Lingyang City was a deserted scene.

Although most of the shops on both sides of the street were open, few customers came in and out, there were no pedestrians on the street, and the cold wind blew through the long empty street, rolling up a few fallen leaves, and a group of heavily armed soldiers patrolled with neat steps, looking around vigilantly.

The common ruffians and beggars on weekdays have disappeared, but business is booming in the teahouse and restaurant, and many Jianghu customers and businessmen sit together in groups and discuss something in a whisper, and the atmosphere is solemn and strange.

From time to time, ironclad cavalry rode through the streets, attracting the attention of many probes.

Qin Yun was lucky enough to hire a passing carriage, so he arrived at the Shui family's old mansion very smoothly.

The door of the mansion at the end of Shuijia Lane was closed, and after knocking on the door, I waited for a while, and finally someone came out to open the door.

This time, it was no longer the white-haired old butler who opened the door for Qin Yun, but a heroic sword-dressed girl, she was stunned at first when she saw Qin Yun, and then shouted in surprise: "Brother Qin Yun!

This girl is Shui Shengnan, when she and her fellow brothers returned to Lingyang, they were intercepted and killed by Tu Wanxiong on the road, and they were almost involved, so they got acquainted with Qin Yun.

Qin Yun had a good impression of her, and said with a smile: "Why can't it be me?" Sister Shengnan, is your grandmother here?"

"Yes, yes!" Shui Shengnan smiled sideways and gave way and said: "Come in and talk, my grandfather, father and uncle are all here, the last time you came to our house, you didn't wait for me to leave, and then I looked for you in the city for a long time and didn't find you." My brother went too far, and my grandfather even used family law on him."

She babbled and spoke, her tone full of joy and happiness.

Qin Yun smiled slightly, walked into the door and said, "Take me to see grandma first!"

Under the guidance of Shui Shengnan, the two walked through the corridor to the inner courtyard of the old mansion, and saw Shui Wanning's mother in a side room, the kind and amiable old lady.

I saw my granddaughter take Qin Yun to meet her. The old lady was surprised and happy at the same time, and tears flowed out of her eyes as she pulled Qin Yun's hand: "Yun'er, where have you been during this time? If something happens to you, how can I explain it to Wanning!"

Qin Yun was moved in his heart, and after respectfully bowing, he said, "Grandma Lao is concerned." Qin Yun was ordered by his master to go to the 100,000 mountains to practice, and everything went smoothly with no danger!"

"The 100,000 mountains are the territory of the Miao people, and the black seedlings there will be very powerful!" The old lady wiped her tears and sighed: "You are young and alone, it must be very hard and dangerous, since you are back, you will live here for a few days and treat this place as your home." ”

"Don't worry, if anyone wants to drive you away this time, I will fight with him!"

As she spoke, she lifted her faucet cane and slammed it to the ground. Shows great determination.

This heart of maintenance made Qin Yun's chest can't help but feel a warm current, speaking of which, he and the old lady are only one-sided, but because of the relationship between Shui Wanning, the other party treats him as his own grandson, which makes him feel the warmth of family affection that he hasn't had for a long time.

It's just not the right time. He suppressed his fluctuating emotions and said in a deep voice: "Grandma, I came this time to discuss important matters with Shigong, this matter is related to the safety of Lingyang City, and there can be no delay in the slightest delay!"

Seeing Qin Yun so solemn, the old lady became much more serious. She immediately turned her head to Shui Shengnan and said, "Shengnan, go and invite your grandfather to say that there is something important to discuss!"

Then she commanded the maids beside her, "Go out first, and you will not come in until you are summoned!"

After Qin Yun sat down, he had just drunk half a cup of tea, and Shui Shengnan came back with Shui Mingdong.

Qin Yun hurriedly got up and stepped forward to greet him according to the etiquette.

Shui Mingdong couldn't help but be a little embarrassed when he saw Qin Yun, the last time Qin Yun came to visit, he couldn't help but slack off because he had prejudices against Qin Yun, and as a result, Shui Fenglin left Qin Yun angrily.

Later, I learned that Qin Yun was actually a congenital master, and he also killed Tu Wanxiong, and he really regretted it at that time.

So now that he sees Qin Yun again, his attitude is much warmer and more polite.

Although this seems to be very snobbish, Shui Mingdong, as the head of the family, and the Shui family is the weakest of the seven families in Lingyang, so it is understandable that he has more concerns.

Qin Yun didn't waste time, and after a few polite words, he went straight to the point, telling Shui Mingdong the news that Da Chu was about to invade Lingyang and that the Shangguan family might be going to join the enemy and rebel, and deliberately emphasized his experience in the 100,000 mountains.

After hearing this, Shui Mingdong was stunned on the spot, looking completely dumbfounded.

After a long time, he laughed abruptly and said, "Qin Yun, this is a big thing, aren't you joking with me? Great Chu invaded, Shangguan rebelled, hehe!"

Shui Mingdong smiled extremely dry and hoarse, and his tone also revealed that he didn't trust Qin Yun very much.

This is also normal, after all, the two things Qin Yun said are absolutely earth-shattering in Lingyang City, and if they are spread, I really don't know how big a storm it will set off.

The most important thing is that Qin Yun is very young, Shui Mingdong will inevitably guess in his heart whether he is exaggerating, you must know that this is a common problem among young people, of course, he will not believe it easily.

The old lady on the side said unhappily: "Master, I believe that Yun'er will not talk nonsense, this matter is related to Lingyang City, and also related to the life and death of our Shui family, he is Wanning's apprentice, how can he harm us?

"There are more than 1,000 people in our Shui family, life and death are all in your thoughts!"

Fine sweat broke out on Shui Mingdong's forehead, and he sat down on the chair in a dejected manner: "It's not that I don't believe in Qin Yun, it's just that this matter is too big, if the Shangguan family really colludes with Da Chu to rebel, what can our Shui family rely on to resist, now that the city is under martial law, the city gate is closed, and we can't leave if we want to!"

Qin Yun secretly frowned, feeling that his master was indecisive and did not have the courage that the head of the family should have, no wonder the Shui family was at the bottom of the Lingyang Seven Families, and it was not as firm and decisive as the old lady.

However, in the current situation, he also needs the help of the Shui family, so he said in a deep voice: "Master, I have met Master Xu Jingye Xu and am ready to ask for help from King Lu of Tokugawa, as long as the Great Chu army first clears the civil strife and holds Lingyang when the Great Chu army attacks, I believe that I will be able to hold on until the reinforcements arrive!"

"But the premise of defending Lingyang City is that the conspiracy of the Shangguan family cannot succeed, if they are allowed to completely control Lingyang City, we can only sit idly by, so I would like to ask you to contact the Wang and Xie families in secret, and work together to find a way to break the current predicament!"

Shui Mingdong wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking of the Shangguan family's unusual domineering behavior in the past two days, he finally believed that Qin Yun was not talking nonsense, and the Shui family might really face annihilation.

When the matter came, he calmed down, stretched out his hand to wipe the sweat on his forehead and said: "The head of the Xie family and I are friends of no rebellion, although the Wang family is friendly with my family, but they are secretly connected with the Shangguan family, so we can only contact the Xie family first, and the Ouyang family and the Shangguan family have always been not on good terms, although the head of the Ouyang family and I don't have much friendship, but in this matter, I believe he will definitely stand on our side, as well as the Li family."

As he spoke, Shui Mingdong's thoughts gradually became clear: "But the problem is that there is no evidence, we can't expect to rely on a few words to move them to deal with the Shangguan family, you must know that at least half of the city guards are in the hands of Shangguan, and there are many masters of the Shangguan family, and there is an alliance between the two families, which is by no means easy to shake." ”

Shui Mingdong's concerns are of course reasonable, the seven families have been operating Lingyang for dozens or hundreds of years, and the relationship between them is complicated, it is impossible for Qin Yun to immediately unite against the Shangguan family because of a few words from an outsider.

In fact, they didn't get the slightest bit of news about the invasion of Great Chu, so how could they easily trust Qin Yun.

Even if it was Shui Mingdong himself, if it weren't for Qin Yun being Shui Wanning's personal disciple and a congenital master, I am afraid that Qin Yun would be blasted out as a madman when he came to the door.

Qin Yun thought for a moment and said: "This is not a problem, the Shangguan family must have closed the city gate to block the news inside and outside the city, and then wait until the Great Chu army is coming to attack and then suddenly attack." ”

"If they really collude together, they must contact each other, I can sneak out of the city to intercept the messenger, I believe I will be able to get reliable evidence!"

Shui Mingdong's spirit perked up: "As long as there is real evidence, I can completely say that the other three families will be moved, and it will not be impossible to overthrow the Shangguan family at that time, after all, we are the people of Dayan, and no one wants to become a prisoner of Dachu!"

If Lingyang City is breached by Da Chu, the ordinary people will certainly suffer, and they will not be able to escape the doom of being uprooted and killed, unless they sell themselves early like the Shangguan family.

"But," he said with a frown: "Now that the three gates of Lingyang City are guarded by the city guards, you can't enter or leave, if you forcibly leave the city, I'm afraid that you will startle the snake and alarm the Shangguan family, then it will be troublesome." ”

Qin Yun smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, Master, I have my own way, you just wait for my news!"

When he left the City Guard Mansion, he copied a map of the underground channel from Xu Jingye, as long as there was no problem with the map, there would naturally be no problem in sneaking away from Lingyang City.

"That's the best!" Shui Mingdong sighed: "This time it's really thanks to you for coming to report the news, otherwise we don't know how our Shui family was destroyed, you go to intercept the messenger, I will contact the other two in secret!"

At this time, Shui Mingdong finally showed the courage that a big family patriarch should have: "I will do my best to never let the conspiracy of the Shangguan family succeed!"

The old lady took Qin Yun's hand and asked softly, "Yun'er, be careful!"

Qin Yun nodded solemnly. rq