The young masters were playing by the river, while several guards stood watch in the distance. To avoid disturbing their fun, Xu Fengnian didn't even let the guards approach, only keeping a distant watch.
Only Su Fan knew that danger lurked in the water.
They had only guarded against threats from the shore, never imagining danger from the water.
"Young Master Xu, shall we try catching fish in the water?" Su Fan asked Xu Fengnian.
"Catch fish?" Xu Fengnian's interest was immediately piqued.
These pampered sons of noble families had no experience catching fish in rivers during their childhood and yearned for such an activity.
"Don't worry, Young Master Xu. I'm here. I'm an expert at catching fish and will surely ensure you return with a full catch," Su Fan assured Xu Fengnian.
"Alright, let's go in and try," Xu Fengnian couldn't resist the persuasion and was eager to experience the joy of catching fish.
Stepping into the water, Xu Fengnian held a fishing spear and quietly watched the surface. Suddenly, he spotted a fish appear before him. He raised his spear and thrust it down.
However, when he lifted the spear, it was empty. Not a single fish was caught.
"Young Master Xu, the fish's position in the water is different from where you see it. You need to adjust your aim based on the angle of refraction to catch it," Su Fan explained.
"Refraction? So many details?" Xu Fengnian frowned.
"Young Master Xu, give me the spear, and I'll show you," Su Fan asked for the spear in Xu Fengnian's hand.
Without much thought, Xu Fengnian handed the spear to Su Fan.
Su Fan smiled slightly, aimed at a fish in the distance, and threw the spear. With a swish, it plunged into the water, accurately piercing the fish.
"You caught it already?" Xu Fengnian asked doubtfully. The spear had been thrown quite far, and he couldn't see clearly if Su Fan had actually caught the fish.
"Absolutely. If you don't believe me, Young Master Xu can go and see for yourself," Su Fan told Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian walked towards the spear's landing spot with suspicion. The water there was deeper, gradually reaching his waist.
However, to confirm if Su Fan had caught the fish, he still walked over.
What Xu Fengnian didn't know was that a figure was stealthily approaching him from underwater.
Splash!
A figure suddenly emerged from the water, holding a long spear, aiming directly at Xu Fengnian.
"Be careful!" Su Fan exclaimed and lunged towards Xu Fengnian.
It was at this moment that others noticed Xu Fengnian was under attack. The guards rushed over.
The spear pointed directly at Xu Fengnian's heart. Caught off guard, Xu Fengnian had no time to dodge and watched helplessly as the spear lunged at him.
"Be careful!" Su Fan charged forward, and to everyone's astonishment, he stood in front of Xu Fengnian.
The spear plunged directly into Su Fan's chest, passing through his body and blocking the attack for Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian was surprised by Su Fan's loyalty, risking his life to shield him.
Both Su Fan and the attacker, Qi Ling, frowned slightly.
The spear was stuck.
Yes, the attacker was Qi Ling.
Su Fan frowned, grabbed the spear shaft, and forcefully pushed it further into himself. The spear then passed through his body.
"Ugh!" Su Fan grunted. Even he couldn't suppress the pain of being impaled.
Behind Su Fan, Xu Fengnian, who had narrowly escaped death and was filled with surprise, suddenly stiffened. He looked down at his chest in disbelief. The spear tip had already entered his heart.
He had seen Su Fan's action. So, Su Fan intended to kill him...
"You... are... so... insidious..." Xu Fengnian managed to utter with his last breath. With a pierced heart, there was no hope for him.
"Go!" Su Fan, his back to everyone, said softly to Qi Ling.
Qi Ling glanced at the severely wounded Su Fan, closed her eyes, and yanked the spear out. Without looking back, she jumped into the water and swam to the other side, escaping the scene.
Su Fan collapsed into the water, which was instantly stained red with blood.
"Quick, save Young Master Xu!" The young masters were extremely anxious. If Xu Fengnian died, none of them could escape responsibility.
They worked together to pull both Su Fan and Qi Ling ashore.
Xu Fengnian's heart had stopped beating; it was beyond saving. Su Fan, however, was still breathing. His heart was not injured; he had only fainted.
They were all struck as if by lightning.
Xu Fengnian was dead!
When Su Fan woke up again, he was in a bed.
Su Fan looked down at the wound on his chest. It had already healed significantly. With the help of the Blood Pool, Su Fan could recover quickly as long as he was out of combat.
This was why Su Fan had risked this plan. As long as he didn't die, he could recover quickly, and there was no life-threatening danger.
The plan he had told Qi Ling that day was exactly this.
He would approach Xu Fengnian openly, letting outsiders see his good relationship with Xu Fengnian, thus preventing them from suspecting him of Xu Fengnian's death.
Then, he would lead Xu Fengnian to a place with many witnesses where an ambush was possible. Qi Ling would be responsible for assassinating Xu Fengnian, while Su Fan would shield Xu Fengnian at that moment, deepening his relationship with him.
This was crucial. Su Fan had repeatedly emphasized that Qi Ling should use her full strength to pierce his body and kill Xu Fengnian with the spear passing through him.
However, Qi Ling seemed hesitant at the time and didn't use her full strength, causing the spear to get stuck in Su Fan. This forced Su Fan to risk stabbing himself through the chest to kill Xu Fengnian.
Would anyone suspect someone who shielded the deceased?
A moment later, a middle-aged man walked in.
The middle-aged man had a grim expression and was filled with anger.
"Grand Commandant," Su Fan recognized him. He had visited the Grand Commandant's mansion several times while lulling Xu Fengnian and had met him. He was the current Grand Commandant, Xu Mu, Xu Fengnian's father.
Upon seeing him, Su Fan, despite his weakness, tried to get out of bed to pay his respects.
"No need for formalities. You were close to Nian'er and even took a spear for him. The Grand Commandant's mansion is your home from now on. If you need anything, just tell the servants," Xu Mu stopped Su Fan and told him to rest.
"Thank you, Grand Commandant," Su Fan nodded and expressed his gratitude.
"How is Young Master Xu?" Su Fan asked Xu Mu with feigned anxiety.
In truth, Su Fan was genuinely anxious. He wanted to know if Xu Fengnian was really dead. If not, he needed to find a way to kill Xu Fengnian quickly, or he would be exposed once he woke up.
"Alas!" Xu Mu sighed.
"Nian'er... is gone," Xu Mu said to Su Fan with a pained expression.
Su Fan was overjoyed inwardly but put on a shocked expression.
"How is that possible!"
"I blocked the attack for him!" Su Fan said in disbelief.
"The attacker's spear pierced through your body and struck Nian'er's vital point. He was already dead when he was brought back," Xu Mu said with a dark expression.
"I was just about to ask you, did you get a clear look at the killer who assassinated Nian'er?" Xu Mu changed the subject and asked Su Fan.