The autumn night's rain extinguished most of the lights on the ground, and those who plotted in the dark hid themselves away.

Near the Golden Pavilion, the subordinates of the various "Chakravartin" in charge of the aftermath were still wearing their rain capes, searching everywhere. More than ten miles away from the Golden Pavilion, in the New Tiger Palace, Xu Zhaonan, Lin Zongwu, Wang Nanda, and others, alarmed by the great chaos, had already gathered in the main hall.

It was past midnight, and information from all sides had been basically collected. Subsequently, "Raven," "Sky Blade," "Monkey King," Gao Huiyun, Meng Zhutao, and others also arrived one after another.

In the gloomy night, the atmosphere inside the New Tiger Palace was also cold. Xu Zhaonan's eyes were gloomy. Some of the experts who appeared in the hall at this time had also been injured in the previous chaos. This sudden conflict had caused the Chakravartin side to lose both face and substance.

"...The group of people who assassinated at the Golden Pavilion earlier, we have now captured four alive, and the first round of interrogation has been completed..."

Raven Chen Juefang was wrapped in bandages. He had been caught off guard by lime powder in the previous battles with Liang Siyi and You Hongzhu, and his injuries had not yet healed. Tonight, because he rushed too fast, he encountered a grenade explosion in the shop, adding new injuries to old ones. He was very embarrassed, and his voice was rough.

"We can't get any clues. We now know that these people are hired Jianghu individuals, and they don't even know each other. The person who paid them asked them to make trouble tonight to muddy the waters. Only one or two experts actually did the killing... The one who succeeded has excellent Qinggong. I was injured and couldn't catch up..."

After Chen Juefang finished explaining this matter, he remained silent for a moment. The hall was quiet, and everyone's faces were gloomy. The assassination of Liu Guangshi's envoy was a loss of face for everyone.

Xu Zhaonan looked around and said coldly, "The murderer is highly skilled in martial arts and also proficient in Qinggong. Does anyone have any clues as to which side they belong to?"

"In this world, there are only a handful of people who can surpass 'Raven' in Qinggong."

"I'm injured," Chen Juefang said.

"This person has a bad mouth, which reminds me of someone." In the hall, Tan Zheng opened his mouth. At this moment, he also had some bandages on him, but they were just some abrasions from the explosion and were not serious, but they were extremely insulting, which made him look quite terrifying at this moment. He looked up at Lin Zongwu and Wang Nanda, "Lord and Deputy Lord, do you still remember a monk from the Northern Lands?"

Wang Nanda frowned: "Tun Yun."

Tan Zheng nodded: "This person's nickname in the past was Tun Yun Iron Armor. It seems that he is known for his iron armor and iron sleeves, but in fact, his Qinggong is excellent. After taking off his iron armor, Zhou Tong couldn't catch him. His martial arts are extremely high, but he is greedy for pleasure and has no great ambition. In the past ten years, he has often accepted employment from wealthy families, helping them do some dirty work, and has also appeared in Jiangnan. If he was the one who took action this time, Gu Anhe did not die unjustly."

Wang Nanda nodded: "That monk has a bad mouth."

"The question is, who hired him this time."

"Wu Qimei and Tie Yan are very likely. This time at the Jiangning Conference, our Fair Party has been integrated, and the first to bear the brunt is the small imperial court of Lin'an. They can do such things as killing people and making trouble, whether there is anything to it or not. Moreover, these scholars love to use such small tricks..."

"Zou Xu is also possible... Liu Guangshi is now leading troops to the north to recover the Central Plains, and he is fighting fiercely with Zou Xu. If Zou Xu hired this Tun Yun monk, first killing Liu Guangshi's people would also make sense."

"In addition, don't forget, there is a shadow from the Southwest in this matter..."

"It's just grenades from the Southwest, and they are not unavailable outside. I don't think there is any need to be suspicious..."

Heavy rain was falling outside the hall, and everyone spoke their possibilities one after another. At a certain moment, someone suddenly spoke from the corner of the hall: "Mr. Meng must give me an explanation for this matter."

Those who could speak and discuss matters in this hall were all Jianghu experts with status. Everyone turned their heads to look when they heard such impolite words. Standing there with his arms folded and a gloomy face was indeed "Monkey King" Li Yanfeng.

Li Yanfeng's experience tonight was extremely strange, and others didn't even know what had happened.

This Jiangning Conference was one of the grandest events in the Jianghu in recent years, with countless experts and rising stars coming from all directions. But no matter who he was compared with, Monkey King of Tongshan was one of the most outstanding newcomers. Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but even in terms of his temperament and the forces behind him, even old Jianghu figures like "Sky Blade" Tan Zheng did not dare to underestimate him.

In the past, in any place, although Li Yanfeng had an arrogant temperament, he also maintained the politeness and humility of a junior, dealing with a kind of senior in an extremely appropriate manner. And when facing outsiders—just like today on the streets outside the Golden Pavilion—his martial arts were displayed, majestic and heroic, and he was often able to subdue or even overwhelm countless enemies he faced.

But in the second half of the battle on the main street outside the Golden Pavilion, this Monkey King, who blocked half the street with the strength of a single staff, didn't know where he went and began a fight with some

unclear figures. Some people said that Monkey King was at a disadvantage and chased after a few children madly, while others said that he was set up by Jin Yongsheng, the manager of Baofeng Firm. In short, he couldn't kill anyone in the end and was beaten until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen. When others asked about the ins and outs, he didn't say much.

This is not surprising.

Although tonight's banquet at the Golden Pavilion seemed lively, Baofeng Firm and the Chakravartin side were not comrades after all. It was difficult for ordinary people to figure out what happened between the "Monkey King," this outsider crossing the river, and Jin Yongsheng, but no matter what kind of conspiracy theory, it was feasible and possible in the middle. He didn't say it, so others naturally didn't ask too much.

On the other hand, among the delegation sent by Liu Guangshi this time, Gu Anhe, who was assassinated tonight, was the chief envoy, and Li Yanfeng was one of the deputy envoys. After Gu Anhe was killed, Li Yanfeng lost some face, but his performance on the street basically brought his face back.

If such a thing could continue, perhaps Li Yanfeng would be gentle and peaceful now, but who would have expected the bizarre developments that followed? After the chief envoy was killed, he, the deputy envoy, fell into chaos and was beaten into a pig's head, losing face completely. Perhaps this was why he was so unkind at this moment.

However, no matter what kind of anger he harbored in his heart, Meng Zhutao, the "Measuring Ruler" who was in charge of the "Grievance Assembly," was by no means easy to deal with. This big man, who had once personally killed his master, had a superb iron ruler skill. Although he did not wantonly show off his power on the street today, in terms of martial arts, he was one of the strongest under Lin Zongwu in the hall. In addition, his position in the "Eight Executives" was important and his authority was profound. Most of the time, even Xu Zhaonan did not dare to scold him at will.

At this time, Li Yanfeng's spearhead was aimed at Meng Zhutao, and the atmosphere in the hall seemed to become even colder. Meng Zhutao narrowed his eyes and stared at Li Yanfeng. On the side of the hall, "Sky Blade" Tan Zheng opened his mouth dryly: "Hey, calm down, nephew." It was a help to ease the situation and fulfill the obligations of an elder.

Meng Zhutao slowly said, "What do you mean by that, Monkey King Li?"

"Today, Mr. Gu was killed, and General Liu lost face. It will be difficult for Li to explain this matter when he goes back." Li Yanfeng looked at him without giving in—if his right eyelid wasn't swollen, he might look more majestic. "Senior Chen said that he has captured four people, but no one knows the details. Is this matter going to be left like this?"

"Tell me your thoughts," Meng Zhutao said.

Li Yanfeng nodded: "Today at the Golden Pavilion, the thief took the opportunity to assassinate. How did he find the opportunity? Everyone has not forgotten. Mr. Meng, it was your disciples with the surname Ling who caused trouble, which gave the thief the opportunity to assassinate. Now that no breakthrough can be found from the four thieves, then we should ask your disciples whether they have colluded with others, and what kind of people they have colluded with, which is fair. You are in charge of the 'Grievance Assembly' and preside over the criminal law in the Fair Party. Is there anything wrong with what I said?"

Facing Meng Zhutao, Li Yanfeng's words were already aggressive. Meng Zhutao looked at him over there, and after a while, he nodded lightly: "What you said also makes some sense, I will investigate this matter."

Li Yanfeng said: "But since Mr. Meng is in charge of the criminal law, and this matter involves relatives, is it fair for you to interrogate them yourself? I think your disciples should be handed over to Senior Chen for interrogation to be more fair. What do you think?"

The hall was silent for a while, and some people had already frowned. Meng Zhutao looked at him, his eyes unchanged, but he slowly said, "Impossible."

He said these four words without debate or any explanation. Li Yanfeng released his arms folded in front of his chest and confronted Meng Zhutao. Tan Zheng was about to say a few words to ease the atmosphere, when Xu Zhaonan, who had not spoken for a long time above, slammed his palm on the armrest of the seat: "Enough!"

"Haven't we lost enough face today? Are we still going to fight among ourselves?" Xu Zhaonan looked around, his gaze lingering on Li Yanfeng for a moment. "Mr. Li's losses today, I promise, there will be compensation. As for Mr. Meng's disciples, I understand, they are not very involved in this matter, please deal with them at your discretion, Mr. Meng. Back and forth, this matter is losing our own face... Lord, what is your opinion on this matter..."

He looked at Lin Zongwu next to him. From the beginning, this Holy Lord had been somewhat smiling at the whole situation, seeming not to care and also seeming to have everything under control. At this moment, he naturally wanted to ask.

Lin Zongwu shook his head and smiled: "In my opinion, you are just blinded by flowers. What was originally a simple matter has become very complicated, and our own people almost fought."

He paused here, and Xu Zhaonan said, "Please show us the way, Holy Lord."

Lin Zongwu's eyes drooped slightly: "Since I entered the city, I have helped fight a few arenas. Our Chakravartin side is in full swing, but how can the world's benefits be taken by one family? We took advantage yesterday, and today we must be prepared to be targeted. Gu Anhe was assassinated at the banquet of Little Chen and Little Meng, which is a slap in our face. And even if it wasn't Gu Anhe who was assassinated today, I think

Other things are going to happen. The other four families won't watch us become the only big one, right? This is the first place to know."

The fat man paused here with a smile: "And the second thing, knowing that someone is slapping our face, does it matter who is doing it? Everyone knows the situation in the city now. The Fair Party has five families. Now, we need to distinguish the situation. Outside the Fair Party, there are dozens of families, big and small. Seeing that the day of negotiation is approaching, these dozens of families will always fight. Even if we find out that Wu Qimei did it or Zou Xu did it today, what can we do? Are we going to kill them back? Or are we not going to fight him when we should fight him if Wu Qimei didn't do it?"

"The dozens of families in the city will be in chaos sooner or later," Lin Zongwu said. "Trying to figure everything out is a boring job. We are just one of them. What we need to distinguish is who is on our side and who is not. Since they are our own people, we must unite. Those who are not our own people, we can kill them tomorrow with an excuse, such as Wu Qimei's group and Zou Xu's group. Next, we will talk to them. If they can be our own people, then this matter has nothing to do with them. If we can't reach an agreement, they killed Mr. Gu. Are we going to let them leave Jiangning alive?"

"As for how many people took action today, how many forces moved behind the scenes, and which experts took action, analyzing it is really meaningless. The situation is so chaotic that many experts will come out in every event in the future. Don't let these things blind your minds. What you are facing now is not a Jianghu anymore, nor is it a small matter of personal grievances. The political arena is very deep. Be vigilant. Xu Gong, is that what I'm saying?"

Sitting at the top of the hall, Lin Zongwu was as large as a mountain, and his words were steady and slow. He has been exposed to more political events now and has a deeper understanding of many things. At this time, saying these views gave everyone a sense of strategizing and being as stable as Mount Tai. Xu Zhaonan took a deep breath and cupped his hands respectfully.

"The Holy Lord's insights are insightful and enlightening, and I admire him immensely, like the滔滔Jiang River..."

Immediately following Lin Zongwu's statement, he issued orders.

"...According to the Holy Lord's teachings, we still need to investigate who did this. Chen Juefang and Meng Zhutao will be fully responsible. At the same time, we will summon Wu Qimei, Tie Yan, Zou Xu, and other representatives from the city to sit down and ask who the murderer is. General Liu Guangshi has always been on good terms with us, and his envoy was killed at our banquet. Xu is determined to investigate to the end. Tell them that anyone who is suspected should not think of running away! General Gao will preside over this negotiation, and Mr. Tan will be the deputy. What do you think?"

Chen Juefang, Meng Zhutao, Gao Huiyun, Tan Zheng and others immediately accepted the order.

"...In addition, the Fair King is about to enter the city, and whether we fight or talk next, the situation will change greatly. You must respect the Holy Lord's teachings and maintain unity as the first priority. Yanfeng, you are young and energetic, and it is a good thing to be motivated, but no matter what, Mr. Meng is our comrade and also your senior. You should not be aggressive towards him... I will make the decision to compensate you for your losses today. I will approve the several businesses in Tongshan that you mentioned a few days ago, and there will be other compensations within three days to ensure your satisfaction. What do you think?"

Li Yanfeng immediately thanked him, then apologized to Meng Zhutao, and then turned to Xu Zhaonan and said: "The justice of Mr. Gu and the face of General Liu are all entrusted to Mr. Xu and the seniors." He rightfully handed over the name of seeking justice for Gu Anhe to Xu Zhaonan.

Xu Zhaonan and others laughed heartily, and then said: "As for how many experts appeared on the street today, which side they were from, I don't think it is necessary to mention it again. Those who gave face and were captured, we must be generous. I will personally meet them later and then let them go. There is no need to be aggressive. As for those who have formed grudges with you and still have grievances to say..."

Xu Zhaonan paused and glanced at everyone: "...These grievances will be settled by yourselves, how about that?"

Under the mixed-up situation in Jiangning City, the sudden emergence of a few experts who killed or injured someone actually had little to do with the overall situation. Xu Zhaonan was too lazy to care, and Lin Zongwu didn't care either—as the number one in the world, he had neither the time nor the mood to understand the situation of a certain or several young experts—everyone listened and immediately agreed that it was reasonable.

Although a few people ran away tonight, and Tan Zheng, Chen Juefang, Li Yanfeng and others were injured and lost some face due to various situations, on the whole, wasn't every expert who appeared being suppressed and almost killed by them? As far as experts of this level are concerned, they have both a sense of urgency and thirst in their hearts for personally taking revenge on their enemies, and they are also full of confidence.

As for saying on the surface that someone's face has been slapped and even needs to organize revenge, that would really be losing the last face of the old Jianghu.

"Finally, if that Tun Yun monk is really in the city, if we meet him in the future..." Xu Zhaonan added before leaving, "...Give him a price and let him come to our side. We will let bygones be bygones."

"What if he refuses?"

"Then kill him. What's the use of keeping him."

Xu Zhaonan smiled and waved his hand.

The rain was still falling.

Everything was submerged in the cold, wet darkness.

After the meeting at the New Tiger Palace, other forces in the city were naturally discussing the response to the whole matter. Dark figures whispered and then separated again.

……

Endless cold was surging from all directions, submerging the already broken body.

In the rain, occasional moments of clarity appeared, and in her eyes, there was only the figure carrying her forward.

In some unknown place, that figure tore open her clothes, seemingly repairing the breaks in her body.

He was also seriously injured, but for some reason, he had not fallen.

"Wake up..."

"Wake up..."

"Wake up for me!"

In a daze, she also felt herself being slapped.

In the rainy night, a broken body was struggling to repair another broken body.

"You, You Hongzhu..."

"Hmm?"

"Do you still remember... remember..."

"What?"

"Do you remember... Luan Fei... and Qin Xiang..."

"Hmm, I remember." The broken figure did not find it strange that she mentioned those names.

"They are my... sworn brother... and sister... You... you..."

"...Guessed it."

"Yanmen Pass... Yanmen Pass is too desolate... There's no food, everyone is going to starve to death..."

"..."

"Older brothers and sisters... they go out to find food, find ways... to get money and send the silver back..."

"Hmm."

"Sometimes, they also cheat people... harm some people... Brother Luan and Sister Qin Xiang... do you remember?"

"...Third Sister was very good to me." The broken figure replied in a muffled voice, "Killed by Tan Zheng's group..."

"After Brother Luan went back, he didn't have legs anymore, and Sister Qin Xiang also left... He, he didn't have a good life..."

"..."

"Later, you became famous, helping the female prime minister, and doing chivalrous deeds... He would sometimes talk about you..."

"..."

"Saying... it's a pity that your brotherhood is fake, he... didn't treat you, his younger brother, well..."

"...Is he still alive?"

"Luan Shi... so poor..."

"..."

"No food..."

"...He... is he alive?"

"He... doesn't have legs anymore..."

"..."

"Luan Shi... so poor..."

"..."

"The Jurchens are about to move south, he doesn't have legs... and Sister Qin Xiang is gone... Fell into the well and died..."

The rain didn't stop. In the silence, You Hongzhu hugged her, slightly stunned...

"Damn it... the Jurchens..." The woman cried, "The Central Plains... the Central Plains used to be... fine..."

The autumn wind and autumn rain were as cold as knives, constantly cutting from the dilapidated eaves and from all directions. He still remembered the scene he saw at Zhaode. Waves and waves of Luan Shi troops surged toward the enemy. After a team was scattered, generals who were Wang Juyun's adopted sons and daughters led them to attack again. The city wall was broken, and several teams of men and horses kept rushing forward to block the gaps. That female general, who had always had a cold face, fought until she was exhausted, and finally, in a pool of blood, hugged her brother's body and cried to the sky.

The Luan Shi's operation did not have many clever tactics. They had too few supplies, and they were not trained enough. They were just... doing their best.

So he also did his best to let her survive...