At daybreak, the four of them sat obediently in the main hall, waiting for the innkeeper to wake up.
The early-rising guests came downstairs. The moment they saw the walls blackened by fire and the tables and chairs missing limbs from the flames, they fell silent.
“What happened here?” one guest asked, staring at the four sculptures in the corner.
Ji Zhaoxi lowered her head in embarrassment and said nothing.
The guest sucked in a breath, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.
Impressive. This was the first time he had ever seen someone with such astonishing destructive power.
Just then, another guest came downstairs. He seemed much more cautious. After surveying the surroundings, he hurried over to Ji Zhaoxi.
“Did those assassins from last night die?”
Ji Zhaoxi nodded listlessly.
The guest let out a sigh of relief and straightened his back. “That’s good, that’s good.”
He had originally wanted to come downstairs for a drink of water last night, but after witnessing that terrifying scene, he had immediately fled back to his room.
As for why he had neither screamed nor run out of the inn, it was because he knew that the moment he left, he would certainly die.
If he stayed quietly in his room, however, there were four bodyguards downstairs confronting the assassins. On top of that, his room was in the very middle of the third floor and didn’t even have a window. His chances of survival would therefore be much higher.
As it turned out, he had made the right choice.
Ji Zhaoxi and the others waited and waited at last, until the innkeeper finally appeared.
“Where’s Li Fu? Why isn’t he up and working yet?” the innkeeper asked as she came downstairs, her face glowing with health.
She had slept wonderfully the night before. There had been some faint rustling sounds, which had been quite pleasant. She had no idea where they had come from, though it had been a little hot.
“Where has everyone gone? Come out—”
The moment the innkeeper saw the state of the main hall, her voice abruptly stopped.
She stared at her walls in disbelief. “Who did this?!”
“And the tables and chairs I brought back from the Western Regions…” The innkeeper trembled as she touched her aching heart, tears instantly spilling from her eyes.
“Who was it?! I’m going to skin him alive and drink his blood!” the innkeeper shrieked furiously.
Ji Zhaoxi had been about to step forward, but after seeing this, she silently moved behind Fu Xianyan.
“Who did this?!” The innkeeper clenched her fists, veins bulging on her forehead as she fixed her eyes on Ji Zhaoxi.
Ji Zhaoxi waved her hands frantically. “N-no, it wasn’t me.”
The innkeeper narrowed her eyes at Fu Xianyan. “Was it you?”
Fu Xianyan shook his head. “No.”
The innkeeper’s sharp gaze shifted to Qin Qiwu. “Then was it…”
Qin Qiwu took a frightened step back. “Not me. You’ve misunderstood.”
Xu Ancheng’s palms began to sweat.
It was over. He had been the one who accidentally knocked it over.
He could pay for the damage, but judging by the innkeeper’s current expression, it seemed as if she wanted his life.
Seeing that the innkeeper was about to look his way, Xu Ancheng made the most despicable and shameful decision of his life. He closed his eyes, pointed at the unconscious man in black in the corner, and gritted his teeth.
“It was him!”
Ji Zhaoxi and Qin Qiwu turned toward Xu Ancheng in shock. Seeing the looks on their faces, Xu Ancheng was overcome with shame.
But…but if he didn’t make it back alive, how could he marry Miss Qin?
The innkeeper was furious. She grabbed the man in black from the floor and slapped him several times, cursing him all the while.
The unconscious man was beaten awake. He stared blankly at the innkeeper, but his dazed expression only made her angrier. She kicked him and continued to curse him.
“Do you have any idea how expensive my tables were? They’re practically impossible to buy, even if you have the money!”
The man in black was already injured. After being tortured by the innkeeper like this, his eyes had begun to roll back in his head.
Ji Zhaoxi drew in a sharp breath at the sight and tugged on Fu Xianyan’s sleeve.
Fu Xianyan coughed lightly and stepped forward. “Innkeeper, just name your price. We’ll find a way to pay you.”
Ji Zhaoxi nodded quickly. “Yes, exactly!”
Qin Qiwu said gently, “Although it was his fault, we don’t want to see you so upset either. We’ll find a way to replace the tables and chairs.”
Xu Ancheng didn’t dare say a word. Looking at the black-clad man, whose face had been beaten until it was swollen and bruised, he was far too ashamed to meet his eyes.
He was terrible. He was utterly despicable!
The anger vanished from the innkeeper’s face at once. She asked tentatively, “Really?”
What a stroke of luck. In truth, the old tables and chairs had already begun to wobble. Replacing them with a new set would be perfect.
She looked at them shyly. “Oh, but how could I possibly…”
Ji Zhaoxi hurriedly cut in. “It’s no trouble at all! Innkeeper, would you prefer gold, or would you like a new set of tables and chairs?”
The innkeeper shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Could I have gold?”
She could have Li Fu make several new tables and chairs from the scrap wood in the back courtyard. That way, she could save the money she would have spent buying furniture and still get the gold.
Ji Zhaoxi, Qin Qiwu, and Xu Ancheng silently turned to Fu Xianyan.
His expression unchanged, Fu Xianyan took out some gold and handed it to the innkeeper. She smiled so broadly that her mouth nearly split open. Even the black-clad man looked considerably more pleasing to her after that.
“You guests are truly wonderful people. Ever since you arrived at our inn, the whole place seems brighter.”
The innkeeper smiled as she headed upstairs, secretly biting the gold coins to test them.
She had to put these pieces of gold away somewhere safe.
Xu Ancheng watched her retreating back, then looked apologetically at Fu Xianyan. “Young Master Fu, you’ve gone to a great deal of expense. Once I reach the capital, I’ll certainly repay you.”
Young Master Fu smiled. “Young Master Xu, you’re too polite.”
Ji Zhaoxi also regarded Fu Xianyan seriously. “Fu Xianyan, once I reach the capital, I’ll repay you too.”
She had plenty of money. She had simply spent it all for the moment.
Fu Xianyan looked at Ji Zhaoxi and let out a muffled laugh. “All right.”
Ji Zhaoxi glanced at him in confusion.
They were leaving that day. Now that they had both witnesses and physical evidence, they would hand everything over to the prefect.
Ji Zhaoxi struggled to tie Zhou Cheng and the man in black onto the carriage. Fu Xianyan glanced at the sweat on her forehead and handed her a handkerchief.
Ji Zhaoxi seriously stuffed it into Zhou Cheng’s mouth.
“This way, he won’t make any noise.”
She was very professional.
Fu Xianyan fell silent for a moment before handing her another handkerchief. Ji Zhaoxi solemnly stuffed that one into the black-clad man’s mouth as well.
“Mmph, mmph…”
“Shut up!” Ji Zhaoxi snapped impatiently.
After Ji Zhaoxi had huffed and puffed her way through the entire process, Fu Xianyan somehow produced yet another handkerchief.
Ji Zhaoxi eyed him hesitantly. “Fu Xianyan, do you want me to gag you too? You don’t need to. You hardly talk anyway.”
If he really wanted to try it, she wouldn’t mind helping him.
Fu Xianyan said nothing. He simply wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Meanwhile, Xu Ancheng sat beside them, his face twisted with conflict. He looked at the black-clad man, guilt written all over his face.
He had actually shifted the blame onto someone else. That oil lamp had clearly been knocked over by him…
