Cat 241: Setting Fire

Chapter 241: Setting Fire

The plot progression in this new scenario was maddeningly slow. At this pace, if it were adapted into a television drama, it could easily run for seventy or eighty episodes, spanning several generations. But Yan Jiyun only had eight days—he had already wasted one, leaving him just seven days to truly explore the scenario, and now the fourth day was almost upon him. The next three days would be critical.

Accustomed as he was to fast-paced narratives, this slower rhythm was unsettling. Everything in this scenario, down to the tempo of the town itself, dragged along languidly.

Of course, it could be due to lack of experience on his part—he had failed to find the right point of entry in the shortest possible time.

Yan Jiyun and Liu Jingxi followed the kidnappers, trailing them into Grandfather Cheng’s courtyard.

Why did Grandfather Cheng insist on abducting Cheng Xueying? It was a bizarre move—he was, after all, the head of the Cheng family; he didn’t need to bind anyone in his own home unless it was a matter of extreme urgency.

The old man’s courtyard was not strictly guarded. After delivering Cheng Xueying, the household guards left, not staying within.

Yan Jiyun and Han Jingxi, wary of making any noise that might attract attention, waited until the men had gone before sneaking toward the side, crouching in a dark corner to listen.

Actually, Yan Jiyun didn’t even need to be close; the sounds inside reached him easily.

Present inside were not only Grandfather Cheng but others as well. But it wasn’t the daughters of the Cheng family; from their breathing he could tell it was an older man.

After Cheng Xueying was forcibly brought in, Grandfather Cheng immediately put on a stern face and asked, “Xueying, let me ask you, did your father ever entrust you with anything?”

If Cheng Xueying were capable of speaking civilly to him, that would be odd indeed. “I have no idea what Grandfather is talking about. I just want to know—who really killed my father?”

Grandfather Cheng said coldly, “Who would want to harm your father? It was just an accidental fire at home; he failed to escape in time and was burned.”

Cheng Xueying replied, “Then why did Grandfather insist on having the guards bring me here? Isn’t it because you feel guilty?”

Grandfather Cheng shot back, “All your years of learning must have gone to the dogs, for you can’t tell right from wrong—speaking utter nonsense.”

Cheng Xueying pressed on, refusing to yield. “Grandfather, you know yourself whether I am talking nonsense. My father should have been sent to the hospital after his injuries—he could have survived. You all delayed his treatment and lost his chance at life!”

Grandfather Cheng said, “So you blame me.”

Cheng Xueying said simply, “Yes.”

Grandfather Cheng replied, “He was my only son. His death pains me more than it does you.”

It was clear Cheng Xueying didn’t believe a word. Perhaps, when his father was young, that might have been true, but as the maternal side of the Cheng family grew stronger and involved in more matters, Grandfather Cheng’s priorities changed. Otherwise, why wouldn’t Cheng Xueying be allowed to live openly as a man?

Standing outside, Yan Jiyun listened to their exchange. Every word hinted that Cheng Xueying’s life in the Cheng household was a difficult one, but Grandfather Cheng stubbornly refused to clarify the truth—who was really behind Cheng Liang’s death?

Something wasn’t right. Cheng Liang only went to seek out Ninth Master later, yet Grandfather Cheng was already probing Cheng Xueying with such urgency—was he trying to obtain something from Cheng Xueying, or was he scared she might learn something?

Was it still about the treasure map?

Yet Cheng Liang said the original was with Grandfather Cheng. How did he know Cheng Liang was going to use the map for a deal with Ninth Master? Did he already know Cheng Liang kept a backup?

But then, what did this have to do with Cheng Xueying marrying into the Liu family?

Grandfather Cheng was detestable—a textbook feudal patriarch, steeped in son-preference, the sort of NPC who inspired nothing but disgust.

The conversation inside circled endlessly without providing answers. Outside, Yan Jiyun felt his impatience mounting. The plot was dragging him along at a snail’s pace.

Grandfather Cheng wanted to learn if Cheng Liang had told Xueying about the treasure map, but she never gave him a direct answer; both were probing each other.

Yan Jiyun needed a way to speed things up. He had to help Cheng Xueying leave the Cheng family—her father was dead; she had no reason to remain. He needed to take the initiative, not simply follow along after the NPCs.

He glanced around, studying the layout of the courtyard.

All mansions have different structures; smaller courtyards consist only of rooms in a quadrangle, but larger ones, besides the rooms, include things like proper kitchens and other standard features.

Here, the smell of cooking from the kitchens reached his nose. Clearly, Grandfather Cheng didn’t always dine with his family but had a chef make separate meals for him—a sign of an old man whose diet probably differed from that of the younger generation, a separation typical in wealthy households.

This arrangement gave Yan Jiyun a bold idea.

He whispered to Liu Jingxi, “Cousin, I’m going to cause some commotion. While that’s happening, get our third cousin-sister out of there. See what Grandfather Cheng rushes to take with him in the chaos. Get her out the back door before anyone notices.”

Liu Jingxi was alarmed. “What are you planning?”

Yan Jiyun replied, “Rather than waiting passively for doom, we’d better take action. If we don’t get third cousin-sister out now, we may never get another chance.”

The Cheng family was a bottomless pit—having already killed once, they’d not hesitate to do it again.

Best to stir up as much trouble as possible, make the others afraid—can’t let themselves keep being led by the nose.

Liu Jingxi nodded. “All right, I’ll back you up.” He glanced at his cousin, impressed by his quick thinking. “When did you stop stuttering today?”

Yan Jiyun pretended not to hear, slipping away into the darkness after patting Liu Jingxi on the shoulder. “Good luck. When this is over, I’ll tell you a secret!”

Liu Jingxi was left speechless. He was just about to ask what secret, but Yan Jiyun had already melted into the shadows.

His cousin was as agile as a cat—quicker, and a bit slyer, than he’d thought!

Yan Jiyun circled around to avoid the light as much as possible and remain unseen. He found his way to the kitchen, clambered up to a greasy window.

Most kitchens were filled with smoke and the scent of oil, but here, instead, he found the aroma of meat-infused medicines—clearly, Grandfather Cheng took his remedies regularly and was in poor health.

By the light of the moon, Yan Jiyun found a box of matches inside. The stove was cold, but he found bundles of kindling and easily combustible dry straw in a corner.

The Cheng mansion was built of traditional wood—if set alight, things could get complicated quickly.

He then checked every water vat and barrel inside and out. There was a large vat inside, full; another outside with fish swimming in it; and about five meters away from the big fish tank, a well with running water.

Good—no one would die.

With such abundant water resources, Cheng Liang had still died in a fire. Clearly, no one tried to save him. His death could not be more suspicious.

Everyone in the Cheng family might be implicated—they were all murderers.

With that, Yan Jiyun calmly set fire to the pile of straw in the corner.

Smoke began rising from the small kitchen. Yan Jiyun curled around to the back of the house, waiting for the fire to catch and spread.

He had thought of transforming into a cat, but if he stayed human, he could help if Liu Jingxi encountered any trouble getting the others out.

Cheng Xueying had seen his feline form in the latrine earlier, complete with collar. It would be odd if he appeared here as a cat.

He took a moment to gauge the night wind. The fire would soon be swept toward the main bedroom—he could already hear the crackle of burning wood and the biting scent of smoke carried on the breeze.

He was still some distance from the main hall when he called out in a voice audible only to those inside: “Fire! There’s a fire, run for your lives! Run!”

He used his soaked sleeve to cover his nose against the smoke, careful not to inhale too much—he didn’t want to collapse before he had a chance to save anyone.

As he’d hoped, people inside instantly grew agitated.

Grandfather Cheng seized his cane, flustered. “Fire? How did this happen?”

Another man in the room spoke up. “Master, we must get out—now.”

Cheng Xueying, of course, wanted nothing more than to leave, but her hands and feet were bound—she couldn’t move.

Grandfather Cheng, now unable to linger over details, was gripped by the fear of death common to the elderly. He ordered his steward, “Quickly, bring the red lacquer box by my bedside!”

The steward made for the bedroom at once, but Yan Jiyun, who had already reached the bedroom window, had heard the instruction and preemptively seized the locked red box—an entirely unexpected windfall.

When the steward arrived, Yan Jiyun simply closed the window. The box nowhere to be seen, the steward dashed back out.

He came to report to Grandfather Cheng, “Master, there is no red box by your bed!”

Grandfather Cheng wanted to look for it himself, but his legs failed him; the steward had to help him out, leaving Cheng Xueying behind.

Cheng Xueying cried, “Grandfather, are you really leaving me here?”

But Grandfather Cheng simply said, “Xueying, perhaps this is fate.”

With that, she was locked inside.

Before she could even begin to cry, Liu Jingxi burst through the door. His arrival was perfectly timed. “Sister-in-law, are you all right?”

Cheng Xueying was quick to react, “Did you set the fire?”

Liu Jingxi tried to untie her, but the knots were too stubborn and he couldn’t find a knife at the moment. “It wasn’t me. It was my cousin. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Cheng Xueying said, “If the ropes aren’t untied, how am I supposed to leave?”

Liu Jingxi answered, “I’ll carry you.”

He realized the way she was bound made carrying her on his back impossible. “Forget it, I’ll carry you in my arms.” With some effort, he picked her up. “You look thin enough—why do you feel so heavy?”

Cheng Xueying was left speechless.

Just then, Yan Jiyun arrived, pausing outside to remind Liu Jingxi, “Cousin, hurry up. The fire is spreading—someone’s coming.”

Liu Jingxi, carrying Cheng Xueying, bolted for the exit. “Here we go!”

Yan Jiyun kept track of the approaching footsteps, heading in the direction where no one was around. He asked Cheng Xueying, “Third sister-in-law, which door gets us out the fastest?”

As a member of the Cheng family, she was most familiar with the property’s layout—and she didn’t dawdle.

“There are four doors to the Cheng compound. After eight p.m., only the side gate is open; the others are closed. The main gate is guarded, so using it would get us caught. The nearest is the west gate.”

“But isn’t it locked after eight? And your family’s walls are five meters high—there’s no way we can climb them.”

“There’s a dog door by the west gate—you can crawl through.”

Liu Jingxi said, “You seem familiar—you’ve done this before.”

Cheng Xueying couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at him. “Such a handsome man—why must he have such a mouth?”

Relying on his keen hearing and Cheng Xueying’s directions, the three soon reached the west gate.

Liu Jingxi, exhausted and pained, set Cheng Xueying down and gasped, “How do we get you through if you’re still tied up?”

Yan Jiyun pulled a Swiss Army knife from his pocket, which he’d pilfered from Ninth Master’s office. “Just cut the ropes and we’ll be out.”

Liu Jingxi’s breath caught. “Why didn’t you bring this out earlier?”

Yan Jiyun shrugged. “Oh, I forgot.”

He simply found it amusing to see Liu Jingxi hauling around a man disguised as a woman—it was impossible not to imagine the scene from ‘Pigsy Takes a Wife.’