Chapter 104 Evening Assault

"Hall Master, if we're going to make a move, tonight is probably the best opportunity." Zang Jin, one of the four elites of the Eagle Hall sitting beside him, calmly suggested, "Although that brat Ye Tao is green, he can't be without capable people around him. To become the Grand Governor's man before twenty, his future prospects are limitless, and he's also a prince consort… I'm afraid he has some tricky individuals around him. We can only strike while they haven't made complete preparations. By tomorrow… it won't just be thirty people, I estimate it will be more than three hundred."

Mo Leng said, "That's for sure. Dongping and Yunzhou have a good relationship and have long learned the method of using eagles to transmit messages from the Dai family. Important military intelligence travels thousands of miles in an instant, much faster than us. It's said that Ye Tao had eagle keepers around him several years ago, not to mention now."

Zang Jin was somewhat puzzled. "Although those military chess things have some tricks, Ye Tao only started by making furniture, clocks, and the like. Although the Blood Kirin Army performed very well the year before last, in the end, Dai Yun and Qiu Hao Hui were the ones who made us misjudge, it had nothing to do with him. Isn't Ye Tao just a favored subject, a lucky courtier? At best, he can be considered a very skilled craftsman, how can he be on the list of the top twenty?"

Zang Jin's doubts were also the doubts of many others. Such doubts existed not only in Xiling, Chunnan, and Beiliao, which did not know much about Ye Tao's deeds, but also in Dongping.

Mo Leng, however, disagreed. The brains and elders of the Dao Ming Sect probably placed Ye Tao and that Tan Wei Xin on such a list, mainly considering their potential. There are indeed genius figures like meteors in this world, star figures like stars who are surrounded by stars from birth, and many outstanding talents, planetary figures whose silent rotation will cause the entire system to collapse, but many people, even if they can do that, rely on talent. But some people are different, they may not always be able to catch people's attention, but their potential is amazing. If everyone is a container, some people have to empty themselves before others notice their existence. But some people, when they shake out a little water, it overflows others' ankles, forcing people to look at them. Although the water will eventually slowly seep into the soil and disappear without a trace, it does not mean that there is no water in such a container. Maybe such a container just doesn't want to pour out the water anymore.

Mo Leng finally made a decision. "Lao Zang, go and prepare. Gather the manpower and launch a surprise attack tonight."

A sharp glint flashed in Zang Jin's eyes, and he said, "Hehe, yes."

With Mo Leng's order, the many members of the Eagle Hall hidden in Wang's Manor began to move.

Ye Tao still couldn't eat a peaceful dinner. The news of his arrival in Ninghe Town quickly reached Le Jia Bao Shan Tang. The shopkeeper of Bao Shan Tang, who was also the person in charge of this branch of the Le family, Le Ping, immediately brought the cook, ingredients, and the chief physician of Bao Shan Tang, Luo Ming, along with two young people from the martial world who wanted to find an opportunity to serve the imperial court to visit.

Ye Tao may not have been so enthusiastic about the medicines of Bao Shan Tang, and not so concerned about the martial arts people who wanted to join his command, but he could not remain indifferent to the authentic local delicacies that were delivered to his door. He happily received this group of people in the rented courtyard.

The cook, who weighed about four Ye Tao's, definitely didn't have the flowery tongue like some chefs Ye Tao had seen in later generations. The dull fat man nervously couldn't speak after briefly introducing some ingredients and dishes. But Luo Ming and Feng Zi, the Bao Shan Tang worshiper, chatted extremely happily. Although Feng Zi didn't want to become a doctor, his talent, which was expected to inherit the family's profound knowledge, and the teaching he had received since childhood, were not in vain? The exquisite and thorough medical and pharmaceutical theories gave Luo Ming a feeling of meeting a kindred spirit. Although the two argued over some specific issues, the pure academic exchanges between the two equally graceful people were generally conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

The food was satisfactory, and Le Ping of Bao Shan Tang was even more satisfied that Ye Tao had a staff member who was proficient in medical theory. They offered medicinal materials to the royal family, of course, to build a greater reputation for their Bao Shan Tang, but it was also their loyal heart to serve the royal family. They knew that the Imperial Medical Office had doubts about whether to use this special formula of Sheng Ji San (Vitality Powder), fearing to take responsibility, but if they could explain the origin of their confidence to this Prince Consort, and get the recognition and support of the medical staff around the Prince Consort, then things should be more than half done. Le Ping was not in a hurry, but he briefly mentioned the issue of this improved formula of Sheng Ji San at this sumptuous dinner. Ye Tao's mind was not on this matter now, but he still expressed considerable interest and agreed to visit Bao Shan Tang in a few days to discuss the matter in detail. Le Ping and Luo Ming were very satisfied with this result.

While Ye Tao was receiving guests, Bi Xiaoqing didn't dare to be careless. The person he sent out to deliver the letter was a guard and a handyman. He had too few people under his command, so he really didn't dare to send out more guards. Although Han Dong drew fifty soldiers from the only five hundred soldiers in Ninghe Town to patrol around the hostel where they were staying, if they encountered some alert martial arts people, these people would probably be blinded. Bi Xiaoqing had no choice but to fully mobilize the eleven people in his hand, eight people guarded all parts of the garden, and three people patrolled outside.

The two young martial arts people did not leave after being introduced to Ye Tao. Ye Tao was still a little unaccustomed to the fact that two young martial arts people wanted to join him. He didn't know whether it was appropriate to accept two martial arts people at this time, so he simply handed it over to Bi Xiaoqing to handle. Bi Xiaoqing tried it and asked, and found that these two guys were indeed good at fighting, and their origins were extremely innocent, and it was impossible to have any connection with Xiling. At this tense moment, based on the principle that everything in the bowl is food, he enthusiastically and skillfully kept the two people and settled them in a wing.

"Sir, you'd better not rest too early tonight. If you can hold on, it's best to stay awake. When the guards arrive tomorrow, although I can't say it's foolproof, at least I have confidence in my heart, but now, with these ten or so people…" Bi Xiaoqing said seriously to Ye Tao.

Ye Tao nodded and said, "I'll do as you say, I'll read in the room tonight."

Staying up late was really a very common experience for Ye Tao. But in this era, because the lighting was always not so sufficient, Ye Tao had never been so interested in staying up late to work. Perhaps, it was also this era that made the requirements for time not so tense and precise as in later generations.

Although Sophie felt that the atmosphere was a little tense, as if something was about to happen, she did not learn from Ye Tao to sit and wait for dawn, but lay on the bed and fell asleep. She was a smart girl, and under Ye Tao's indulgence, her increasingly flamboyant and radiant charming personality always had a share of consideration for Ye Tao. If something was going to happen, her judgment was not to let Ye Tao worry about herself.

Not far from the courtyard, the members of the Dao Ming Sect's Eagle Hall had all taken their positions. Compared to the weak defense in Ye Tao's courtyard, the Eagle Hall's lineup could be said to be luxurious. They had more than thirty people. Although most of them were not very powerful, they were more than enough to contain the equally mediocre Ninghe Town soldiers patrolling around. The only people who were really prepared to attack Ye Tao's residence were Mo Leng, Zang Jin, another of the "Four Heroes," Jing Xiaochan, and four good guys who came to Dongping with Mo Leng. What they needed was a surprise attack, not to kill everyone in the courtyard. Mo Leng was extremely confident in his and his subordinates' abilities, and believed that this should be enough.

The only thing lacking was perhaps Mo Leng's determination. He couldn't make up his mind, because he knew that no matter whether this surprise attack was successful or not, Dongping would not have a good reaction. He was not one of those "warriors" directly under the Dao Ming Sect's main altar, those fanatics would rush up and bite anyone who appeared on the list and was said to be诛除 (zhu chu - to be eliminated). Naturally, the main altar also explained the reasons why those people who had to be eliminated were different to those people. Those reasons were so ridiculous in the eyes of the Eagle Hall, whose rationality far outweighed fanaticism. Mo Leng would not believe that Ye Tao was a heavenly evildoer, nor would he think that Tan Wei Xin was some kind of enchantress... However, in this world, as long as there is a reasonable explanation, a different environment, instigation, and brainwashing, there is nothing that cannot be believed. Mo Leng looked at the sky. The courtyard where he was in had been deserted for a long time, and it looked a bit desolate.

Suddenly, falling rain left a little coolness on Mo Leng's face. Mo Leng was startled. Originally, this was a weather with relatively thick clouds and moonlight that only occasionally appeared, which was extremely suitable for surprise attacks and assassinations, but now, it was raining... Was this God's will? The dense rain would largely cover their footsteps, eliminate their traces, and make their surprise attack and subsequent retreat untraceable...

Since this was the case, Mo Leng felt that it was better to be reserved and wait...

"Zang Jin, Jing Xiaochan... You each take two people and act. Be careful."

"Yes, Hall Master." The two responded in unison, turned around and left.

"Xiao Kuang, you go too. It's enough to cause chaos outside for half a quarter of an hour." Mo Leng said to another person waiting aside.

"Yes." In the darkness, the guy named Xiao Kuang silently left. His task was to start causing chaos among the patrolling soldiers outside before Mo Leng, Zang Jin, and Jing Xiaochan attacked. If he could attract the attention of Ye Tao's guards and lure a few away, that would be ideal.

Mo Leng also jumped into the darkness, although he didn't think he really needed to participate in the surprise attack. At any time, whether for himself or for the Eagle Hall, or for the Dao Ming Sect, protecting himself was the first priority.

In the courtyard where Ye Tao was staying, the two young men who had just arrived today woke up. Zhou Zhi grew up in the deep mountains since he was a child. His method of practicing martial arts was very different from that of young martial artists of the same age. According to a relatively easy-to-understand statement, his training since childhood was a compound training combining fighting and wilderness survival. He was extremely vigilant, and was extremely alert to murderous intent and any peeping. What woke Zhou Zhi was not the members of the Dao Ming Sect's Eagle Hall who were still some distance away, but Bi Xiaoqing. When Bi Xiaoqing was inspecting the courtyard again, the extremely depressed Bi Xiaoqing unconsciously revealed a trace of murderous intent...

Zhou Zhi woke up Wu Ping An, who was arranged to be in the same room with him. "Brother Wu, something is not right, it seems that Lord Ye's guards are guarding against something." Zhou Zhi said softly.

Wu Ping An shook his head and said, "...Could it be that someone dares to assassinate the Lord?"

Zhou Zhi thought for a while and said, "The Lord obviously didn't bring guards and entourages, he traveled lightly, but suddenly he wanted to show his identity and meet with officials and local gentry. There is something strange in itself."

Wu Ping An shook himself and said, "Could it be...related to the recent events in Ninghe Town?"

Zhou Zhi nodded and said, "I'm afraid so, but if something happens today, I'm afraid... it's very dangerous."

Wu Ping An, who was extremely careless, said in a deep voice, "This is the opportunity for us to show our skills in front of the Lord."

The two of them were just young people who had recently emerged in the jianghu (martial world). Jianghu (martial world) is a very realistic place. To make a name for yourself in Jianghu (martial world), you must have the ability and money... This is the reason why Meng Chang and Chun Shen have been appearing endlessly for thousands of years. Zhou Zhi came out of the deep mountains. Apart from fighting, his best skills are probably hunting and cooking game. If his father hadn't been a follower of Zhuo Mang back then, he would have been investigated for a long time. And Wu Ping An was not much better. He grew up in Wu Jia Zhuang, the most famous poor sect in the martial arts world. Wu Jia Zhuang's greatest skill is not fighting, but planting trees. The fruits of the Wu family sell well, but although the price of grain in Dongping has been lowered significantly in recent years, it is really a bit tight for their Wu family's orchards to support so many people. Joining the imperial court is the most realistic development route that these two young people, who hit it off immediately, can think of. The fact that Ye Tao had a character like Bi Xiaoqing by his side made the two of them feel something.

Bi Xiaoqing is a disciple of Liu Meng, the commander of the Grand Inner Guards. His kung fu is naturally not bad. With Bi Xiaoqing's background, even if the position of Grand Inner Guard is inevitably impossible to be handed over to him after Liu Yong and Liu Meng brothers take turns serving, with his status and connections, if he is transferred to the army in the future, he will at least be a general. Placing a character like Bi Xiaoqing next to Ye Tao, and Bi Xiaoqing actually agreed, can only explain two reasons: one, following Ye Tao is more promising than the original development; two, protecting Ye Tao is more important than being a general, and Bi Xiaoqing needs to make such a sacrifice. No matter which reason it is, if the two of them can get Ye Tao's attention and follow him for many years, with Ye Tao being less than twenty years old now, as long as they can persist for a few years, at most ten years, the money they can earn and the status they can obtain will be quite satisfactory. Even now, the monthly salary of the two of them made their hearts beat for a while.

"What are you afraid of? Bao Shan Tang is next door. If something happens, just fight desperately. As long as you don't die on the spot, there is no big problem." Wu Ping An's words also made Zhou Zhi make up his mind.