Chapter 178: The Dagger Appears

The news of Ning Yi's assassination attempt near the side gate did not spread widely. After some time, several house servants and Xing'er, who was likely the easiest to find at the moment, rushed over and secured the courtyard.

Such a sensitive incident occurred immediately after the clan meeting concluded tonight. The instigator of the assassination—or kidnapping—was still unclear. At this point, the matter could not be publicized and had to be handled internally by the main branch of the family. By the time Xing'er arrived, Ning Yi had already led several servants to search nearby areas and promptly apprehended a suspicious new coachman.

A steward managing the area, who had been drinking and likely unaware of what happened at the clan meeting, tried to obstruct Ning Yi and his men, not understanding the situation. Xing'er arrived just then, visibly relieved to see Ning Yi unharmed. She bowed to Ning Yi, then frowned and coldly informed the steward that she would report him to the head steward. The steward, sobered by her words, quickly apologized.

Xing'er, though only seventeen and pretty, had always been the eldest among the three maids and possessed a strong personality. When dealing with those she could stand up to, she would mimic Su Tan'er's cold demeanor. If confronted by someone of similar status from another branch whom she couldn't afford to offend and who acted unreasonably, she would relentlessly argue for a long time. It was even rumored that on several occasions, she nearly faced family punishment for standing up for the main branch's servants. Over time, others became accustomed to her stubbornness and resilience. Ning Yi found her anger today rather amusing, but the immediate priority was naturally to address matters related to the kidnapping.

"This was premeditated, and it's hard to say who's behind it. I'm fine, but do you know where Tan'er is now?"

Regardless of whether it was the second or third branch, or the Xue or Wu families, whatever they planned was ultimately aimed at Su Tan'er. Ning Yi had thought everything was settled, so he hadn't anticipated such an unexpected complication. He immediately thought of his wife. Hearing him mention it, Xing'er seemed to recall something.

"Sister... Sister should be fine, but I don't know where she is right now..."

"Hmm?" Ning Yi frowned. "What's going on?"

"Sister went to deal with the assassination attempt on the master. Juan'er should know; I'll go get her."

Xing'er, looking a bit off, stuck out her tongue and ran off. Ning Yi felt puzzled. In an adjacent room, servants were still interrogating the four captured intruders. A moment later, Juan'er ran over, breathless: "Are you alright, Young Master?" She had clearly heard about the assassination attempt from Xing'er. Screams from the assassins echoed from the nearby room.

That night, Chan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er all had tasks. Ning Yi had thought that Xing'er might be more accustomed to violent matters, but he now noticed that Juan'er didn't show much discomfort hearing the screams from inside. She merely frowned, glanced into the room, then quickly asked Ning Yi if he was injured. Ning Yi described what had happened and his concerns. After a moment of hesitation, Juan'er shared what she knew.

"Sister and the master went to Shibupo to handle the master's assassination attempt. They plan to find them and round them all up. They also enlisted the help of Alliance Leader Cheng of the Hundred Blades Alliance. There are many people, so they should be fine... Sister only found out today that the mastermind behind the master's assassination was... was Manager Xi Junyu, and he has someone behind him..."

As she spoke of Xi Junyu, Juan'er, who had kept her head slightly bowed, secretly glanced at Ning Yi. Their eyes met, and she quickly lowered her head, pursing her lips. Compared to Chan'er's usual gentle disposition and Xing'er's outgoing nature, Juan'er was the quietest of the three sisters. Although she was clear-headed when doing tasks, she could sometimes appear timid in daily life. Xing'er wasn't aware of these details, so it was surprising that Juan'er knew.

Ning Yi looked at her as if she were a spy, then frowned and asked about the Hundred Blades Alliance she mentioned. It turned out the Hundred Blades Alliance was a large gang in Jiangning City. Though not usually ostentatious, they possessed considerable power. Their leader, Cheng Lie, had a deep friendship with Su Boyong, making them the most significant force the Su family could leverage in the underworld.

"This matter was actually arranged jointly by the master and sister. Sister hasn't dealt with such things much before, and Juan'er doesn't know many details either. This time, she didn't tell you because she was worried you'd be concerned..."

After Juan'er's explanation, Ning Yi largely understood. Su Boyong was not without temper, and having been paralyzed by the assassination attempt, he would certainly seek revenge. As Su Tan'er would manage the household in the future, she would also need to become more involved in these matters. Juan'er's tone when mentioning Xi Junyu was intriguing, and Ning Yi could guess some of the reasons behind it. However, he had never considered that the assassination plot could originate from one of their own household managers.

"No one, right?" Ning Yi nodded. "Who?"

"Uh, it's not clear yet..."

"Uncle Cheng, who exactly are they?" In the courtyard at Shibupo, Su Tan'er was also questioning those around her.

Outside the courtyard, fighting continued, though with limited participants, making it difficult to discern the overall battle. A moment ago, a blood-soaked disciple of the Hundred Blades Alliance had burst through the gate, still in the probing stage of the conflict. Inside the courtyard, there were already several injured individuals, bleeding and groaning. For a woman, this was likely a terribly tragic sight. Su Tan'er stood there, her expression unchanged, but one hand tightly clutched the corner of her robe. This wasn't her first encounter with such violence; years ago, while leaving Jiangning, she had encountered bandits and, unable to pass, witnessed a bloody confrontation. Regardless, she could never truly adapt to such scenes.

Standing beside her was the middle-aged man who had spoken with her father earlier. He was tall and sturdy, in his early forties, with a half-white beard and a lion-like appearance, exuding an air of composure and authority. A large saber rested by his side. This was Cheng Lie, the leader of the Hundred Blades Alliance, who now tilted his head, listening to the sounds from outside.

"It's still hard to say. They have a good number of people, and we couldn't ambush them initially, so now it's a direct fight. Hmph, they're not from Jiangning."

"Not from Jiangning?"

"They're unfamiliar faces, fierce and determined fighters. Their style suggests they're from out of town, likely one of those desperate groups who arrived in Jiangning during the floods."

Jiangning was prosperous, so naturally, there were many involved in illicit trades and the underworld. Every year, outsiders would arrive to seek their fortune and seize territory. During natural disasters, even more desperate individuals, having lost everything, would come to Jiangning like "fierce dragons crossing the river." For many gang factions, such people often posed a significant threat; those driven to starvation became reckless and incredibly destructive. However, for organizations like the Hundred Blades Alliance, the impact was not as great. Cheng Lie merely tilted his head.

"Don't worry, niece. A strong dragon cannot overpower a local snake. These rogue elements are nothing to worry about. They may think they have some power, but tonight, we'll wipe them out completely. We're well aware of all the outsiders who came to Jiangning this year looking for trouble. Once we identify which group they belong to, I guarantee that even those who didn't come tonight won't leave Jiangning alive. This matter... hmm..."

Cheng Lie's words were calm, authoritative, and full of confidence—a confidence he certainly had the power to back up. However, mid-sentence, he realized he was speaking to his niece. After a slight hesitation, he waved his hand decisively: "Stop wasting time with them, move out!"

At that moment, people stood hidden under the eaves and in the shadows of the courtyards, invisible from the outside, making the complex seem like a heavily fortified stronghold. As he waved his hand, someone nearby immediately opened a bamboo tube. The instant fireworks burst into the sky, a sudden cry erupted from outside: "Kill—"

In that brief moment, echoes surged like a tide, thundering through the night sky: "Kill—"

"Kill them all—"

Members of the Hundred Blades Alliance, previously positioned around Shibupo, moved simultaneously, sweeping like an angry tide towards the surrounding woods. Close-quarters combat ensued, forcing the previously hidden outsiders into the open. The sounds of fighting instantly intensified. Inside the courtyard, six or seven people also charged out from the entrance. In the midst of the immense chaos, Su Tan'er recalled something and asked Cheng Lie a question.

"What?" Cheng Lie, not hearing clearly, asked loudly.

"Uncle Cheng! I want to ask! Are any of these outsiders from E'zhou?" Su Tan'er asked loudly.

"E'zhou?"

"Yes, I remember now, the person who framed father back then was from E'zhou!"

"They're from all over, but E'zhou... there's a group, many of them from near E'zhou, led by someone named Ou Peng... Ah! The roof!"

Before Cheng Lie could finish speaking, he roared, spun around, grabbed his saber with his left hand, and snatched an iron ring of unknown purpose with his right. He hurled it whistling towards the roof of the room where Xi Junyu was being held. A figure had appeared on the roof at some point, and the iron ring violently disturbed the thatch. The figure reacted instantly, drawing a large saber from behind his back and forcefully chopping down towards the iron ring.

With a clang, sparks flew into the night sky. The iron ring was sent flying, and the figure on the roof staggered several steps, trampling the thatch, before falling into the room.

"Ah—"

"Die!"

Suddenly, chaos erupted. Just as Su Tan'er emerged, Su Boyong, pushed in his wheelchair by a guard, had just left the room, glancing back, having spoken to Xi Junyu about something unknown. Beside Su Tan'er, Cheng Lie had already charged swiftly towards the room. He directly shattered half a window and burst inside. The room, lit by only a single oil lamp, became a blur of figures and a clanging cacophony! Saber light spun, and sparks continuously flew out with shouts of "Ah—!" Tables, chairs, and wooden racks were hacked apart, flying through the air, illuminated by the sparks.

A figure burst out of the window with a thud. This tall, slender man was the Hundred Blades Alliance member who had previously subdued Xi Junyu and remained in the room. He was considered a skilled fighter, but it was clear he had been forced out. He rolled a few times on the ground, spat out some blood, and stood up again. Su Tan'er started to run towards her father, but Su Boyong waved his hand, signaling her not to, as Guard Geng had already retreated with his saber. Now, there were three people left in the room: Xi Junyu, Cheng Lie, and the intruder who had been knocked off the roof. The fight continued, producing astonishing sparks, and it was unclear whether Xi Junyu, caught in the crossfire, had been killed.

"Die!" Inside the room, Cheng Lie suddenly roared. Then, with a loud crash, another figure was slammed out of the window. The man held a steel saber, half his body drenched in blood, his headscarf knocked off, looking utterly disheveled—it was clearly the intruder. Scrambling to his feet, he let out a furious roar and charged like a madman towards Su Tan'er. The tall, slender man from the Hundred Blades Alliance moved sideways a few steps, blocking him with his sharp saber. Their weapons clashed. The intruder bellowed, his large saber whirling in his hand, producing countless sparks with a rapid clang, but this time, the slender man was experienced. After two more blows, he forced the intruder back.

Hundred Blades Alliance members from under the nearby eaves and shadows began to surround him.

"Go!" Cheng Lie yelled from inside the room. Xi Junyu was kicked out, stumbling. Before he could regain his footing, a large saber was firmly placed against his neck. Cheng Lie emerged from the doorway, holding the saber with one hand, and looked at the surrounded man in the courtyard: "Who are you?"

The saber-wielder, his body half-stained with blood, reached up to push his hair aside and gritted his teeth, "Your grandpa's name is Ma Lin!"

"Good, kill him."

Cheng Lie wasted no more words and tilted his head. The sounds of fighting at the courtyard gate suddenly intensified, with whistling winds. Two Hundred Blades Alliance members were sent flying, and two others were forced to retreat and disperse. Cheng Lie's saber flashed, deflecting a flying projectile, and then the large saber returned firmly to Xi Junyu's neck. Appearing at the courtyard gate was another tall man, wielding an iron spear. He stepped inside, standing there, surveying the situation: his companion in the middle of the courtyard and... enemies filling the entire space.

"I've seen you before. Ou Peng, it really is you and your group." Cheng Lie shook his head. "You outsiders seem to be having a lot of fun in Jiangning."

"Just trying to make a living," the tall man said, raising his spear. "Anyone who stops me from earning my keep, I'll kill their whole family. I know your surname is Cheng. Are you going to get out of my way?"

Cheng Lie frowned, then let out a somewhat savage laugh, saying deliberately, "I think not."

Inside the courtyard, all the Hundred Blades Alliance disciples understood that Cheng Lie was truly enraged and prepared to charge at Ou Peng. Ou Peng slowly retreated across the courtyard threshold, then suddenly turned and ran off to the side.

"Kill these fools who don't know their place!"

With a grim expression, Cheng Lie swung his saber, striking Xi Junyu to the ground with a loud smack, leaving half his face swollen. He advanced with his saber towards Ma Lin in the center of the courtyard. Some men had already started chasing Ou Peng outside the courtyard, joining their comrades who were already out there. For a moment, the sounds of fierce combat and fighting near Shibupo reached a fever pitch!

At the same moment, two carriages had already driven out of the Su family's side gate, heading towards the outskirts of the city...

***

A few days ago, I heard about another account being hacked. Today, I learned that account hacking isn't always due to Trojans; some hackers reportedly buy batches of accounts and passwords from irregular websites. For instance, if you've registered on many websites using the same username and password, they can use that information to match accounts on major sites. I'm not sure if this is true, but it's something to be mindful of when registering new accounts in the future.

Things have been a bit unstable recently; writer's block has been a recurring struggle, though the story's framework remains clear. All I can promise is that I'm at my computer every day, not slacking off or doing other things. I've seen some people say that authors hoard chapters for double-points events or the beginning/end of the month. Ha, such things are too magical. For me, the only thing that matters is the book itself. I've never considered how to manage it; any energy I have goes into the book itself, not into manipulating it. My calls for votes and other such actions are usually just spontaneous, opportunistic gestures.

For example, like some scientists on TV who can forget to eat or socialize for the sake of their research, I can dedicate myself to this book to that extent. Whether it yields results is hard to say, but my attitude has always been earnest.

In short, that's just the kind of person I am.

I feel like my condition is improving today, so I should be able to continue updating.

Let me recommend a book: "Mastering All Beauties" by Saint Morning Thunder. This author has always been a great storyteller. This book is in a transitional phase towards unrestrained fantasy; while it might not be entirely thorough yet, if it were too thorough, would it be called bland?

Anyway, it's from an experienced author, the plot is well-controlled, and the quality is guaranteed. If you're interested, go check it out.