The sky gradually darkened, and lanterns were hung everywhere around the courtyard. Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun carried several fragrant roasted sweet potatoes into the pavilion and offered them to Song Chuyi to eat, while smiling and saying, “The girls roasted these over a fire outside. Don’t be fooled by how charred and black they look on the outside – they’re actually very fragrant and perfectly edible!”

Qing Ying couldn’t help but laugh with a snort. Looking at the pitch-black sweet potatoes with their red flesh showing through, she shook her head. “Eating these will cause internal heat, and then you’ll be coughing again.”

However, Song Chuyi became interested. She reached out and took one, picked up a spoon from the table to scoop out the flesh inside, and asked Ma Changjiang, “Since Han Zhi left the city after meeting Little Madam Fan at Chongyin Workshop that time, has there been no other movements from him?”

Although both she and Zhou Weizhao felt that Han Zhi could no longer stir up any trouble, Han Zhi was still a venomous snake with its tongue flicking. Even knowing he currently had no intention of dealing with her, it was still good to know his whereabouts.

When it came to serious matters, the smile on Ma Changjiang’s face faded considerably. He nodded seriously, “Although Miss instructed us not to follow Han Zhi anymore to gather information, we still tailed him for a few days just to be safe. After he left by boat from Tongzhou, he never returned. We waited at the dock for several days before confirming he had truly left. As for where he went, we disguised ourselves as fishermen and spoke with Guan Shan. According to Guan Shan, they went to Fujian.”

To Fujian?! Song Chuyi furrowed her brows, somewhat surprised. Both she and Zhou Weizhao had thought Han Zhi would be eager to seek revenge, and the best way to do that would be to serve under Zhou Weizhao’s command, since Zhou Weizhao and Zhou Weiqi were now natural enemies.

But now it seemed Han Zhi had other plans? Song Chuyi thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered that Fan Liangdi’s eldest brother was in Fujian. Fan Liangdi’s eldest brother, Fan Shikun, currently served as Regional Commander in Fujian, and was said to be quite skilled at suppressing bandits.

Han Zhi had gone to Fujian – could it be that he actually wanted to compete with Fan Shikun?

This kind of person was obsessive and vicious, and his method of revenge was different from ordinary people. A large portion of Fan Liangdi and Prince Dongping’s support came from the Fan family of Xingyang. Perhaps Han Zhi wanted to start bit by bit with the Fan family, step by step leaving Big Madam Fan with nothing?

Song Chuyi couldn’t quite figure it out, but she made a mental note of this matter, thinking she should ask Madam Cui to write a letter to inquire of Guo Huaiying’s wife Shen Yang, having them be more vigilant.

The wind gradually grew stronger and stronger. The ginkgo tree planted just three years ago not far away was blown until it nearly bent in half. Although grass mats hung on all four sides of the pavilion and a brazier burned inside, Qing Ying still felt the cold creeping up from her feet. She looked at the sky and urged Song Chuyi to go home, “It’s getting late. If we return any later, Old Madam and Fourth Young Master will worry.”

But just as her words fell, several roof tiles crashed down beside the ginkgo tree with a clattering sound. The noise of the tiles hitting the ground was particularly jarring in such a night. Had the wind grown so strong?

The smile on Ma Changjiang’s face suddenly disappeared. He listened intently for a moment, then shouted out in alarm, “Something’s wrong!”

Ma Wangkun also quickly moved beside a pillar, peering outside through the gaps in the grass mat. With just one glance, his expression grew grave. He turned back and lowered his voice, shaking his head, “Something’s really wrong – someone has extinguished all the lanterns.”

Yet Ma San and the others guarding the courtyard hadn’t made a single sound. Ma San and his men also possessed martial arts skills – even if someone had invaded, they shouldn’t be completely unable to fight back, right?

As if to confirm their doubts, in just a moment, the sounds of clashing swords and combat rang out in the courtyard. Ma San and the others’ voices carried through the wind into the pavilion, reaching their ears from afar, “Run quickly!”

Something had truly happened, and judging by the commotion, quite a few people had come. Otherwise, Ma San wouldn’t be repeatedly urging them to flee. But this pavilion was surrounded by water on three sides, with only one long bridge providing passage, and Song Chuyi knew no martial arts.

Qing Ying grabbed Song Chuyi’s hand tightly and hid her behind her back. Before she could react further, several masked black-clothed figures leaped down from the pavilion roof.

There was no avoiding them. Ma Wangkun and Ma Changjiang threw away the sweet potatoes in their hands and, together with Qing Ying, protected Song Chuyi in the middle. Yet their hearts sank – the opponents numbered at least seven or eight, they had fewer people, and they still had to protect Song Chuyi. They had absolutely no chance of victory. Ma San and the others were tied up outside as well.

Song Chuyi also felt her heart plummeting straight down. After all her calculations, she had never calculated that someone would strike at this moment. She couldn’t determine whether they were people from the Chen family or Yuanhui’s people, but she knew this time she faced certain doom.

Just at this critical moment, flaming arrows suddenly broke through the air, passing right by Song Chuyi’s ear and striking with perfect accuracy into the arm of the black-clothed figure directly in front of Qing Ying.

Not expecting there would be reinforcements, the black-clothed figures were clearly all somewhat surprised. Ma Changjiang was the most quick-witted. Seeing this, he immediately exchanged glances with Ma Wangkun, rushed forward to engage the other several people, and shouted with all his might for Qing Ying to take Song Chuyi and run.

Qing Ying had no time to hesitate. Gripping Song Chuyi’s hand, she ran desperately along the corridor bridge. Although she didn’t know what the battle situation was like outside, if they stayed in the pavilion, they would only meet death.

A sword thrust straight and cleanly toward them. Qing Ying’s hand loosened as she busied herself parrying. Song Chuyi’s wide robe was stepped on from behind, causing her to lose her balance and pitch forward violently onto the ground.

The coarse floorboards scraped her knees with piercing pain. She steeled her heart and with swift movements drew the defensive short blade from her boot. With a ripping sound, she sliced open the hem that was being stepped on, finally gaining a moment to breathe. She immediately rolled over, pushed herself up from the ground, and stood.

But the moment she stood up, a sword was already fixed directly at the center of her brow.

She could already sense the oncoming cold and the heavy smell of blood and rust on the sword. That odor was unpleasant, but the sword’s owner’s gaze was even more chilling.

Before she could make a sound, an arrow flew through the air from behind her, aimed at the black-clothed figure before her. The sword-wielding person narrowly dodged, and with a backhand stroke split the arrow into two sections. The sharp sword tip accidentally swept across Song Chuyi’s face, and bright red bloodstains immediately seeped from her snow-white cheek.

“Watch out!” Before the stinging pain on her cheek could register, Song Chuyi was knocked down by a tremendous force. Someone barely managed to embrace her as they rolled two or three circles on the ground.

She was pulled up from the ground while wrapped in someone’s arms, her heart pounding like a drum, beating rapidly. After calming herself for a good while, she finally managed to stand steady. Only after Qing Ying frightfully cried and embraced her did she have the spare capacity to look at the chaos filling the entire courtyard.