The Double

The noise from outside continued, with the hurried footsteps of people who seemed to have all come out of their houses; the clamour was at times distant, at times near. Children began to cry, dogs barked, it was a lively scene indeed.

In this chaotic scene, Jiang Li sat at the door, her eyes bright, reflecting the glowing sky, yet not a hint of panic could be seen on her face. Wen Renyao, watching her, suddenly laughed. When he was not joking around, he was quite serious. He said, "Miss Jiang the Second seems not to be afraid at all."

"Compared to the unarmed citizens and the soldiers confronting at the city gates, there really is nothing to be afraid of," Jiang Li replied.

"You are as courageous as Ah Heng," Wen Renyao mused as if thinking of something, "Even when he had nothing and no one to rely on, he was just as fearless."

Jiang Li smiled without agreeing or disagreeing. She didn’t know about Jih Heng’s past, and now was not the time to listen to Wen Renyao talk about the past. All because suddenly, a signal fire soared into the sky, different from the previous drum signals, it vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterward, the voices outside became noisier and the crying of women and children grew louder.

At the same time, a few torches were suddenly thrown into the compound from the outside. The courtyards in Huangzhou were not large, and the houses were made of wood. Once touched by a spark, they caught fire instantly. Zhao Ke leapt up, swatting away several torches, but one torch ignited, and the house almost instantly burst into flames. Zhao Ke cursed and said, "They’ve poured oil, let’s go quickly!"

Wen Ji immediately escorted Jiang Li out of the house. As soon as they stepped out, they were stunned by the sight outside. Huangzhou City was ablaze, rows of neatly arranged houses on the street were burning fiercely. It was as though wriggling serpents of fire were chasing after the fleeing people.

This was bad enough, but the citizens who got up at the noise immediately tried to fetch water to extinguish the flames. However, the fire grew fiercer, and the perpetrators had already doused the place with oil to ensure the houses would burn.

Before Jiang Li could ask Wen Ji, she heard screams from afar, cries of pursuit, and sobbing. Numerous citizens were running out from another end of the street, their clothes splattered with blood, being chased by others.