"Hey, have you heard?"
"A few assassins from the martial world came to the capital recently, specifically to kill Eastern Depot men. Now the Eastern Depot men are so terrified they don't even dare go home. They've all hidden away in Great Enlightenment Temple!"
"You're telling me!"
"Someone can finally put that pack of eunuchs in their place!"
"I hope those wandering swordsmen slaughter every last one of them!"
"You can't quite put it that way. Without those people from the martial world, our Great Ming wouldn't be in such chaos either."
"I heard they held some martial arts gathering down in Jiangnan a while ago and accidentally killed quite a few people. In the end, when the court sent men to investigate, they just paid out a little compensation and called it settled. They didn't dare provoke those martial artists at all!"
"Ah! Eunuchs throw the country into chaos at court, and wandering swordsmen defy the law with their martial prowess. None of them are good people. It's only us common folk who suffer!"
Inside a tavern in the western part of the capital, three figures in martial artists' robes sat by a window with longswords in hand, silently listening to the drinkers' discussions.
Yet keen light gleamed in their eyes.
A black-clad martial artist said quietly, "No wonder we haven't seen any Eastern Depot men these past few days. They've all hidden away in Great Enlightenment Temple!"
A burly man said excitedly, "Brother Zhao, Li Zhong, the Eastern Depot's deputy director, is hiding in Great Enlightenment Temple. Now that Wan Yulou is dead, should we kill Li Zhong too?"
"Exactly!"
"Now that Wan Yulou is dead, killing the deputy director as well would deal a tremendous blow to the eunuch faction. Let's see how that pack of eunuchs keeps strutting around then!"
The black-clad martial artist beside him also spoke excitedly.
Hearing this, the leaner swordsman in the middle frowned, looking somewhat hesitant.
"We've already killed plenty of Eastern Depot men these past few days, and we've sent all three officials' families away. There's no need to make more branches grow out of the knot, is there?"
The burly man hurriedly said, "Brother Zhao, we've already come all this way. We can't go back empty-handed, can we?"
"Exactly!"
The black-clad martial artist beside him agreed. "Brother Zhao, you killed Wan Yulou, but the Eastern Depot's core figures are still alive. Their deputy director, Li Zhong, has done plenty of evil alongside Wan Yulou over the years. If we don't kill him, once he becomes director, blood will flow in rivers through the court again. All our efforts will have been wasted!"
At those words, the swordsman's gaze wavered with temptation.
After hesitating a moment, he nodded. "All right. We'll go to Great Enlightenment Temple tonight and take a look. But if we can't pull it off, leave immediately. Don't get caught up in the fighting. If we're surrounded, even we won't be able to escape!"
"Don't worry, Brother Zhao. Against those Eastern Depot good-for-nothings, we can come and go as we please. What's there to fear?"
"That's right!"
"Over the past six months, the Eastern Depot's strongest leaders have all become ghosts beneath our blades. Now even Wan Yulou has become a departed soul beneath Brother Zhao's sword. What experts could the Eastern Depot possibly have left?"
The two spoke with utter indifference.
"Beyond every mountain stands a higher mountain!"
"If we run into a supreme expert, things won't go so smoothly!"
"The capital harbors crouching tigers and hidden dragons. It's nothing like the outside world. We still can't afford to be careless!"
The swordsman shook his head, his expression grave.
Had any Eastern Depot men been present, they would certainly have recognized these three as the martial-world assassins who had rescued Can Qianzhi and the two Ministry of Rites officials at Longjiang Naval Shipyard.
And this swordsman was Zhao Huaian, the man who had taken Wan Yulou's head!
Night fell beneath a bright moon and sparse stars.
Great Enlightenment Temple, in the capital's Western Hills.
Several Eastern Depot officials wearing yellow python robes hid inside the heavily guarded temple, discussing matters in low voices.
At their head sat a slightly plump eunuch with an imposing air.
He was Li Zhong, the Eastern Depot's deputy director.
"Eunuch Li, now that Director Wan is dead, what should we write in the memorial to His Majesty?"
"Indeed!"
"It's that Zhao Huaian again! He forced us to hide here. Damn him!"
"What can we do except report it?"
"Report it? Director Wan was killed by martial artists! If someone brings something this serious before His Majesty, can we bear the consequences?!"
"Hmph! We control the court now. If anyone dares bypass us and report directly to His Majesty, we'll silence him for good. Isn't that simple enough?"
"Exactly. That's what we'll do!"
"After some time has passed, we'll find another explanation and report Eunuch Wan's death!"
Everyone offered their opinions, discussing how to suppress the news of Wan Yulou's death.
After all, life had not been easy for the Eastern Depot lately.
To curb the Eastern Depot, the emperor had established the West Depot. The two fought both openly and in secret, with people dying almost every day.
Moreover, all the officials hated the eunuch faction. If the ministers at court learned of Wan Yulou's death, someone would certainly throw stones down the well, doing everything possible to crush the Eastern Depot.
Thus, they all wanted to suppress the news of Wan Yulou's death for now.
Li Zhong sat in the seat of honor, listening to their discussion with a deeply gloomy expression.
As the Eastern Depot's deputy director, he should have been the happiest man alive now that Wan Yulou was dead.
Yet he could not feel happy in the slightest.
In the few days since his return to the capital, the martial-world assassins who had killed Wan Yulou had caused trouble everywhere, slaughtering many Eastern Depot men.
He was the illustrious deputy director of the Eastern Depot, yet after returning to the capital, he did not even dare enter his own home. He could only hide inside Great Enlightenment Temple to discuss affairs, living in constant fear.
How could he possibly be happy?
A moment later.
He waved a hand to silence everyone and said coldly, "For now, we'll do as Eunuch Huang suggested. Conceal Eunuch Wan's death for as long as possible."
"With Eunuch Wan dead, our most pressing task is to stabilize the situation. We must guard against not only the West Depot, but also Wei Zhongxian's surviving faction."
"Those remnants went into hiding after Wei Zhongxian died. Under Eunuch Wan's leadership these past years, they didn't dare raise their heads and behaved themselves much better. But now that Eunuch Wan is dead, there's no guarantee they won't get ideas!"
"Before His Majesty learns of Eunuch Wan's death, we must stabilize the situation swiftly. We cannot give those remnants an opening!"
Their hearts tightened at his words, and they all nodded solemnly.
Over the years, the Eastern Depot had never been an unbroken slab of iron.
Its previous director had been Wei Zhongxian, whose power overshadowed both court and country. He styled himself the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord, and his influence at court had been so vast that even the emperor had to watch his expression before acting.
Later, the new emperor ascended the throne and recognized the danger posed by the eunuch faction. Only then did he resolve to suppress the Eastern Depot.
Afterward, Wei Zhongxian fell from power. Some of his followers died, while others fled. But some had not been deeply implicated, and out of regard for old ties, the emperor spared their lives and allowed them to remain in the Eastern Depot.
The largest of these factions was led by Zhao Jingzhong, the Eastern Depot's chief officer. Under Wan Yulou's suppression these past years, those remnants had not dared raise their heads. But now that Wan Yulou was dead, there was no guarantee they would not get ideas.
Meanwhile, Liu Xi, the Eastern Depot's second-ranking officer, had recently cultivated a faction of his own. He, too, had designs on the director's seat.
They were all Wan Yulou's followers, already branded with his mark.
Li Zhong had also remained loyal to Wan Yulou over the years.
Now that Wan Yulou was dead, they naturally had to find a way to help Li Zhong become director. Otherwise, whether Zhao Jingzhong or Liu Xi took the position, their lives would be difficult.
"All right, disperse!"
Li Zhong rose. "Keep a low profile for now. Don't become more departed souls beneath those martial-world bandits' swords."
Hearing this, an Eastern Depot official frowned. "Eunuch Li, those rebels refuse to leave. We can't keep hiding here forever, can we?"
"Exactly!"
"A thief can keep stealing for a thousand days, but who can guard against thieves for a thousand days?"
The others also spoke up.
Li Zhong waved a hand. "I've already investigated. Those martial-world assassins slipped into the capital this time to secretly escort away the families of the officials they rescued. As long as we don't touch those officials' families, they won't come after us."
At that, Li Zhong snorted coldly. "Besides, the capital isn't the outside world. If they keep stirring up trouble, even if we can't catch them, the man at Dragon Guard Mountain Villa won't let them off!"
At the mention of the man at Dragon Guard Mountain Villa, everyone nodded, feeling somewhat reassured.
"You're right. With our strength, we certainly wouldn't dare run wild in the capital."
"But killing you before we leave won't be a problem!"
Suddenly, a cold snort rang out inside the hall.
"Who's there?!"
Everyone started in alarm and hurriedly turned to look. At some unknown point, a black-clad man holding a sword had appeared atop the Buddha statue at the rear of the hall. He was watching them with an icy gaze.
"Zhao Huaian?!"
The Eastern Depot officials paled in terror and hastily retreated.
"Where are the guards?!"
"Someone! Get in here, now!"
They all shouted in panic.
A man's reputation loomed like a tree's shadow!
That day at Longjiang Naval Shipyard, even Eunuch Wan, the Eastern Depot's foremost expert, had lost his life to Zhao Huaian in just a few exchanges. How could they not be afraid?!
"Who goes there? You dare trespass in Great Enlightenment Temple?!"
"Kill them!"
"Aah..."
Just then, chaos erupted outside Great Enlightenment Temple as well. After a burst of shouting, the sounds of furious fighting rang out.
Atop the Buddha statue, Zhao Huaian held his longsword and said coldly, "You eunuch dogs who wreak havoc on the country and its people-no one can save you today!"
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, a calm voice sounded from outside the doors.
Immediately afterward, a dense patter of footsteps rang out outside.
Boom-
With a thunderous crash, a dark figure flew through the doorway and collapsed on the floor, coughing blood.
Zhao Huaian looked down, his expression changing, and hurriedly shouted, "Ling Guozhou!"
Just then, accompanied by a scream, another burly swordsman tumbled into the hall, his body drenched in blood. Straining to turn his head toward Zhao Huaian, he looked at him with eyes full of terror and regret and forced out, "Go... hurry..."
Before he could finish, his head lolled to one side and he collapsed, all breath gone.
"Lei Chongzheng!"
Zhao Huaian's expression darkened. He clenched his longsword tightly and turned to stare fixedly at the doorway.
Tap, tap...
Accompanied by crisp footsteps, a group of figures in West Depot uniforms strode inside.
Eastern Depot agents and members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard crowded both sides, but their eyes were filled with apprehension. Not one dared step forward to stop them.
For the man at their head wore a silver-white python robe, his hands clasped behind his back. His handsome face radiated the domineering pride of one who looked down upon the world.
He was none other than Yu Huatian, the court's recently rising star and the seal-bearing director of the West Depot!
(End of chapter)
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