The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

There won't be a third wave of arrows, and even if there were, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Di Renjie had already rolled off the sedan chair and was lying on the ground, his figure hidden in the darkness.

Immediately following was a series of footsteps: leaping from the rooftops, approaching from the alleyway entrance, and surging out from behind the walls...

The bandits surrounded them, their boots grinding against the cobblestones, the sounds of swords being drawn echoing through the air.

They came to perform an autopsy.

Then, the floor of the carriage exploded.

The wooden planks burst open from the inside out, sending fragments flying. The two bandits who were closest to the carriage were hit in the face by the fragments and fell backward with screams.

A figure shot up from under the car.

The blade flashed in the moonlight, severing the first longsword aimed at the carriage. The momentum continued, slicing across the throat of the second man, and as it swung back, the hilt smashed the face of the third man.

fast.

too fast.

The bandits were in a closed formation, all their swords pointed at the carriage, and all their attention was focused on the old man they thought had been riddled with bullets.

But the carriage was empty.

While they were still stunned, Li Yuanfang suddenly appeared.

He had been huddled under the car the whole way, waiting for this moment.

The blade flashed a few times in the moonlight.

The screams were short and frequent, each accompanied by the sound of metal piercing flesh or bones shattering.

Some tried to retreat, but Li Yuanfang caught up and cleaved them in two with a single blow; others tried to retaliate, but the moment their swords clashed, their weapons flew out of their hands, followed by a chill down their throats; some turned to run, but after only two steps, a blade tip appeared in their back.

It took only ten breaths from when they emerged from under the car to when the last bandit fell.

Li Yuanfang stood amidst the corpses, the tip of his knife pointing towards the ground, blood dripping down the spine of the blade.

His breathing was a little rapid, but his hand holding the knife remained very steady.

The moonlight shone on the corpses and scattered weapons on the ground, and the bluestone pavement was stained dark black with blood.

Di Renjie got up from the ground, his official robes were covered with wood chips and dust, and his hair was a little disheveled, but his expression remained calm.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Li Yuanfang sheathed his sword and strode forward.

Judge Di shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the corpses on the ground, then looking up at the rooftops on both sides.

The archer was dead; his body hung on the roof ridge, his hand still clutching the bow.

"What a ruthless killer."

He crouched down and flipped over the wrist of a corpse.

The thick calluses on the tiger's mouth are from years of holding a knife.

"Yuanfang, check these people to see if there are any survivors."

Li Yuanfang responded and quickly began searching.

A moment later, a man was dragged out of the pile of corpses. He had been stabbed in the leg, and blood had soaked half of his trouser leg, but he was still breathing.

Li Yuanfang pressed his knife against his throat: "Do you want to live or die?"

The man trembled violently, his teeth chattering, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out two words: "I...I want to live..."

Judge Di walked over and squatted down: "I'll only ask you one question. Answer it and I'll let you go."

The man nodded frantically.

"How many more men have you ambushed outside the county town?"

"This...this..."

An arrow shot from the shadows.

When Zhang Rui sensed the arrow, it was already in mid-air.

The trajectory of the arrow was unusual to my senses; it shot out from the roof ridge on the left and headed straight for the assassin's chest.

Ability activated.

The moment his hand touched the arrow shaft, a tremendous force nearly tore his arm off.

He failed to catch it, only letting the arrow deflect slightly.

The arrow pierced the assassin's shoulder, not his chest.

The man screamed and fainted.

Li Yuanfang had already leaped onto the roof, his blade flashing twice, but he only managed to sever a piece of clothing.

The archer was extremely skilled in light footwork. If he missed his target, he would flee without hesitation, disappearing into the night in a few leaps.

Li Yuanfang wanted to chase after him again, but after glancing back at Di Renjie, he stopped.

In the distance, faint lights appeared, indicating that people were rushing this way.

"Sir, we must go."

Di Renjie nodded and quickly walked back to the carriage.

He took out a bundle from the carriage, which contained two sets of civilian clothes and some loose silver.

This was prepared in advance by Di Chun after listening to Zhang Rui's words.

"Walk."

Li Yuanfang glanced at the approaching firelight deep in the alley: "My lord, the city gates are already closed, we—"

"Come with me."

Di Renjie turned around and walked to the other end of the alley.

Zhang Rui floated beside him, the old man's steps were very steady.

The moonlight cast his long shadow, which fell on the bluestone pavement and overlapped with the shadows of the corpses.

Li Yuanfang followed.

As dawn approached, the two arrived at an abandoned local temple.

Di Gong changed out of his official robes, rolled them into a ball, and stuffed them back into his bundle.

Li Yuanfang stood guard at the door to make sure the surrounding area was safe.

Zhang Rui floated to the side, saying nothing.

"Connecting to the secluded place".

"grown ups."

"Was that arrow you shot?"

"Um."

"It's not your fault, you did a great job. Just don't be so reckless next time."

Zhang Rui paused for a moment, then said, "...Okay."

After a while, Li Yuanfang returned to the temple.

Listening to Di Renjie talking to himself, the expression on his face changed again and again.

Who are you talking to, sir?

I looked around, but there was no one else there.

"grown ups."

"Um?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"It's nothing."

"My lord, how did you figure out that those people were fake imperial envoys?"

"You want to know?"

Li Yuanfang nodded.

"First, the guards who proclaimed the imperial edict were wearing fast boots."

"Fast boots?"

"The Thousand Bull Guards were the emperor's personal bodyguards, not messengers. They never wore fast boots when traveling. Their standard attire was a flying bear robe, a red inner garment, and tiger-head gold-embroidered boots. Only messengers and couriers wore shoes that were convenient for traveling."

"Secondly, the guard who proclaimed the imperial edict spoke with a Youzhou accent, but he vehemently denied it, saying he was from Shandong. An accent can't lie."

"Third, the Emperor summoned me back to the capital without knowing that I had already arrived at the Imperial Palace. He would certainly not summon me to the capital overnight at this time."

Li Yuanfang thought for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I understand. They really did deliberately lure me here, then assassinate you, and frame me."

"Not just this guy, this time, you're going to die too."

"What?"

"What, still don't understand? They've already laid an ambush outside the city. The moment you leave the city, you'll be killed. Then, a story will unfold—Li Yuanfang led his thugs to forge an imperial edict and kill the investigating minister, Di Renjie, only to be attacked and killed by his enemies as he left the city. In this way, the number one wanted criminal in the murder of the Turkic delegation and the investigating minister will both perish, leaving no witnesses or physical evidence, and the case will become a cold case."

"What a vicious plan."

"They just miscalculated one thing."

"What?"

"The one they're dealing with is Di Renjie."

Li Yuanfang was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

The footsteps in the distance had gradually faded away, and the enemy's search seemed to have come to a temporary end.

But once it gets light, it won't be safe here.

"Traveling to the capital incognito."