Volume Two: Gentlemen and Scoundrels, Chapter Seventy: Then It Is a Deal

This sudden shift, or rather this surprise raid, caught everyone completely off guard. Whether it was the second-in-command or the many men scattered throughout the courtyard, none were in the least bit prepared. It was almost exactly at the moment the enemy struck that they realized what was happening and attempted to respond, but it was already too late.

Several dozen highly skilled Jinyiwei, blades drawn, showed no mercy; anyone who did not immediately drop to their knees was met with a strike. In an instant, cries of agony erupted, blood splattered and pooled, and bodies began to fall one after another.

Among them, Qi Changfeng charged with the greatest speed and ferocity. With his blade in hand, he truly faced no equal on his path; anyone who stood in his way was cut down by his swinging steel. This fearsome onslaught terrified everyone in the courtyard, sending them screaming and fleeing, which allowed him to carve a path as if through empty space, quickly reaching the small hall where Huang Ming was being held.

There, he saw his young master calmly pinning a man against the table, one hand holding a blade to the captive’s throat, while in a standoff with several others trying to force their way in. Earlier, Huang Ming had launched a sudden, preemptive strike that the second-in-command had never anticipated, causing him to fall to the ground with a scream. Huang Ming did not hesitate, seizing the man’s own weapon to use him as a hostage, thereby holding off the attackers at the door.

With Qi Changfeng arriving like a tiger descending from the mountains, those few men no longer posed the slightest threat. After he cut down two of them who attempted to fight back, the rest scattered in terror. They did not get far, however, as more Jinyiwei, led by Huang Bingkun and Xu Xingzhi, arrived at full speed to surround and capture them all.

Only then did the second-in-command, still curled up like a shrimp with tears and snot streaming down his face, realize the truth: "You... you guessed it from the very beginning..."

"Do you really think such shallow schemes could work on me?" Huang Ming stepped aside, handing the man over to the Jinyiwei who had rushed into the hall, and sneered, "Since you used the tactic of luring the tiger from the mountain and making a feint to the east while attacking in the west, I naturally had to return the favor by playing along with your ruse. Otherwise, how could I have easily found you, the mastermind, captured you alive, and successfully rescued Young Master Xu and the others?"

With that, he called out to Xu Xingzhi outside, "Commander Xu, have your men search this place thoroughly. I am certain that Young Master Xu and the others are being held here!"

In fact, there was no need for Huang Ming’s reminder; Xu Xingzhi had already ordered a search of the premises. It was a courtyard within a small town, quite spacious, consisting of seven or eight layers of buildings. Under the uninhibited and thorough search of the many Jinyiwei, the targets were soon located.

Xu Qingzhi and his sister, Xu Yunzhi, were indeed locked in a room within one of the courtyards. When found, they were still bound with ropes and gagged, looking truly pathetic. Upon realizing it was the Jinyiwei who had come to rescue them, their initial panic turned to joy. When they saw their elder brother, Xu Xingzhi, and Huang Ming rushing toward them, both could not help but burst into tears.

"Wuwu... Brother, I thought I would never see you again..."

"Wuwu, Young Master Huang, are you here to rescue me too?"

"It’s alright, it’s alright..." Xu Xingzhi hurriedly embraced them both, offering words of comfort, before glancing at Huang Ming nearby. "We truly owe this to Young Master Huang’s righteous intervention—he provided the funds and devised the strategy. Otherwise..."

"As long as you are safe, that is all that matters. I dare not take the credit; I simply did what I could," Huang Ming replied modestly.

Beside him, Qi Changfeng looked at his young master with deep admiration; he was now thoroughly convinced by Huang Ming. In his view, the success of this mission—the safe rescue of the hostages and the total capture of the criminals—was primarily due to his young master, who deserved at least eighty percent of the credit. Putting aside the eight hundred taels of gold he had put up for the rescue, his accurate deductions alone were enough to leave everyone in awe.

Before setting out that day, Huang Ming had stated: "I am eighty percent certain that the kidnapping of Young Master Xu and his sister is aimed at me. From what I can gather, those who would dare to do this and specifically target me could only come from two camps: the cultists of the White Lotus Society, or those involved in the Meng Chuyao case. Given the timing, the latter is more likely; they must have learned that Meng Chuyao has fallen, and are trying to use this method to force me to hand him over."

"Then, according to your thoughts, Young Master Huang, how should we respond?" Xu Xingzhi had asked with concern.

"If that is the case, I believe Young Master Xu and the others will not be in immediate mortal danger; you can rest assured of that. Since their goal is me, they will surely look for an opportunity to isolate me. I will give you a signal, and you need only coordinate with me. And if it truly comes to that, Changfeng, you know what to do!"

"Lure the snake from its hole, play along with their scheme, and I will ensure your safety, Young Master," Qi Changfeng had said confidently.

And so, everything unfolded exactly as they had envisioned. When the man in the pavilion suggested that Qi Changfeng and his companion bring the gold and follow him into the mountains to exchange for the hostages, Huang Ming had already given the signal, and the two had "fallen for the trap."

In reality, shortly after they followed the man into the mountains, they had seized the initiative and then quietly circled back, hiding near Huang Ming. In other words, while the thieves thought they had easily captured Huang Ming, they were actually the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind them—Qi Changfeng had been following them the whole time.

Xu Xingzhi, meanwhile, had returned to summon the Jinyiwei hidden deep in the Western Mountains, following the markers Qi Changfeng had left along the way until they reached this location. It could be said that without Huang Ming’s flawless planning and his willingness to risk his own life by entering the tiger’s den, this total victory would not have been possible. Perhaps Xu Qingzhi and his sister would have been in danger, or the thieves might not have been completely wiped out, leading to a leak of information.

When Xu Qingzhi and Xu Yunzhi understood the full course of events and the dangers involved, they were even more grateful to Huang Ming. Xu Yunzhi, in particular, stepped forward solemnly and prepared to bow in gratitude: "Thank you, Young Master Huang, for risking your life to save us, I..."

Huang Ming hurriedly stepped forward and reached out to steady her: "Miss Xu, there is no need for this. I owed you a favor before, and it is only right that I repay it. Besides, Young Master Xu is my good friend; rescuing you was a matter of course."

Being held by him and feeling the warmth of his touch made Xu Yunzhi’s fair face flush, and she found she could no longer bring herself to bow. "Still... I must thank you."

"If Miss Xu truly feels a bit burdened by this, then perhaps you can teach me a few methods of study in the future," Huang Ming said with a smile.

These words drew laughter from the others, and after a moment of surprise, Xu Yunzhi nodded vigorously: "It’s a deal, then."

Nearby, Xu Xingzhi watched the exchange between the two with a thoughtful expression.