Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 126 The Unexpected Person

The courtyard was very quiet.

The side rooms were dark, with only the main room having a faint light shining through the paper windows, like a half-open eye.

Two burly men stood motionless at the entrance of the main house, with curved knives hanging from their waists, like two stone statues, their breathing barely audible.

Jiang Xun crouched down, went around the courtyard wall, and hid behind a clump of bushes.

The leaves tickled his back, making him afraid to move. He pricked up his ears and held his breath.

The doors and windows of the main room were tightly closed, but two figures could be seen through the paper windows, one sitting and one standing, their outlines clearly visible.

"...Lu Zhong, what did Dayong say?" Xiao Rui's voice turned cold, as if it had been chilled to the bone.

"News has come from Lü Le's side." Another voice, low and hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of a throat, said, "Da Yong has become aware of this. For safety's sake, this is the last transaction. They want to raise the price."

"A price increase?" Xiao Rui's voice suddenly rose. "They're going to renege on the price we agreed on?"

"Lü Le said it wasn't that they wanted to go back on their word, but it was an order from above. Something had also happened on their end; the investigation was very thorough, and the risks were much greater than before, so—"

"So you want us to pay more?" Xiao Rui sneered, his laughter like a knife scraping a porcelain bowl. "The people of Dayong are untrustworthy."

"Young Master, please calm down." Lu Zhong's voice carried a hint of soothing, as if he were advising, "Lu Le's side has also had a difficult time. They've done their best to hold on until now. I'll go and talk to them again to see if we can put some pressure on them."

"No need to pressure them." Xiao Rui's voice suddenly calmed down, but what was pressing down beneath that calm was more chilling than his anger. "They want to raise the price, fine. But there's one condition—the goods must be delivered on time. One day late, not a penny."

"Yes," Lu Zhong replied, his tone carrying a hint of relief.

There was silence for a moment.

The figure on the window paper moved slightly. Xiao Rui stood up and then sat down again.

"What instructions did your uncle give?" he asked in a low voice.

"Before setting off, General Xiao instructed his subordinates," Lu Zhong lowered his voice even further, almost whispering, "that the time be set for two days from now."

Jiang Xun crouched behind the bushes, memorizing each word of the conversation, his fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the muddy ground.

The transaction, the last one, the price increase, an unexpected turn of events.

These words, strung together, piece together a rough outline—the Xiao family has large-scale business dealings in Shuofeng City, most likely involving repeating crossbows, with connections in Dayong. Now that things are getting tense, they're backing down.

Just as I was thinking this, a chill suddenly ran down my spine.

It wasn't a sound, it wasn't the wind, it was an indescribable feeling—like something was staring at him in the dark, like a needle pressing against the back of his head.

The chill crept up his spine, making his hair stand on end.

He turned around abruptly.

There was nothing there.

The shadows of the bushes overlapped and intertwined in the moonlight, rustling softly in the wind, like someone whispering in someone's ear.

But the feeling of being watched was still there, like a hand on my shoulder, not heavy, but making my whole body stiff.

He slowly placed his hand on the sword hilt, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

Just then, the door to the main room opened.

Xiao Rui walked out, the moonlight falling on his face, revealing a cold and stern expression.

His gaze slowly swept across the courtyard, like an invisible knife scraping the ground inch by inch.

"Come out." The voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, like a nail driven into wood. "Hidden for so long, aren't you tired?"

Jiang Xun's heart tightened, he held his breath, and huddled behind the bushes, not daring to move.

His heart was pounding like a drum; he bit his lip, forcing himself to stay calm.

Xiao Rui's gaze swept around and suddenly stopped on the bushes.

Those eyes shone frighteningly bright in the moonlight, like two balls of cold fire.

"If you don't come out now, I won't be polite."

Jiang Xun gritted his teeth and was about to stand up—

A dark shadow darted out from the other side of the courtyard wall, as fast as a night owl, and pounced straight at Xiao Rui.

Xiao Rui dodged to the side and struck out with a palm, the wind whistling through him, carrying a chilling internal force.

"Bang!"

The two exchanged a palm strike, the muffled sound sending dust flying from the ground.

Each took three steps back, the blue bricks under their feet creaking.

In the moonlight, the face of the dark figure flashed for a moment—Zhou Jing.

Zhou Jing of the Yu Cang Sect.

Jiang Xun was stunned.

He thought Zhou Jing had already returned to the Central Plains, but he didn't expect that this person was still in Shuofeng City and had his eyes on Xiao Rui.

Xiao Rui clearly recognized him as well, and sneered, "A member of the Jade Cang Sect? You're spying on me?"

Zhou Jing did not answer, but drew his sword and thrust.

The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Xiao Rui's throat, both swift and ruthless.

Xiao Rui neither dodged nor avoided, but raised two fingers and gently pinched the sword tip, leaving it completely still.

Just like he did to Zhou Jing in the martial arts arena, he did it casually, as if teasing a child.

"I broke your sword last time, do you want to break it again this time?"

Zhou Jing's expression changed, and he drew his sword, changing his move to stab again.

This time, his sword was much more ferocious than it had been on the training ground. Every strike was filled with killing intent, and each sword was aimed at Xiao Rui's vital points.

However, Xiao Rui's martial arts skills far surpassed his. With just a sidestep, a raised hand, and a flick of his sleeve, he easily neutralized the attack in just a few moves, as if he were strolling around.

Just after the third move, Xiao Rui struck Zhou Jing in the chest with a palm.

The palm strike was powerful, like a mountain pressing down.

Zhou Jing was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained his chest.

"Is this all you've got? You dare to spy on me?" Xiao Rui walked over, looking down at him with icy eyes. "Tell me, who sent you?"

Zhou Jing gritted his teeth, remaining silent, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Rui raised his hand to slap—

Just then, a loud "bang" suddenly rang out from the other side of the courtyard wall, as if something had exploded.

Immediately afterwards, a flurry of footsteps and shouts erupted: "Fire! Fire!"

The patrolling guards outside the courtyard were alerted, and footsteps rushed towards them.

At the same time, a dark beam of light flew from the direction of the bushes, sharp and piercing.

Xiao Rui twisted his wrist and slapped the dark light aside.

With a "thud," the arrow pierced the tree trunk on the other side, its fletching still trembling.

It is a short arrow from a repeating crossbow.

Xiao Rui glanced at the arrow on the tree trunk, his gaze darkening. He then looked down at Zhou Jing on the ground and snorted coldly, "Consider yourself lucky."

With a wave of his hand, he turned and left with Lu Zhong and several burly men, heading towards the direction where the fire had started.

Zhou Jing glanced toward the bushes, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but said nothing.

He silently got up, clutched his chest, climbed over the back wall, and blended into the night amidst the chaos.

Jiang Xun stood up from behind the bushes, patted the dirt off his knees, and still clutched the high-quality replica crossbow in his hand.

He glanced in the direction where Zhou Jing had disappeared, unsure whether his intervention had been the right or wrong move.

But he didn't have time to think about that right now. He climbed over the courtyard wall and landed silently in the alley.

The moonlight shone on the bluestone pavement, giving it a cold, white glow.

The night wind blew in from the alley entrance, carrying the dry chill of the North, making the hem of clothes rustle.

He shrank his neck and walked quickly towards the west of the city.

Back at the house, Shadow Seven was already standing at the entrance of the main house.

He was dressed in all black, and his face was even paler than usual.

His left arm hung down, with a large dark red stain on the sleeve, running from his shoulder down to his elbow.