On the first day, there was little movement in Marquis Residence.
People came and went and passed by him, some lowered their heads and pretended not to notice, some took a peek and walked away quickly, and several stewards who were familiar with him came to persuade him, but he didn't listen to a word.
The next day, the chief steward came in person.
He was an old man in his sixties, whose surname was Meng. He had stayed at Marquis Residence for forty years and had been with the Marquis before he was granted the title of Marquis.
Butler Meng stood in front of Jin Tie, looked down at him, and sighed.
"Lao Jin, go back. You don't know what the Marquis's temper is? If you kneel like this, you will only make the Marquis unhappy."
Jin Tie said nothing.
Butler Meng stood for a while longer, then turned and left.
On the third day, the sky changed.
The north wind was blowing, and it was like a knife cutting into my face.
Jin Tie's lips were split, her face was as white as paper, and her legs below the knees had no feeling.
But he was still kneeling, his back as straight as a nail driven into a stone slab.
Although Foundation Establishment, Sixth Layer's body is much stronger than that of ordinary people, Spiritual Qi was also depleted little by little if he didn't eat or drink for three days.
His lips were trembling, not because he was cold, but because he wanted to speak.
I want to say that he is the second steward of Marquis Residence. He has managed the warehouse for the Marquis for twelve years. He has no credit but hard work.
I want to say that he has never asked Mr. Hou for anything in his life, just this one thing.
But he didn't say a word of these words.
He just went through it over and over in his mind, as if he was chanting a sutra.
At dusk on the third day, the main door opened.
It's not a side entrance, not a corner entrance, it's the main entrance.
Two three-foot-tall black doors were slowly pushed open, making a dull sound, like a giant beast opening its mouth.
Butler Meng came out, stood inside the threshold, and looked at Jin Tie kneeling outside the door.
"Master Hou lets you in."
Jin Tie's body shook a little.
He wanted to stand up, but his legs refused to work. He knelt for three days and his knees were like two logs.
Butler Meng did not step forward to help him, but just stood there waiting.
Champion Marquis met him in the study.
The study room is not big, much smaller than Jin Tie imagined.
There is a desk, a chair, and several rows of bookshelves against the wall. What is on the shelves is not books, but maps and sand tables.
There is a territory map of Great Yong hanging on the wall, and a circle has been drawn with a red pen on the position of Yongjing City.
Champion Marquis was sitting behind the desk, holding a military book in his hand without raising his head.
Jin Tie knelt in front of the desk, his forehead touching the ground, and said nothing.
He didn't dare to say.
Just because the Marquis allowed him to come in, it didn't mean he agreed to his request.
He had to wait for the Marquis to speak.
The study was quiet for a long time.
It was so long that Jin Tie pressed his forehead against the cold floor tiles and could hear his own heartbeat.
One after another, deep and slow.
Champion Marquis finally put down the military strategy.
"Jin Tie." He spoke, his voice was not loud, but every word seemed to roll out of his chest, with an indescribable sense of oppression.
"Here." Jin Tie's voice was hoarse and unlike his own.
"You knelt for three days just to kill someone?"
Jin Tie didn't speak, and pressed his forehead even lower.
Champion Marquis leaned on the back of the chair and looked at Jin Tie kneeling on the ground. He was thinking.
I'm not thinking about Jin Tie.
The younger brother of a second housekeeper was killed. Normally, one would just send someone to handle the matter.
But now are special times.
He is preparing for something big.
That was something that took ten years of preparation.
In Yongjing City, he calculates the mobilization of troops and horses, the reserves of grain and grass, and the attitude of general Aristocratic Clan.
Every step must be calculated. If you make a mistake, you will die.
At this juncture, he didn't want to cause trouble.
But he can't ignore Jin Tie.
Jin Tie has followed him for twenty years and managed the warehouse for twelve years. He knows Marquis Residence's family background clearly.
Such people are cold to the heart and more terrifying than the enemy.
What's more, Jinshi was a member of Marquis Residence, and was killed by a guest of the Yao Family. If he was ignored, where would Marquis Residence's face be?
"What cultivation level?" A voice that had been silent for a long time spoke.
Jin Tie raised his head. "The news from Black Market said, Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer."
"The news from Black Market?" Champion Marquis raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Yes." Jin Tie gritted his teeth, "But the information may not be accurate. He was only Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement when he killed Jinshi, and it was Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer in less than a year. This is unreasonable."
Champion Marquis said nothing.
He knows what Jin Tie means.
Going from Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer in less than a year is really unreasonable.
Either the information is inaccurate, or there is some secret about this person.
He stared sharply at Jin Tie who was kneeling on the ground. That man had been with him for more than twenty years, and his head was now covered with white hair.
"Li Cang." He shouted toward the door.
The door was pushed open and a person walked in.
The man was in his early fifties, with a lean build, wearing a gray robe that had been washed white, and a knife hanging on his waist.
The knife is not long, about two feet, and the scabbard is made of ordinary black wood. It is very worn and cannot be seen as anything special.
But when he walked in, Jin Tie felt that the air was a little heavier.
Foundation Establishment, Eighth-Layer Peak.
In the entire Champion Marquis Estate, the knife skills rank among the top three.
Ten years ago, he went to Northern Frontier with Champion Marquis, and killed a cavalry team of thirty people with one sword and one man.
Li Cang stood beside the desk, clasping his fists. "Master Hou."
Champion Marquis didn't look at him, his eyes still fell on Jin Tie.
He was silent for a while, and then said, "Since it's unreasonable, let's bring another person with us."
He shouted out the door again, "Shadow Seven."
A shadow floated in from outside the door.
The reason why I say it was floating is because Jin Tie didn't see clearly how he came in.
One moment the door was empty, and the next moment someone was standing next to Li Cang.
The man was in his forties, of medium build, dressed in black, and had no expression on his face, like a stone without temperature.
Foundation Establishment, Eighth Layer, Champion Marquis Estate The best assassin.
Champion Marquis looked at Jin Tie and said in a calm tone, "Kill the person and leave. Don't alert the court."
Jin Tie kowtowed three times, hitting his forehead on the floor tiles with a bang.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis."
Champion Marquis waved his hand and picked up the military book again.
Jin Tie stood up, took two steps back, turned around and walked out.
When I walked to the door, the voice of Champion Marquis came from behind.
"When we get to Yongjing City, kill that person if you can. If you can't kill him, retreat first. There will be another chance in the future."
"It won't be long."
Jin Tie paused in his steps.
He immediately turned around, bowed his waist and said "yes", and then strode out.
Li Cang is the old man of Champion Marquis Estate.
He went to the battlefield with Champion Marquis at the age of sixteen and fought for more than thirty years, fighting his way from a small soldier to the position of enshrinement.
His sword was not made by practicing, but by killing people.
Every cut will result in blood, and every cut will result in life.
He doesn't like Jin Tie.
It's not that I don't like it, it's that I don't like this kind of begging for help for personal vendetta.
He has been killing people all his life, and he has killed all the people who deserve to be killed. The enemies on the battlefield, Marquis Residence's opponents, are the stumbling blocks that stand in the way of the Marquis.
Jin Tie's brother was killed. It was because the opponent was powerful and his skills were inferior to others. He deserved to die.
But he came anyway.
It's not to give face to Jin Tie, it's to give face to Mr. Hou.
If the Marquis asked him to come, he would come.
It's just killing someone, it won't delay anything.
Shadow Seven I don't have much idea.
To him, killing anyone is the same.
He takes money to do things without asking about right or wrong.
If the Marquis gives him enough money, he will kill someone on behalf of the Marquis.
Jin Tie doesn't care whether it's a business matter or a private matter.
When the three people rode out of the city, it was already dark.
Jin Tie was riding in the front, with his back straight, as if he was afraid that he would lose his breath if he bent over.
Li Cang followed him slowly, as if going for an outing.
Shadow Seven fell at the end, silently, like a shadow stuck in the night.
Ten miles out of the city, Li Cang suddenly spoke, "You knelt at the door of Marquis Residence for three days just to kill a Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer?"
Jin Tie didn't look back. "He killed my brother."
Li Cang nodded and then said, "It's just to kill one Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer. As for letting the two of us go?"
Shadow Seven also looked at Jin Tie.
Jin Tie was silent for a while, and then said, "When he killed my brother, he was just Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement."