“What are you doing?” Zhu Yan shouted from among the crowd. “Don’t harm the innocent! If you have any unfinished business, you can tell me. Don’t hurt others.”
As people fled from the Buddhist hall, the civilians in the temple also ran far away upon seeing Madam Tang’s crazed state.
“Save me, big sister, save me!” the little boy cried out to Zhu Yan. Among all the martial artists present, the boy chose to seek help from Zhu Yan, who had no fighting skills. This puzzled Shen Du but also stirred some unusual feelings in him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll save you,” Zhu Yan quickly reassured the boy, then turned her gaze to Madam Tang. “Is there something else you want to tell me? Don’t hurt others. If you want someone to accompany you in death, I can go with you. Don’t harm anyone else.”
“Lady Shen is truly magnanimous,” Madam Tang laughed wildly, her grip on the boy not loosening at all. “To even offer to sacrifice yourself to save others. If I were to take you with me in death, wouldn’t your beloved Grand Secretary be heartbroken?”
“Don’t concern yourself with our affairs. As long as you don’t harm the innocent, we can discuss anything,” Zhu Yan said, her heart racing. Madam Tang had gone mad, but she still held the boy tightly. If she lost control and killed the boy in a moment of madness, it would add another innocent life to the toll.
“You people… none of you are good people!” Madam Tang pointed at everyone present with her free hand. “All of you only see me as a murderer, but you never consider how much I’ve suffered. Not one of you is willing to think from my perspective, not one of you acknowledges my motives for killing. You should all die, all of you!”
“Stop this pointless resistance. Release the boy, or everyone here will not let you go,” Shen Du suddenly said coldly, earning a disapproving glare from Zhu Yan.
“She’s already like this. You can’t provoke her further, or that child will lose his life,” Zhu Yan whispered.
Shen Du looked at her. “Then what do you suggest?”
Zhu Yan was at a loss. She indeed had no better solution, but she knew they absolutely couldn’t anger Madam Tang with their words right now.
“I don’t know,” Zhu Yan’s eyes showed panic. “I only know that too many have died in this case already. We can’t add any more lives to the toll.”
Seeing Zhu Yan’s helpless expression, Shen Du felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.
He then glanced at Jing Lin, signaling him to act when the opportunity arose.
Jing Lin nodded in understanding, but Madam Tang, being trained in martial arts herself, naturally understood their subtle communication.
“Heh heh…” Madam Tang laughed maniacally. “You think I can’t see through your little schemes? You want to catch me, don’t you? Then let this child accompany me in death!”
With those words, Madam Tang took out a paper package from her bosom and scattered its contents into the air. The powder inside turned into sparks of fire, falling onto her and the boy.
“Fire! It’s on fire!” The onlookers began to shout. Everyone present was shocked. It was as if Madam Tang was using sorcery. How could powder turn into flames falling on them?
The fire spread rapidly. Madam Tang was already engulfed in flames, yet she continued to laugh wildly.
“Help! Help me!” The little boy cried out in terror, trying to break free from Madam Tang as he saw the sparks burning him.
But Madam Tang’s grip was too tight for him to escape.
“Watch out!” Zhu Yan, with unexpected courage, rushed forward and embraced the boy, using her arm to forcefully push Madam Tang away.
The fierce flames seared her hand, but she still held the boy tightly, rolling on the ground.
Shen Du quickly took off his outer robe and covered Zhu Yan, using the long sleeves to beat out the flames.
Jing Lin swiftly ordered people to bring water buckets and doused Madam Tang.
In moments, the fire was extinguished.
Madam Tang, severely burned, lay barely breathing on the ground, seemingly clinging to life.
“Quickly restrain this mad woman! Summon the imperial physician to tend to Lady Shen’s injuries!” The Empress was furious, and worried about Zhu Yan while also despising the crazed Madam Tang before her.
After the chaos subsided, Zhu Yan, Shen Du, and the little boy were taken to a side room in the temple.
The imperial physician carefully treated the burn on Zhu Yan’s hand, while the little boy looked at her with gratitude and concern.
“Thank you, big sister, for risking your life to save me. If not for you, I might have died,” the boy said.
Hearing the child’s innocent words, Zhu Yan gave a soft laugh. “You’re so young, don’t talk about dying. With me by your side, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Will big sister always stay with me then?” the boy asked.
This question caught everyone off guard, especially Shen Du, who frowned, sensing trouble. Could this little boy be trying to steal his wife?
Zhu Yan, not understanding the implication, asked, “What do you mean by that?”
As soon as Zhu Yan finished speaking, the little boy suddenly knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to her. “My name is Qi Yeyun. I’ve admired you since I was young, big sister. I came to the temple today just to witness your brilliance in solving cases. You’re not only clever but also brave, and you saved my life today. So, I want to take you as my master. Please don’t refuse.”
Zhu Yan was completely stunned, never expecting someone to admire her so much.
Beside her, Shen Du’s face darkened. “You’re so young, what do you know about admiration? This is nonsense.”
“What kind of talk is that?” Zhu Yan was displeased. “Although he’s young, he understands right from wrong. Are you jealous that someone admires me?”
Shen Du’s expression grew even more somber. “Me, jealous of you? That’s absurd.”
“Well, that’s good then. I’ve decided to take this little disciple,” Zhu Yan declared, her words sounding more like a challenge.
“Thank you, Master,” Qi Yeyun, being a clever child, immediately kowtowed in gratitude upon hearing Zhu Yan’s words.
Seeing that the child wasn’t much younger than herself, Zhu Yan felt awkward. Just then, she suddenly hissed in pain, looking at the wound on her hand. “The wound is so deep. Will it leave a scar?”
The imperial physician sighed helplessly. “The injury is indeed severe, but I will do my best to treat it for Lady Shen. I’ll use the best ointment to minimize scarring as much as possible.”
Looking at the alarming burn on Zhu Yan’s hand, Shen Du felt a pang in his heart.
Women naturally love beauty. If such a scar were to remain on her hand, she would surely be upset. Even if she didn’t say it aloud, she would certainly be concerned about it.