The silver-masked secret agents were well-trained and possessed exceptional martial skills. Four of them blocked the assassins while one escorted Qin Yining and the others out through the back gate of Shuoren Studio, running along the small paths of the rear garden toward sparsely populated areas.

Qin Yining’s right shoulder burned with pain, blood dripping down with her movements, staining half her sleeve red. Her vision kept darkening, and as she ran, she untied the sweat cloth from her waist and wrapped it tightly around her shoulder. Ji Yun, who was beside her, quickly helped her tighten the sweat cloth and tie a knot.

Before long, they encountered the Old Dowager and others who had similarly escaped under the protection of silver-masked agents.

Qin Yining forced herself to stay alert as she examined the group ahead.

Qin Huaiyuan and Third Master flanked the Old Dowager, whose hair was disheveled, with Nanny Qin stumbling along beside them.

Sun Shi followed closely behind, one hand pulling Fifth Master Qin Xian, the other holding Nanny Jin.

Qin Han held six-year-old Tenth Master Qin Rong in his arms while his other hand led his wife Meng Shi.

First Master Qin Yu carried blood-covered Eleventh Master Qin Zong, while Second Master supported the equally bloodied Second Madam, followed by two concubines and several maids and servants. Behind them were the guards and silver-masked agents.

Where was Third Madam?

Where was Yu’s wife?

And what about nine-year-old Ninth Master Qin Xuan?!

Qin Yining’s head buzzed, her vision darkened, and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Ji Yun beside her used both arms to support her forcefully. “Miss!”

“Yining, how are you?” Qin Huaiyuan rushed forward and supported Qin Yining, seeing her half-stained with blood and deathly pale. He asked anxiously: “Where are you injured?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Yining weakly buried her face in her father’s embrace.

Meanwhile, the Old Dowager and others were already asking frantically in shrill voices: “Where are Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss!”

Eighth Miss also noticed Third Madam’s absence and didn’t see her own concubine mother. She circled through the crowd several times, crying as she asked: “Where is my mother! Where is my concubine mother!”

Eleventh Master Qin Zong and Eighth Miss were both born to Concubine Ge. He immediately burst into tears: “Concubine Mother!”

Six-year-old Qin Zong would never forget for the rest of his life the image of Concubine Ge blocking his path.

Third Master, remembering Third Madam holding their son when the knife pierced her heart, broke into loud sobs.

The scene instantly became chaotic.

Only at this moment did everyone deeply feel how close the distance between life and death truly was—in just the blink of an eye, they were separated forever.

The assassins’ offensive remained fierce.

The family retreated under the protection of guards and silver-masked agents.

Qin Yining thought that the Five Cities Military Commissioner, having received the news, should arrive soon.

But then a silver-masked agent charged in from outside and reported to Qin Huaiyuan: “The palace perimeter is on fire and also under assassin attack. The officials and Five Cities Military Commissioner’s men are guarding the palace and cannot come. The official orders the marquis to hide quickly!”

Others didn’t know who the “official” the silver-masked agent referred to was, but Qin Yining knew.

No wonder she hadn’t seen Cao Yuqing in the crowd—something had happened at the palace too!

Just as she had relaxed slightly, her heart rose again.

The Five Cities Military Commissioner’s people had no time to attend to the Qin family, and looking around, there were still over thirty assassins, all skilled in martial arts.

The Qin family only had ten secret agents, plus the surviving guards. In a prolonged fight, they were no match for the assassins.

The guards and agents retreated step by step, barely able to protect such a large family.

But many courtyards in the inner residence were on fire, and roads that were previously passable were now blocked.

With pursuers behind and fires ahead, the family supporting each other soon had nowhere left to retreat.

The Old Dowager cried desperately: “Heaven truly wants to destroy our Qin family, to destroy the Qin family!”

Second Madam leaned against Second Master, also shedding tears of despair.

At this moment, someone in the crowd whispered: “Didn’t the assassins just say they wanted someone handed over?”

This stirred up a thousand waves, and in desperation and terror, someone said: “I heard it too—the assassins want Fourth Miss!”

Everyone’s gaze suddenly focused on Qin Yining, who was leaning against Qin Huaiyuan’s arm and barely holding on.

The Old Dowager looked at her son’s back, her lips trembling without speaking.

At this moment, everyone’s thoughts varied.

“Why do they want you, yet you won’t die but instead cause your sisters’ deaths!” The trembling, hoarse voice came from Second House’s Concubine Lin.

Concubine Lin was the birth mother of Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss.

Having not seen her twin daughters earlier, Concubine Lin was already on the verge of collapse. Now hearing this, she directed all her rage at Qin Yining.

“You’ve harmed the entire family and it’s still not enough! Do you want everyone to die?”

“Lin Shi, silence!” Second Master sternly rebuked.

“Why should I be silent! It’s all Qin Yining’s fault! It’s all the First House’s fault! You’ve killed so many people, killed my twin daughters Shuang’er and An’er!”

Concubine Lin, appearing mad, tried to push Qin Yining, but was blocked by Qin Huaiyuan raising his arm.

Second Master pulled Concubine Lin away.

“Tonight’s events are no one’s fault!” Second Master angrily rebuked. “Lin Shi, are you trying to rebel!”

Behind them was a raging fire, in front were assassins about to reach them, and both her daughters were gone.

“Ahh—” Concubine Lin screamed desperately and slammed her head hard against the powder wall.

With a loud “bang,” red and white splattered everywhere.

“Sister!” Second Madam sobbed.

Another one.

Another death caused.

Qin Yining thought sorrowfully, her vision darkening as her body gradually went limp.

“How are you, Yining!” Qin Huaiyuan was terrified, tightly embracing his beloved daughter and sitting on the ground with her weight. “Yining, don’t scare me!”

Sun Shi rushed over and knelt beside them, snatching Qin Yining over: “My child, my child!”

“Madam, the miss has lost too much blood from her injury. If not treated soon, she’ll be in danger!”

Ji Yun pressed the pressure point on Qin Yining’s shoulder to stop the bleeding and tightened the bandaging sweat cloth, but this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root.

Qin Huaiyuan’s hands were covered with sticky blood.

It was Qin Yining’s blood.

His only daughter was now hanging by a thread, his home had been burned down, and his family members were dead and wounded.

Was this the fate of being a loyal minister all his life?

What had he done wrong?

If retribution was truly needed, why not let it fall on him alone!

“Protect Marquis Anping!”

“Charge!”

…

Just when everyone was in despair, a mountain-like roar suddenly came from outside the hanging flower gate, sounding like a hundred men.

The remaining thirty-plus assassins saw they couldn’t break through and that reinforcements had arrived, so they immediately stopped fighting and fled.

At the same time, a tide of men dressed as common people, wielding axes, shovels, wooden clubs, and cleavers, rushed in.

Qin Huaiyuan looked solemnly and recognized these were all Azure Sky Alliance people!

Although the Azure Sky Alliance members all came from among the common people, their leaders included some martial artists and knights of the road. Seeing over thirty assassins fleeing after breaking into the mansion, they didn’t linger but pursued with over a hundred men, with the silver-masked agents also giving chase.

The crisis in the mansion was thus resolved.

Qin Huaiyuan quickly ordered the survivors to fight fires, conduct rescue operations, and summon physicians.

The Water Bureau people finally arrived belatedly.

Qin Huaiyuan carried Qin Yining and placed her in a study in the outer courtyard that hadn’t been affected by the fire, arranging for Ji Yun to watch over her. Due to the heavy casualties in the mansion, Sun Shi, Nanny Jin, and Qiu Lu were all assigned to care for the Old Dowager, Second Madam, and others who were injured.

When the fires were extinguished, the casualties were also tallied.

In the inner residence, half of the thirty-nine female servants were lost. Only a dozen or so guards remained in the outer courtyard.

From the Second House: Yu’s wife, Sixth Miss, Seventh Miss, and Concubine Lin; from the Third House: Third Madam and the legitimate Ninth Master—all unfortunately perished.

Additionally, the severely injured Qin Yining and Eleventh Master Qin Zong had fallen into comas, and countless others suffered minor injuries.

Hearing that she had lost her favorite youngest daughter-in-law, her eldest grandson’s wife, two beautiful granddaughters, and even Ji Xiang and Ruyi who had served her for years hadn’t escaped this calamity, the Old Dowager cried heartbrokenly and fainted several times.

Imperial physicians and doctors entered the mansion, frantically treating everyone.

Qin Huaiyuan, Second Master, and Third Master were busy both cleaning up the mansion and arranging mourning halls and funeral arrangements, exhausted physically and mentally.

After the Five Cities Military Commissioner arrived, they also arranged to search the mansion, fearing that remaining assassins might still be hiding somewhere.

At this time, no one noticed that while Qin Huaiyuan led people in searching the mansion, three black-clothed men who had been observing from the shadows for a long time avoided the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s people and headed toward the courtyard where Qin Yining was placed in the outer courtyard.

The wound on Qin Yining’s shoulder was three inches long, extending from her shoulder blade to above her right chest, with another inch-long cut on her right arm. Fortunately, she had bound the wound tightly to stop bleeding in time, or she wouldn’t have lasted until the imperial physician arrived.

Suturing the wound took some time. After the imperial physician applied medicine and bandaged her, he hurried to treat the injured Eleventh Master.

Ji Yun placed a cool cloth on Qin Yining’s forehead, looking at her restless sleeping face burning with fever, worried enough to cry.

She knew that Qin Yining had fallen unconscious due to excessive blood loss from her injury, but more than that, it was probably guilt toward her family members.

Song Lan had died saving Qin Yining.

Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss died before Qin Yining’s eyes, and Concubine Lin had committed suicide in resentment.

For Qin Yining, who had always been kind-hearted, these blows were too great.

Who exactly were those assassins? Why did they say such things?

After such a catastrophe, many survivors had lost close relatives. If they harbored resentment toward Qin Yining because of this, how could Qin Yining continue living in the Qin family?

Ji Yun then thought of Pang Xiao and shivered all over.

She had been assigned to protect Qin Yining but had let her suffer such serious injuries. When the prince learned of this, he would probably skin her alive…

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly sensed some movement on the roof.

Ji Yun immediately became alert, standing in front of the bed, her large eyes rolling as she surveyed the surroundings.

By the bright silk lamp’s light, she saw dust falling from the roof.

Ji Yun’s heart tensed. She quickly blew out the lamp, and in the darkness, the soft sword she drew from her waist reflected a cold white gleam.

At the same time, roof tiles crashed down, and a black-clothed man descended from above, swinging his knife toward the bed. Ji Yun blocked him with one move. Two others broke through the windows, also wielding gleaming steel knives.

The leader sneered coldly: “Little girl, if you want to live, step aside. We won’t kill you.”

“Who exactly are you! Why attack my miss!” Ji Yun’s face was covered in cold sweat as she stood with her sword horizontal before the bed, not yielding an inch. “I will never abandon my miss!”

“Ha! Since you’re so loyal to your master, there’s no harm telling you—let you be a knowing ghost. That man twirled his knife in a flourish. “We came on orders from the Great Zhou Emperor! Wasn’t it said that as long as this girl exists, the Yan dynasty would stand firm? His Majesty’s intention is to eliminate this protective talisman of the Yan dynasty!”

“You!” Ji Yun stared in shock, not expecting they were actually sent by the Zhou Emperor!

No one understood better than those around Qin Yining how that “protective talisman” rumor had originated.

Who would have thought that the rumor created to avoid being eaten would bring deadly disaster!

“Coming here like this, does Prince Zhongshun know!”

“Oh my, the little girl knows quite a lot!” The man sneered, too lazy to answer Ji Yun’s questions, and swung his knife at her.

Ji Yun hurriedly parried.

But when they truly began fighting, Ji Yun discovered that these three men’s martial skills were far superior to the large group of assassins earlier—she couldn’t handle them alone!

Ji Yun suddenly understood.

The earlier large group of assassins had been killing randomly, probably because they couldn’t distinguish who exactly their target was, so they simply decided to kill everyone.

These three had been hiding in the shadows observing, ensuring their plan was foolproof.

Indeed, Qin Yining being brought here for treatment by Qin Huaiyuan had revealed her location.

Moreover, with the Qin mansion currently in chaos and many household members dead, no one could spare attention, so these three had taken advantage of the vulnerability.

Ji Yun silently groaned but gritted her teeth and persevered.

She absolutely could not let anything happen to Qin Yining under her watch, or she too would face death! Besides, she now truly respected Qin Yining and would never let her die.

But martial skills were like physical strength—they couldn’t be summoned through willpower alone.

Ji Yun gradually fell behind, getting cut several times, and called loudly for help, but no one responded.

Just then, a white light suddenly flashed at the window in the darkness.

The assassin who was about to strike the bed suddenly froze.

Then the door was kicked open, and a white figure flashed in. With both hands extended, the other two men also stiffened in place.

In the blink of an eye, three masters were subdued!

That person panted: “I’m late!”

Ji Yun had been cut several times, but fortunately the wounds weren’t deep and weren’t fatal. She was now exhausted and breathing heavily but refused to lower her guard: “Who are you?”

The person took out a fire starter from his chest and lit the silk lamp.

Ji Yun looked carefully and said in surprise: “You are… Young Master Mu?”

The newcomer was in his early twenties, tall and thin, with delicate features, wearing a patched robe. He was currently breathing unsteadily from hurrying, and was none other than Mu Jinghu.

Mu Jinghu frowned: “That fox got word and urgently sent me here, but I was still a step too late.”

Turning back to curiously examine the unconscious Qin Yining on the bed, tilting his head to study her for a moment, Mu Jinghu put his hands behind his back and nodded seriously, saying in a flat voice: “Oh, no wonder he had me come protect her—she’s a beauty.”

Ji Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief, her body going limp as she sat down on the footstool, pointing at the three motionless figures: “Young Master Mu, what about them?”

“Do you want me to kill them? I think it’s better to leave someone alive.”

Mu Jinghu pulled out a small paper packet from his worn sleeve and handed it to Ji Yun: “This is wound medicine I prepared.”

He then turned back and pressed several more pressure points hard on the three people who stood like wooden posts.