The distant sound of the third watchman's clapper broke the deathly silence of the night.
Just then, a very faint rustling sound approached.
The limping boy, Su Tong, arrived as promised, lightly knocking three times on the wooden door. The hinges turned with a creak.
A crack appeared.
Qing Chen and Qing Jie had been waiting on the stone bench below for some time. Seeing the boy arrive, they silently stepped out.
Su Tong quickly approached and whispered, "Brother, the opportunity has come! I did as you instructed, giving the thugs in the courtyard a very mild dose of drug. It won't take effect for a while.
Right now, they've eaten and drunk their fill. The two leaders and several underlings have all taken the kidnapped young ladies and maids back to their rooms to enjoy themselves."
As he spoke, Su Tong caught sight of the gleaming single-edged sword in Qing Chen's hand. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he involuntarily swallowed hard.
“Lead the way, to the Golden-Eyed Eagle’s place first.”
Qing Chen nodded approvingly, his voice low and direct, without a word wasted.
He turned to Qing Jie, “Guard the gate, don’t let a single person out.
The people inside are drunk and drugged; they can’t cause any trouble, they’re not much of a fighter. You have to be ruthless.”
“The Golden-Eyed Eagle’s bedroom is in the third courtyard of the west wing, with a carved wooden door and a bronze ring with a beast’s head. The Iron-Winged Eagle is in the east wing…” Su Tong hurriedly added.
“Let’s go.”
Qing Chen interrupted him directly, his right hand gripping the single-edged sword tightly.
After making the arrangements, Qing Chen followed the limping boy, slipping sideways into the mansion.
The vermilion gate was ajar, and a rich aroma of wine and food wafted from a crack.
This place was once the mansion of a wealthy family. Although now dilapidated, its former grandeur is still evident.
The spacious courtyard and exquisite rockery, even overgrown with weeds, cannot conceal their former opulence.
A limping young man led the way, the moonlight casting their shadows on the mottled screen wall, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
They sometimes pressed themselves against the wall, using the shadows to conceal themselves, sometimes hid behind the rockery;
cleverly avoiding several 'drunk' henchmen wandering the courtyard.
Around the rockery made of Taihu stones, a woman's moans, seemingly both pain and pleasure, suddenly drifted on the night breeze, intoxicating and soul-stirring.
Su Tong's body stiffened, his breathing became heavy, he swallowed hard, and his palms were damp with cold sweat.
"Turn left," Su Tong whispered, pointing to the covered walkway, "Go through that moon gate..."
The moment the two passed through the moon gate, a burst of wanton laughter pierced the night sky.
The woman's suppressed sobs, mingled with the man's roar, scraped against everyone's eardrums like a dull knife.
The west wing drew closer, the bronze animal-head rings on the door gleaming coldly in the moonlight, exuding a ferocious aura.
Just then, the maniacal laughter of the Golden-Eyed Eagle erupted from inside: "Little lady, shout louder!
Let the brothers outside hear Miss Liu's voice too, I'm having a blast, hahahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Su Tong's knuckles turned white, and his body trembled slightly.
Qing Chen reacted swiftly, his iron-like hand instantly gripping the back of Su Tong's neck, his other hand covering his mouth and nose.
Qing Chen remained unmoved.
The woman's fate was not part of his calculations at this moment.
His entire focus was on listening to the sounds from inside, solely waiting for the drug to take effect.
Inside the room, the creaking of the rosewood bed echoed loudly, and the Golden-Eyed Eagle's maniacal laughter turned into rapid breathing!
"Little lady, you're quite strong! If I hadn't been drinking, I would have devoured you alive! I've tasted one of those skinny girls, and you, Miss Liu, are indeed more coy than a prostitute! You're already dressed, what are you pretending for!"
Qingchen pressed himself against the wall, silently counting the time.
As the noise in the room gradually subsided, the Golden-Eyed Eagle's curses also became weaker.
After a while, a cold glint flashed in Qingchen's eyes; he knew the drug was beginning to take effect.
The opportunity had arrived!
He suddenly pushed open the door, only to find it unlocked.
In an instant, Qingchen pounced into the room like a cat.
On the bed, Miss Liu huddled in a corner, terrified, clutching a quilt to herself.
The Golden-Eyed Eagle shook its head, trying to dispel the dizziness brought on by the drug. A three-inch-long scar on the back of its head resembled a hideous centipede.
On its back, a blue-faced, fanged demon tattoo grotesquely contrasted with its blindingly white belly. Its right hand still clutched half a piece of its robe.
Its massive body swayed precariously on the bed; clearly, the sleeping potion had begun to take effect, leaving its limbs weak and its consciousness blurred.
"You are..."
The Golden-Eyed Eagle had barely uttered two words when Qing Chen's single blade, accompanied by a whistling wind, struck.
The blade traced a crescent moon in the moonlight, gleaming with a chilling light.
The Golden-Eyed Eagle's scalp tingled with fear. In a hasty attempt to parry, it used its 'Eagle Claw' technique, but the drug had slowed its reaction, making it a fraction too slow.
The sharp blade precisely sliced into its right hand, blood spurting out like a fountain, almost severing it!
In a swift motion, Qingchen flicked his wrist, severing the man's hand cleanly at the wrist with a backhand strike.
The severed hand fell, and the Golden-Eyed Eagle's eyes widened instantly, his face contorted in agony.
But before he could even process what had happened, Qingchen's scabbard slammed forcefully onto the top of his head.
A muffled thud!
The cracking of bones echoed as the powerful blow sent blood gushing from the Golden-Eyed Eagle's seven orifices, his body swaying precariously.
He tried to cry out for help, but Qingchen, without hesitation, plunged the blade into his throat with the precision of a venomous snake!
"Ugh!"
The blade pierced Ruan Rou, only to be stopped by her cervical vertebrae with a sickening crunch.
One strike, deadly, ruthless!
Meanwhile, the Liu family's young lady, curled up in the corner of the bed, witnessed this bloody scene. Her pupils constricted, her mouth gaping open.
She mustn't be allowed to scream!
Qingchen lightly touched the ground with his toes, swiftly leaping across the bed. His left hand shot out like lightning, not with pressure points, not with a palm strike, but by directly and firmly covering her mouth and nose.
His right hand pressed against the back of her head, twisting it mercilessly!
A crisp "crack" rang out.
The woman's neck fractured, her scream turning into a soft whimper.
Qingchen reached out and steadily caught the limp body, gently laying it down to avoid making a sound.
The entire process was calm, efficient, and without the slightest hesitation.
"Phew!"
Qingchen let out a long sigh. To prevent the woman's scream from ruining his plan, he decisively killed her.
Seeing this, Su Tong's eyes reddened, a hint of sadness appearing on her face. Then, a wave of nausea washed over her, and she almost vomited.
Qingchen patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "If she doesn't die, if she screams, we'll all die.
Think of your sister. To escape the control of the Twin Eagles Society and live a peaceful life, she must pull herself together."
The limping boy took a deep breath, pulled a short dagger from his sleeve, and stabbed the golden-eyed eagle's corpse several times.
He released all the resentment that had been building up in his heart.