Soon, the sound of footsteps reached Tie Qinghua and Chen Yuan's ears.

Outside the small courtyard.

Song Laoliu looked ahead, his heart surging with excitement. He could finally kill this wicked woman and become the master of his own fate.

Tie Xuan... ha!

"Charge in! Don't let the thief escape!" Song Laoliu shouted an order and was the first to rush in, followed by a dozen or so guards brandishing their swords and shouting.

After Chen Yuan entered, Song Laoliu had been secretly watching, certain that he couldn't escape.

Killing him to avenge Tie Qinghua would, at most, earn him a scolding from Tie Xuan in his anger.

Besides, he had already found a backer. Otherwise, how would he dare to kill Tie Qinghua?

"Madam, madam..."

Song Laoliu anxiously barged into the room, expecting to see a body collapsed on the ground. Before he could feel smug, he saw Tie Qinghua looking at him with hatred and disbelief.

"Ma... Madam, you're alright... That's wonderful! Where's the thief?" Although shocked and angry, Song Laoliu quickly changed his expression.

He replaced it with surprise and deep concern.

However, Tie Qinghua wouldn't be deceived by this facade again. She looked at Song Laoliu coldly.

At that moment, Chen Yuan cleared his throat:

"Brother Song, Yuan is here!"

Song Laoliu's face stiffened, and goosebumps rose all over his body. He turned his head and looked at the screen not far away, where Chen Yuan slowly emerged, carrying his long saber.

He met Song Laoliu's gaze.

At the door, a dozen guards exchanged glances, confused by Tie Qinghua's grim expression.

They didn't dare to act rashly.

A murderous intent flashed in Song Laoliu's eyes. He understood that this man named Yuan had set him up.

"You thief!"

"Song, I gave you status and power, and this is how you repay me!" Tie Qinghua said, filled with anger.

"Qingqing, listen to my explanation." Song Laoliu swallowed hard and called Tie Qinghua by her pet name.

"Alright, then explain..."

Chen Yuan was a little surprised. He thought Tie Qinghua would say something like, "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it."

"I... I..." Song Laoliu stammered, unable to speak.

Seeing Tie Qinghua's disappointed expression, he quickly said:

"I was momentarily confused, Qingqing..."

"Shut up!" Tie Qinghua stood up and scolded.

"Song, since you're so heartless, don't blame me for disregarding our marital bond..."

"Qingqing, I was momentarily confused. It was, it was this thief who bewitched me." Song Laoliu pointed at Chen Yuan.

"Even now, you're still trying to weasel your way out of it. I was truly blind." There were tears welling up in Tie Qinghua's eyes.

Seeing that things were not going his way, Song Laoliu's pleading expression turned grim:

"Qingqing, I had no choice but to do this. I don't want the Song family line to end."

"You have the nerve to say that? Why can't I bear children? Wasn't it because I was severely injured by thieves when I tried to save you? What did you say back then? That you would never let me down..."

"Heh, and now you've sent people to kill me?"

Tie Qinghua moved swiftly, instantly arriving at the bedside, grabbing a long spear, pointing it at Song Laoliu, and scolding:

"Since you've let me down, then I'll fulfill my oath and kill you!"

Song Laoliu's face showed fear, and he turned to flee.

"Stop him!"

Tie Qinghua shouted. The guards at the door looked at each other and said in unison:

"Yes!"

The guards charged at Song Laoliu with their swords, but Song Laoliu cut off the arm of the first guard to approach with a single slash of his blade, roaring:

"Get out!"

The others were frightened but didn't dare to disobey Tie Qinghua's orders, so they stepped forward.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tie Qinghua covered dozens of steps in an instant, and a point of cold light pierced towards Song Laoliu.

"Clang."

The sound of metal clashing rang out. Song Laoliu turned and blocked the spear.

Then, a fight ensued. Tie Qinghua's spearmanship was fast, and her strength was extraordinary. One spear strike landed on a tree in the courtyard as thick as a bowl.

"Bang!"

The tree was snapped in two by the spear strike. Spots of cold light stabbed, struck, or swung, knocking the long saber out of Song Laoliu's hand, and a spear pierced his shoulder bone.

"Ah!"

Song Laoliu cried out in pain.

"Qingqing, don't... don't kill me."

Tie Qinghua didn't answer, piercing his shoulder bone with the spear, revealing a bloody hole.

"Madam Tie, hold on..."

Chen Yuan suddenly said.

Tie Qinghua pointed the spear at Song Laoliu's neck and looked at Chen Yuan.

"Brother Yuan, is there anything else?"

Chen Yuan walked forward slowly, ignoring the Song family guards' wary expressions, and looked down at Song Laoliu, saying:

"Madam Tie, don't you want to know who is backing Song Laoliu?"

Tie Qinghua frowned slightly:

"What do you mean?"

"Although I've only had a few brief encounters with Brother Song, I can tell that he's a cautious person. With such a personality, how could he rashly try to kill Madam Tie?"

"You must know, killing Madam Tie would likely cause your brother to no longer support Song Laoliu, and he might even suspect the role he played in it."

"If Song Laoliu's foundation in the south of the city didn't have your brother's support, how could he maintain it? Song Laoliu wouldn't be unaware of these secrets."

"Therefore, I believe that someone must be supporting Song Laoliu from behind."

Chen Yuan looked at Song Laoliu with a smile:

"Brother Song, am I right?"

Tie Qinghua was stunned, and she also understood the implications of what he was saying.

That's right, would killing her really mean that he could control everything?

She knew that behind the base, Tie Xuan was the one in charge, without her brother Tie Xuan, Song Laoliu would never be able to protect these things.

"Who... who exactly are you?"

Song Laoliu looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"It seems I guessed right..." Chen Yuan smiled.

Tie Qinghua felt a chill down her spine. It turned out that Song Laoliu was conspiring with someone to seize the Tie family's foundation, and even... the target behind it all was her brother Tie Xuan.

"You all go down first..." Tie Qinghua instructed the guards.

"Yes."

The guards retreated, and soon only Chen Yuan and the other two were left.

Although Tie Qinghua also signaled Chen Yuan to leave with her eyes, Chen Yuan simply pretended not to see it.

"Song..." Tie Qinghua was filled with anger, wanting to coldly ask who was behind it all.

Chen Yuan interrupted Tie Qinghua's questioning and said:

"Madam Tie, Brother Song won't confess so easily."

"Do you have a way?"

Chen Yuan smiled, walked forward, and stepped on one of Song Laoliu's fingers, applying a little pressure.

"Ah... Ah..."

The ten fingers are connected to the heart. Song Laoliu's face was distorted, and he couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Stop... Stop it..."

Chen Yuan didn't care, crushing Song Laoliu's left hand fingers into mud, one by one, with blood seeping into the ground.

"Brother Song, can you tell me now?"

"Why... why don't you ask!!!"