Hot flashes

Xie Cong waited for a while, and seeing that his father did not answer, he gritted his teeth.

"Father, if you can't make up your mind, I'll do it."

Xie Xun turned around and looked at him.

"Do you know what you're saying?"

Xie Cong raised his head and met his gaze.

"My son knows," he said. "The Xie family's century-old legacy cannot be ruined in our hands. No matter how powerful that person is, he's still in the capital. Jiangling is the Xie family's territory."

Zhou Heng is dead, and no one can prove the Xie family was responsible. If they investigate, they'll just say he was a bandit. What can they do? Turn against the entire Jiangnan aristocracy for a dead man?

Xie Xun stared at him for a long time.

Then he asked, "Are you sure?"

Xie Cong nodded.

"have."

That night, Xie Cong transferred more than a dozen people from his residence.

They were all men the Xie family had raised for many years; they were highly skilled and discreet. He called them over and gave them instructions for half an hour. After listening, they nodded and dispersed.

Xie Cong stood in the courtyard, watching the dark figures disappear into the night, a smile slowly appearing on his lips.

Zhou Heng.

Let you frolic in Gangneung.

The backyard of the school.

Zhou Heng was still awake. He sat under the lamp, flipping through the newly printed textbooks by Lao Bi. The paper was better than the first batch, and the print was clearer. After turning a few pages, he suddenly heard a noise outside.

It was very light, like the wind blowing through the branches.

He put down the book and stood up.

The door was pushed open, and Chen Shen slipped in.

"Young master, someone is here."

How many people?

"Thirteen," Chen Shen said. "They climbed over the back mountain, splitting into three groups. One group went to the front yard, one to the back yard, and one to your house."

Zhou Heng nodded.

How many people are there on your side?

Chen Shen said, "Eight."

Zhou Heng looked at him.

Chen Shen said, "That's enough."

Zhou Heng did not ask any further questions.

Chen Shen walked out.

"Young master," he said, "please stay inside and don't come out."

Zhou Heng nodded.

Chen Shen pushed open the door and went out.

The moment the door closed, Zhou Heng heard a muffled groan from outside.

Then came the sound of metal clashing.

Then came footsteps, shouts, and the sound of something falling to the ground.

Zhou Heng stood inside the room, listening to the sounds, without moving.

His hands hung at his sides, clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

Suddenly, it became quiet outside.

Zhou Heng waited for a while before pushing open the door.

Several men stood in the courtyard; they were Chen Shen's bodyguards. They held knives, blood still on them, and were examining the corpses on the ground.

Chen Shen stood at the courtyard gate and walked over when he saw him come out.

"Young master, it's alright now."

Zhou Heng nodded.

He looked down at the corpses on the ground. There were seven in total, lying there haphazardly, dressed in the clothes of ordinary people, but their hands and their posture clearly indicated that they were not ordinary people.

"Were any survivors?"

Chen Shen shook his head.

"They were all suicide squad members. They bit into the poison sacs when things went wrong. We managed to stop three of them; two died on the spot, and there was one more—"

He glanced to the side.

Zhou Heng followed his gaze.

A man was crouching in the corner, held down by two guards, unable to move. His mouth was stuffed with cloth, but his cheeks were still moving.

Zhou Heng walked over.

The man's eyes widened when he saw him.

Zhou Heng squatted down and looked at him.

The man didn't speak. Chen Shen grabbed his chin and took out the cloth. The man winced in pain and opened his mouth slightly. Zhou Heng saw a black object pressed under his tongue.

Chen Shen reached in and pried the thing out.

It was a pill sealed with wax.

Zhou Heng took the pill in his hand and looked at it.

"Can you die if this thing bites you?"

The man didn't speak.

Zhou Heng nodded.

"Take him back, and we can ask him slowly."

Two guards picked up the man and took him away.

Zhou Heng stood up and looked at the corpses in the courtyard.

"Clean it up," he said.

Chen Shen agreed.

Zhou Heng turned and walked back into the house.

Xie Mansion.

Xie Cong didn't sleep all night.

By daybreak, not a single person had returned.

Xie Cong's expression grew increasingly grim.

He sent someone out to investigate. The informant returned and said that everything was normal at the school, Zhou Heng was coming and going as usual, and there was no disturbance on the streets.

Xie Cong was stunned for a long time.

Thirteen people, all gone?

He sent men to investigate further. They even searched the back mountain. In the bushes on the back mountain, there were bloodstains and signs of a struggle. But the person was gone, and the body was gone too.

Xie Cong stood in the study, his face ashen.

This is what Xie Xun saw when he walked in.

Where are your men?

Xie Cong opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Xie Xun looked at him with a complicated expression.

"The entire army was wiped out?"

Xie Cong lowered his head.

Xie Xun walked to the window, turning his back to him.

Do you know why?

Xie Cong remained silent.

Xie Xun said, "Zhou Heng has secret guards by his side."

Xie Cong was stunned.

Xie Xun continued, "Those secret guards are His Majesty's personal troops. They fought their way all the way from the northern border, and they have more lives on their hands than you've ever seen. No matter how carefully you train your men, can they compare to these people?"

Xie Cong's face turned even paler.

Xie Xun turned around and looked at him.

"You know now?"

Xie Cong nodded.

Xie Xun sighed.

"Go and clean up the mess," he said. "Silence those who need to be silenced, and hide those who need to be hidden. Don't let anyone trace it back to the Xie family."

Xie Cong responded and turned to leave.

Xie Xun's voice came from behind.

"besides."

Xie Cong stopped in his tracks.

Xie Xun said, "This matter ends here. No further action is permitted."

Xie Cong remained silent for a while.

"Yes."