Chapter 121: Fire

Lu Ying’s movements were swift and decisive, executed with a sharp, clean-cut rhythm. Among the daughters of noble houses, there are those who possess ruthless methods, but their cruelty usually bears the mark of arrogance. Lu Ying’s, however, carried the dashing, free-spirited air of a man.

The surrounding noise died away in an instant. One by one, the onlookers turned their heads, staring at her in a daze.

Leaning lazily against the ship’s railing, the nobleman, who had been leisurely enjoying the spectacle, turned his veiled face toward Zhi Wu and sighed helplessly. "Tell me, she is a young lady—why does she never bother to hide her wickedness in front of me?"

Given his status, anyone who wished to please him, curry favor with him, or merely catch his eye would always present their best self. Yet, this young woman had never once masked her faults before him. Perhaps it was because their acquaintance began with him exposing her schemes, making concealment unnecessary. Or perhaps, it was because she had never truly held him in her heart. Her heart was steady, so she never felt anxious about gain or loss in his presence, nor did she fear his disdain.

Thinking of this, the nobleman whispered with a half-smile, "That is not a very good habit."

The water by the pier, though seemingly shallow, was actually a deep basin capable of docking massive ships.

The moment the old woman and the young girl were kicked into the river, they began to struggle in a blind panic. Just as they grew exhausted and started to sink, bubbles rising from their lips, the nobleman—who had been silently watching the show—gave a slight nod toward the crowd.

Immediately, two men dressed as commoners rushed from the crowd. They leaped into the water to rescue the pair, then hauled them toward Lu Ying, asking nervously, "Is the lady’s anger appeased? It wouldn't do to have lives lost here."

Lu Ying shot them a glance, pulled at the corner of her lips, and said coldly, "Get lost! Don't let me see them again!"

"Yes, yes." Responding in haste, the two dragged the half-drowned women away.

As they retreated, the clamor returned to the surroundings, though the eyes that met Lu Ying’s now held a trace of awe.

At this moment, the people from the same passenger ship were still staring at Lu Ying with mouths agape, appearing unable to believe their own eyes. Even so, Lu Ying’s disguise as a youth over the past two days had been truly remarkable. Though her features remained feminine, nothing could override the coldness in her eyes or the inherent toughness in her every gesture. That such a beautiful "youth" was actually a young lady—someone who should have been soft and hidden away in a boudoir, waiting to be married off—was simply too much for them to process.

The girl who had once harbored a crush on Lu Ying also stared with wide, almond-shaped eyes. After a long while, she bit her lip and said sadly, "Thank goodness, thank goodness I don't like you anymore..." Otherwise, she truly didn't know how heartbroken and disappointed she would be.

As the crowd began to disperse, the elegant young man from the black-sailed ship also stepped onto the pier with a smile. Although he had landed on the dock a hundred paces away, he walked straight toward Lu Ying.

Coming to a halt at her side, the young man looked her over, then said with a low chuckle, "May I ask for the lady's name?"

Lu Ying glanced at him and did not answer.

The young man laughed lightly. "Even if the lady won't say, I can find out... After wandering for so many years, this is the first time I've encountered someone like you. Truly delightful."

As he passed her, he whispered, "Though you act intimately with that man, you are still a maiden, are you not? Whose son is your husband? To have such a beauty and not touch her—is he perhaps impotent?" With that, he flashed a malicious smile, revealing white teeth, and strode away.

Lu Ying watched his retreating back, her brows furrowing.

Just then, she spotted the nobleman stepping onto the pier and quickly caught up with him.

Walking behind him, she whispered, "Master, I discovered that there were assassins mixed into the crowd. That grandmother and granddaughter were prepared in advance. I suspect their original plan was to have the two of them provoke me, and then have someone take advantage of the chaos to kill one or both of them by my hand. Once a life was lost, they would have a pretext to detain me, and from there, follow the trail to bind you, Master."

She paused, casting a glance at the crowd before concluding, "Master, the officials of Jiangzhou have colluded with the bandits."

The nobleman turned slowly. Under the sunlight, he looked at her silently, then reached out to touch her face. He suddenly gave a brilliant smile and said, "To draw such conclusions from mere trifles—Ah Ying, you are truly clever."

He smiled faintly. "The one who is colluding with the officials is the man who just spoke to you. The grandmother and granddaughter were also sent by him. It’s just that in the haste of yesterday, he mistook your gender, which caused this scheme to fail." Had the two women continued their provocation a while longer, the assassins lying in wait would have emerged. With the plan failing at the last moment, it was no wonder that the man lost his composure and came over specifically to speak to Lu Ying. Of course, this was also due to the young man’s arrogance; he assumed Lu Ying would never suspect him, hence his bold appearance.

"So, Master, you knew everything," Lu Ying muttered. She understood that it was because she had performed well twice in a row that the nobleman had revealed this to her. Otherwise, she feared she would have gone to her grave thinking it all a mere coincidence.

By now, Lu Ying understood. It seemed that even though she and the nobleman had appeared oblivious to the dozens of ships while acting affectionate on the deck last night, the owner of the black sail had remained suspicious and harbored murderous intent. This attempt was meant to probe their true strength, and that man had likely prepared to silence them both in the process.

After all, if something had happened on the river last night, the investigation might have led back to them. But now that they were ashore, by using wandering knights and commoners to act, they could ensure that no one would find the mastermind if the layout was clever enough.

Unfortunately, she had disrupted the plan and startled the snake.

Jiangzhou was a bustling city; the pier alone was teeming with a tide of people. The passengers from the ship had all disembarked by now, and those who had never been to Jiangzhou were looking around in excitement.

Lu Ying, also here for the first time, looked around as well. Her heart sank with a touch of disappointment as she thought to herself: It doesn't look much different from Chengdu.

Whether it was the distant pavilions and streets, the surging crowd, or the layout of the docks, there was no obvious difference from Chengdu. When Lu Ying had imagined the world before, she had assumed that every city would be entirely different, with vastly unique scenery.

"Master, where are we headed?"

"Where are we headed?" Under the light of the lanterns lining the street, the nobleman’s veil fluttered in the breeze, making his voice sound light, like silk. "Ah Ying, what do you think of Jiangzhou?"

Lu Ying looked back and said, "A vital transport hub, a place of great prosperity."

With those words, she spoke like a military strategist, hitting the nail on the head. She truly was not like an ordinary young lady.

The nobleman stopped. He looked at her and said in a deep, magnetic voice, "Since Ah Ying thinks this place is good, then we shall not leave." He smiled. "We will stay in Jiangzhou for a few more days. How does that sound?"

Lu Ying looked up, met his smile, and replied, "I will follow your lead, Master." Her obedience was absolute.

Even though she had been humiliated the moment she stepped off the pier, and had just heard from him that they were being watched, this young lady still accepted it so smoothly and calmly.

...She was too unlike a typical lady.

The nobleman looked down at her for a moment, pulled her toward him, and gently stroked her hair. He sighed, "Ah Ying, you have made me care for you... What is to be done about this?" The final question was filled with deep concern, as if he felt that his growing affection for her was truly not a good thing for her.

Lu Ying’s lips twitched. She couldn't help but nod, saying, "Is that so? That is quite troublesome." She blinked and added earnestly, "But I believe in you, sir. I think that since you haven't even been bothered by massive, heaven-shaking waves, you can, if you wish, let go of me in a single breath and cease to care for me."

She was being truly sincere—incredibly sincere. In the light of the setting sun, her clear, black-and-white eyes were filled with confidence and support for him. She was only a hair's breadth away from nodding vigorously.

The nobleman’s mouth twitched, and he decided to ignore her. To the side, the man in green, Zhi Wu, could not help but snicker.

Slowly, the sun moved to the west, and gradually, it began to set.

To Lu Ying’s surprise, although the nobleman had said they would stay in Jiangzhou for a while, he now held her hand and walked purposefully back toward the direction of the passenger ship.

Before long, the three of them reached the pier.

The other passengers were returning one after another, and their eyes lit up at the sight of the trio.

Lu Ying glanced at the girl with the complicated expression, and remembering her crush on Zhi Wu, she turned to the nobleman and asked, "Master, is Guard Zhi married?"

As soon as these words were out, the nobleman looked down, and Zhi Wu snapped his head around, glaring at her with suspicion.

Seeing this, Lu Ying felt amused. She pulled at her lips and began, "It’s like this..."

But before she could finish the third word, a flash of fire that seemed to cover the sky, accompanied by screams, scorched Lu Ying’s vision!

She whipped her head around.

Amidst a chorus of shrieks and shouts, Lu Ying was shocked to find that the passenger ship, which had been waiting for their return by the pier, was already engulfed in a towering inferno. The fire had ignited with terrifying speed, spreading simultaneously from the bow to the stern. There were clearly still people on board; a few figures could be seen struggling in the flames, screaming, only to fall silent in an instant!

In those screams, Lu Ying clearly heard the voice of the round, gentle-mannered captain.

The fire was far too fierce. As the southern wind picked up, the flames began to spread to the two ships docked alongside it. It was only when the passenger ship was nearly consumed that people finally realized what was happening and rushed into the river to fetch water to douse the flames.

Suddenly, Lu Ying turned her head. Across the distant, teeming crowd, she met the eyes of the owner of the black-sailed ship—the man who appeared so elegant and refined.

Separated by countless heads, Lu Ying stared at him intensely. Although her gaze was sharp as a blade, because there were so many people in between, the young man continued to watch the burning ship with a gentle, smiling expression, never noticing her.

Still staring at him, Lu Ying said slowly, "Master."

Her voice held a strange, icy chill. The nobleman turned to look at her.

Lu Ying continued to stare, whispering, "Master, let me handle this, shall I?"