Seeing that the person hanging on the wall wasn’t moving, Chen Guang gripped his fire poker and rushed forward, striking the back of the man’s head with a solid blow.

Intense pain shot through him, and the masked man let out a muffled groan. Before losing consciousness, he cursed in his heart: What kind of bastard doesn’t understand the rules? In this situation, shouldn’t you beat someone’s ass instead of going straight for the head?

The masked man fell from the wall, rolled on the ground, and lay motionless. Chen Guang waved to his companion hidden in the shadows.

Another personal guard walked over, coldly glanced at the masked man on the ground, and said in a low voice: “This kid has been lurking around here for several days. Who knows what he’s plotting?”

“Let’s see who he is first.” Chen Guang yanked off the black cloth covering the masked man’s face and let out a soft exclamation.

“What, you recognize him?” The other personal guard crouched down as well, examined the unconscious masked man, and frowned. “He’s not much to look at.”

Chen Guang curled his lips: “Exactly. It’s because he’s ugly that I remember him clearly. This person is from Xijiang, the first warrior besides Prince Gong of Xijiang. At the banquet a few days ago, he challenged our general to a match, and our general threw him right out.”

“A Xijiang person.” The other personal guard examined him carefully. “Tsk tsk, this thing that doesn’t even reach our general’s leg height dared to provoke our general?”

“That’s an exaggeration. No matter what, he’s still taller than our general’s leg.”

“So, how should we handle this person?” The other personal guard asked Chen Guang. “If this were someone we didn’t recognize, we’d just dig a hole and bury him. But involving another country makes it complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Chen Guang reached out and pulled the man’s black face covering back up, chuckling. “Look, now we don’t recognize him. Drag him over there, give him a good beating, and throw him on the street. Mind the force – if this person wakes up on his own before dawn, he can go back.”

The two dragged the masked man like a dead dog to a corner, raised their fists to give him a thorough beating, then threw him onto the street.

“Damn it, I don’t believe he’ll dare come again!” Chen Guang spat, patted the other personal guard’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

At the same time, an agile figure quietly left Xingzi Alley, heading straight for the Jiang Residence.

“Sir, you had me watch the Li residence. That person who’d been scouting for days finally made a move today.”

In the study where the light wasn’t very bright, Jiang Yuanchao set down his book and gently rubbed his eyes, looking at Jiang He, who had come to report: “This time, you weren’t discovered, were you?”

Jiang He immediately straightened his chest: “Sir, rest assured. This time, I was very careful and guaranteed no one discovered me.”

“Mm, let’s talk business. What move did that person make?”

“That person climbed over the Li residence wall!”

Upon hearing this, murderous intent immediately flashed in Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes, his tone turning cold: “Oh, and then? Did Marquis Guanjun’s people take no action?”

“They did! Chen Guang, who’s been serving as Miss Li’s coachman, knocked that person unconscious with a fire poker.” At this point, Jiang He looked excited. “Sir, can you guess who that person was?”

Jiang Yuanchao glanced at him coolly: “If you make me guess again, I’ll knock you unconscious.”

Jiang He shrank his head back, saying with a bitter expression: “That person was the first warrior beside Prince Gong of Xijiang.”

Why is the master becoming less and less tolerant of jokes? Does this leave any way out for optimistic and cheerful subordinates like him?

Hearing Jiang He’s words, Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes narrowed: “How was it handled in the end?”

“They beat that person up and threw him on the street.”

Jiang Yuanchao stood up directly: “Take me to see.”

Soon after, the two appeared on the street.

Jiang He pointed at the black shadow curled up on the ground, lowering his voice: “Sir, look, he’s right there.”

Jiang Yuanchao strode over, looked down at the person lying on the ground for a moment, then crouched down and pulled off his black face covering.

Seeing that person’s face, Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes flickered slightly.

It was someone from Xijiang.

Jiang He crouched beside him, stroking his chin: “I have to say, they were quite measured in their actions. Though this person was beaten badly, no vital points were injured. Even if the night watchman doesn’t discover him, he should wake up by dawn.”

His words had barely fallen when he saw a cold flash, followed immediately by blood splattering out.

“S-Sir?” Jiang He opened his mouth wide in shock.

Jiang Yuanchao took out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped the blood from his dagger, standing up: “Let’s go.”

Jiang He also stood up, glancing at the person on the ground.

That person lay curled up on the ground, his face still bearing an expression of pain, his throat deeply cut open with blood gurgling out. Soon, a pool had formed beneath him.

“Be careful not to get blood on your feet.” Jiang Yuanchao’s cold reminder came.

Jiang He quickly stepped back.

“Still not leaving?” Jiang Yuanchao glanced at him indifferently and lifted his foot to walk forward.

Jiang He followed, unable to hold back his question: “Sir, why… why did you kill him?”

“Too many words!”

Jiang He shrank his head and dared not ask anymore.

The deep night street was deserted, with only the distant sound of the night watchman echoing through the empty street: “The weather is dry, beware of fire—”

The night watchman gradually approached, saw a dark shadow on the bluestone street, rubbed his eyes, and muttered quietly: “Whose family member got drunk and is sleeping here?”

The night watchman had encountered such drunkards several times, once or twice even people he recognized.

He didn’t find it strange, carrying his gong as he walked over. Smelling the scent in the air, he gradually felt that something was wrong.

Though the night watchman was getting on in years and sensed something amiss, his mind didn’t immediately react. He bent down and patted the person on the ground: “Get up quickly, go home to sleep. If you keep sleeping here, you’ll catch a cold.”

The person on the ground showed no movement.

The night watchman lifted his lantern to illuminate the person’s face. After initial shock, he suddenly threw the lantern outward, rolling and crawling away while shouting: “Murder! Murder!”

In panic and terror, the night watchman struck his gong thunderously.

The residential buildings on both sides of the street quickly lit up one after another, and many people put on their clothes and came out with lanterns to see what was happening.

“What’s wrong, Old Li?” The neighbors were all familiar with the night watchman, and someone asked.

The night watchman gripped that person’s hand tightly, panting heavily: “Dead, dead person, there’s a dead person over there!”

With numbers came courage. Hearing there was a dead person, people swarmed over, surrounding the Xijiang warrior’s corpse.

Under the lamplight, the terrifying death state of the deceased made many people cry out in alarm.

“My God, his neck is almost completely cut through, how frightening!”

“Step back, step back, there’s blood all over the ground!”

Under the impact of curiosity, fear, and excitement, none of the people present left; they all stood to the side watching the spectacle.

Soon, the constables who received the news hurried over.

“Everyone move aside, move aside.”

The constables used their sticks to disperse the crowd.

The onlookers stood farther away but still craned their necks to watch the excitement.

The constables had no choice but to let them watch while they began examining the deceased’s condition.

“Hey, this person looks familiar to me.”