TNIBFT -Chapter 100 The Ironclad General’s Fury

Seeing that no one paid him any attention, the three young masters were all focused on the old master.

Yuan Heipang awkwardly shut his mouth, feeling as if a cat were clawing at his heart. He had nearly been beaten to death trying to save Ye Tian, and almost burned alive in the fire. Yet after doing so much, Ye Tian hadn’t even seen it.

Sigh!

As long as Ye Tian was still alive, there was still hope for him to become the shop manager!

Gritting his teeth, Yuan Heipang supported Ye Tian and rushed outside.

Outside the hotpot shop, everything was reduced to ruins—collapsed walls and lingering smoke filled the air.

Countless townsfolk had spontaneously gathered to fight the fire. When they saw someone emerge from the burned-down shop, many kind-hearted people quickly surrounded them.

“It really is Ye Tian!”

“If Ye Tian had died, these three children would be finished. Heaven truly has eyes!”

“Looks like he’s badly injured—quick, call a physician!”

The crowd chattered anxiously.

Several city guards exchanged glances before stepping forward, surrounding Ye Tian and the three children. One of them said, “Ye Tian cannot be taken away. We suspect him of harboring a fugitive.”

After speaking, the guards drew their blades.

Yuan Heipang shrank back, not daring to say a word.

Ye Shuangxue stepped forward, spreading her arms to shield Ye Tian and Ye Yunting behind her. Her eyes were cold as she stared at the guards, fists clenched, saying nothing.

The atmosphere grew tense.

A fight seemed ready to break out at any moment.

The guards were still waiting for reinforcements from the City Lord’s residence. The child before them radiated a fierce aura—if she made a move, blood would surely be spilled. No one dared act rashly.

“You’ve got some nerve!”

Xiao Xun’er pushed through the crowd at once and stood beside Ye Tian. Her pretty face was cold and domineering as she glared at the guards.

“Who gave you the authority to arrest Ye Tian?”

“If you don’t get lost right now, I’ll take your lives!”

Her presence fully unleashed, Xiao Xun’er drew a whip from her waist and cracked it sharply. The black whip, over a meter long, hissed through the air like a serpent.

The guards were so frightened they collapsed to the ground.

“Let’s go!”

Supporting Ye Tian’s left arm, Xiao Xun’er led the three children away.

The guards lowered their heads, none daring to stop them.

They had passed this crisis.

The three children all let out sighs of relief.

Looking at the unconscious Ye Tian—his body covered in severe burns, wounds festering with torn flesh and dirty blood—Xiao Jiang couldn’t hold back his tears.

“Sister Xiao… m-my dad… will he die?”

Before he could finish, his small shoulders trembled uncontrollably. His little hand clutched Ye Tian’s clothes, afraid that if he let go, he would never find his father again.

Xiao Xun’er’s heart skipped a beat.

A surge of sorrow rose within her. She had always stood high above others, never letting anyone or anything truly concern her. She had always been indifferent.

If she hadn’t taken the children out riding, perhaps Ye Tian would have already left. Guilt and self-blame spread through her heart.

Looking at Ye Tian’s back—his cotton clothes burned away, exposing large patches of flesh—the wounds were horrifying. With injuries this severe, whether he could survive would depend on fate.

Xiao Xun’er steadied her emotions and looked at the children.

“He won’t die!”

“As long as we find the best physician, Ye Tian can definitely be saved.”

At the mention of a physician, her eyes suddenly lit up. She turned excitedly to Ye Yunting.

“Take Ye Tian to the nearest inn. I’ll go find Jiang Huichun—he’s the best physician in Sifang City. Ye Tian will be fine.”

She turned her head to look at the unconscious Ye Tian.

At this moment, he was unusually quiet. From the side, his nose bridge was sharp, his jawline well-defined. His face was pale, but it had to be said—upon closer look, Ye Tian was quite handsome, especially when he wasn’t talking.

Sensing a probing gaze beside her, Xiao Xun’er calmly turned to look.

A dark, overweight, greasy-looking man was staring at her guiltily.

Her temper instantly flared.

“Take good care of them! If anything happens to anyone, I’ll be the first to cut you down!”

Yuan Heipang: …

Yuan Heipang stood there, completely dumbfounded as he processed what had just happened.

He hurriedly nodded. “Y-yes, yes, yes!”

Then, not daring to lift his head, he helped Ye Tian along in search of an inn.

At that moment, outside the hotpot restaurant—

Shen Jie looked utterly disheveled. His gray-white cotton robe resembled a filthy rag, patched with soot—black in some places, white in others.

More than a hundred mansion guards, clad in uniform cloth armor, stood in neat formation surrounding the restaurant.

The surrounding townspeople didn’t dare speak loudly. One by one, they watched in awe, stealing glances at the Ironclad General, Ji Zhengping.

Ji Zhengping narrowed his eyes as he looked at the charred, ruined shop before him. Turning his head toward Shen Jie, he said coldly, “You’re saying Ye Tian dragged Shaobai into the shop?”

“You saw it with your own eyes?”

His face remained expressionless, his gaze icy.

Shen Jie, feeling guilty, trembled all over. Gritting his teeth, he pointed at a patch of ruins behind him. “The last time I saw Shaobai, it was right there. Ye Tian was pulling him—Shaobai was struck by a beam. Shaobai, he…”

“He…”

“He died so miserably… He told me I must kill Ye Tian and avenge him!”

Shen Jie’s face was filled with grief.

Ji Zhengping’s eyes flickered. He doubted the truth of Shen Jie’s words.

He knew his own son well. Ye Tian was just a lowly commoner—Shaobai, arrogant as he was, would never have any real dealings with someone like him.

But looking at the smoking ruins, Ji Zhengping didn’t dare take the risk. He turned to his men and ordered, “Go in and dig.”

“Leave no spot unchecked!”

“Yes, General!”

Over a hundred voices roared in unison, deafening.

Ji Zhengping squinted at the dark sky in the distance. The heavens were pitch-black, the bright moon hanging high above. A sense of unease gripped his heart.

He didn’t believe Shen Jie’s words—but he had searched everywhere his son usually went, even their home, and found nothing. Yet he still refused to believe his son was dead.

He had survived countless battles, escaping death time and again. He refused to believe life could be so fragile.

Just one fire…

A mere commoner…

Could take the life of his son, Ji Zhengping?

Ye Tian wasn’t worthy!

Less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick passed—

“General! General Ji! Th-this… there’s someone here…”

Several guards stammered, not even daring to step forward.

Countless torches lit up the scene, their flickering orange flames dancing like demons. No one dared look at the Ironclad General’s face.

When Ji Zhengping saw the charred, unrecognizable figure before him, his entire body turned cold, as if his blood had frozen.

Then he spotted a shattered jade pendant nearby.

At that moment, he could no longer hold back. His whole body trembled as he roared like a furious lion:

“Ye Tian!!!”

“I will cut you into a thousand pieces!”

“A thousand pieces!!”

His furious roar pierced the sky. Everyone present lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly. Only Shen Jie, unnoticed, let the corners of his lips curl upward.

…

Meanwhile, in Sifang City, inside Yue Lai Inn—

The three children knelt beside Ye Tian’s bed.

Ye Yunting held a piece of white cotton cloth, gently wiping Ye Tian’s forehead and hands with utmost care.

Ye Shuangxue lay across Ye Tian’s feet, silently watching his unconscious form. The little girl didn’t say a word.

Xiao Jiang held Ye Tian’s hand, his small mouth chattering nonstop: “Dad, do you want some water?”

“Dad, should I make you some sugar water?”

“Dad… are you asleep?”

As he spoke, Xiao Jiang could no longer hold back his tears. He cried while talking, afraid that if Ye Tian fell asleep, he would leave him behind forever.

Afraid… that he would never wake up again.

“Has Physician Jiang arrived yet?”