CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 145: FIRE DRAGON BARN BURNING_1

Deep into the night, when all was silent, the streets of the city center were almost deserted, save for a few drunkards collapsed on the ground, let alone this warehouse district.

The sheriff couldn’t be counted on, as they primarily served the affluent areas. So, under normal circumstances, caravans would arrange for guards to be on duty to prevent petty thefts.

But evidently, they were quite sleepy today...

Lance pinched out the Mesmerizing Fragrance in his hand. Looking at the guards, who slept like dead pigs, he had to admit the stuff was pretty effective, knocking someone out in a matter of seconds.

After picking up the warehouse key, he brazenly opened the door and walked in.

When the Candle was lit, the warehouse before him wasn’t a modern type. It was actually just a house, albeit one with no room divisions, only a few supporting beams, and even a second floor to maximize space for storing goods.

However, the situation was somewhat disappointing. The warehouse wasn’t full, only about half-stocked. It seemed recent business wasn’t good, as even Gene didn’t have much inventory.

But Lance didn’t waste time. He drew his Short Sword, slashed a sack open, and grains cascaded out. After verifying there were no issues, he began his operation.

His idea was simple: utilize the space of the Exhibition Room to transport the grain, then set the warehouse ablaze. Under the flames, everything would be buried.

Wherever he raised his hand, the grains he touched vanished bag by bag, but he still left some behind.

In ancient times, the Fire Dragon Barn Burning had its rules. It wasn’t about clearing everything out, but about using aged grain to mix with new grain and profiting from the price difference. As for the old grain, it would be burned. Only in this way would the leftover ashes not reveal problems when inspected by superiors.

This ancestral wisdom must not be lost!

The Gene Commercial Group didn’t only deal with grain. They also had beers brewed from wheat, smoked meat, and a range of other farm products.

And tonight, all of that became his.

Lance wasn’t the least bit tired. There was nothing more exhilarating than a massive, free shopping spree—unless it was on an even larger scale.

But suddenly, he paused, an excited expression crossing his face.

For beneath the layer of grain that had been moved, several wooden boxes came into view.

Opening one, he found it full of the Empire’s standard weapons. It’s clear Gene must be smuggling equipment from the city defense force through his brother-in-law, the Quartermaster General!

He sped up, unearthing several similar boxes from amidst the grain: Short Swords, Chain Mail, cotton clothing... What shocked him even more were two boxes of brand-new Long-barreled Flintlock Guns and barrels of gunpowder hidden among the beer kegs.

The weapons and equipment weren’t abundant; the few boxes could only equip about fifty men, a trifle compared to the thousands in the city defense force.

But gunpowder was a consumable and easier to produce than the equipment, so there were more than thirty barrels of it.

And these were precisely the supplies Lance was short on.

Lance hadn’t anticipated this fortunate surprise. The uncontrollable joy twisted his features.

All mine!

All mine!!!

...

BOOM!

The massive explosion startled the slumbering guards awake. In their daze, they could only see an orange glow before them. The heat prompted them to lick their lips subconsciously, murmuring as if half-asleep.

"Why is the Candle so big..."

BOOM!

Another loud bang. The shockwave, carrying the heat, knocked the guard to the ground. By the time he scrambled back to his feet, he realized what had happened. Staring at the warehouse engulfed in flames, his senses were completely overtaken by panic. It took him a couple of seconds before he could shout at the top of his lungs.

"It’s... It’s burning up!"

...

"Have you heard? There was a huge explosion at the dock warehouse last night."

"Who doesn’t know? I was sleeping soundly when suddenly a loud bang woke me right up."

"I heard about it too. It was the Gene Commercial Group’s warehouse, right? They sell grain, so how could an explosion happen?"

"Should we go take a look?"

"Let’s go, let’s go!"

In this dull era with little entertainment, any bit of news could become a topic of conversation, let alone an explosion like this one, which attracted many onlookers eager for gossip.

More and more people gathered around the warehouse, most of them local merchants, including Tiffany.

Her station was nearby. She had been woken by the explosion in the wee hours but hadn’t paid much attention until she heard there was trouble at a warehouse and hurried over.

In this era, fires were a serious hazard, easily spreading and engulfing everything. Her life-saving grain was in a warehouse nearby; she desperately hoped it wouldn’t be affected.

Fortunately, the warehouses were detached buildings, so the fire hadn’t spread. What surprised her, however, was that the afflicted warehouse belonged to the Gene Commercial Group.

By this time, the site was already burned to ruins. The large warehouse had collapsed, burying everything. Only traces of smoke could be seen rising above.

A large crowd encircled the area. Tiffany wasn’t clear about what had happened, but as she pushed her way through, she happened to find Lance among the onlookers.

Surprise flashed across her face. She had just brought him here yesterday, and today, Gene’s warehouse is in trouble!

To say this is unrelated... she doesn’t believe it for a second. But this isn’t a good time to ask. All she could do was walk up next to him.

At that moment, she saw him looking at the ruins and... laughing? He’s laughing?

And it wasn’t the kind of laughter that took joy in others’ misfortune, but rather a jubilation that came from within, giving off an indescribably eerie feeling in the midst of disaster.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Why can’t I laugh when I see a rival in trouble?"

Lance seemed to have noticed Tiffany’s approach early on and didn’t react much.

Just then, a carriage arrived, drawing everyone’s attention.

A portly man in flashy clothing struggled to alight from the carriage, followed by more than ten identically dressed Guards who trotted up behind him.

"Is that Gene?"

"That’s right," Tiffany replied, a hint of disgust in her voice. Just hearing his name seemed to make her feel nauseated.

Lance watched the portly man. His belly looks like he’s at least six months pregnant. And at his age—he must be forty-something, at least—he’s old enough to be her father. No wonder Tiffany’s so repulsed.

When Gene stepped down and saw his warehouse reduced to rubble, rage instantly consumed his reason. Toting his large belly, he hurried forward and began to furiously berate the Guard on duty.

"Why did it catch fire?"

"Why wasn’t it put out?"

"Why has this happened?"

The Guard fumbled for an excuse, but it only fueled Gene’s anger, and he resorted to beating the Guard in front of everyone.

The onlookers did not react strongly to this scene. Even Tiffany just frowned, her disgust aimed more at the portly man than the violence itself.