The First Signs of a Midnight Assassination

Outside the door, hurried footsteps flowed in one direction, and just from the sound, one could sense a great deal of panic.

When Xu Bai led Ye Zi out of the room, they saw several maids hurrying towards the main entrance, accompanied by servants carrying medicine boxes.

"Medicine kit, is someone injured?" Xu Bai stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and followed behind the group of maids.

Before long, they bypassed some luxurious buildings and finally arrived at the spacious front yard.

In the far center, there was a person lying down.

This person was very young and handsome, but there was always a sense of emptiness in his eyes, and his deep eye bags added to the impression of kidney deficiency.

Moreover, standing next to this young man was only an elderly man with gray hair. The old man was bent over, and his left hand was empty and gone.

Xu Bai certainly knew these two people; they had even exchanged ideas at the Shadow Courier Station not long ago.

Kong Xu, and also Old Sun.

When Xu Bai got closer, he noticed that Kong Xu's mouth was still stained with blood, and his hands hung limply at his sides. If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, he would have thought he was already dead.

"Ye Family Head, what's going on?" Xu Bai asked.

The Ye Family Head was directing his servants to apply medicine to Kong Xu Kong Xu was fast asleep with his eyes closed.

Upon hearing Xu Bai's voice, the Ye Family Head turned around in his haste and said, "I don't know either. They were like this when they arrived. It seems they were ambushed on the way. We absolutely cannot let them die here, otherwise my Ye Family will be implicated."

Early this morning, the Ye Family Head heard his maid rushing over to say that the second young master of the Kong Family had arrived. He thought it would be a pleasant transaction, but when he arrived at the front yard, he saw this scene.

Kong Xu was seriously injured on the way to the Ye Family. If she died here, she would not be able to explain herself. Although there was no clear evidence that the Ye Family was responsible, they would still be resented.

It would be difficult to explain at that time. Ye Family Head naturally understood the truth behind it, so he went to great lengths to stabilize Kong Xu's injuries.

"He'll recover after a period of recuperation." Ye Family Head raised his hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Bai turned his gaze to Old Sun's position and asked, "Did you two offend anyone along the way?"

Compared to when he was at Shadow Courier Station, this peak second-rank expert was in a rather sorry state, having lost an arm. His unarmed combat skills, which he was particularly skilled in, had been significantly weakened.

Old Sun's face was pale as he said, "We have not offended anyone. The ones who intercepted us were demons, countless demons, numbering in the thousands, the worst of whom were all of the fifth rank."

You might say that a second-rank master could defeat hundreds or even thousands of opponents, but if you ask about thousands, he'd be in trouble.

Although he was at the peak of the second rank, he knew his own limitations. His unarmed skills were not top-notch, and his combat strength among the second-ranked was only average.

So when he encountered that situation, he really risked his life to rescue Kong Xu, fleeing all the way until he finally escaped to this place.

"Several thousand demons?" Xu Bai said, "How could such a number of demons gather for no reason? Nor could they come to ambush and kill you for no reason. It seems that you really are a demon master."

The demon race was already overwhelmed by the Great Chu Kingdom and had scattered and fled. It was simply impossible for several thousand demons to suddenly gather like this.

But what if it were a demon master?

If there are several hundred demon masters, each controlling several demons, then this level can be achieved.

"Now that Lord Xu has reminded us, it's quite possible, but we haven't provoked them at all." Old Sun said speechlessly, "Although this trip wasn't top secret, we haven't offended anyone, and we've kept a very low profile the whole way. Why would they come to ambush us?"

At this point, Old Sun suddenly stopped talking, as if he was thinking of someone.

They hadn't offended anyone. Despite their large group, they had kept a low profile and only stopped to rest. But the fact that they hadn't offended anyone didn't mean that no one wanted to get rid of them.

Young Master! Old Sun guessed that if it really was the one who was targeting them, then it could only be the eldest young master of the Kong Family.

Leaving the Capital City is an excellent opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Even though the head of the Kong Family had made it clear that he wouldn't let Kong Xu compete with his elder brother, for his elder brother, a dead person was the safest option.

The more he thought about it, the more likely Old Sun seemed to be true, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"It wasn't him, he doesn't have that ability." At this moment, Kong Xu, who had been treated to a near-complete recovery, finally woke up from his coma. After understanding his condition, he uttered his first words, still appearing very weak.

"Several thousand demons—if he truly possessed such ability, His Majesty would have eliminated them long ago. His Majesty would not allow such problems to arise under his very nose." Kong Xu weakly tried to rise. "Kong Xu greets Lord Xu."

Xu Bai: "..."

For some reason, he suddenly felt that Kong Xu was being a bit obsequious. Even though he was seriously injured, he still had to bow to him. To put it nicely, it was just being polite; to put it bluntly...

"No need for formalities," Xu Bai shook his head and said, "Now that your life has been saved, then focus on healing your wounds."

"Lord Xu, I know who it is, given my injuries." Kong Xu insisted on standing up, but he only managed to get halfway up before collapsing weakly, his eyes fixed on the sky, his face contorted with pain.

Xu Bai looked around and said, "Let's find a quiet place to talk."

There are too many people and too many eyes around here, so it's not suitable to talk about these things. Let's find a more stable environment and see what's really inside Kong Xu's stomach.

The Ye Family Head was conflicted, wondering whether he should get involved.

To be honest, he really didn't want to get involved. This was clearly no small matter, and if he rashly got involved, he didn't know what the consequences would be.

"Ye Family Head, when someone is stuck in a quagmire, it is very difficult to get out." Xu Bai said meaningfully, "Although you have only stepped in with one foot, it will probably not be easy for you to get out unscathed."

Xu Bai was highly skilled at getting people onto the boat; with just a few words, he convinced the Ye Family Head to make up his mind.

He was from a large family and a helper, after all; he felt bad if he didn't bring them on board.

The Ye Family Head gritted his teeth, a conflicted look in his eyes. Finally, the conflicted look disappeared, and he sighed, waving to the servants around him. "Take Young Master Kong to the side hall."

Just as Xu Bai said, she's already in the thick of it, so she can't expect to stay out of it.

At least for now, it seems almost impossible for her to stay out of this mess. So, she might as well jump into the mire, where at least Xu Bai is still there.

Upon hearing the order, several servants quickly set to work and carried Kong Xu to a secluded side hall.

Xu Bai and Ye Zi followed behind.

The side hall was quiet, and there was no one around. It seemed a bit empty, but that was exactly the kind of place to talk business.

"I specially commissioned a master mechanic to create this place. No one can approach it. If it were an outsider, the mechanism would have already been triggered," said the Ye Family Head.

Xu Bai nodded and looked at Kong Xu: "It's safe here. Tell me what you know."

"Lord Xu, these demons are all here to kill you." Kong Xu said, looking extremely weak. "It's just that because I had a conversation with you before, and it was even quite harmonious, they thought I would be a helper for you, so they planned to ambush me on the way."

After saying this, Kong Xu began to breathe heavily. After all, his injuries had only been stabilized, not completely healed, and he was in pain even while speaking.

Xu Bai frowned, carefully considering what Kong Xu had just said, and after a moment said, "How can you be so sure?"

In other circumstances, this might be possible, but what Kong Xu just said directly told him that these thousands of demons were related to him and were originally there to assassinate him.

But... this can't be verified.

After all, this is only one possibility.

"Lord Xu, look at this." Kong Xu took something out of his pocket and handed it to Xu Bai.

Xu Bai took it and frowned deeply.

This is a piece of paper with a portrait of Xu Bai on it. The portrait is so lifelike that it captures his expression perfectly.

"How did you get it?" Xu Bai asked.

The appearance of this thing certainly piqued his curiosity.

Kong Xu explained, "I am a practitioner of dual cultivation, having reached the fifth rank in both scholarship and divination. I once cast a divination for Lord Xu, but it backfired and attacked me. During my escape, I cast another divination, and all the hexagrams coalesced into the image of Lord Xu."

As he spoke, Kong Xu coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood, clearly indicating that his injuries had not fully healed.

Even the medicine Ye Family takes time to work; it can't be effective immediately.

"At the time, I thought there were only two possibilities: either Lord Xu wanted to kill me, or those who wanted to kill Lord Xu." Kong Xu took a while to recover and said, "I believe there is only the second possibility."

Xu Bai couldn't possibly kill him. In Xu Bai's eyes, he was like a blade of grass. How could he possibly lay a hand on him? So in the end Kong Xu came to another conclusion.

Xu Bai fell into deep thought.

If what Kong Xu said is true, then this so-called sorcerer was specifically sent to deal with him.

Now that we have a basic framework, at least we know who the enemy is.

"You should rest and recuperate here first," Xu Bai said.

"Lord Xu, there is one more thing I need to say." Kong Xu did not remain silent and continued, "Besides that, I also cast a divination, and it is an ominous sign. Lord Xu, this trip to Wind Chime Prefecture will probably be very difficult, but hidden within this great misfortune is great fortune, so Lord Xu must be careful."

Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "You're very useful."

He said this off-topic remark, but it came from the bottom of his heart.

A diviner can indeed be useful in this situation.

"Is there a way to calculate it in a deeper level?" Xu Bai asked.

Upon hearing this, Kong Xu's face lit up with ecstatic joy, and he even felt that his injuries no longer hurt.

He's very useful!

What did those four words mean? He knew very well that it meant he would have dealings with Xu Bai in the future.

Kong Xu came to Wind Chime Prefecture specifically for this matter, and now that he has the opportunity, it is great news for him.

Thinking about what Xu Bai had just said, Kong Xu pondered for a moment, nodded, and then shook his head.

"Lord Xu, if you wish to calculate more deeply, perhaps we can try, but I must rest for a few days, because I am no longer able to calculate."

He was already seriously injured, and if he hadn't received timely treatment, he would have died long ago. So he has to wait until he recovers before he can recover. There's no way to calculate it now.

"It's alright, you just rest. Once you've rested, you can calculate it for me," Xu Bai said.

Kong Xu nodded.

"Gentlemen, please stay at my Ye Family's residence," said the Ye Family Head.

Today was truly a nerve-wracking day. If anything happens to them again, she won't be able to escape responsibility either.

Kong Xu nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Ye Family Head."

Nothing else happened after that. Ye Jiazhu arranged for Kong Xu to rest in a quiet place, while Xu Bai returned to his room.

Back in his room, Xu Bai took the tea Ye Zi handed him, took a sip, and then put it aside, his brows furrowed as if he were thinking about something.

"Young Master, I know what you're thinking," Ye Zi said softly. "Perhaps they're intercepting the Second Young Master of the Kong Family Kong Family because he has any fighting prowess, but because of the Kong Family divination abilities."

Actually, Ye Zi is not stupid; in fact, she is quite smart.

Not only are they good at providing support, but they can also sometimes open up new ideas for Xu Bai.

Xu Bai nodded and said calmly, "That's right. This divination ability can help me solve many problems, which is why they tried every means to intercept and kill me."

"Young Master, it seems tonight is destined to be a sleepless night." Ye Zi walked to Xu Bai's side, peeled the fruit on the table, and fed it to Xu Bai. "We must keep a close eye on the situation with the Second Young Master of the Kong Family."

Xu Bai laughed and said, "It's not just tonight; we need to be careful these next few days. They will definitely come. You and I are thinking the same thing."

The ability to tell fortunes, especially at the fifth rank, must be helpful to Xu Bai. The other party is also wary of this ability, which is why they are willing to do anything to kill Kong Xu.

If they didn't kill him and let Kong Xu escape to the Ye Family, then they will definitely try to kill him again, otherwise it would be a waste of Xu Bai's money.

Since the other party might make a move, this is Xu Bai's breakthrough point.

"You've got a chance to prove yourself again," Xu Bai said, patting Ye Zi's head.

Ye Zi hummed in agreement.

Behind him, the Fourth-Rank Puppet quietly left and found a secluded corner outside Kong Xu's residence to wait.

Time passed slowly, and nothing happened during the day; everything seemed peaceful and serene.

The demon masters did not make another move, as if all the demon masters had disappeared overnight, and the water in Wind Chime Prefecture also calmed down.

Before we knew it, it was late at night.

It's cold at night.

The weather is getting colder and colder as the Lunar New Year approaches, especially at night. Without an extra blanket, it can feel quite chilly.

In Ye Yu's room.

At this moment, Ye Yu was staring blankly at the oil lamp in front of her, not knowing what to think.

Today, Kong Xu came, and Ye Yu also caught a glimpse of him in the crowd.

To be honest, under normal circumstances, this would have been in line with her thinking. After all, the head of the Kong Family was an official in the Capital City, and in terms of status, he was equivalent to a prefect.

But everything needs to be compared.

If she had met Kong Xu before Xu Bai appeared, she would naturally have been willing.

But after Xu Bai appeared, everything changed and became somewhat unpleasant.

In Ye Yu's eyes, Kong Xu and Xu Bai were completely incomparable.

This morning, Kong Xu's respectful attitude towards Xu Bai aroused Ye Yu's disgust.

If she goes, she will truly be forever inferior to Ye Zi.

This feeling was unpleasant, Ye Yu didn't want to experience it.

Ye Yu looked at the flame of the oil lamp in front of her, clenched her fists, and blue veins appeared on the smooth back of her hands.

"Is this my final fate?"

The feeling of sorrow in my heart grew deeper and deeper.

Just then, a voice rang out from the surroundings.

"Of course this is not your fate; your fate can be completely changed."

His voice was deep and husky; it was a man's voice.

Upon hearing this voice, Ye Yu turned around abruptly and looked behind her.

The man in black reappeared, a black and white snake coiled around his waist, looking somewhat terrifying.

"You demon masters, you ambushed Young Master Kong during the day, and you still dare to come see me at night. You really have a lot of nerve." Ye Yu tried to compose herself and make her tone calm, but her voice trembled slightly and she couldn't suppress it.

"What's there to be afraid of? We even dared to mess with Xu Bai, so what else do you think we have to fear?" The man in black spoke casually, as if he were stating something very ordinary.

The room fell silent. Ye Yu didn't know how to respond, because she couldn't answer those questions.

The man in black approached Ye Yu, reached into his robes, pulled out a box, and handed it to Ye Yu, saying, "Take this, then go to Kong Xu's room, open this box, and you'll achieve your goal. As long as Kong Xu is dead, you won't need to go there, and you won't feel inferior."

Ye Yu stared blankly at the box in her hand. The box was only the size of a palm and looked extremely ordinary.

When she got her hands on the box, she could feel a distinct vibration; there was a living creature inside.

"Are you kidding me? If I make a move, do you think I can escape?" Ye Yu prepared to throw the box away.

The next moment, the man in black grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Only you can get close, since you're going to the Kong Family, it's perfectly legitimate. As for whether you can escape, don't worry, I'll help you with the rest."

Ye Yu stopped talking.

She kept her head down, as if she was thinking about what the man in black had said.

"I know what you're struggling with," the man in black said slowly. "Killing Kong Xu is only the first step. Next, we'll kill Xu Bai. Then you'll be satisfied. And at that point, we can even make you the master of the Ye Family. Are you satisfied now?"

As the man in black spoke, the snake at his waist hissed.

Ye Yu was still thinking, but after hearing this faint sound, her mind went blank, and she inexplicably agreed.

"Good."

Holding the box in her hand, she went straight out the door and headed towards Kong Xu's location.

After Ye Yu left, the man in black turned into smoke and disappeared without a trace.

Throughout the journey, Ye Yu kept thinking about what the man in black had said, and before she knew it, she was carrying the wooden box and had arrived at the entrance of Kong Xu's house.

She looked at the tightly closed door, gritted her teeth, and finally raised her hand to knock.

The sound of knocking echoed in the corridor, and soon after, Old Sun's voice came through.

"Who!"

Old Sun's voice was wary.

Ye Yu said, "It's me, Ye Yu."

Before Kong Xu arrived, he naturally knew who he was looking for, so when Old Sun heard the name, he opened the door from the inside.

"The second young master is seriously injured and unable to receive you, young lady. We hope you will understand," said Old Sun politely.

Ye Yu gripped the box in her hand, trying to sound normal, and looked up to say, "It's like this, I know that Young Master Kong is seriously injured, so I went to great lengths to find some medicine that might be able to save him. Can I see him?"

Old Sun fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Just then, Kong Xu spoke up.

"You must be Miss Ye Yu. Please let her in."

Kong Xu's voice came from inside the room; he still sounded very weak.

Since Kong Xu had spoken, Old Sun did not hesitate any longer, made way for Ye Yu, and let him in.

Ye Yu followed the path into the room and saw Kong Xu sitting weakly on the bed.

Compared to this morning, his complexion is much better, and it is estimated that his injuries will be fully healed in a few days.

"Miss Ye Yu, I'm truly sorry, I cannot rise to greet you," Kong Xu said politely.

Seeing Kong Xu's appearance, Ye Yu hesitated.

In fact, from the moment she entered until now, Kong Xu has behaved in a proper and orderly manner, even to the point of being able to act with propriety and restraint.

But when Ye Yu thought about Ye Zi Ye Yu, she became ruthless again.

Especially when she thought about these things, the hissing sound of the snake from earlier flashed through her mind again, which intensified the feeling in her heart.

"Young Master Kong." Ye Yu stepped forward, slowly raising the wooden box in his hand, preparing to open it. "This is the medicine I obtained for you. It can treat your injuries. See if it works for you?"

Kong Xu, slightly curious, moved closer.

At this moment, Ye Yu opened the palm-sized box a crack, and then the sound of flapping wings came from inside.

A dark shadow flashed by, heading straight for Kong Xu.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a centipede with wings.

"Not good!" Old Sun reacted instantly and chased after the centipede in a few steps.

But before he could run far, the box vibrated again, and another winged centipede flew out and pounced straight at Old Sun.

This happened so fast that neither of them had time to react.

To be precise, they never expected to be assassinated in the Ye Family.

They had considered the possibility of being assassinated, but they never expected it to be someone from the Ye Family, let alone Ye Yu.

This is what it means to fall into a quagmire of thinking.

The Ye Family, the people of the Ye Family, Ye Yu.

They gradually build their sense of security, but within that sense of security lies a chilling murderous intent.

The winged centipede is very fast.

Old Sun lost an arm, which was originally his forte in unarmed combat. Because of the loss of his arm, his strength has been reduced by half.

Because of its wings, the centipede is very agile in mid-air, and it's difficult to break through its defenses for the time being.

But Kong Xu is feeling unwell.

Kong Xu was already seriously injured and had no way to react at the moment, watching helplessly as the centipede got closer and closer.

Just then, an even faster footstep sounded, followed by a knife suddenly exploding into fragments that blocked the center.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet, clad in black, was performing the Chess Saber Five Styles.

Although it only had the rudiments of Xu Bai's swordsmanship, it was already very strong. Combined with the Ingenious Saber specially crafted for it by Xu Bai, it narrowly managed to stop the centipede.

But since this winged centipede could be used for assassination, it must have more than just this one. It could only hold them off for a moment before breaking through the encirclement and continuing its pursuit of Kong Xu.

"Click!"

The centipede bit down hard in front of it, but the next moment, it felt a hard touch.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet stood in the center, a hole bitten in its chest, yet it was completely unaware of it.

"My poison has lost its effectiveness?" the winged centipede spoke in human language.

It certainly couldn't have imagined that a puppet could be poisoned. "A demon?"

At that moment, another voice came from outside the door. Xu Bai stepped into the room, brandishing the Black Saber Hundred Rends in his hand.

If it can speak human language, it must be a demon.

The Black Saber Hundred Rends shattered into fragments in an instant, turning the centipedes that were surrounding Old Sun into ashes.

Chess Saber Five Styles), Seventh-Order Sword Technique, Saber Intent, Third Rank Loose Cultivator...

If these elements are combined, it would be strange if they couldn't be defeated in one move.

On the other side, a fragment separated and swept over another winged centipede. The next moment, the wings and densely packed legs were severed, and the centipede fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

"Click!"

Xu Bai did not stop, and swiftly broke Ye Yu's limbs.

The crisp sound, mixed with Ye Yu's screams, sent chills down one's spine.

Ye Yu let out a scream, then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Such a decisive move." Even though Old Sun only had one arm left, he couldn't help but shudder when he saw Xu Bai's swift movements.

At this moment, Xu Bai is the Xu Bai that is rumored in the martial arts world, not an ordinary young man.

— Ruthless and capricious.

The deadlock was broken in a short period of time.

A faint killing intent surrounded Xu Bai Xu Bai, causing everyone present to shiver and dare not look him in the eye.

Especially when Xu Bai broke Ye Yu's limbs just now, he did so without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing this situation, everyone felt that the rumors circulating in the martial arts world were relatively truthful.

"If you want to go further, you'll have to be more cautious in the future." Xu Bai looked at Kong Xu and said calmly, "Compared to your peers, you're still lacking."

If it were Liu Xu Wu Hua, this wouldn't have happened today.

If it were Yun Zihai, he might even be able to turn the tables and kill Yun Zihai.

Even Qing Xue could see through the clues.

As for Chu Yu...

Chu Yu should probably give up...

All I can say is that Kong Xu's ideas were spot on, including coming to him, but some details were still lacking.

Kong Xu nodded blankly and mechanically.

For some reason, Xu Bai was about the same age as him, but when he heard Xu Bai's words, he couldn't help but treat Xu Bai as a senior.

"I understand, Lord Xu," Kong Xu said with difficulty.

"Ye Zi, let's begin." Xu Bai ignored Kong Xu and turned to Ye Zi.

Ye Zi nodded gently, her ten fingers moving continuously.

Glowing threads appeared in mid-air, and as Ye Zi moved, a series of sounds circulated continuously.

The centipede, writhing on the ground, was screaming in agony, but its screams gradually faded after hearing the music.

This was Xu Bai's idea.

It would be too easy for him to simply dodge someone's move. Of course, he wanted to follow the opponent's move and find some clues.

"Where is the person behind you?" Xu Bai asked.

The centipede lying on the ground stopped rolling and screaming, and after hearing Xu Bai's question, it made an unpleasant sound.

"I don't know... I don't know..."

Xu Bai frowned.

He knew, of course, that it wouldn't be so easy to ask, but he didn't expect the other party to be unaware.

Do you have any clues to tell me?

Thinking of this, Xu Bai changed his approach again.

This time, the centipede finally gave a detailed answer.

"Three days later, at the Wind Chime Prefecture LeShui Festival, the largest cruise ships... will gather."

It was just a simple sentence, yet it revealed a location.

"Young master, the LeShui Festival is an annual festival of Wind Chime Prefecture, mainly held on the XunLe River. During this festival, there are countless pleasure boats, where talented men and beautiful women exchange musical ideas," Ye Zi explained to Xu Bai.

Xu Bai stroked his chin and asked, "Is there anything else?"

The centipede lying on the ground fell silent, clearly having nothing more to say.

Xu Bai thought for a moment, and then an idea struck him.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet swung his longsword and finished off the centipede.

Since there's nothing more to say, there's no point in talking about it; killing it would be best.

After doing all this, Xu Bai turned his gaze to Ye Yu on the ground.

Because of the pain from Xu Bai breaking her limbs, Ye Yu had already fainted.

Their fight naturally attracted attention, and the Ye Family Head rushed over to witness the scene before him.

"This..." Ye Family Head was stunned.

She had considered the possibility of something going wrong, but she hadn't expected it to be like this. Now, just one glance was enough to tell what the situation was like.

However, Ye Zi still offered a proper explanation to avoid any misunderstanding from the Ye Family Head. Upon hearing this, the Ye Family Head gritted his teeth and said, "I will give you both an explanation."

She couldn't afford to offend either of them; she had to give them an explanation.

Xu Bai shook his head and said, "I don't want to see this woman alive anymore. She needs to give an explanation, but not now. I still have questions for her."

Although there was no further information about the centipede, the woman named Ye Yu in front of them was still alive. Since she was involved in this matter, she would know something, more or less.

The Ye Family Head nodded. "Lord Xu may act as he sees fit."

"Slap him in the face," Xu Bai said.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet stepped forward and slapped Ye Yu twice across the face.

Gradually, Ye Yu woke up from her coma and looked at the scene before her with a confused expression.

But soon, her confusion vanished, replaced by fear and dread.