Chapter 261: Siege (3)

The setting sun was like blood.

The dog was tired. It limped around the blood-stained dirt mound, then went to the small courtyard below, half of which had collapsed, and lay down, licking its lame hind leg. Its master lay beside it. Turning its head, the dog saw the long wooden pole sticking out of its master's body. It nudged forward with its nose, then whimpered and pulled back.

The dog, the courtyard, the corpse, the arrow shaft, and blood. Noisy sounds drifted from not too far away.

It was an old dog, so old that it probably didn't have many years left to live. It had always lived with its equally aged master in a small courtyard near the great wall, occasionally going out for a walk and slowly returning when tired. What it liked now was to lie on the bluestone slab under the tree by the doorstep, basking in the sun, dozing with half-closed eyes amidst the sunlight and cicadas' chirps. Sometimes, when its old master sat beside it, stroking the hard sinews on its neck and murmuring, it would comfortably let out a soft whine.

A few days ago, it saw all the birds fly away, and then the earth shook, collapsing the great wall. After that, people came and went, doing things it couldn't understand. For several days, the site where the great wall had fallen echoed with their shouts. On that day, dense crowds surged in through the breach, and countless people poured out from various places. Those human tides collided. As the old master stood at the breach in the courtyard, watching the vague movements and murmuring words the dog didn't understand, he suddenly collapsed without warning.

It saw the wooden pole sticking out of the old master's body, smelled the ominous scent of blood, and saw the fresh blood gush out. It rushed over, sniffing and nudging its master, trying to make him move again. But the aged man only opened his eyes, gave it a faint look, and then his gaze became fixed forever.

Blood was still flowing. It ran into the street, climbed onto the dirt mound behind, and barked. Some people, their bodies stained with blood, charged over. It barked and lunged, trying to bite them, but it was old and its leg was broken by a knife handle. It whimpered and moved aside. Some people rushed into the courtyard, then rushed out again. After a long while, large crowds were driven out through the breach. The commotion boiled there, but only this small courtyard grew quiet, with only the old dog slowly pacing back and forth.

Afterward, people constantly charged through the breach in the great wall, and many also fell there. It hadn't eaten for days. Occasionally, it would look out from the dirt mound, dragging its lame leg. When it could, it would bark a few times. When tired of barking, it would return to the courtyard and watch the flies breeding on its old master's corpse.

The weather was hot. The blood-red setting sun finally sank between the rolling clouds and the mountains. Outside the courtyard, a red maple tree, half its leaves withered, rustled in the evening's heat and stench. As darkness approached, the old dog climbed onto the dirt mound again, its figure and the mound merging into a solitary silhouette against the orange-red sky.

At one moment, the dog stood foursquare on the dirt mound, stretching its head to look into the distance. Countless arrow shadows rose into the sky like a swarm of locusts. One of the arrows *swish* shot through the old dog's body. Its corpse rolled down, and a few scattered arrows *thump-thump-thump* landed on the dirt mound. Then, from outside the city, a person shouted, "Saint Lord!" Others shouted, "All are equal under the law! There are no high or low! The Saint Lord has arrived!" "The Saint Lord! He has arrived!" Countless voices merged into a single roar, pressing towards them with a rumbling sound!

It was another muggy evening. The turmoil in and around Hangzhou had almost become part of daily life.

In Taiping Lane, Ning Yi sat atop an intact wooden building, gazing at the distant sunset and the city. The waterway near Taiping Lane was a small branch of the Grand Canal. Due to upstream blockages and the recent dangers of war, the river water had become murky. The chaos of many days since the earthquake, internal strife and external threats, had led to poor circulation within the city, which now subtly emitted a rotten stench.

When a few people approached on horseback from outside Taiping Lane, Ning Yi descended from the building. Among the new arrivals, the leader was Qian Haiping, a nephew of Qian Xiwen. He was nearly forty years old and held a powerful civilian post in Hangzhou Prefecture. During Fang La's siege, he was responsible for many matters within the city and had interacted with Ning Yi several days prior. He had visited Taiping Lane several times in the past two days, and the guards at the alley entrance mostly recognized him and let him in.

Upon seeing Ning Yi, the travel-worn middle-aged man wasted no pleasantries. He cupped his hands, took a note from his person, and said, "Nephew Ning, no need for formalities. This morning, Master An's residence in the west of the city was attacked by bandits, catching fire and resulting in over ten deaths. We later received this information..." He lowered his voice. "We can now tentatively identify the main culprits..."

"But Uncle Qian isn't confident yet, is he?" Ning Yi glanced at the note, frowned slightly, then gestured for them to come inside. Su Tan'er bowed gracefully from under a nearby eave but did not approach.

A few days ago, Ning Yi, for the first time, exerted himself with all his might, gathering and mobilizing all the persuadable forces from several nearby streets. This was an activity he undertook for his own sake. When he met Qian Xiwen again, he casually mentioned some ideas. Qian Xiwen had clearly been active in Hangzhou for some time and was undoubtedly a skilled strategist. The idea of rooting out all the culprits in a carpet search while simultaneously defending against attacks from outside the city was not reliable. But since they had come into the city and gained understanding, they would surely identify places truly suitable for their operations.

Strategic psychological warfare, what is truly frightening in this world is an unprovoked, spur-of-the-moment madness. For example, when Ning Yi was abducted by people hired by Gu Yanzhen, it was genuinely simple, with no prior indications. However, if the enemy also possesses extensive intelligence, their range of choices often becomes much smaller. If they cannot be immediately rooted out, one can instead lure them into a trap. In places where their actions could create chaos in Hangzhou, it would be wise to feign weakness to the enemy.

Regarding this matter, all Ning Yi knew was about the southern port. As for the detailed arrangements, they had to be handled by those familiar with Hangzhou. Let them cause destruction, or even entice them to cause destruction, while preparing sufficient contingency measures, and in the process, grasp their methods of operation. After saying this, Ning Yi listed several simple plans. Deliberately allowing chaos to erupt at the southern pier was one of them. He mentioned this on the third day of the conflict, and that very afternoon, chaos was indeed incited at the southern pier. An official attempted to flee, and hidden bandits took the opportunity to strike, while hidden informants also got their first lead on the enemy. This lead was lost an hour later, but the aftermath was handled properly, ultimately preventing major disorder. Afterward, Qian Haiping, at Qian Xiwen's instruction, sought out Ning Yi to review some ideas and intelligence with him.

Ning Yi currently had experience only with the big picture, but when it came to plans that required integrating local customs and knowledge, he was extremely cautious and never spoke rashly. Many times, he would discuss them with Su Tan'er. After several encounters, Qian Haiping and his subordinates couldn't help but feel impressed by the couple.

Ning Yi read the message on the note, then called his wife over to look at it as well. Su Tan'er simply nodded silently, then returned the note to Qian Haiping after reading it. For several days, Qian Haiping's subordinates had cast a wide net within the city. It had now tightened to a certain extent, allowing them to identify information about several key perpetrators.

"...These people are almost all famous martial artists from the past. Shi Bao, in particular, is incredibly skilled with his great saber. We can now confirm that it was he who killed Deputy General Yuan with a single strike during the great fire in the north of the city. The tall, thin man with long hair, wielding a large spear, seen in the city two days ago, must be Wang Yin. This man is ruthless, highly skilled in martial arts, and no less capable than Shi Bao. Furthermore, Wang Yin is an outstanding strategist. We now suspect he might be the one leading the operations within the city. However, another person is also a possibility: Fang Qifo, also known as 'Buddha Marshal,' a subordinate of Fang La. His status within the rebel army is second only to Fang La himself. Some even say he is profoundly learned, knowledgeable in ancient and modern times, a figure like Zhuge Liang. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to confirm whether he is actually in the city. If we could expose him and capture him in one swoop, it would be like severing one of Fang La's arms."

Qian Haiping said this as he entered the room and sat down. When Su Tan'er personally served tea, he nodded in thanks. "As for Liu Dabiao, he's a bit strange. This man was quite renowned in the southwestern martial arts world, known as 'Overlord Saber.' But I have information here that says Liu Dabiao died several years ago. This record states that Liu Dabiao had a rough and bold personality, a full beard, and a peculiar temper, often priding himself on his thick chest hair, and wearing short fighting attire regardless of winter or summer. Although Nephew Li Heng saw him that day, the man in his forties had no beard. Furthermore, given his status, to join the rebel army and even serve under a young girl—could this girl be Fang La's daughter? If so, capturing and killing her would also be a great achievement."

By now, many intelligence reports were laid out on the table in the room. Ning Yi had already reviewed them numerous times and now added the new note to the collection. "It might take another day or two, 'a cunning rabbit has three burrows.' The city is too chaotic right now, and we've only been able to pinpoint one of their gathering points. Acting rashly would likely be in vain."

"Yes, these people are all masters. Without a foolproof plan, any action we take might just lead to them fighting their way out," Qian Haiping nodded. Then, remembering something, he chuckled, "Oh, right, I heard Li Heng has some past grievances with the Lou family. Since I had some time today, I sent some men to pay them a visit, haha, they smashed their front gate. Consider it a little something to help you vent, my nephew."

Ning Yi frowned, looking at the jovial Qian Haiping. "It's a minor matter, not a significant grudge. At a time when we should be united against external threats, Uncle doing this might..."

"Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all," Qian Haiping waved his hand dismissively. "They say the Lou family has some influence, but in the eyes of my Qian family, they're nothing more than chickens and dogs. Your humiliation, Li Heng, your uncle didn't know about it before, but now that I do, it's my responsibility. If they harbor resentment, that's fine too; your uncle will take the opportunity to wipe them out for you! I know Li Heng is benevolent, hehe, but you don't need to worry about this matter. From now on, Li Heng's affairs are the Qian family's affairs. I have nothing else to attend to today, so I'll take my leave. I hope to hear good news tomorrow."

He rose, smiling, and walked out of the room accompanied by Ning Yi. The setting sun was like blood. From the west, shouts from near the city boiled up into the distant sky.

"Ah, more civil matters," Qian Haiping said, shaking his head. After a sigh, he left, looking bored.

Ning Yi watched the sky, frowning.

"The Saint Lord has arrived! It looks like the city will fall in the next day or two!" someone said. In the sunset, in a relatively intact courtyard, Shi Bao rushed in, laughing loudly.

Wang Yin, with long hair, was sitting by the well, cleaning his steel spear, seemingly lost in thought. Now, looking to the west and listening carefully to the sounds carried by the wind, he didn't seem pleased. "I originally thought it would have fallen by now, but it's dragged on until today. Our actions in the city these past few days feel a bit strange."

"Strange? What's strange?" Shi Bao was taken aback, then sat down next to Wang Yin and clapped him on the shoulder. "Ah, old rock-hewer, you always overthink things. We've been having so much fun killing these past few days, and the city is in utter chaos. I think it's reliable. Buddha Marshal once said that you scholars just think too much, which is why a scholar's rebellion never succeeds even after ten years. Oh, I'm not talking about you,..."

Wang Yin smiled. He swung his steel spear in a straight line; all the water droplets on it burst, and a *thud* echoed in the air. "In utter chaos? I think something's off. It's not chaotic enough. Although every action we've taken has gone smoothly, I feel the results are never quite clear. It's like hitting a ball of cotton—the force goes out, but someone always manages to patch up the breach. It makes me feel like someone is secretly watching us..."

"No way, old rock-hewer, are you sure?"

"Heh, maybe I'm overthinking it. I originally wanted to breach the city from both inside and out before the Saint Lord arrived, but now that he's here, breaking the city will be simple. Next, right, what about Xu Fang, Gou Zheng, and Liu Dabiao?"

"They should be on their way. The messages have all been sent."

As they were speaking, someone opened the door and hurried over. This person was Xu Fang, quite familiar with both Shi Bao and Wang Yin. After entering the courtyard, he said gravely, "We have to go."

"What's wrong?"

"Liu Dabiao was recognized and tracked, and a government spy was caught. It's quite serious."

Shi Bao and Wang Yin stood up simultaneously, grabbed their weapons, and walked out the door, maintaining their disguise. The group left the courtyard, passed through ruins, streets, and pedestrians. After turning two streets, lights began to be lit gradually along the streets. Some people who had lost their families were cooking and living by the roadside, while children ran to and fro. They entered another courtyard. After the sun set, the courtyard was somewhat dark. Under a long corridor on one side, a young girl in a blue floral dress and a black veiled straw hat sat quietly in the shadows, hugging her knees. On the other side, a burly man with a long wooden box on his back was washing his hands by the well, blood soaking into the grass. In a room directly ahead, a tiny oil lamp glowed, and there was blood on the floor.

Wang Yin was the first to enter the room. He saw a mutilated corpse. When he turned back, the middle-aged man who had just finished washing his hands had also come over, clapping his hands together and speaking quietly. Wang Yin gradually frowned, then after a long while, he smiled. In the night wind, their voices could be faintly heard.

"Ning Liheng..."

"The live-in son-in-law... Ha..."

"Hangzhou actually has people like this..."

"I really want to meet him..."

A moment later, Shi Bao tossed his precious saber into the air and caught it again.

"Hey, how about tonight?!"