Shuwan was first surprised, and then her heart sank.

"I can't help. On the east side of the city, Qi Yuankang, Lord Qi, has already been captured and executed. But the turmoil in the city has not subsided. I know you are in Siji Restaurant, so I came to pick you up back the way."

He walked all the way over, said these words, and then cupped his hands to Ning Yi: "Ning Liheng, our Su and Lou families originally had some connections. But the conflict on West Lake on Liqiu Day was not small, although it did not become an feud, it can no longer be called friendship. Today's matter, my Lou family can hardly protect ourselves, and cannot excuse you. You have an enemy, please take care of yourself."

Ning Yi was confronting Li Tianyou, and looked at the surrounding environment with peripheral vision. When Lou Shuwang appeared, he just glanced at the man slightly. When he said these words, he turned his head and looked at him, then smiled and nodded: "That's right, this matter has nothing to do with your Lou family, Miss Lou, please go back."

"But... Brother..."

Lou Shuwan wanted to say something, Lou Shuwang cupped his hands and said: "Miss Wei, please." The woman named Wei Lingxue nodded, and her hand came out like lightning, hitting Lou Shuwan on the back of the neck, and then held the fainting Lou Shuwan.

Lou Shuwang sighed, and then greeted Lou Jingzhi, and when he was about to leave, Li Tianyou asked him: "Lou family boy, you just said that Qi Yuankang is dead?"

Lou Shuwang nodded, he walked to Li Tianyou and cupped his hands, and then his voice was not loud.

"I heard... General Chao led troops and surrounded Qi's mansion... Someone sent in a poem... Then... they went to cut off Lord Qi's head..."

Ning Yi's thoughts were not on Qi Yuankang at this time, and Lou Shuwang didn't speak very loudly, so he only heard a few scattered sentences. After Lou Shuwang left, a tense atmosphere solidified in the space. Ning Yi stood up, and the dozen or so people beside Li Tianyou also stood up. Liu Jin took a deep breath, preparing to start fighting.

In fact, what Li Tianyou and others were afraid of was probably only Liu Jin. Liu Dabiao was extremely protective of his own people. If Liu Jin, who was fighting to the death, was killed here, then Li Tianrun might really have to face the Tyrant Blade Camp's counterattack. But given the current situation, even if the confrontation continued, Li Tianyou would definitely take action.

Ning Yi stretched out his hand and pressed it on Liu Jin's knife.

Almost everyone was looking at him.

"If things don't work out, you must let go. It's meaningless for you to risk your life here. This is my battle, I can fight it myself. If you live, they won't make things difficult for you. If I die, you can help me collect my body, and tell Liu Dabiao to help me get revenge. You can do this."

After he said these words, he suddenly waved his right hand, the light of the knife flashed, and split on the central axis of the wooden table in front of him. Amidst the flying wood chips, he split a crack in half of the table. He took two steps back, and then turned his body to face the crowd.

"Who's coming!"

He had always shown people the image of a scholar, but at this time, his aura actually restrained everyone present. Li Tianyou ran his thumb across the corner of his mouth, and there was a bit of bloodlust in his eyes, and among the crowd over there, everyone was a little stunned, including a few courtesans who were blinking their eyes, and occasionally whispering to each other.

"Who is this person..."

"Didn't you hear... he's the number one talent in Jiangning..."

"He wrote 'Watching the Sea Tide'..."

"General Li said he has thousands of lives on his hands..."

"Why did that Lou family young master say that the Su and Lou families..."

"...He is a Son-in-Law." (To be continued. Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets, your support is my biggest motivation.)

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