Chapter 74: Having Settled the Matter, He Departs with a Flick of His Sleeve

"All of you can swim, right?" As soon as Ding Li asked, he regretted it. Living by the South Sea, even a random three- or five-year-old child could swim like a fish. Still, Ding Li waited patiently as the women nodded, a few of them even responding timidly. Only then did he wave them over and command in a low voice, "If you want to live, follow me. Quick!"

Perhaps it was years of ingrained obedience, or maybe desperation brought out their will to survive, but after a brief hesitation, one braver woman took the first step, following Ding Li. The rest soon followed.

Ding Li remembered that before boarding the ship, even as night fell, a southeast wind had been blowing. His strong sense of direction led him without hesitation to a room at the northwest corner. He didn’t bother using his hands on the door—maybe because it wasn’t his, or perhaps he thought the expensive wooden door would soon be fuel for the growing fire. He raised his foot and kicked it open.

In a few quick steps, he entered the room, grabbed a chair, and strode to the window. With a swing, he smashed the window to pieces. Then he bashed the wooden wall beneath it several times before kicking hard, opening a broad 'doorway.' Only then did he turn to the women filing in behind him.

He looked out the window once more, confirming that the women couldn’t safely jump into the water on their own. He turned back and explained, pointing outside, "Jump. It’s your only chance to live! Unless you want to drown, of course."

Seeing their trembling nods, Ding Li added, "But it’s a bit of a drop, and I don’t believe you can make it to the water safely by yourselves!" He wasn’t belittling them—just looking at their shaking legs, he doubted they could even stand at the edge without falling into the inferno below.

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll throw you into the water, you’ll be safe. After that, you need to swim to shore yourselves. It’s your only chance!" He spoke gently, repeating his instructions for reassurance.

He glanced out the door at the spreading flames, then waved them closer. "Hurry! The fire’s coming—there’s no time. Who’s first?"

A moment of silence passed before a woman near the front stepped forward, her eyes seeking confirmation, and she murmured, "I—I’ll go..."

"Good!" Ding Li nodded encouragingly. Once she was beside him, he whispered, "Relax! Remember, this is to save your life!"

He didn’t rush her. Only when he saw a hint of calm in her eyes did he meet her gaze with encouragement. Then, with a firm grip on her neck and waist, he lifted her—she was light as a feather—and flung her out into the night sky over the Little South Sea.

"Ahhh!"

Though she had steeled herself, once her body was airborne and out of control, she screamed, the cry piercing the night. Then came a loud splash, white spray exploding across the water.

In an instant, Ding Li saw her head break the surface, arms flailing as she found her bearings and struck out for shore.

"Safe landing! Next—who’s next?" A pleased smile tugged at Ding Li’s lips—he was proud to have saved a life. But when he turned, he was startled: the other women, who had been keeping their distance, were now pressed right behind him, eager to see if his method truly worked.

"Me! I’ll go!"
"I want to go next!"

Their hands shot up—having just seen their companion land safely, they had no doubts about their swimming skills. As long as they reached the water, there were at least three ways to escape easily.

"Don’t rush! One at a time, everyone will be fine!" Ding Li could hardly believe the change in attitude, but despite the chaos, warmth crept into his usually stony expression. This was a genuine, heartfelt smile—the pride of helping others.

One by one, more than a dozen women were launched into the sea. When the last was gone, Ding Li dusted off his hands, satisfied. Just as he was about to leave, he froze—a glance back revealed a woman by the door, her face etched with terror, her lower lip bitten and bleeding.

"Hmm? Why are you still standing there?" Ding Li frowned, not understanding. The building was sinking, fire raging outside. He waved her over impatiently, "Come! We’re out of time!"

"I—I can’t swim..." she stammered, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her voice trembled, "I’m from the north—I was sold here. Please, don’t leave me. I don’t want to die..."

"Get up! You should have said so!" Now Ding Li understood. He strode over and pulled her up, his tone reproachful, but he kept hold of her and led her to the door. Seeing her still sobbing, he wrapped an arm around her waist and ordered, "Hold on tight! Otherwise, neither of us will make it!"

He wasn’t exaggerating—if she struggled, he couldn’t guarantee their safety. Thankfully, driven by fear, she threw herself into his arms, clutching him as if her life depended on it, eyes squeezed shut, eyebrows knit with terror.

Whether she could swim or not, Ding Li never found out—for before they hit the water, she had fainted dead away, and even after entering the sea, she remained unconscious. But Ding Li had the strength; holding her with one arm, he reached the shore safely.

Having rescued the women, Ding Li wasted no time. He called over a few of the dazed survivors to care for the unconscious girl, wrung out his soaked clothes, and walked away without a backward glance, ignoring the scattered words of thanks drifting after him.

As Ding Li’s figure disappeared, those who had survived gradually fell silent, lost in thought. They couldn’t decide whether he was their savior or their doom—after all, his actions defied all understanding: arson, rescue, all in a single night.

The Yunxiao Pavilion riverboat was now completely engulfed in flames, the ship rapidly sinking. Fortunately, the fire was discovered quickly, and the initial efforts by the shirtless strongman’s men meant there were no casualties, except for those who had fallen directly to Ding Li.

"What now..." The shirtless strongman stood on the bank, dazed, lips moving as he muttered, "How am I going to explain this to Master Hua..."

The gambling riverboats weren’t directly controlled by Master Hua—Yunxiao Pavilion, like Caiyun Pavilion before it, belonged to him in secret, and both the strongman and Caiyun Pavilion’s Tiger were his trusted lieutenants.

Now, as he watched the ship sink into the Little South Sea, the strongman saw not just a lavish boat but a mountain of gold vanishing beneath the waves. He had no idea how he could ever explain this to Master Hua—even if he died five times, it wouldn’t make up for the loss of the Yunxiao Pavilion.

"Leopard! Prepare to die!" A sudden shout of his name snapped the strongman to attention; he turned, terror on his face, and saw Zhang Wu striding toward him, flanked by a gang of thugs wielding blades and clubs. Fury exploded within him—what were the odds that just as the ship burned to the waterline, Zhang Wu from the Zhang Mercantile Guild would appear? Even the slowest mind could connect the two events.

"To hell with you! Come on!" The strongman, Leopard, ignored his injured hand, gripping his heavy blade with both hands and roaring at Zhang Wu and his men. Without a glance at his own trembling, terrified followers, he charged forward. "Zhang Wu! Let’s settle this tonight!"

Blinded by rage, Leopard forgot he was wounded and no match for Zhang Wu. Most of his men, their spirits already broken by the fire, hung back; only a handful, out of loyalty or pride, raised their weapons and followed. The rest cowered, legs inching away, ready to run at the first sign of trouble.

Zhang Wu didn’t care whether Leopard was injured. His orders from Master Zhang Mingzhi were clear: wipe out all of Hua Lao Wu’s forces near the Little South Sea tonight. Even though he hadn’t seen Ding Li, Zhang Wu was certain the fires at Caiyun Pavilion and Yunxiao Pavilion were his doing.

With a single blow, Zhang Wu sent Leopard stumbling backward. The wound on Leopard’s hand split open again, his grip failed, and his blade clattered to the ground. All he saw next was Zhang Wu’s heavy boot flying toward him.

Boom!

Leopard had no chance to dodge. The kick sent him flying, and as he went down, he saw two of his men cut down by Zhang Wu’s blades, the rest of Zhang Wu’s gang surging forward like a tide. For Leopard, only Zhang Wu’s next heavy blow remained.