Han and Lee brothers were sitting in one of the gazebos of the Lee family house, sipping their tea and waiting for the time to come. Meanwhile, in the town center, a group led by Han Fei and Lee Zhong had stormed into the town lord's manor about 10-15 minutes ago, entering through the main door at full speed on a carriage.
"Idiots!! What are you staring at? Protect the carriage and move forward! Why are you stopping?!" Lee Zhong roared angrily at his men while slashing his sword diagonally across the chest of a Martial Senior guard in front of him, sending the man collapsing to the ground.
One of the two Martial Masters accompanying Han Fei and Lee Zhong, a swordsman with curly hair around his jawline and a scruffy beard, shouted, "You heard the young master! Stop standing there watching. If the horses die, you die too. Do you hear me?!" As he yelled, he darted toward another Martial Senior who was trying to throw a spear at the horses from afar and cut him down in one swift move, leaving the man bleeding on the ground.
The town lord's men surrounded the carriage from both close and long range, trying to kill the horses, while Lee Zhong and his men pushed to advance the carriage along the narrow area on the western side of the town lord's manor.
Although the town's lord manor in Wu Town appeared to be in the center of the town, it was actually situated slightly south of the center. This had led to the placement of the Purple Stone, years ago, in the northern part of the manor, the true center of the town.
When planning their nighttime attack on the manor, the Han and Lee families had not considered the entrance point to the manor. Entering through the southern main door of the manor meant they had to cover more distance, which posed a significant risk—one that could result in the horses dying.
This risk became evident shortly after they stormed in with the carriage. As they attempted to proceed to the left of the "O"-shaped courtyard, it became clear.
The narrow paths on the west and east sides of the lord's manor, only wide enough for two carriages, left the horses and the group vulnerable to attacks coming from the walls and the nearby houses.
As the group tried to advance along the western side of the manor courtyard, they were attacked from the front, the rear, and even from above the main building. At that moment, Han Fei said, "Brother Lee, this isn't going to work. I'll take a few men and clear the way ahead. You move forward as fast as you can. We don't have time!" Without even waiting for Lee Zhong's reply, Han Fei signaled to his men and dashed forward.
After a few minutes of struggle, with a few losses and one of the horses sustaining a graze, the group exited the narrow path and reached the wide courtyard on the north side of the manor. They saw Han Fei and his group fighting against a group of town guards on the path leading to the Purple Stone, which was located on their right diagonal.
"Quick! Over there!" Lee Zhong shouted, pointing toward Han Fei's side. Lee Zhong and his group advanced along the partially cleared path and approached the Purple Stone.
In the wide courtyard where the Purple Stone was located, the stone sat on a small island in the middle of a pond. The small island, covered in short green grass, looked as though the stone had been placed there randomly, its shape uneven and rugged.
As the most crucial stage of their plans involving the Purple-Stone became increasingly attainable, the determined group pressed forward with ambition. Before long, they reached Han Fei and his companions and arrived at one of the two large wooden bridges leading to the small island where the Purple-Stone was located.
Already on the carriage for a better view when they reached the wide courtyard earlier, Lee Zhong shouted, "Brother Han Fei, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Without lifting his head as he continued to fight the enemies, Han Fei replied, "I'm fine. You move forward with your men, load the stone, and let's get out of here. If we waste any more time, reinforcements will arrive."
"Alright! Leave it to me!" Lee Zhong shouted back, responding to Han Fei. With a serious expression, he pointed at the stone and yelled at his men, "Move forward! We're taking the stone!"
Caught unprepared for the midnight attack by the Han and Lee families, the town lord's guards and the Wu family's men could only watch as the stone was loaded onto the carriage with minimal resistance. Meanwhile, panic reigned in the northeastern part of the town, at the Wu family house where the town lord's family lived.
Wu Chan and his guests, the academy director and Lei family leader Lei To, had just received news of what was happening at the lord's manor and were rushing to send reinforcements.
Lei To, ordering ten of his men to don their armor and head to the manor to aid in its defense, roared furiously, "Those crazy dogs! They did what we thought they wouldn't! Do they even realize what they've done?!"
"Hmm... It's impossible for them not to realize this could lead to the destruction of the entire town," the academy director said, letting out a deep sigh before continuing, "I suppose the lord's breakthrough has cornered them. I should've seen this coming."
Noticing the helpless expression of the academy director, Wu Chan, donning his armor, looked at the two with a serious expression and said, "There's no time to dwell on it. Let's hurry and catch them before they manage to get the stone out of the manor."
As their men continued to gather in the courtyard facing the main door, Wu Chan added, "Senior, Martial Uncle, lend me some of your men. I'll go stop them!"
"Take ten of mine. Don't worry about the house," Lei To said, signaling toward his men.
"I'll send a few Martial Senior students along with a Martial Master elder to assist you," the academy director said, pointing at a man in his fifties with black-and-white hair, dressed in the academy's uniform.
While fastening the final straps of his armor, Wu Chan looked at the director and Lei To with a worried expression and asked, "Senior, Uncle, will two Martial Masters, including me, be enough?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Your goal isn't to kill them—it's to kill the horses. The Purple Stone isn't something ordinary horses can pull. If you take out the horses, their plan falls apart before it even begins."
Hearing the academy director's response, Wu Chan's eyes lit up. "Understood. Then it's our turn to strike," Wu Chan said with a cold smirk, nodding.
Turning to the two, Wu Chan said, "The house is in your hands. I'm off to kill those horses." Then, facing his men, Wu Chan shouted, "Mount up and follow me!"
As they mounted their horses and headed toward the main door of the house, the door suddenly shattered and scattered everywhere.