Volume One: Carefree Journey Amidst Indistinguishable Leaves Chapter Sixty-Six: Inferno

Leaving the Marquis of Wu’s residence, Yuan Rong’s back was still damp with cold sweat. He had expected to invite the Marquis’s heir, Su Zicheng, to join him in a night of revelry, but the outcome had been entirely different. His heart brimmed with dissatisfaction toward Yang Ning, yet the matter was done—no amount of blame or complaint would be of any use. All he could do was repeatedly urge Yang Ning to uphold his promise and ensure Steward Wu’s safety.

Yang Ning, on the other hand, felt quite at ease. He returned to the Marquis of Brocade’s estate and made no haste to inform his family of what had transpired. He thought this night would bring him peaceful sleep, and for the most part, it did. The first half of the night passed quietly, but in the deep hours, the sound of his door being struck with loud, hurried knocks roused him from his slumber.

Annoyed, he rose, prepared to lash out, but then heard Qi Feng’s voice, which tempered his anger. He opened the door to find Qi Feng’s face clouded with urgency. Upon seeing Yang Ning, Qi Feng blurted, “Young master, something terrible has happened!”

Qi Feng’s frantic demeanor in the dead of night surprised Yang Ning. “What is it? Has the sky collapsed?”

“Almost,” Qi Feng replied, “Young master, the pawnshop—the pawnshop is on fire.”

Yang Ning hadn’t yet grasped the meaning. He frowned. “What do you mean? What’s burning?”

“The pawnshop! The pawnshop is ablaze!” Qi Feng stamped his feet in agitation. “Brother Duan has already escorted Madam Three to the pawnshop. He told me to come and inform you.”

Only then did Yang Ning understand. He exclaimed, “You mean our family’s pawnshop?”

“Yes!” Qi Feng thought, if it were someone else’s pawnshop, why would I be so anxious?

Yang Ning knew things were dire. He hurriedly threw on his clothes and, as he walked, questioned, “How did the pawnshop catch fire? Is it serious? Take me there at once. Were there any injuries?”

Qi Feng kept pace with Yang Ning. “Someone came to report that the pawnshop suddenly caught fire in the middle of the night. I don’t know the exact situation yet.”

Qi Feng had already arranged for horses at the manor entrance. Without delay, they rode out—Qi Feng leading, Yang Ning and two guards following closely.

The steeds galloped swiftly, and soon Yang Ning saw the distant sky glowing red. That must be the site of the blaze. He spurred his horse faster, arriving at a crossroads where flames soared into the night. The fire raged fiercely, and silhouettes moved all around; many were engaged in fighting the flames.

Yang Ning was stunned by the scene. The inferno had not merely consumed one or two buildings; it had spread, enveloping five or six houses in its fiery grasp.

He dismounted and rushed forward. Amid the firelight, he caught sight of Gu Qinghan’s elegant figure. As he drew nearer, the glow illuminated Gu Qinghan’s face, turning it crimson. Her delicate body trembled. Yang Ning called out, “Madam Three…!”

Gu Qinghan turned toward Yang Ning, her face showing a bitter smile. Suddenly, her body swayed, a hand pressed to her left chest, pain etched across her lovely features. She seemed about to collapse, and Yang Ning quickly stepped forward, catching her soft, fragrant form in his arms. Alarmed, he cried, “Madam Three, what’s wrong?” Gu Qinghan’s teeth were clenched, her brows tightly knit. Though standing near the fire, her face was ghastly pale.

Duan Canghai also rushed over, exclaiming, “How is Madam Three?”

Qi Feng shouted, “Quick, fetch a physician!”

Duan Canghai moved to her side. “Forgive me!” He pressed her wrist gently, frowned, and said, “We must get a doctor at once!”

“We cannot wait,” Yang Ning shook his head. “She’s suffering a heart attack—this cannot be delayed. Let me try.”

Both Duan Canghai and Qi Feng were taken aback, their faces showing surprise. Qi Feng could not help but ask, “Young master, you… know how to treat illness?” He was deeply skeptical—worried that Yang Ning might do more harm than good.

Yang Ning certainly wasn’t skilled in medicine, but he did know a bit about common acute conditions. Heart disease was among the most frequent. He was familiar with it. He now placed his hand on Gu Qinghan’s pulse. Duan Canghai and Qi Feng exchanged glances, wondering if the young master truly knew how to diagnose illness.

Yang Ning could perform some rudimentary pulse reading, but lacked the technique to diagnose. In truth, pulse diagnosis was a sophisticated skill; even in Yang Ning’s own era, doctors truly adept at it were exceedingly rare.

Yang Ning wasn’t reading her pulse to diagnose, but to locate the Ximen acupoint on Gu Qinghan’s wrist. This point, one of the twelve meridian acupoints along the Pericardium Meridian, is five inches from the wrist crease on the palm side of the forearm. Yang Ning knew massaging the Pericardium Meridian could relieve heart pressure and boost blood flow.

This emergency meridian knowledge was neither complex nor profound, but few understood the body’s blood vessels and meridians, making it seem mysterious.

Yang Ning had studied human meridians and skeletal structure, and had learned these emergency techniques along the way. Heart syncope is a common acute illness, with easily recognized symptoms. Yang Ning immediately saw that Gu Qinghan was suffering such an attack, brought on by emotional agitation. He pressed his left thumb to her Ximen point, grasped her delicate hand with his right, turned his left thumb, and shook his right hand outward. The movement looked odd to Duan Canghai and Qi Feng; they exchanged glances, their skepticism deepening.

After ten or so shakes, Gu Qinghan exhaled softly from her pink lips and opened her eyes slightly. Yang Ning continued, pressing her Neiguan point on her arm and massaging it several times. Gu Qinghan coughed for a moment, then fully opened her eyes, looking around.

Duan Canghai and Qi Feng were visibly relieved and no longer doubted Yang Ning’s abilities. Their hearts brimmed with admiration.

“Ning’er…” Leaning against Yang Ning, Gu Qinghan smiled bitterly. “The pawnshop is gone, all burned… ah, this is all my fault…”

Yang Ning helped her up, speaking gently, “Madam Three, the fire was an accident—it’s not your fault.” He saw many people fighting the flames—neighbors awakened, helping with the rescue, even patrolling officers joining in.

Duan Canghai, seeing Gu Qinghan was unharmed, returned to directing the firefighting. Many hands made light work; though the blaze was fierce, their concerted effort gradually subdued the flames.

Yang Ning saw that five or six houses had been burned, the losses considerable. He frowned. At that moment, a figure emerged from the crowd—an elderly man, over fifty, his steps heavy, clothes disheveled. He paused upon seeing Yang Ning, then approached and suddenly knelt before him.

Yang Ning was startled by this unexpected gesture. The man, voice trembling with tears, said, “This old servant is useless, young master. The pawnshop burned because of my negligence. Please… please take my life.”

Before Yang Ning could respond, Gu Qinghan came over, frowning. “Manager Xu, get up!”

Manager Xu remained kneeling, weeping. “Madam, Chief Steward, you both trusted me to manage the pawnshop for over ten years. Now I’ve caused this disaster. Even if I died ten times, I could never atone. Madam, young master, I have no face left to live…” He knelt, banging his head on the ground.

Yang Ning realized this must be the pawnshop’s manager. Seeing him bow his head so desperately, Yang Ning quickly pulled him up. “The facts aren’t clear yet. We don’t know what happened. Why are you so eager to die?”

Manager Xu’s tears streamed down his face; he trembled all over.

“How could this happen?” came the anxious voice of Chief Steward Qiu from behind. Yang Ning turned to see him hurrying over. “How could such a huge fire break out so suddenly?”

Chief Steward Qiu’s face was grim. He stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the sobbing Manager Xu. “Old Xu, what’s the situation? Did the fire spread from another shop, or did our own pawnshop ignite first?”

Yang Ning thought the chief steward was right to focus on the crucial point. The fire had consumed five or six shops. If it started elsewhere and spread to the Qi family pawnshop, then compensation could be sought from those responsible, and the losses would not be too severe. But if the fire originated in the Qi family pawnshop, the consequences would be dire—not only would the pawnshop itself be lost, but the other burned shops would surely demand compensation from the Marquis of Brocade’s estate, plunging the household into unprecedented turmoil.

The estate’s finances were already strained—Qi Jing’s funeral had been costly, debts owed to banks remained unpaid. With time, the estate’s resources might recover, but if responsibility for the fire fell on them now, it would be a fatal blow.

Gu Qinghan was clearly concerned, her beautiful eyes fixed on Manager Xu, awaiting his answer.

Manager Xu sobbed, “Madam, Chief Steward, the fire… the fire spread from our pawnshop…”

Yang Ning’s heart sank, Chief Steward Qiu’s expression grew even heavier, and Gu Qinghan’s face paled as she sighed and shook her head.

“All the other shops are south of our pawnshop, forming a line,” Yang Ning said slowly. “Tonight the north wind was strong. Once the fire broke out, it would inevitably sweep south…” He frowned. “These shops are mostly wooden, and it’s late autumn—dry and dangerous…”

The fire had now abated. During the rescue, to prevent the flames spreading further south, they had concentrated on extinguishing the fire from the southern end, cutting off its progression.

But for that very reason, the Qi family pawnshop suffered most. The entire shop was nearly destroyed, reduced to a heap of ruins.