Chapter Seventy-Two: The Sage

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It must be said, Xi Dongzan’s sixth sense was remarkably accurate—something had indeed happened in Hepulao City.

Late May had not yet reached the blazing heat of midsummer, but there was already a taste of summer in the air. The wind was dry, and everything parched; a single spark could set off an uncontrollable blaze.

The fire started in the City Market District, situated on the outskirts. It happened the night before. Most of the stalls were constructed from wood, cloth, leather, and other flammable materials. Once ignited, they were instantly engulfed in flames, and, with the wind from the valley fanning the fire, the inferno spread in a matter of moments.

“Fire! Fire!” The cries rang out.

The old Shi family shop, located close to the area of the fire, was among the first to be threatened. Yet, as soon as the flames began, Shi Chongzhi ordered his staff to strike every instrument they could find. The clamor echoed sharply through the silent night, immediately waking every guest inside.

“Hurry, get them out!” In moments of life and death, nothing else mattered. Everyone grabbed only a small amount of valuables, guided by the shop staff, and swiftly exited through the back door.

“Is everyone gone?”

Shi Chongzhi stood at the entrance, gazing at the distant glow of the fire, his expression shadowed and uncertain.

“Master, I personally checked each room. No one was left behind.”

“Good.” A shopkeeper’s reputation rests on the trust of his guests. When travelers stay, they entrust their lives. Shi Chongzhi did not want any deaths or injuries to occur within his establishment during this sudden disaster.

“Are our people trustworthy?”

“They are all old hands, serving since the arrival of the young master. Their families are here too—they would not harbor any other intentions.”

The manager’s voice was low and quivered slightly. After all, the matter at hand was one that could cost them their heads—who could remain truly unflappable?

Not just the staff—Shi Chongzhi himself felt his legs going weak. No one had expected that the Sogdian messenger, upon opening his mouth, would bring such deadly business.

Most of the city’s troops had been sent to the Po Yi River. The movement was so massive that it could not escape the eyes and ears of the local powers. The forces left to maintain order belonged to a handful of local aristocratic families, amounting to only a few hundred men. Even so, hundreds were far more than the few dozen they could muster.

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That Lord Kang actually intended to sow chaos within the city—was there anything more futile than this?

On the day of his arrival, he dispatched people everywhere, spreading all manner of rumors. The methods were simple; after all, they ran an inn. A few cryptic words at the wine table, and someone would carry the message onward. The source could never be traced. And now, they had set the fire themselves, burning even their own shop. The ruthlessness of this Shi family scion was not to be underestimated.

Yet Shi Chongzhi had his own unspeakable sorrows. The previous incident had already escalated. If the Tang people failed to prevail this time, he planned to close the shop and seek his fortune elsewhere. The Tubo people were not so reasonable; a fine could be handled, but if they caught him at something, it would be endless trouble.

So it was, and so it would be. It was better to take action, even if it meant abandoning trade here. Returning to Anxi would bring countless advantages. Merchants pursue profit and understand investment; this time, Shi Chongzhi had placed his bet on the Tang side.

Having made his decision, he allowed no hesitation. With a fierce gesture, he sent his staff out to do what needed to be done.

“Follow me in this endeavor, and birth, death, and burial will all be the Shi family’s responsibility. Each will be granted a hundred acres of good land. My word is as good as a contract, more binding than ink on paper. Is that not so?”

“We obey, Master.”

At this point, trust mattered little. In a place so unfamiliar, even if someone turned informer, what good would that do them with the Tubo? No one dared to gamble. It was better to risk their lives and at least leave a legacy for their families.

“Release all the livestock in the back pens. Set fire to anything with a tail, stab those without fur, and drive them all toward the Tubo officials’ residence.”

“The rest of you, take the oil canisters and set fires everywhere. No matter whose house, throw them inside. Once done, rendezvous at the valley outside the city. Survive, and riches are yours.”

The staff dispersed as instructed. Those remaining, including the manager, numbered only ten. The rest were guards of the shop, skilled in arms, but too few in number.

“Follow me.”

Without another word, Shi Chongzhi led his men toward the city. As soon as they left, the old Shi family shop was consumed by flames, the air thick with the scent of burning.

Shangjiezan was roused by his attendants. Barely taking time to throw on a robe, barefoot, he stepped outside. The scarlet glare in the distance drained all color from his face.

A fire was nothing unusual. As a gift of nature, fire brought both convenience and calamity, but this blaze was far too suspicious.

Just yesterday, rumors had swept through the city. Before they could even investigate, this disaster struck. Even a fool could see the connection.

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Moreover, Shangjiezan was famed for his wisdom.

The self-styled sage quickly issued his orders.

“Send someone to Xi Dongzan immediately. Tell him Tang spies have infiltrated—there appear to be quite a number.”

“Gather our men, but do not rush to fight the fire. Find those Bolu people—if they remain calm, the city will not fall into chaos.”

He saw the heart of the matter at a glance. His own guard numbered only a hundred, while the Bolu soldiers were five hundred strong. Their attitude would be the decisive factor.

Having given his instructions, Shangjiezan returned inside, preparing to don his armor while he awaited results. In the room, a Bolu girl who had been startled awake stood trembling with fear. On her face, Shangjiezan had never seen any other expression, not even when she was robbed of her maidenhood.

“Will your family be like you—obedient on the surface, but harboring other thoughts beneath?”

His words made her shudder. When she looked up, he was already leaving. Watching the Tubo man unabashedly remove his robe, exposing his bare body, the girl seemed to recall the one who had once violated her.

The sounds behind him were faint. Shangjiezan was no warrior; his experience and reflexes in battle were lacking. Yet what aroused his suspicion was his own previous remark.

He had spoken in the Tubo tongue. Hadn’t Xi Dongzan said this Bolu girl understood none of it? Why, then, had she reacted?

Suddenly alert, Shangjiezan turned with the helmet he had not yet donned. At that moment, a slender figure rushed at him, colliding with his body. A slight sting began to spread.

“I will avenge my sister!”

Her Tubo words were clear, her gaze burning with hatred. In her hands was a small dagger, already plunged into Shangjiezan’s unprotected body.

Even the wisest may overlook one fatal error.