Chapter 19

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“Plotting with a tiger, how could there be any benefit in it?” Chu Yi sighed softly. Instinctively, he reached for the sword at his waist, only to grasp at empty air, suddenly remembering that the sword his father had bestowed upon him had already been given away.

It was well known that during the late emperor’s reign, he had favored Kang Wang, his youngest legitimate son. He had repeatedly suggested changing the Crown Prince and had given Kang Wang the best fiefdoms and military authority in the northwest, allowing him to grow in power.

Although his own father had successfully ascended the throne, his position was still unstable, heavily constrained by the civil and military officials. If Kang Wang were to ally with the Yue people, it would be like plotting with a tiger. The Yue were ambitious, and if given the opportunity, they would only destabilize the nation.

Chu Yi was fully aware that Kang Wang and the Yue did not trust each other, so he used this to lay out a plan that would sow suspicion between them, ensuring the alliance would never come to fruition.

He lifted his chin, his gaze unwavering as he stared in the direction of the blazing fire. A faint crimson glimmer seemed to flicker in his eyes. His half-tied, half-loose black hair was tousled by the wind, with a few strands falling messily across his cheeks. His white robes fluttered, as if at any moment, he might ride the wind and disappear.

“As I see it, it’s nothing more than a dog-eat-dog situation!”

Xiao Shi clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Chu Yi.

Dan Yang City was known as the gateway to the capital, and Kang Wang had gone to great lengths to place Prefect He in this position. He would never give up this place easily. Everything had gone exactly as the Young Master had predicted. As soon as Prefect He heard that the Young Master was critically ill, he rushed to find a scapegoat.

The Young Master’s move to sow discord was truly brilliant! Prefect He was nothing more than Kang Wang’s dog. Let him and those Yue people tear each other apart—hopefully, both would suffer in the process!

Thick, rolling smoke spread with the wind, and the fire blazed uncontrollably, impossible to stop.

“Young Master, we should leave here as soon as possible,” Si Hai respectfully urged again, his ordinary face calm and composed.

In his mind, Chu Yi’s safety was the top priority. Now that the situation in Dan Yang City had stabilized, it was time for them to return to the capital.

Xiao Shi quickly echoed the sentiment.

Chu Yi closed his eyes, feeling the night wind against his face, then opened them and said, “The wind is too strong tonight…”

As the old saying goes: Fire takes advantage of the wind, and the wind aids the fire. If the wind didn’t stop, this fire would likely spiral out of control, endangering the nearby citizens.

“Si Hai, go notify the fire brigade to put out the fire,” Chu Yi instructed as he turned to leave.

Si Hai’s pupils contracted slightly, but he never disobeyed Chu Yi’s orders. He immediately clasped his hands in a salute and said, “Yes, Young Master.”

With swift movements, Si Hai mounted a black horse and galloped eastward.

The night wind blew fiercely, growing stronger with each gust, as if a wild beast was hidden in the darkness, roaring in rage. The fire intensified under the force of the east wind, its flames leaping higher than the walls, raging like a ferocious fire qilin, eager to devour everything in its path.

The surrounding trees and shrubs also ignited, and the fire quickly spread toward the neighboring residences…

“Fire! Fire!”

Xiao Shi shouted, banging on a gong as he called out, his voice cutting through the stillness of the night. The loud clang of the gong echoed sharply, piercing the quiet. The people inside the government office and the residents of the street were finally jolted awake from their slumber, and soon, panicked cries filled the air, as the entire street fell into chaos.

“Fire!”

“The flames are spreading! Everyone, run!”

“This fire is too big to put out…”

“The whole street’s houses are going to burn…”

Nearby, the residents screamed and scrambled to flee.

Moments later, people began to flee from the houses surrounding the government office. Some pushed carts, others carried bundles on their backs, and many were crying and shouting in distress.

Amidst the chaos, a little girl, about three or four years old, came running barefoot, her steps unsteady as she frantically called out for her parents. The small child looked left and right in panic as she ran, clearly having been separated from her family.

Suddenly, “Ouch!” she cried as she tripped over a stone and fell to the ground. Her tiny face was smeared with soot from the smoke, and tears fell rapidly from her reddened eyes as she began to wail, “Daddy, Mommy, it hurts…”

“Little girl, how about I take you to find your parents?” A gentle and pleasant male voice suddenly came from above her.

The little girl rubbed her eyes and looked up, seeing a handsome, elegant young man whose appearance seemed almost otherworldly. Dressed in snow-white robes, his presence radiated grace and refinement.

“Big brother…” the little girl murmured, her mouth slightly open in awe. She obediently reached out her hand to him.

Sizzle…

Above them, a charred tree branch suddenly snapped, falling like a giant torch from mid-air. Countless sparks crackled as they scattered around. Xiao Shi, who had returned with the gong in hand, saw this heart-stopping scene from afar and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Young Master!”

He was too far away to react in time. All he could do was watch helplessly as the burning branch descended closer and closer toward Chu Yi.

Chu Yi could easily have dodged it, but the little girl, barely three feet tall, had no chance of avoiding it. Without hesitation, Chu Yi raised his hand and shielded the child’s head. Several glowing embers landed on his snow-white sleeve, scorching it slightly.

Suddenly, an eerie gust of wind howled through, lifting the burning branch as if an invisible hand had forcefully pushed it forward by a foot.

Bang!

The flaming branch crashed onto the ground right in front of Chu Yi, with a few flickers of fire grazing the tips of his shoes. Sparks flew, and a few small holes burned into Chu Yi’s pristine white cloak.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Xiao Shi was only seven or eight steps away from Chu Yi and naturally witnessed the strange scene as well. His eyes widened in disbelief, frozen in place, unable to process what he had just seen.

The surroundings fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had momentarily ceased.

“Immortal brother! You’re an immortal brother!” the little girl clapped her hands and laughed with delight.

Chu Yi seemed not to hear her, only feeling a sudden warmth radiating from his sleeve. He paused, realizing something. Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out a red silk pouch, its surface almost too hot to touch. With a flick of his long fingers, he loosened the drawstring and shook the pouch lightly. Thin, ash-like flakes floated out of the pouch, drifting into the air like cotton, and in the next moment, they vanished with the wind…

At that exact moment, a cracking sound echoed from the end of the alley, as another charred branch tumbled down from a tree.

“Young Master,” Xiao Shi rushed to Chu Yi’s side in just a few strides, his eyes still wide with shock. He gave the burning branch a swift kick, sending it flying aside, and stammered, “That… that protection charm…”

If he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. It was simply too unbelievable!

Chu Yi looked thoughtfully at the red silk pouch in his hand.

All around them, chaos reigned, with flames soaring into the sky. On the street, people were either fleeing for their lives or desperately trying to put out the fire, unaware of what had just happened here. Buckets of water were being passed hand to hand, and basin after basin was poured onto the inferno.

Unfortunately, it was like trying to douse a raging fire with a cup of water. The flames showed no signs of weakening, instead, they roared with the wind, consuming everything in their path.