Chapter 583: Saving the Situation

In the stable area of the Xiao family's back courtyard, carriages were lined up, and servants were busy loading soft and delicate items onto them. Xiao Du occasionally came over to place some of his cherished belongings, while Xiao Ling escorted his wives, one by one, into the carriages.

Although a few servants would remain to look after the Xiao family's residence in the capital, it was uncertain when the family would return this time, making this essentially a major relocation. All valuable or treasured items were prepared for transport.

“Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…”

Xiao Du coughed as he emerged with several calligraphy scrolls and paintings and headed towards a carriage filled with calligraphies, paintings, and curios. An old servant quickly stepped forward.

“Master, let me do it. Your health hasn't fully recovered. Please go inside and rest. It's still a bit cold out here.”

“Cough, cough… No, cough, it's fine. These are my cherished possessions. I'll feel more at ease if I handle them myself!”

As he spoke, Xiao Du slowly walked to the back of the carriage. Through the open rear lid, he placed the calligraphy scrolls he held into a long wooden box and then closed the lid. Next to it, a meticulously carved nanmu wooden box, adorned with copper inlays, remained empty.

“Watch them carefully.”

“Yes, Master!”

After giving the instruction, Xiao Du turned back, passing by the busy Xiao family servants who were coming and going, and returned to his study. Inside, he saw that many shelves were already empty, but many items still remained.

The Xiao family was not short of money. Even with an uncertain return date, it was impossible, and indeed difficult, to move everything from the Xiao residence. They only needed to take what was essential.

Xiao Du walked around the study's curtain to an inner section and looked at the white wall behind the desk. A large calligraphy scroll hung there. Above it was the title "Spring Waters Calligraphy." The text, sprawling over a thousand characters, depicted the scenery of a spring-bathed river and conveyed the author's expansive sentiments. The characters, strong and graceful, showcased immense artistic spirit. The signature at the end belonged to Yin Zhaoxian.

Xiao Du took a hanging rod from the study and carefully took down the "Spring Waters Calligraphy." He placed it on the desk and reached out to brush off non-existent dust from its surface, then slowly rolled up the scroll.

With the "Spring Waters Calligraphy" in hand, Xiao Du looked back at his study, which he had used for many years. He finally sighed and departed, a soft cough escaping him.

Upon reaching the stable area, Xiao Du saw his son and noticed maids at some of the carriages, busy passing things up and down. He realized that his daughters-in-law had already boarded.

“Father, why aren't you resting? Let the servants or your son handle the moving!”

Xiao Ling quickly came to support Xiao Du. Recently, his father had been particularly sensitive to cold, and days of anxiety had prevented his cold from fully recovering. While there were no other severe symptoms, the cough simply wouldn't go away.

“Cough, cough, cough… Some things, cough, how can I let the servants handle them? What if they get damaged? Cough, cough… I'll do it myself!”

Xiao Du walked to the carriage where his curios were stored. He placed the calligraphy scroll he held into the box, and only after taking out a lock and securing it did he finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

Xiao Ling, standing nearby, saw it clearly. From the golden border of the calligraphy scroll's mounting, he knew it was undoubtedly the "Spring Waters Calligraphy" from his father's study. It was one of the proudest works of Yin Zhaoxian, a literary giant. If this single scroll were put up for sale, there was no telling how many people would be willing to pay an astonishing price for it.

“Father, please get in the carriage. We'll be leaving soon.”

“Very well, very well.”

Xiao Ling helped Xiao Du into one of the carriages. After giving a few instructions to the servants by the carriage, he then walked towards a larger carriage behind it. A woman there was lifting the curtain, looking in his direction. It was none other than Xiao Ling's main wife, Duan Muhuan, formerly the renowned courtesan Hong Xiu.

Upon seeing Xiao Ling approach, his wife looked in the direction he came from and asked a question.

“Husband, was that the 'Three Parts Immortal' piece just now?”

Although Duan Muhuan was Xiao Ling's main wife, she had never been to Xiao Du's study and had no idea of its furnishings. However, she had heard her husband mention the calligraphies and paintings kept there.

Xiao Ling nodded.

“Indeed, it's Prime Minister Yin's "Spring Waters Calligraphy." Legend has it that Prime Minister Yin, on a rare occasion when he was tipsy, wrote this piece and laughed, claiming it was 'three parts immortal'. The Emperor himself had practically snatched it from Prime Minister Yin's hands back then. My father accumulated many merits from handling cases over the years. On the eve of my father's seventieth birthday two years ago, His Majesty privately asked my father in the Imperial Study what reward he desired. He asked for this "Spring Waters Calligraphy." It greatly angered His Majesty, but he still granted it.”

Thinking of these things, Xiao Ling couldn't help but smile, while his wife beside him remarked with some emotion.

“Sometimes I don't understand it, but if I think about it carefully, I find myself completely agreeing…”

“Stop talking now, get inside and sit properly.”

The Xiao family had started packing yesterday. By today, everything that needed to be taken had been loaded onto the carriages. Servants who were to accompany them had all arrived, and those who were dismissed had been paid their dues and released. By mid-morning, everything was ready. Xiao Ling and some guards rode at the front, leading a convoy of more than ten carriages of various sizes, and departed from the Xiao residence, where they had lived their entire lives. Only a few servants remained at the gate, watching the convoy disappear into the distance, their feelings too complex to express in words.

Inside the carriages, most of the Xiao family members felt a sense of heaviness. However, some also felt that getting out of the capital would allow them to breathe a sigh of relief.

Xiao Ling rode his horse, observing the capital's populace along the way and the bustling prosperity of the city. He knew that he might not return for a very long time. On this trip, he hadn't even had time to bid farewell to some friends, but he felt it was better for both sides this way. It was worth mentioning that the new marriage arrangements the Xiao family had been making were now off.

The Xiao family's multi-decked boat on the Tongtian River was already prepared. Before boarding, Xiao Ling and several highly skilled guards inspected every corner of the boat. Only then did they allow people to board and load the belongings. Once everything was ready, they wasted no time and set sail down the Tongtian River.

“Giddy-up…” “Whoa…”

“Clop, clop, clop…”

“Giddy-up…”

A continuous thunder of hooves trampled the ground, like successive rolls of thunder.

Yin Zhong, with Ah Yuan and ten other skilled fighters from the Yin family, a total of twelve people, were riding at high speed. They were not following the Xiao family's convoy. From the moment the Xiao family began packing and preparing to leave, Yin Zhong had already led his men ahead to a location he deemed suitable.

From the Xiao residence in the capital to the Tongtian River dock, this stretch of road was absolutely safe. Firstly, the distance was short. Secondly, it was still within the capital's jurisdiction. And on the Tongtian River, the old turtle was present. Yin Zhong had heard his elder brother Yin Qing talk about this old turtle and thus had some understanding of it. Therefore, the Xiao family's boat was unlikely to be attacked or successfully attacked on the Tongtian River. The most vulnerable point would be after disembarking at Wanzhou and traveling towards Jizhou.

Yin Zhong dispatched several skilled and agile experts in lightness martial arts to secretly follow the Xiao family's movements. Meanwhile, he led his own men, following at a safe distance. While others traveled by boat, they traveled by horse, which naturally meant significantly more fatigue. They also had to change horses frequently to avoid their mounts losing strength. However, none of them, including Yin Zhong, were ordinary individuals, so such hardship was nothing to them.

After six consecutive days of travel, late on this particular night, Yin Zhong and his men were resting when they heard the approaching calls of a night owl.

“Young Master, a scout has returned with a report!”

Yin Zhong immediately opened his eyes and sat up. About ten breaths later, a man dressed in dark blue night attire jogged up to him.

“Young Master, the Xiao family's multi-decked boat anchored at Yanluoqiu an hour before nightfall. There's no movement currently.”

“An hour before nightfall? That seems a bit early… Yanluoqiu?”

Yin Zhong felt something was amiss. He frowned and instructed his subordinate.

“Bring the map.”

“Yes, sir!”

The subordinate retrieved an oil-paper map and lit a small lantern with a tinder stick. The group gathered around the light in their temporary resting camp to examine the map. Yin Zhong located Yanluoqiu along the Tongtian River, his finger tracing the nearby waterways. After a moment of thought, he murmured.

“To secretly pass through Yanluoqiu?”

Yin Zhong looked up at the sky. Tonight, the heavens were cooperative; it was a heavily overcast night with extremely poor visibility after lights were out.

“Young Master, do you mean that some members of the Xiao family will secretly disembark at Yanluoqiu tonight and return by two separate routes, one overt and one covert?”

“Brilliant!” “As expected of the former Grand Censor, to think of disembarking here!”

“Yes, Yanluoqiu is crisscrossed with small waterways. If a small boat travels secretly through them, its whereabouts would be impossible to predict later.”

“How did Young Master deduce they would do this?”

Yin Zhong's expression remained calm.

“The Xiao family patriarch is shrewd and experienced; it's not difficult to deduce this based on his nature. However, doing so also means separating their personnel. After all, to maintain the illusion with the multi-decked boat, the risk of an incident is reduced, but their ability to resist risks is greatly diminished…”

Five days later, Yin Zhong's concerns became reality. The Xiao family's small boat docked at a small town's pier. They purchased some carriages for their journey. The first day passed without incident, but before nightfall on the second day, Xiao Ling sensed something was amiss.

The group was making a fire and cooking at a sheltered earthen mound in the desolate wilderness. Suddenly, Xiao Ling and the other skilled fighters felt a slight tremor in the ground.

“Everyone, beware! A large group is approaching!”

No sooner had he spoken than loud shouts erupted in the distance.

“Hahahahaha, brothers, there are fat sheep up ahead! Kill anyone who resists! Be careful not to harm the young women!”

“Hahahaha…” “Charge! Charge!”

Xiao Ling's heart skipped a beat.

“Everyone, be careful! They're bandits!”

Over a dozen Xiao family guards quickly drew their swords and blades. Together with Xiao Ling, they ran to the outer perimeter. They could faintly make out a large troop approaching in the distance. The thundering sound of hooves was deafening.

“About forty riders, we can handle them, everyone…”

Before Xiao Ling could finish speaking, his pupils sharply contracted. He saw that many of the supposed bandits were leaning back, raising long poles, and some others had crossbows in their hands.

“Throwing spears and mounted crossbows?! They're not bandits!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… whizz, whizz, whizz…

Whistling sounds tore through the air. Over twenty throwing spears arced through the air towards them, their speed exceptional and their aim incredibly precise…

“Thud…” “Thud…”

“Ah…” “Ugh…” “Thud…”

Even though the Xiao family guards were skilled fighters, three of them were impaled directly by the throwing spears and pinned to the ground. Then crossbow bolts rained down, injuring several more.

“Kill them all, but leave Xiao Du alive!”

The mounted officer leading them no longer bothered to conceal his identity. He roared an order as the knights charged towards the Xiao family's camp. The sounds of fighting and screams echoed across the wilderness.

The Xiao family members, including Xiao Du, could only huddle in a corner of the camp, either utterly bewildered or trembling with fear. Meanwhile, Xiao Ling had gone berserk, fighting alongside his guards, attacking ferociously with every means available. He was already wounded.

Just then, more hoofbeats approached, filling the Xiao family with despair. A blood-soaked guard grabbed Xiao Ling's shoulder.

“Young Master, take Master and the madams and go! We'll hold them here!”

“Thud…”

No sooner had the guard finished speaking than his head was severed. The leader, resembling a military general, rode past and laughed loudly.

“None of you will escape!”

Xiao Ling's face was splattered with his subordinate's blood. He merely swung his blade wildly as he retreated. His vision was severely obscured, and his heart was filled with terror. He wasn't afraid of death, but of the consequences after his death.

The military general spurred his horse forward once more, raising the long, heavy blade in his hand. His target was Xiao Ling, who was wildly swinging his blade.

“Hahahaha… Xiao Ling, die!”

The great blade was already raised and the horse's hooves were closing in on Xiao Ling. But at this very moment, from the darkness near Xiao Ling, a faint whistling sound, tearing through the air, arose.

“Whoosh… Thud…”

A fist suddenly appeared, striking directly at the head of the military general's warhorse. In that instant, the general felt his body thrown by a force of immense power.

With a thunderous crash, both man and horse were directly knocked to the ground. They slid several yards sideways, dragging along the ground. The general was crushed and dragged under the horse and died halfway through.

“No survivors!”

“Yes!”

As Yin Zhong gave the command in a hoarse voice, the Yin family's experts cut into the battlefield from three directions. Yin Zhong, unarmed, or using snatched swords and blades, or stolen spears, or even throwing spears he seized, was like a god of war. Wherever he passed, men and horses were overturned.

The Xiao family members were already exhausted. They merely guarded their family members at the back and watched as if in a trance. They could clearly see which side had the advantage.

After more than fifteen minutes, the battlefield quieted down. In the dark night, Yin Zhong held a broken blade in his left hand and a long spear with a severed head impaled on it in his right. He stood amidst a pile of corpses. Moonlight pierced through the overcast sky and shone down, revealing his blood-stained figure.

“Leader, two of our brothers died, and seven were injured.”

“Alright, take the dead and injured brothers. We're leaving.”

Having spoken in a hoarse voice, Yin Zhong glanced back at the Xiao family's camp, then turned and strode away.

“Valiant warrior! Valiant warrior, may I know your name! Valiant warrior, could you tell us who is assisting us?!”

Xiao Du shouted from behind, but Yin Zhong and his men had no intention of stopping. Only their eyes, still bright in the shadows, were deeply etched into the minds of the Xiao family members.