Chapter One Hundred and One: I Can Put Out the Fire!

“Yes, Brother Kaichen.”

The servants did not dare flare up. After answering, they hurried off to fetch water.

At the same time, when they looked at Ye Wushang, their eyes were full of resentment.

Xue Kaichen was already in a foul mood, and with this mess on top of it, Ye Wushang still had the nerve to come out spouting bold words.

Was he not deliberately rubbing salt in the wound?

“Pianruo, I came out in a hurry and brought nothing with me.”

“Could you lend me your hairpin for a moment?”

Ye Wushang leaned close to Huang Pianruo and spoke in a low voice.

“A hairpin?”

Huang Pianruo frowned, puzzled. “Wushang, what do you need a hairpin for?”

“Mr. Ye, you’re not still thinking of helping, are you?”

Xiaocui could not help but interject. “It’s only a few medicinal herbs that collided and caused a little spark.”

“That kind of thing is nothing unusual. It has happened many times before.”

“Senior Brother Xue is an expert in this sort of thing. With him here, there won’t be a problem...”

“Can you lend it to me?”

Ye Wushang ignored Xiaocui completely, keeping his eyes fixed on Huang Pianruo.

In his view, these few medicinal herbs were indeed nothing to fear.

What mattered was that this tray had long been used to hold other herbs, and over time it had absorbed a kind of spiritual vitality. That made it easy to trigger unexpected developments.

Water would not be a problem in itself, but timing mattered. In a situation like this, pouring water on it would only make the blaze worse.

Although the other party had a poor attitude and the Medicine King Valley was not especially welcoming to him, one should never forget the hand that fed one.

If not for Huang Pianruo’s master generously giving him top-grade Langya seeds without asking for anything in return, his cultivation could never have advanced this quickly.

He had received kindness and had to repay it.

He had to do something.

“Fine, take it.”

Huang Pianruo still did not really understand.

But with Ye Wushang, she held an inexplicable trust.

As long as he was certain of something, she would support him with all her strength.

Just as An Lan had done for him.

What An Lan could do, she could do as well.

With a soft sweep, the hairpin came free, and her long hair spilled over her shoulders.

Her fragrant tresses carried the scent of aged wine from a hidden cellar, heady enough to make one drunk.

She already possessed exquisite features; with that silky hair as well, she was a sight to delight the eye.

Even Ye Wushang fell briefly into a daze.

Xiaocui covered her mouth and laughed, teasing, “Well, Mr. Ye, is my young lady beautiful or not?”

“She’s even better than that Lan Ruoxue or An Lan, isn’t she?”

“Cough, cough.”

Ye Wushang coughed once, smiling awkwardly. After taking the hairpin, he said nothing more and snapped it apart piece by piece.

When medicinal herbs collided, they first sparked, and then the sparks turned into raging flames. Water alone would not do. To stop the fire, he needed the special material in that hairpin to keep colliding with the other herbs until everything was transformed into medicinal liquid. Only then could the problem be solved at its root.

A complete and utter reversal.

Soon, several servants brought over a few basins of water and, without another word, splashed them directly over the tray.

Xue Kaichen, meanwhile, turned away, intending to continue arranging other matters. He did not pay any attention to what was happening here.

But to everyone’s shock, the moment the water hit, it was as if it had become fuel. The flames roared up at once into a blazing inferno.

The tray was instantly scorched through. Burning fragments of the herbs flew everywhere, scattering in all directions and setting everything else alight.

“What, what is going on?”

“Such huge flames! Hurry, bring more water to put them out!”

“This thatched cottage is the valley master’s favorite. If it burns down, we’re all in serious trouble!”

“How can this be? It was only a small fire, and yet after pouring on water, it burned so fiercely.”

The servants were in a panic, their voices overlapping in confusion and fear.

“Stop everything!”

Seeing that the servants were about to rush off for more water again, Xue Kaichen barked at them sharply. The crowd froze in place, stunned and helpless.

At the same time, he turned to look at Ye Wushang, his expression shifting, full of uncertainty.

This young man...

Seemed to have some real ability.

How did he know that pouring water on it would only make things worse?

He knew these herbs inside and out, as well as their nature and properties.

By all reason, this should not have happened, yet Ye Wushang had called it exactly.

He knew very well what the thatched cottage meant to his master, and he truly wanted to ask the other man for help.

But he had already spoken so harshly earlier. If he now turned around and asked for help, he would lose face.

While he was caught in this dilemma, Ye Wushang, seeing through his thoughts, suddenly said, “Mr. Xue, may I handle the fire?”

“Ah, this...”

Xue Kaichen’s face burned red.

He was ashamed of himself. Not only had the other man not held a grudge, he had even taken the initiative to help.

It was not that he was too stubborn to know better; it was just that swallowing his pride at this moment was truly difficult.

“Senior Brother, let Wushang try,” Huang Pianruo said.

She knew that this senior brother had no bad intentions; he was simply worried about the master.

Besides, having grown up in the Medicine King Valley, he had deep feelings for this place.

Since water could not extinguish the fire and they did not want to disturb the master, Ye Wushang seemed to be the most suitable person.

“Wushang is quite capable. I believe that if he dares to say he can help, then he certainly can.”

“You’re my senior brother, and he’s my savior. We’re all family, so there’s no need for such awkwardness.”

Hearing this, Xue Kaichen felt even more ashamed.

After a brief silence, he nodded heavily. “Then I’ll trouble Mr. Ye.”

“Tell me what you need me to do. I’ll definitely...”

“No need.”

Before he could finish, Ye Wushang interrupted him and strode forward, tossing all the snapped hairpin pieces into the tray.

The material was special, but it needed a catalyst. For an ordinary person, that might have been as hard as reaching the heavens. For him, it was nothing more than sending a trace of inner force into it.

Crack, crack.

As the hairpin fragments fell in, spiritual energy took effect.

In the blink of an eye, the raging blaze began to dwindle.

Like flowers withering away, within a dozen seconds the fire was extinguished, and everything returned to calm.

“What happened? It was put out just like that?”

“How on earth did he do that? I didn’t even follow it.”

“That’s incredible. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this way of putting out a fire.”

“Looks like this kid really does have something.”

The servants burst into noisy discussion.

They had originally seen him standing with Huang Pianruo and assumed he was just a pretty boy, someone living off soft favor and coming here to get acquainted.

Especially when he had just bragged that he could help put out the fire, they had thought he was merely showing off.

But now the facts had proved it: even if he was showing off, he had the ability to back it up.

“Mr. Ye, you’re amazing.”

Xiaocui exclaimed, “I thought you were talking nonsense just now, but I never expected you to really put the fire out.”

“I’m sorry. I was disrespectful earlier, and I apologize to you here and now.”

As she spoke, she bent at the waist and lowered her head, being exceedingly respectful.

As for Xue Kaichen, the thing he admired most in this life was competence.

His master was one such person.

And Ye Wushang counted as another.

The key was that Ye Wushang had not held his earlier rudeness against him. Such breadth of mind only made Xue Kaichen seem petty by comparison.

He hurried forward and bowed. “Mr. Ye, I apologize. I’m sorry for my discourtesy just now.”

“You can scold me all you like. I absolutely will not talk back...”

“Senior Brother, you’re exaggerating,” Huang Pianruo said with a faint smile. “Wushang has a very generous heart. Being able to tolerate a thousand ships in his belly is tailor-made for him.”

“How could he possibly blame you?”

“I only hope that in the future, you won’t judge people by appearances and look down on them.”

“Wushang is far more capable than you think. Once you’ve known him longer, you’ll understand.”

Her admiration for Ye Wushang was growing stronger and stronger.

That admiration had become something complicated.

At first it had been respect, then reverence, and now it had become affection.

From childhood to now, she had never liked any man.

She did not even know what it felt like to like a man.

All she knew was that she wanted to be with him now, and even if they simply sat quietly together, she would feel utterly content.

Ring, ring, ring...

At that moment, a string of clear, pleasant chimes suddenly rang out from the bell by the doorway behind them.

At the sound, Xue Kaichen immediately grew as rigid as if a cold blade had touched his throat. He lowered himself even more and gestured respectfully toward the door. “Mr. Ye, please come in.”

“My master is waiting for you inside. Please, go quickly.”

“Your master?”

Ye Wushang frowned and glanced toward the cottage, asking in surprise, “Didn’t you say earlier that your master does not receive visitors?”

“How is this...”

“Wushang, there is something you don’t know.”

“That bell is my master’s summons for receiving guests.”

“If he does not wish to see someone, the bell stays as still as Mount Tai.”

“If he wants to see someone, it rings without stopping.”

“Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is a thatched cottage; there is hidden technology everywhere.”

“In the haystacks there are countless tiny cameras. Everything you just did, my master saw it all.”

“Clearly, he’s interested in you. That’s a good thing.”

After hearing Huang Pianruo’s explanation, Ye Wushang could not help but marvel inwardly.

This valley master was indeed unfathomable, with a mind as elusive as mist, impossible to grasp.

Still, since the invitation was so sincere, and one should never strike a smiling face, what reason was there to refuse?

“Thank you, Mr. Xue.”

Ye Wushang clasped his fist and followed Xue Kaichen straight into the cottage.