Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 240 Attacked on the Long Street, Righteousness Displays its Power

In the secluded backyard of a warehouse in Yunzhou City, Luo Xiu was listening to his subordinates' report.

"Sir, we've investigated everything." A subordinate in black bowed and said.

“Chen Ye’s wife, Xie Weining, would depart from the Xie Family Chamber of Commerce in the east of the city at the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM) every day, taking a carriage back to Tinglanxuan in the west of the city. The journey would take about half an hour, and along the way, she would pass through a street called Chang Le Street.”

"Chang Le Street?" Luo Xiu tapped his fingertips lightly on the stone table.

“Yes, sir,” the subordinate continued. “Chang Le Street is an old street, rather secluded, especially at night when there are very few pedestrians, making it an excellent place to make a move.”

"How many guards does she have around her?" Luo Xiu asked.

"There are usually eight of them, all of whom are guards employed by the Xie Family Chamber of Commerce. Their skills are quite good among ordinary people, but they are not a threat to us."

"very good."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu revealed a sinister smile.

After investigating the people around Chen Ye, he finally focused his attention on Xie Weining and sent people to secretly investigate her daily routine.

Now, the opportunity for revenge has finally arrived.

He wanted to capture this woman named Xie Weining and torture and ravage her in the most cruel way!

He wanted to teach Chen Ye what pain and despair truly meant!

"Sir, when shall we make our move?" another subordinate asked impatiently.

"No rush." ​​Luo Xiu waved his hand, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Wait two more days."

"Why?" the subordinate asked, puzzled.

"These two days are the middle of the month, which is also the time when the academy holds various activities. At this time, the defenses of Yunzhou City are at their strongest, so we need to wait for two days."

At this point, Luo Xiu sneered, "On the 17th, the Lower Yuan Festival, there will be sacrificial activities in the city. Most of the guards and the Xuanjing Division's personnel will be transferred to maintain order. The academy will also hold celebrations. At that time, the city's defenses will be at their most relaxed."

"Moreover," he paused, a lewd glint in his eyes, "I also need to prepare some fine things to turn this high and mighty Madam Xie into the most despicable plaything!"

Upon hearing this, the two subordinates exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of cruel excitement in each other's eyes.

They could almost picture the beautiful businesswoman pleading desperately.

"Pass down the order: everyone, rest and prepare for action on Chang Le Street on the evening of the 17th!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The two subordinates bowed and accepted the order, then quietly withdrew.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and on the evening of the 17th, the Xie Family Chamber of Commerce was brightly lit.

Xie Weining put down the last ledger in her hand and gently rubbed her slightly sore temples.

Since her father fell ill and she took over the Chamber of Commerce, she has been busy until late at night almost every day.

Although it was hard work, she felt a great sense of accomplishment when she saw the business of the chamber of commerce thriving under her care.

More importantly, she now has a man she can rely on.

Thinking of this, Xie Weining's lips unconsciously curled into a gentle smile.

She got up and walked to the window, opened it, and the cool evening breeze swept over her, instantly invigorating her weary spirit.

The direction of Tinglanxuan should already be lit with warm lights.

I wonder if my husband ate on time tonight, and if the new girl Qingchen is getting used to living in the manor.
Since that night, her relationship with Chen Ye has undergone a complete transformation.

He was no longer the playboy who spent his days indulging in frivolous pleasures, but a responsible, resourceful man who could protect her from the storms of life.

He would bring her comforting ginseng tea when she was busy, offer her advice when she encountered difficulties, and even help her deter those clansmen with ill intentions.

All of this completely melted her long-frozen heart.

All she wants now is to be the woman behind him, to manage the household and the family business so that he can focus on his career without any worries.

"Madam, it's late, it's time to return home."

The voice of Qing'er, the personal maid, rang out from behind.

"Ah."

Xie Weining nodded, snapping out of her thoughts. She then put on the cloak Qing'er handed her and walked out of the Chamber of Commerce gate, surrounded by several guards.

A spacious and comfortable carriage was already waiting at the door.

This was specially prepared for her by Chen Ye, who said that she worked hard every day and needed to be comfortable on her way to and from work.

A sweet smile returned to Xie Weining's face. She lifted her skirt and, with the help of her maid, boarded the carriage.

"Go home."

With a shout from the driver, the carriage slowly started moving, its wheels making a crisp sound as they rolled onto the bluestone pavement, merging into the streets of the capital city late at night.

Inside the carriage, Qing'er poured Xie Weining a cup of hot tea.

"Madam, you seem to be in a very good mood today," Qing'er said with a smile.

"Really?" Xie Weining took the teacup, took a small sip, and felt the warmth slide down her throat into her stomach, dispelling the chill of the night.

"Yes, you've been smiling a lot lately."

Xie Weining blushed slightly upon hearing this and said nothing more. She simply looked down at the rising steam from her cup, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.

The carriage moved smoothly through the bustling streets and gradually entered a relatively quiet long street.

This street is the only way back to Tinglanxuan. It is lined with tall walls on both sides. There are few pedestrians on weekdays, and it is even more deserted at night.

Only the lanterns hanging on the walls of the workshop swayed in the night wind, casting dim and mottled light and shadows.

Everything seemed so ordinary.

However, just as the carriage reached the middle of the long street, something unexpected happened!

call out!call out!call out!
Several dark figures leaped down from the tall walls on both sides of the street and landed silently on the street, blocking the carriage's path.

"Assassin! Protect the lady!"

The driver was the first to react; he yanked the reins on and shouted a warning.

The eight guards escorting the carriage instantly drew their swords and skillfully surrounded the carriage, watching the uninvited guests warily.

These men in black were all tall and imposing, exuding a cold and bloody aura. They held strangely shaped curved knives in their hands, which gleamed with a chilling light under the lanterns.

"Who goes there! How dare you commit violence in the capital!" the guard leader shouted sternly.

However, his response was a fatal attack.

Without uttering a single wasted word, the leader of the men in black blurred into a blurry afterimage and instantly rushed in front of the guard leader.

too fast!
The guard leader's pupils suddenly contracted, and he only had time to hold his sword horizontally in front of his chest.

"clang!"

With a crisp sound, the fine steel sword in his hand snapped in two.

Immediately afterward, a tremendous force came from his chest. Before he could even see how the other party made the move, he was sent flying backward and crashed heavily into the carriage, spitting out blood and dying on the spot.

The guard leader died in a single encounter.

The remaining seven guards were all horrified at the sight.

They were all skilled fighters who had risked their lives, but the strength of these men in black was far beyond their comprehension.

"Fight them!"

After a brief moment of shock came the rage over the murder of his companion.

The seven guards roared and brandished their swords as they charged toward the men in black.

Inside the carriage, Xie Weining and Qing'er were so frightened by this sudden turn of events that their faces turned ashen.

Qing'er, in particular, was already huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.

Although Xie Weining was also filled with fear, she forced herself to calm down and watched the fierce battle outside through the crack in the car window.

Swords and swords flashed, flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Although these guards were all fearless, the difference in strength between them and the men in black was simply too great.

Therefore, one guard after another soon fell into pools of blood.

In just over ten breaths, the sounds of fighting ceased outside.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire long street.

Xie Weining's heart sank to the bottom.

She knew that all her guards were dead.

"Squeak-"

A screeching sound rang out, and the carriage door was slowly being pulled open from the outside.

Meanwhile, on a rooftop at the end of the long street, Luo Xiu stood with his hands behind his back, a cruel sneer on his lips.

Everything happening before his eyes was under his control.

When he saw that all of Xie Weining's guards had died in battle, he knew that the situation was under control.

You should know that these people were all elites he brought from the Nether Bone Sect. Each of them had been through countless battles and their hands were stained with blood.

Using it to deal with a few worldly guards is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

At this moment, Luo Xiu's thoughts had already drifted to the woman he was about to win over.

Xie Weining.

Although he only caught a glimpse of it from afar, that fleeting glimpse was enough to leave a deep impression on him.

Her beautiful face, graceful figure, and mature charm as the matriarch of the chamber of commerce all set his heart ablaze.

The thought of such a stunning beauty about to fall into his hands and be ravaged by him filled Luo Xiu with a morbid excitement.

"Chen Ye, this is what happens when you offend me!"

Luo Xiu now harbors a deep hatred for Chen Ye, who has repeatedly thwarted his plans. Therefore, he wants to make Chen Ye experience the deepest pain and despair.

He wanted to torture his woman bit by bit in front of Chen Ye, making him watch his beloved wife wail and beg for mercy in front of him, ultimately becoming his plaything.

Just thinking about that scene made Luo Xiu feel his body tremble with excitement.

And this is just the beginning.

Once he gets tired of Xie Weining, he will use even more cruel methods to kill everyone around Chen Ye who he cares about, one by one!
Just as Luo Xiu was filled with excitement, the battle on the long street had ended.

His men were approaching the lone carriage step by step, and then one of them stepped forward and grabbed the carriage door handle.

However, at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

The subordinate who was about to open the car door suddenly froze.

An intense, overwhelming unease surged from the depths of this man's heart without warning, causing the hairs on his body to stand on end instantly.

Not only him, but all the disciples of the Yougu Sect who were near the carriage felt this soul-shaking tremor at the same time.

The sneer on their faces froze instantly, replaced by boundless terror.

"retreat!"

A disciple roared out, but it was too late.

The next moment, an incomparably magnificent and powerful golden light suddenly burst forth from the carriage!
The light was not dazzling, but it carried a sacred and majestic aura that could not be violated, and it instantly enveloped an area of ​​several feet in radius.

"what--!"

The screams of the closest Yougu Sect disciples were cut short before they were uttered.

The demonic energy on their bodies, upon contact with the golden light, was like ice and snow encountering raging fire, sizzling and then rapidly refined and dissolved.

At the same time, their bodies shriveled up at a visible rate, eventually turning into smoky, dried-up corpses that collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Moreover, this golden aura continued to spread outwards.

The remaining disciples of the Nether Bone Sect were terrified and frantically channeled their demonic energy, trying to turn around and escape this land of death.

But how could their speed outpace the sweeping force of that majestic and righteous aura?

Wherever the golden light passed, it seemed to destroy everything in its path.

A series of shrill screams rang out, only to be quickly silenced.

In just a few breaths, the once arrogant elite of the Yougu Sect was completely wiped out, turning into a pile of charred corpses.

The entire street fell into a deathly silence once again.

Only the carriage remained quietly in place, enveloped in a faint, slowly dissipating golden halo, like a divine miracle.

Luo Xiu, who was watching from a rooftop in the distance, froze instantly with a smug smile. He stared intently at the dissipating golden halo and spat out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Haoran is upright!"

Moreover, judging from the grandeur and magnificence of this righteous spirit, its purity far surpasses that of ordinary Confucian and Taoist cultivators, at least reaching the level of a sub-sage.

It should be understood that righteous energy is the nemesis of all evil and heretical forces in the world, carrying an absolute suppression originating from the level of laws.

Therefore, even though his subordinates were skilled at condensing qi and dispelling evil, and possessed considerable demonic cultivation, they were powerless against this righteous energy and were instantly refined into ashes.

Luo Xiu's body trembled uncontrollably, half from anger and half from fear.

He was terrified that this ordinary woman, whom he considered powerless, actually possessed something so powerful!
Because this is clearly not something an ordinary person could post.

As for whether there were Confucian or Taoist masters of near-sage level hiding in that carriage...

If that's the case, Luo Xiu will accept it. After all, dying at the hands of a Confucian scholar at the Quasi-Saint level wouldn't be considered unjust.

But the possibility is extremely slim, after all, he was a great Confucian scholar, not a cabbage that costs two copper coins a pound.

Even within the academy, there are very few near-saints nowadays.

Therefore, the only explanation is that Xie Weining is carrying a treasure that contains righteous energy!
Moreover, the quality of this treasure is definitely not low, otherwise it would not be able to unleash such terrifying power and instantly kill all his subordinates.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Luo Xiu roared madly in his heart, his face turning extremely ugly.

He meticulously planned and schemed against everyone around Chen Ye, ultimately choosing Xie Weining, who seemed to be the weakest link.

But who would have thought that this weakest link was actually a hedgehog covered in sharp quills!

"Chen Ye!"

Luo Xiu gritted his teeth as he uttered the name, his teeth chattering, his eyes filled with boundless resentment and hatred.

It must be him!
It must have been that bastard who did it!

How could Xie Weining, an ordinary woman, possibly have access to the academy's most precious treasures?

The only explanation is that Chen Ye gave it to her!

That guy not only colluded with people from the academy, but he also gave this life-saving trump card to his woman!
That bastard really goes all out to pick up girls.

The immense frustration and humiliation nearly drove Luo Xiu mad. Then, staring intently at the carriage, a bold idea popped into his mind.

This righteous spirit, though terrifying, does not seem to be inexhaustible.

For example, right now, after the outbreak, it is declining at an extremely rapid pace.

This indicates that this treasure is the type that requires a long time to recharge after being activated.

Now, their strongest wave has been consumed by their own subordinates.

It is now at its last gasp.

Xie Weining, who was inside the carriage, was just an ordinary person.

She could never truly control this treasure; she could only passively trigger its protective function.

In other words, as long as he can withstand the remaining righteous energy and rush to the carriage, he can easily subdue her and take away the treasure!

The stakes are high.

But the returns are equally huge!
As long as I can obtain this treasure of the academy and present it to the sect leader, not only will my guilt for failing this mission be wiped clean, but I will also receive a huge reward!

So this risk is worth taking!
Thinking of this, a resolute glint flashed in Luo Xiu's eyes.

He took a deep breath, and the demonic energy within his body began to surge wildly. A thick layer of black smoke rose around him, enveloping his entire body.

Inside the carriage at the same time, time seemed to stand still for that brief moment.

Qing'er had already fainted from fright and slumped in the corner of the carriage.

Xie Weining kept her eyes tightly closed, her hands gripping a warm object tightly against her chest, her body trembling slightly with fear.

She knew her guards were finished.

She also knew that she was the next target of those thugs.

The moment the car door was opened, she could almost smell the scent of death.

The expected death did not come.

Instead, a vast and warm golden light suddenly burst forth from her chest, illuminating the entire carriage in a golden glow.

In that golden light, she felt as if she were under the warm sun of March, her whole body feeling warm and cozy, and all the fear and unease in her heart were dispelled.

Meanwhile, a series of shrill screams came from outside.

The screams were short and desperate, as if the most terrifying thing in the world had been seen.

When everything returned to silence, Xie Weining finally dared to slowly open her eyes.

Through the car door, she saw a hellish scene outside.

One after another, charred, mummified corpses lay on the ground, wisps of smoke rising from them, and a nauseating smell of burning filled the air.

And the brocade pouch she clutched tightly to her chest was emitting a faint golden glow.

The brocade pouch was still warm, as if silently comforting her.

Xie Weining couldn't help but recall an afternoon from a few days ago.

……

It was a sunny afternoon, and Chen Ye, unusually, didn't go to the Xuanjing Division, but instead stayed in the study with her.

She embroidered while he read a book; the peaceful scene brought her immense peace of mind.

Just then, Chen Ye suddenly put down the book in his hand and took out a neatly folded piece of paper, about the size of a palm, from his pocket.

The paper looked very ordinary, even a bit yellowish, and was covered with tiny characters written in vermilion.

"Wei Ning, come here." He beckoned to her.

Confused, she put down her embroidery and walked to his side.

"Husband, what is this?"

"A friend gave me this amulet." Chen Ye carefully handed her the paper, his expression more serious than ever before. "Keep it close to your body. Remember, no matter where you go or what you do, you must carry it with you and never let it out of your sight."

Xie Weining took the thin piece of paper with some surprise. Although she didn't know what it was, she still obediently followed Chen Ye's advice.

Unexpectedly, this small brocade pouch, which she regarded as a token of her husband's love, actually saved her life today!
……

As the memory ended, Xie Weining stroked the brocade pouch on her chest, which still radiated warmth, her heart filled with lingering fear and endless gratitude.

If it weren't for her husband's foresight in preparing this protective charm for her in advance, she probably would already be... tonight.

Xie Weining dared not think any further.

But just then, a new, even colder and more sinister aura emanated from not far away.

Xie Weining's heart tightened, and she suddenly looked up.

On a rooftop at the end of the long street, a figure shrouded in thick black smoke stared intently at her carriage. The undisguised murderous intent and greed in that figure made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

There is still one!
(End of this chapter)