55: Chapter 55 Breaking the Stalemate with the Smoke

The night was like ink, so thick it could not be dissolved.

Yun Song's gaze was fixed firmly on the flickering torch in Ye Rong's hand, a whisper spilling from his throat: "This is the key to breaking the deadlock."

He turned to look at Ye Rong, his tone calm and polite: "Miss Ye, please excuse me for a moment; I need to change my clothes."

Ye Rong was slightly taken aback, then turned and left efficiently.

Beside them, Ye Hua was full of confusion, his gaze locked on every move Yun Song made.

Before the words had even faded, Yun Song had already quickly stripped off Old Nine's clothes, his movements as agile as a leopard.

After dressing neatly, he lightly dusted off his hem and said clearly: "Miss Ye, you may come over now."

Immediately after, he carefully took a small bag of herbal powder from his pouch and naturally took the torch Ye Rong handed him.

"Where is the firewood stored in the manor?" Yun Song turned to ask Ye Hua.

Ye Hua understood and immediately led him to fetch the firewood.

Before leaving, Yun Song solemnly warned: "The two of you should find a safe place to wait and watch; do not come over until these people have fallen."

Having said that, Yun Song carried the firewood on his shoulder, deliberately using the wood to obscure his face.

The night was deep, but even so, he still held the torch out in front.

He allowed the flickering firelight to obscure his figure, walking step by step, steadily towards the figures sitting around the fire in the distance.

At this moment, the wind happened to be blowing towards that group of people.

When he was five zhang away, the bearded man glanced over casually and muttered: "Old Nine, you are usually quick when you go to relieve yourself; why are you so slow today?"

Yun Song remained silent and deliberately let go, allowing the firewood to slide down.

Two crisp "clang" sounds broke the silence of the snowy night as the wood hit the snow, scattering fine snowflakes.

"Yo! Old Nine, have you been drained by some lady, that you do not even have the strength to carry wood?" A roar of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Yun Song took the opportunity to bend down and firmly stick the torch into the snow, his fingers quietly untying the pouch with movements too fast to be noticed.

As soon as the herbal powder touched the flame, it immediately made a "sizzling" sound.

The orange-red flames greedily licked the powder, and in an instant, thin wisps of smoke rose, carrying a unique medicinal scent.

Tiny sparks danced in the smoke, and with the breeze, slowly drifted towards the dozen or so people.

Yun Song pretended to be nonchalant, bent down, and picked up the wood.

"What is this smell? Hey! So fragrant!" One person suddenly twitched his nose, full of confusion.

"Yeah, I have never smelled such a scent before."

Others echoed, their faces showing signs of intoxication.

Seeing that everyone was just smelling the scent but showed no signs of falling, Yun Song's heart tightened.

He looked around and immediately understood that this place was too open, making it difficult for the medicinal effect to concentrate.

While thinking, he steeled himself and poured all the remaining powder onto the torch.

"The fragrance is stronger!" one of them exclaimed.

The big man realized something was wrong, stood up, and shouted: "Old Nine! Why do you not come over?"

Before he could finish, his body swayed violently, his steps stumbled, and after struggling for two steps, he finally collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

Subsequently, the others also collapsed to the ground one after another. The surroundings were silent, with only the crackling sound of the burning torch echoing in the snowy night.

Ye Hua and his sister saw this scene from afar; both shocked and happy, they rushed over.

Ye Hua's eyes were full of admiration: "Brother Yun, what a brilliant tactic! I thought we were in for a bitter fight; I did not expect the herbal powder to be so effective!"

Yun Song smiled gently and waved his hand: "It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. Come, let us go take a look."

As he spoke, he pulled up the torch and walked quickly towards the people who had collapsed to the ground.

Looking at the figures strewn about, Yun Song's expression was solemn: "Do not relax yet; the hall inside is likely even more troublesome. These people... how should we deal with them?"

Ye Rong frowned slightly: "Why not tie them up and send them to the officials at dawn? It would be considered eliminating harm for the people."

Ye Hua, however, had a cold expression: "Tying people up is time-consuming; what if something changes on the way? It is better to end it once and for all."

Having said that, he drew his long sword and took a large step forward. A flash of cold light passed, and blood instantly stained the white snow red.