Night wind moaned as Yang Heng's corpse burned on the floor, casting dancing shadows through the room. Wine still seeped slowly from the broken jar. The hand that had just been extinguished trembled slowly in the darkness. Their eyes met in the air—despite such injuries, the scholar's gaze remained cold and sharp, unchanged from beginning to end.

"Sometimes, that's how it is..." The scholar said word by word. "One wrong step, and you're dead."

The second half was what he'd said earlier. Yang Yi looked around—his eldest son dying but still hostage, his family silent, his brother dead just like that. He'd kidnapped dozens of meat pigs, never encountering anything like this. Gentle scholar, gentle scholar... That gaze wasn't any gentle scholar's. Even among the most self-proclaimed desperate criminals, he'd never seen such fierce decisiveness pushed to the extreme. That still-trembling hand mixed with that gaze—this person wasn't just ruthless to enemies, but ruthless to himself to the utmost degree.

It was as if he'd unknowingly kidnapped a little white rabbit home. In just one gap, that rabbit had bared its fangs and completely ravaged his home before he could even react. When he turned back, he could only see blood everywhere and the rabbit's now blood-red eyes.

He ground his teeth: "Erlang—" The shout echoed through the houseboat into the night sky, but no response came. Moments later, he shouted again: "Mother—" The voice carried through with no answer. Red-eyed, he smiled and roared the last name: "Dalang—" He released the crossbow, eyes fierce as he looked toward Yang Heng's steel blade on the ground.

"I'll chop you to pieces..."

Gritting his teeth word by word, he started toward the blade. At that moment, he saw the iron spike slowly leave his son's throat. Without that hand holding him, his son's body swayed unsteadily. Perhaps from that earlier roar, his son's consciousness seemed slightly clearer. In his vision, the scholar untied the rope, waved his hand in the air, and let it go.

His spirit shot to its peak in an instant.

The scholar stepped back, then suddenly kicked his son's back with all his might.

Firelight flickered as his son stumbled forward, feet going tap-tap-tap-tap toward him. At the far end, the scholar raised his hand, the iron spike rising in the air.

"YAH—"

"AH—"

Amid the shouts, the scholar threw the spike with maximum force. Yang Yi also suddenly burst forward, yanking Dalang aside. The spike whirled through the air, drawing blood from his hand. The scholar's figure instantly closed in, swinging a wine jar!

BANG—

Yang Yi didn't dodge, ramming the scholar away. The jar shattered solidly on his head. He wiped away the wine with one swipe—the scholar had already been knocked into a cabinet meters away, spitting blood. His mind held only killing intent now, no hesitation. He charged forward, fist swinging up.

The scholar's right hand reached behind him.

"One wrong step, and you're dead..."

With a bang, Yang Yi hesitated for an instant, his punch hitting empty air. A pleased smile flashed in the scholar's eyes as he desperately arched his body, then ran to the side toward the door. Yang Yi wouldn't let him escape now, picking up a cabinet and hurling it. The cabinet smashed against the door and fell apart. The scholar stumbled a few steps changing direction—the steel blade on the ground was only steps away.

A wine jar whistled over, crashing onto the burning Yang Heng with a boom. The fire dimmed suddenly from the wine. The scholar rolled forward from a shard. Yang Yi charged straight up, crossing half the room in an instant. The scholar was tenacious, struggling up to grab an empty jar behind him and throw it. Yang Yi didn't dodge, directly closing distance. His left hand grabbed for the chest while his right fist swung back.

The scholar frantically grabbed for another empty jar behind—missing the rim on the first grab, he grabbed again! The fist wind howled over!

"I'll tear you—"

Thud—

His body swayed in that instant. The punch hit the shoulder, still knocking the scholar down over a meter away.

"...apart."

The originally furious voice suddenly dropped low, echoing through the room, swaying without finding home...

The figure froze there. Several seconds later, Yang Yi's body finally moved, staggering back two steps, eyes somewhat blank. He looked at the scholar on the ground ahead, then turned his head as if trying to focus on his son on the ground. Atop the giant's head, the angled iron scale weight had smashed through his skull, now embedded there. Blood gushed from his head, beginning to slide past his ears and forehead, flowing through every strand of hair and ear, spreading toward his neck...

The scholar stumbled several times before grabbing a nearby cabinet with his right hand to climb up.

Wine jars posed no threat to the now rage-consumed Yang Yi, nor did empty ones. That reach behind his back had already enraged him. If this missed, he might be the one to die, but meeting on a narrow path at a disadvantage, this was all he could do. He had no other choice...

Yang Yi still stood swaying. Ning Yi took a deep breath, feeling the pain surge up. With cold eyes he walked to Yang Heng's corpse, picked up the steel blade, and under Yang Yi's gaze, chopped down on Dalang's neck on the ground, then backhanded a slash straight at Yang Yi's head and face.

Blood sprayed out.

"You should have killed me immediately..."

He said this softly, then chopped hard and continuously with the second and third strikes. Finally, Yang Yi's body fell to the ground. He supplemented each person in the room with a few more cuts before staggering back to lean against the wall, body trembling, weak and powerless: "Ha..."

Fear and tension could only surge up unreservedly now. He'd died once but that didn't mean he could really accept dying again anytime. Fear, panic, tension—these still existed after all. Even in his previous life, such narrow-path blood-for-blood situations were rare. Calculation and such were just doing one's best—most still depended on fate, almost walking alongside death's threat. Fortunately, he'd finally crossed this hurdle, allowing a moment to feel relief with lingering fear...

He moved through the blood in the room, then lifted a wine jar and smashed it on Yang Heng's body. The liquid extinguished the flames, then another jar. The room's light gradually died out...

Light rose again—oil lamp light like a tiny dot. Corpses, blood, the devastated room. That figure sat in the lamplight with many injury medicines spread beside him. He bit one end of a bandage with his teeth, his right hand gripping the other end and pulling hard, wrapping up his left hand.

A pity he couldn't find out who was behind them.

In that situation, nothing could be perfectly handled. He suppressed everything in his heart with calm. His goal had originally been simply to kill them as the limit—if he couldn't achieve that, at least hold them and escape. Later these brothers' ferocity indeed exceeded his expectations. Even with a hostage, they constantly showed strong aggression, making it impossible to use the hostage as leverage to interrogate further.

Threats with warning signs were easy to handle, but this time there truly were no signs. Someone was watching him from behind, but he didn't know who. This was what he could least tolerate.

Pain still came from his arm, shoulder, and chest. He drank some wine, stood up to survey the whole house again, then picked up the crossbow and put it on the table before pushing the door open. This house sat by a desolate riverbed. The water below didn't look deep. A crude wooden walkway led to the shore road. Trees on the shore, a low mountain in the distance, morning stars twinkling in the sky.

Ning Yi stood there, looking at the distant mountains, near water, the forest ahead and houseboat behind, thinking, watching for a long while.

Then he turned back.

The door closed, light dimming again.

Midnight... how long until midnight...

Near the end of the Pig hour¹, a farewell banquet at the relay station outside the city gates was ending. Gu Yanzhen bid farewell to his friends, then headed with his follower Old Liu toward a nearby small manor.

For this trip to Raozhou, he didn't plan to bring many followers. Among his trusted men, only Old Liu knew the most. The others might vaguely guess some things but would naturally keep quiet.

He went to the manor to check the things for the journey—three carriages total. He briefly inspected the middle one. Opening the curtain revealed a large cage inside, looking like it could hold prisoners.

After a brief look, he nodded coldly.

"Stay at the residence near Xinlin Port for a month first, then head to Raozhou. After that, just consider her dead or insane—ignore her."

Then he checked the things needed for Leping, the gifts to send. Though just setting out, most of his thoughts were already on Leping and future plans.

As for decisions already made, no need to think more—they were trivial now.

"Let's go, it's about time to see if the Yang brothers have succeeded."

"Should be fine. Those brothers haven't failed before."

"Any matter—see it with your own eyes before calling it success."

Gu Yanzhen shook his head: "I don't make assumptions."

Though he said this, he actually wasn't worried. Confirming things was just his habit. After confirmation, he could move on Yunzhu. If this failed and he captured Yunzhu himself, he'd only lose face terribly. He couldn't stand such mockery, like that slap on the street. As for what came next, everything was set in stone. All scholars and romantic talents looked the same under the blade. After showing that woman, he wouldn't feel any mercy for her. A month later... this matter would completely end. He'd go to Leping, cutting away inner demons, leaving no lingering attachments.

Along the way he discussed Leping matters with Old Liu—who to give gifts to, how much, what to do to win popular support. Old Liu walked ahead with a torch. Approaching the hilltop, he stopped—there was also a torch on the mountain, circling left three times and right three times. They responded here, then the mountain torch signaled backward.

Gu Yanzhen watched all this. He'd been here once before—familiar territory. He had much to consider, now just lowering his head in thought, planning for the next year and years after. Perhaps next time going through Minister Li's connections would be better. Minister Li was a military official after all. If he wanted to abandon the pen for the sword, he shouldn't refuse. Of course, he'd still need impressive achievements in office. At Leping, he already had a complete plan. In three years of service, there was a chance to multiply prosperity several times. This matter required bold action and keen progress. Three years later, friction and war between Liao-Jin and Great Wu would probably reach its peak—it couldn't conclude within three years—the perfect time for heroes to establish achievements.

A pity if it could be three years earlier. If he already had achievements now, catching perhaps this year's or next year's initial military mobilization would be even better. But no point complaining about such things. The timing was off, just requiring more effort... Three years in the Eastern Capital working various connections, wasting time. If he could rise in the future, he'd come back to thoroughly clean up such mediocrity.

Through the forest path, past the riverside bamboo grove, lamplight glowed dimly in the house on the water ahead. Old Liu walked in front, he followed with lowered head. Honestly, facing those brothers made him somewhat uncomfortable. Thinking of other things now made him seem more composed. Wind moaned past, river water gurgled. Approaching the door, certain things rose to their peak, but he tried not to mind. Wine smell came from inside—these people were probably drinking, predictably.

Old Liu pushed open the ajar door. Inside something went "clang," then ping, bang, hiss—the lights went out. He couldn't understand this reaction.

Next moment, a thunderous crash. The door suddenly shattered before his eyes. A beam whistled out from inside, striking Old Liu's face directly before swinging back. A second later, the roof of the house ahead collapsed right before him with a huge crash. In the massive shock, the beam pulled the roof down.

Old Liu fell into the not-deep river water beside them. Several arrows planted upside-down in the riverbed pierced through his chest. Thick blood flowed and diluted with the current. The bodyguard who'd been vigorous beside him moments ago had become a corpse.

A piece of shattered door plank splashed against his face and fell into the river. All thoughts stopped abruptly. Gu Yanzhen stood there, dumbly frozen for a long while.

Night wind howled past. Under starlight, a lonely figure before the houseboat, finding no home...