The fire, fueled by the lowest-grade Yuan Power, burned with a bright red flame that even high-grade Yuan Power struggled to extinguish. It spread rapidly, and the servants without Yuan Power had no chance to escape, perishing one after another in the inferno.
Matron Xun, covered in soot and coughing, was helped out of a collapsing building by Bu Xiu. She stumbled and fell onto the stone pavement, her voice trembling, “My right leg is broken.”
The beams around them continued to collapse. Bu Xiu looked up in panic, wanting to call for help, but as far as he could see, the maids and servants were either dead or injured, unable to assist.
Gritting his teeth, he hoisted the matron onto his back. After a few unsteady steps towards the exit, a wall beam suddenly fell towards them. With no time to dodge, he could only throw himself backward.
Midway through its fall, the beam was caught by an earthy yellow Yuan Power. The same power steadied Matron Xun as she tumbled. As Bu Xiu turned to help the matron, he saw the hem of a bamboo-colored skirt adorned with vibrant crabapple blossoms.
He looked up in astonishment to see Ming Yi, her forehead beaded with sweat, as she moved them to a safer place outside. Her voice was cold as she asked, “Where is the lord?”
Bu Xiu’s eyes welled up, feeling the urge to cry. He pointed behind him, “Over in the Blue Tile Courtyard, but the fire there is too intense…”
Before he could finish, Ming Yi had already dashed in that direction without a moment’s hesitation.
The Xuan Dragon roared to the sky, using its body to block the red flames. In the courtyard it encircled, Ji Bozai stood holding a spirit tablet in one hand and a long sword in the other, looking at the people before him with a wry smile.
“You dare to think you can defeat me?” His tone was light, but crimson blood dripped steadily from his sword blade into the earth.
The group opposing him attacked in unison, targeting the severe wounds Left Peace had inflicted. Ji Bozai struggled, having to fend off the fire externally while protecting the spirit tablet internally.
In a moment of distraction, a nine-section whip struck his knuckles, causing his hand to reflexively loosen. The white-cloth-covered spirit tablet began to fall. His pupils constricted, and he ignored the flying leaf blades to catch the tablet with both hands.
The spirit tablet didn’t hit the ground, but three leaf blades were already flying towards his brow.
In that split second, a pure white cat leaped forward, kicking away two leaf blades with a couple of paw swipes and catching the third in its mouth. It landed lightly on all fours, then swallowed the Yuan Power-formed leaf blade with a small “aow” sound.
Ji Bozai was stunned. He quickly scanned the surroundings but saw only falling wooden pillars, with no sign of the cat’s owner.
Seeing the cat, his attackers turned pale as if they’d seen a ghost. After a brief hesitation, they all fled over the wall.
The white cat licked its whiskers, looked up disdainfully at the scorched Xuan Dragon, and leaped over the wall with a swish of its tail.
This was the first time Ji Bozai had seen a Yuan-transformed beast other than the Xuan Dragon. Someone who could merge their beast with Yuan Power must have Yuan Power comparable to his own. But who in Muxing City could have such power and still come to his rescue?
As the fire grew, he had no time to ponder. He could only grab the spirit tablet and leave.
Injured and re-injured, he walked with great difficulty. Just as he passed through Liu Zhaojun’s main gate, his vision began to blur.
“My lord?” Someone supported him, helping him continue forward.
In his daze, Ji Bozai thought, Is it Ming Yi? She came back? Perhaps she does have a conscience after all. Those gold bars weren’t wasted on her.
But when they reached the outside of the residence and his vision cleared, he realized the person beside him was just an ordinary maid from the household.
“…” He felt inexplicably annoyed.
His face darkened as he boarded the beast-drawn carriage provided by the city patrol. He said in a low voice, “Thank you all. After extinguishing the fire, please investigate who set it.”
“Rest assured, my lord. The Judicial Hall’s people have also arrived. As soon as the fire is out, they will investigate and won’t miss any clues.”
Ji Bozai nodded and was then sent to the Yan Xiao residence, leaving the rest for Meng Yangqiu to handle.
Meng Yangqiu waited outside the Ji residence for seven hours before the fire was finally extinguished. As he recorded the casualties among the servants, his anger grew. Who could be so vicious as to burn dozens of lives with a single fire? Most of those who survived were injured, including…
His gaze fell on one person, and Meng Yangqiu gasped, hurrying over to crouch down. “Miss Ming, why are you here too?”
Ming Yi looked utterly disheveled, with soot on her nose and a burn on her wrist. She sat leaning against Matron Xun, her eyes brimming with tears.
Hearing him, she looked up and said pitifully, “I forgot something when I went out and came back to get it. Then I saw the courtyard on fire. I wanted to go in and look, but a burning beam fell.”
She raised her hand, “That’s how I got burned.”
The wound was raw and oozing. It looked painful, and Meng Yangqiu quickly called for someone to take her to the Yan residence.
“Take Matron Xun and Bu Xiu too,” Ming Yi said. “Matron Xun’s leg is broken, and Bu Xiu needs to look after Lord Ji.”
“Alright.” Meng Yangqiu helped the three of them into a carriage and instructed people to escort them carefully.
“Are you alright, Miss?” Bu Xiu frowned, looking at the wound on her wrist. “I’m afraid this might leave a scar.”
The lord despised scars the most.
“It’s fine,” Ming Yi examined it. “Among the things the lord had you send over last time, there was an excellent scar-removing ointment. I brought it out earlier. Although the wound is severe, if I apply the medicine daily for a year, it shouldn’t leave much of a mark.”
Her familiar tone made it sound like she used it often.
Given the current situation, Bu Xiu didn’t think much of it and just nodded.
When the three arrived at the Yan residence, Ji Bozai had already tended to his wounds and was lying on a soft couch. Seeing Ming Yi cross the threshold, he looked up, his gaze fixed on her eyes.
Unnerved by his stare, Ming Yi stopped advancing and said pitifully, “Such a big fire. My lord, look at my wrist.”
She showed him the horrific wound, but he turned away in disgust. “Since you brought this upon yourself, there’s no need to act pitiful in front of me.”
Ming Yi let out an “Oh” and turned to sit in a nearby chair, starting to apply medicine to herself.
Ji Bozai nearly snapped the armrest. “You’re just going to accept that? No more explanations?”
“Explain what?” She looked puzzled.
Laughing bitterly in his anger, Ji Bozai raised his hand. Black Yuan Power coiled around her neck, dragging her entire body in front of him. “My residence has always been peaceful. Yet since your arrival, incidents keep occurring. Tell me, how did this fire start in the Blue Tile Courtyard?”
Ming Yi’s face reddened as she struggled to pry the Yuan Power from her neck, unable to speak. She frowned at him, her expression initially showing a hint of grievance, but it quickly turned calm. Eventually, she simply closed her eyes, refusing to look at him.
Feeling a pang in his heart, Ji Bozai tightened his grip in frustration. “Answer me!”