Using the lowest grade of Essence Power as fuel, the fire that erupted was one that even high-grade Essence Power struggled to extinguish. The flames burned a vivid crimson, spreading with terrifying speed. The servants, devoid of Essence Power, had no chance to escape, one after another perishing in the inferno.
Granny Xun, covered in dust and coughing violently, was helped out of the collapsing house by Buxiu. She took one step before collapsing onto the stone pavement, trembling as she gasped, "My right leg is broken."
Nearby, beams continued to crash down. Buxiu panicked, looking around to call for help, but all he saw were maids and servants either dead or injured, too overwhelmed to aid others.
Gritting his teeth, he hoisted Granny Xun onto his back and staggered forward, trying to flee. But just then, the wall beam at the entrance suddenly collapsed toward them, leaving him no time to dodge. He could only throw himself backward desperately.
Mid-collapse, the beam was halted by a surge of earthen-yellow Essence Power, and Granny Xun, who had tumbled to the ground, was steadied by the same energy. As Buxiu turned in alarm to help her, his gaze landed on a skirt the color of misty bamboo, embroidered with blooming crabapple flowers.
Dazed, he looked up to see Mingyi, sweat beading on her forehead, hauling them both to a safer spot outside before coldly demanding, "Where is the master?"
Buxiu’s eyes burned, tears threatening to spill. He pointed behind him. "The Cyan Tile Courtyard... but the fire there is too fierce—"
Before he could finish, Mingyi had already dashed toward it without hesitation.
The Mystic Dragon roared skyward, its massive body shielding against the crimson flames. Within the courtyard it coiled around, Ji Bozhai stood with an ancestral tablet in one arm and a longsword in the other, smirking at the group before him.
"You think you can defeat me?" His tone was light, but scarlet blood dripped steadily from his blade into the dirt.
The attackers lunged at him in unison, targeting the grievous wounds Zuo Ping had inflicted earlier. Ji Bozhai, forced to block the flames while protecting the tablet, fought with increasing difficulty.
A momentary lapse—the Nine-Section Whip lashed his knuckles, forcing his grip to loosen. The white-draped tablet began to fall. His pupils contracted; ignoring the Leaf Blades hurtling toward his brow, he reached out with both hands to catch it.
The tablet never hit the ground, but three Leaf Blades were already at his forehead.
In a flash, a pure white cat pounced, kicking away two blades with a swift pat-pat and catching the third in its teeth. Landing gracefully on all fours, it swallowed the Essence Power-forged blade with a satisfied mrow .
Ji Bozhai froze, scanning the surroundings frantically—collapsing pillars, but no sign of the cat’s master.
The attackers paled at the sight of the feline, as if they’d seen a ghost. After a split-second hesitation, they fled over the wall in unison.
The white cat licked its whiskers, casting a disdainful glance at the singed and battered Mystic Dragon before flicking its tail and leaping after them.
This was Ji Bozhai’s first time seeing an Essence Transformation Companion Beast other than his Mystic Dragon. To merge a Following Beast with Essence Power so seamlessly—this person’s strength must rival his own. But who in Star Yearn City possessed such power and would still come to his aid?
The flames grew fiercer, leaving no time for thought. He clutched the tablet and fled.
His injuries worsened with every step. By the time he passed Lord of Flowing Radiance’s gate, his vision blurred.
"Master?" Someone steadied him, guiding him onward.Ji Bozhai thought hazily, was it Mingyi? She actually came back, so she still had some conscience left, not entirely unworthy of all those gold bars he had given her.
However, when he was helped out of the residence and his vision cleared slightly, he realized the person beside him was just an ordinary maid from the household.
"..." It was inexplicably infuriating.
His face darkened as he boarded the beast-drawn carriage arranged by the city patrol guards. In a low voice, he said, "Thank you all. Once the fire is extinguished, investigate the arsonist."
"Rest assured, my lord. The Adjudicators from the Hall of Judgment have also arrived. They will inspect the scene as soon as the fire is out and leave no stone unturned."
Ji Bozhai nodded and was then taken to Yan Xiao's residence, leaving the aftermath to Meng Yangqiu to handle.
Meng Yangqiu waited outside the Ji residence for seven hours before the fire was finally put out. As he recorded the casualties among the servants, his anger grew with each entry. Who could be so cruel as to set a fire that claimed dozens of lives? Those who survived were mostly injured, including...
His gaze landed on one person, and Meng Yangqiu gasped, quickly crouching down beside her. "Ming Guniang, why are you here too?"
Mingyi looked utterly disheveled, her nose smudged with soot and a patch of skin burned off her wrist. She huddled close to Granny Xun, her eyes brimming with tears.
Lifting her head at his words, she replied mournfully, "I forgot something when I went out and came back to get it. Then I saw the fire in the courtyard. I tried to go in, but a burning beam collapsed."
She raised her hand slightly. "And then I got burned."
The wound was a bloody mess, oozing yellowish fluid—painful just to look at. Meng Yangqiu immediately called for someone to take her to the Yan residence.
"Take Granny Xun and Buxiu too," Mingyi said. "Granny Xun's leg is broken, and Buxiu needs to attend to Lord Ji."
"Understood." Meng Yangqiu helped all three of them onto the carriage and instructed the escort to take good care of them.
"Are you alright, miss?" Buxiu frowned at the wound on her wrist. "This might leave a scar."
The lord particularly disliked scars.
"It's fine," Mingyi glanced at it. "Among the things the lord had you bring me last time, there was an excellent scar-removal ointment. I brought it with me just now. Though the burn is severe, applying the ointment daily for a year should prevent any noticeable marks."
Her casual tone made it sound like she was used to such things.
Given the current atmosphere, Buxiu didn't dwell on it and simply nodded.
By the time the three arrived at the Yan residence, Ji Bozhai had already had his wounds treated and was resting on a couch. When he saw Mingyi step through the door, he looked up, his gaze locking onto hers.
His piercing stare made her scalp tingle, and she stopped in her tracks. Pitifully, she said, "The fire was so big, my lord. Look at my wrist."
She exposed the ghastly wound to him, but he turned his head away in disgust. "If it's self-inflicted, there's no need to feign misery in front of me."
Mingyi let out an "oh" and promptly sat down on a nearby chair, applying the ointment by herself.
Ji Bozhai nearly crushed the armrest. "So you just admit it? No explanation?"
"Explain what?" She looked genuinely puzzled.
Furious, he laughed coldly. Raising his hand, dark Essence Power coiled around her neck, dragging her right in front of him. "My residence has always been spotless, yet right after you arrived, disasters struck one after another. Tell me—how did the fire start in the Cyan Tile Courtyard?"Mingyi's face flushed red as she struggled against the Essence Power constricting her neck, still unable to speak. She frowned at him, her expression initially showing a trace of grievance, but it soon turned calm. Eventually, she simply closed her eyes and refused to look at him.
A pang of irritation struck Ji Bozhai's heart, and he tightened his grip angrily. "Answer me!"
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