Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 376 Jedi Counterattack
The city of Zhangzhou suddenly fell into chaos, with soldiers running on horseback, torches flickering in the streets, and shouts of killing, footsteps, and rude curses intertwined.

But Wei Xian had no time to care about the noise outside. After a while of tossing and turning, he was now lying on his side in a dilapidated woodshed, his back pressed against a pile of rough dry firewood, and his hands tied tightly behind his back.

After the servants left again, he held his breath, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He carefully rubbed his hands against the ropes tied behind his back, not daring to make any sound. The dim light of the woodshed enveloped him as he searched the narrow room for any possible means of escape. The wounds on the back of his head and neck ached slightly, but he paid no heed.

"Bang!" A slight sound of rope snapping suddenly rang out, and Wei Xian's eyes lit up instantly, a relieved smile on his lips. He pushed hard, pressing his elbows against the ground, slowly raising his upper body, then quickly reached between his leggings and pulled out a specially crafted small dagger.

Wei Xian skillfully used a dagger to cut the ropes on his feet, then checked his surroundings again. However, he couldn't act rashly at this point, so he quietly lay back on the ground, assumed his original position, and pretended to be bound.

Not long after, he heard whispers coming from outside the door. He could barely make out the footsteps and conversations of several people.

"The boss probably won't be back until the latter half of the night..." a hoarse voice whispered, with a hint of caution in the tone.

"It's hard to say. If the boss gets drunk again, he might not wake up until noon tomorrow." Another voice sounded a little impatient.

"We have to hurry. If we are discovered by others, there won't be enough money to share... I'll go in and search, and you keep watch outside!" The hoarse voice sounded even more urgent.

"Or we'd better not go. If we get discovered and reported to the captain, we'll be in big trouble." The other man seemed hesitant, his tone full of worry.

"What are you afraid of? Just don't get discovered by Captain Qian! These Jinyiwei are usually arrogant and domineering, extorting money everywhere, so they must have money on them. Don't you want to be like the boss and sleep with the girls in Zuihualou?" The hoarse voice sounded very disdainful, and there was provocation in the words.

"...Okay, then you'd better move quickly. I'll cover you outside, but you also know General Qian's temper. If we are discovered, no one can save us." The hesitant voice finally compromised, but still with a bit of anxiety.

Wei Xian closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and minimized his presence. These people coveted the silver he had on him, which was the perfect opportunity for him to strike back. He gripped the dagger tightly in his hand, held his breath, and waited for the moment when the door was pushed open.

As they walked quickly, the two men argued in low voices, their tones tinged with dissatisfaction and hesitation. Wei Xian closed his eyes, pricked up his ears, and took in their conversation. He tried to keep a normal expression on his face, but his body was slightly tense.

This was his only chance to find out where he was and what was happening around him. The longer he waited, the more exhausted he would become, and the chances of escape would decrease significantly. Footsteps grew closer, the rustle of rough boots scraping against the ground distinctly audible. Then, the sound of a chain being fiddled with at the door came, the gentle scraping of the keyhole pounding against Wei Xian's heart.

After a while, the door was cautiously pushed open a crack, and the cold wind from outside brought in the faint light of the lamp, tearing a vague edge into the darkness of the woodshed. At the door, the two men exchanged a few low voices. Although they spoke quickly, Wei Xian still caught a few key words and confirmed their identities and purpose.

A moment later, one of them slowly walked into the woodshed, holding a wooden stick in his hand, his footsteps so light that they made almost no sound. The man looked around vigilantly, but Wei Xian remained motionless, like an unconscious prisoner, his face buried in the weeds, his breathing long and shallow.

The man who walked into the woodshed stopped and, after his eyes adjusted to the dimness in the room, he could see Wei Xian's appearance clearly: his hands and feet were tied tightly with hemp ropes, and he was lying on the ground on his side, his clothes covered with mud and broken grass from his struggle.

"This Jinyiwei isn't very strong. Captain Qian hit him with one blow and he's completely unconscious. Logically, he shouldn't be awake yet," the man muttered to himself, a hint of mockery in his voice. After confirming that Wei Xian was still unconscious, the man finally relaxed a bit. He squatted down, casually set the stick aside, and looked down at this "Ming Dynasty Jinyiwei" carefully, a hint of greed in his eyes.

He reached out and lifted Wei Xian's sleeves, tentatively searching for valuables, muttering softly, "When the Jinyiwei go out on business, they have to bring some silver, right?"

However, just as his fingers touched Wei Xian's waist, a cold light suddenly cut through the darkness, and a sharp dagger silently pierced his neck from the side, all the way to the handle.

Blood gushed out instantly. The man didn't have time to make a sound. His mouth barely opened when Wei Xian's hand, like an iron clamp, gripped his throat. The dagger remained in the man's neck, and blood dripped down the blade, splattering onto the dry grass and onto Wei Xian's wrist, warm and sticky.

Wei Xian's eyes suddenly opened, his expression was terrifyingly calm, with a chill as deep as the night. He stared at the person in front of him until the other person's pupils dilated and a last weak sob came out of his throat.

At this moment, Wei Xian twisted his wrist violently, the force so great that the man's neck bones made a dull sound, and then his whole body collapsed. He saw that the man was completely dead, and then he carefully laid the body on the ground, trying not to make any sound.

The whole process was quick and smooth. The woodshed remained silent, and the other person guarding the door seemed unaware of anything unusual. Wei Xian did not rush to act, but instead quickly adjusted his breathing and suppressed the tension in his body.

He reached out and pulled out the dagger, wiped the blood off the blade with his sleeve, and at the same time looked up at every corner of the woodshed. After confirming that no one else was hiding, he turned his gaze back to the door.

Occasional footsteps could be heard outside the door, as if someone was pacing back and forth in a small area. Wei Xian quickly calculated the time and route of action. His strength had not yet fully recovered, and there was clearly more than one guard outside. However, if he did not act now, he might lose his only chance.

The dagger in his hand felt slightly warm. Wei Xian didn't stand up immediately, but quietly leaned over to untie the hemp rope from the body of the man he had killed. At the same time, he took out a tinderbox and a bag of dry food wrapped in cloth from the man's waist. He put these things away one by one, then quickly moved the body to a more concealed position to avoid being noticed by anyone outside.

After doing all this, Wei Xian glanced down at his blood-soaked sleeves, his eyes grim. He slowly adjusted his stance, holding the dagger upside down in his hand, and leaned against the wall, like a dormant beast, ready to launch the next fatal blow at any moment.

Thanks to years of rigorous training, Wei Xian has developed a strong physique. He can burst out with amazing strength in an instant. If an ordinary person faces such a situation, let alone killing the enemy quietly, he may not even have the strength to lift a knife.

Wei Xian reached out and tugged, and the rope tied around his ankle slipped off and fell to the ground. His movements were swift and decisive, without a trace of hesitation. He didn't turn on the light, and didn't dare to make too much noise. In the darkness, he relied solely on his keen senses to make his next move.

He knew there might not be only one person outside, and the servant on lookout could come in at any moment to investigate. He couldn't waste a single second. Meanwhile, the servant, unaware of what was happening in the woodshed, felt a growing sense of unease. A timid man, he stood outside the door, pacing back and forth, his eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, fearful that someone might stumble upon the incident.

"Why hasn't he come out yet?" the servant kept asking himself. His palms were soaked with sweat and felt slightly cold. Finally, he couldn't help it and cautiously approached the woodshed door, lowering his voice and shouting, "Hurry up, or someone will find you!"

His voice was urgent and timid, his tone extremely restrained, not daring to raise even a fraction, fearing someone might overhear. However, the woodshed remained dead silent, with no response. This eerie silence made the servant's heart sink. He hurriedly called out twice more, but his voice was even softer than before, and the fear in his heart only deepened.

He swallowed hard and couldn't help but wonder to himself, "Did something happen inside? Or did he not hear me shouting at all?"

Thinking of this, he felt even more panicked, not knowing whether to advance or retreat. But even so, he did not dare to ask for help. Thinking of Qian Zong's ferocious face and the countless people he had knocked unconscious with the stick in his hand, his legs could not help but go weak.

If his little trick today was discovered, he would be beaten half to death with that stick. After thinking it over, he decided to bite the bullet and deal with it. The servant stood there hesitantly for a long time, gritted his teeth, and shouted a few more times towards the woodshed.

But his voice grew weaker and weaker due to fear, almost squeezed out from his throat. Even he felt it was not loud enough, let alone for the people inside to hear. In desperation, the servant finally made up his mind. He held a wooden stick in his hand and gently pushed open the door of the woodshed, trying to make the movement as quiet as possible.

He shrank his neck and tiptoed in tremblingly. In the darkness, he could vaguely see a figure lying on the ground in the woodshed. He felt a little relieved, guessing that the target had been achieved and the brothers inside had just met with an accident.

"Perhaps they didn't hear me shouting?" He consoled himself, mustering up the courage to take a few steps inside. But before he could get a clear look at the person on the ground, just as he was halfway through the door, a blinding cold light suddenly flashed from the side!
The servant felt a chill on his neck and a cold knife was pressed against his throat.

"Come in!" A low and cold voice came from the darkness: "Don't move, otherwise you will become another corpse lying on the ground!"

The servant's body trembled suddenly, his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground. His breathing became disordered, his face turned pale with fear, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

He nodded quickly, but didn't dare say a word, not even opening his mouth. After all, if the other party moved his wrist even slightly, his throat would be cut like mutton, and blood would gush out.

"Stand still, don't move." The voice came again, with unquestionable majesty in its tone.

The servant stood tremblingly, his mind was blank, and he felt that his life was completely in the hands of the other party.

Wei Xian stared coldly at the servant in front of him, his eyes as sharp as a knife. He needed to find out whether there was anyone else outside, or whether this servant would be the breakthrough for him to escape.

His experience on the battlefield taught him that impulsiveness and rashness often lead to greater danger, and he must be cautious and take every step carefully.

"Tell me, who sent you?" Wei Xian asked in a low voice, pressing the blade slightly on the other's throat.

The servant's tears nearly burst out, his voice trembling like a candle flickering in the wind: "Sir... Sir, please spare my life... I don't know anything! I just came to see if anyone has noticed!"

"Lie!" A cold light flashed in Wei Xian's eyes. He exerted a little force with the blade in his hand, cutting the servant's skin, and a blood mark appeared.

The servant was so frightened that he almost collapsed, and hurriedly shook his head: "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything! It was General Qian who asked me to come! He was the one who asked me to guard outside. I really didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

Wei Xian sneered, but the murderous intent in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. The interrogation could not last too long, otherwise the people outside might notice something was wrong. He had to find the most effective way to escape in a very short time.

"Follow me," Wei Xian ordered coldly, retracting his blade slightly. He grabbed the servant by the collar and yanked him hard, pushing him toward the door.

Wei Xian's gaze swept across the pitch-black courtyard, his thoughts racing as he formed a preliminary plan. The already timid servant's legs trembled as he stumbled into the woodshed. The door closed gently behind him with a subtle click, and he felt an unspeakable fear in his heart.

In the darkness, only a pair of cold eyes stared at him. The figure was silent for a moment, and suddenly a low and fierce voice came out: "Where is this?"

There was a chilling threat in his tone: "I won't ask a second time, and you won't get a chance to answer a second time!"

The servant's legs were so weak that he could hardly stand, sweat rolled down his forehead, and every nerve in his body was reminding him: If he couldn't give a satisfactory answer at this moment, he would have no chance of escape.

"This... this... this is the Li Mansion..." He finally stammered out an answer, his voice so soft that it sounded like a faint breath.

"Li Mansion?" Wei Xian's eyes flickered in the darkness, his brow furrowed tightly, clearly disbelieving the servant's words. His fingers had already quietly grasped the hilt of the dagger, and with a slight pressure, the dagger's blade pressed against the servant's neck. The cold touch caused his neck to tense, and his blood nearly froze.

(End of this chapter)