184: Provocation

"It's simple. Help me save someone."

"Who?"

"Wang Ye!"

Saying this, the person pointed towards the street.

Following the direction, one could see a beggar, covered in grime, wearing a tattered short tunic, with half his body slumped on the ground.

"Come with me."

Xia Zhijie led the two of them from the back door of the teahouse into the courtyard.

"Give him a bath, if you can save him.

If you can't save him, at least let him die with dignity."

After the woman in green finished speaking, she walked into the teahouse on her own, ordered a pot of tea, and savored it on the second floor. Unbeknownst to her, she had grown accustomed to this.

Pulling back Wang Ye's clothes, the festering skin on his body almost covered half of him, and a putrid stench filled Xia Zhijie's nostrils.

Xia Zhijie frowned. Such severe burns, perhaps even his flesh and blood were ruined. How could he be treated?

Everyone outside was looking for Wang Ye. If he were discovered, eight mouths wouldn't be able to explain it. If he, Xia Zhijie, implicated the shopkeeper because of himself, that would be a truly big mistake.

A dark glint flashed in Xia Zhijie's eyes. Wang Ye's greatest value was to tell him the truth about this great fire.

As for life and death, that was his fate.

He brought a bucket of warm water for Wang Ye, put him in, and said casually:

"What happened with the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce? Did you burn it?"

Wang Ye grabbed the edge of the wooden bucket with his right hand, looking at Xia Zhijie with a complex expression:

"I don't want to die. Please save me."

"Of course I'll save you. I've already prepared clothes over there. After you've bathed, I'll invite a physician to see you."

Xia Zhijie smiled, pointing to the clean clothes on the nearby stool.

"Okay, thank you." After thanking him, Wang Ye said nothing more, showing no intention of answering the question.

Xia Zhijie was not in a hurry either. After Wang Ye had bathed and put on his clothes, he slowly mumbled:

"How did you and she meet?"

Wang Ye sat on the chair, looking at Xia Zhijie resignedly:

"Actually, you just want to know the truth; you never intended to save me, did you?"

"If the information you provide is useful, I will consider saving you."

"Don't lie to me. The Yeming Division is looking for me everywhere outside.

Whatever the truth is, let me live, and I'll tell you!

Aren't you trying to gather information? Although the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce is gone, I still have over a thousand trustworthy eyes. Save me, and I'll give them all to you.

Please, I don't want to die!"

Looking at Wang Ye's eyes, humble to the dust, Xia Zhijie seemed to see himself, alone during a famine, begging those people not to eat him.

His heart couldn't help but tremble.

"If you don't speak, then I'll go ask her." The cost of saving him was too great. Xia Zhijie restrained his emotional turmoil, glancing at the scar on his left hand.

Yesterday's lesson was still fresh in his mind. Although the benefits were great, so were the risks.

He couldn't implicate the shopkeeper. First and foremost, he had to protect himself.

At most, out of consideration for the years of aiding refugees, he would give Wang Ye a dignified burial.

Every wrong has its source, every debt its owner; it was not his responsibility.

Wang Ye closed his eyes, not saying another word.

The burns were more severe than he had imagined, and even the woman who fed him the qi and blood pill couldn't do anything.

He couldn't even absorb the qi and blood pill now; his internal organs hurt as if they had been pierced through.

"Nunu, Grandma, Uncle Liu... I'm sorry, I can't avenge you."

Xia Zhijie decisively stood up and walked straight out of the courtyard.

Even after he walked out of the courtyard and closed the door, Wang Ye did not say another word.

Once out of sight, Xia Zhijie stopped.

From the current situation, Wang Ye was half-dead, so the instigator was most likely not him; he was the victim.

But if he wanted to save him, he could only go to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper had already been visited by the Yeming Division once; there couldn't be a second time. This risk was too great.

Looking towards the teahouse, Xia Zhijie made up his mind. He could only try a provocation.

Tap, tap ~

Xia Zhijie walked to the second floor and sat down.

"If we save him, it might implicate the shopkeeper—"

Before Xia Zhijie could finish, the woman cut him off, saying without a trace of emotion:

"Then let him die."

"What exactly happened with the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce?" Xia Zhijie pressed.

The woman looked out the window and took a sip of tea:

"Still the same question, what will you exchange for it?"

"Just now, the Yeming Division has already gone to investigate the bookstore. Commander Yang Wanli personally questioned them. Are you sure you still want to play coy?"

"It's none of his business! Why should they investigate the bookstore!" The woman's voice rose by three degrees, her eyes reddened, and a sharp Killing Intent surged directly towards Xia Zhijie.

Xia Zhijie froze, Qi... Qi Induction!

"Yuan Qi and Wang Ye clashed over the refugees. Yuan Qi acted as a traitor and guide. The Black Wind Martial Hall made the move. Dan Master Feng Xibing led people to silence them. He didn't burn Wang Ye to death. I rescued him amidst the chaos.

There's someone else behind the Black Wind Martial Hall. I haven't found out who it is. I can only see if Wang Ye's old contacts have any information.

If you want to investigate thoroughly, you cannot let Wang Ye die. He knows a lot of information!"

After saying it all in one breath, the woman's emotions calmed down a little.

Xia Zhijie continued to press:

"What about the mysterious expert from the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce before? Did she not make a move?"

"That woman left a long time ago, and she wasn't even from the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce."

So the expert had left; no wonder they dared to make a move.

All of Xia Zhijie's doubts were resolved. From this perspective, the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce's protector had left, causing unrest.

Wang Ye still wanted to operate in the old way, but Vice President Yuan Qi was unwilling. So, after an argument, he invited trouble, directly wiping out the Zongheng Chamber of Commerce's people.

It's just that killing so many people seemed strange no matter how you looked at it.

She was clearly worried, but she had to pretend to be nonchalant, her tone flickering as she said:

"How is he doing?"

"Zheng Yunxu, you're a deserter who doesn't dare to see the shopkeeper.

If you want to know, go ask yourself." Xia Zhijie retorted sharply, suddenly lashing out.

"Are you looking for death?" Zheng Yunxu looked at Xia Zhijie coldly, and blood-red withered vines crawled out from the table leg, spreading towards Xia Zhijie's legs.

Just as the withered vines were about to bind Xia Zhijie, the Spiritual Qi dissipated, and everything returned to calm.

Seeing her withdraw, Xia Zhijie then said slowly:

"Before going into seclusion, the shopkeeper bought a batch of qinggang wood. The quantity was large, and the Yeming Division tracked the qinggang wood powder to him. He's temporarily fine."

Zheng Yunxu breathed a sigh of relief, her taut body visibly relaxing as she leaned back in her chair.

"Thank you."

"Do you want to know about the shopkeeper and Miss Bai?" Xia Zhijie once again brought up the topic, unwilling to let the other party be calm.

"Speak!" Zheng Yunxu's gentle eyes turned cold again.

"I work for the shopkeeper now. You won't kill me, so there's no need to use that tone to scare me.

I can tell you the outcome, what will you exchange for it?"

The tables had turned; now it was Xia Zhijie who held the initiative.

"I have something here that can help you Breakthrough to Mortal Shedding Eighth Stage, and four Heart-Devouring Gu that can control people. Choose one, whichever you want."

Xia Zhijie shook his head:

"I don't want either. I want you to work for me for one year."

"Impossible!"

"If you don't agree, I'll tell the shopkeeper about today's events. What do you think he'll think?"

"Bang!"

The table between the two suddenly shattered, the wood splinters disintegrating like smoke.

A foul odor surged out, and a thick, root-like tentacle shot out from her right hand, coiling around Xia Zhijie's throat, choking him.

Zheng Yunxu lifted Xia Zhijie high, biting out three words:

"You're looking for death!"