Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 147 The Burning of Jade Flower Pavilion: The War Begins
Handan City
Inside a luxurious mansion, a young gentleman was lost in thought.

Looking at the flickering flames before him, he sighed softly.

"I should have thought of it sooner. That man spoke with such confidence and fearlessness, and he comes from Sanyang Village in Daicheng. I'm afraid the incident involving the Marquis's Mansion and the disaster caused by the Green Dragon Gang were both his doing."

The matter concerning Xiaolin's uncle is related to the local thugs and ruffians in Handan City, who are all under the jurisdiction of the Qinglong Gang. If one wants to find the murderer, going to the Qinglong Gang would be a good place to go.

As for what happened next, it's not hard to imagine.

As for the young girl Xiaolin who perished in the fire, she is probably still alive, but her whereabouts are currently unknown.

But at the same time, he was also curious. It seemed that the things he knew were done on purpose by the other party. What exactly was the other party's plan? For a moment, the young master remained silent.

As dusk fell, in a bedroom, a man lying fully clothed suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, illuminating the dark room.

"What a good night's sleep!"

The man patted his arm and slowly exhaled.

He then got up from the bed, went to the window, and looked at the sky outside, which had become completely dark. He couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.

It seems unlikely that things will be peaceful in Handan tonight.

He felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from the shadows.

Jade Flower Pavilion, fifth floor.

The Snow Woman stood by the window, watching the city lights gradually come on, and her heart stirred with a few ripples.

Tomorrow is the deadline set by Prince Jia. There are many things that even he is powerless to change, as the king is already impatient.

A gust of wind blew by, and suddenly two more people appeared inside the room.

A boy, and a man in black armor.

"I thought Xiuyuan would break his promise?"

The newcomers were none other than Xiu Yuan and Ni Chang, or rather, Xiu Yuan and Jing Ni.

The Snow Woman didn't turn around, but she already knew who the two uninvited guests behind her were.

"Li Mu is back."

Xiu Yuan walked slowly to the window, his gaze drifting leisurely towards the southeast of Handan.

He thought he might not make it in time, but he didn't expect Li Mu to be so fast.

"Are you waiting for him?"

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's words, Xue Nu was taken aback.

Li Mu, the great general of the Zhao Kingdom, is rumored to have reached the Grandmaster realm. He is not only a master strategist on the battlefield, but also handles those martial arts practitioners with ease.

At the same time, Li Mu was also Prince Jia's strongest supporter. If Prince Jia insisted on offering himself to the King of Zhao, they would have to face not only the Imperial Guards, but also this great general.

“It’s not that the young master is waiting for him, but that I am waiting for him.”

Just then, a charming voice came from over, and the Snow Woman turned around subconsciously.

Then she saw a girl, a girl dressed in black armor.

Although the other party was dressed in heavy black armor and wore a black mask, a very pretty face was hidden under the mask.

She had seen many girls and beauties at Jade Flower Pavilion, but apart from herself, there was no one in the entire Jade Flower Pavilion who could compare to her beauty.

"Are you Ni Chang??"

The Snow Woman seemed to be deep in thought, and couldn't help but guess.

Ni Chang nodded, seemingly unsurprised that the girl could guess her identity.

"I've long heard that Sister Xue Nu is incredibly beautiful, and seeing her today, I can confirm that she is truly extraordinary."

Ni Chang readily offered polite words, even though this wasn't the first time she had met the girl in front of her.

A beautiful woman cherishes another beautiful woman, just as a hero cherishes another hero.

Upon hearing the other party's words, Xue Nu curtsied and replied softly, "Sister Ni Chang is too kind. I think you are the one who is naturally charming and incomparably beautiful."

Then the Snow Woman's gaze shifted to the sword in the other person's hand. The sword in the girl's hand was not an ordinary longsword, but a very peculiar one.

Recalling what Ni Chang had said earlier, Xue Nu couldn't help but feel a sense of solemnity. This girl with such excellent looks in front of her didn't seem to be an ordinary girl; her skills were probably extremely terrifying.

An expert?
The Snow Woman's eyes twitched, and two words flashed through her mind.

"Would you like to see this sword, Snow Maiden?"

Seeing that Xue Nu was examining the sword in her hand, Ni Chang thought for a moment and asked a question.

Snow Maiden shook her head. She wasn't interested in swords, and she didn't recognize this particular sword. Even if Ni Chang gave it to her, she wouldn't be able to tell what it was.

What interests her is Ni Chang herself; outsiders would probably never imagine that the top courtesan of a brothel would be such a master.

"Young master, will that general intervene?"

Seeing that Xue Nu stopped speaking, Ni Chang turned to Xiu Yuan and asked.

Xiu Yuan's eyes flashed with a glint of light. After a moment, he said, "Now that this general has returned to Handan, whether or not to take action is no longer up to him."

Xiu Yuan subtly brushed his hand across the back of his left hand, where a slight warmth was slowly spreading. The birthmark on the back of his hand was reacting, which made him feel a little strange.

Tonight is destined to be a memorable night.

Hearing the two of them so eager to try, the Snow Maiden's eyes became even stranger. It seemed that neither Xiu Yuan nor Ni Chang were afraid of this great general.

"Will Young Master Jia come again tonight?"

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan asked.

Upon hearing this, the Snow Woman gently shook her head.

"Tomorrow is the final deadline, so whether we come tonight or not is no longer of much significance."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan nodded first, then suddenly said, "What if he guessed that I was the one who made the move?"

Upon hearing this, the Snow Woman's eyes showed a hint of confusion.

To take action? What action?
Yao Yi, who had been standing silently to the side, seemed to have guessed something and asked with some surprise, "My benefactor, are you saying that Xiao Lin is not dead?"

Upon hearing Yao Yi's words, Xue Nu subconsciously looked at Xiu Yuan. News from the Chunping Marquis's residence indicated that Xiao Lin had been burned to death in an accidental fire. Because of this, she and Yao Yi had been depressed for almost two days.

Xiu Yuan's gaze was also somewhat surprised. After all, Yao Yi was different from him. This girl had very little access to information, so it was indeed surprising that she could think of this.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, Xiu Yuan nodded nonetheless.

Seeing Yao Yi suddenly burst into tears of joy, Ni Chang gently shook her head. The person in front of her had done more than just this one thing!

Most of the major events that have happened in Handan these past few days were orchestrated by this young man.

"Miss Yao Yi, you don't think he only did this one thing, do you?"

"If we only save Xiaolin, we won't attract that great general Li Mu!!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Nu and Yao Yi's expressions changed immediately, as if they had guessed something, and they both turned to look at Xiu Yuan.

"The Azure Dragon Gang, with its three top masters who blot out the sun, the fire at the Marquis's mansion, and Young Master Jia's subordinate—all of these were the work of Young Master Jia."

As the truth was revealed one by one, Yao Yi and Xue Nu's gazes became increasingly complex, and the image of the young man in their hearts grew ever stronger.

The three top masters who blotted out the sun were figures that ordinary people in the martial arts world would look up to, let alone the thousands of members of the Azure Dragon Gang. But Xiu Yuan had no intention of showing off at all.

"Miss Xiaolin's entry into the Marquis's mansion was the result of a scheme by one of Gongzi Jia's advisors. Her uncle's death was a knot in her heart, and the other party wanted to use Xiaolin to eliminate the uncertain factor of Marquis Chunping."

Xiu Yuan didn't explain, but Ni Chang thought for a moment and then said something more.

Yao Yi and Xue Nu's expressions darkened again. When Xiao Lin entered the Chunping Marquis's mansion, the two of them were a little confused as to why Xiao Lin would choose such a destination. Now, it all makes sense.

This girl wasn't vain; she was simply being schemed against.

"The methods used in the imperial court ultimately manifested outside the court, which is, undeniably, a great irony."

Ni Chang's words rang out, leaving the two girls in front of her with mixed feelings.

"The last time I came to Jade Flower Pavilion, I deliberately revealed the matter of Three Sheep Village to Young Master Jia. I suppose he has figured something out after these past few days!"

"Furthermore, as a Grandmaster, Li Mu possesses keen insight and clear thinking. Even if he hasn't reached the level of sensing the autumn wind before it blows, he's not far off. He'll definitely be aware of these things."

Xiu Yuan put his hands behind his back and looked at the street. The street seemed to be quite lively tonight.

"So now all that's needed is a trigger, and that general will strike right at the heart of the enemy's lair."

Ni Chang reached out and traced the long sword in her hand, a glint of cold light flashing in her eyes.

The Snow Woman stood there, seemingly remembering something, her expression showing a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

"What does Miss Ni Chang mean?"

Ni Chang sighed softly.

"Sister Snow Maiden, do you know what the most interesting thing in Handan City is right now?"

The snow woman was somewhat taken aback.

Ni Chang smiled and continued, "Silly sister, it's naturally about you and me entering the palace."

Upon hearing this, the Snow Woman's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural.

Indeed, these past few days, both Zuimenglou and Yuhuage have had almost no customers.

These usually arrogant and domineering men did not want to offend the most powerful man in the State of Zhao.

"If Jade Flower Pavilion were to suddenly catch fire, wouldn't Young Master Jia be worried?"

Xue Nu and Yao Yi's expressions changed.

Judging from Ni Chang's words, it seems that the other party intends to set the building on fire.

"If General Li is cautious enough, he will surely be able to guess that the fire at the Chunping Marquis's mansion was our doing. As for the purpose, it was nothing more than to let Xiaolin fake her death and escape. So once the fire at Yuhua Pavilion starts, that general will definitely not be able to sit still."

At this point, Ni Chang's lips curled into a cold smile.

In the end, the young man prevailed in the face of human scheming.

"What about the girls from Jade Flower Pavilion?"

A moment later, the Snow Woman's eyes flickered.

She didn't have much of a problem with burning down the Jade Flower Pavilion, but she didn't want to hurt the girls there.

"We're burning down the Jade Flower Pavilion, not these girls."

Ni Chang shrugged. What Xue Nu could think of, Xiu Yuan could naturally think of as well. Fortunately, there weren't many guests at either Yu Hua Ge or Zui Meng Lou these past few days, so it wasn't difficult to do. All they had to do was scare people away.

Of course, it's not just Jade Flower Pavilion that will catch fire tonight; the Drunken Dream Pavilion will also be affected. Jing Ni and Ni Chang's identities will vanish with these two fires.

As night fell, the bustling city of Handan gradually quieted down.

There were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street, and it seemed that this would be another peaceful night.

Suddenly, in Gongzi Jia's mansion, Li Mu, who was still sitting cross-legged on the bed, abruptly opened his eyes. With a light step, he leaped out like a cheetah.

He then went into the courtyard, stomped his foot, and floated to the roof like a wild goose.

With a leisurely gaze, the general's eyes quickly locked onto a certain spot.

A wisp of energy flashed by, but he still managed to catch it. The owner of that energy was not weak; on the contrary, he had already reached the Grandmaster realm.

Such skill immediately reminded him of the grandmaster who had acted recklessly in Handan City.

"Jade Flower Pavilion??"

Although he was away from home most of the year, he was naturally familiar with the three most famous brothels in Handan.

The place where that aura just flashed was the Jade Flower Pavilion.

Suddenly, a red light entered his field of vision, and the pavilion standing in Handan City burst into flames in an instant.

"not good!!"

Li Mu's mind raced. The Jade Flower Pavilion contained the person that King Zhao wanted. If it were burned down, then Prince Jia would have no way to explain it to King Zhao.

Regardless of what the other party is planning to do, this is not the outcome he wanted.

Without hesitation, he lightly touched the ground with his feet and disappeared from the spot in a few leaps. At the same time, the Imperial Guards who were on patrol seemed to have noticed this situation and set off towards the Jade Flower Pavilion.

Standing on the fifth floor of the Jade Flower Pavilion, looking at the commotion that had broken out in Handan City, Ni Chang suddenly asked, "Young Master, should we prepare a few corpses this time?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan shook his head.

"Li Mu isn't a fool. Those things might fool the Marquis of Chunping's household, but they won't fool this person."

They had used the tactic of faking death to escape in the Chunping Marquis's mansion before, and it had indeed been quite effective. However, it would probably be of little use to this great general who had already reached the Grandmaster realm.

Ni Chang shrugged. That was indeed the case. It would be too difficult for a Grandmaster to deceive the other party with such methods. However, there was one thing she had to consider: after a fire, if no one was found alive or dead, what would others think?

Is she missing, or was she kidnapped?

Thinking of this, a mischievous smile crept across Ni Chang's lips.

"What should we do with the Snow Woman and Yao Yi?"

"A great fire, no one alive or dead was found, and the one who made the move was a grandmaster. If word gets out, the young master will be famous throughout the seven kingdoms."

"A master who doesn't steal gold or silver, but steals beautiful women."

Upon hearing this, Xue Nu and Yao Yi blushed. Ni Chang's mouth really had no restraint; she wasn't even afraid to say such things.

Xiu Yuan's gaze shifted slightly.

The situation at Zui Meng Lou is relatively straightforward. After all, Ni Chang and Jing Ni are the same person, a fact that Luo Wang is well aware of. With Jing Ni's death in battle, Ni Chang naturally disappeared as well.

As for the cleanup work, Luo Wang will naturally take care of it.

But things are different at Yuhua Pavilion. The deaths of Xue Nu and Yao Yi do indeed need a reasonable explanation. Of course, this explanation is not for Li Mu, but for King Zhao Daoxiang.

You handle this matter!

Ni Chang nodded gently.

Meanwhile, on another dance hall in Handan, a man in black wearing a straw hat stood on the top floor, looking towards the direction of Yuhua Pavilion. He held a very strange black sword. The sword was as black as ink, without a blade or edge, and the blade was flat like a ruler.

Then, with a light step, he jumped directly from the top floor, his body swaying before he landed and disappearing into the night.

(End of this chapter)