Her guards

Chapter 87 Ji Ying Attack

The charcoal fire had already warmed the house in advance.

A delicious and visually appealing meal was laid out on the table.

Even the simplest post station, once it is known that the inspector will pass through, will be attended to by the local government officials.

Ji Ying was not surprised. He took off his cloak, but instead of eating, he sat down at his desk.

The attendant hurriedly said, "Sir, please eat first. You've been traveling all day."

Ji Ying took out the letter the postmaster had given him earlier, his expression complicated: "Let's read the letter first."

A letter from home is something one can't help but read immediately. The attendant might make a few jokes with a smile, but then suddenly notices the mark on the letter, his expression freezes, and he whispers, "Why did the Marquis write a letter?"

To avoid suspicion, the Marquis rarely interacted with Ji and Ying, and any matters were communicated orally rather than in writing.

What happened this time? What major incident occurred?
He followed her gaze to the letter.

A thin sheet of paper.

Ji Ying frowned: "He didn't say."

His gaze was fixed on the four words on the letter.

Return to the capital immediately.

The characters are vigorous and powerful, indeed the handwriting of the Marquis of Yichun.

……

……

The once quiet post station became lively again.

"Sir, perhaps we should wait until dawn before we leave," the postmaster advised, then looked up at the sky. "The snow has already started falling."

Ji Ying had already mounted his horse, lifted his hood and looked up at the night sky, feeling the cold snowflakes falling. He looked down at the postmaster again: "The snow is no problem, it won't affect our journey." He added, "I've already sent my attendants to inform the prefectural government to avoid them waiting in vain."

The postmaster hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir, I will personally inform the prefect that you have urgent business at home and have returned to the capital."

Ji Ying nodded and said no more. He wrapped his hat and cloak tightly around himself, spurred his horse, and, escorted by dozens of soldiers, galloped into the night accompanied by blazing torches.

The postmaster and his servants stood outside the gate, watching the fiery serpentine procession gradually disappear into the distance.

"Is Inspector Ji's mother going to die?" a courier said, his expression showing a hint of joy. "That's great. After he goes back, he won't be coming back for a while. Our governor won't have to worry about welcoming the inspector anymore."

The postmaster raised his hand and slapped him on the back of the head.

"What nonsense! Show some restraint!" he scolded, but then a smile spread across his face. He kicked the courier again and said, "Warm up the wine and food. There's nothing to do on this snowy night, so let's relax a bit."

The courier chuckled and agreed, then happily went off.

.......
.......
As night deepened, the snowflakes turned into snowflakes, dancing in the air.

However, it did not hinder our journey. The land was covered in white snow, gleaming under the torchlight.

“My lord, once we cross this mountain ridge, there is an abandoned temple,” a guard said to Ji Ying. “Would you like to rest for a while, my lord?”

Ji Ying shook his head: "We just changed to new post horses, let's continue on our way until we reach the next post station."

Bingwei responded and was about to urge his horse forward when he caught a glimpse of a bright light among the swirling snowflakes out of the corner of his eye.

what……

The thought flashed through his mind, and a bright light appeared before his eyes, then with a hum, it pierced through his throat.

Ji Ying's consciousness paused for a moment. The soldiers who fell off their horses, the flying snowflakes, and the burning torches all seemed to slow down until the next moment when he was grabbed and thrown off his horse.

When I regained consciousness amidst the dizziness, all I could hear was a cacophony of shouts.

"Be careful--"

"Protect the adults—"

……

.......
Ji Ying lay prostrate on the ground, surrounded by guards who erected shields to block the arrows that came flying in the wind and snow, but they could not stop the sound of galloping hooves, shouts, and the clash of weapons.

what happened?

Who are these people?

Before he could think it through, the shield protecting him began to loosen.

"Take the adults with you—"

There are too many of them—

Ji Ying was helped up by his attendants, and several guards, holding shields, escorted him as he retreated in one direction.

The torch fell to the ground and was trampled by the horses' hooves. Ji Ying's vision was blurred, but he could still see the soldiers lying on the ground and some men in black.

More and more soldiers fell, and more and more men in black flew in like snowflakes in the dark night.

A hole was torn in the protective shield.

With a fierce flash of sword light, the bodyguard protecting him screamed and fell to the ground.

Ji Ying cried out in pain, calling out the name of his attendant. The next moment, another flash of blades came from the front.

Ji Ying instinctively raised his long sword.

With a clang.

The longsword blocked the longsword. The black-clad attacker did not advance further; instead, his eyes, hidden behind a black cloth, widened in shock before he collapsed, knife in hand.

He had a throwing axe stuck in his chest.

Ji Ying stared blankly at the axe, then subconsciously turned his head and saw another group of people charging towards them amidst the swirling snow.

Although these people were also dressed in black, they were not targeting the government soldiers, but instead rushed towards the men in black who had been there earlier.

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

"kill--"

Was someone coming to rescue him? Ji Ying was stunned. The next moment, something hit his head, and everything went black. He fell down, still clutching his sword.

……

.......
"Lord Ji..."

"Lord Ji..."

The calls came from near and far, and Ji Ying felt a splitting headache. Had he slept in too late?
Moreover, he seemed to have had a terrible dream in which he received a letter from the Marquis of Yichun, left the post station, was attacked, his attendants died, and he...

Ji Ying suddenly opened his eyes.

My vision blurred, and I saw seven or eight people around me, their faces indistinct, all of whom were cheering at the same time.

"woke up!"

"not dead!"

"Great!"

"If I die, how will I explain it to the young master!"

Amidst the cacophony around him, Ji Ying felt dizzy and disoriented. Was he dreaming now, or had he been dreaming before?
The next moment, a voice rang out, "Master Hong is here!" and the surrounding noise and the swaying heads instantly receded.

Ji Ying's consciousness became more focused, and he heard clear footsteps in his ears and saw a clear face in his vision.

This is a man in his forties with a fair complexion and a kind face.

"Lord Ji," he said with a smile, "you're awake?"

Ji Ying looked at him, then turned his gaze around and found himself lying in a cave.

"Lord Ji, do you remember what happened?" the man asked again.

Ji Ying turned his gaze back to him, slowly nodded, and as he nodded, his face contorted again, he hissed, and raised his hand to his head.

The man had already caught him: "Lord Ji, be careful, you've been hit on the head by the shield."

……

……

He was only hit on the head, but almost everyone else was dead.

Ji Ying slowly walked out of the cave, leaning on his cane. The snow had stopped, and it was almost dusk. The snow-covered mountains and forests looked like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Ji Ying had no interest in appreciating the mountain scenery. His gaze fell on the ground, where rows of corpses lay scattered about, their disheveled clothes mangled and bloodied, a testament to the horrific carnage of that night.

When Ji Ying saw the soldiers and his entourage guarding him, he walked over, knelt down on one knee with his cane, and looked grief-stricken.

"My condolences, Lord Ji," the man said. "Can you identify these attackers?"

Ji Ying suppressed his grief and walked to the other side where the corpse of the man in black was placed.

The black cloths covering these people's faces have been torn off, but...

Ji Ying glanced over and slowly shook his head: "Since they came to attack me, they certainly wouldn't be recognized by me."

The man nodded: "We've checked too, and these people didn't reveal their identities at all."

Ji Ying lowered his eyes slightly, then looked at him: "May I ask, do I still have any surviving soldiers?"

He didn't know anything about the men in black who attacked him, but he could tell from a quick glance that his number of guards was incorrect.

The man said, "We arrived just in time; ten of your guards survived." He then smiled, "Lord Ji, don't worry, we've made other arrangements for them."

Ji Ying looked at him and said, "May I ask your honorable name, hero? I will repay you properly when I return to the government office."

The man smiled again: "I dare not call myself a hero. We are hunters from this mountain. We just happened to encounter thieves committing crimes and came to their aid."

The hunter, Ji Ying, looked at the man, then at the men sitting or standing around him. They varied in build, appearance, and age, and were dressed casually, but when his gaze swept over them, he noticed their sharp eyes...

Hunter.

What kind of hunter could wipe out a whole group of assassins?
Moreover, what kind of hunter would not stay at home in the middle of the night on a snowy day, but instead run out and encounter a murder?

Those men in black wouldn't kill him for no reason, and these hunters wouldn't save him for no reason.

Ji Ying suddenly remembered a sentence he had heard when he first woke up.

"Is your young master also a hunter?" he suddenly asked.

The man laughed heartily: "To be honest, Lord Ji, our young master has personally witnessed you solving cases, arresting criminals, and upholding justice. He deeply admires you, so he instructed us to protect a righteous official like you to prevent you from being harmed."

Did he personally witness him solving cases, arresting criminals, and upholding justice? Ji Ying frowned. Did he? This person must have made up a lie.

"And one more thing," the man looked at him and smiled slightly, "Sir, you can't go back to the government office for the time being; you'll have to stay here with us for a while."

"Keep him here?" Ji Ying's face turned ashen; it should be called imprisonment.

(End of this chapter)