Chapter 114: A Soul-Stirring Flying Kiss...

"What do you want me to do, Magistrate?"

After a few more exchanges of feigned reprimands, Li Yuanjing did not hesitate for more than a few seconds before tucking the parcel, heavy with banknotes, into his robe.

The reason was simple.

This was a clash between "immortals"—a battle far beyond his pay grade. Murong Mubai had already issued his orders, and since Li Yuanjing was, in many ways, an acolyte of Murong Mubai’s circle, how could he possibly refuse to show him this face?

Seeing that Li Yuanjing understood the situation, Zhao Bingchun sighed with relief. He scolded Li Yuanjing a few more times for the benefit of the surrounding Yi Ding cavalrymen before whispering, "It's quite simple. Yuanjing, wait until the middle of the Yin hour (3:00 AM). If the fire is mostly under control, leave a gap in the southwest corner and let a group of people slip out from there."

He pointed toward the burning inn, then toward a cluster of residential houses not far to the southwest.

Li Yuanjing’s heart skipped a beat. Even though he had guessed that the assassination attempt on Zhang Zhiji was no simple matter, he never imagined that Murong Mubai was not only the mastermind behind it but was also deeply involved.

Yet, at this point, what choice did Li Yuanjing have?

Furthermore, even if he were to take a step back and consider the alternative: if he had actually managed to capture the remnants of the Lotus Sect, he would likely have let them go, even without Murong Mubai’s pressure.

The situation was nuanced. To put it bluntly: "When the wily hare is killed, the hunting dog is cooked." Li Yuanjing also needed a somewhat unstable Feng City to maximize his own interests.

"Please let me know in advance when the time comes, Magistrate," Li Yuanjing whispered to Zhao Bingchun, then turned and strode away, shouting, "Magistrate Zhao, please conduct yourself with dignity!"

"You scoundrel! You wretch! Li Yuanjing, I am truly disappointed in you..."

Soon, Zhao Bingchun’s roars echoed from behind him.

...

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the start of the Yin hour (3:00 AM).

By now, thanks to Li Yuanjing’s deliberate arrangements, the fire in the southwest had subsided significantly, and the perimeter was largely extinguished. This allowed Li Yuanjing to pull away most of the people stationed there, paving the way for the gap he needed to create.

By this point, even without many clues, Li Yuanjing understood exactly how Zhao Bingchun—or rather, the Lotus Sect—intended to operate.

It was highly probable that they had long established a base within this inn, complete with underground facilities. Perhaps there was even a secret tunnel beneath the structure. The fire had simply grown too intense, and whether it was because the tunnel had been compromised or for some other reason, the group had been unable to leave and was forced to find another exit.

The residential houses to the southwest likely held the other end of the tunnel. But that was not something a small fry like Li Yuanjing could investigate.

One thing, however, still puzzled him. A man as shrewd as Murong Mubai, who was undeniably linked to the Lotus Sect, why would he make such an impulsive decision to assassinate Zhang Zhiji at this time? Wasn't this clearly inviting disaster upon himself?

But with so few clues, Li Yuanjing didn't bother dwelling on it. He reached out and pressed the parcel of banknotes against his chest, feeling them against his heart, and grew calmer. He had already checked the notes; they were high-quality bills from the "Yufeng Ji," the largest bank in Qizhou, which could be exchanged anywhere in Feng City and the surrounding counties. They were the most reliable currency in the province. Since he couldn't stop the "immortals" from fighting, he might as well maximize his own gain. Thinking about anything else was useless.

"Sir, someone left this for you..."

As he was deep in thought, Xiangzi quietly approached and handed him a small note. Li Yuanjing took it calmly, turned his back, and opened it.

It read: "The plan has changed. Please act immediately."

A smile tugged at the corner of Li Yuanjing’s mouth. He had suspected that Zhao Bingchun and his lot didn't fully trust him. He tossed the note into the glowing embers at his feet.

Watching the note burn away instantly, Li Yuanjing shouted to the nearby patrolling Yi Ding cavalry, "The fire here is under control for now. Please, brothers, gather the townsfolk and head to the west and south to help! We must have this fire extinguished by daybreak!"

"Understood!"

The cavalrymen trusted Li Yuanjing implicitly by now and suspected nothing. They quickly went to rally the people, and Zhuzi, Kuizi, and the others followed suit to help. Li Yuanjing remained alone, overseeing the entire scene.

Soon, the last of the firefighters in the southwest corner moved toward the west and south, leaving behind a significant gap. As the crowd departed and the torches were removed, the area was gradually swallowed by the dark of night.

Li Yuanjing had no desire to look back and turned to direct the firefighting efforts elsewhere.

But just as he was about to leave, he saw it—more than a dozen figures suddenly burst out from the depths of the inn, where the fire had only recently been put out. They were all dressed in black night-traveling gear, their faces covered by black masks. Judging by their physiques, the group was roughly half men and half women.

Seeing Li Yuanjing staring at them in a daze, one of the black-clad figures—a woman, slightly shorter but with an incredibly lithe figure—suddenly turned her beautiful eyes toward him.

Then, with a seductive grace, she blew him a kiss before vanishing into the darkness.

"I..."

It took a full ten seconds for Li Yuanjing to regain his senses and process what had just happened. He looked back, but where were the black-clad figures? They were like ghosts in the dark of night, having long since left without a trace.

However, a realization dawned on him. He knew exactly who that woman was!

It was Cai Xue! There was no mistake. Her figure, and especially those bewitching eyes—Li Yuanjing would recognize her even if she were reduced to ashes.

But he truly could not understand why she would risk exposing her identity just to tease him like that.

...

Perhaps the massive fire had altered the microclimate of the small basin where Feng City was located, or perhaps Li Yuanjing was simply blessed with incredible luck.

By daybreak, snowflakes the size of goose feathers began to drift from the sky. The fire had already been largely brought under control by the exhausted crowd, and with the heavy snow falling, the final embers were finally smothered.

"Wow, the fire is out! It's out!"
"We won! We actually won!"
"Heaven be praised..."

Soon, the entire county was in an uproar, and many people wept with joy.

Li Yuanjing let out a long, weary sigh as he watched the scene. Despite all the unexpected events of the night, the fire was finally out, and there had been no civilian casualties. It was, in its own way, a good deed.

But before he could drift off in his thoughts, a member of the Yi Ding cavalry rushed over to report: "Sir, the Young Master has awakened and wishes to see you. He doesn't seem to be in the best of moods..."

"Hmm?"

Li Yuanjing felt a jolt, his heart rising into his throat. Could it be... had that blundering idiot Zhao Bingchun been exposed? That shouldn't be possible. How could such an experienced bureaucrat be so careless?

Just as Li Yuanjing felt the urge to flee, he saw Zhang Zhiji approaching, flanked by Zhang Wuwei and a hundred elite guards.

The moment he saw Li Yuanjing, he began to grumble, "Sir, those useless fools like Zhang Yuzhu... it’s already broad daylight, and they haven't caught a single assassin!"

"I refuse to believe these bastards have actually grown wings and flown out of Feng City!"