Chapter 249: The Great Fire

"Chop him!"

Xiao Wu had a busy evening. Not only was he severely reprimanded by the shopkeeper, but he also had to carry a kitchen knife to the neighboring Hongxiu Pavilion to personally chop a dancer he once favored, getting blood all over himself.

At this moment, he struck out in anger, the bone-chopping knife in his left hand heavy and powerful, rotating with a hum in the air, flying straight towards the Crown Prince's face.

In a moment of critical danger, Li Xuan drew his sword from its sheath. The tip of the sword lightly touched the handle of the flying, spinning knife. With a slight shake of his wrist, the bone-chopping knife unexpectedly rotated around the sword tip.

Li Xuan shook his wrist again, and the bone-chopping knife returned from where it came, flying straight towards Xiao Wu's chest and abdomen.

Xiao Wu was greatly shocked. He leaned back in an iron bridge plank position, and the bone-chopping knife whistled past his nose tip by a hair's breadth.

With a thud, the bone-chopping knife chopped into the wooden board outside the counter, its handle still trembling incessantly.

"His skill is tough, brothers, together!" Xiao Wu cursed angrily.

The shopkeeper was not in a good mood to stop him. "Get out of the way! Don't make a fool of yourself here."

"Oh," Xiao Wu straightened up, pulled his own kitchen knife from the counter, and led Xiao Liu to retreat to the shopkeeper's side.

The shopkeeper first sized up Li Xuan. The way this person wielded a heavy sword as if it were light was truly astonishing. But even more eye-catching than this swordsmanship was the young man beside Li Xuan, dressed in white clothes with arrow sleeves and a silver crown in his hair.

The instant Xiao Wu threw out the bone-chopping knife, this young man's smile did not change, and his eyelids didn't even blink once. It was as if he was certain from the beginning that this bone-chopping knife would not injure him.

This kind of demeanor was rarely seen.

Xiao Wu asked in a low voice to the side, "Shopkeeper, what's their background?"

The shopkeeper said calmly, "This demeanor, and this kind of expert at his side, is likely that big figure from the capital, the Haiyi child."

The Crown Prince smiled, breaking the deadlock, cupped his fist and said, "Innkeeper, we are just passing by and have no ill intentions. Is there some misunderstanding between us? If there was anything offensive in my words just now, I apologize here."

The shopkeeper also smiled and cupped his hands. "It was this assistant of mine who was not sensible and caused a misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with you, honored guest."

The Crown Prince stepped forward several steps and sized up the inn with interest. "Shopkeeper, all the assistants in your store are officials of the Innate realm. No wonder the Dragon Gate Inn in Gu Yuan city has such a resounding reputation. I just don't know why, as soon as I mentioned Chen Ji's name, the assistant wanted to strike out. Could it be that when Chen Ji lived here, he did something to offend your store?"

The shopkeeper explained, "Honored guest, you've misunderstood. Young Master Chen is an honored guest at this inn. Tonight, Jing Dynasty spies came to assassinate him, and they even made a big hole in the roof of the Tian Zi Jia room. So when you asked if Chen Ji lived here, the assistant thought you also came to assassinate Young Master Chen."

As soon as these words came out, the Crown Prince subconsciously asked in surprise, "Jing Dynasty spies assassinate Chen Ji? Why?"

The shopkeeper sized up the Crown Prince and said calmly, "Perhaps because Young Master Chen ruined their plan earlier, and these Jing Dynasty spies are afraid that Young Master Chen will see everything clearly, and are afraid of being discovered by him for some clues. So they simply struck first to gain the upper hand."

The Crown Prince turned his head to look at Qi Shensuan. "Did he mention this matter tonight?"

Qi Shensuan shook his head. "No, he didn't say anything."

The Crown Prince sighed in a low voice. "We were only worried about the message he sent, but we didn't know he was still in danger. I am ashamed. Brother Chen Ji endured so much, and actually didn't mention a single word. In this era, there are too few people who only do things and don't complain about others."

Qi Shensuan's face flushed red, and he dared not say anything.

At this time, Li Xuan, standing to the side, diverted the topic. He sheathed his sword and asked the shopkeeper loudly, "Excuse me, shopkeeper, did you hear any movement from the neighboring Hongxiu Pavilion just now? Where did all their people go?"

Xiao Wu said carelessly, "We chopped them up. So what?"

Li Xuan: "..."

Just that simple?

Li Xuan said in surprise and doubt, "Why did you all want to chop up the people from Hongxiu Pavilion?"

The shopkeeper smiled and replied, "They had nothing better to do in the middle of the night than come to assassinate Young Master Chen. They brought it upon themselves, and can't blame others for seeking death. And Young Master Chen wasn't injured. If he had been injured, it would be hard for them to even die."

Qi Shensuan was shocked.

The Crown Prince and Li Xuan couldn't help but look at each other. Chen Ji was unexpectedly so familiar with the Dragon Gate Inn. Earlier, they just mentioned his name, and the inn assistant attacked them fiercely.

The people from Hongxiu Pavilion came to assassinate Chen Ji, and as a result, the inn assistants went to their door overnight and chopped people up?

How long had Chen Ji been in Gu Yuan?

How could this be?

The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice to Li Xuan and Qi Shensuan, "This trip to Gu Yuan, if we want to succeed, I think we cannot do without the help of Brother Chen Ji. I still hope you two will put down your prejudices and make peace with Brother Chen Ji later."

Li Xuan quickly cupped his fist. "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. As long as I can help you succeed, I can do anything that a lowly official should do. Moreover, Chen Ji indeed has extraordinary qualities, and a lowly official should naturally put away contempt and arrogance."

Seeing that Qi Shensuan was always stiff and unwilling to speak, he quickly glared at him.

Qi Shensuan said unwillingly, "I am the same."

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "That's good then. Maybe after returning to the capital, you will all become colleagues."

After speaking, he looked at the shopkeeper, cupped his hands and said, "Shopkeeper, we did not come to assassinate Chen Ji, but are his friends. Please ask an assistant to go up and report, saying that old friends have come to visit."

Xiao Wu looked at the shopkeeper, who gave him a look. "Go."

Xiao Wu thumped and thumped as he ran upstairs. Moments later, Chen Ji followed him down. Seeing it was the Crown Prince, he immediately cupped his fist and said, "Your Highness..."

The Crown Prince shook his head slightly, and Chen Ji immediately changed his address. "Young Master Zhu, I have failed to welcome you properly. May I know why you are visiting in the middle of the night?"

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Let's step outside and talk."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, lifted the hem of his clothes, and went out.

After the group went out the door, Xiao Wu lay on the counter bored and said, "Shopkeeper, are these people Young Master Chen's friends?"

The shopkeeper snorted coldly. "No. Earlier, I said that Young Master Chen encountered an assassination. These people didn't ask about his safety first, but only cared about why the Jing Dynasty spies wanted to assassinate him. Can these be true friends? If I were to be assassinated, what would be your first reaction?"

Xiao Wu thought for a moment. "Should I take over as shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper cursed angrily, "Get out of the way! It's not your turn even if this old man dies!"

Outside the door, under the night sky of Kucha Street, more than a hundred Imperial Forest Army cavalry stood with their horses.

Chen Ji cupped his hands and asked, "Your Highness, why have you come?"

The Crown Prince smiled and explained, "Tonight you came to send a message, yet you couldn't even enter the Commandery Office. When I heard about this, I immediately rushed over, afraid that you would feel resentment. Just now, I heard that you suffered an assassination. It has been hard for you."

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "It is my duty to share Your Highness's worries. I dare not speak of hardship."

The Crown Prince looked left and right. Li Xuan immediately understood and stepped forward, cupping his fist. "Brother Chen Ji, I have offended you greatly earlier. It was I, Li Xuan, who judged people incorrectly. I still hope you will not hold grudges and can continue to assist His Highness the Crown Prince with us."

Chen Ji quickly said, "Lord Li speaks too heavily. I am not a narrow-minded person and do not hold grudges about previous matters."

After speaking, he looked at Qi Shensuan.

Your turn.

Qi Shensuan raised his eyebrows.

He was silent for a long time, finally hardened his scalp and cupped his fist. "I, Qi Shensuan, also admire capable people. I have offended you greatly earlier, but I will not do so again."

The Crown Prince smiled and smoothed things over. "Good, everyone will work together from now on and should unite our efforts... Brother Chen Ji, I wonder if you still have any clues about the Jing Dynasty thieves?"

Chen Ji thought of the assistant at the glazed shop and the fur shopkeeper that Xiao Wu mentioned, but he still replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, I temporarily do not."

The Crown Prince was slightly disappointed, but quickly showed a smile again. "No harm. I think Brother will still gain something by staying at this Dragon Gate Inn..."

However, before he finished speaking, he saw urgent firelight burning in Gu Yuan city. In the distance, huge plumes of smoke and dust rose, and the smell of ashes floated in the wind.

Gu Yuan city became noisy, and common people from every household climbed onto their rooftops to look.

Li Xuan stamped forcefully, leaping up from the ground like an eagle. He took several steps and landed on the octagonal roof of the Dragon Gate Inn.

Standing on the gray tiles, he supported the heavy eaves of the octagonal building, his sharp gaze fixed in the distance. He saw that in Gu Yuan city, fires were burning fiercely in three places, not like they had caught fire "accidentally."

If they had caught fire accidentally, they absolutely would not have ignited in three places simultaneously!

When Li Xuan saw clearly where the firelight came from, his face suddenly changed. He turned his head and shouted to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, this is bad! It's the Commandery Office, the border army granary, and the armory direction!"

They had guarded against poison in the water, but they had not guarded against the fire burning the granary. Not only were all the grains stored in Gu Yuan city destroyed, but also the vine armor of the border army, which was originally stretched thin, was also destroyed.

That's not right, and also the armor of the Yulin Army, which was in the big fire at the Commandery Office.

Gu Yuan is finished.

Chen Ji immediately looked at the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, there must be spies within the border army, otherwise they absolutely could not have succeeded."

The Crown Prince ordered, "Yulin Army, listen to my command! Return to the Commandery Office to put out the fire!"

Chen Ji shouted, "Zaozi!"

The next moment, a warhorse's neigh came from the inn's backyard. Zaozi unexpectedly passed through the inn, crashed through the inn's cotton curtain, and came to Kucha Street, snorting heavy white steam from his nostrils.

Chen Ji tightened his grip on the saddle and flipped onto the horse. A window on the third floor opened, and Zhang Zheng shouted, "Chen Ji, catch!"

With that, he threw the whale knife out of the window. Chen Ji caught it steadily in his hand, and took the lead, galloping away.