The crow on the rooftop flapped its wings and flew away.

“Ah! Help…”

The figures inside the room all surged toward the door, but the door seemed to be locked and wouldn’t open.

The screams continued without end.

Marquis Kang’s jowls trembled, completely dazed.

Fortunately, Ji Yinshu was still relatively clearheaded at this moment and quickly shouted for people, “Quick, break down the door.”

Her shout brought everyone’s souls back.

Marquis Kang was so shocked his eyes went straight, but fortunately his soul also returned. He waved his large hand. “Quick, quick, open the door, quick…”

So several servants hurriedly stepped forward, ramming the door with their shoulders, but because the people inside were all pressed against the door, it couldn’t be broken open at all.

“Help…”

Still constantly shouting.

Some figures slowly collapsed.

“Crash!”

The door finally opened.

But the moment the door opened, flames and thick smoke all rolled out from inside. The people inside, wrapped in fire, frantically rushed out.

Some fell to the ground as charred corpses.

Some had already died inside.

Those fortunate enough to escape also died from severe injuries beyond treatment.

Some had the fire on their bodies extinguished but were like corpses.

That fire burned too urgently, too quickly…

The fire grew larger and larger.

The firelight spread under the pitch-black moonlight, as if illuminating half the sky.

This was beyond Ji Yinshu’s expectations!

The firelight reflected in her clear eyes, turning them red…

The lantern in her hand also fell to the ground, igniting a ball of fire that immediately burned to nothing.

Shi Zijin rushed out from somewhere and pulled her to a safe place nearby.

But Marquis Kang was still standing in the original spot, looking at the sky-filling firelight in the room, completely dazed.

What on earth was happening?

He shouted loudly, “Quick, put out the fire, put out the fire!”

The servants all ran to fetch basins and carry water.

The guards also came in, carrying away the corpses on the ground while fighting the fire.

And from the rafters in the room, things kept falling down, splashing up showers of sparks.

“Those are my treasures!” Marquis Kang had sharp eyes and clearly saw one of the items was his Eight Treasures Clock. He slapped both hands heavily on his thighs. “Quick, quick, put out the fire, get water, quick…”

Grinding his teeth in distress!

His treasures.

Indeed, his treasures were hidden on the rafters inside, but inside was all fire—how could anyone rush in!

Seeing this, the steward quickly pulled him. “Marquis, the fire is so big—hurry and leave.”

“My treasures are still inside.”

“But the fire is so big. Even if the things are inside, they’ve all burned to charcoal by now.”

Finally, by dragging and pulling, he got the man to the safe place where Ji Yinshu was.

He sighed mournfully, tears in his eyes. “Master Ji, this… what’s going on? How did it catch fire? And so many people died, along with those treasures of mine…”

Ai!

He hung his head in grief.

Ji Yinshu looked at the sky-filling fire in the marquis’s residence, then at the charred corpses on the ground—those were human lives, one after another!

She let out a breath. “Perhaps… this is the price to pay.”

Hmm?

Price?

Marquis Kang had no mind to listen to her words, too busy grieving.

Suddenly—

“Marquis, there’s one person who’s not dead yet.”

Looking over, they saw guards dragging that person over.

That person was barely breathing, leaning against a pillar, still clinging to life.

Ji Yinshu quickly crouched down, seizing the time to ask, “Tell me, who set the fire?”

That person opened his mouth, raised his hand, pointed in a direction, and said, “It was… it was…”

Before finishing the words, a sharp arrow shot out from the darkness, striking that person’s heart directly.

Dead on the spot!

Uh!

Shi Zijin’s first reaction was to pull Ji Yinshu up and protect her behind him.

Immediately after, another sharp arrow shot over, heading straight for Ji Yinshu.

But Shi Zijin drew his sword and slashed it down.

Then two more shot out.

One aimed at Ji Yinshu, one aimed at Marquis Kang!

Ji Yinshu had Shi Zijin’s protection, but Marquis Kang was unlucky. The marquis’s residence was now in complete chaos—even the guards closest to him couldn’t avoid that arrow at the fastest speed, and the steward and several servants beside him didn’t know martial arts.

Watching that arrow about to strike, Marquis Kang retreated several steps in succession.

At this critical moment!

A silver whip lashed out, wrapping around that arrow and hurling it heavily to the ground.

Broken into two pieces.

Tang Si really came at just the right time.

She stood protectively in front of Marquis Kang, with a proud face. “Marquis, a life-saving debt must be repaid with a spring of gratitude.”

Marquis Kang came to his senses. “Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely repay Miss Tang.” Immediately after, he shouted loudly, “There’s an assassin! Catch the assassin!”

Right at this moment—

Jingrong and Muruo’s figures appeared. The two leaped to the rooftop and, each with one hand, pulled two people out from the wall.

They threw them directly to the ground.

One was Wu Weiwen, a guard from the residence!

One was Zhou Wen, who had followed Marquis Kang for many years!

The two lay prostrate on the ground, the crossbows in their hands also dropped to the side.

Caught red-handed!

Marquis Kang was shocked. “Zhou Wen? This…”

What was going on?

Zhou Wen, a person who had followed by his side for many years!

Zhou Wen’s originally gentle face was now filled with murderous intent, glaring fiercely at Marquis Kang.

Jingrong’s expression was stern, carrying severity. “Marquis, this is the ghost in your residence.”

“Ghost?” Marquis Kang shook his head, walked over, and looked down at Zhou Wen. “Why is it you?”

Zhou Wen laughed loudly. “Why can’t it be me?”

“Impossible… impossible…”

Two hours later, the fire was finally extinguished.

In the hall!

Complete silence.

In the center of the hall knelt Zhou Wen and Wu Weiwen.

Marquis Kang sat in the main seat.

“Why? Why did you do this?”

One could hear the disappointment in his tone!

After all, this was someone who had followed him for so many years, also the only person he could trust. Yet now, he wanted his life.

Zhou Wen hung his head. Now he was like someone with both hands and feet bound, only waiting to be pushed to the execution platform to end his life, without the slightest desire to struggle for survival.

After a while, he raised his head. His calm face suddenly carried a smile, sinister and eerie, turning his gaze toward Ji Yinshu.

He asked, “How did you know those things were hidden on the rafters?”

Ji Yinshu: “Do you think it was very difficult to guess?”

“Guess? You guessed?”

“I told you, it was the crow master who led me to find them.”

“Nonsense! A crow—how could it discover them?”

Utterly ridiculous.

Ji Yinshu’s eyes tightened. “Your plan was flawless—indeed, no loopholes could be found. And if I hadn’t discovered that crow, perhaps… I also wouldn’t know where the things were hidden. Or rather, I wouldn’t have known who was causing trouble in the residence either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you walked into the trap yourself.”

Saying this, Zhou Wen became even more confused, his eyes staring straight at Ji Yinshu.

“I merely lured the snake out of its hole, and sure enough, you really walked into the trap yourself.”