After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he left with his subordinates. As he left, he glanced coldly at Xu Jingming, a passing outsider. Even though he noticed the Blood Rain Guard uniform under Xu Jingming’s cyan robe, he didn’t pay it any attention.

How could the Yang family care about an ordinary Blood Rain Guard?

“Third Qiao, you’re silly. Second Young Master asked you if anyone was willing to go with him. When he asked for your inclinations, why did you honestly say that you wanted to stay in the capital?”

“In the future, remember to do whatever the Yang family’s masters ask you to do.”

“This is a warning to others.” The people around him whispered.

Xu Jingming watched from the side as he looked at the dead girl. There was a bloody whip mark on her chest. The whip had struck her very hard, killing the girl in one strike.

…

That night.

Butler Bai hurriedly walked out of the Yang residence and headed for his residence.

I have to think of a way. I have to escape from the convoy and hide before leaving the city. The Yang family won’t have the luxury of time to look for me in the vast capital during that period, Butler Bai thought. If I follow the Yang family’s team out of the capital, how many people will die on the way?

Butler Bai usually stayed in the Yang residence and only returned to his residence occasionally. It was rare for him to come out today.

“Huh?” Xu Jingming, who was scouting the terrain, noticed Butler Bai. He was the person leading the group during the day.

Whoosh.

The silent spear tore through the air.

Not good. Butler Bai was also a second-rate expert. He immediately drew a sharp sword from his waist the moment he sensed the changes in the airflow.

However, the spear was like a swimming dragon. When it touched the sharp sword, the spear didn’t receive any resistance from the strange spinning force and naturally brushed past the back of Butler Bai’s head.

Chi~~~

The spear grazed the back of Butler Bai’s head—Butler Bai felt his brain buzz before he fainted.

Xu Jingming walked forward and left silently with Butler Bai in one hand.

*******

In an uninhabited residential woodshed.

Butler Bai woke up and saw a masked man standing in front of him.

“Who are you?” Just as Butler Bai was about to move, he realized that the joints in his hands and legs had been dislocated. He couldn’t stand up at all. “Sir, did you get the wrong person?”

“Butler Bai of the Yang family, I want to ask you something.” Xu Jingming’s voice was hoarse. “Speak honestly, and I’ll spare your life. You should know the consequences of lying.”

Butler Bai’s heart trembled.

The person opposite him had instantly captured him alive. Clearly, his strength far exceeded his.

“Sir, feel free to ask.” Butler Bai was a very timid person. He said obsequiously, “I’ll definitely tell you everything I know.”

“Is the Yang family fleeing the capital?”

“Yes! The situation in the western region is deteriorating. Many large clans in the capital are arranging for some branches to leave the city,” Butler Bai explained. “They’re worried that the capital will be breached, and the large clans won’t be able to escape even if they want to.”

Xu Jingming listened. “What’s the situation with the Yang family?”

“The Yang family has a huge influence in the eastern region of our hometown, Xue City, and the surrounding 500 kilometers are under the control of the Yang family. However, most of the main branch of the Yang family is in the capital. This time, some of the Yang family members from the main branch are leaving the capital with many experts and some gold and silver accumulated over the years,” Butler Bai said.

“Leave with the gold and silver?”

“Yes, sir!” Butler Bai said, “The world is getting worse. Once the imperial capital is breached, the government banks will definitely ban the withdrawal of money, and those banknotes will become useless! Even for the large families’ banks… The large families won’t even be able to protect themselves in the ensuing chaos, so their banknotes will be even more worthless. Therefore, they definitely have to be exchanged for a lot of gold and silver.”

“How much did the Yang family exchange?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Butler Bai continued, “They’ve been secretly exchanging the banknotes for gold and silver for a long time. At the very least, Second Young Master got me to exchange more than 10,000 taels of silver. The entire Yang family has exchanged at least a million taels! A million taels of silver is nothing to the Yang family.”

Xu Jingming said softly, “Aren’t they afraid of being plundered?”

“The world’s situation is dire now. The Yang family will also split into teams and disguise themselves as caravans and escort teams,” Butler Bai replied. “With so many teams, it won’t affect them much even if a portion of them are plundered.”

Xu Jingming understood.

The world was in chaos, and there were rebels in some places. No matter how powerful the Yang family was, if they proceeded as a collective whole… It would only attract a large number of rebels to deal with them, and they would most likely be wiped out all at once.

“Many people will probably die on the tens of thousands of kilometers to Xue City,” he said.

“Definitely?” Butler Bai said. “Actually, many of us aren’t willing to go. It’s a long journey, and it’s already good enough if half of us make it to Xue City alive. Isn’t it good to stay in the capital? So what if the rebels attack? No matter who becomes the emperor, we’ll be obedient citizens. It’s safer in the capital than out of the city.”

“But the Yang family is different. When the rebels attack, they will first plunder these large families,” Butler Bai said. “Many of their clansmen will definitely have to leave. Sigh, we servants can only be their guards and risk our lives for them.”

“The Yang family is divided into teams. Which team are you following?”

“Second Young Master’s team,” Butler Bai answered.

“When are you setting off?” Xu Jingming asked.

“I don’t know.” Butler Bai shook his head. “Second Young Master said that he will bring me along. As for how the team will be distributed, when they will set off, and what they will disguise themselves as? That’s all confidential.”

“I see.” Xu Jingming understood and asked, “Do you remember the lashing you delivered today?”

“Lashing?” Butler Bai was stunned. He recalled how he had lashed out at Third Qiao’s daughter during the day.

Bang!

A spear afterimage swept over. Butler Bai widened his eyes as the spear afterimage struck his chest.

Butler Bai’s body trembled as his chest ruptured. The impact of the strike made him vomit blood. He looked at Xu Jingming with horror and indignation in his eyes. “You said you would spare my life.”

Xu Jingming looked at him coldly and didn’t say a word.

Butler Bai quickly stopped breathing and lay in the woodshed. His injuries were almost identical to the girl’s.

The Yang family exchanged banknotes for a lot of gold and silver? Where are they hiding the gold and silver? Xu Jingming thought for a moment before he suddenly jolted. That’s right. Once the capital is breached, the banks might close down, and the banknotes might become scrap paper. I have to be careful with my banknotes. I can’t have them become scrap paper.

…

In the next few days, Xu Jingming investigated everything regarding the Yang family using the Blood Rain Guard’s Procuratorate. He also gathered information about the Yang family from the virtual world.

Before taking action, he had to have sufficient information!

*******

Night, Fei Mansion.

Fei Qing was alone in the study. Under the candlelight, he read the information coldly.

His Majesty has ordered the eastern region to mobilize three divisions to gather and form an army to fight the rebels in the west. Fei Qing looked up at the darkness outside the window. The eastern army was selected, trained, and tempered by me through actual combat! I’m the most suitable person to be the commander of the army. I know the strengths of every general and every team. However, His Majesty has denied me.

Fei Qing sneered. You don’t trust me even in such a situation?

Perhaps it’s because the Blood Rain Guard army in the eastern region is the strongest army His Majesty has now. He has become paranoid! Fei Qing thought to himself. Back then, he was so wise and amazing. Why is it that he became suspicious of everyone and trusts nobody after becoming emperor?

If the eastern region’s expedition ends with failure, that spells the end of the empire’s future. Fei Qing knew this very well, but he was helpless and could only watch everything happen.

He even had to be obedient and extremely loyal. He knew very well… If the emperor felt that one wasn’t sufficiently loyal, one wouldn’t be far from death.

I can only stay in the capital. With the current situation, His Majesty will eventually beg me. Fei Qing sat in his study. He could only wait patiently for an opportunity, but perhaps he would never get this opportunity.