Chapter 306: The Assassins Arrive
He dragged the diorama box to the center of the living room and set it down, leaving ample space around it.
Only then did Li Daoxuan reach out and press the "Expansion" button.
A brilliant light flared, and the entire box shimmered brightly.
Li Daoxuan's eyes couldn't bear to look directly at such brilliance. He blinked rapidly, and in that fleeting moment, between a blink and an opening gaze, the box expanded...
Both its length and width had doubled.
It became an enormous box, five meters long and three meters wide. Fortunately, its depth remained unchanged, so if Li Daoxuan leaned over the edge, his arm could still reach the bottom.
With this, Li Daoxuan's field of view expanded to a massive 1000 by 600 meters. The entirety of Gao Family Fortress, including the surrounding satellite villages, the Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau, the Prison Valley, barracks, and the Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion, all instantly came into his view.
He was utterly thrilled by the change.
But after the initial elation, a practical problem surfaced.
What would he do next time the Salvation Index increased and he could "expand" again?
There was only one answer: buy a new house.
He had always been a freelance designer, relying on the pooled resources of six family members just to afford a small apartment in Shuangqing City. He'd never dared to dream of buying a house in his entire life. But since acquiring the diorama box, delving into miniature sculpting and video creation, he had earned a considerable sum. Now, the thought of buying a house didn't faze him in the slightest.
The box might continue to expand in the future, so he might as well go all out and buy a bigger house, preferably one with an enormous yard, where he could place the box and expand his field of view to truly immense proportions.
If he wanted ample space, a villa was the best option.
The name "Zhaomu Mountain" instantly flashed through Li Daoxuan's mind.
The most impressive villas in Shuangqing City were almost all located near Zhaomu Mountain.
Buying a house couldn't be done online; he'd have to go and see for himself.
Li Daoxuan surveyed Gao Family Village from above, feeling that all was safe. He then clicked on Chengcheng County town, where he saw Bai Yuan diligently forming the New People's Militia. Mr. Wang was assisting the magistrate with work relief, and Gao Yiye and Mrs. San were leading the devout to cast a giant statue for the Heavenly Lord...
Everything appeared peaceful.
He figured it would be fine if he left for a short while.
Li Daoxuan quickly left his apartment, hailed a taxi, and sped towards the largest real estate agency near Zhaomu Mountain.
He began his search for fully furnished villas with gardens and parking spaces...
As the sun set, dusk began to settle.
Li Daoxuan was still touring homes, meticulously checking every detail. He hadn't been able to return home.
Bai Yuan, accompanied by two household guards, returned cheerfully to the bookstore.
Just then, Gao Yiye also arrived back, followed by Padi Tu, Zheng Gouzi, and a squad of Gao Family Village Militia soldiers.
The two met at the entrance of the bookstore.
Bai Yuan quickly offered Gao Yiye a deep bow: "Your Holiness, I, though unworthy, had a very smooth day forming the large New People's Militia. We've recruited over fifty promising new members."
Gao Yiye chuckled: "Even if you tell me, I won't understand. Let's wait until the Heavenly Lord is present to discuss it."
"Oh?" Bai Yuan murmured.
He looked up, but there were no low-hanging clouds in the sky, a clear sign the Heavenly Lord was not present.
So, there was no rush to report his work. "In that case, let's all get some early rest tonight."
The two entered the bookstore and retired to their respective guest rooms.
Only two Bai household guards and two Gao Family Village Militia soldiers remained on watch in the courtyard. Everyone else had gone to their rooms to rest.
Just then...
Over the low wall of the academy, five heads furtively peered out.
One of them was Wang Zuogua's fourth-in-command, Da Honglang. The other four were seasoned outlaws and desperate men he'd brought with him.
This gang was utterly incompetent in open warfare, but when it came to underhanded tricks and petty thievery, they were exceptionally skilled.
One of the outlaws whispered: "So this is where Bai Yuan, the master of Bai Family Fortress, is staying temporarily. Heh, absolutely no defenses. Just four household guards in the courtyard."
Da Honglang asked in a low voice: "What's the deal with that woman just now? Bai Yuan called her 'Your Holiness'?"
Another outlaw replied: "I heard tell in town, she's apparently a Saintess of something called the 'Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect.' Heh, just a charlatan peddling lies."
Da Honglang scoffed: "In that case, we'll just kill her and Bai Yuan together in a bit."
The outlaws nodded: "That woman certainly has some charm... heh heh heh heh..."
The men all exchanged knowing, lewd laughs.
Da Honglang said impatiently: "We need to get out of here quickly after we're done. What are you fools still thinking about?! Move it, be swift."
One outlaw chuckled coarsely: "Don't worry, those fellows are quick, three seconds at most. Only your brother here is slow, takes at least half an hour."
"Damn you!" the others cursed in unison.
Da Honglang snapped, enraged: "Shut your damn mouths, all of you! It's time to move. You four sneak over, strike simultaneously, take out the four guards, then rush straight into Bai Yuan's guest room and hack him to death."
The four outlaws nodded, quietly scaled the wall, and, under the cover of night, crouched low, stealthily moved along the base of the wall...
Before long, they crept up behind the two Bai household guards and the two Gao Family Village Militia sentries, then struck in unison...
All four guards collapsed simultaneously, without even a single gasp.
Only then did Da Honglang climb over the wall and leap into the courtyard, a triumphant smirk on his face. He pointed towards Bai Yuan's room.
The four outlaws nodded and silently advanced.
Just then, Bai Yuan's room door creaked open from the inside, and a young man with a longsword at his hip emerged. It was Padi Tu.
Da Honglang and the four outlaws froze in surprise.
Padi Tu found himself staring directly into their eyes, face to face.
As it turned out, Padi Tu had hidden in Bai Yuan's room before Bai Yuan's return. Once Bai Yuan entered, he had pleaded earnestly with Bai Yuan to teach him swordsmanship.
But Bai Yuan knew nothing about swordsmanship. He had nothing to teach.
Padi Tu refused to leave, insisting that Bai Family Fortress surely possessed ancestral sword techniques. The two argued back and forth for a long time, until Bai Yuan, growing irritated, finally threw him out. Only then did Padi Tu push the door open and step outside. The moment he emerged, he saw two Bai household guards and two Gao Family Village Militia sentries lying on the ground. And five menacing figures, clearly up to no good, were menacingly poised to storm into Bai Yuan's room...
"Who are you people?!" Padi Tu roared, furious.
"Kill him!" Da Honglang commanded.
The four outlaws, simultaneously drawing their sabers, slashed towards Padi Tu.
Padi Tu was startled, his first instinct to dodge. But then a thought flashed through his mind: "If I step aside, these villains will surge in, burst into Mr. Bai's room, and kill him."
He couldn't dodge!
He had to guard this door.
Clang!
Padi Tu's longsword flashed from its sheath. Facing the four blades aimed at him, he neither flinched nor dodged. Instead, with a powerful horizontal sweep of his sword, he countered, slashing back at the four attacking outlaws.
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