Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 120 Master
When Jia Chuan saw Wu Bing coming up, he asked, "When did they enter the manor?"

"We had just entered the village when..."

Wu Bing was about to explain when Jia Chuan interrupted him, saying, "Was there anything unusual on the way?"

"They walked very slowly."

"The King of Han thinks that since he has captured my people, I need time to receive news. He's waiting for me. Can you contact everyone now?"

Wu Bing nodded.

"Gather everyone, gather at the main gate of the manor immediately, and rush into the manor to rescue the people!"

"us……"

"You know you need a quick victory, but can you control how fast or slow it is?! The King of Han underestimated me, and you underestimated him just as much! The mission must be accomplished, but to use my men, to risk their lives, in this battle with no chance of victory—I really want to interview you about what you're thinking! Others may not know, but how could you not know that the manor is off-limits?"

Seeing that Jia Chuan was truly anxious, Wu Bing's confidence waned. He could only explain, "It's not that I insisted on doing it this way, but I told her about it, and Sister Gao insisted on doing it this way. She said that if you knew, you definitely wouldn't agree, and even if you knew, you wouldn't be able to help with this trip, so why not..."

"You've only managed to beat the Prince of Han a few times by sheer luck, and you've already become arrogant and overconfident!" Jia Chuan didn't want to discuss responsibility at this moment, but he couldn't help himself. He turned around in place, took a deep breath, and tried to speak calmly: "Now that Duoduo and Yuanyuan are in the Prince of Han's hands, do you think he'll give them any opportunity to do anything? No matter how you planned beforehand, no matter how capable Duoduo is..."

Jia Chuan took a deep breath, not daring to think any further: "Right now, the only chance to save Duoduo and Yuanyuan is to quickly assemble and rush into the manor, find them, and then retreat immediately. I'll explain the reasons to you when we get back."

Wu Bing could easily see that Jia Chuan was trying his best to control his anger. Although he still had a lot to say, Jia Chuan's deductions had never been significantly wrong in the past, which was something Wu Bing admired. He had secretly wondered what he would do if he were in the same situation as Jia Chuan. The answer was that if the people of the Prince of Han's mansion knew his identity, he would have been killed long ago and would not have had the opportunity to jump around like Jia Chuan. It seemed that he and Jia Chuan were only different in official rank, but in fact he knew very well that even if he were in the same position as Jia Chuan, he would be timid and would not be as 'bold and reckless' as Jia Chuan.

It was precisely because of this summary that Wu Bing proposed such a risky plan.

Who would have thought that Jia Chuan valued his life more than anyone else? The reason he dared to do it was simply because he didn't fear imperial power as much as the locals did. If he had stayed in various places for a few years before making this trip, there were some things that Jia Chuan might not have dared to do.

For example, right now, dozens of people rushed into Wangfuzhuang in broad daylight, and as the warm winter sun set, their blood on the ground echoed the golden afterglow on the horizon.

Wu Bing realized at this moment that Jia Chuan was right. It wasn't that the people on the estate thought more than he did, but rather that Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan were nowhere to be seen.

They discussed several plans beforehand, all aimed at ensuring that Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan would have a chance to escape control after being arrested.

They dared to take this risk because, on the one hand, they were certain that the King of Han would not kill the two immediately and would use them to blackmail Jia Chuan; on the other hand, Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan were confident that, once captured, they could break free of any restraints if needed and coordinate with the people outside the manor from the inside...

If they weren't heading towards the manor, the two of them wouldn't need to do anything. Once they realized they were going the wrong way, Gao Yuntian and the others would come forward and rescue them.

Ordinary hemp rope was useless against Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan. They tried several different thicknesses of hemp rope, and Dong Yuanyuan was able to break free with all of them. The iron chains were a bit more troublesome, but as long as Dong Yuanyuan had any sturdy object in her hand, she could break Gao Yunduo's chains first. They figured that the place where the two were being held in the manor must be hidden, but no matter where it was, Dong Yuanyuan could break out with her brute strength. Then they could find anything to rescue Gao Yunduo.

They also suspected that the two might have been drugged or knocked unconscious. Old Zheng made a contribution in this regard. He knew of a kind of sedative pill and prepared it in advance. Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan would put it under their tongues when they went out. It would keep them alert if nothing happened, and they could wake up early if something did.

When Wu Bing entered the manor, he initially thought it was a matter of timing. They had agreed to make their move after dark. However, considering that the place where the two were being held might not have any light for reference, Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan did not need to wait until dark. As long as they were conscious, the two of them would decide the time to make their move based on the situation.

They knew the estate was large, and if the two of them could break free and maneuver around the estate until nightfall, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the secret. At that time, they would need to deal with the two women in the estate, and after dark, they would also need to deal with the enemies from outside. With such a coordinated effort from within and without... Wu Bing and his men felt that at least preserving their lives wouldn't be difficult. If they couldn't find the secret, they could simply leave. At least they had seen it all, and they could use it as a reference for Jia Chuan when they returned.

With so many people rushing into the manor and breaking through several courtyards, Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan were still nowhere to be seen. As darkness fell, how could Wu Bing not be anxious?
Wu Bing wasn't the only one in a hurry. Not to mention Gao Yuntian, Jia Chuan had come with a knife in hand. He also wanted to vent his anger by swinging his long knife, but while others were busy killing after entering the manor, he needed to find the route the carriage had taken after entering by following the marks on the ground.

The people in the village were very diligent, and every courtyard was kept very clean, with no snow accumulation. However, the carriage had snow on its wheels all the way into the village, so how could there be so little snow? These few snow fragments could only indicate which courtyard the carriage was heading to; whether it stopped along the way was impossible to verify.

There were quite a few people in the manor, and Gao Yuntian was extremely anxious, so how could he hold back? Wu Bing knew he might have made a big mistake, so he turned his regret into motivation. His sword transformed into a dragon, unstoppable. The dozens of men he brought were all skilled, so they didn't have much trouble fighting against the people in the manor.

Chen Mo stayed close to Jia Chuan, watching the people in front of him fight fiercely and enjoy themselves. He felt itchy to join in, but he also had to keep an eye on Jia Chuan, who was only staring at the ground.

"If you ask me, it would be simpler to just grab someone and ask them," Chen Mo suggested.

"You can try asking only people, not cars."

Chen Mo did just that.

As the people in front cleared the way, he seized the opportunity to dart out and grab an injured person. He held a knife to the neck and questioned several people, but none of them said they had seen the fat and thin girls.

Before long, blood began to drip from Chen Mo's knife.

Jia Chuan, however, stood still, knife in hand. He remembered seeing a few small piles of snow somewhere before…

They had arrived at the third courtyard by then. Jia Chuan suddenly ran back with his knife in his hand, and Chen Mo quickly followed.

"Where are you going?" Chen Mo asked as he caught up.

"They might be in the gatehouse."

"Huh? How come you're in the gatehouse?"

"The snow is heaviest near the entrance, and our shoes will be covered in ice and snow when we come in. But when I glanced around, there were strips of snow piled up in front of the gatehouse... You asked so many people; in a life-or-death situation, you're bound to run into someone who's willing to talk..."

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Maybe the carriage went to another courtyard and we haven’t caught up with it yet.” Jia Chuan stopped in his tracks.

By this time, the two of them had run back to the courtyard at the main gate. The courtyard was in a mess, and the gate was wide open. An old man was standing in front of the gatehouse next to it.

The old man, dressed in a Taoist robe, stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

Jia Chuan gasped, and Chen Mo immediately gripped his knife and stood in front of him.

"I thought you would keep searching inside and never think of coming back, and... never have the chance to come back," the old man said casually.

Jia Chuan took a step to the left, patted Chen Mo, and said, "If we can't beat them, there's no need to fight."

"Oh?" The old man smiled and asked, "How can I rescue your people without fighting?"

Jia Chuan pointed to the scattered snow in front of the gatehouse and said, "That chubby girl must be quite heavy, right?"

The old man nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, it requires the combined efforts of four people. Oh, quite a few more people have arrived."

The Imperial Guards under Liu Mian were tasked with protecting Jia Chuan. During the fight, they discovered that Jia Chuan was missing, so five of them rushed back to look for him and ended up here.

Jia Chuan looked back, made a reassuring gesture, and then turned back to say, "The hero has a promise with the King of Han. Our entry into the manor was somewhat sudden, and the hero did not stop us, thinking that we would just keep them here. As for how many people died in the manor... the hero doesn't care."

“He doesn’t even deserve to be called a ‘hero’!” Chen Mo said with a stern face.

The old man laughed and said, "What you call me is not important. Are you going to end it yourselves or..."

"I was just kidding you. You actually took it seriously. They are the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not some minor sect or disciple you see in the martial arts world. I'm not trying to be mean, but you're quite old. How can you not understand such a simple thing? The martial arts world is also on the Emperor's territory. Why are you meddling in royal affairs?"

When the old man heard that these people were members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the smile on his face immediately disappeared, and he put his hands, which had been behind his back, to his sides.

"You think killing us will make everyone aware of your presence? The garrison troops outside the manor will arrive soon. Do you know who those two women are? The King of Han is eager for you to be implicated, so naturally he won't order anyone to explain the truth to you. If they were just ordinary women, why would so many Imperial Guards come?"

The old man frowned, a look of doubt on his face.

"Your agreement with the King of Han included protecting the estate and that person, but it didn't include protecting the person who was temporarily sent to us, did it?"

The old man looked surprised and asked, "How do you know...where did you hear this news from?"

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court. Do you think the Prince of Han can hide anything from the Emperor? The fact that we are here today, and dare to come, means that the Prince of Han's good days are over. If you are only after money, hurry up and find a way to escape and hide in the deep mountains. Stop thinking about those riches. What's the use of earning them if you can't live to enjoy them? I only said a few more words because I find you quite pleasing to the eye..."

Chen Mo couldn't help but turn his head to look at Jia Chuan. This wasn't just saying a few more words; it was making conversation out of nothing. Could it be that some garrison soldiers were really coming?
The other members of the Imperial Guard were also puzzled. Why were they just standing there chatting in this freezing weather?
Seeing that Jia Chuan was already bringing up physiognomy, the old man waved his hand impatiently and said, "I don't know why you're delaying, but I'm afraid you're thinking those who have already rushed inside will come back to rescue you. If that's what you're thinking..."

The old man suddenly stopped talking, turning his head slightly to the side as if trying to hear something. Just then, Jia Chuan shouted, "Kill him!"

Without saying a word, Chen Mo rushed forward. The other Imperial Guards thought it was just an old man, right? It wouldn't be good for so many of them to go up there.

Jia Chuan immediately shouted again, "He's incredibly skilled in kung fu, let's all attack him!"

Except for Jia Chuan, who took a few steps back, everyone else went up.

The old man stepped his feet shoulder-width apart. At that moment, Chen Mo's long sword was already in front of him. He raised his right hand and seemed to lightly tap, but Jia Chuan heard a piercing 'clang'. Jia Chuan had a misconception: Chen Mo was releasing the sword quickly, but the old man was moving in slow motion.

Chen Mo sheathed his sword and barely managed to stand. At the same time, the blue bricks beneath the old man's feet shattered with a 'crack'. Several Imperial Guards had already attacked him, some sweeping across his lower body while others thrust straight at his eyes, throat, and heart... The flashing blades formed a silver net as they pounced on the old man.

The old man's Taoist robe suddenly billowed out, and the pebbles and snow beneath his feet rose up with the force of his palm strike, shooting out with great power. Several people quickly covered their faces and retreated, but some were still hit by the pebbles and couldn't help but stagger.

Chen Mo swung his sword to block the rubble, then suddenly thrust at the old man. The old man lightly leaped up, and the moment his toes touched the back of the sword, the long sword emitted a humming sound like an ancient zither. Chen Mo felt his tiger's mouth go numb, and the sword's momentum went out of control as it slashed into the blue bricks on the ground, almost making him drop the sword. He quickly took two steps back and switched to holding the sword with his left hand.

The old man landed again and stood at the doorway once more.

That's what a master is.

The old man had no sword or knife in his hand. If he had, Chen Mo and the others would probably be dead by now. Jia Chuan was glad that he had taken a few steps back in advance. The pebbles flying in front of him had greatly weakened, and he could now wave his long sword in a proper manner to stop the powerless pebbles. Then he said, "Please show mercy, great hero."

"I just don't want you to die by my hand. Not only can you not take the two people inside the house with you, but you won't be able to leave this open courtyard before you die."

Jia Chuan knew the old man wasn't lying, but he still stubbornly said, "I'm giving you a way out, and you won't take it. You're a respectable figure in the martial arts world, aren't you? Do you mean what you say? You don't want to take our lives... or you can't? Since you say you don't want to, what if you resort to violence when you can't win? This will become a legend in the martial arts world..."

Perhaps annoyed by Jia Chuan's chatter, the old man suddenly flicked his sleeve, sending a pebble straight toward Jia Chuan's face. This was different from the previous pebbles; the target was clear and the force concentrated. Fortunately, Chen Mo stepped back two paces, giving him a chance to block the pebble with his sword, thus saving Jia Chuan's face.

Jia Chuan was shocked, but his expression remained unchanged. He slowly put his trembling hands behind his back, mainly because the knife in his hand was shaking. He snorted and said, "You want to test my skills? If you're so capable, come to the middle and we'll fight. The last time I dealt with someone your age was last time!"

Chen Mo looked at Jia Chuan in astonishment, almost blurting out, "Are you crazy?!"

(End of this chapter)