Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 499

Chapter 499: Chapter 496: Working tirelessly into the night_1

Bai Qingxuan opened his mouth and babbled, his voice as hoarse and unpleasant as a crow’s caw, making it hard to discern his words.

Wang Xiangshen, irked by his son’s favorite indulgences, grabbed his son’s arm and stepped out of the house, ordering the steward: "Deal with it quickly! Leave no traces!"

Bai Qingxuan’s babbling grew louder, his hoarse and sharp voice akin to a cat’s claws scraping a porcelain fish tank, making it extremely unpleasant to hear.

As the Wang family prepared to strangle those children and throw them into the dry well, a thunderous gong suddenly resounded from Jiuqu Alley.

Before the shouts outside the courtyard reached them, the servants and maids inside began screaming.

"Something’s wrong! There’s a fire! There’s a fire!"

Thick, black smoke continuously billowed upwards from the Wang family’s backyard. The shouts of "fire" in Jiuqu Alley grew louder and louder, almost fueling the flames. The fire blazed higher, and the Wang family’s backyard was soon engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

The Wang family’s maids and servants covered their mouths and noses with damp cloths and hurriedly supported the matriarch and their masters out of the Chuihua gate, rushing outside.

The servants carrying buckets of water found the hotter it got the closer they went, with the unbearable heatwaves carrying a strong smell of burning oil. It was clear someone had set the fire deliberately.

The flames, driven by the wind, rushed towards the Chuihua gate, devouring courtyard after courtyard with their claw-like tongues. The intricately decorated long corridors were quickly blackened by the thick smoke; the plants in the Wang residence curled up from the heat, and the tall trees turned black.

A servant splashed a bucket of water, causing the flames to retreat briefly before roaring back even higher. The fierce tongues of fire danced violently, with blue base flames steadily eating away at the wooden pillars and eaves.

"Master! Someone set the fire! The whole place smells of burning oil!"

Seeing the fire in the Wang residence growing fiercer, the neighbors sent their own guards and servants to help extinguish the fire. If they couldn’t put out the fire in the Wang residence, it would spread to their homes.

"Save the people! Save them first! There are people in the backyard... It’s a group of children! Hurry!" someone shouted.

Wang Xiangshen’s face changed dramatically, unable to say a word of refusal.

With so many people crowding Jiuqu Alley, intent on saving people and putting out the fire, he couldn’t very well stop them.

But if the people were saved, the truth would come out.

"Oh no! The children!" someone in the crowd exclaimed. "This is about the missing children! That couple who struck the drum at the capital filed a complaint against the Wang family in Jiuqu Alley and King Liang, accusing them of using children for alchemy, stealing many kids!"

"If those are the children, it’s good they’re still alive. At least their parents will have some hope!"

"Hurry, save them!"

Seeing that Wang Xiangshen was lost in thought, staring fixatedly at the gate, the chief wife turned to a maid and ordered someone to report to the authorities. _{frёeωebɳovel.com}