Chapter 107: The Dancer Assassin!

Li Yuanjing was now, quite frankly, in a state of sheer panic.

His men were all outside the inn, and he was the only one currently inside; he had no way to exert any influence. More crucially, it was impossible to discern the assassins' true intent. Had they set this blaze to facilitate their own escape, or were they still hunting Zhang Zhiji, planning to double back for a kill?

But things had reached this point. Even if Zhang Zhiji was unscrupulous and lacked the mettle of a great man, Li Yuanjing could not simply let him perish right under his nose. He forced himself to stay calm and said, "Young Duke, stay steady. We have so many men here, what is there to fear? You wait here, and I will go to the entrance to check the situation! If the fire is manageable, we will hold our ground. If the situation is truly dire, we will devise another plan!"

With that, Li Yuanjing nodded to Zhang Zhiji and signaled two of his personal guards to accompany him to the entrance to assess the situation.

By the time Li Yuanjing reached the door, Zhang Zhiji finally processed what had been said, and his heart settled significantly. At this moment, he truly began to see Li Yuanjing in a new light. He had never expected that Li Yuanjing, a penniless scholar who could barely tie a chicken, would be so reliable in a moment of crisis. No wonder even someone as arrogant as Murong Kai held him in high regard. No wonder Li Yuanjing could compose such stirring and evocative poetry. Even if he looked a bit dim-witted on the surface, he was truly an "unpolished gem."

Li Yuanjing had no time to contemplate Zhang Zhiji's thoughts. Under the protection of his two guards, he saw the scene outside, and his brows knit even tighter. It was no wonder the night watchmen in the county always shouted, "The air is dry and the weather is parched, beware of fire and candles." Although the inn’s architectural complex looked grand and upscale, its primary structure was made of wood. Furthermore, the layout was poor—in an attempt to maximize space, the buildings were packed too tightly together. Even though there was a small garden outside, it contained two rockeries with uneven terrain. In such a situation, who dared to venture out? Who knew if assassins were lying in ambush within the dark crevices of those rocks?

It was inevitable that the fire would consume the main buildings of the hall. It was equally inevitable that Li Yuanjing and his party had to escape.

In this moment of crisis, Li Yuanjing did not have the luxury of overthinking. He rushed back to Zhang Zhiji and said, "Young Duke, the main entrance is impassable. Is there another way out? Somewhere broader? The fire will be here soon, and we must leave immediately!"

Zhang Zhiji had also calmed down slightly, though he gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. "Those sons of bitches! Those absolute sons of bitches!" he cursed. "Sir, if the front door is blocked, we will take the back! The county government office is not far from here; the yamen guards should be arriving soon to rescue us." He then signaled a guard captain, shouting, "You lot, hurry and pack up my valuables. Quickly!"

"Yes!" The captain and his men dared not delay and rushed toward the back door.

Li Yuanjing was momentarily speechless. Even at a time like this, Zhang Zhiji could not let go of his worldly wealth. However, since Zhang Zhiji was the master, Li Yuanjing had no time to bicker. He immediately urged, "Young Duke, let us first retreat to a more spacious area."

"Right!" Zhang Zhiji, valuing his own life above all else, signaled for his men to clear the path, and they began to retreat along the back exit.

...

This inn was the largest in Fengcheng County, but it had not been built according to a unified plan. Instead, it had been constructed by taking the original storefronts along the street and annexing several residential houses in the back.

As Li Yuanjing’s party rounded into the rear courtyard, intending to exit through the back gate, they saw that the fire had already spread there as well. Because several piles of firewood were stacked near the gate, the entrance itself was ablaze. Twenty or thirty dancing girls, dressed in cotton-padded jackets and gauze skirts, were trapped there, unable to move.

Seeing Li Yuanjing and the others, the dancers saw a glimmer of hope and began to beg desperately, pleading for them to open the gate and lead them out as well.

"Get away!"

"Whoever dares to come near, kill them without mercy!"

Li Yuanjing had been startled by the sight of the dancers and was busy checking if Caixue was among them. Before he could speak, however, Zhang Zhiji had already roared. His guards immediately rushed forward to drive the dancers away. Other guards steeled themselves and began to ram the gate.

Li Yuanjing remained silent, but since he did not spot Caixue among the girls, he chose not to cause friction with Zhang Zhiji over the matter.

*Bang!*

*Bang!*

The guards, putting all their strength into it, could not force the gate open. Zhang Zhiji roared in frustration, preparing to order more men to assist.

Suddenly, a thought struck Li Yuanjing! A back gate like this wouldn't typically use expensive, sturdy timber; it would usually be made of common pine or cypress. How could it be so solid that five or six strong men couldn't budge it? Moreover, this wasn't a woodshed—why would there be so much firewood stacked at the back entrance?

In an instant, every hair on Li Yuanjing’s body stood on end. He shouted, "Stop ramming the door! Quickly, protect the Young Duke! The door is likely being blocked from the other side!"

"What?" The guards panicked and quickly huddled around Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji.

"Kill Zhang Zhiji!"

Suddenly, three figures leaped out from the panicked group of dancers. Each held a dark, heavy crossbow and pulled the triggers toward Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji.

"Look out!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Li Yuanjing roared, lunging forward to tackle Zhang Zhiji to the ground just as the lethal bolts arrived. Three or four guards were struck simultaneously, falling into pools of blood with agonizing cries. Thanks to Li Yuanjing’s earlier warning, the remaining guards reacted quickly and charged toward the dancers, throwing the area into chaos.

Li Yuanjing felt as if his soul had left his body. He was now entirely certain that this assassination was the work of the Wensheng Sect. After all, who else in Fengcheng County had such capability? Yet, even if there were traitors among the dancers, he did not want innocent women to die because of a few rotten apples from the sect. He shouted, "Ignore them! Protect the Young Duke and retreat!"

Having saved them from crisis after crisis, Li Yuanjing’s influence among the guards had grown significantly. Especially with Zhang Zhiji yelling orders as well, the guards dared not dally and converged around them. They were willing to kill ordinary dancers to vent their anger, but they were far from eager to truly risk their lives against armed assassins. No one was a fool. As the saying went: "When others accuse you of having weapons, you had better actually have them!"

Soon, the group retreated back to the entrance of the courtyard. Just as they were about to scramble blindly further inside, Li Yuanjing gestured to stop them.

"Master Li, what should we do now?" Zhang Zhiji, truly terrified, clutched Li Yuanjing’s arm like a drowning man grasping at a straw.

Li Yuanjing whispered, "Young Duke, keep your voice down. I fear we must return to that very back gate."

"Huh?" Zhang Zhiji startled, looking at him in confusion. The guards, too, looked at Li Yuanjing, perplexed.

Li Yuanjing explained, "I didn't have us retreat because I was worried about the dancers, but because I feared an ambush outside. However, since the back gate is already on fire, I don't believe those dancer-assassins will be content to be burned alive. They must have another way out. Let us wait a moment and have someone inside make some noise; those assassins should reveal their move."

"Brilliant."

"Truly brilliant."

"The master has such heaven-shaking, earth-moving talent!"

The guards were not educated and were slow to understand, but Zhang Zhiji was clever. He realized the plan instantly and signaled his men, whispering, "You lot, go inside and shout that you are protecting me, and that we are retreating further in. Hurry!"