The Commandant Assassinated

Three days later.

Ling Xiaotian issued the highest directive to Imperial Guard offices across the thirty-six prefectures, ordering them to secretly investigate all gang organizations within Great Chu, as well as the mysterious cult behind them.

The moment any gang showed signs of rebellion, they were to be surrounded and arrested at once.

Several days later, Niu Ren also received Ling Xiaotian's highest secret order, along with Huang Shaojie's appointment document as a Banner Captain.

Niu Ren mobilized several hundred Imperial Guards to conduct a full covert investigation into every gang organization, large and small, within Suzhou Prefecture.

However, there were hundreds of gang organizations in Suzhou Prefecture. There was simply no way to investigate them all.

Moreover, trying to uncover evidence of rebellion was undoubtedly harder still.

A month passed, yet they found nothing.

Over that month, Huang Shaojie continued checking in every day as usual, receiving a reward of thirty years of internal cultivation.

Coupled with his recent cultivation of the Wind God Leg's internal cultivation method, his power had increased considerably.

By now, his martial realm had reached the Innate Seventh Layer.

With his current cultivation, the Wind God Leg and Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms became even more devastating.

It could be said that even a First Rank Grandmaster was no match for him.

It was now the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The year-end was drawing near.

The third watch had passed.

A night of dark moon and high winds.

All of Suzhou lay shrouded in darkness, sunk in sleep.

Before the vermilion-lacquered gates of a luxurious five-courtyard residence in the western part of the city hung two lanterns, each bearing the character Cao.

This grand residence was the home of Suzhou Prefecture's military commandant, Cao Renqi.

A commandant was a Fourth Rank Military Official, commanding tens of thousands of troops and wielding considerable authority.

At this moment, two squads of saber-wielding guards still patrolled the Cao Manor with lanterns in hand.

Using the ink-black night as cover, a shadow evaded the two patrolling squads and flashed into the Cao Manor.

The shadow moved with remarkable ease. Every leap was light and swift, as soundless as a civet cat.

He darted across rockeries and rooftops throughout the estate, searching room after room for something.

Soon, the shadow arrived outside the window of the master bedroom in the eastern wing.

Candlelight burned within the lavish bedchamber, its glow filtering through the closed paper lattice window. Two figures could vaguely be seen colliding again and again.

A woman's shrill cries rang from the room.

The shadow moistened his index finger with saliva, gently poked through the window paper, and pressed an eye to the hole.

A bare-bodied battle was raging inside. A fat, brawny man with a mustache was wildly attacking a beautiful woman.

The moment he clearly saw the fat man's face, hatred blazed from the shadow's eyes.

This fat man was none other than Cao Renqi, Suzhou's military commandant.

The masked man drew a Flying Dagger and abruptly hurled it at Cao Renqi, who was buried in hard work.

The Flying Dagger tore through the air with a shriek, shooting toward the fat man's heart.

The sudden change came with no warning at all.

An ordinary martial artist would surely have found it impossible to evade.

But how could Cao Renqi, who had become a fourth-rank military commandant, be some ordinary fighter?

The instant the Flying Dagger shot in, Cao Renqi hastily rolled off the woman's body.

Yet though his reaction was extremely fast, the ambushing Flying Dagger was faster still.

With a puff, it struck his chest, missing his heart by a hair's breadth.

After throwing the dagger, the masked man immediately smashed through the window and entered, his sword cleaving toward Cao Renqi.

Cao Renqi sprang up from the floor, drew the treasured sword hanging on the wall, and shouted, "Guards! An assassin!"

"Ahh~"

Terrified, the woman burrowed beneath the bed, her smooth, pale bare buttocks sticking up as she let out a piercing scream.

The masked man's thrust missed, and he swung his sword at Cao Renqi once more.

Cao Renqi hurriedly raised his sword to block. But with a Flying Dagger buried to the hilt in his chest, his circulation of internal energy was inevitably hindered. The blow numbed his arm, and he nearly lost his grip on his treasured sword.

Without a moment's thought, Cao Renqi leaped through the window.

The masked man followed close behind, sword in hand as he charged in for the kill.

"An assassin! Catch the assassin!"

"Protect my lord!"

The patrolling guards shouted as they came flying over with sabers and spears.

These guards were all Xiantian Realm martial artists. Seven or eight of them surrounded the masked man in an instant.

The entire Cao Manor was immediately thrown into an uproar. Dozens of skilled residence guards also shot out from their rooms.

"Who exactly are you, to dare come and assassinate this official?"

One hand clutched over his wound, Cao Renqi pointed his sword at the masked man with the other and bellowed.

The masked man did not answer. He swung his sword at Cao Renqi.

All seven or eight guards attacked the black-clad masked man.

The dozens of residence guard experts who had arrived afterward could not get involved. They formed a tight ring around them, guarding against the masked man's escape.

Though seven or eight Xiantian Realm guards besieged the masked man, they could not harm him in the slightest.

However, the masked man also found it difficult to drive back the seven or eight guards for the moment.

After the two sides battled for the time it took an incense stick to burn, the masked man carved his way out of the encirclement and fled into the night.

After chasing for several hundred meters, the guards and several residence guard experts lost sight of the masked man in the darkness.

Fearing they had fallen for a ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain, the guards and residence guard experts hurried back to the Cao Manor.

The next day.

Cao Renqi sent his steward to the Imperial Guard office with three hundred taels of gold, requesting an audience with Imperial Guard Commander Niu Ren.

The Imperial Guard main hall.

"This lowly one pays respects to Commander Niu."

The steward bowed and knelt before Niu Ren, who sat in the seat of honor.

Commoners had to kneel when meeting an official, unless they possessed scholarly rank.

Though this steward served at Commandant Cao's residence, he held no scholarly rank.

"Rise." Niu Ren lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Why has Commandant Cao sent you to see me?"

The steward rose and said, "Reporting to Commander, an assassin came to the Cao Manor last night. My master was wounded by the assassin's Flying Dagger. Fortunately, the guards came to his rescue in time and saved my master."

"An assassin?" Niu Ren narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who was this assassin, to dare attack Lord Commandant? Has he been caught?"

The steward said, "The assassin's martial arts were formidable, and he escaped. That is why my master sent this lowly one to seek the Imperial Guard's assistance in capturing him."

As he spoke, he took a brocade box from his attendant, stepped forward, and respectfully presented it.

"This contains three hundred taels of gold prepared by my master, as a gift to the Imperial Guard for handling the case. If the assassin is caught, my master will offer another five hundred taels of gold in thanks."

Cao Renqi knew that if he wanted to capture this assassin, he had no choice but to seek the Imperial Guard's help.

Naturally, one could not ask the Imperial Guard for help empty-handed.

Although Cao Renqi was a Fourth Rank Military Official, the Imperial Guard had no duty to hunt down an assassin who attacked him. That was a matter for the Prefectural Office and county yamen to investigate.

Unless Cao Renqi had been killed, the Imperial Guard might then investigate.

Niu Ren nodded slightly. "This assassin dared attack a court official. Such lawlessness cannot be tolerated. Wait here for the moment. I will immediately assign men to accompany you to the Cao Manor."

"Thank you, Commander."

The steward clasped his hands in a bow and retreated to one side of the main hall.

After thinking for a while, Niu Ren said to the guard beside him:

"Go summon Huang Shaojie, Banner Captain of the Third Guard Post."

"Yes."

The guard accepted the order and left.

He had thought of calling Huang Shaojie for two reasons. First, he found him observant and capable in investigations. Second, Huang Shaojie's martial arts were also formidable.

Before long, Huang Shaojie strode into the hall.

He clasped his hands and bowed to Niu Ren. "My lord, you summoned your subordinate. What are your orders?"

Niu Ren said, "Commandant Cao was attacked in his home last night. Go with the steward to the Cao Manor, investigate the assassin, and bring him to justice."

The commandant was assassinated?

Huang Shaojie felt a trace of surprise in his heart. He clasped his hands and said, "This subordinate accepts the order."