Chapter 194: Sudden Confrontation

**The Son-in-Law, Episode 1: Jiangning Morning Breeze**

As Ning Yi emerged from the room with a long bundle on his back, the sound of traditional music still wafted from the hall. There was no sign of the disturbance or chaos he had feared.

He only caught a few fragments of conversation and wasn't sure if the group was discussing "Qin Siyuan" or if they intended to cause trouble. It was possible he had misunderstood or misheard.

He hoped this was the case; Zhuji, the newly opened establishment, couldn't afford much trouble. He had been living a peaceful life for a long time, and this sudden premonition felt a little too coincidental. However, the group did give him a bad feeling. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

As he rounded the corner of the corridor, the door ahead opened again, and several people emerged, heading towards the outdoor platform. There were five individuals in total: the burly man, the tall and lean man, and the young nobleman Ning Yi had already seen, plus two others who were also quite tall. Both wore fur coats and short-sleeved outfits; one had a scar on his face, and the other was slightly plump but still appeared strong and robust.

These individuals looked like seasoned travelers or martial artists. They glanced at Ning Yi as they exited but paid him no mind.

Many people were walking or standing around the platform surrounding the hall, and waiters from the restaurant bustled about. Song Qian, following Ning Yi’s instructions, stood near the stairs, cracking melon seeds. The five men stepped out onto the second-floor corridor, pausing on the platform overlooking the hall, looking left and right. Ning Yi followed behind them and gave Song Qian a subtle glance, indicating the people he needed to watch.

A waiter carrying a tea tray passed by. Ning Yi leaned against the railing, bumping slightly into the tall, lean man who was looking down. "Sorry, sorry," Ning Yi chuckled. The lean man shot him a quick glance. A little further along, the young nobleman, who seemed to be speaking with a companion, fell silent when he saw someone approaching. He only resumed his conversation in a low voice after Ning Yi had moved away.

Passing Song Qian, Ning Yi descended the stairs. Yunzhu and Elder Qin were still at a relatively distant table. Ning Yi didn't want to draw attention to himself at that moment, hoping to avoid Yunzhu or Elder Qin greeting him. He blended into the crowd, then looked back. On the platform, the five men were still by the railing, frowning and talking as they looked down.

The bustling hall was filled with people coming and going, and pleasant music played. There was no sign of anything amiss. Elder Qin, who had always seemed content with a quiet life, had only recently experienced minor changes or disruptions; his visit today was simply to try out this new restaurant. Ning Yi took a breath, struggling to grasp his thoughts. He turned to look for people he knew around him, but he didn't know many of the staff here. After a long moment, he found a waiter, pulled him into a corner, and gave him a few instructions. Before he could finish, Yuan Jin'er, her face veiled, appeared by a nearby corner window. She looked at him several times, then approached with a smile.

"Ning Yi, what are you doing? Have you seen Sister Yunzhu?"

"Yes, I have."

"She's over there," Jin'er said, pointing towards Yunzhu through the crowd. "Elder Master Qin from the Qin family is here too. Oh, by the way, that Elder Master Qin... he's a very important person, isn't he?"

"I suppose so..." Ning Yi looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," Yuan Jin'er replied, though it was clear something was on her mind. She nodded, her smile straightforward yet cunning. Whatever she had in mind probably wasn't important. Ning Yi looked up and to the side, his brow suddenly furrowing. The five men seemed to have finished their discussion; one nodded and began heading towards the stairs. The young nobleman was still gesticulating and giving instructions to the other three. At the stairwell, Song Qian turned his head and looked towards Ning Yi.

Behind him, Yuan Jin'er asked, "Are you looking for Zheng Quan about something...?" Zheng Quan was the waiter Ning Yi had called over.

Ning Yi abruptly turned his head and gestured to the waiter, Zheng Quan: "Go stop that tall man with the scar on his face, and remember to apologize." At the same time, he also signaled to Song Qian.

Song Qian was already at the top of the stairs. He immediately turned and descended into the hall. The scarred man followed him down. Halfway down, Zheng Quan, the waiter with the tea tray, walked up to meet him. The two shifted left, then right on the stairs, eventually colliding. Tea and pastries from the tray spilled everywhere.

It was a minor incident. The waiter quickly apologized, grabbed a rag from his waist, and began wiping the water stains from the man's clothes. The scarred man, focused on the situation in the hall, impatiently tried to wave him off and continue down, but the waiter blocked him several times in quick succession. The other four men still upstairs noticed the commotion on the stairs, glanced at it, and then ignored it, as the young nobleman continued speaking. Meanwhile, on the small stage at the front of the hall, an invited courtesan was singing "A Song of the Pipa," reaching the lines: "The icy spring runs cold, the strings are congealed and snapped, congealed and snapped, the sound ceases for a moment." Song Qian crossed the hall, reached Elder Qin's side, and leaned in.

On the platform, the young nobleman stopped speaking and stood up straight, gazing at the scene. The others around him, including the scarred man on the stairs, also looked in that direction. Ning Yi watched from the side, his brows furrowed, a sense of dread tightening in his chest. Behind him, Jin'er chattered something.

The courtesan's pipa music slowed, and she sang, "A different sorrow and hidden resentment arise, at this moment, silence is better than sound." Her fingers pressed down, pausing the melody slightly, and her gaze swept across the hall. At the table ahead, Song Qian had finished speaking with Elder Qin. He took Elder Qin's arm, helped him stand, and as he turned to leave, he cast a glance back at the platform above. He then led Elder Qin away with hurried steps. Upstairs, the most burly and imposing man suddenly straightened his posture. The wooden railing he was gripping instantly cracked.

Ning Yi took a deep breath in the corner. Behind him, Jin'er gasped, "Ah!" muttering something unintelligible. In the hall, the sound of strings trembled.

The singing suddenly became urgent, as the courtesan chanted: "Silver bottles suddenly burst, water gushes forth; iron cavalry charges out, swords and spears clang..."

Meanwhile, Song Qian and Elder Qin moved through the crowd. Yunzhu, in her plain white dress, stood up confused, unsure of what was happening, and looked around. On the stairs, the waiter Zheng Quan let out a cry and tumbled down. Few people immediately noticed these events; only Ning Yi, in the corner, suddenly took a step back, muttering, "Damn it..."

The scarred man charged down the stairs. The tall, lean man and the slightly plump man near the young nobleman darted out to either side, also heading for the front staircases. Ning Yi's suspicions were finally confirmed. Behind him, Jin'er, seemingly having seen something, exclaimed, "They really came! They really came!" Ning Yi simply hissed, "Quick, find somewhere to hide!"

Before he finished speaking, a loud crash echoed through the hall. Below the platform, a table suddenly seemed to explode, sending debris flying in all directions amid a cloud of dust. People sitting nearby were caught off guard and thrown to the ground. Something flew across the hall, directly towards Elder Qin and Song Qian, but missed its target, striking a man sitting nearby and sending him sliding more than two meters across the floor.

Few people could react in time to understand what was happening; the singing on stage continued. Only Ning Yi, who had been constantly watching the upper level, could make sense of it. At that moment, the scarred man was plowing through the crowd. The tall, lean man and the slightly plump, robust man charged down different staircases. Beside the young nobleman, the most burly man directly kicked off a large section of the railing, hurled it towards Song Qian, and then leaped directly into the hall, landing squarely on a table below and smashing the Eight Immortals table to pieces.

Someone was sent flying.

Only then did screams of "Ah—" erupt.

Caught in the midst of it, it was hard to grasp what was happening, but chaos had undeniably erupted. The hall, already crowded with people and bustling staff, along with various tables and chairs, became even more constricted once the pandemonium began. Viewed from above, four distinct paths seemed to have been carved through the crowd. The four men accompanying the young nobleman were all burly Northeast Chinese men; even the one Ning Yi perceived as "lean" was only so due to his astonishing height. These men charged like chariots towards Song Qian and Elder Qin, who were heading for the main entrance. Guests who couldn't get out of the way were shoved to the ground, and tables and chairs were shattered and kicked aside.

"Old thief Qin—" the most burly man roared amidst the chaos, "Watch me take your dog's life!"

The music had stopped. The courtesan on the small stage stared wide-eyed at the scene in the hall. The young nobleman had also charged down with the four men; despite his luxurious attire, his face was fierce, and he drew a combat saber, following closely behind. He glanced to one side, then fixed his gaze on Song Qian and Elder Qin.

In the chaotic hall, Yunzhu, dressed in her white gown, stood bewildered in front of an Eight Immortals table, completely unable to comprehend why this was happening. Everything had unfolded too quickly. Not far away, the slightly plump, robust man charged straight towards her. The next instant, the Eight Immortals table in front of her was violently flipped over. Her hand was struck, and she let out a small cry. In front of her, a large hand reached out to grab her.

Earlier, on the platform above, the men had been observing Qin Siyuan and naturally noticed the woman sitting with him. The robust man's charge was like a chariot. Just as his arm was about to seize her neck, a force pulled her body to the side. At the same instant, a bamboo tube seemed to shoot out almost from beside her ear, flying towards the plump man's head and face.

Ning Yi grabbed Yunzhu's shoulder with one hand, pulling her body aside. In his other hand, the burning fuse on the tail of the firearm had already extended into the barrel.

The plump man's pupils dilated for an instant.

Then came a thunderous boom. Deafening.

In the hall, it was like the unfolding wings of a butterfly. Flames burst forth, and swirling smoke rose, almost engulfing people. On the other side, blood and shattered flesh sprayed upward and backward, forming a symmetrical fan-like pattern with the smoke, splattering everywhere. Ning Yi had already pulled Yunzhu close to his side. The plump man's body hurtled through the smoke, past them, and continued for four or five meters before collapsing to the ground, shattering a stool. His head and neck were a bloody mess, blood gushing from his wounds, and his body convulsed.

These men, powerful martial artists, had charged down from above with grim determination, giving few people time to react. This was perhaps the fiercest charge, seemingly unstoppable, yet the sudden counter-attack at its peak was equally astonishingly sharp. The robust man was clearly dead. The scarred man, who had also rushed close, stopped abruptly a few meters away in shock, then let out a roar and charged towards Ning Yi.

The fastest and most imposing man, however, paid no attention to this side. He had almost instantly closed the distance with Song Qian and Elder Qin and was now at the main entrance. At the same time, Song Qian, pulling Elder Qin, had already exited the building. On the street, a contingent of dozens of people was surging menacingly towards the Zhuji branch. Their origin was unknown, but it was clear their intentions were hostile.

Now, there was no escape forward, and pursuers were closing in from behind...