Chapter 432: Your Majesty! Mr. Zhao... died in Fengcheng! (Big Chapter)
In the court hall.
As Zhao Duan finalized the details, several people in the hall all stood up. Gongshu Tianyuan took out the red hijab again and said with a smile:
"Let's go, we have to do a full show, the three of us still have to do it. You have to come in openly from the outside."
Jin Jian rolled his eyes, and Lang Shiba walked over in silence, a typical person who doesn't talk much.
According to Zhao Duan's arrangement, the three of them need to come back from outside and report the situation in the Forbidden Mountain Villa to Magistrate Luan.
Zhifu Luan looked at the three disappeared people, stood up and walked out:
"Zhao Shaobao will rest in the house while I go out to deal with the follow-up."
Lihuatang Jinyi He also walked out.
In the house, only Zhao Duan, Zhuang Xiaocheng, Yun Xi, Ji Yue, and Haitang and Zhang Han who "died under the cliff" were left.
Coupled with the two brothers and sisters from the Tianshi Mansion who later had to leave "disheartened", the size of the entire "Secret Chencang" team reached an astonishing eight people.
"There are a lot of people. I should have known that I would have taken fewer people up the mountain." Zhao Duan sighed softly.
Haitang, who was about to be "fake death", sneered:
"We are going to fake death with you, are you still not satisfied? Or you treat me and Zhang Han as corpses and throw them in the coffin, It's better to be transported back to Beijing with the army than to live in the open air with you."
Zhao Duan couldn't laugh or cry: "I must have said something wrong."
< br>
He turned to look at Yun Xi and said:
"By the way, I also need you to make a list, that is, which of the Kuangfu Society members captured today do you think can be won over and are worth saving? "
Yun Xi was stunned for a moment, in disbelief: "Are you still willing to forgive some of the traitors? "
She felt that she could not understand this traitor more and more.
Zhao Duan smiled slightly:
"I am not a devil, but I have a condition. Those people you think are deceived by Zhuang Laogou and are worthy of saving must accuse Zhuang Xiaocheng in public and serve as witnesses to convict him."
He sighed: "How can a grand trial lack witnesses?"
...
On this day, too many things happened in Fengcheng.
First, the "immortal master" Lu Zhengchun was beheaded, and the execution ground was "robbed" twice. In the end, his head fell to the ground. It is said that he died in a miserable state.
He was pierced through the buttocks with a sharp knife and died... all the viewers were amazed.
Then, the government and the army searched for the rebels throughout the city. They were only allowed in but not allowed out. The arrests continued until night.
However, the most sensational thing was that Gongshu Tianyuan and his three men rushed back to the city. With sad faces, they reported to the prefect Luan Cheng:
Zhao Shaobao led a group of elite soldiers to raid the rebels' lair. Died together with "bandit leader" Zhuang Xiaocheng.
As soon as the news came out, the whole city was in an uproar.
Lieutenant General Yuan Ji's face turned pale, and cold sweat immediately soaked his armor. Luan Cheng immediately appointed the county magistrate to take charge, and he personally led a large number of officers and soldiers straight to the Forbidden Mountain Villa.
And detoured to the bottom of the cliff and valley, and sure enough, they found that the entire mountain top collapsed, almost forming a hill. Officers and soldiers were stationed here, digging and searching all night.
Countless torches were burned in one night.
In the end, only a dozen obscure and smashed corpses were dug out from the rubble.
It is said that the death of Zhao Duan, his party, and Zhuang Xiaocheng were determined based on the corpse's clothes and scattered accessories.
Then, Luan Cheng, the prefect, returned to the city almost like a ghost, and personally ordered a convoy of prisoners to arrest the rebels in the city. He would personally lead the convoy of prisoners, escorted by Yuan Ji and other officers and soldiers, and go north to Beijing to plead guilty.
Two Tianshi Mansion disciples left in the name of traveling. When they left, they were said to be in low spirits and shed tears on the spot.
The surviving Lang Shiba followed the team and personally escorted Zhao Duan's "Comb of Clothes" back to Beijing.
On that day, the sky was covered with thick clouds, and sporadic snowflakes fell. The escort team was all wearing sackcloth and mourning.
Before that, in order to perform a complete drama, the news about Zhao Duan's death was also conveyed northward to Beijing through the military falcons.
...
A few miles west of Fengcheng, in a tea shop in a small town.
"Woooo——"
The cold wind blew the thatch on the roof, Qi Yuchun's face was expressionless, feeling the snowflakes mixed in the cold wind hitting his face, his tired and numb face , is the dark bags under my eyes that have stayed up for several days and nights.
"Close the window. You are not too cold, but I am too."
In the room, next to a red-burning stove, Ren Kun, wearing a khaki robe, sat in a chair that was falling apart, rubbing his hands to warm himself up to the fire.
A face flushed by the fire.
Qi Yuchun did not look back and said in a hoarse voice: "The convoy escorting the prisoners has left the city."
Ren Kun said angrily: "So? What? You still want to rob the prison car? You You have to go and do it yourself, I’m not interested.”
With their strength, it’s okay to kill people, but saving people is another matter.
There were hundreds of prisoners in the entire escort team, and they were all prisoners whose cultivation had been destroyed, or who had been injured and had lost the ability to move for a short period of time.
The two of them couldn't leave with so many burdens. Rescue means saving in vain.
What's more, these people were carefully selected by Zhuang Xiaocheng, and he was ready to take the opportunity to kick out the Kuang Fu She team and sacrifice them.
Ren Kun has no motivation to fight to save his life.
Qi Yuchun said in despair, "It would be great if we could retrieve Taifu's body."
Ren Kun glanced at him coldly and said sarcastically:
"You are showing off your loyalty when a person dies. Do you think those officers and soldiers can really dig out some corpses from the bottom of the cliff? It's just someone who can't be identified at all. It's just a broken limb."
Qi Yuchun was convinced. He sighed bitterly, turned back and looked at Ren Kun:
"I am not loyal... ...But I don’t know what to do next. My current idea is to slowly gather the remaining members who fled that day and are still hiding in Fengcheng, and then go find the princess and the young prince.
Although we suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Fengcheng, His Highness Jian Wen's widow is still there, the flag of Kuangfu Society is still there, and we still have some manpower scattered around the helm...
However, without Taifu Zhuang, who among the remaining people in the society can convince the public? Are you qualified to carry the banner again? Is it you? Or me? "
He shook his head and said dejectedly:
"You and I are only good at fighting, but we can't win over people at all, and others in the society have no qualifications.
In this case, doesn’t it mean that there is only one way to flee? Perhaps we should take the princess and the prince away from the Yu Kingdom and go to a more remote place to hide. ”
This commander-in-chief seems to have lost his temper and has the idea of disbanding.
Ren Kun was silent for a while and said:
"Actually... there is something I have never told you. Before the death of the Taifu, that is, before ordering the assassination of the Zhao thief, he gave me a tip bag in private, and I said that if there was an accident, it could only be opened after three days.
But I didn’t do that at the time. Thinking of the 'accident' in his mouth, they all died together."
"Tips?" Qi Yuchun was stunned, and took a few steps forward: "Where is it?"
“Today is the third day after the assassination, and I have secretly opened it.”
Ren Kun took out a brochure bag from his arms and threw it to him: "There is an address inside."
Qi Yuchun hurriedly took out a note from it. There was nothing else on it, only a line of address. The location was to the west of Fengcheng. A place at the junction with Linfeng.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Qi Yuchun seemed to have a backbone, his eyes lit up:
"Yes! I was stupid. With the wisdom of Taifu, since we have already died together How could he not think of arranging things after his death? He must have made arrangements. Let’s go quickly.”
He finally understood why Ren Kun looked like an old god and was not confused. .
"Why are you in a hurry? Let's have lunch first..."
"I will give you a big gun, will you eat it?"
"..."
The charlatan Ren Kun had no choice but to be pulled out of the teahouse by the impatient Qi Yuchun. The two of them wrapped themselves in cotton-padded clothes and rode towards the west.
After another day of walking on the road, we arrived at the junction of Linfeng and Binhai at noon on the second day. There was an inn next to the official road in the forest for people coming and going.
"This is it! Go in and have a look."
Qi Yuchun looked up at the signboard of the inn, got off his horse, and entered the courtyard of the inn with Ren Kun. A waiter greeted him with enthusiasm: "You two Staying in a hotel? "
"Yes, let's get two rooms," Qi Yuchun pretended to come out. He looked unconcerned and took his time to open the room. He then casually asked the store owner:
"Is Room A No. 1 gone?"
The store owner said: "I'm sorry. Room No. 1 was booked by a guest officer and has been here for seven consecutive days."
The two looked at each other, paid, and then settled their luggage before knocking on the door of Room 1 when no one was paying attention.
“Come in.”
A man’s voice came from the room.
The two talented people were brave and opened the door immediately. The furnishings in the inn were simple, the stove was burning in the room, and the doors and windows were closed.
A figure in a black cloak, with his back to the two of them, stood by the window, looking out at the pale winter day.
Qi Yuchun closed the door behind his back, and he and Ren Kun stared at the mysterious man warily, and said:
"Your Excellency, are you waiting for someone?"
The cloaked man said: "I have been waiting for you for a long time, Zhuang Is Xiaocheng dead? ”
The two people's hearts jumped: "Dead, together with Zhao Duan."
Ren Kun hesitated and said: "The Taifu asked me to come here three days after his death. I think I came here to see your Excellency. , I wonder what Taifu’s arrangements are? Please tell me.”
Qi Yuchun secretly warned: "Can you turn around and speak face to face?"
The man by the window turned a deaf ear and just chewed the word "dead" for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
Immediately, he slowly turned around, facing the two of them, and poked out two well-proportioned hands from the cloak. At first glance, they were the hands of a wealthy family.
Slowly he took off his hood, revealing a face that was so noble but should have long since ceased to exist in this world.
Ren Kun was stunned.
Qi Yuchun's eyes widened, as if struck by lightning. He opened his mouth and said in disbelief:
"Second... His Highness?!"
The culprit who launched the Xuanmen coup and bloodbathed the palace, Xu Jianwen, the second prince of the Yu Kingdom who died outside the Meridian Gate three years ago, stared at the two people calmly:
“We meet again.”
……
……
Beijing.
Outside the Meridian Gate of the palace, officials gathered again to prepare for their daily court appearance.
Zhao Duan came and went again and again. The mountains were high and the roads were far away. In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed since the New Year.
It is late winter, the capital is no longer so cold, and spring is not far away.
A group of veteran ministers also seemed much more relaxed when they went to court, as they did not have to brave the wind and snow.
And, starting from the end of the year, a series of reforms headed by the New Deal began to take effect.
After the treasury recovered, the cold body of the 600-year-old giant Yu Chao regained warmth. The faces of civil and military officials in the court became more and more happy, and the empress Xu Zhenguan’s face was covered with frost. Also more angry than the Spring God.
As the bells rang, the ministers entered the palace.
Wearing a dragon robe and a beaded curtain crown, Xu Zhenguan sat on the dragon chair, and the ministers played in turn.
The process was uneventful, just daily affairs
——Most of the time, going to court was just trivial matters, with few major events happening.
Just like what Zhao Duan knew all his life:
Only small matters, and matters where all parties have already discussed it, and come to the Jinluan Palace to go through the process, are often the mainstream in the morning.
As for major issues, they are all decided by a small group of people in private meetings.
And big things often only exist in the hearts and secret meetings of a very few people.
When the morning court was coming to an end, Li Yanfu suddenly walked out and said:
"Your Majesty, Zhao Shaobao has been away from Beijing for a long time. I don’t know when he will return to Beijing?"
As soon as these words came out , the expressions of the ministers changed slightly, and the old enemy Yuan Li glanced sideways at the old immortal.
Xu Zhenguan, who was sitting on the dragon chair behind the beaded curtain, had a pair of bright eyes with a cold light.
Li Yanfu, who had gray hair, a wrinkled face, and stubble on his temples, seemed completely unaware of the many sights. Seeing that the empress did not answer, he continued:
"During the New Year's Eve banquet, Zhao Shaobao once issued a military order in public. It took three months to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng and bring him to justice, and now it is more than February...
The old minister did not deliberately make things difficult Zhao Shaobao is just a rebel leader. His interference is very serious and cannot be taken carelessly. The old minister is also worried about Zhao Shaobao's departure and delay in returning. No letter has been sent back. Is there any accident..."
"Prime Minister, be careful! "
On the dragon throne, the majestic and graceful empress interrupted him and said coldly:
"The matter of arresting those who rebel against the party is a top secret. How can the news leak out because of letters? Since it is not even March yet, the Prime Minister should put away his thoughts and do things calmly. Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask."
< br>This is quite rude.
Li Yanfu immediately bowed and bowed deeply: "Old minister... I understand."
Xu Zhenguan was unhappy, stood up and flicked his sleeves and said: "If there is nothing else, then retreat... "
The words "retreat from the court" were just about to be uttered.
Suddenly, a long "urgent call" came from outside Jinluan Hall.
Even if the palace door is closed, you can still hear it. The officials were startled, and Xu Zhenguan also frowned.
Unless it is urgent, the palace attendant will never come to report the news during the court session.
“Go and have a look.” The empress ordered the “female prime minister” standing next to her.
Mochou said "Yes", immediately walked down the steps, and quickly went out of the palace from the side door. After a while, Mochou returned and said:
"Your Majesty, the troops are sent from Binhai Road. Emergency report! "
Binhai Road? Urgent report from the army?
Xu Zhenguan changed his color slightly and said hurriedly: "Xuan!"
The palace door slowly opened, and a Forbidden Army guard entered the palace wearing armor, kneeling on one knee, not daring to raise his head:
"Your Majesty! The Binhai Road Military Mansion's deputy general Yuan Ji and the prefect Luan Cheng signed it and sent it back to Beijing to report urgently, involving Zhao Shaobao's arrest of the rebel leader!"
Xu Zhenguan's eyes lit up and he subconsciously walked forward. After a few steps, there was joy in his eyes, and he glanced vaguely at Li Yanfu below. The old prime minister was obviously stunned, as if he had not expected such a coincidence.
I just asked, and I got the result over there.
And since I sent the urgent report back from thousands of miles away, I must have gained something.
The ministers were slightly disturbed and all looked at them curiously.
A smile appeared on Xu Zhenguan's lips. Logically, she should have seen it in person first, but thinking about Li Yanfu's complaint just now, she felt a bad taste in her heart and said:
"What is the content of the urgent report? Read it to all the ministers in public. Listen."
"Yes!"
The forbidden soldier responded, tore open the secret report envelope, took out the contents, and browsed it quickly. He was obviously stunned for a moment, but he did not dare to raise his head, so he had to bite the bullet and said:
"Binhai Road Magistrate Luan Cheng, the deputy general of the military government, Yuan Ji, reported to your majesty.”
"Zhao Shaobao entered Fengcheng, found out the purple-shirted Taoist Lu Zhengchun... and beheaded him... used him as bait to make a surprise attack on the main altar of the rebel party..."
"...the Forbidden Mountain Villa collapsed, and the rebel party The bandit leader Zhuang Xiao became suspicious and met Zhao Shaobao because of and his subordinates, fell off the cliff...no bones were left..."
"...and later excavated the stumps and objects...collectively arrested more than 100 people who rebelled against the party, and escorted them to Beijing. Arriving..."
Quiet.
In the Jinluan Hall, a deathly silence suddenly fell.
There was nothing wrong with the report at the beginning, but when it was heard that Zhao Duan and Zhuang Xiaocheng fell off the cliff and were buried in the collapse of the rocks, only their stumps and broken arms were found.
The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty seemed to be under a restraining spell, and everyone was stunned on the spot.
Yuan Li opened his lips slightly and seemed not to hear clearly.
Master Dong seemed to be distracted and his eyes lost focus.
Li Yanfu's eyes widened a little and his pupils narrowed. He was also shocked by the news.
"Zhao Duan... is dead? Died together with Zhuang Xiaocheng? Buried on a cliff?"
Mochou, who was standing near the imperial army at the entrance of the hall, also froze. She felt her head buzzing and a strong dissatisfaction in her heart. Reality, and absurd emotions.
That annoying guy...is dead? Just die?
Mo Chou suddenly felt something bad. He raised his head suddenly and looked towards the end of the ministers, in front of the dragon chair on the high platform.
The figure of the empress wearing a dragon robe.
Visible to the naked eye, Xu Zhenguan's whole body was stiff, and the smiling face behind the bead curtain turned pale in an instant, as if his essence had been drained.
Then...
This powerful man in the Heavenly Realm suddenly... stumbled...
Unable to stand firm!
Xu Zhenguan took a few steps back, feeling dizzy and spinning. She was so weak that she subconsciously held on to the armrest of the dragon chair. A teardrop fell almost instinctively and unconsciously from her eyes.
Then, Empress Dayu used her last sanity to suppress her chaotic emotions and uttered two words:
"Retreat...retreat from the court."
...
...
The ministers dispersed.
When the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty walked out of the palace in a hurry, with expressions that may be sad, angry, hollow, or hidden with joy, the news that Zhao Duan and Zhuang Xiaocheng died together spread wildly in the official circles at a terrifying speed.
Chao Yamen.
In the Governor's Hall, Ma Yan did not go to court today. According to his daily habit, he sat in the hall and reviewed the reports of each hall.
Suddenly, a figure hurried over outside the hall. It was Zhoucang from Baihu who had dealt with Zhao Duan before.
Puffing and looking solemn, Zhou Cang ran in three steps at a time, almost tripping over the threshold in the process.
"Duke! Du Gong! Something big happened!"
Ma Yan heard the shouting through the door, put down the pen and paper in his hand, and was puzzled to see Zhou Cang barging in without even knocking on the door.
"What happened? Are you so panicked?" Ma Yan stood up and asked with a frown.
Zhou Cang took a few breaths before saying: "Today's morning court..."
"Morning court? Nothing major happened in the court today. What made you so rude?" Ma Yan was confused.
Zhou Cang shook his head, waved his hands, and said:
"No, it's not the morning court... Oh, it's the morning court... It's not important! It's the urgent report from Binhai Road that Zhao Duan, Zhao Shaobao and Zhuang Xiaocheng died together. , dead! "
Dead...dead...Zhao Duan is dead...
Ma Yan was stunned and lost his mind: "You said...what?"
……
......
Zhao Zhai.
Early this morning, the mistress Eugene Hua dragged her daughter out of bed and directed the servants in the house to clean up.
Well, the main thing is to dry all the bedding and towels in the house in the courtyard according to custom.
"Mom, what kind of quilt do you want to dry in this winter?"
Zhao Pan hugged the little Pekingese and pouted under the eaves.
In front of her, long bamboo poles were set up in the entire yard, and the servants were walking through them, placing their quilts on them.
Eugene Hua was directing, and then he came over and poked his daughter on the forehead with a finger:
“It’s such a rare day, if you don’t dry the quilt, insects will grow on it. Besides, when your eldest brother comes back, you have to have a warm quilt to cover him."
"...It's better to buy a new one..." Zhao Pan retorted weakly.
Eugene was very angry: "After two good days, you don't know how to be frugal and manage your family? Is your eldest brother's money easy to earn? Don't you still have to travel so far for business? Work hard to make a living?"
"I'm not that one I mean..." Zhao Pan sighed and was about to turn around and leave.
Suddenly, a heartbreaking cry came from outside the yard:
"Madam! Miss, it's not good! The big man is gone! The big man is gone!"
Everyone in the courtyard was startled, and looked around at the same time, only to see the old steward of the Zhao family stumbled in at the door, with tears on his face, and fell to the ground with a plop.
Through the colorful sheets and covers flying in the sky, I cried out the news I heard.
Zhao Pan was stunned. The puppy in his arms slipped and fell to the ground. The Pekingese barked in pain, but seemed to sense that something was wrong in the atmosphere, so he tucked his tail and did not dare to bark.
Big brother is gone... gone... The girl's mind was buzzing, and she felt that the sheets in front of her instantly lost their color and turned into black and white.
She turned her head and subconsciously looked at her mother, but she only saw Eugene Hua's face as pale as paper, and he fell softly to the ground.
“Mother!”
"Call the doctor!"
The Zhao family was in chaos.
……
……
Tianshi Mansion.
Deep in the small courtyard, the big banyan tree is still green in this winter, and the flowers and plants in the entire courtyard are fragrant, as if they are not in the same season as the outside world at all.
The old Heavenly Master Zhang Yanyi, who is tall and has narrow eyebrows, is sitting in a wicker chair, flipping through the Jade Slip Heavenly Book in his hand.
Suddenly, my heart moved and I looked towards the courtyard door.
After a while, the courtyard door creaked open on its own, and a priest trotted in and bowed respectfully:
"To the Heavenly Master, we have just received news that Zhao Duan and Zhuang Xiaocheng fell off a cliff in Fengcheng, Binhai Road...no body was left..."
Zhang Yanyi frowned, his face showing confusion.
His right hand slowly covered the jade slip in front of him, and his eyes were closed.
Then, the golden words on the jade slips broke away from the shackles of the heavenly book, and the people stood up, running like a group of villains on the "earth" paved with jade slips, cheering and quarreling, replacing each other Location.
The chaos lasted for a while, and the villain-like characters finally found their "new home" and merged into the jade slips one after another.
The Heavenly Book actually turned into a new article through the rearrangement and combination of words, which was the result of divination on this matter.
Zhang Yan opened his eyes, scanned the text in the heavenly book, raised his eyebrows slightly, seemed to be smiling, and muttered:
"Slippery."
Soon, he waved his hand nonchalantly: "I know."
The priest who reported the news did not dare to ask any more questions and was about to retreat when he was suddenly stopped by the old Heavenly Master.
Zhang Yan thought for a while and said, "When your Majesty comes, tell me that I am sleeping and don't see anyone else."
The priest was stunned for a moment, nodded and said: "I will obey the law."
...
...
In the Imperial Palace, outside the Empress's chamber.
Mochou held the hem of her skirt with both hands and ran quickly along the long corridor. Along the way, female officials saluted one after another without stopping.
She didn't stop until she reached the door of the bedroom and knocked carefully and gently.
“Come in.”
Hearing the sound inside the house, Mochou breathed a sigh of relief, pushed the door open with both hands, and stepped in.
After closing the door, he took two steps forward and opened the curtain to block the cold wind.
In the warm small hall, ancient bookshelf, calligraphy and painting, bonsai, and green plants decorate everywhere.
The empress changed out of her dragon robe and returned to her white clothes with flowing black hair. She was sitting quietly in front of the coffee table, looking at the beautifully trimmed green plants in the large vase opposite.
She is fair and beautiful, with a face as expressionless as a fairy in the sky, extremely calm.
Only the slightly red eyes revealed that the empress was far less calm on the inside than she appeared on the outside.
"Your Majesty?" Mochou asked cautiously:
"Can you return your dragon body..."
"I'm fine." Xu Zhenguan's voice was also very calm, as if he had really recovered from his grief.
But Mochou did not dare to take it lightly. She clearly witnessed how the empress lost her composure in the Jinluan Palace. In her memory, the last time she lost her composure was after the Xuanmen coup three years ago.
"My slave has sent people to warn all the major government offices not to spread rumors or discuss... about the matter in Fengcheng. The military emergency report was too brief, and I don't know whether it is true or not. I'm afraid if it spreads... It will make those who care about it uneasy..."
Mochou said cautiously: "I dare to make this arrangement, if your Majesty feels it is inappropriate..."
"You have your heart."
< br>
Xu Zhenguan withdrew his gaze, turned his head, nodded towards her, and showed a shallow smile.
Mochou was stunned for a moment. She walked carefully to the empress and said tentatively:
"Your Majesty..."
Xu Zhen watched her thoughts. He said softly:
“Do you think Zhao Duan is a person who can die easily?”
"Uh..." Mochou hesitated for a moment and said: "Master Zhao has his own destiny, and there may be false alarms in the army..."
Xu Zhenguan shook her head, her eyes wandering, as if looking at Looking at Nanfang:
“Before he left the capital, I gave him a teleportation orb for self-defense. If he is in danger, he can just crush it and move it thousands of miles away.< br>
I'm wondering, as Luan Cheng's letter said, would he have a chance to crush the orb at the Forbidden Villa?
Maybe, after all...he did it last time. When leaving the capital, he knew how to keep the teleportation weapon close to his body when he was attacked by a ghusl monk... How could he be so unprepared for being so afraid of death?"
Mochou was stunned for a moment, and she finally realized that the empress was not overly sad:
"What your Majesty means is... Master Zhao... faked his death?"
——
ps: 7,000-word chapter, I will continue to try the big chapter tomorrow.
Thanks to the 500 reward for the most beautiful blue ball, and the 500 reward for the Kenshin Kyoto Fire~
(End of this chapter)