Panic

Huang Qian was somewhat surprised. Official authority ran strong within the commandery seat, and few jianghu wanderers dared to make a major disturbance inside the city walls. At most, a few reckless ruffians might brawl or commit murder, but such petty incidents would never prompt scores of constables to patrol the night and round up suspects. Huang Xunjiu had also heard the steward's words. He waved a hand. "Go inquire further." Any villains capable of raising such an uproar had undoubtedly committed no small deed. The steward nodded hastily and hurried off to investigate. By then, several guests in the manor had caught wind of the commotion outside. Murmuring among themselves in twos and threes, they dispatched their accompanying servants to look into the matter. After a short while, the steward rushed back inside, wearing an exceedingly bizarre expression. Huang Xunjiu's brows knitted in mild displeasure. With guests present in the hall, scurrying about in such haste lacked all composure. Still, he knew the steward well enough to realize that such urgency meant something significant had happened, so he swallowed his irritation and refrained from scolding him. "Master, Master..." The steward caught his breath, approached Huang Xunjiu's side, bowed, and lowered his voice. "This servant has found out! Word is that those desperadoes assassinated the Martial Restraint Guard's Probationary Company Commander of Baoqing Ward—Huang Tian! That is, the Fourth Young Master!" *Crack!* The teacup in Huang Qian's grip shattered in an instant, shards spraying outward. Any trace of drunkenness vanished from his face as his gaze sharpened onto the steward. "Are you certain you heard correctly?" The steward turned his head and said, "Eldest Young Master, it is indeed true. When this servant first heard it, I was astonished as well, fearing the news was mistaken. I repeatedly questioned several different constables, and they all gave the exact same answer." Huang Qian drew a deep breath and looked toward his father, an inscrutable light in his eyes. Huang Xunjiu was also stunned senseless by the news, unable to tell for a moment whether he felt joy or fury. No, overall, it was joy. Suppressing his surging excitement, he commanded in a deep voice, "Go inquire again! Find out for sure!" Find out what? Naturally, whether that unfilial son was dead. "Yes, Master." The steward departed once more. Once he was gone, Huang Xunjiu and Huang Qian exchanged a glance, their expressions brimming with a mixture of excitement and nervous suspense. Just days ago, they had indulged in the fantasy of Huang Tian being assassinated. If he died, every predicament currently plaguing the Huang Manor would dissolve entirely! The prominent clans in the commandery seat would have no reason to keep suppressing the Huang clan, the families that had once been close would warm up to them again, and with Huang Qian poised to break through to the sixth rank within six months to a year, the Huang family would only flourish further! Yet that had merely been a fantasy, not reality. Who could have foreseen that tonight, the fantasy might actually come true? The two of them took deep breaths, waiting in silence for the steward's return. Meanwhile, the guests attending the celebratory banquet also caught wind of Huang Tian being assassinated. Each wore a strange, conflicted look; setting aside the fine wine and delicacies, they huddled together in fervent discussion. When the heavily intoxicated Huang Rui and Huang Jian heard the news, a sudden jolt shot through them. Most of their drunken stupor dissolved, their eyes lighting up. Looking at each other, they could not suppress their smiles, the corners of their mouths curling upward. Had other guests not been present, they would have burst into loud laughter long ago. The two quickly abandoned their seats and briskly made their way to Huang Xunjiu. "Father, we heard—" Before either could finish a sentence, Huang Xunjiu raised a hand to cut them off. "I already know what you wish to say. Sit down and remain calm. Wait for more detailed news." The pair nodded, stifled their excitement, sat to the side, and began whispering among themselves. "Second Brother, I knew that with his arrogant, insubordinate temper, someone would assassinate him sooner or later. Look, it's finally happened, ha!" "May Heaven bless us and let him die tonight!" "If he's killed, our family's days will be peaceful again. We won't have to endure cold sneers at the Guard Academy anymore. Hmph, I'll pay every single one of them back in the future!" "..." The two prayed silently. *Tap, tap...* Hurried footsteps echoed. Everyone in the hall looked up toward the steward running in with a taut, rigid face. Seeing his grim expression, Huang Xunjiu's heart sank, sensing that this was likely not good news. Sure enough, the steward drew close and delivered a concise report: "He is unhurt." "He" undoubtedly referred to Huang Tian. Hearing this, Huang Xunjiu paid no heed to decorum and let out a deep sigh. Huang Qian did the same, shaking his head repeatedly. What a pity, an absolute pity! How could the villains who ambushed him be so utterly useless that they could not even kill a seventh-rank Huang Tian? After this ordeal, he would surely become far more vigilant, leaving even fewer opportunities for an ambush in the future... Huang Jian, sitting farther back, had not heard clearly. He craned his neck eagerly and could not help nudging Huang Rui. "Second Brother, did you hear what Steward Fang said? Is that fellow dead?" Huang Rui had caught faint murmurs, his expression turning solemn. "He... doesn't seem to be dead. No, he wasn't even injured." Huang Jian froze instantly. Looking up at his father's and eldest brother's faces, he saw both were thoroughly unsightly. "He really wasn't hurt?!" Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward to Huang Qian's side. "Eldest Brother—" Huang Qian knew what he wanted to ask and shook his head. "That fellow is fine." "*Sigh!*" Huang Jian let out a heavy, regretful sigh and slumped dejectedly back into his chair. "How does he have such monstrous luck? Targeted by assassins and not only survives, but walks away without a scratch! If only they had broken an arm or a leg!" For martial artists of the lower three ranks, once their limbs were crippled, even setting the bones properly would hinder future cultivation to some extent. Huang Rui remained silent. "Go inquire once more!" Huang Xunjiu said to the steward. "Find out if that band of villains has been captured. If there is any other news regarding the fourth son, report it to me as well." Receiving his orders, the steward took his leave again. By this point, the guests in the hall had also learned that Huang Tian emerged unharmed. Many sighed inwardly, murmuring in low voices. Roughly a quarter of an hour passed before the steward rushed back, but this time his face was pale with sheer panic. Huang Xunjiu's fingers twitched violently. He knew bad news was coming—and exceedingly terrible bad news at that! Sure enough, the steward stumbled to his side drenched in sweat, his voice trembling. "Word... word has it..." "Speak clearly!" Huang Xunjiu barked in mounting anger. "Word has it that the Fourth Young Master has broken through to the sixth rank!" The steward's voice shook uncontrollably. "What is more, people say the Fourth Young Master single-handedly defeated two fifth-rank martial artists and several sixth-rank martial artists! He captured every last one of the assassins who attacked him! The officers outside are currently rounding up the accomplices those killers hid throughout the city!" *Boom!!* Hearing this, Huang Xunjiu completely lost his composure. He surged to his feet, his qi and blood boiling as true qi erupted beyond his control. The blast flipped the table before him, sending dishes and wine flying while the guests cried out in terror. "Wh-what did you say?!" His eyes widened, filled with sheer disbelief. Huang Qian was utterly stunned as well. As if struck by a thunderbolt, he sat frozen in his chair, the steward's words echoing relentlessly in his ears: *"The Fourth Young Master has broken through to the sixth rank!!"*