The dark lakeshore was sparsely illuminated by a solitary lantern, its glow reflecting on the surrounding flora. Hidden in the shadows, a woman watched as a scholar hummed a tune, rummaging through the undergrowth. He then picked up a large stone, tossing it lightly a couple of times, seemingly satisfied before returning to his carriage. Search: \(\Full\Book\Website\) to read quality literature for free.

Down the road, soldiers of the Wu Lie Army approached, while constables with lanterns patrolled the lake shore, appearing to arrive sooner than the soldiers. Thumping sounds echoed as the scholar squatted by the carriage, striking its wheel with the stone, indicating some issue. As he discarded the stone, dusted his hands, and stood up, the constables drew near. The woman held her breath. Naturally, the constables first approached the scholar, examining the insignia on the carriage before engaging in conversation.

"Greetings, young master... from the Prince Consort's府 (fu)?"

"What is it?" The scholar responded indifferently, turning his head.

"Uh... an incident occurred in the city just now, and we are apprehending the perpetrators. Since you are not of the Prince Consort's household, may we inquire why you are in possession of this carriage..."

Judging by the scholar's demeanor, he seemed to possess some standing. The constables remained respectful. The scholar appeared to ponder for a moment, then asked with a puzzled expression, "Perpetrators?"

By now, the Wu Lie Army soldiers had also arrived, surrounding the carriage. However, a few remained vigilant, scanning the shadows along the riverbank. The scholar turned back, "Are you gentlemen also looking for them?"

"The Wu Lie Army is pursuing assassins. What is it you are asking, young master?" The leading soldier stated calmly.

"What exactly happened?"

"An assassination occurred in the city just now. The assassin should be heading this way. Has this young master seen anyone suspicious? Also, if you don't mind, we will need to conduct a routine search."

"Heh, understood. Please, do as you wish." The scholar gestured with an open hand, then asked, "Was anyone assassinated?"

"From where are you returning, young master?"

"White Egret Isle, the Courtesan Competition. I am Ning Liheng. I am not from the Prince Consort's household, but I am acquainted with Lord Ming and borrowed his carriage to return to the city. Lord Ming should still be behind, returning by painted boat. If necessary, the officer in charge of my carriage is Lu Agui, a steward of the Prince Consort's府 (fu). You may inquire with him."

The soldiers naturally wouldn't divulge the specific details of the incident, instead focusing on the scholar's background. After thoroughly inspecting the carriage and hearing the scholar's explanation, they became more respectful. The soldier saluted, "My apologies."

One of the constables muttered, "Ning Liheng... could it be the Ning Liheng of 'When will the moon be clear?'"

This man seemed to be someone of note. The attitude of both soldiers and constables shifted dramatically. The leading soldier lowered his voice slightly and said, "Earlier, at the Xuan Ling Street intersection, an assassin murdered Commandant Song Xian. Dozens were injured or killed. The assassin is highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless in their attacks. They have likely fled to this area. Young master, please be careful and return home as soon as possible."

Both groups had their duties. After exchanging a few words, they headed off in one direction, meeting another patrol at a crossroads, pointing and discussing something. The scholar waved at the three groups in the distance. Then, in the darkness, he was heard to scoff, "Heh, Song Xian..."

He then boarded the carriage, cracked the whip, and urged the horses forward.

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

The carriage turned a corner and proceeded smoothly. Ning Yi opened the carriage curtain, hanging it up and observing the flickering lights around him. People returning from the Courtesan Competition were passing by. A few constables hurried in the opposite direction, glancing at the carriage's open curtain and insignia but paying little further attention.

The crowds were, after all, increasing. Those returning from the Courtesan Competition likely possessed some minor background. To meticulously inspect everyone who was leaving the suspect area would be too troublesome. Moreover, the available manpower was insufficient. The most they could do was to rigorously inspect those leaving the city gates.

The bait had been cast. Whether it would work depended on luck. He expected the assassin to be hiding near the lakeshore. However, that area was vast. He chose what he considered the most likely location. The surroundings were quiet, so voices should carry easily. The area needed to be broad in order to increase the chances of someone taking the bait to only 30%.

He didn't know if someone was already on the carriage. He couldn't look down to check, as that would likely be met with a sword to the face. He simply paid attention to the roads on either side of the carriage. There were still people around, so if the other party took the bait, they likely wouldn't dismount here. However, the road to the academy would be quieter. When there was no one around, he slowed the carriage and decided to speak.

"I have a few words to say. I implore the hero not to be overly sensitive. Song Xian is cruel, arrogant, and unscrupulous in his pursuit of power. In the autumn of Jinghan 6, he even framed the villagers of Er Yue Village outside the city to seize their land, causing the death of an entire family, old and young. This matter later became widely known, but without evidence, no one could touch him. I have long heard of his misdeeds and have always admired the generous and chivalrous. If the hero trusts me, I am willing to assist you..."

His earlier wandering was merely skirting the edge of danger, nothing major. These words were truly a risk. Of course, combined with certain details of the two assassinations and the current situation, he was confident that the risk had been minimized. However, any effect would depend on the 30% chance that the assassin had boarded the carriage.

There were no pedestrians on the road ahead or behind. After speaking, Ning Yi waited for a response. But after a long time, no response came.

Had he miscalculated?

In situations where the layout couldn't be perfect, failure was common. From the beginning, the odds were low. Of course, he wouldn't lose anything. As time passed, a slight regret arose in Ning Yi's heart. He sighed, and was about to stop the carriage to check underneath, when a muffled thud sounded from behind. Ning Yi's heart leaped. He jumped out of the carriage, grabbed a lantern, and headed back, finding the female assassin unconscious on the road, covered in a black cloth.

From the moment she assassinated Song Xian and was surrounded, she had exerted all her strength to kill Song Xian in that situation, suffering numerous injuries. Ning Yi had seen her strength when he spied, but running through the city, dodging pursuit, had pushed her body to its limits. When Ning Yi suddenly spoke of her hiding, she might have intended to leap out, but now, trying to gather her strength, she likely passed out. The woman had wrapped her body in this cloth to avoid dripping blood along the way, and still held it tightly. Ning Yi watched for a few seconds, then quickly picked her up.

After several miscalculations, accidents, and changes, this loop was a perfect turn.

From the start, the probability of getting this woman on the carriage wasn't high, and after she got on the carriage, how he could gain her trust in a delicate situation, helping and paving the way step by step to make her owe him a favor, and then considering negotiation, the probability of completing each part decreased, but now it was indeed the most ideal result. Just saying something to gain the other's trust had too little controllability. She had fainted now, saving him many of the things he would have needed to do. As long as he helped her heal her injuries and did things for her first, when she woke up, she would naturally have more rational considerations for the status quo and reduce suspicion and conjecture.

The road was already near the small courtyard he rented by the academy, around the next corner. Ning Yi checked the surroundings, then opened the door and carried the black-clad woman inside. The outer room was where he conducted his experiments, and the inner room was a small storage room, although it didn't have much in it yet. There was a bed and chairs that had been left by the previous occupants. Ning Yi placed the woman on the bed, turned and went out to check for any suspicious traces, then returned to find medicine.

He had some common medicines for bruises and sprains, bandages, and so on, as he had prepared them in case he was injured during his experiments. He also took needles and thread, and lit a simple alcohol lamp made from a porcelain bottle - he had made a small distillation apparatus to help Nie Yunzhu start a catering business, and had already produced a small amount of alcohol - and pushed open the door to the inner room, only to step inside before a sword's blade was coldly presented to his neck.

She woke up too fast...

Ning Yi held the alcohol lamp still, muttering to himself. The woman leaned against the wall, holding the sword and staring at him coldly. Perhaps the words he said in the carriage had finally worked, as she didn't seem to be thinking of killing him directly. After a moment, she asked, "What do you want?"

"Medicine." Ning Yi raised the small package in his right hand and slowly placed it on the small table in front of him, reaching out to open it. "Lamp," he said, then put down the alcohol lamp, raised both hands, and said, "To help you heal."

"How can I trust you?"

"Decide for yourself."

The woman reached out and picked up a small packet of medicine, sniffed it, glanced at Ning Yi, and threw it aside. She opened a porcelain bottle, looked at it, and threw it aside. In this process, she finally slowly lowered the sword in her hand, and after a moment, said, "What is this fish hook for?"

"A needle, to stitch your wounds."

"Stitch... wounds?"

"Yes, to sew the wounds closed, so they heal faster."

The woman gave him a strange look. "Get out."

Then she added, "Only in the outer room. If you leave, or play any tricks, I'll go out and kill you immediately!"

"I'll boil some water for you."

This woman probably had better medicine herself and didn't want him to handle those injuries. Ning Yi nodded and retreated out the door, then shook his head with a smile. In any case, the first step was done.

"My name is Ning Yi, courtesy name Liheng. What about you, miss?"

So he remained humble, chattering away to get closer...

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

ps: Regarding Ning Yi's personality, perhaps because the previous plot was gentle, it made people feel somewhat unclear, thinking that he was a peaceful and detached gentleman. Here, I would like to explain in response to the recent plot, it is not.

He is a businessman who has reached the top of the pyramid, and has done so at an unimaginable speed.

Seizing opportunities, profiting handsomely, speculating and maneuvering, being ruthless and desperate, he has done it all. It is impossible for him not to have experienced these things. Dancing with risk every day is his daily routine. Many people with similar personalities, who dare to take risks and dare to maneuver, have fallen by the wayside. But he, who has reached the peak, has a very extreme grasp and understanding of risk. If you were to give him a label, it would not be gentleman, but overlord.

Of course, some people think that overlords are types who fight for world domination or play with power. They all have to do big things with big ideals, but the protagonist has already done these things, and he is not interested.

There is a saying: Only madmen and fanatics can succeed. Actually, it's not understood that directly. Their personalities have a side that looks madly fanatical, but real madmen and fanatics won't avoid risks when doing something. Some people say that ordinary people will all pursue advantages and avoid disadvantages. That's right, but generally, when people see harm, they don't dare to go there at all. This should be called a kind of pursuing advantages and avoiding disadvantages, but some people are different. They pursue advantages and avoid disadvantages in a different way. They calmly analyze the advantages and disadvantages, and then reduce the harm in every possible way, while maximizing the benefits. They control this process and have that ability, so some things seem crazy, but are not really crazy. The essence of their crazy boldness is actually calm, so they are still very normal. This is the overlord.

It's like walking on a tightrope. Ordinary people go to walk, that is playing with their lives. After hundreds of thousands of times of training, you can't say that the danger is gone, but when these kinds of people go up, they can already handle it with ease. When they go up, the risk becomes negligible. Ning Yi was set up as this kind of person from the beginning.

Regarding martial arts, some people say that there are many peaceful ways to obtain martial arts, but in fact the setting is already very detailed. It's difficult. If you want to train yourself to become a special forces soldier, Ning Yi himself also knows the way, but it is meaningless to him. What he cares about is the magical inner strength. This concept is like seeing martial arts or even immortals in the real world - of course, you would first think it was a scam, but what if it really wasn't? What if you have seen everything in the world and really see immortals? The Wu Dynasty is a real world for Ning Yi. People can jump one zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) high in extreme conditions, so he is interested in this. The other things, even the emperor, are just ordinary concepts to him.

Some people say that he can go to a big sect or something, which is safe, but for Ning Yi, it's just a matter of trouble. Let alone the fact that there is very little real inner strength here, Ning Yi has investigated it in all aspects. Even if there is such a big sect, would he be content to wait for decades for people to pity him? He doesn't have that patience. At that time, he will investigate the weaknesses of others and make deals with people, basically in a similar way. For him, even a first-class master like Song Xian is just like that. This woman's strength is already in front of his eyes. When will he be able to find others? For him, the danger of this matter is not high. Maybe it seems very high to ordinary people, but not to him. He has been working hard to control it.

He has not lost his mind. He has been extremely calm. Although he wants it very much, if the balance tilts to a certain extent, he will turn around and prepare to go home, just regretting that he doesn't know when he will be able to meet such a powerful person again. If not, he will fight for this 30% chance. If he doesn't succeed, he will still go home. If he succeeds, he will continue to fight for the next level of opportunity. He will never think that saving her will allow him to learn martial arts. How to take each step, he has actually been careful. How to control the situation, how to control people's hearts, how to give people a sense of trust, security, and even to push an inch, this is already an instinct. It is his instinct to control risk.

This is Ning Liheng.

From the beginning to now, he originally did not do things. If he did things, perhaps manipulating that poem, "Green Jade Table," can be considered something he did. Obtaining the greatest benefit in the most extreme situation, peace and detachment, for him, is a kind of cultivation, not a nature. Of course, he is essentially a good person now, but once he decides to do something, he will never say from the beginning that there is a risk and that it cannot be done. He will only consider how to do it if he wants to do it.

Everything is about solving problems.

His character, ability, and way of doing things will be constantly improved in one thing after another. I am only responsible for human nature. When I set him up as someone who has stood at the top of the pyramid, he will never just be a humble gentleman, or maximize his advantages and avoid disadvantages, just doing some small calculations in the absolutely safe rear. That kind of person is at best a strategist.

He will engage in games with the top opponents of this era. Risk is risk for ordinary people. For him, it is often just a manageable shoal. He will use all available chips to push the tilting balance back bit by bit, and be overturned at the moment of complacency.

Regarding this question, I will answer it here. ps doesn't cost money, please continue to vote for monthly tickets to support^_^

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