Chapter One Hundred: The Final Counterattack

Staring at the dart embedded in his arm, Gou Ye felt a sudden heat spreading throughout his body, followed by a haziness in his vision. Murong Bai, ignoring the ongoing skirmish around him, hurriedly caught Gou Ye as he was about to collapse. "The dart is poisoned—quickly, get Young Master Gou out of here!"

Gu Zhi, Gu Shen, and Gu Sheng engaged the intruders, while the others retreated, carrying Gou Ye with them. It was obvious the attackers targeted Gou Ye alone, fighting desperately to reach him. However, Gu Zhi’s martial prowess was unmatched—none could advance a step before falling beneath his blade.

Yet the intruders were many, and despite the brothers’ efforts, some managed to slip through. One nearly caught up with the retreating group, when a sharp arrow pierced his chest. Gu Yuan stood with a carved bow, his expression stern. "Hurry and withdraw, leave these to me!"

The servants Gu Yuan brought rushed forward, joining battle with the intruders. In an instant, the tide turned; the attackers suffered heavy losses. Someone shouted, "Retreat!" and the group tried to flee over the wall. Gu Yuan let out a cold snort, "You think you can escape?" He seized three eagle-feather arrows, drew his bow, and in a flash, brought down several of the would-be escapees.

Seeing no hope of escape, the remaining intruders cried, "Brothers, we fight to the death!" Wildly, they charged at Gu Yuan, but despite their resolve, they were no match for him. The servants lined up in perfect order, like soldiers on the battlefield, swiftly drawing bows from their backs. In a blink, they fired in unison again and again, felling the last of the intruders one by one. Soon, none remained standing.

Meanwhile, the group retreated and carried Gou Ye into a room. By now his lips had turned purple, and he was unconscious. Gu Shen shouted, "Where is Master Hua? Someone, fetch Master Hua at once!"

Gu Man whispered, "Master Hua left the estate a few days ago and has not yet returned."

Yun Niang, overwhelmed with emotion, gripped Gou Ye’s icy hand, tears streaming down her face in panic. Murong Bai, calm and methodical, stepped forward, nodded gently to indicate Yun Niang should move aside, and proceeded to take Gou Ye’s pulse.

Afterward, he lifted Gou Ye’s wounded arm and tore open the sleeve. The injury had already darkened to a bluish-black. Without hesitation, Murong Bai pressed his lips to the wound, drawing out the poison and spitting it aside again and again. He took a measured sip of tea to rinse his mouth, then quickly wrote out a prescription. He told Gu Shen, "Gather these medicines at once, brew the decoction, and have him drink it immediately. If delayed by even an hour, not even the gods can save him."

Gu Shen snatched the prescription from Murong Bai’s hand and rushed out. Fortunately, the household kept a medicine chest prepared for Master Hua; otherwise, at such a late hour, no shops would be open, and even if there were, it would be too late.

Thankfully, everything went smoothly. The herbs Murong Bai prescribed were all available at home. Gu Shen hurriedly prepared the decoction himself, praying time would pass more slowly. Once the medicine was ready, he grabbed two cloths, lifted the pot, and ran, the heat reddening his hands despite his efforts to bear the pain. At last, he brought the pot into the room.

Murong Bai remarked with exasperation, "Young Master Gu, why didn’t you just bring a bowl? Gou Ye cannot drink so much." He opened the lid, ladled out the decoction into a teacup, and poured it into Gou Ye’s mouth, repeating the process three times before stopping. He spoke softly, "The medicine has been given. Whether he wakes depends on his own fate." With that, Murong Bai himself slumped to the floor, feeling unwell, muttering, "Quick, bring me three cups of the decoction as well."

Once the others had left, carrying the exhausted Murong Bai away, only Yun Niang and Gou Ye remained in the room. Yun Niang held Gou Ye’s hand, quietly sobbing. "Brother Gou Ye, you must wake up. You promised me—you said you would give me a good life. We haven’t married yet, haven’t had our own children. You can’t leave me like this. I won’t let you abandon me alone."

Outside, Gu Shen stood at the doorway, his heart heavy with guilt. In his own home, before his very eyes, Gou Ye had been harmed. He blamed himself bitterly. That night, he dared not leave Gou Ye’s side for even a moment, vigilantly watching for any sign the attackers might return.

Elsewhere, Heishui Village was far from peaceful. Almost at the same time, a group of men dressed in black slipped into the village from the back mountain, spreading out cautiously. With a sudden crash, they kicked open doors and burst into homes, killing all they encountered without a word. The Guo brothers, along with the others in their tent, rushed into the village to confront the black-clad invaders, but these men did not linger in combat, their sole aim to slaughter as many villagers as possible.

Villagers fleeing from their homes dashed toward the village entrance, only to find another wave of black-clad men blocking their path. They ran through the village, trembling in terror; some fell in their panic, others clutched their children, wailing as blood ran down their shoulders, sitting on the ground in anguish.

The fighting lasted over an hour. This time, the Guo brothers had made preparations, but the dozen or so black-clad men at the front were no match for their strength. Before long, under the fierce assault led by the Guo brothers and the villagers, the attackers were driven out. The surviving assailants could not fathom how, despite their superior numbers, they had suffered defeat. In the flickering firelight, the ground was strewn with bodies. The few villagers who survived by chance crawled on the earth, shaking in terror, their courage shattered.

As dawn broke, Yun Niang still kept vigil at Gou Ye’s bedside, having not closed her eyes all night. Just as her heart was wracked with worry, Gou Ye suddenly gripped the headboard and with a gasp, vomited a mouthful of black blood onto the floor. Yun Niang cried out, "Quick, someone come! Gou Ye is awake!" Gu Shen rushed in, and seeing Gou Ye propped up at the bedside, breathing slowly, he finally let himself smile in relief.

Gu Yuan, Gu Zhi, Gu Sheng, and the other martial artists had also gone sleepless through the night. Gu Yuan had not expected Qin Hui to be so bold, sending men to infiltrate his estate and assassinate Gou Ye. What surprised him even more was that Magistrate Qin could recruit so many men willing to die. Yet it seemed clear Qin Hui was indeed frightened, resorting to desperate measures. Last night’s failed attempt suggested that this would be their final act of resistance.