Chapter 293: First Volume, Chapter 293: A Bad Premonition

First Volume, Chapter 293: A Bad Premonition

End of Chou Hour, Pingyao County.

Qin Feng, who had just fallen asleep, suddenly jolted awake from his dream, wiped his back, and found it soaked in cold sweat.

Strange!

The henchmen of Pingyao County had nearly all been slaughtered by the Tianji Camp Guards; all that remained was to wait until tomorrow's court session to resolve Pingyao County's troubles—so why did his heart feel so heavy?

Qin Feng couldn't figure it out, and his sleep was gone; he rose and left his room, walking to the window of the second-floor guest chamber to breathe some air, when he heard faint footsteps behind him. Before he could turn, Li Zhang's voice came.

"Brother Qin, you can't sleep either?"

Li Zhang had his hair tied and his cap on, his robes neat and tidy, identical to how he looked during the day—he clearly hadn't even touched his bed.

Seeing Qin Feng remain silent and not turn, treating him like air, Li Zhang didn't care.

He simply sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of the leftover tea from earlier, drank it down without hesitation, and let out a "Ha—" as if thoroughly satisfied.

"Beixi County is on the brink of collapse; Mother, Sister, Comrade—all hanging by a thread. If it were me, I certainly couldn't sleep either."

"But you'll soon grow accustomed to this life of constant dread."

"Just like me."

Qin Feng understood Li Zhang's implication perfectly—in essence, it came down to one phrase: serving the sovereign is like serving a tiger.

But Qin Feng had no desire to delve deeper with Li Zhang—not out of fear, nor avoidance, but simply because it was unnecessary.

Qin Feng turned, stepped toward the door, and as he passed Li Zhang, slapped his shoulder lightly: "Save your breath—you're not dragging me down with you."

Watching Qin Feng's back, Li Zhang shed his usual smoothness, his gaze resolute: "You are no loyal minister, nor a good man. Let me give you one piece of advice: those on different paths do not work together!"

Qin Feng pretended not to hear, leaving without looking back.

Those grand principles didn't need Li Zhang's wasted breath—Qin Feng's mind was crystal clear; as for the road ahead, he'd deal with it as it came—no pre-planned schemes, no safety nets needed.

Because the man seated high in Jinluan Hall had too sharp an insight.

Any preparation made in advance seemed utterly visible to him…

Back in his room, Qin Feng tossed and turned, hugging his head, staring blankly at the cold night outside the window.

Meanwhile, at Gao Fu, the carriage bound for Jingdu was ready.

Accompanied by several servants, Zhou Yufu stepped outside, about to climb aboard, when he heard faint whispers nearby.

He turned to look and saw two strange soldiers standing by a corner wall, clad in black, with short bows slung on their backs and short knives at their waists.

Two Tianji Camp Guards, arms crossed, watched Zhou Yufu with amusement, smirking and teasing.

"Let this fool run for one Envoy—how long do you think it'll take me to catch him?"

"Hah, three Envoy?"

"I think you're underestimating me! Two Envoy is enough—wanna bet?"

Hearing their chatter, Zhou Yufu frowned and snorted: "Blind fools! Someone, throw these two out!"

At Zhou Yufu's order, five evil servants lunged at the Tianji Camp Guards with claws outstretched.

In the blink of an eye.

Zhou Yufu vaguely saw the Tianji Camp Guards throw three punches and two kicks—simple, direct—and the five evil servants lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Remarkably skilled fists and feet!

Zhou Yufu was secretly shocked, yet his face remained contemptuous: "I don't care whose soldiers you are—get out of the way! If you knew who I'm going to see in Jingdu, you'd be terrified!"

Hearing this, the Tianji Camp Guards laughed, strode straight to the carriage, grabbed Zhou Yufu by the collar, yanked him off the carriage, and punched him square in the nose.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

Zhou Yufu's head rang with a "Whirring Sound," and he felt dizzy and disoriented.

He'd been hit—he'd actually been hit on his own turf?!

But it wasn't over…

The Tianji Camp Guard wiped the blood from his hand onto Zhou Yufu's clothes, smiling: "We are Young Master Qin's men."

Zhou Yufu sat slumped on the ground, clutching his nose, looking up at the Tianji Camp Guard and roaring incoherently: "I am a Servant of Grand Commandant Gao—how dare you…"

Before he finished, the Tianji Camp Guard punched him again, still calm and casual, repeating: "We are Young Master Qin's men."

Zhou Yufu took two punches and was stunned, but recalling his immense background, he mustered a sliver of defiance: "My master holds the highest rank among the Three Dukes—how dare you…"

The Tianji Camp Guard had no patience to hear him out—he slapped Zhou Yufu hard across the face: "We are Young Master Qin's men."

Was this arrogant soldier incapable of saying anything else?

Or did the mere title "Young Master Qin" render all threats meaningless?

Zhou Yufu's arrogance slowly gave way to fear.

At that moment, the other Tianji Camp Guard patted the horse's back and said casually: "If you can escape Pingyao County's borders, I lose. Go ahead."

The once-bullying evil servants stood frozen in terror; sensing things had turned sour, they hurriedly helped Zhou Yufu back into the compound.

Boom!

The Door slammed shut.

The two Tianji Camp Guards exchanged glances and spoke in unison: "Boring."