Jiang Dao knew that the battle just now must have drawn all the Malevolent Spirits lurking in the darkness over.
If there had been no battle just now, these Malevolent Spirits might not have fixed their eyes on them.
Even if they had, there would not have been so many.
But because of the earlier upheaval, their evacuation plan had no choice but to change.
"Let's go back. We'll leave tomorrow during the day!"
Jiang Dao's voice was low.
No matter how difficult tomorrow might be, he would take his family away.
Whoever dared to stop him, he would kill!
"Go back?"
Pang Lin asked in shock.
"Yes, we can only go back!"
Jiang Dao said unwillingly.
"Alright!"
Pang Lin nodded and hurriedly began calling the men together to retreat toward the Jiang residence.
Everyone was trembling as well. Upon receiving the order, they did not dare delay and immediately turned around, retreating toward the Jiang residence.
"What happened? Why are we suddenly going back? Is the road ahead impassable?"
Qian Ruchun asked nervously.
"Don't ask too much. Dao'er must have other arrangements."
Jiang Dalong said.
The concubines' hearts trembled. Hugging themselves, they huddled beside Jiang Dalong.
The convoy swiftly turned around.
Mounted atop a tall horse, Jiang Dao still personally brought up the rear, his gaze fixed firmly on the Malevolent Spirit in that alley.
Fortunately, that Malevolent Spirit merely watched them from afar with a strange grin and did not charge over directly.
Only after everyone had passed him did Jiang Dao secretly let out a breath and slowly retreat backward.
Once they had completely left that Malevolent Spirit's sight, the family suddenly picked up speed and rushed toward the Jiang residence.
Half an hour later.
They entered the Jiang residence once more.
"Master, Young Master, look!"
A servant suddenly cried out in terror.
Jiang Dalong stepped out of the carriage. He had originally intended to berate the servant, but the moment he saw the sight before him, his face changed in shock.
"How could this be? Who wrote it?"
Jiang Dao frowned and quickly rode over from the rear.
When he reached the entrance to the residence, his eyes darkened as he noticed the scene ahead.
On the white lanterns that had originally hung before the residence gate, someone had somehow left large red characters.
Die!
At a glance, the repeated character for death looked eerie and sinister beneath the lantern light, seizing one's very soul.
The night wind blew, filling the entire courtyard with a chilling, ghostly air.
It was like the gates of the underworld had been thrown open.
"Dao'er, was this... was this done by a Malevolent Spirit too?"
Jiang Dalong asked in horror.
"Take down every lantern!"
Jiang Dao said in a low voice.
"Quick, quick, take down every lantern!"
Jiang Dalong hurriedly ordered.
The servants trembled in fear and did not dare move at all.
They wished they could stay as far away from such eerie things as possible.
Jiang Dalong shouted angrily again and again, but still no one dared approach. Every face was pale, filled with terror.
"A bunch of useless trash! Whoever goes up and takes down the lanterns will be rewarded fifty taels of silver!"
Jiang Dalong roared.
Even so, all the servants remained terrified. Not a single person dared step forward and take the risk.
Jiang Dao snorted coldly. He suddenly slapped the horse's back, and his body shot forward. The long saber at his waist instantly left its sheath, sweeping out in a wash of bloody light and smashing two lanterns in succession.
Bang! Bang!
The lanterns exploded, sparks scattering everywhere.
Jiang Dao landed steadily on the ground.
"Everyone, take down the lanterns at once. They are nothing but petty tricks; there will be no danger!"
Jiang Dao said coldly.
Seeing that the Eldest Young Master had acted personally without incident, the servants gradually found their courage. Coupled with the saying that under a heavy reward, brave men would surely emerge, several people quickly rushed out and began risking themselves to remove the remaining lanterns.
Jiang Dao's gaze was sharp. He first swept his eyes around the exterior of the Jiang residence, and after ensuring that no Malevolent Spirits were peering from nearby, he gripped his steel saber and headed into the residence.
As lantern after lantern was taken down, the Jiang residence became incomparably dim for a time.
Fortunately, Pang Lin soon had people raise torches and plant them around the area.
Jiang Dalong also immediately called the remaining people into the courtyard.
"No one is to return to their rooms tonight. Everyone will stay in the courtyard and make do for the night. We'll talk again tomorrow morning!"
Jiang Dalong gave his orders.
The servants nodded one after another and hurriedly unloaded all manner of daily necessities from the carts.
Some set up pots, some boiled water, while others swiftly made beds for the master, the ladies, and the young misses.
Piles of bonfires were soon lit.
The dim Jiang Family courtyard gradually gained some light and became much warmer.
Jiang Dao made a round through the entire front courtyard. After finding nothing unusual, he walked toward Jiang Dalong.
He did not plan to inspect the rear courtyard.
The Jiang Family compound was simply too large. If he went too far away, danger might very well arise in the front courtyard.
It would be better to make do for one night and inspect it at dawn tomorrow.
Everyone was on edge.
After busily waiting on the master, ladies, and young misses as they took their seats, the servants crowded around them, leaning against one another.
"Young Master, have some hot tea!"
Pang Lin brought over a freshly brewed cup of tea and offered it to Jiang Dao.
"Thank you, Master Pang!"
Jiang Dao accepted the teacup and nodded lightly.
He casually set the cup aside without any intention of drinking it, his mind heavy with worries.
The other members of the Jiang Family were the same, all uneasy and filled with tension.
And so.
The night slowly passed.
For nearly everyone, the night dragged by like a year.
At last, roosters began crowing in the courtyard.
The dark horizon gradually brightened.
A sliver of fish-belly white appeared in the far east. Then the red sun shone forth, flooding everything with light, as though a new world were about to arrive.
Everyone let out a long breath, feeling as though a great burden had been lifted.
After one night, every one of them was drenched in cold sweat.
"It's alright now, it's alright."
Jiang Dalong gently comforted the concubine beside him. He suddenly rose and came before Jiang Dao. "Dao'er, what should we do next? Are we still leaving?"
"We're leaving. After breakfast, we must leave!"
Jiang Dao said in a low voice.
"But if we leave, the other wealthy merchants and common folk will surely follow suit. What if the imperial court suppresses us by force?"
Jiang Dalong voiced the concern in his heart.
"Even if they suppress us by force, we still have to leave. If the imperial court refuses to leave us a way to live, then we'll make the imperial court accompany us to the grave. Whoever dares stop us, we'll carve out a bloody path!"
Jiang Dao said coldly.
Several of his martial arts had now reached Grand Completion, all cultivated to the realm of one hundred and twenty years later.
Though they were merely external arts, obscure and unheard-of techniques, cultivating them for one hundred and twenty years would still make them exceedingly terrifying.
To say nothing else, an ordinary army could forget about stopping him.
If he went mad and forced his way out, the authorities would certainly pay a price.
Jiang Dalong's heart was uneasy, but he nodded repeatedly.
Without anyone noticing, the pillar holding up the entire household had shifted onto Jiang Dao.
"Master, Young Master, something happened! Come look!"
A servant suddenly came running in from outside the gate, his face filled with panic as he cried out.
"What is it?"
Pang Lin rushed over at once and demanded angrily.
"There are... there are words left outside the gate!"
The servant said in terror.
"What?"
Jiang Dalong's expression changed drastically, and he hurried outside.
Jiang Dao had already been the first to rush beyond the gate, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Outside the empty gate, on the bluestone-paved ground, there was a thick scarlet line of blood, over ten meters long, blocking the entrance.
Beyond the bloodline was a row of scarlet writing, brimming with ghostly chill.
Those who cross the red line by ten steps shall die!
Courting death! Killing intent surged in Jiang Dao's heart.
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