It was the sound of two boats lightly colliding.

The sound was not loud, and the gentle rocking of the vessel from the impact was barely perceptible — much like the swaying caused by the lapping of waves.

Someone deep in sleep would not notice at all.

It was deep in the night, and this official vessel was moored at the bank — it would not be blocking the waterway. What boat was this?

Moreover, what kind of vessel would be traveling in the dead of night?

Every muscle in Ling Jingshu’s body went rigid. Without a moment to put on clothes or shoes, she slipped barefoot out of bed, groped for the bamboo tube beside her pillow, and quickly crossed to the window. She lifted the curtain and looked out.

That single glance made her whole body shudder and run ice cold.

Tonight a sliver of a crescent moon hung in the sky, and the stars filling the heavens were hidden behind thick layers of cloud — the light was very dim. Yet dim as it was, she could see that a vessel had pulled up tight against the official boat, and bandits gripping gleaming blades were hopping nimbly, one by one, onto the official vessel’s deck.

These bandits all had black cloth covering their faces, and wore black night-stalking garments. They moved like demons walking through the darkness of night.

Two more boats were closing in as well, drawing steadily nearer.

The boatmen who had fallen into deep sleep were completely unaware.

The few guards keeping watch on deck had somehow been rendered unconscious by something, and lay slumped limply on the deck.

Ling Jingshu had no time to think further. She quickly pushed the window open, pulled out the bamboo tube’s stopper, and with every last ounce of her strength, hurled it outward.

The tube let out a sharp screech as it arced through the air, then burst open with a thunderous crack, erupting into a blazing pillar of fire that shot straight toward the heavens.

The bandits who had crept silently onto the deck were startled by this sudden sound and noise; their movements faltered, and the veins at the temples of the triangular-eyed man leading them throbbed furiously.

If the timing had not been so unfavorable, the second-in-command would nearly have erupted in furious curses.

He had shadowed this official vessel for a full two days, mapping out every guard and boatman on board, before choosing tonight to make his move.

He had waited until the fourth watch of the night — the hour when people are most drowsy and sleep most soundly. Even the guards keeping watch could not help feeling somewhat heavy-eyed.

He had found someone skilled in swimming who had traveled several miles through the water, crept silently to the edge of the deck, then released a sleep-inducing incense. The guards on deck had been rendered unconscious.

Then they had drawn near the official vessel and boarded it silently. Taking advantage of everyone on board being asleep, they would subdue all of them swiftly — with the minimum possible casualties and at maximum speed. Grab the person and board their own vessels to leave.

If it went smoothly, the whole job could be done in half an hour.

Such a meticulous and careful plan of action — and yet it had come to nothing before it even started. Before everyone had even fully boarded and made their move, they had already disturbed someone on the ship, who had managed to fire off a distress signal…

Scarface, who was right behind the second-in-command, felt his heart clench, and asked in a low voice: “Second-in-command, what do we do now?”

This was the distress signal exclusive to official vessels — any ship that spotted it was required to come to the rescue as fast as possible.

Unlike bandits who killed people and robbed goods, they operated along the more refined route of abducting and trafficking people. Unless it was a matter of absolute last resort, they had no desire to resort to killing and silencing witnesses.

The second-in-command ground his teeth and forced out through clenched jaws: “Proceed as planned!”

At this moment, the guards and boatmen had all been roused by the piercing sound and reacted immediately.

The Ling family members in the third-level cabin were also jolted awake. The maids and matrons stumbled about and lit the candle stands, and upon looking out the windows, immediately began shrieking.

Trying to act with stealth at this point was no longer possible.

The second-in-command’s face was grim. He swiftly raised the whistle to his lips — two long, two short blasts, the sharp notes flying at speed to reach the bandits on the other two boats.

This was the signal they had agreed upon beforehand.

No need to conceal their movements anymore. Rush the attack at full speed!

The two boats abandoned all pretense, raced toward the official vessel, and men began jumping onto the deck one by one. At the same time, the guards and boatmen aboard the official vessel came pouring out of the cabins.

In the darkness, the moment they came to blows, someone cried out in agony.

Under these circumstances, there was no way to hold back and avoid hurting people.

The second-in-command did not lead from the front. Instead he fell back several steps, and the whistle sounded again.

One long, three short!

Avoid fatalities as much as possible. Don’t forge a blood feud that can never be settled.

“How can there be bandits!” Ling Daye was both shocked and terrified. He wanted to shout out in rage, but feared the bandits would follow the sound to find him, and pressed his voice down with a look of frantic exasperation: “How can bandits just appear like this! Have these bandits gone mad? They actually dare to rob an official vessel!”

Sun Shi was merely a woman and was frightened nearly out of her wits, her very voice trembling: “My lord. These bandits are after nothing but money and goods. If we give them all our cash and jewelry, as long as they don’t harm anyone…”

Before she could finish, her words were cut off by a shrill scream.

Sun Shi’s whole body shuddered, and the skirt beneath her was soaked through in an instant.

Ling Daye was after all a court official — he hadn’t been frightened out of his wits quite like Sun Shi — and steeled himself to say: “Hold on for now. We brought along so many highly skilled guards for this journey, and all those strong boatmen as well. We may not necessarily be unable to hold our own against these bandits. And just now, someone clever enough to send the distress signal — perhaps rescue will arrive very soon…”

A violent pounding sounded at the cabin door.

The heavy thuds, like a death knell from some avenging specter!

These bandits had already reached the third level!

Ling Daye’s expression also changed; his legs went weak and nearly buckled.

“Father, Mother!” came Ling Jingxian’s sobbing cries. “It’s me, open the door quickly, I’m so frightened!”

It was Ling Jingxian after all.

Ling Daye’s heart settled back down somewhat, and he quickly opened the door. Ling Jingxian burst in, her face a mask of terror and tears, along with Ling Ji and Madam Jiang — all of them disheveled and half-dressed, though no one paid any attention to such things now.

They shut the door, slid the bolt, and then with great effort dragged two wooden trunks in front of it. As if this could somehow keep all the bandits at bay.

Ling Jingxian flung herself into Sun Shi’s arms and wept without stopping.

Madam Jiang was also trembling violently, hiding in Ling Ji’s arms and quietly sobbing.

Ling Daye and Ling Ji, father and son, both faces drained of color, looked at each other without a word to say, while the sounds of fighting and killing on deck grew clearer and clearer.

“Father, what do we do now?”

It was the first time in Ling Ji’s years of life that he had encountered such mortal danger. The fact that he was able to hold himself together without breaking down in tears or screaming was already a considerable show of self-control.

Ling Daye feigned composure, though his trembling voice betrayed his true feelings at that moment: “Don’t panic yet! With the guards and boatmen blocking the way, these bandits can’t break through. And what’s more, someone has already sent the distress signal — someone will definitely come to save us.”

But wait — who had sent the distress signal?

Had it been a boatman or one of the guards?

Ling Ji’s mind wandered chaotically, and he suddenly recalled something important: “What about A’Shu and A’Xiao? Shouldn’t we call them over here too?”

Gathering together wouldn’t necessarily help, but in times like these, being in a group at least bolstered the nerve somewhat.

Ling Daye and Sun Shi exchanged a glance. Neither said a word.

In times like these, who would have the courage to step out of the cabin?