Zhang Yun’s martial arts skills were quite outstanding, otherwise, Zhang Ping wouldn’t have entrusted him with being a secret agent.
But compared to Zhou Gu, his martial arts was still inferior. Thus, when Zhou Gu attacked him by surprise, he was caught off guard and resisted in a panic. After a loud scream of terror, Zhou Gu was still able to stab him in the chest.
Zhou Gu knew that the stab didn’t hit his vital organs, so this wasn’t a fatal wound. He could deliver another strike, but if he did, he wouldn’t be able to escape.
After all, this was a military camp housing two hundred thousand troops, not a playground.
So, after successfully landing the first blow, Zhou Gu didn’t insist on finishing him off. He turned around and walked away.
He left swiftly, only crossing paths with Zhang Yun briefly before leaving his tent.
Outside, there was a commotion.
The entire military camp was soon in an uproar because not only Zhang Yun’s tent had been attacked, but Zhang Cheng and Zhang Xing, the fifth son, were also targeted.
Zhou Gu, Fen Ling, and Ziye split their forces, each aiming to assassinate key figures in the two hundred thousand camp at the same time.
The three had agreed on one strategy: strike once and retreat immediately, regardless of whether they achieved their goal.
Therefore, as soon as each of them made their moves and the secret agents responded, they decisively retreated.
Their departure was meticulous, having spent considerable effort studying the camp’s layout and exit routes at their arrival. Combined with the support from the hidden agents, the retreat went relatively smoothly. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
However, it still consumed most of the night.
Within the brightly lit military camp, the commander’s tent was in total chaos.
Upon successfully leaving the camp, the trio didn’t immediately return to their safe house. Instead, they circled around the mountains and got rid of any tracks and removed the potential threats before finally making their way back.
Su Rong focused on eating and sleeping lightly. Although concerned about the three men, she wasn’t overly worried.
As dawn approached, she heard the room door gently open. She grunted, "Zhou Gu?"
Cool air flooded in with Zhou Gu. He murmured cheerfully, "Did I wake you?"
Su Rong opened her eyes, "Not really. I was half-asleep and didn’t dare sleep too deeply. I was waiting for you. Was everything okay?"
Zhou Gu came to the window, struck a flint against the tinder, and lit the lamp. As the glow filled the room, he walked toward the bed. Then he stopped and reported: "It went well. Zhang Yun was formidable. He got stabbed by me but not fatally. Zhang Cheng also got stabbed by Fen Ling, but it was not fatal. Ziye had the most success; he killed Zhang Ping’s fifth son, Zhang Xing."
Su Rong nodded. From Zhou Gu’s black nightclothes, she couldn’t see any blood stains, but the strong smell of blood was unmistakable. "Are you injured?"
"I have a shoulder injury, but it’s not serious. Fen Ling was injured in his arm — it’s not too severe, either. Ziye sustained the heaviest injuries. His retreat wasn’t smooth, some secret agents were lost, he himself also got seriously injured. But don’t worry; his life’s not in danger," Zhou Gu reported.
Su Rong exhaled in relief, "That’s good."
Zhou Gu sniffed his sleeve with a distaste, "You continue sleeping, I need to bathe."
"You should dress your wound promptly," Su Rong emphasized.
"Alright," Zhou Gu nodded, then he turned and left the room.
Zhou Gu bathed quickly. His wound was not severe, so after a quick dressing, he returned to the room refreshed.
He climbed onto the bed with familiar ease, slipped under the covers, and, just like usual, pulled Su Rong into his arms. He shared with her the thrills of the night, "The two hundred thousand troops under Zhang Ping’s command are well-fed and alert. If it wasn’t for the effort we put into understanding the camp and devising a whole system of attack and retreat strategies, as well as Zhang Cheng and Zhang Yun not expecting us to sneak into the camp in the middle of the night for assassination, we wouldn’t have been so successful."
Su Rong smiled, "Indeed, you guys are quite brave to decide to infiltrate a military camp of two hundred thousand troops."
Zhang Cheng and Zhang Yun, no matter how cunning, would have never imagined how Zhou Gu dared to infiltrate the camp. After all, any slip-up would have meant a certain death – it was indeed risking their lives recklessly.
"The fact that they depend on the two hundred thousand soldiers and let their guards down made it possible for the assassination," Zhou Gu said, "But Zhang Cheng is quite cautious – to my surprise, he had guards stationed inside his tent."
"Perhaps Zhang Cheng was guarding against Zhang Yun. Turned out, he unintentionally blocked Fen Ling’s attack," Su Rong speculated, "After all, Zhang Cheng originally commanded the two hundred thousand troops, but then Zhang Yun joined the camp, and Zhang Mao was captured. So, Zhang Cheng might have been unsure if Zhang Yun would take this opportunity to move against him. After all, once he and Zhang Xing are dead, Zhang Yun would be the sole commander of these troops."
"That might even be possible," Zhou Gu acknowledged the speculation, "It seems that Zhang Yun really makes Zhang Cheng apprehensive. In the Zhang family, he must be an important figure."
"Of course. I almost died at his hands. Accomplishing his goal without getting his clothes soiled or drawing his weapon, staying with me at the same Inn with such audacity. In the end, I took a hard hit, and almost got killed by Nangong Yu who he lured covertly," Su Rong reflected on the rare loss she took, equating Zhang Yun to a lesson learned.
"Sadly, I couldn’t kill him today," Zhou Gu realized, "His martial arts skills are almost at par with mine. If he had not been caught off guard, it would’ve been impossible for me to even stab him with the little time we crossed paths tonight."
"It’s already pretty good. Wounding him severely with one stab means at least he won’t be able to move for several days." Su Rong held his hand, "Quickly sleep now. Right now, the military camp of two hundred thousand must still be in chaos. But I speculate it won’t last long, by tomorrow midday at the latest, Zhang Yun and Zhang Cheng would have ordered a search."
Zhou Gu nodded in agreement, "I think so too. But we don’t need to worry. Ning Chi’s mansion has a secret tunnel. We just have to hide therein."
Surprised, Su Rong asked, "Why does he have a secret tunnel in a mansion halfway up a hill?"
Zhou Gu explained, "According to him, it is to hide the wealth that he has accumulated over the years."
Su Rong understood. Ning Chi lost the protection of his mother from an early age. Marquis Nanping’s consort was a tough woman, and Marquis Nanping pampered the consort and Ning Yao, Ning Ze. There’s a lot of truth in the saying that when there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather. So, Ning Chi saved wealth in secret, without letting it known externally. He had to do much planning in secret to secure his position as the heir. Now it seems they have benefited from his tactics. They didn’t have to worry about finding safe hiding places anymore.
Thus, Su Rong was able to close her eyes in peace. "You must be tired. Sleep now."
Zhou Gu was indeed tired, but there was one more thing he hadn’t done. So, after Su Rong closed her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her. He kissed her for a while before he satisfiedly murmured "Sleep."
Su Rong, "..."
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