Chapter 001: Night Attack

Amidst the gentle night breeze, Du Fan and Oscar said little more, walking silently side by side.
Du Fan continued to wonder—since those two had given him so much, what exactly did they want?
Gabriel and Evan might seem like ordinary partners, but their relationship was likely quite deep.
He needed to figure this out quickly. If their relationship was indeed close, then the advantages he had gained that night were far from harmless—they could turn into a troublesome burden.
If the situation in the north was as Oscar said, then whatever he had taken on could bring catastrophic harm to him and even his entire family at any moment…
There was a way to reduce this risk: sending those two back to their master. That would be the best solution, but it required choosing the right moment. Otherwise, if those two died now, even a pig would know it was he who did it.
Thinking this way, Du Fan realized he hadn’t gained much that night—perhaps he had even suffered a loss, though it might turn into an advantage later.
As he pondered, he suddenly heard a faint sound approaching—filled with murderous intent. After distinguishing it, he realized it was the sound of a bowstring being drawn…
Du Fan’s pupils contracted. Before he could utter a sound, he rushed toward Selina behind him. At this point, if Oscar died, so be it. After all, Du Fan had only met him on the first day, and though their relationship was good, he wasn’t willing to risk his life for him. But as for Selina, aside from being a crucial pawn for him, her beauty made him unwilling to let her die.
Du Fan threw himself onto Selina, and the two rolled together, hiding in the shadow of the ivy. Oscar wasn’t stupid either—he rolled aside and ended up next to Du Fan…
The two exchanged a glance and smiled bitterly. Before they could say anything, they heard a series of “tap-tap-tap” sounds…

Dozens of arrows had already been shot at the spot where the two of them had stood just moments ago. Fortunately, Du Fan and Oscar were extremely agile and managed to dodge them. Otherwise, if those arrows had hit them, even if they couldn’t become hedgehogs, they would surely have become targets.

Both of their expressions changed instantly. In the blink of an eye, Du Fan’s gaze shifted. He casually pulled out a few magic scrolls, snorted, and said, “It seems our Baron Gabriel doesn’t intend to let us leave alive tonight. Lord Oscar, it looks like we’ll have to rely on our own skills. I won’t be able to protect you later.”

“As for you,” Du Fan glanced at Selina, “stay hidden here properly. If I die, commit suicide to avoid humiliation. If I escape, come out openly—Baron Gabriel probably won’t dare do anything to you.”

Selina knew she couldn’t do anything in her current state, so she nodded in agreement but retreated into the darkness.

Over there, Oscar let out a low sigh. “I never expected this. I knew those 100,000 gold coins wouldn’t come easily. If I had known Gabriel intended to attack, I would never have come tonight… Lord Du Fan, you must realize that if he were to strike, his first target would be you, right? Though I, Oscar, am arrogant, I don’t think I’m someone worth assassinating. So sorry, I’m leaving first!”

Du Fan’s expression changed. He also understood that if Gabriel were to act, it would definitely be targeting him. Oscar was largely responsible for his own predicament… But in this situation, dragging Oscar down with him was the best outcome. Given Du Fan’s personality, dragging Lord Oscar down and then walking away wasn’t something he wouldn’t do.

He just didn’t expect Lord Oscar to be so quick-witted, having immediately figured out the situation and preparing to leave right away.

In the blink of an eye, neither of them had time for words. Yet their gazes met, as if they both understood each other’s intentions.

Du Fan snorted. He casually cast a magic scroll, summoning a light blue wind shield that spun around him. Only after using the wind shield spell did he feel a bit more at ease. With a cold laugh, he dashed forward like lightning.

Oscar’s expression changed instantly. Without time to think further, he leaped in Du Fan’s direction. According to his plan, with Du Fan leading the way, he couldn’t possibly suffer any loss. But unexpectedly, as soon as Du Fan appeared, he retracted mid-air and returned along the same path. Oscar’s mind flickered, and he immediately understood: although he had intended to use Du Fan as a bait, in reality, Du Fan wanted him to be the bait instead. His performance was so convincing that Oscar had been deceived due to carelessness. But in his urgency and lack of preparation, it was naturally impossible for Oscar to retreat like Du Fan. At that moment, the sound of bowstrings rang out again. Oscar reacted swiftly. Before he could curse Du Fan, he let out a loud shout and waved his hand. Somehow, a slender fencing sword appeared in his hand. The blade was only as thick as a person’s little finger, with a round tip at the end. Its soft body and unsharpened edge made it usually a decorative item for nobles. Yet, in Oscar’s hands, this seemingly useless sword emitted a glow of combat energy. As he moved, the small round tip rotated slightly, and the sword, as if it had eyes, rushed toward the arrows nearby. In an instant, it swung, chopped, stabbed, and sliced—various movements flowing smoothly as the “ding ding dang” sound echoed, and all the arrows fell to the ground. Those arrows carried traces of combat energy, and since archers usually had great strength, their power was considerable. Yet Oscar managed to block all of them with just this useless sword in a single move—his cultivation level was truly astonishing! By this point, even if Du Fan were killed, he would never believe that Oscar was really just a bard! Oscar had landed back on the ground. He flicked his hand, and the sword made a clear sound. Although the barrage of arrows hadn’t taken his life, he didn’t dare be careless. His muscles tensed, his combat energy burned fiercely, and a pale blue glow shimmered around him. Clearly, Lord Oscar practiced water-type combat energy, and judging from the intensity of his energy, he was already a high-level warrior.

In the darkness, a faint scent of blood could be detected, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, as if the air itself had become thick. Oscar didn’t dare to be careless; he prepared to act at any moment, not blinking an eye.

Du Fan, hiding in the shadows of the vines, didn’t even dare to breathe. Though he thought he could leave silently, for some reason, he sensed that something seemed to have locked onto him, making him too afraid to move.

Selena, hiding in the darkness, covered her mouth. Although her eyes still shone, it was clear that neither side considered her a threat.

Suddenly, a rapid sound of wind was heard, and soon, more than a dozen warriors clad in leather armor rushed out from all directions in the garden. Each of them wore a black mask, and their gleaming swords sparkled in the night. Behind them, another dozen archers with drawn bows appeared. These archers also wore masks, but their ring fingers were silver.

Oscar’s expression darkened again. He was utterly helpless—if he was guessing correctly, these guys’ target wasn’t him but that bastard Du Fan. He was unlucky to have to shield him from these people.

If possible, Oscar would have raised his hand and shouted, “I’m innocent! This has nothing to do with me…”

But these men moved with steady steps, radiating murderous intent. Clearly, they were seasoned warriors. Even if he tried to explain, before he could speak, their swords would likely be plunged into his chest.

While he might be able to deal with them, they still had those dozen archers. If they fired simultaneously, it would be difficult for him to escape unscathed.

Moreover, since these guys dared attack Du Fan, the third young master of the Green family, there must be skilled fighters among them. If they fought openly, it might be fine, but if they were as despicable as Du Fan, Oscar might never get the chance to finish writing his “Tuan Jing” again…

Thinking of this, Oscar grew even more resentful toward Du Fan. If it weren’t for that bastard suddenly showing off his martial arts, he would have already escaped by now. As for this matter involving Rui and the city—whether it’s you killing me or me killing you—I, Oscar, am just here as a bystander. It really has nothing to do with me!!!