Chapter 1, A Day of Murder and Arson

The ethereal and tranquil figure in pure white had unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the garden, where Xiao Yu and the other constables rushed in. There, on the ground, lay a man who had been burned, groaning in agony, while the smoke and fire at the entrance of the garden grew increasingly intense, flickering between light and darkness, resembling the gates of hell

She scolded as she did, but as she pulled the wet raincoat over her head, face, and body, she still rushed in following Lao Hu and his brothers.

Chu Yu also wiped the soot from her face, raised her head to look at the raging fire, and listened to the piercing cries, unable to suppress her heart's palpitations

It is uncertain whether the owner of the Qinyuan would offer some form of compensation if she were to be "injured in the line of duty" in the fire.

This is also the reason why she likes this era that never existed in her past life

Chu Yu turned her face and glared back at each of the constables one by one

Fire! Quick, put out the fire!

In the dimly lit building, there were still two figures, one lying prone and the other crouching.

One is a celestial being, transcending the three realms of worldly existence; she is a wretched toad

"Clang, crash!" The bucket fell to the ground, and the people who reacted screamed in unison

A group of individuals dressed in green attire and long boots swiftly drove a series of horse-drawn carriages, assisting those standing by the roadside, who appeared bewildered or were hysterically throwing tantrums, onto the carriages, before turning their horses and departing

Old Hu was startled by her blunt words and was about to scold her with a stern face, but upon noticing her unusual expression, he followed her gaze.

Do not act recklessly, the fire scene is dangerous; if anything happens, neither your mother nor your sister-in-law will spare me

The fire scene is like hell, yet it does not distinguish between men and women; everyone has their moments of daze, envious of that little child who is treated gently by him

It is said that on the following day, the horses in the Imperial Horse Monitoring Bureau ascended to immortality along with the horses depicted in the embroidery. Chu Yu also smiled cheerfully

... ...

Chu Yu let out a light snort: "You bunch of fools understand nothing. Pay more attention to men. Only after establishing a female household can one properly invite a son-in-law..."

Chu Yu was stunned, the firelight dazzling. The man had a head of black hair tied at the top, secured by a long jade hairpin, with a few strands of long hair falling beside his cheeks, yet he appeared utterly composed. He lowered his head slightly, softly comforting the frightened child in his arms. It was hard to discern his age, but his fair skin and delicate features were illuminated by the firelight, highlighting the beauty of his nose and jawline.

Only that bastard Lao Hu would use a toad to describe his own sister

She knew that following Old Hu into the place would not lead to anything good, yet she still listened to his orders to search for survivors separately, and as a result, she ended up finding a malevolent spirit among the survivors

In the eyes of the person on the ground, there was only a pair of glassy eyes that seemed to be larger than those of ordinary people, originally lighter than usual, with pupils that were almost amber in color reflecting the eerie flames, creating an extraordinarily beautiful yet chilling sight, as if devoid of any human warmth

Little Soap smiled and said: "Sister Little Fish, since you know, don't be foolish."

As the little soap character approached playfully, he chuckled, "Hey, little fish, the boss is afraid you might be tempted again, but that is Master Qin San, also known as Qin Sheng, the very owner of this Qin Garden!"

Old Hu is the head of the servants in the governor's office of Yunzhou. He has an elderly mother and a wife, but the couple has never had children. The whole family adores her sweet tongue, as sweet as honey, and her personality is described as "innocent and lovely." They adopted her and gave her the nickname—Little Fish.

Rumbling!

She opened her eyes in this era after being picked up by Old Hu's family on the road. At that time, she was only twelve years old, and after these years, she has grown a bit, now appearing to be seventeen.

The empire she currently belongs to is called the Great Yuan.

Outside, an explosion occurred, yet no one noticed the man who had escaped, his eyes wide open, filled with terror and emptiness, silently... perished

Chu Yu squinted her round, glistening eyes towards the nearby Qinyuan, a hint of worry flashing in her gaze: "Elder brother, I feel that the fire seems a bit off. To the east of Qinyuan is the neighborhood market; if it spreads over there..."

The clarity and gentleness in his brows, along with his focus, resembled cool spring water. Behind him, flames danced wildly, clawing and snapping, which overwhelmed the person in snow-white garments, rendering them panic-stricken and powerless, their warmth dimmed.

A tall figure emerged from the flames, holding a little boy of about three years old. Dressed in flowing white garments, he appeared untainted by the slightest speck of dust.

She has been working as a minor constable here, barely getting by on a monthly salary of no more than three taels of silver. If only she had a house waiting to be demolished, she would have struck it rich.

The soap makers around, carrying water buckets, all nodded with dusty faces, each displaying a look of deep emotion

His actions evoke no sense of malice in others, nor does he shy away from them in public, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, calm and unpretentious.

The owner of this piano garden is indeed quite affluent She rubbed her hands together, feeling a bit emotional

Help, hurry into the garden to save Third Master

She only felt a sharp pain in her back, her vision darkening, and her throat, eyes, and nose were all stung painfully by the smoke.

As soon as the sound of "zhui" faded, her bright, large eyes instantly widened, staring intently ahead.

Subsequently, many people used high-pressure hoses to thoroughly douse the collapsed houses with water

Chu Yu raised her eyebrows slightly. Such an action, in the eyes of ordinary people, would seem to render all those gentle concerns utterly hypocritical, but...

Knowing that one is a celestial being, one should not act like a toad wishing to eat the flesh of a celestial being

Indeed, she is worried about Lao Hu. If this person were not always warm-hearted, he would not have rescued her, who had just fallen into the water and was nearly drowned. However, enthusiasm combined with recklessness can easily lead to danger, so she must keep a close watch on him

Upon hearing this, Chu Yu stared blankly at the figure in the snow-white attire, who gently comforted the rescued young child before handing them over to the anxious mother who had come to greet them

Unfortunately, the big-bearded captain unceremoniously delivered a sharp slap to his sister's forehead again

Ugh... damn it, bastard... I want to tear you apart!" Chu Yu was bare from the waist up, only wearing a belly band, lying on a table, drenched in cold sweat, her snow-white shoulders trembling slightly. Everything in front of her was hazy, her head throbbed painfully, yet she couldn't help but curse weakly.

No one expected that such a celestial figure could actually follow the constables into the garden and put themselves in danger

She looked towards the small door emitting smoke, which must be the place where this person had rushed out. At this moment, there was smoke but no fire, yet she still felt worried and furrowed her brow: "Elder brother, it is too dangerous."

"Stop staring, hurry into the garden to save people. Just now, Old Liu said someone rushed out and mentioned that there are still living people inside, so we can go in and rescue them on the way." Big-bearded Old Hu shouted at his sister and then turned to leave.

The Ten Scenic Views of Jiangnan will now be reduced by one.

"Elder brother is doing this for your own good. You, girl, are greedy for wealth and lustful; do not lose your life over a few silver ingots!" Old Hu admonished with a stern face

However, not wanting the other party to strip her of her clothing, she was thrown onto the table, unaware of what was being done to her back. A wave of pain, akin to a thousand needles piercing her, only made her realize—she wanted to kill!

The old man, with a dark face and covered in soot, possessed exceptional martial arts skills. Suddenly, he sprang up to strike her neck and tear at her clothes. She was not afraid, but rather shocked, her eyes wide open in astonishment—what kind of lunatic could still think of indulging in base desires even when their behind was on fire

Having served as a constable for several years, this is the first time she has witnessed such a terrifying fire, as if it could never be extinguished, and all she can do is wait for it to consume everything completely

One of the little attendants noticed her unusual expression and whispered, "The God of the Qin is merely named Qin because of his celestial lineage, but the true divine aspect lies in his pair of exquisitely crafted hands, which are undoubtedly the most precious. It is said that the items he embroiders appear lifelike, capable of imbuing the embroidered objects with vitality. In the past, a painting of a heavenly steed drew the emperor's royal horses to kneel in reverence."

Thick smoke billowed, and the acrid smell was almost suffocating

To the east of the Qinyuan, it is unknown when the smoke and dust began to rise, accompanied by a series of muffled sounds, the commotion surpassing even that at their firefighting location, causing several buildings to collapse with each successive muffled noise

"The Qinjia family is prosperous and influential, still managing the Jiangnan textile production, the richest in the world, what is 200 taels worth?" After expressing his sentiments, Old Hu inadvertently glanced and saw the young girl in front of him rolling her eyes wildly. He reached out and unceremoniously gave her a hard knock on the forehead.

Qin Garden

She secretly sighed in her heart; even someone like her, who inexplicably awakened in this era from a future time, could discern that such decisive actions and the speed of demolishing houses and pouring water were not something an ordinary person could achieve

However, after a moment, he wiped his hand, which had been held by the child, with a cloth, the action being light and careful, and then he casually threw the cloth into the fire

The Ten Scenic Views of Jiangnan, nine of which are natural landscapes and one is a human element, are renowned throughout the world

There was no one around whose face displayed expressions of astonishment or disdain

The slender figure in pure white glanced at the man on the ground, noticing the sheer terror in his eyes. A delicate smile curved his thin lips, exuding warmth and compassion.

Uncertain is the number of those who perish, and how many are left homeless

When she turned fourteen, she devised a way to sneak into the government office

Chu Yu was instantly awakened, glaring at him in anger, and without any courtesy, kicked the bearded man, saying: "Get lost!"

But the shadow crouching behind her moved with a trembling body, its hands moving so quickly that they were difficult to discern

People everywhere were frantically dousing the fire with buckets and hoses, yet the flames showed no sign of abating.

That person moves with an effortless grace, as if naturally born to it

The surrounding group of disheveled and grimy servants quietly chuckled to themselves

Chu Yu was somewhat astonished: "Two hundred taels, is that true?"

Relying on a big tree provides good shade, and under the "shade" of the much older Hu, who is over ten years her senior, she lived comfortably and effortlessly

The air was filled with the piercing cries of people.

By the lakeside, a beautifully exquisite small building has smoke billowing from its roof, teetering on the brink of collapse

What made her heart race like a drum in an instant were his pair of clear and beautiful elongated eyes—his dark eyes lowered, the delicate lashes casting a gentle shadow, the elongated eyeliner accentuating his snow-white skin, resembling a line of ink falling into the snowy waters of Kunlun, which then softly diffused into the misty hues at the corners of his brows and eyes, revealing the vastness of the world.

Thirty taels of silver is the annual living expense for an ordinary family in this era, while two hundred taels is a substantial sum, not to mention the additional gift of a house; what a remarkable generosity this is

This young girl is quite a character, exceptionally greedy, and lacks any modesty typical of young ladies. She can't help but fixate on handsome young men, and last time, she even tugged at the sleeve of a pale-faced scholar who had come to report a complaint, asking for his address. The scholar was so embarrassed that he abandoned his complaint and fled in a hurry

Damn it, the fire is too intense, the people in the琴园 are probably unable to escape!" A tall man dressed as a constable patted his singed beard, grimacing and muttering.

The sound of the fire cracking is exceptionally piercing, as the flames borrow the momentum of the wind

Well, she has heard this legend as well, but after listening to it, the only two words that come to her mind are - nonsense

And she indeed did so

Hearing that they were about to enter the fire scene, Chu Yu was startled and turned her head to see the guards surrounding a person whose entire body was charred black. The person's face was twisted in pain, yet he did not forget to point towards the fire scene and moan, "Help... help..."

Due to the reign of a legendary empress, the constraints on women have been significantly reduced. Over the course of more than a hundred years since the founding of the nation, although there are few female officials, there are many female merchants. Furthermore, there are women who, after divorce, establish their own households and live independently in their own homes.

Alas! She was unable to catch up and could only watch as her elder brother led a group of attendants dressed in water garments rushing in

The speed was astonishing, the movements were swift, and the training was so proficient that Chu Yu stared wide-eyed, unable to help but exclaim: "This is..."

The piano garden is on fire

It has led oneself to this state of deathly appearance

However, she still felt an inexplicable sense of unease in her heart

The education she received in her previous life could not tolerate such matters, so she waited until she turned eighteen, becoming an unwanted old maid, to independently apply to the government for the establishment of a female household.

She widened her round, dark eyes and couldn't help but stomp her feet, muttering: "Reckless, charging in without discussion, truly seeking death"

Chu Yu was no exception; she almost doubted whether she had seen the ethereal beauty that should not exist in the mortal realm, murmuring to herself: "Immortals..."

The dim sky was torn apart by menacing flashes of lightning, accompanied by eerie rumbles of thunder. A fierce wind swept across the ground, swirling leaves in the air and scattering dust everywhere

The soap maker, who hurriedly came to fetch water, watched in shock as his elegant figure was engulfed, dropping the water bucket in his hand: "Not good, Master Qin San has entered the fire scene to rescue people!"

This is not a robbery; it is the people from the Qinjia making firebreaks. It is necessary to demolish those buildings near the Qinyuan fire site to prevent innocent people from being harmed. Just now, I heard the people from Qinyuan shouting that each household would receive an advance compensation of 200 taels of silver, and they would also provide new houses. The bearded man in black looked into the distance and muttered.

If it weren't for her own brother, she would have pricked him with a needle to see if she could make honey from him

It is a pity that although the atmosphere is open, men can still have multiple wives and concubines, while women who do the same are still scorned by society

The figure in plain clothing raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly oblivious to the increasingly scorching flames. Without donning a water-resistant garment, they suddenly turned and gracefully stepped into the billowing smoke at the entrance, their wide sleeves brushing past the shadows of those on the ground who were curled up and writhing in an attempt to escape.

Before she could finish the second half of her sentence, she stared blankly into the distance

Old Hu, with a worried expression, was determined to save people. He turned around, put on a water coat, and rushed into the fire scene, saying: "You stay here and guard this place!"

The lenient and indulgent local customs allow her to thrive effortlessly

Certainly, this Great Yuan is not the same as that Great Yuan. Not only did it not divide people into ranks of three, six, or nine like the Tartars, but it also enjoyed a strong national power, with large ships setting sail to distant lands.

Although this magnificent garden named Qinyuan in Yunzhou is a private garden, it occupies a vast area by the West Lake, featuring pavilions and towers that showcase the utmost craftsmanship in carving and painting. It is one of the ten scenic spots of Jiangnan, but unfortunately, it seems destined to be reduced to ashes

The person on the ground began to tremble slowly, making a strenuous effort to crawl backward little by little

Although she cherishes her own life, she does not wish to avoid saving others. The danger in a fire is not just the flames, but rather the toxic smoke produced by the fire

The blazing fire, fueled by the wind, leaps wildly in mid-air, as if dancing like a demon.

Chu Yu was momentarily stunned: "Is he the only human figure among the Ten Scenic Spots of Jiangnan—the benevolent God of the Zither, whose essence is the flying snow of the Nine Heavens, the frozen bones, the clear breeze, the night dew, and the moon?"

A sharp slap struck just above her nose, causing Chu Yu's nose to tingle, and she nearly jumped up, rubbing her nose and shouting: "You don't know how to hold back!"