The plan was set in motion; all that remained was the opportune moment.
In the days that followed, Qingchen quietly awaited his chance to strike.
Thirteen days later, one evening, he discovered a cross mark etched in charcoal on the blue bricks of his backyard.
Touching the mark with his fingertips, Qingchen could feel the limping boy deliberately emphasizing it; he knew his opportunity had arrived.
This was their agreed-upon signal, signifying that the Twin Eagles Society's defenses were severely weakened that night.
An incense stick later.
Qingchen had changed into night clothes, his single-edged sword tightly wrapped in black cloth.
He disappeared into the night with his sword, Qingjie close behind, the bluestone pavement of Tianjin making a soft creaking sound under their feet.
"Brother, are we really going to make our move?"
Qingjie's hand, gripping the iron rod, was sweating profusely, and his voice trembled slightly.
The sharp barbs embedded in the iron rod gleamed coldly, seemingly still damp.
Qingchen suddenly turned around, his gaze chilling: "If you don't act, Second Mother will be in trouble sooner or later. Do you want to see her humiliated?"
Hearing this, Qingjie shuddered, a surge of heat rushing to his head, his previous hesitation vanishing instantly.
The two wound their way through the twists and turns of the streets and alleys until finally, a secluded courtyard came into view.
The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, with no other houses in sight.
This was the headquarters of the Twin Eagles Society.
"Second Brother, this is it, the Twin Eagles Society's lair."
Qingjie gripped his iron rod tightly and nodded heavily.
Qingchen hid in the shadows of the alley.
He already knew everything about the Twin Eagles Society, knowing that every night a local thug would stand guard outside the courtyard.
Tonight, for the Twin Eagles Society, it was supposed to be a day of great celebration.
Golden-Eyed Eagle, leading his henchmen, colluded with a treacherous clan in the city and ruthlessly attacked a family that had lost its male heir.
Not only did they seize a large portion of the family fortune, but they also kidnapped a beautiful woman, effectively eliminating their entire family.
At this moment, the courtyard was filled with deafening clamor.
The hall was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.
The group sat around, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
The second-in-command, Iron-Winged Eagle, his face flushed, held a wine bowl and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Boss, we've struck it rich this time!
This little wench has such delicate skin, much more tender than those women we kidnapped last time, except her ass isn't big enough!"
Upon hearing this, Golden-Eyed Eagle threw his head back and laughed loudly, his large hand roughly kneading the waist of the woman beside him, eliciting a whimper from her.
With his other hand, he picked up a wine cup, downed it in one gulp, and said smugly, "This little wench, hehe, I'll play with her until I'm done, then you can play with her. When I'm tired of her, I'll sell her to a brothel and make another fortune!"
"Boss is brilliant!"
"Boss, I want to be second!"
The room was filled with vulgarities, mixed with the woman's cries, which faintly reached the ears of the two men outside the wall.
Qingchen didn't have to wait long. Soon, a limping young man carrying a jar of wine approached the sentry outside the courtyard gate, bowing and scraping.
The sentry was seething with anger because he hadn't received any maids or food and drink.
He glanced at the young man bringing wine, didn't suspect anything, snatched the jar, and began to drink heavily.
After several large gulps of strong liquor, the sentry felt not only the burning sensation but also a dizzying headache, and his eyes became glazed.
He assumed the wine was strong enough, and his body swayed slightly, the iron rod in his hand clattering to the ground.
"Damn it, they won't give me money, and they won't let me eat meat, these sons of bitches..."
After a few moments, the sentry grumbled a few times before collapsing limply to the ground.
Just as he fell, a dark figure darted out from behind him!
In the blink of an eye, Qing Chen was behind the sentry, his left hand tightly covering his mouth and nose, while his right hand tightly wrapped a black cloth around his neck.
The sentry felt difficulty breathing, jolted awake, but couldn't speak. His legs kicked violently, making dull thuds, and he quickly fell silent, suffocating.
Just in case, Qing Chen snapped the sentry's neck with a palm strike, then leaned closer to smell the wine jar; the aroma was indeed strong.
And it also contained sleeping pills, the very drugs he had personally given to the lame boy.
Qing Chen took a deep breath, helped the body up, leaned it against the wall, and placed the wine jar aside, feigning drunkenness as a sentry.
Then, he and Qing Jie darted away, hiding on the steps.
They waited silently for the lame boy's next signal.
From inside the walls came bursts of noise: men's laughter, the clatter of tables and chairs, and a woman's painful screams.
Qing Chen's expression was cold and stern, his heart devoid of joy or sorrow.
Once he took over the Twin Eagles Society, he would have a foothold.
With territory came money, which would allow him to improve his military strength and acquire cannon fodder.
Although some people would die, it didn't matter.
"Just a few deaths, and they're just thugs and hooligans. It shouldn't be a big deal."
Qing Chen thought this, his heart unmoved.
He even recalled Young Master Zhao of the City Lord's Mansion, who had once said to mention his name if anything happened.
But Qingchen knew that this guy was probably just saying it casually and might not even remember him.
However, in this chaotic world,
by invoking Young Master Zhao's name, who would dare to seek clarification from him if trouble arose?
After all, Jin City was one of the nine major cities of the Jing Kingdom, and the City Lord's Mansion was undoubtedly the most powerful force there.
Jin City, with a territory of approximately two hundred li in circumference, boasted a prosperous population of about six hundred thousand.
Among the nine major cities of the Jing Kingdom, it held a stable middle position, with the City Lord's Mansion maintaining a standing garrison of nearly five thousand.
From the original owner's memories, Qingchen knew that there were currently seven small kingdoms like the Jing Kingdom on this land, each fighting against each other.
After the collapse of the Great Qin Dynasty a hundred years ago, this land had fallen into endless war.
When the first Qin emperor died, the new ruler, unable to control the realm, issued chaotic and inconsistent decrees.
The already volatile situation erupted directly.
As a result, the dynasty collapsed instantly, with major cities becoming independent and fighting amongst themselves.
It took over a century for the current state of affairs to emerge, marked by frequent wars, rampant banditry, and widespread suffering.