The Yongning Tongyuan Carriage Inn.

The group returned from outside. Once through the front gate, the Night-Raksha removed the mask from his face and handed it to a man beside him. He looked at the bodies his men had carried back, let out a long breath — they had arrived too late; not everyone had been saved. He felt a heaviness in his chest.

“Elder Brother Yu.”

Li Chi and the others hurried forward when they saw Yu Chaozong return.

Yu Jiuling had come back for reinforcements. Li Chi’s wounds were still too severe for him to fight freely. Tang Pidi and Zhuang Wudi had been ready to go, but Yu Chaozong had decided to go himself — he wanted to see with his own eyes what sort of men had harmed Li Chi.

“We were a little late.”

Yu Chaozong shook his head with regret. “By the time we arrived, people had already died. I ordered all the assassins killed. We likely let one escape — a rear window in one of the side-rooms was open, but we found no trace of when the person slipped out.”

“The one who got away was a woman.”

Yu Jiuling said, “I checked — her body wasn’t among the dead. Small build. Wearing a very large cloak.”

“I know who it is.”

Li Chi thought back to the woman who had ambushed him. Her instinct for danger was extraordinarily keen — she had probably begun making her exit the moment Yu Chaozong arrived. She was calmer than any man, smaller than any man, and moved faster than any man. Her breath and presence were easier to conceal. She was a born killer.

“Thank you. Thank you all.”

Chen Dawei and Gang Gang went down on their knees together with a thud, kowtowing to Yu Chaozong.

Yu Chaozong quickly reached down and pulled them both up by the arm. “We are all jianghu folk. There’s no need for that.”

Li Chi said, “This was my oversight. I should have sent someone back to protect you. I simply never thought…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He simply hadn’t thought Gang Gang would refuse to hand the people over. If Gang Gang had handed them over, the other side probably wouldn’t have moved so quickly — they would have thought Gang Gang still useful, and kept him and the others alive for the time being. They would have waited until he had served his purpose before silencing him.

But Gang Gang had not handed anyone over.

Li Chi looked at Yu Chaozong. “Elder Brother Yu, you’re heading back north tomorrow. If it’s convenient, take these two with you. The Xu Family holds formidable power here in Jizhou City — if they move against them, we’ll be hard-pressed to protect them.”

Yu Chaozong said, “A place like this, where you eat grievance every day — you’d be better off coming north with me.”

Li Chi instinctively glanced back at Gao Xining, then explained: “I’ll come find you eventually — there’s no rush. I’m still of use here in Jizhou. When Elder Brother Yu comes back someday, I’ll be standing at the city gates to meet you.”

Yu Chaozong nodded. “Fair enough. I won’t push you. Come whenever you’re ready.”

He turned to Gang Gang and Chen Dawei. “I won’t hide it from you both. My name is Yu Chaozong — I’m the chief of the Yanshan Camp’s Greenband Army. If the two of you are willing to come with me, we set out for Yanshan Camp tomorrow morning.”

The Heavenly King, Yu Chaozong.

Gang Gang and Chen Dawei looked at each other, both stunned.

Neither of them had imagined that this man — who seemed so easygoing — was actually Yu Chaozong the Heavenly King. Some said he was the greatest bandit of the northern frontier. Others said he was the greatest hero under heaven. Still others called him a peerless champion.

Since Yu Chaozong ordered Yanshan Camp to hold the border at all costs, his name had grown ever greater in the north — and ever more convincing. While Jizhou refused to spare troops for the frontier, the so-called rebels had gone. That fact alone was enough to make common people bow before Yu Chaozong in reverence.

Rebels standing watch on the border, guarding the heartland of the realm — merely mentioning it inspired awe across all under heaven.

Which was why Yu Chaozong held Li Chi in such high regard. That single stratagem of Li Chi’s had elevated his prestige in an instant — so high that the very name Yu Chaozong had come to stand for trustworthiness, for loyalty and integrity, for moral character.

One decision had completed the transformation of Yanshan Camp’s reputation across the entire north — and beyond — from rebel army to righteous army.

All across the realm, people said: every rebel force claims to be an army of righteousness — but who among them truly deserves that name, except Yanshan Camp?

So in the eyes of Gang Gang and Chen Dawei, the man before them was the greatest champion under heaven, the people’s salvation.

“Heavenly King!”

Gang Gang and Chen Dawei bowed deeply at once.

“My own brothers don’t call me that. Among ourselves, everyone calls me Elder Brother Yu — Li Chi and the rest all do. If you don’t mind, you may call me that too.”

Gang Gang and Chen Dawei exchanged a glance, then called out together: “Elder Brother Yu.”

Yu Chaozong said, “I’ll be honest with you both — I’m leaving Jizhou tomorrow. Before we go, we should find a proper place to bury your masters. In all this haste, it’s truly inadequate, and I’m sorry for that…”

Yu Chaozong turned to Li Chi. “These two have called me Elder Brother — so they’re family now. Their masters are my elders. Prepare some black mourning cloth. Everyone wears it.”

Li Chi nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

At this moment, Gang Gang and Chen Dawei felt a gratitude toward Yu Chaozong that had no words to contain it. The Heavenly King Yu Chaozong — because these two had called him Elder Brother, he would observe mourning as a junior to their masters.

“Bring water.”

Yu Chaozong said, “To wash the faces of the dead.”

—

At the same time. The Xu Family estate.

Gongshu Yingying slipped in through the rear courtyard. When she reached the front courtyard, she saw the lamp in Xu Yuanqing’s study still burning. She knew he had been worried, and something quietly warm stirred in her chest.

Her feelings for Xu Yuanqing were complicated. She was drawn to this composed, steady man — and he had done her a real kindness. But she also knew that what Xu Yuanqing felt toward her held nothing of that nature between a man and a woman.

And yet she couldn’t control her own heart. Even a passing word of concern from him could make Gongshu Yingying feel warm — as when he had said, just before she left, *be careful*. Those two words had been enough to make her feel entirely content.

Standing at the study door, she felt a shadow of sadness, and of reproach toward herself. She had botched the task yet again. She didn’t know how to explain it, and there was nothing to explain — she hadn’t done it, and that was that.

“Come in.”

Xu Yuanqing heard the footsteps and spoke. He already knew the task must have fallen through. If it had gone well, Gongshu Yingying would not be standing outside without entering.

“I’m sorry…”

The moment she stepped inside, she lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Xu Yuanqing smiled, his voice measured and kind. “You gave it everything you had. I have no reason to blame someone who tried her best — especially a woman who outperforms all the men around her. If I were to blame you, that would say more about my own lack of grace than about you, and it would say I have no sense of right and wrong.”

He looked at her. “If I were a man without grace, with no sense of right and wrong, I doubt you would be willing to help me.”

In an instant, something warm filled Gongshu Yingying’s chest. She felt that everything she had done, every sacrifice she had made, had been entirely worth it — if only for these few words.

She recounted what had happened. Xu Yuanqing listened, then nodded. “So those two have already been rescued by Li Chi’s people. Which means I have genuinely underestimated this Li Chi. What is the source of such enormous capability?”

Xu Yuanqing rose and began pacing the study back and forth.

In his mind he was considering: the seven days that Young Lord Yang Zhuo had mentioned — how much of it could be trusted? If things continued this way, dealing with Li Chi would mean betting everything. To Xu Yuanqing, that was a deeply unfair choice. In his view, no matter how capable, a Li Chi was not worth being spoken of in the same breath as him.

The real issue was Xiahou Zuo.

He had already made inquiries. Prince Yu had indeed announced his decision to leave Xiahou Zuo behind to hold Jizhou. If Prince Yu’s forces departed, could the Xu Family outmaneuver Xiahou Zuo alone? Or was it time to shift positions immediately?

If they shifted, would Xiahou Zuo accept it?

“I must trouble you once more.”

Xu Yuanqing turned to face Gongshu Yingying. “When I first placed you in Shuangxing Tower, it was because Xiahou Zuo used to frequent that place. Not long ago I heard he had returned to the city, so I made the arrangement — but he has not gone there even once.”

“If Xiahou Zuo is to remain in Jizhou, he should return to Shuangxing Tower eventually. You needn’t concern yourself with anything else — go back to Shuangxing Tower and wait. I have ways of having the people there introduce you to Xiahou Zuo.”

Gongshu Yingying’s expression shifted. A faint ache settled somewhere inside her.

She knew perfectly well that Xu Yuanqing did not love her — that he simply trusted her. But to have the man she cared for send her to attend to another man — that feeling was a quiet kind of hurt.

“I… understand.”

Gongshu Yingying nodded.

“Whether to eliminate Xiahou Zuo or to move closer to him — that judgment rests with you,” Xu Yuanqing said. “Tomorrow I’ll try to reach the man I have placed near the military commissioner, and arrange for Xiahou Zuo to visit Shuangxing Tower. I trust your abilities. The moment Xiahou Zuo sees you, he will be drawn to you. Your task is to learn his intentions.”

He paused, then continued: “I know this is difficult for you. I don’t want to ask this of you. But the family stands at a crossroads — one wrong step and everything collapses. What I need to do to those people must be done before they realize what’s happening — and by then it will be too late.”

“I don’t mind.”

Gongshu Yingying raised her head and made herself smile. “I told you before — whatever you ask of me, I will do it, without conditions.”

Xu Yuanqing let out a quiet sigh. “You’ve been through much.”

Gongshu Yingying was just drawing breath to say *doing things for you, I don’t find it hard at all* — but Xu Yuanqing spoke again before she could.

“What you do is of the utmost importance,” Xu Yuanqing said. “Everything I decide hinges on it. If what you learn from Xiahou Zuo tells me he intends to move against the Xu Family, then we stake everything on eliminating him. If he has no such intention — then at most…”

He breathed out slowly.

At most, he would give up something. Such as Gongshu Yingying herself. If a woman like Gongshu Yingying could be placed at Xiahou Zuo’s side, she could be used however needed from that point on.

He looked at her. “It all rests with you.”

Gongshu Yingying nodded. “I’ll go back to Shuangxing Tower tomorrow.”

Xu Yuanqing gave a low sound of acknowledgment, fell silent a moment, then said, “Go and rest. I still have other matters to think through tonight — I likely won’t sleep.”

Gongshu Yingying opened her mouth. In the end she only nodded. “Then I’ll take my leave.”

She let out a soft breath, turned, and walked out.

—