Chapter Fourteen: Alone Amidst the Sea of Flames

With the first floor engulfed in flames and all routes blocked, Lai Wu had no choice but to shove his trusted men before him, braving the heat and sweat pouring down his face. He cursed incessantly as he forced his way up to the second floor.

“Go! Kill him! Fifty coins reward!” Lai Wu’s head had barely emerged onto the second floor when he spotted Ding Li standing alone on the balcony. He shouted loudly, pushing his men forward, sidling against the wall and waving his machete at the followers coming up behind, his face twisted in a ferocious snarl, as if he might turn the blade on his own men at any moment.

Ding Li was dangerous, but in the minds of those men, the raging inferno below and Lai Wu’s glinting machete were far more terrifying. Despite their reluctance, they pressed on, and soon a dozen armed thugs wielding blades and iron rods filled the vast second floor.

Creak! Crack!

Ding Li found it almost laughable: those henchmen, overwhelmed by fear, clustered together for a sense of safety, oblivious to the fact that the wooden floor beneath their feet, already weakened by fire, was on the verge of collapse. With a thunderous crash, a gaping hole opened up—a square meter wide—sending three thugs stumbling and clutching desperately at their nearby companions as they fell.

One dragged another, who grabbed a third, and the edge of the fissure splintered further. A chain reaction of panic ensued, as they scrambled frantically for anything to hold onto, but found no lifeline. Screams echoed as one after another plunged into the fiery abyss below.

Flames erupted through the yawning hole, and the surviving thugs scattered in terror, their eyes fixed on the inferno in the center, their feet instinctively retreating. No one paid attention to Ding Li anymore—not even Lai Wu.

“What are you staring at? Go! If you don’t hurry, none of you will make it out alive!” Lai Wu, beside himself with rage, shouted again. He had gathered more than two hundred Cirenzhou gang members in this two-story wooden building, including his own trusted men and even some death-defying warriors. It had all been ruined by Ding Li’s fire, destroying not only his men but also valuable goods stored in the stronghold.

Most of these goods belonged to the Cao Merchant Guild, and some were profits owed to Liu San from the Chaozhou gang. Lai Wu’s own share was pitifully small. The thought of it all burning away made him feel as if Ding Li had carved the flesh from his chest with a knife. Worse yet, he dreaded facing Liu San and the Cao Merchant Guild afterward. Surrounded by searing heat, Lai Wu shivered violently, a chill rising from his feet.

“One hundred coins!” Lai Wu snarled, then, gritting his teeth, shouted, “No! Three hundred coins! Kill him! Three hundred coins! Not a single copper short after! Go!”

This was Lai Wu’s last hope. Failure was inevitable—the goods were lost. His only chance of redemption was to seize Ding Li; only then might he salvage some responsibility in the eyes of Liu San or the Cao Merchant Guild.

A rich reward might breed brave men, but when their lives were truly at stake, most thought first of survival—even those so-called death-defying warriors. No one wanted to earn money only to die before spending it.

Everyone hesitated. Three hundred coins was an enormous sum—the highest Lai Wu had ever offered. Many years ago, he’d put out thirty coins to hunt an enemy. Now, the reward was ten times that.

The temptation was immense, yet the mortal danger before them left the men wavering. On the balcony, through the billowing smoke, they could all see Ding Li holding a refined crossbow at chest level, its bolt glinting coldly in the firelight, chilling them to the bone.

Bang!

Amid the crackling flames, Ding Li squeezed the trigger, the sound crisp and clear. His eyes locked on Lai Wu, silhouetted against the blaze. For a moment, Ding Li saw the despair etched on Lai Wu’s scab-riddled face, and the terror of death in his eyes.

Ding Li was no master of archery or cavalry, but handling a simple crossbow was easy for him—he was, after all, an elite special forces soldier familiar with advanced firearms. At such close range, Ding Li was confident he could hit his mark, even with fire obscuring his vision.

Without question, Lai Wu fell instantly. In the chaos, no one noticed where he was wounded. His nearby henchmen and warriors cried out, rushing to his side, while those closer to Ding Li seized the moment, raising their weapons and charging. After all, a crossbow could fire only one bolt—now Ding Li held no surprise that could kill instantly.

Their master had been struck down before their eyes; for Lai Wu’s trusted men and warriors, it was a blow to their pride. If word got out, who would ever employ them again? For the sake of their future, they had no choice but to risk everything.

But Ding Li had no interest in lingering. The sound of splintering wood grew louder; the building had begun to lean. He knew the beams below were losing their integrity—he had no intention of dying in the inferno with the others.

He reached behind his waist, pulled out a bolt attached to a hemp rope, and expertly loaded it into the crossbow. As several warriors charged him, Ding Li pointed at them. As they paused to dodge, he grinned wickedly, spun, vaulted over the railing, and leapt into the air.

Whoosh!

Mid-air, Ding Li felt the heat beneath his feet. He squeezed the trigger, firing the rope-tied bolt at a wooden wall. The hemp rope, barely ten feet long, jerked him to a halt, saving him from falling into the flames. Using the rope’s momentum, he swung toward a wooden ladder propped against the fence, already in sight.

The Cirenzhou gang thugs, desperate for escape, didn’t notice Ding Li’s arrival. One thug, nearly atop the fence, eyes gleaming with hope, was suddenly grabbed by Ding Li and hurled aside.

Amid the man's cries, Ding Li, agile as a monkey, scaled the fence in seconds. He kicked the ladder down, swept his cold gaze over the sea of fire, and, expression grim, leapt down. Bending his knees to absorb the impact, he rolled twice, then sprang up like a rabbit, vanishing into the night, leaving behind more than two hundred Cirenzhou gang members trapped in the inferno, their screams and cries echoing ceaselessly.

Not far from the scene, Saeed, Jagger, and the others stared, dumbfounded, at the blaze lighting up the sky. This colossal fire had been set by their acquaintance, Brother Li, and moreover, while surrounded by Lai Wu and over two hundred men. Though they had played a role, they could not shake the feeling that everything had been orchestrated by Ding Li alone.

In that instant, Ding Li’s stature soared in Saeed’s mind. Seeing him running from afar, his figure growing larger against the backdrop of the flames, Ding Li seemed almost divine—a presence that inspired an indescribable reverence.

“Brother Li! Are you hurt?” Before Ding Li could reach them, Saeed couldn’t hold back any longer, rushing forward with the others from their hiding place, crowding around Ding Li, all talking at once, eyes shining as they surveyed his powerful, muscular frame.

“I’m fine! No need to worry!” Ding Li felt a surge of warmth at their concern, smiled, nodded, and waved at them. He glanced around and asked, “Where’s Doggie and the others? Are they settled?”

“Don’t worry, Brother Li!” Saeed thrust his face close, eager to answer before anyone else, his smile radiant. “I did exactly as you said, gave them all detailed instructions! As long as they’re not fools, they’ll stay hidden safely!”

“Good. That’s what I wanted. You all need to be careful too!” Ding Li nodded seriously, turning to Saeed and repeating patiently, “Especially you, Saeed! I just shot Lai Wu—he’s almost certainly done for! Though the Cirenzhou gang may collapse, Liu San from Chaozhou won’t let this go, especially since you met him at the docks. Be careful! Be cautious in everything!”

“Don’t worry, Brother Li!” Saeed waved dismissively, then suddenly straightened up, staring at Ding Li in astonishment. “Brother Li! Did you just say—Lai Wu’s almost certainly dead?”

“Yes. I shot him with the crossbow I got from North Leg,” Ding Li replied lightly, as if it were a matter of no consequence. He paid no mind to the shock in their faces. Instead, he stretched lazily, patted each of their shoulders, and smiled, “All right, it’s done! Thanks for your help tonight, brothers. Once things calm down, I’ll treat everyone to drinks! It’s late—I need to go home. The missus is waiting for me.”

With that, Ding Li ignored their jealous, admiring looks, smiled to himself, glanced back at the inferno behind him—the wooden fence collapsing, fire-wreathed figures staggering out. On the road to the shore, men wrestled and clawed at each other, desperate to reach the sea, as if the water might save them from the flames. Their shrieks tore through the night as they plunged into the sea, sending waves crashing.

“Come on! Don’t just stand there!” Ding Li walked a couple of steps, turned back to the still-gawking Saeed and the others, smiled and shook his head, then looked out into the distance with a sigh. “Ah! With a fire this big, the authorities will be here soon. Maybe even the Maritime Commissioner and the nearby military will get involved!”

Hearing this, Saeed and the others instantly sobered. None wanted to be caught by the military, especially the Maritime Commissioner’s men—a crime of arson, and one so great, could cost them their lives. Without another glance at the raging flames, they turned and fled into the night.