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nAlthough being suddenly asked about this question, Liu Yi answered without hesitation, “Yanzhou is safer than here. Its Prefecture Guard has enough soldiers so that it doesn’t need me too much. But I heard that Tanyang is a bandit place and its Prefecture Guard recruits new soldiers every year. So I came to have a try. I want my martial skills fully exploited.”

n“Why didn’t you join them?” Ling Zhang asked.

nLiu Yi didn’t answer instantly this time and hesitated for a while.

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n“Tell me what you think. I will keep the secret.” Ling Zhang guaranteed.

nLiu Yi said, “I am not worrying about it. Young master, I know you have conflict with Zhang Chong, the commander of Prefecture Guard. Can you resolve it?”

n“What do you mean?” Ling Zhang didn’t show his attitude hurriedly, but waited for his explanation.

n“The Prefecture Guard in Tanyang is abnormal. With strong soldiers and horses, they never suppress bandits. They are either planning to exterminate bandits at one fling or plotting something else. I’ve inquired about the Prefecture Guard during the period since I came to Tanyang. And I feel they are so strange.” Liu Yi said.

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n“Are you worrying about them rebelling?” Ling Zhang concluded directly.

nAfter hearing Ling Zhang’s blunt words, Liu Yi’s face changed. But he finally nodded, “Yes. Ling Family has conflict with them. If they really rebel, it will be hard for Ling Family to resist.”

nLing Zhang believed that Liu Yi sincerely wanted to remind him.

n“Thanks for your words. Ling Family has already been involved and the conflict with Zhang Chong can’t be resolved. If you feel scared, you can leave now. I won’t stop you.”

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nLiu Yi looked at Ling Zhang seriously for a long time before saying, “Thanks for your kindness. I’ve made a decision since the moment I chose to be Ling Family’s guard.”

n“Great.” Ling Zhang stood up and said, “Brother Liu, you are so loyal. Let me tell you the truth. If Ling Family wants to live, we must kill Zhang Chong who is our enemy. We will have more frictions with him in the future. You’d better be prepared.”

n“The reason why I let you come is that I heard you had explored Tanyang’s Prefecture Guard Station. Did you find anything special?” Ling Zhang asked.

nLiu Yi understood Ling Zhang’s thought. He thought for a moment before replying, “I once sneaked into its periphery to search at night. And I found a group of people acting suspiciously went to the station. Although they were in casual wear, their behaviour was like bandits.”

n“Are you sure they are bandits?” Ling Zhang asked quickly.

nLiu Yi thought back again and said more firmly this time, “I think it is most likely true.”

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nEven though Ling Zhang had believed the Prefecture Guard colluded with the bandits living in mountains, he didn’t find any hard evidences. At present, he finally knew that they connected in the dead of night.

nZhang Chong would definitely lose his power if Ling Zhang caught them when they were together with bandits or got tangible proofs about the Prefecture Guard collaborating with bandits.

n“Brother Liu, I want you and Captain Wang to do something.” Ling Zhang said.

n“Young master, please tell me.” Liu Yi said.

n“I want you and Captain Wang to stay at the Prefecture Guard’s Station at night. If someone like bandits appears again, you should follow them to find where they are from.” Ling Zhang told him.

nLiu Yi agreed immediately, “Okay.”

n“You might have to watch them for a long time. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you have any problems. I will solve them all for you.” Ling Zhang said.

n“Young master, don’t worry. I often served as a bodyguard on a journey and walked at night many times before. We are all good at Kung Fu. And we can do it in turn.” Liu Yi said.

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n*

n“Marshal, Childe Ling wrote a letter to Xiafeng to let him check the background of Liu Yi, the new guard.” Yao Yi told Yuwen Tong instantly what he had found as soon as Yuwen Tong came back.

nYuwen Tong nodded, “Thank you.”

n“Marshal, Childe Ling investigates the guards so cautiously. Is he planning anything?” Yao Yi asked.

nWhen Yao Yi mentioned Ling Zhang, Yuwen Tong’s face turned soft. He said, “Ling Family’s situation now is not good. He checks all the servants and guards because he is afraid someone seek chances to harm Ling Family.”

n“He’s right. The people making a scene at the gate just now must be instigated by someone.” Yao Yi said.

nYuwen Tong took a look at him and asked, “Since you know someone wants to wrong Ling Family, don’t you know what to do next?”

nYao Yi was stunned for a while before he began to understand Yuwen Tong’s meaning. He said, “I will let our people investigate it soon!”

nYuwen Tong drew back his sight satisfactorily and said, “Zhang Chong traded with Jia Family today. It isn’t a big deal. But they have traded many things for two years, which can enable them to produce a large number of weapons and other military supplies. Zhang Chong must hide them in a place. We should find it.”

n“Yes.”

n“Besides, Jia Family records each deal with Zhang Chong in a book. The book is very important. Find it. You are not familiar with the fake account book. Tell Yue Qi to inform Xiao Liu that he should come to Tanyang quickly.”

n“Yes.”

n“Get it done soon.”

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n“Yes.”

nAfter Yao Yi left, Yuwen Tong took a writing brush and wrote all the herbs that the medicated bath needed to dredge main and collateral channels. After that, he also wanted to add something. But he finally stopped writing after thinking for a moment. He murmured, “I’d better teach him personally about this kind of thing.”

nSome light flashed in his eyes when he thought about something.

nFolding the prescription, he stood up and went out.

nLing Zhang began to prepare the Trap and Kill Formation of Twelve after he assigned the task to Liu Yi and Wang Dashan. There were twelve guards in Ling Family when Liu Yi came. Ling Zhang believed Liu Yi was reliable. He had asked Xia Feng to investigate Liu Yi, just in case. After getting Xia Feng’s letter, he would teach them the Formation.

nTwelve people stood in twelve different directions with twelve variations, which needed much time to let them learn it completely.

nWhich variation they should know first? Ling Zhang pondered as he painted twelve changes on the paper.

n“Young master, Lord Yuwen comes.” A servant outside the study said.

nLing Zhang stopped drawing quickly and used a white paper to cover it.

nHe just saw Yuwen Tong. Why did Yuwen Tong come to see him again?

n“Let him in.” Ling Zhang stood up and left the desk.

nYuwen Tong came from outside. His hands were behind him and seemed to be holding something.

n“This is the prescript. Take it and prepare all the medical materials mentioned in it. After that, we can begin to dredge your main and collateral channels.”

nLing Zhang took it and read carefully. It was easy to get them except a few kinds of herbs.

n“Thank you.”

n“You’d better have a medical bath seven times, which is an uncomfortable process. I hope you won’t complain at that time.” Yuwen Tong said.

n“If I can’t bear it and blame you, I won’t be worth your help. You can stop helping me at that time.” Ling Zhang said calmly.

nYuwen Tong raised his eyebrows slightly, “I’ll wait and see.”

nAs they spoke, Yuwen Tong glanced at Ling Zhang’s desk casually. A thin wind blew through the window and snatched at the upper paper, showing a half of the formation drawing. The ink was still fresh. Yuwen Tong paused to look at it for a moment. Then he looked away as if nothing had happened before Ling Zhang could notice.

nAlthough he just saw a half of it, Yuwen Tong knew it was a subtle formation. It was different from the Yuwen Family’s formation carried on from generation to generation because it had something more.

nTo his surprise, Ling Zhang knew the very great formation.

nYuwen Tong was lost in thought. He looked at the study secretly when talking with Ling Zhang. But he didn’t find anything about formation besides the formation drawing.

nAccording to what he heard and saw in Tanyang, people from Ling Mansion didn’t know that Ling Zhang mastered formation. It might either because Ling Zhang hided it or because Ling Family concealed it intentionally. So no one knew it.

nWell, he must check Ling Family’s history and background seriously.

nYuwen Tong stopped thinking these speculations and confusions temporarily. He asked Ling Zhang, “Do you know who asked these people to make trouble in front of the gate today?”

n“It must be Jia Family and Zhang Chong. Jia Family is always jealous about my uncle’s position, which is the contradiction between our family and Jia Family. They make trouble to Ling Family at this time because my uncle will be promoted to the Left Tongzhi and people from Lu Family will replace his position to be the Right Tongzhi. As a result, Jia Family still can’t find the chance to get it. Then they become desperate.” Ling Zhang said.

n“I get it. What about Lu Family?” Yuwen Tong asked.

n“Lu Family is also famous in Tanyang. Its head, Lu Kui, is my uncle’s close friend and now is the County Magistrate of Wu County. He will be promoted to the Right Tongzhi this time.” Ling Zhang explained.

nAt the mention of that, Ling Zhang inevitably thought of the miserable condition that the entire Lu Family was killed in his last life.

nHe realized that Lu Kui taking the position of Right Tongzhi was also a reason why the murderers killed Lu Family.

n“Lu Family also has a herb plantation in the east of city, which is a little smaller than ours.” Ling Zhang continued.

nYuwen Tong nodded, “Since they have this intention and fail this time, they will surely think of another way to make trouble.”

nLing Zhang said, “I know. There will be more troubles before my uncle becomes the Left Tongzhi. Do you want to live in another place? If your identity is exposed, you will be hard to check Zhang Chong secretly.”

n“No, I like it here.” Yuwen Tong said.

nLing Zhang touched the top of his finger slightly. Yuwen Tong’s words made him comfortable even though he didn’t know why.

n“Besides, if I live here, I can help you in time if something happens. Don’t you want me to help you?” Yuwen Tong asked.

nLing Zhang paused for a while and said, “Do you think I will dislike such a big patron?”

nYuwen Tong smiled lightly, “I’m shocked that you admit I am a big patron.”

nLing Zhang’s face tightened a little. He didn’t want to say that at all. But admitted or not, he was not so wary of Yuwen Tong these days.

nIn addition, it didn’t need him to admit Yuwen Tong’s power..

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