Chapter 48

After making their way back to the inn, the two men who had been following Zhang Weixin and his group watched as they entered the inn with much noise and bustle. They waited a little longer before pretending to be guests and entering the inn as well. After securing a room, they signaled the innkeeper to bring hot water, saying they had traveled all day and wanted to wash up and go to bed. The innkeeper, being attentive, brought the hot water, and after the two men had finished washing, he took the water pot and basin away.

Once the innkeeper left, the two men, who had been listless a moment ago, immediately perked up and quietly left the room. They carefully avoided drawing the attention of other guests and made their way to the eastern wing where the Yu Xu Palace group was staying. They pressed their ears to the wall, listening intently to the sounds inside.

At this time, Zhang Weixin and his group, having been busy all day and having drunk a lot of wine with the Qi family father and son in the evening, had mostly washed up and gone to bed. Only the two men from the security team, responsible for the night watch, were on duty in rooms with a good view of the entire courtyard.

The middle-aged man outside the wall, hearing the occasional snore from the courtyard, felt a surge of excitement. He reached for the single-edged sword on his back, slowly drew it, and tiptoed to the gate. After listening again to ensure no one was around, he inserted the sword into the door crack, intending to pry open the latch and enter the courtyard to fulfill his greatest wish. However, to his surprise, as soon as he moved the sword, a bell inside the courtyard rang out. Although the sound was not loud, it was still jarring in the relatively quiet night. The bell's sound was followed by a shout from inside: "Who's there?" Then the sound of a door opening and someone rushing out could be heard.

The middle-aged man quickly sheathed his sword and, with the young man behind him, fled from the eastern wing as fast as they could, then quietly returned to their room.

In the courtyard, Xu Shaoguo and Zeng Zhilin, who were on the first watch, rushed out of their room. After carefully listening for any sounds outside the gate, they covered each other as they opened the gate and jumped out. However, they found no one in the corridor outside, and there were no unusual sounds around, only the cold north wind howling.

The others, who had already gone to bed, were also awakened. They came out to ask what had happened. After hearing Xu and Zeng's account, most people thought it was just the wind that had set off the bell on the door latch, a false alarm. However, a fresh knife mark on the door latch, discovered by Xu Shaoguo, disproved this theory. The clear mark indicated that someone had indeed tried to sneak in during the night, but had not anticipated the door latch being rigged and had to abandon the attack.

The sudden incident left everyone wide awake. After Xu Shaoguo reset the alarm bell, everyone gathered in Zhang Weixin's room to discuss the possible attacker. After much deliberation, the suspicion fell on the escaped bandit. In everyone's view, only this man had a significant grudge against them, and given his nature as a bandit, he was capable of such an act.

Although everyone believed that even without the alarm bell, the escaped bandit would not pose a threat to their safety, as the armed security team was what truly ensured their peace of mind.

After discussion, everyone agreed that the attacker, having been thwarted, would not return that night. Thus, apart from Xu Shaoguo and Zeng Zhilin, who were on the first watch and remained vigilant, the others returned to their beds and went back to sleep.

The two failed assassins, who had been scared off by the alarm bell, returned to their room but did not stay long. After packing their weapons, they left the room, climbed over the wall, and walked into the cold winter night.

Soon, the two assassins appeared in a poor neighborhood near the west city gate. The middle-aged man looked around and then led the young man into a dilapidated shack.

Inside the shack, a tall, thin, and shifty-looking man, upon seeing someone enter, instinctively reached for the knife by his side. Upon recognizing the two men, he put down the knife, stood up, and greeted the middle-aged man with a bow, his voice hoarse: "Brother Ding, how did it go? Did you find out where they are staying?"

The middle-aged man, known as Brother Ding, nodded and said somewhat resentfully: "They are staying at the Yue Lai Inn. I originally planned to sneak in and kill them while they were asleep, but these damned Taoists are very alert. They rigged the door, and I was discovered before I could even enter the courtyard. Moreover, their martial arts skills are formidable. Just the Taoist named Qingchen is hard to deal with, let alone the fact that they are many. A direct confrontation is not possible, so we had to retreat for now."

The tall, shifty man, finding his reasoning sound, knew that revenge would require another plan. He sat back on a tattered mat on the ground, took a sip from a wine gourd, and passed it to the middle-aged man, saying: "Brother Ding, don't be discouraged. As the saying goes, a gentleman can wait ten years for revenge. With determination, success is certain."

The middle-aged man took a sip from the gourd and passed it to the young man, then said: "That's true, but I can't swallow this humiliation. Just the three of us can't succeed. If we could persuade the leader, Wei, to send a large force to help, even the most skilled Taoists couldn't resist. Unfortunately, we are low-ranking and have no influence, so Wei wouldn't do us this favor."

The shifty man, however, had an idea. He rubbed his chin, his small, triangular eyes darting around, and said thoughtfully: "We might not need to persuade Wei."

Hearing this, Brother Ding perked up and urged: "Brother Shi, what's your plan? If it works, I will be forever grateful."

Brother Shi waved his hand and said: "Brother Ding, what are you talking about? We are brothers, no need for thanks. Besides, these Taoists are my mortal enemies, and I want to see them torn to pieces."

Brother Shi then cursed the Yu Xu Palace group with venom and laid out his plan: "Although Wei wouldn't help us out of revenge, I've learned from some local thugs that these Taoists have recently come into a large sum of money. They recently made a deal with a Mr. Qi in the city, spending over 6,000 strings of coins to buy several properties. When they came to the city today, it was to deliver the payment and complete the paperwork. I estimate they have much more money than that, otherwise, they wouldn't have spent so much to buy properties."

Brother Ding, understanding his plan, felt a surge of excitement and said: "So, you mean we tell Wei about the Taoists' wealth. With the money as bait, he won't be able to resist. Once he's interested, he'll find a way to get the money, which will inevitably lead to a conflict with the Taoists. Then we can sit back and watch the fight. In this way..."

"In this way, we get our revenge without taking any risks, and we'll earn Wei's favor. A threefold gain. Ha, ha, ha..." Brother Shi finished, laughing slyly.

Brother Ding and the young man joined in the laughter, their sinister cackles piercing the quiet winter night, causing the poor residents to shudder.

Back at the Yue Lai Inn, the Yu Xu Palace group, unaware of the sinister laughter, slept until late morning. Only the security team members on the last watch and Qingchen were awake. This was a rare chance to rest, as back at Yu Xu Palace, they would be woken up early by their senior disciple to practice martial arts.

After waking up, they washed up and had a combined breakfast and lunch. Once Qingchen returned from the blacksmith's with the ordered weapons, they packed up their belongings and set off for Yu Xu Palace.

As Zhang Weixin and his group traveled out of Liangxiang's west gate, they were relaxed and happy. With the matter resolved, they would soon move into the city, allowing them to better integrate into this unfamiliar society and adapt more quickly. Life at Yu Xu Palace, though comfortable, had a famous saying: "Born in adversity, die in comfort." Enjoying life too much would not lead to a good end. Therefore, they discussed how to live and work in the future, making the journey less tedious.

As they chatted and laughed, the convoy passed the forest where they had rescued the Yang family's master and servant the day before. Zhang Weixin subconsciously listened for any sounds in the forest, hoping for another chance to be a hero. However, he only heard the howling wind. The beautiful Yang, who had pledged her love to him, would not risk leaving the city again. She would only hope to see him when she went to the Vast Heaven Pagoda to pray. Without the chance to be a hero, Zhang Weixin turned back to chatting with Zeng Zhilin and Wang Feng.

Shortly after the Yu Xu Palace convoy passed, the three men who had plotted against them the previous night emerged from the roadside forest. The red-faced Brother Ding spat in the direction they had left and said: "Damn Taoists, see how long you can enjoy your freedom."

The young man, seeing his master's anger, hurried to comfort him: "Master, don't be upset. Even without the gold, the deaths in the forest will be enough to make Wei angry. He will surely send troops to wipe out Yu Xu Palace, and our revenge will be complete."

However, his suggestion did not earn his master's approval. Instead, he was scolded: "Fool, what do you know? The men killed in the forest were recruited privately by Brother Shi, not from the mountain. This is a taboo in the bandit world. If Wei finds out, not only will he not help us, but Brother Shi will be punished for secretly raising a private army. Then we won't just lose our revenge, but Brother Shi's life as well."

Hearing this, the young man could only agree, while Brother Shi hurriedly thanked Brother Ding for his kindness. Brother Ding, of course, insisted that such courtesy was unnecessary among brothers and that mutual help was expected. They then set off down the road, braving the biting cold wind, heading back to their hideout.

By evening, Zhang Weixin and his group had returned to Yu Xu Palace. After dinner, the four committee members, the heads of various functional groups, and Zeng Zhilin and Wang Feng gathered to discuss future development and the unexpected events in Liangxiang the previous day.

Zhang Weixin began by reporting the events of the previous day, including the transaction with the Qi family, the proposal from Mr. Chen to collaborate, the rescue of Yang Xiaoyun, and the attempted assassination. He emphasized the issue of his relationship with Yang Xiaoyun, hoping for the committee's approval.

Fan Wucheng, Xu Shaoguo, Zeng Zhilin, and Wang Feng then provided detailed accounts of their respective responsibilities and involvement, complementing Zhang Weixin's report. Subsequently, a lively discussion ensued, and the committee made decisions based on everyone's input.

First, the committee congratulated the successful transaction with the Qi family and praised the involved personnel, encouraging them to continue their efforts in future business activities.

Regarding Mr. Chen's proposal for cooperation, the committee approved Fan Wucheng's suggestions and authorized Zhang Weixin, Fan Wucheng, Zhao Dawei, and Song Feiyang to negotiate with Mr. Chen. Yu Yuan and Hong Yan would provide necessary assistance, and the security team would ensure safety measures.

For the attempted assassination at the inn, the committee praised the security team and hoped they would maintain their high standards. The committee agreed with the security team's assessment of the possible identity of the attackers and suggested strengthening security measures, and if necessary, taking preemptive action against hostile forces.

The committee also praised Zeng Zhilin and Wang Feng for defeating the bandits on the way to the city, and acknowledged Qingchen's contributions, promising appropriate recognition in the future.

Regarding Zhang Weixin's relationship with Yang Xiaoyun, based on Zhang Weixin's request, the observations of the accompanying personnel, and the review by the audit team, the committee approved the relationship to continue. However, given that Yang Xiaoyun is a member of a secret organization, she must not enter the core living area of the team until she is free from the organization's influence.

After the decisions were made, the meeting concluded. Those who were praised and given new tasks were all elated, and Zhang Weixin was the happiest of all. The opportunity to continue his relationship with Yang Xiaoyun filled him with joy, and he couldn't wait to tell her. Unfortunately, without a phone or instant messaging, he had to keep his joy to himself, hoping to see her at the Vast Heaven Pagoda in a few days and share the good news.