Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 68 Fate Plays a Trick

Jiang Xun shook his head, trying to banish those chaotic thoughts.

He walked out of the alley and had just turned a corner when he bumped into a group of people.

The leader was an elderly man in his fifties with a gloomy face and a pair of triangular eyes that revealed a fierce look.

He was followed by seven or eight people, each with a sword at their waist, clearly indicating that they were up to no good.

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat when he saw the old man's face—Li Hai, the head of Xingxiuhai Sect, and Li Fei's father.

His face is practically a carbon copy of Li Fei's.

Li Hai also saw him, paused, and shot out two cold glints from his triangular eyes.

"It's him!" A young man beside him pointed at Jiang Xun, gritting his teeth. "Sect Leader, this is the brat who cut off the Young Master's arm!"

Li Hai didn't speak, but just stared at Jiang Xun with eyes that looked like he wanted to devour him.

Jiang Xun sensed something was wrong, but he remained outwardly calm, even smiling slightly: "Oh, isn't this Sect Leader Li of Xingxiu Sea? What brings you here specifically to see me?"

Li Hai sneered, "You little beast, you severed my son's arm, today I'll make you pay with your life!"

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 1110 ...

With a wave of his hand, the seven or eight people behind him immediately dispersed and surrounded Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun glanced around, his mind racing with calculations.

Shen San had mentioned Li Hai's martial arts skills before—his skills were ruthless and his internal strength was profound. Although he was not a grandmaster, he was a well-known expert in the martial arts world.

With seven or eight helpers added to the mix, if they really went head-to-head, they wouldn't come out on top.

"run."

Once he made up his mind, he turned and ran without saying another word.

"Chase!" Li Hai shouted angrily and took the lead in giving chase.

Jiang Xun took off running, heading straight for crowded places.

Pedestrians on the street were knocked off their feet and shouted curses.

Jiang Xun didn't care anymore and just kept running.

The footsteps behind me grew closer and closer, followed by a whooshing sound—someone was launching a hidden weapon!

He dodged to the side, and a dart grazed his ear and embedded itself deeply in the wall beside him.

"Damn, they're serious."

Jiang Xun didn't stop walking and turned into an alley.

This alley is full of twists and turns; he's best at using places like this to shake people off.

But as you run, suddenly there's no road ahead—a dead end.

Jiang Xun felt a chill in his heart. Before he could turn around, footsteps had already caught up with him from behind.

"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?" Li Hai stood at the alley entrance, grinning sinisterly. "Today is your death day!"

He approached step by step, and several disciples followed behind him, completely blocking the alley entrance.

Jiang Xun took a deep breath and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

If you want to fight, then fight. Who's afraid of who?

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the other end of the alley.

"So many people bullying one person, Xingxiuhai really has a lot of power."

Jiang Xun was taken aback and looked up.

A young man appeared behind the group from Xingxiuhai—around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a close-fitting outfit, with a handsome face and a calm demeanor between his brows.

He stood there, exuding an imposing aura without anger, as if all the light in the alley was focused on him.

Li Hai's expression changed slightly: "Chen Lei, this is a private matter for my Xingxiu Sea. Why should your Yinzhai interfere?"

Chen Lei?

Jiang Xun was also taken aback. The prodigy of Yinzhai?

Chen Lei said calmly, "You committed this crime in broad daylight, so naturally Yin Zhai has to intervene!"

"He broke my son's arm—" Li Hai's face turned ashen.

"I was there last night about the severed arm," Chen Lei interrupted him, looking directly at Li Hai. "What your son did, Sect Leader Li knows perfectly well. If you're not satisfied, you can come to my Yin Zhai to reason with me."

He spoke calmly, but his imposing manner forced Li Hai to take a step back.

Li Hai stared at him for a long time, his chest heaving a few times, before finally letting out a cold snort: "Fine, fine, I'll give Yin Zhai face today. But this isn't over!"

He waved his hand, turned around, and left with his men.

The alleyway quieted down.

Jiang Xun leaned against the wall, panting heavily, and looked at Chen Lei.

Chen Lei was also looking at him.

The two stared at each other for a moment, then Jiang Xun suddenly laughed: "So it was you. You weren't this polite when you were chasing me in Yunzhou back then."

Chen Lei smiled and said, "You still remember."

"Of course I remember." Jiang Xun crossed his arms. "Back then, you helped those unscrupulous merchants pursue me, and you really gave me a hard time. What, have you changed your mind today?"

"Those unscrupulous merchants are rich but heartless, and you robbed the rich to help the poor, so there's nothing seriously wrong with that." Chen Lei shook his head, his expression becoming serious. "I pursued you back then for another reason."

Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow and casually asked, "What is it?"

Chen Lei remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the end of the alley, as if recalling something.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke: "During that time, we received news that someone was plotting against several loyal ministers, including Lord Gu. We, the righteous people, went to various places to secretly protect these ministers."

He paused, his gaze returning to Jiang Xun.

"My mission is to protect Lord Gu Wenxu. Therefore, when I heard that a notorious bandit had emerged in Yunzhou, I had to find out whether he was friend or foe."

Later, I found you hiding in Miss Gu's boudoir, and I knew then that you weren't the person I was looking for.

As Chen Lei spoke, a smile appeared in his eyes.

Jiang Xun was stunned: "You noticed me then?"

Chen Lei nodded, his smile deepening: "As soon as I entered Miss Gu's room, I heard your breathing. Although you tried your best to suppress it, I could hear it."

Moreover, Miss Gu's eyes immediately darted to the area under the bed—you were hiding under the bed, and she was the one who helped you hide it.

Jiang Xun opened his mouth, and after a long while, he laughed self-deprecatingly: "If I had known you would find out, I wouldn't have had to hide in Gu Yunqian's room all night in fear."

Even so, when that memory surfaced, a warm feeling still welled up in his heart.

That girl with her eyes crinkling when she smiled, that night that was both nerve-wracking and wonderful.

But in the next instant, the warmth was replaced by the chill.

Jiang Xun raised his head, his expression turning serious: "Since you're here to protect the Gu family, where were you the night the Gu family had their accident?"

The smile on Chen Lei's face vanished, replaced by a deep sense of shame.

He lowered his eyes, his voice a few decibels lower: "Those few nights, I was waiting outside the Gu family's house. And... I saw you too."

Jiang Xun was taken aback: "How come I didn't know?"

"You're hiding in a locust tree," Chen Lei said. "And I'm in another locust tree, a bit further away. You've concealed your presence well, but the swaying of the branches didn't escape my notice."

Jiang Xun fell silent.

The successor of Yinzhai is indeed worthy of his reputation—his martial arts are far superior to his.

Chen Lei continued, his voice tinged with bitterness: "For several nights in a row, nothing happened to the Gu family. But on the very day the incident occurred, I received a message from my companion via carrier pigeon, mentioning that a group of suspicious thieves had appeared in Yanzhou, which is next to Yunzhou."

"I thought the thieves might not even be targeting the Gu family, and besides, you were there to guard the area, so nothing serious would happen. So I rushed to Yanzhou to provide support. Who knew..."

He raised his head, his eyes filled with self-reproach: "By the time I returned to Yunzhou, the tragedy had already occurred. I have let the Gu family down."

Jiang Xun's mind was buzzing.

So that's what happened in between.

If Chen Lei hadn't left that night, if both of them had been there, would the Gu family have been in such a predicament...?

But there are no "what ifs" in this world.

Is it really fate playing tricks on people, and is the Gu family truly destined to suffer this calamity?