Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector
Chapter 26 - 24: Forcing a Breakthrough, Waiting for the Wind

Chapter 26: Chapter 24: Forcing a Breakthrough, Waiting for the Wind

Big Wine Vats was one of the most popular haunts for the common folk of the Capital City.

As its name suggested, the eatery’s main features were the large, coarse pottery vats half-buried in the ground.

Thick wooden planks covered the mouths of the vats, doubling as tabletops. Customers sat cross-legged on cattail cushions around them, drinking cheap wine ladled from the vats and eating dishes like smoked eggs and pork skin jelly, which cost only a few pennies a plate.

The clientele consisted of peddlers, porters, and laborers—all drawn by one thing: it was cheap.

Chen Ye hadn’t expected Wu Xiaorui to pick a place like this.

But on second thought, he understood her reasoning. She was probably worried he was short on cash and wanted to save him some money.

He didn’t say anything, simply finding an empty wine vat and sitting down without any fuss.

"Waiter, two catties of ’burning blade’ liquor, a plate of sliced pig’s head, and a dish of peanuts!" Wu Xiaorui called out. Her voice was crisp, full of the straightforward confidence of a child of the Martial World.

The food and drinks arrived quickly.

Despite Wu Xiaorui’s slender frame, her tolerance for alcohol was impressive. She downed cup after cup of the potent liquor without so much as a flush.

Chen Ye, having important business to attend to that night, only took a couple of light sips before setting his cup down.

A handsome young man and a lovely young woman sitting in a place reeking of sweat and cheap liquor—they were already a bit out of place.

The surrounding customers occasionally shot them curious, speculative glances, but Wu Xiaorui paid them no mind, eating with gusto, her spirits high.

She had traveled with an Opera Troupe from the South Sea to the Northern Lands since she was a child. What kind of scene hadn’t she witnessed? People of the Martial World weren’t ones for pointless formalities.

The two chatted about everything under the sun, mostly about strange and curious events from the Martial World.

As they talked, the conversation inevitably drifted to the most sensational figure in the Capital City at the moment.

"Hey, Chen Ye, do you think that Stepping Moon Hero will really go tonight?" Wu Xiaorui lowered her voice, her bright eyes shimmering with pure adoration and longing.

"Duke An’s Mansion is practically a Celestial Net of Heaven and Earth right now. All the city’s officials and Soldiers have their eyes on it. If he goes... that would be incredibly gutsy!"

Chen Ye picked up a piece of pork and popped it into his mouth, then mumbled, "Who knows."

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Wu Xiaorui pouted. "You’re no fun at all. Aren’t you even a little excited?"

Chen Ye just smiled and went back to his food.

By the time they finished their meal, the sky had grown completely dark.

Lanterns along the street lit up one by one, casting a hazy, warm glow over the Capital City’s night.

"I’ll walk you back," Chen Ye offered.

"No need." Wu Xiaorui waved her hand, her face flushed from the alcohol, giving her a girlish charm.

"I’ve been in the Capital City for so many years, I could walk around with my eyes closed and not get lost. Besides, I’m from the Colorful Character Sect. I’ll be fine."

Since she insisted, Chen Ye didn’t press the issue. The two of them parted ways at the street corner. Wu Xiaorui smiled, waved, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

For people of the Martial World, partings were as common as meetings. Chen Ye simply watched Wu Xiaorui go, then turned and ducked into a deserted alley nearby.

In a few quick movements, he scaled the eaves, staying out of sight of any pedestrians. He then moved swiftly across the sea of tightly packed rooftops, darting toward the safe house he had rented.

Wu Xiaorui’s visit had, by a strange coincidence, given him the perfect cover to slip away from the communal courtyard without arousing anyone’s suspicion.

Once he reached the small courtyard, Chen Ye packed everything he would need for the night. Then, he silently set off toward Duke An’s Mansion.

At this moment, Duke An’s Mansion looked less like a noble residence and more like a massive military fortress.

Guards were posted every few steps, sentries every few yards. Inside, anything that could burn was lit; torches and lanterns hung in every corner, leaving no space in shadow.

The area in front of the mansion gates was completely blockaded by Soldiers from the Military Patrol Station, strictly forbidding any unauthorized personnel from getting close.

Chen Ye stood in the shadows of a small building in the distance, observing quietly.

He discovered that the defensive layout of Duke An’s Mansion was watertight. Overt and hidden sentries coordinated with each other, and the patrol routes and timings were meticulously calculated, leaving almost no openings to exploit.

’Looks like an expert is pulling the strings.’

But this was to be expected. Chen Ye was in no hurry.

He was waiting.

Waiting for an opportunity.

It was late autumn and the end of the lunar month. The night sky was moonless and starless, nothing but an impenetrable, inky black.

A moment later, an autumn breeze swept past, rustling the hem of Chen Ye’s robes.

’Now!’

In the Capital City, the autumn night winds mostly blew from the northwest.

And Chen Ye, at this moment, happened to be upwind of Duke An’s Mansion.

From his satchel, he carefully removed several fist-sized clay jars, which were sealed airtight with oiled cloth and sealing wax.

Next, he took out two lengths of coarse hemp rope and a leather pouch, and with a few deft movements, fashioned a simple Stone-Throwing Rope.

The Capital City was under strict control. Crossbows and armor were prohibited contraband; being caught with them was a felony. In comparison, a Stone-Throwing Rope, which could be made from two pieces of rope and a pouch, was far simpler and easier to conceal.

He had spent considerable time practicing with it. While he still couldn’t claim pinpoint accuracy, he was more than capable of flinging the jars into the massive estate over a hundred paces away.

Chen Ye placed a sealed clay jar securely in the pouch, took a deep breath, and began to swing his arm. The Stone-Throwing Rope whirled above his head with a WHOOSHING sound.

One rotation, two, three...

At the peak of its velocity, he released his grip!

The clay jar became a black Meteor, streaking across the night sky and smashing precisely onto the magnificent gatehouse of Duke An’s Mansion.

CRASH!

The clay jar shattered on impact. The next moment, a ball of orange-red Flame exploded, instantly engulfing the ornately carved gatehouse.

Inside the jar was an incendiary powder Chen Ye had concocted himself from saltpeter, white phosphorus, and other materials!

This sudden attack threw the guards and soldiers on high alert below into utter chaos.

"Fire! Put it out, quickly!"

"An attack! Where is the attack coming from?"

However, before they could react, Chen Ye moved like lightning, sending several more Burning Bottles whistling toward them!

The fire rode the wind, and the wind fanned the flames!

Buildings in this era were all made of wood and stone. Once the incendiary powder touched the dry timber, it ignited in an instant.

Even though Duke Anguo and his men had prepared buckets of water and sand, it was futile.

In the blink of an eye, the front of Duke An’s Mansion had turned into a sea of fire.

The shouts of alarm and the cries to fight the fire devolved into a chaotic din.

But Chen Ye didn’t pause. Carrying the remaining jars, he moved through the darkness, swiftly changing his position.

Soon, the eastern courtyard wall, the western watchtower... all around Duke An’s Mansion, new fires erupted, shooting toward the sky.

The glow of the flames stained half the night sky red, and thick, billowing smoke choked everyone, making it impossible to open their eyes.

No matter how meticulously Li Jun and Cheng Zhiwei had planned, or how tightly they had arranged their defenses, neither had anticipated their opponent would shatter their strategy with such overwhelming, brute force.

The fire was about to spread to the entire street. It would become a raging inferno, and every single powerful court official living on this block would be caught in it. None would escape.

"The fire! Get over there and put out the damn fire!" Li Jun ordered, utterly frantic.

All the servants and guards, even the expert masters who had been assigned to protect Li Chunfeng, had no choice but to grab buckets and rush toward the flames.

Before the towering flames, their once-impenetrable defensive formation instantly fell apart.

Amid the chaos, Cheng Zhiwei was frantic with worry.

She knew with absolute certainty that this was the Stepping Moon Thief’s ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain.

While everyone was desperately occupied, he would surely use the chaos to slip into the mansion.

’But the question is... where will he get in?’

The air was filled with a deafening uproar and the rush of panicked people. Cheng Zhiwei forced herself to remain calm, her mind racing as she tried to find a single flaw in the chaos.

Just then, a servant—his clothes burned to rags, his face blackened by soot, his hair a mess—ran into the mansion, carrying a water bucket.

At that moment, everyone was busy fighting the fire. No one paid him any mind.

Soon, this servant disappeared into Duke An’s Mansion.