Shadow was the second-ranked master of Lyndaria's Brocade Guard. As long as their top boss, Harold Han, didn't show up, Ninth Royal Uncle (Nolan Dongling) had nothing to fear—especially now that he had the gun Serena Feng gave him. With that, he easily swept through the attackers, leaving no survivors.
After finishing off the Brocade Guard, Ninth Royal Uncle immediately turned back toward the hut, ready to get Serena out. But just then, another wave of black-clad men rushed him. These newcomers were dripping wet—and as they got close, he could smell the stench of lamp oil on them.
Ninth Royal Uncle instantly knew what they were about to do and fired at them. But he was still a step too late. Before the black-clad men even got within shooting range, they set themselves on fire. With a bloodcurdling scream, a human fireball came barreling straight at him.
He quickly retreated, doing everything possible not to get touched. These men were the Brocade Guard's exclusive Hellfire Corps—utterly fearless of death. The moment they left Brocade Guard headquarters, their fate was sealed. Their only mission: die in a way that caused maximum damage.
Sizzle... crackle. The burning men shrank, but the flames only grew. Nolan couldn't fight them head-on—he had to dodge, kicking a fire-wreathed attacker aside as he moved.
He had to admit, the Brocade Guard's ruthlessness was impressive. To catch him, they were actually willing to send this many Hellfire Corps operatives.
One after another, the Brocade Guard kept sending them in. It didn't matter that they hadn't hurt Nolan yet—their sacrifices only grew more frequent. The howls of the dying were so piercing, villagers in the distant hamlet didn't even dare step outside.
Inside the hut, Serena heard the screams and saw the flashes of fire. She could pretty much guess what was happening. She'd seen plenty of suicide bombers and human explosives in modern terror attacks, but she never expected the Brocade Guard to use such tactics. It sent a chill straight through her.
While Nolan was outside, Serena injected herself with a stimulant to make sure she could still defend herself. The drug kicked in fast. She got out of bed and started for the door.
They were using living people as bombs. There was no way this little thatched hut would survive. If she stayed inside, she might just get burned alive.
Serena's instincts were right, but she was still a step too late. Just as she reached the doorway, two burning men broke through Nolan's defense and charged the hut, blocking her exit.
Boom—
The hut was all grass and wood, and it hadn't rained in days. The moment fire touched it, flames roared up, forcing Serena to retreat inside.
Cough, cough... Serena, cradling her injured hand, stumbled back onto the bed. She watched the two at the door—surrounded by flames, shrieking in agony, running wild as they burned. For a moment, she almost pitied them.
Just a bunch of poor souls, forced to make these pointless sacrifices for some big shot's order. It really wasn't worth it.
The little hut caught fire fast, flames spreading everywhere. As more burning men broke through, Nolan's control slipped. Two more firebombs reached the hut, cutting off Serena's last escape.
Serena let out a bitter laugh. She wasn't hopeless or angry—this wasn't her first time trapped in a sea of fire. She'd gotten used to it.
First it was Feng Manor, then a Prefect's estate, and now this tiny hut. She really did seem cursed to attract fires wherever she went.
She made a mental note to ask Vincent Su for some craftsmen later. Maybe they could fire up a kiln for bricks and cement—she was done with these flammable wooden houses that could kill you in a flash.
Serena grabbed the quilt and staggered toward the kitchen. She remembered there was still a barrel of water there—if she soaked the quilt and wrapped herself in it, maybe she could smash her way out.
Wooden houses do have one advantage—they break easily. If this were a concrete building, smashing her way out would be hopeless, even if it killed her.
Her hand was injured, and as a doctor, Serena really didn't want to hurt it again. Awkwardly, she used just one hand to shove the quilt into the barrel and soak it through.
Getting the quilt wet was easy. Hauling it out, though, was another story. A soaked quilt was seriously heavy.
Cough, cough...
The fire was raging now. Serena's face was flushed red, and the thick smoke made it impossible to straighten up. She knew she couldn't hesitate any longer. Even if she ended up crippled like Tianyu Xiling, she was determined to get out alive.
Ignoring her injured hand, Serena reached for the quilt in the barrel. But just then—a loud crash sounded at her side. She looked up through the flames and saw Nolan charging straight toward her.
"Nolan?"
"Serena, hang on—I'm coming!" Nolan's clothes were on fire, and he'd been burned in several places. His back was a mass of pain, but he didn't care. All that mattered was getting Serena out.
"Okay, I'll wait for you." Serena knew she was safe now. She really didn't want to ruin her hand, so she leaned against the barrel and waited for Nolan to reach her.
Nolan braved the heat inside the burning hut and rushed to Serena. He was about to scoop her up when she stopped him: "Wrap us both in the quilt first."
Otherwise, they'd get burned badly charging out—and Nolan was already scorched in several places.
Yeah.
Nolan didn't ask why. He just grabbed the quilt and wrapped Serena up, then lifted her into his arms.
"Wait—" Serena was stunned. She hadn't expected Nolan to wrap the whole quilt around her. What about him?
"No time—let's talk outside."
There really was no time. The hut was about to collapse. If they didn't get out now, they'd be buried in the flames.
A wall of fire stood before them, but Nolan didn't hesitate. He charged through, carrying Serena out of the inferno.
Boom—
The moment they burst out, the little hut collapsed behind them, swallowed by flames without a trace. Nolan was deeply grateful the hut was small—otherwise, they'd never have made it out.
As soon as they escaped the fire, Nolan rolled on the ground with Serena, smothering the flames on his clothes. He kept rolling, spotting someone nearby and not daring to stop, tumbling further away until he hit a dead end. Just as he stopped, he found a cold blade aimed right at him.
Hmph—Nolan didn't give the enemy a chance to speak. He raised his pistol and shot the man straight through the forehead.
Idiots. Even now, they still thought they could take him alive.
Bang! The man only managed to say, "East..." before collapsing to the ground.
Nolan didn't even bother looking at the body. He tossed away the quilt from Serena, scooped her up, and asked, "Can you hold on?"
"I won't die," Serena replied with a weak smile.
All the assassins so far hadn't killed her, but now, in Lyndaria, the Brocade Guard was really doing a number on her.
"Good. Let's go." As long as she was alive, nothing else mattered.
Nolan carried Serena straight toward Zane Shore's temporary residence.
Zane Shore wasn't like most assassins, hiding in the shadows for life. But as a killer, he hated crowds and always lived somewhere remote—even in Eastlyn, his place was off the beaten path, not far from Nolan's hut.
Zane never bothered to hide his address or worry about enemies showing up. But he never imagined that one day, Nolan would come to him carrying what looked like Serena's corpse...