He was in the Ming Dynasty, and his adoptive father was Governor Cao.

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

It's almost midnight.

The night was as dark as ink, without stars or moon. The sea breeze howled across the city of Lianzhou, causing the lanterns hanging high in the Pearl-Picking Office to sway and cast eerie shadows.

Outside the north wall, in a secluded back alley, the darkness was so thick it seemed impenetrable.

"Iron Arhat" Lei Zhen crouched in the shadows at the base of the wall like an iron tower. He was exceptionally tall and strong, and even when he deliberately curled up, he was almost as tall as half a wall.

Behind them were four formidable leaders, and further back, sixty elite members of the Angry Dragon Gang stood like clay sculptures, pressed against the wall, their breathing extremely low.

Time passes little by little.

Lei Zhen closed his eyes and concentrated, listening intently to every sound inside and outside the wall.

The faint sounds of guards moving about and talking in hushed tones could be heard from the watchtower, while the lights in the government office flickered in the distance; everything seemed calm and ordinary.

almost……

He counted silently in his mind.

suddenly!

"Fire! The east warehouse is flooded!!"

"Assassins! Protect Father-in-law!!"

"Stop him!!"

A huge commotion suddenly erupted on the east side of the Pearl-Picking Office!

Flames shot into the sky, and a ghostly figure could be vaguely seen darting between the rooftops at high speed. Swords flashed as the figure fiercely clashed with the pursuing guards. Shouts, the clash of weapons, and the blaring of gongs and alarms created a chaotic scene! The attention of the entire government office, including the watchtower, was instantly drawn to the scene!

"Let's do it!"

Lei Zhen's eyes widened, flashing with sharp light!

He no longer concealed himself; his massive body sprang up from the shadows, and his fan-like right palm, filled with true energy, silently pressed down on the thick, solid north wall!

This palm strike is not a forceful, outward display, but rather penetrates the brick and stone layer by layer in an extremely subtle and unpredictable vibrational manner—the Shaolin "Mountain-Shaking Palm"! It is specifically designed to break through hard objects, with its power contained within and its sound extremely faint!

"Crackling..."

A faint cracking sound came from inside the wall.

Centered on his palm, spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly, and bricks crumbled and dust fell in a flurry.

In less than three breaths, a hole in the wall, big enough for two people to walk side by side, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes!

The edges were jagged, yet unusually "clean," with almost no loud thud from falling rocks.

The moment the hole appeared in the wall, a group of people poured out!

The leader was the same "spy" face that Thousand-Faced Fox had used when he left. Behind him were about a hundred people, all dressed in prison uniforms, with their heads down and walking hurriedly.

The night was deep, the firelight was far away, and everyone looked tense, so their faces were not clearly visible.

"Old fox!"

Lei Zhen barked a low shout, his gaze sweeping quickly across the crowd: "That's all?"

The Thousand-Faced Fox nodded slightly, letting out a muffled "hmm" in its throat, its voice hoarse and low.

Lei Zhen had no doubts. He was more concerned about the situation in the east. Although Zhuo Hanjiang, the "Water Shadow," was skilled in lightness skills, Cao Guangxian's martial arts were unfathomable. Once entangled with him, the chances of survival were slim.

We must retreat quickly amidst the chaos!

"Quick! That eunuch Cao is powerful! Brother Zhuo won't last long! Retreat according to plan!"

Lei Zhen waved his hand, leading the group of "his own people" towards the sentry boat in the underground canal.

But just after he greeted them, he turned around to face the Thousand-Faced Fox.

"Thousand-Faced Fox" suddenly thrust out his right hand, which had been hidden in his sleeve, and two fine, dark blue poison needles shot out from his fingertips, silently aiming for Lei Zhen's eyes!

—Zhao Jing's unique hidden weapon, the [Mysterious Ice Penetrating Needle]!

The needles are refined with the poison of the cicada, and the cold poison penetrates directly to the bone marrow, breaking the body's protective energy, damaging the meridians, and killing the person. It is extremely vicious.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two barely perceptible soft sounds.

"Well……!"

Lei Zhen felt a chill in his eyes, followed by an indescribable burst of pain and icy cold that spread throughout his head! His vision went completely black, and boundless fear and rage surged into his heart. He opened his mouth to roar a warning, but a dark shadow was faster than him!

A "prisoner" next to him, dressed in tattered prison clothes and with his head down, suddenly pounced like a cheetah that had been lying in wait. He wielded a long, sheathed sword with all his might, using the tip of the sheath as the sharp point, and slashed fiercely at Lei Zhen's open throat!

"Snap!"

The muffled sound of a throat bone breaking was drowned out by the distant clamor.

Lei Zhen's burly body suddenly stiffened.

All the roars and true energy were forcibly blocked back, leaving only the hissing sound of leaking air.

Blood flowed from his eyes, his throat collapsed, and the deadly poison from the Xuanbing Needle spread wildly through his blood. His massive body swayed, then collapsed forward with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust, and fell silent.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!

It wasn't until Lei Zhen fell to the ground that the four leaders and some of the elites behind him realized something was wrong. They turned around in astonishment to look at "Thousand-Faced Fox" and the "prisoner" who had suddenly made a move.

"Thousand-Faced Fox" had torn off his mask, revealing a pale and cold face. It was Zhao Jing. He didn't even look at Lei Zhen who had fallen to the ground. His figure was like a white shadow exuding cold air. He rushed straight to the nearest astonished leader. Wherever his palm wind passed, frost condensed!

Meanwhile, the ruthless "prisoner"—Xiao Ting—ripped off his tattered prison clothes, revealing a gray-black flying fish robe underneath. His white-tasseled sword flashed from its sheath, its blade pointing directly at the still-unresponsive members of the Angry Flood Dragon Gang.

"Leave no one alive!"

"Yes, sir!"

The prison guards, disguised as prisoners, drew their hidden daggers and spears and instantly charged into the enemy ranks! Several more groups of ambushers emerged from the darkness on both sides of the alley, their swords flashing and their weapons clashing, quickly dividing and surrounding the support team!

A bloodbath erupted, blood splattering everywhere!

Xiao Ting moved like a dragon, weaving through the chaotic crowd.

His sword techniques were simple, yet ruthless and precise to the extreme. He brought the "Guicang One Blade" to its fullest extent, each strike aimed straight for vital points. He advanced through the crowd as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, fully unleashing his sixth-level acquired true energy. Wherever the blade passed, bones broke and tendons snapped, and cries of agony filled the air.

As Cao Guangxian's second disciple, Zhao Jing had reached the late stage of the Innate Realm. Wherever his Frosty Palm touched, the enemy's movements became swift and slow, frost condensed on their body surface, and their internal organs were shattered by the burst of palm force. His efficiency in killing enemies was no less than that of Xiao Ting.

The two, one forceful and the other gentle, one overt and the other covert, worked together seamlessly and quickly routed the remaining pirates.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the alley outside the north wall returned to silence.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, dozens of corpses lay scattered on the ground, and the faint groans of the dying could be heard from time to time.

The dust has settled.

Xiao Ting, slightly out of breath, sheathed his sword and stood there, looking at the corpses on the ground. He cursed, "That damned Thousand-Faced Fox! He underreported the number by half! He really wasn't honest!"

"Fortunately, the leaders were the right ones, Lei Zhen and Zhuo Hanjiang."

This ambush was incredibly successful, and Zhao Jing couldn't help but smile: "This was a rare opportunity. Normally, with Lei Zhen's abilities, killing him would have been quite difficult."

"His external martial arts have reached the point where his weaknesses are fully exposed. His only weaknesses are his eyes and poison. If we can kill him and sever Huo Tianqing's arm, tonight's efforts won't have been in vain. And your swordsmanship..."

He looked you up and down, utterly puzzled: "Those few strikes just now, the timing, angle, and force were ruthless and skillful. If it weren't for the fact that the power was still insufficient, I would almost have thought it was He Shan who made the move. How exactly did you master your 'Guicang One-Sword' to such a high level?"

Xiao Ting sheathed his sword and casually chuckled, "Maybe... I learn things pretty quickly."

It's just a matter of touching it.

Zhao Jing frowned slightly. Even if he could learn the sword technique, the "Layered Waves Technique" was not something that could be learned simply by reading.

Xiao Ting didn't explain, but changed the subject, looking towards the east side of the government office. The firelight there had diminished considerably, and the shouts and fighting sounds were gradually fading, as if it were nearing its end.

"I wonder if my godfather can keep that 'Water Shadow' here."

He had barely finished speaking—

A dark shadow flew diagonally from the roof of the east side of the government office like a kite with a broken string, and crashed with a thud onto the open ground near the north wall, kicking up a cloud of dust!

The man struggled to get up, but suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his chest red.

His face was ashen, and his breath was weak and listless. He was none other than Zhuo Hanjiang, the "Water Shadow" who was worshipped by the Angry Dragon Gang!

Cao Guangxian's figure landed lightly on a nearby rooftop, accompanied by Fan Xiping, his third apprentice Qian Fu, his fourth apprentice Sun Huai, and eight eunuchs in charge of the pearl-collecting pool.

Cao Guangxian glanced at the battle below, looking at Lei Zhen's corpse and the mess on the ground. He nodded slightly to the two below, revealing a satisfied expression. Fan Xiping grinned at Xiao Ting, shook his wine gourd, and looked relaxed.

Qian Fu and Sun Huai's expressions were not so good. They only learned the complete plan when they were called in to finish things up, and their faces were somewhat stiff.