The fierce fighting between the two gangs of the martial arts circles lasted all night.

After the battle, the whole Mount Ruyi was dyed red with blood, bloody and burning.

In the dense forest, corpses piled up like mountains, and the night breeze flowed quietly, blowing away the strong metal smell which burst out from the mutual attack of weapons.

Leng Qingtang hung his sword and moved forward slowly, his embroidered boots with curled-up dragon patterns stepping on the remaining bloodstains. His pale and thin face was hard to dispel the look of killing.

Over the head, the crescent moon seemed to have eaten blood. The color was intensely red, and the light ink cloud floating on the moon hook was also soaked by the blood moon and was plated with a hazy red outline.

Leng Qingtang raised his head and looked into the sky, frowning silently.

He suddenly thought of the snowy night eleven years ago. Blood and fire flooded inside and outside the Zheng Duke's official residence.

The moon at that time was also so red.

How time flew.

Eleven years, it had been eleven years.

While many guards were busy handling the corpses all over the mountain, Xiao Xiaoshen approached the Master and bowed down.

"Master, I have finished checking with the other four captains. In this campaign, 1350 rebels were killed, and 36 ones were captured alive, and 81 guards of the Eastern Depot were killed and wounded. None of the rebels escaped." He said.

"Well done!"

Leng Qingtang looked up with awe, and his eyes were cold.

Then he thought of something and turned to Xiao Xiaoshen.

"Order all the people to step up their actions. Before dawn, we must gather all the people and return to Beijing quickly. Over the capital... There's something important waiting for us! "

"Yes, your grace!"

Xiao Xiaoshen's eyes were startled. He seemed to have understood something. He quickly lowered his eyes and nodded, and then he stepped into the deep forest.

...

In the Western Depot in Capital.

In the main hall, the Chiliarch Cheng Wanli was pacing with his hand in his hand, and his thick brow furrowed with a serious expression.

Several captains gathered on the east and west sides of the main hall. At the bottom of the hall there were two secret guards of the sixth squad, specializing in intelligence collection in several places in the capital.

In the past three days, the most talked-about matter in the capital was the Western Depot's Commander-in-chief's assassination when he was traveling at night.

After Ming Lan's carriage was attacked by a mysterious person that night, the carriage scene and the people of the Western Depot fainted were discovered by a short-legged porter who passed by.

When the guards of the Western Depot arrived and were shocked to find their Master, the short-legged porter had already fled.

The next day, he scattered the big news last night in the market.

For a time, the most talked about by the people in the city after their meal was this matter. From the government offices to the street people, some families were happy, and some were sad.

The ordinary people still remembered that in the late autumn of last year, the Master Ming of the Western Depot caused a similar scandal in Qingfeng Temple in the northern suburbs.

Now, less than a year later, he had caused another incident. There were different opinions, but all people wondered if he would provoke the emperor into a rage and took the opportunity to dismiss his Western Depot!

But there was one other person who became the focus of public discussion throughout the assassination.

It was the unidentified young woman taken away by the assassin.

No one knew her name, "Gu Yunxi."

After being described by the short-legged porter, the news ran from mouth to mouth, and soon there were two versions of the story in the market.

The mysterious lady was a good girl who was robbed by the Western Depot's Commander-in-chief and was rescued by assassins who hated the Western Depot.

The second one was that the mysterious lady has initially been the "vase wife" of the Commander-in-chief, who should have been taken as kidnappers and robbed by the assassins. In the future, they would carry out further covert operations against the Western Depot.

The capital market was where the dragons and fishes jumbled together, and many secret guards of the Eastern Depot hid their true identities.

When they got the news, they immediately returned to the Eastern Depot and brought everything they had seen and heard to the Chiliarch.

At this moment, the people who made Cheng Wanli worried and wander frequently were Yuan Qian, the tenth captain, who did not return overnight, and Qinger, Gu Yunxi's maid. She had disappeared for a few days in the Master's Mansion for no reason.

To be exact, two days ago, Cheng Wanli had been aware of the children missing unusually.

He asked the guards many times, but they kept silent. Finally, Chen Wanli had to use the precepts of the Eastern Depot to them as the Chiliarch. And then he took the news from them.

Yuan Qian and Qinger, unexpectedly, to save Yunxi, secretly took people to the Ming Mansion.

Now that they hadn't returned for a few days, the two of them... must have failed...

Cheng Wanli calmed down, and then he related what happened recent days in the capital, he guessed that.

The tenth squad’s rescue action failed, and Ming Lan arrested Yuan Qian and Qinger and wanted to transfer Yunxi.

On the way, the carriage was attacked by a mysterious person, and Ming Lan was injured. The woman who was kidnapped must have been Yunxi.

The more Cheng Wanli thought, the more anxious he became, and the more anxious he became, the more afraid he was.

"Yunxi has a unique identity. Although the Master has always been cautious and careful to guard her Zheng's bloodline, I'm afraid there is a time for imperfection." He thought.

"Now that unknown people have kidnapped her, does it mean that her identity has been secretly exposed? Who are those people?"

"Right now, Ming Lan is assassinated, and the whereabouts of Yunxi is unknown. Ming Lan will attribute the attack to the Eastern Depot. Once he gets recovered, he will look for opportunities to trouble the Master."

"How does the Eastern Depot rescue the two detained children from Ming Lan? When his Master returns, how can he tell the Master about the kidnapping of Yunxi?

Seeing the Chiliarch groaning and sullen, Ai Qing, the first captain, stepped forward to comfort him.

"Your Excellency, you can tell us your plan. We will undertake it fearlessly and vigorously for our brothers!"

Before he finished his words, Zhao Wuji, the third captain, stepped forward, spreading his rough and thick palms, and resolutely declared.

"It's better for me to lead a team of people to explore the prison of the Western Depot at night. The two children must be locked in it."

"Nonsense!"

Cheng Wanli suddenly turned back and walked straight to Zhao Wuji. He stared at his plump, shaggy face and exclaimed.

"Don't make a fuss! At present, we have been caught by the Western Depot. The best evidence of Eastern Depot's rudeness is that they have our people.

How could you send anyone to make trouble? Maybe they're trying to allure you into the snare.

The Master specially explained before he left the capital that he would not allow his squads to act without authorization!

As it is now, we have broken the Master's plan. When he comes back, how can I tell him? "

There was a moment of silence.

The captains were all aware of the situation's seriousness, and they bowed their heads, looking sad and blank.

The depot worker came in from outside and bowed to Cheng Wanli,

"My Lord, here comes Master Ming of the Western Depot."

"Damn it! Speak of the devil!" Cheng Wanli thought.

Cheng Wanli was shocked and imperceptibly looked straight at the door, eyes heavy.

One by one, the captains suppressed their expressions, hateful or resentful, and stared at the door with sharp eyes.

All of a sudden, the air in the main hall was shrouded with a fierce and murderous aura.

The disorderly footstep was approaching from far away. In a brand-new white flying crane Commander-in-chief's robe, Ming Lan entered the main hall surrounded by five Western Depot guards.

The guards, with their swords on their waists, frowned their eyes and their faces were gloomy. The people who saw them were disgusted as if they had swallowed a fly.

They walked on a rampage, with the wind under their feet, as if the monsters came out of the mountain.

Today, the make-up on Ming Lan's face was thicker than that in usual. There is nothing else but to cover a bruised scar on his left front.

Despite the thick layers of apricot pollen, the piece that spread to his ear, like a strangely shaped plate on the border map, still showed a clear pattern on his cheek side.

Ming Lan's right arm suffered some injuries. The imperial doctor diagnosed that there was no fracture, but a dislocation of muscles and bones.

Because he came to the Eastern Depot to make trouble, so before setting out this treacherous man deliberately let his men wrap his arms in wound bands and hang one end of it around his neck.

Seeing the Western Depot's mobs enter the hall aggressively and domineeringly, the captains of the Eastern Depot crossed their arms. They raised their sharp eyes, watching every movement of those people closely.

Cheng Wanli smiled hypocritically and bowed his hands to Ming Lan to greet him,

"Master Ming has come to the Eastern Depot. I beg your pardon for not going out early to meet you. Master Ming, take your place."

Then he signed with his hand.

Ming Lan did not refuse, strode to the top of the high chair inlaid with gold python pattern and took a seat, and a guard of the Western Depot beside him raised his python robe back in time.

Cheng Wanli ordered the depot worker to prepare tea.

Ming Lan's complexion was pale, and his eyes were cold, but he did not look at Cheng Wanli. He raised his jaw slightly and said in a diffuse voice.

"Where is Master Leng? Today I come in person to see him."

Cheng Wanli smiled calmly and respectfully replied.

"Master Ming didn't come at the right time. My Master went to the capital to arrest the crucial criminals of the imperial court. He was not in the Eastern Depot. If Master Ming has something essential to do, I am willing to help you. "

Ming Lan squinted his eyes leisurely as if smiling.

"When he left the capital, he sent his men to break into my residence overnight and set fire to it. A girl in my family found the evil behavior. Your people were so vicious that they beat her to death.

I came to Leng Qingtang for an explanation. "

Cheng Wanli's scalp tightened suddenly, but he didn't bring the panic and worry to his face.

"What is Master Ming talking about? How can I not understand?"

Cheng Wanli looked down, pretending to be amazed at what he said.

"Don't you understand? It doesn't matter. You can go to the prison of the Western Depot and find out how many prisoners who are from your Eastern Depot. "

Ming Lan finished speaking softly and quietly, and the sharp light in his clear eyes was even brighter and more inflexible.

Cheng Wanli suddenly became speechless, and the big black face suddenly scalded. A layer of hot sweat oozed from his back, and tightly wrapped his clothes.

The Chiliarch got speechless. So wild laughing lines spread out on Ming Lan's enchanting face.

Lu Rong, the second captain of the Eastern Depot, could not bear it anymore. He gritted his teeth and went forward. He complained, squinting his eyes.

"Master Ming, do not push us too far! It was you who buckled down Yun Guaner, the guard of the Eastern Depot first, and then Captain Yuan took the risk to save his colleague."

"Who is Yun Guaner? Why have I never heard of this man? "

Ming Lan suddenly raised his voice, pinched the sharp voice in his throat, and said.

"There have indeed been outsiders in my residence, but they are not some guards, but the girls in Youzhu Garden.

I was ordered by the emperor to take charge of the Garden. I don't understand why you attacked my chariot at midnight to rob a damsel?

As soon as he finished the words, Lu Rong was angry but could not refute it.

He couldn't stand it anymore. He pointed to Ming Lan and roared.

"You take the advantage to frame us up!"

Behind the chair, two guards of the Western Depot immediately sprang out, and they puffed out their chest to drive Lu Rong back in anger.

Lu Rong did not show his weakness for martial arts skills, so he raised his elbow to meet them.

Seeing this, the two guards pulled out a half steel knife from their waist.

A flash of cold light angered Zhao Wuji, the third captain of the Eastern Depot.

His eyes widened, and he took out a pair of cast-steel handballs without another word and shouted.

"This is the Eastern Depot. You are not allowed to act wildly here."

"Stop it all!"

Cheng Wanli's sudden roar stopped the fight between the two depots.

In any case, the weakness was grasped by him, so Cheng Wanli was helpless at the moment.

Thinking slightly, he changed to a pleasant face and gathered his fist to compensate for Ming Lan.

"Master Ming, please look at my poor face anyway and let go of the two ignorant children for the time being.

As the Eastern Depot's Chiliarch, my supervision is not strict, and I have made mistakes. I'm willing to exchange myself for them. As for the punishment, I'm glad to accept it. "

"By you?"

Ming Lan suddenly picked up the long and narrow eyeliner and looked at Chiliarch Cheng obliquely, with a disdain expression.

"I don't know how big face you have."

With this graceful voice, the Western Depot guards immediately burst into laughter, mock and frivolity.

The anger that was suppressed by Cheng Wanli several times in the bottom of his heart leaped up to the top of his head in the bursts of ridicule.

He looked straight at Ming Lan calmly and spoke slowly.

"Master Ming, please stop at the right time. Enough is enough. You ask me how big my face is? As the Chiliarch, the Master is not there, and I am in charge of everything in the Eastern Depot.

Now I'm willing to let you sit down and talk to the Eastern Depot captains and me. Isn't it enough? "

With that, Cheng Wanli seemed to move unwittingly and slightly his right arm.

The breaking sound came, and the rose chair under the body of Ming Lan unexpectedly split apart without any sign.

Unexpectedly, Ming Lan's whole body sank and fell, and his buttocks bump into the legs of the chair.

There was a slight crack in the bone, and the stiff legs of the rosewood chair broke the bone of his tail.

Ming Lan was so painful that he cried out with hot sweat on his face.

"Master!"

Several guards of the Western Depot exclaimed and dragged their Master from the ground.

With so many eyes, none of them saw Cheng Wanli's real shoot.

"Fine, fine..."

Ming Lan leaned on a guard and squeezed his eyes angrily, with blood streaking on them.

"How dare you attack me with your internal strength, you... Ouch!"

Ming Lan raised his arm, and as soon as his orchid finger pointed to Cheng Wanli, he could not bear the pain. His face was ferocious and painful, and he was eager to cover the buttocks with his hand.

Cheng Wanli was indifferent and spread out his hands to show his innocence.

"Why did Master Ming blame me? The governor has been well respected for a long time. Even this rosewood chair cannot carry the weight of the Master's noble body. What can we do?

This time, the people of the Eastern Depot tittered.

"You!"

Ming Lan suddenly sharpened his eyebrows and slashed at Cheng Wanli with cold eyes.

"There is no tiger in the mountain, and the monkey is the king. I can't imagine that the men of Leng Qingtang are so vulgar and rude. In this case, I can't stay for a long time, so I'm leaving.

When Master Leng returns to the capital, tell him to go to the prison of the Western Depot and get his people back!"