Duke Anguo's Residence was enormous.
Though flames soared into the sky outside, only a faint clamor reached the depths of the residence.
Even so, as a precaution, many servants carried buckets of water, dousing the important pavilions and towers throughout the estate while clearing away the dead branches and fallen leaves around them to prevent the fire from spreading.
With such a commotion underway, Li Chunfeng would have been lying if he said he wasn't nervous.
The Moon-Treading Great Thief had caused such a huge commotion that he was plainly not making empty threats. He truly intended to take Li Chunfeng's life, and waves of cold rose from the bottom of Li Chunfeng's heart.
Fortunately, the small courtyard where he was staying lay at the heart of the residence. Behind it was the enormous pond in the rear garden, with water vapor hanging in the air, so it was reasonably safe for the time being.
On top of that, the courtyard was ringed three layers deep, inside and out, by the residence's finest fighters and constables from the Six Gates. The heart hanging in his chest settled a little.
Just then, a man hurried over. Only when he saw that Li Chunfeng was safe did he breathe a small sigh of relief.
The newcomer was none other than Cheng Ming.
He had been patrolling outside the residence, trying to catch the Moon-Treading Great Thief before he struck. To his surprise, a great fire had suddenly broken out at the residence, and, horrified, he had rushed straight back.
Old ginger was still the spiciest. Cheng Ming hadn't bothered to consider where the thief might sneak in, instead heading straight for Li Chunfeng.
He knew perfectly well that this wicked young master was the root of all the trouble that night. As long as Li Chunfeng was safe, everything would be fine.
Cheng Ming had scarcely arrived when Cheng Zhiwei came hurrying over too.
She had evidently grasped the crucial point at once and hurried over.
Seeing more and more guards at his side, with even a seasoned veteran of the Six Gates like Cheng Ming standing watch beside him, Li Chunfeng felt his fear vanish like smoke in the wind.
He glanced at the sky. Dawn was not far off, and the three-day deadline would soon be past.
At the thought, he grew even more smug. "What kind of bullshit Moon-Treading Great Thief? As I see it, he's nothing but a chicken-crowing, dog-stealing petty thief. Miss Cheng, don't you think I'm right?"
With the danger gone, the young master was once again at leisure, and his gaze roamed over Cheng Zhiwei without restraint.
Cheng Zhiwei couldn't be bothered to answer him and merely nodded slightly.
Her cold response made anger flare in Li Chunfeng's heart. If Cheng Ming hadn't been standing right beside her, he would have wanted to drag the little woman into a room then and there and show her what he was capable of.
But he knew what mattered, especially since he still had to rely on the grandfather and granddaughter. So he forced down the lustful fire in his heart, plastered a smile across his face, and ordered the maids to bring fruit and snacks.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Come, have something to eat and fill your stomachs."
It was late autumn, and fresh fruit had long since vanished from ordinary households. But Duke Anguo's Residence was no ordinary household, and the fruit brought out was still fresh and juicy.
Cheng Zhiwei, however, had no appetite at all.
She gazed at the distant flames, feeling a surge of unease, as though she had overlooked something vitally important. But no matter how hard she thought, she could never quite grasp that glimmer of insight.
"Zhiwei, don't think so much about it." Cheng Ming walked over to his granddaughter and saw her frowning. Thinking she was upset because they hadn't caught the thief, he gently comforted her.
"Who could have guessed that the thief was so cunning, that he would use such a method to break the deadlock? But don't worry. With Grandpa here, I won't let him succeed."
Cheng Zhiwei gave a wry smile. Without voicing the inexplicable worry in her heart, she simply nodded gently.
But the instant she nodded, a muffled explosion suddenly sounded in the distance!
Everyone in the courtyard started and turned as one toward the sound, only to see thick smoke billowing from a distant tower.
"Th-that is His Grace's study!" an elderly man who looked like a steward cried out involuntarily, his voice full of fear.
"What?!"
At those words, everyone was stunned.
Cheng Zhiwei felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
She finally remembered what she had forgotten!
Treading the Moon's letter had said he would take Li Chunfeng's head in three days, but he had never said he would take only one!
What if... what if he had had more than one target from the very beginning, and the Duke of An, Li Jun, was another?
The thought struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her whole body icy cold and her hands and feet beginning to go numb.
She was not the only one. Everyone present realized it.
Every face went deathly pale in an instant.
Li Chunfeng might have been the young master of the residence, but if he died, it would be no more than another shocking murder in the capital, causing a few days of uproar.
But if the Duke of An, Li Jun, died, it would be a momentous event that shook court and country. When that happened, no one present would escape blame!
"Quick! Protect His Grace!"
No one knew who shouted it, but most of the experts in the courtyard could no longer spare a thought for Li Chunfeng and charged toward the explosion like madmen.
Li Chunfeng was completely dumbfounded as well.
He could disregard anyone else's life or death, but he could not disregard his father's.
All these years, he had been able to throw his weight around entirely because of Li Jun's power and protection. If his father died, even if he survived today, he would never have another good day!
Besides, though Li Jun spoiled him, there was still affection between father and son.
"Father!"
Li Chunfeng roared and, no longer caring about the danger, took off running, wanting to see what had happened to his father.
"Young master, you mustn't!" Cheng Ming cried in alarm, grabbing him. "His Grace has experts as numerous as clouds at his side. He'll surely be safe. If you go there now, you'll only get in the way."
But Li Chunfeng was in no state to listen. He tore free of Cheng Ming's grip and instinctively ran toward the artificial stream outside the courtyard that connected to the rear garden's waterways, seemingly intending to circle around from there.
And at the very instant his foot landed on a stone slab beside the stream-
Splash-
A black figure shot out of the seemingly placid water without warning, spray flying all around him. A flash of cold light in his hand stabbed straight for Li Chunfeng's throat like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
The figure moved with extreme speed. Li Chunfeng had already been scared out of his wits by the succession of sudden upheavals, and his mind was a blank. How could he possibly react in time?
"You dare, villain!"
At that critical moment, Cheng Ming roared and lunged at the black figure.
He had spent most of his life in the Six Gates, and his skills were exceptionally solid. But everything had happened so suddenly that he didn't even have time to draw the saber at his waist. Armed with only his two old fists, he could only try to win Li Chunfeng a sliver of hope.
Yet the instant he crossed paths with the black figure, Cheng Zhiwei saw a flash of cold light, so fast it blurred.
Then she heard her grandfather give a muffled groan of pain. His whole body staggered backward, one hand clamped tightly over his neck as blood gushed madly between his fingers.
"Grandpa!"
Cheng Zhiwei let out a heart-rending scream, feeling as though the whole world had collapsed at that moment.
Li Chunfeng finally reacted too. With a ghostly howl, he turned to run.
But as soon as he turned, the ghostlike figure was already upon him, raising the short blade in his hand high without the slightest hesitation.
"Stop!"
Her eyes threatening to split, Cheng Zhiwei could not even spare a glance at her grandfather's wound. Instinctively, she raised the mechanical repeating crossbow she carried and aimed it at the black figure.
But the figure seemed not to have heard her fierce shout at all. Without hesitation, he brought the blade down!