Chapter 136: Reinforcements

On the green stone road of Yichuan County town.

An ox cart slowly walked in front, while six scholars carrying boxes followed slowly behind.

They were chatting and laughing, discussing tomorrow's literary gathering, discussing classics, histories, and collections, just like a group of real scholars.

At a certain moment, Chen Ji also felt somewhat suspicious and uncanny.

Sitting in the ox cart, he suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Wenzong, and asked in a low voice: "Elder brother, what are these people discussing?"

Chen Wenzong was somewhat flattered and quickly replied: "They are discussing this year's autumn examination's current affairs section. The topic is how to view border town trade. At that time, I discussed it from three angles."

Chen Ji didn't continue to listen, he only felt that he might truly be overly suspicious.

How could assassins understand these things?

However, before leaving the city, he suddenly shouted: "Stop the cart for a moment."

Jing Wang, wearing a straw hat, pulled the reins to stop the ox cart.

Chen Ji jumped down from the cart, "Everyone wait for me a bit."

Bai Li said curiously: "Did you leave something at the inn? I'll go with you to get it."

However, Chen Ji smiled and said: "I just passed a steamed bun shop and plan to treat everyone to steamed buns. How many do you all want to eat?"

The heir thought for a moment: "Four."

Bai Li laughed: "Two."

Chen Wenxiao stiffened his neck: "I'm not hungry. If I want to eat, I can go buy it myself."

Chen Ji asked everyone, and then ran all the way to the front of a steamed bun shop and shouted: "Shopkeeper, give me nineteen sauced meat steamed buns. Wrap them in a yellow paper bag."

The shopkeeper heard that a big business had come and quickly lifted the steamer lid, picking out the steamed buns from inside.

Chen Ji, while pretending to buy steamed buns, sized up those scholars with his peripheral vision.

He saw that those scholars did not continue to walk forward, paused slightly, and actually also came towards the steamed bun shop.

One of them smiled and said to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, give me fifteen sauced meat steamed buns."

Chen Ji's heart sank.

These people were indeed coming for them.

The other side stopping to buy steamed buns right after they did might not explain anything, but the person buying the steamed buns didn't ask others how many they wanted to eat. Then they decided on fifteen, which didn't make sense.

Moreover, the person buying the steamed buns also didn't mention how to pay for them!

Chen Ji's face remained normal as he got into the cart and distributed the steamed buns to everyone.

The ox cart went all the way west out of the county town.

A dirt official road wound through the woods. The tree leaves had already fallen, and the branches were bare.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of rotten leaves, forming a soft carpet. Gradually, there were no people around.

Chen Ji sat in the cart and silently turned his head to look at the official road ahead.

What exactly were these people here to do?

Were they investigating the peeping person from last night and killing them to silence them, or were they protecting Jing Wang?

Chen Ji thought carefully for a moment and felt it should be the latter.

After all, last night's storm had already passed. If that mysterious figure wearing ink jade truly wanted to kill to silence, they should have acted yesterday. Why would they drag it out until today?

Moreover, this cart had the heir, Bai Li, Master Wang, how would Jing Wang allow the other side to kill to silence?

Thinking of this, he felt a little relieved in his heart.

At this time, the ox cart entered the big mountain along the official road. Master Wang held a volume of books in his hand and lectured on the ox cart.

He calmly asked: "The 'Great Learning' says, 'To attain knowledge, investigate things; when things are investigated, knowledge is attained.' Here, what is the meaning of investigating things to attain knowledge?"

Chen Wenzong thought for a moment and said: "Master Zhu said, investigating things to attain knowledge is to exhaust heavenly principles, clarify human relationships, explain sage words, and understand events."

Master Wang casually leaned on the ox cart and smiled: "This is what Master Zhu said. Now I want you to say it yourselves. What is investigating things to attain knowledge?"

Chen Wenzong was a bit stumped.

Just as he was thinking of an answer, he heard a cat meow in the mountain forest. Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes wide.

He turned his head to Jing Wang's back and said: "Excuse me, please stop the cart for a moment."

Chen Wenxiao said impatiently: "What are you going to do again? Why are you so troublesome?"

Chen Ji covered his stomach and jumped down from the cart, "Sorry, my stomach hurts, I need to relieve myself."

He said, and then stepping on the rotten leaves on the ground, he ran into the forest. He ran several hundred steps before slowly stopping and softly calling: "Wu Yun?"

He saw Wu Yun carrying a blue cloth package and appearing on the treetop.

Chen Ji was surprised: "How did you come?"

Wu Yun lowered its head and bit open the rope knot of the cloth package. With a clang, a wooden box slid out of the package.

It squatted on the tree branch and opened its mouth, saying: "Master casually calculated a divination last night and said you might be in danger. Then he told me to come to this official road overnight to wait for you, and also brought your hidden fifteen ginseng roots."

Chen Ji's pupils contracted slightly.

These fifteen ginseng roots were gifted by the golden pig. Previously, Chen Ji had been wary of the golden pig's betting-like cultivation method, so he had never had the opportunity to use them.

Now, Old Yao Tou not only told Wu Yun to hurry overnight to warn him, but also brought these fifteen ginseng roots together.

This time, it was extremely dangerous.

Chen Ji looked towards the forest, "Did Master come?"

Wu Yun meowed: "Master said if you ask about this, let me reply on his behalf, what's it to him."

Chen Ji: ......

Master was indeed that uninterested Master ah.

Chen Ji asked again: "Then did Master say, with these fifteen ginseng roots, can I handle this danger?"

Wu Yun meowed: "I asked about this. Master said, it's touch and go."

Chen Ji: ......

He stood in the forest, closed his eyes, thinking about where the crisis came from and how to respond.

But he thought for a long time and found that the crisis could only come from that mysterious big figure from last night.

If that kind of figure really made a move, how could he, a small apprentice who hadn't even entered the innate realm, protect himself?

The next moment, he opened his eyes, picked up the wooden box from the ground, and opened it.

This chapter is not finished, middle...