Aggro overload

A group of formidable-looking men in tight leather armor arrived at the entrance to the main house. They appeared to be commanders of the Chen Family's private troops.

Ran Jiao looked a little tense, but the Chen Family Head's face had already hardened as he snapped, "Zhong Qi! What is the meaning of this?"

Old Master Chen, who had remained calm even when facing Ran Jiao, actually grew nervous now... all because of Zhong Qi, the man wearing the most ornate armor.

Zhong Qi leisurely cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, Uncle. I will certainly keep you safe."

But Old Master Chen's expression changed. "I don't need you to save me. Just withdraw everyone and wait!"

At this moment, the Chen Family Head actually seemed to be on the same side as Ran Jiao. It was quite surprising.

Yet Zhong Qi continued in a steady voice, "Jing Tian and I have become sworn brothers. How could I leave you in danger, Uncle? Rest assured, these villains are nothing to worry about."

Old Master Chen could not help shouting angrily, "Bullshit! If you lot hadn't deceived Tian'er, how would he have set foot on this road of no return?"

Then he looked at a man behind Zhong Qi at the doorway. "Chen Shi, don't forget that you command the Chen Family's household troops, not Zhong Qi's men. Take everyone and withdraw. This is none of your business!"

The man named Chen Shi looked rather unremarkable, nowhere near as imposing as the wandering swordsmen in leather armor. He hesitated, but merely watched Ran Jiao without speaking.

Old Master Chen sighed inwardly. "Forgive me, miss. This retainer of mine has a one-track mind."

Beneath her hood, Ran Jiao's eyes blinked shrewdly. She had begun to guess what the Chen Family Head meant...

The Chen Family's young master had committed the grave offenses of attacking government officers and coercing the populace... yet neither the Commandery Governor nor the county magistrate had formally classified the incident, out of deference to the Chen Family... naturally, these "bad friends," as Old Master Chen saw them, were the key to taking the blame and extricating Chen Jing Tian.

Seen in that light, the Chen Family Head would never dare harbor any crooked intentions, especially now that these "visitors from Chang'an" had their eyes on the Chen Family...

Ran Jiao quickly understood what she should do next.

She calmly withdrew the short sword in her hand, then politely addressed the old master. "Please forgive me, Family Head. I only wished to discuss an urgent matter with you, but had no way to obtain an audience. That was why I resorted to this."

The Chen Family Head immediately heard the melody and understood its meaning. He likewise cupped his hands amiably. "You are too kind, miss. I was just hoping to speak with you about the sights and customs of Chang'an."

Only then did the Chen Family Head turn back to Zhong Qi and Chen Shi before him. "You see? This was merely a misunderstanding. All of you, withdraw."

Just then, the wandering swordsmen who had dispersed around the house to circle behind it reached their positions. Ignoring everything, Zhong Qi stepped forward. "You are being threatened by a villain, Uncle. How could I turn a deaf ear and a blind eye?"

Chen Shi stepped in front of him again. "Wait, Commander Zhong. No one is threatening the master..."

Zhong Qi's face suddenly darkened...

"Idiot!"

The Chen Family Head could not help cursing aloud.

At that same instant, another wandering swordsman standing on the side Chen Shi had neglected suddenly slashed down, seemingly intent on taking his head clean off.

But in that split second, Zhong Qi's gaze shifted in alarm... as he turned to look behind him, he just managed to catch a streak of light hurtling toward them and striking the swordsman's shoulder armor!

Thwack!

The sharp, long arrow abruptly pierced the swordsman's leather armor and his entire shoulder, then slammed straight into the paving tiles with a crash, a testament to its tremendous force.

Bloodstained fragments of leather burst apart and scattered across the ground. The man's entire shoulder had been shattered by the shot.

Naturally, the saber in his hand slipped out of control, cutting a gash across Chen Shi's face when he had not remotely expected any of this...

"Force-Piercing Arrow," Ran Jiao murmured appreciatively... Wang Qi's intervention had been exquisitely timed.

Chen Shi jolted back to his senses and was just about to shout...

But Zhong Qi had already lunged at him with a grim expression, his large saber chopping repeatedly and forcing the cry back down Chen Shi's throat.

A sly look appeared on Ran Jiao's face. She opened her mouth and shouted, "The villain Zhong Qi is attempting to murder the Family Head! All men, heed my command! Surround and kill Zhong Qi and his accomplices at once!"

At that moment, Zhong Qi and the other wandering swordsmen's expressions changed drastically, because Ran Jiao had shouted in Chen Shi's voice... her oral skills truly were impressive (no innuendo intended).

Listening outside, Wang Qi was utterly amazed. This girl really has some extraordinary skills... It also made him reluctant to underestimate anyone in the Yulin Shadow Guard. After all, who knew what skills they possessed?

At the same time, he felt tremendous "sympathy" for Zhong Qi and his men... with that one shout, Ran Jiao had plunged them straight into the worst possible predicament.

So what if they knew it was an impersonation? Would they dare let the real Chen Shi come forward and explain?

They had never harbored good intentions to begin with... in fact, the Chen Family Head had seen through them too. Zhong Qi and his gang were probably itching for the old master to die in the chaos, so they could legitimately take over the Chen Family Fort as Chen Jing Tian's sworn brothers!

These were a band of true desperadoes.

Thus, once he realized how badly things had turned, Zhong Qi immediately ordered, "Hold off the men outside... Uncle, it seems we'll need you to accompany us."

His reaction was extremely quick. He decisively abandoned Chen Shi, leaving him to two other men behind him, then swung his own saber straight at the Chen Family's old master!

He intended to seize the Chen Family Head as a hostage, but he knew he first had to deal with Ran Jiao... he also knew she did not want Old Master Chen to die, which gave him exactly the opening he needed.

It was a wolf's way of thinking, steeped in cunning and cruelty.

This time, Ran Jiao truly had no choice but to cross the short swords in both hands before her, shielding the Chen Family Head and meeting the blow head-on... it was an open scheme, and she had to take the bait.

Clang!

Ran Jiao shuddered from head to toe, her footing faltering.

Fortunately, her unusual constitution allowed her to withstand the blow.

But Zhong Qi was already about to press his attack, one saber stroke after another...

Just as it seemed she would gradually falter under these forced head-on clashes, another powerful iron-headed arrow came hurtling toward them!

Zhong Qi reacted far faster than his subordinate, and he had already been guarding against this move.

He immediately changed his move halfway through, switching from offense to defense and blocking this second Force-Piercing Arrow.

Clang!

The arrow's wooden shaft was cleaved in two, but its lingering force still left the web of Zhong Qi's hand tingling.

Distracted and irritated, he raised his eyes toward the space outside the main hall and immediately spotted the figure crouching in the osmanthus tree diagonally opposite it.

"Despicable coward, shooting from ambush! Do you dare face me in open combat?!" Zhong Qi roared, then turned and plunged into the Chen Family's private troops, charging straight toward Wang Qi like a fierce tiger unleashed from its cage.

He had already tested Ran Jiao's and Chen Shi's strength, and believed his men alone could suppress them... but the archer outside, repeatedly loosing arrows from hiding, was simply too annoying. He resolved to eliminate the archer first.

Up in the tree, Wang Qi panicked a little on the spot. He had merely fired two arrows without a word, so why had the toughest "monster" come after him?

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