Chapter 139: Mighty

Chen Ji stepped on the withered yellow leaves in the mountain forest, simultaneously navigating and swinging his knife to clear branches and bushes for the three people behind him.

In winter, soaked clothes cling to the body like leeches, gradually sucking the life out of you.

But Chen Ji and the others couldn't stop to dry their clothes; they could only keep running for their lives.

He recalled the look on the official's face on the Wu Peng boat. The official didn't panic when he saw them escape to shore, as if he believed they were already on their last legs, with no room to maneuver.

But what was on the opposite bank of the river?

Perhaps this wasn't a desolate wilderness after all?

Just then, Zhang Xia, following behind him, suddenly asked, "Chen Ji, who exactly are you?"

Chen Ji answered without looking back, "A medical hall apprentice."

Zhang Xia was full of doubt, "Can a medical hall apprentice sink a ship?"

Chen Ji chopped at a blocking Big Leaf Wintergreen and explained casually, "That ship was old to begin with. Just two casual hacks and it opened up."

Zhang Xia glanced at Chen Ji's back, then at Bai Li, "You didn't want to ask him anything just now?"

Bai Li shook her head.

Zhang Xia was surprised, "You and the Prince already knew each other, didn't you? That's why neither of you was surprised."

Bai Li nodded, giving a soft "Mm" sound.

Zhang Xia fell silent.

After a long pause, she said cheerfully, "Sorry, I still said too much earlier, advising you to improve. Now I feel you're at least much stronger than your two older brothers. If you want to scold me, just scold. I won't talk back."

Chen Ji smiled, "Why would I scold you?"

Zhang Xia said seriously, "Thank you. Thank you for saving us."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Actually, you didn't have to jump into the river. Those assassins weren't after you. Even if you didn't escape, they wouldn't have laid a hand on you. I guess their original plan was to keep everything quiet. But when they saw the Prince, they changed their minds."

Bai Li asked doubtfully, "Why would they change their minds?"

Chen Ji replied, "Because they need the Prince alive."

Bai Li asked, "Chen Ji, have you guessed the identity of the mastermind?"

Chen Ji didn't answer.

Who would need the Prince alive?

Rebels.

Rebels need the imperial family bloodline as a banner. If Jing Wang died, they would lack a just cause.

Just at this moment, the sound of dense horse hooves suddenly rang out in the distance. Chen Ji quickly pulled everyone down to squat in the bushes. He quietly observed the dirt road outside the mountain forest.

A moment later, dozens of cavalrymen dressed as bandits galloped past on the dirt road.

After the cavalry passed, several hundred people wearing leather armor and leading hunting dogs followed.

Chen Ji's heart sank. Why were there so many bandits here?

Not bandits.

Bai Li approached and asked, "Chen Ji, are these the bandits from Long Wang Cun?"

"No."

Chen Ji said solemnly, "Disaster victims turned bandits only have kitchen knives, hoes, and rakes as weapons. How could they have organized cavalry and leather armor? The disaster victims in Long Wang Cun have already been killed by them. These people are private soldiers raised by officials and nobles."

Bai Li and the Prince exchanged glances, both showing shock in their eyes.

This group of private soldiers was clearly searching for them. So, whoever raised this group of private soldiers was the one who wanted to kill them.

This place was only a little over fifty *li* from Luo City, still within the jurisdiction of Luo City's nine counties. Only two people had the ability to raise private soldiers here. One was Liu Gun, and the other was Jing Wang.

The Prince said with difficulty, "It's definitely not my father who wants to kill us. He's not that kind of person."

Bai Li was about to defend her father, but she saw Chen Ji nod, "I also don't think it's Jing Wang."

The two were startled.

Chen Ji continued, "With the Prince's methods, if he wanted to kill us, why would he give us a chance to live? It's precisely because the other side didn't know the Prince was with us that we're still alive now."

So, this time, the only ones who wanted to kill them were from the Liu family.

"Let's go quickly."

Chen Ji stood up. "They are searching from the riverbank. If they have hunting dogs, they might catch up very soon."

Chen Ji turned back and suddenly saw Bai Li's cheeks were red, as if she were drunk. When she stood up, she swayed and almost fell.

Chen Ji looked at the Prince, "Prince, touch the County Lord's forehead."

Bai Li raised her hand to block, "I'm fine. No need to worry about me."

The Prince pressed down her arm, reached out and felt her forehead, "She's hot."

Fever.

Everyone had endured the cold wind in the ox cart all day yesterday. Today, they had been soaked in the ice-cold river water for half a day and still had to run for their lives in wet clothes.

It was only a matter of time before the Prince and Zhang Xia also got sick.

While they were pondering, dog barking sounds came from the distance.

Chen Ji looked at the color of the sky, "We can't wait. We have to keep walking now. County Lord, please forgive me!"

Saying that, he picked up Bai Li and carried her on his back, turning and running madly towards the southwest.

That was the territory of Luhun Shan Zhuang, which was a separate courtyard of the Lao Jun Shan Taoist temple at the foot of the mountain.

Bai Li's head drooped weakly on Chen Ji's shoulder, and she asked softly, "Chen Ji, are we going to die here?"

Chen Ji said firmly, "No."

"Mm!"

The girl slowly closed her eyes, leaning on his shoulder at ease and panting slightly, "Chen Ji!"

"Mm?"

Chen Ji turned his head, his cheek slightly tickled by Bai Li's hair. When he wanted to ask Bai Li why she called him, the other party was already asleep.

In the mountain forest.

More than ten soldiers wearing bandit clothes, with cold and stern faces, led hunting dogs in pursuit.

The hunting dogs quickly found the place where Chen Ji had chopped off the bushes.

They turned back and made a hand signal to those behind them: Found.

On the other side, Chen Ji heard the dog barking getting closer and closer, seemingly only a few hundred steps away.

The dog barking sounded like a催命符, making people feel annoyed and flustered.

The next moment, the dog barking suddenly disappeared.

Just like a bothersome summer cicada sound suddenly vanished.

Even the world felt a little refreshed.

But Chen Ji's heart sank. The hunting dogs suddenly stopped barking for only one reason: the hunters had loosened the hunting dogs' leashes, and the hunting dogs were flying towards their prey with all their might.

Can't run away.

Once a hunting dog recognizes its prey, it will never give up until it bites it.

Chen Ji suddenly turned his head to look at the Prince, "Prince, you carry the County Lord and run. I'll stay and block those hunting dogs. If we don't kill these hunting dogs, we'll never be able to run away."

Zhang Xia was startled, "You..."

The Prince took a deep breath, "You carry my sister and run. I'll stay and deal with these people. You run fast. I can't run far even if I try. Chen Ji, bring my sister back alive."

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "Don't be pretentious anymore. At this time, I don't have time to talk nonsense with you. Carry Bai Li and run quickly..."

Before he finished speaking, he heard a hunting dog whimpering sound suddenly come from the mountain forest.

One sound, two sounds, three sounds.

The whimpering of the hunting dogs was endless, especially shrill.

Chen Ji suddenly turned back. Was someone killing the hunting dogs?

Could it be that Jin Zhu had already arrived?

To rush from Luo City, even with a fast horse and whip, it would still be after sunset. It was impossible for Jin Zhu to arrive this fast.

Just as Chen Ji was in doubt, a group of black blurry shadows flashed past from the forest in front.

A hunting dog was coming with all its might, but it was caught off guard by this group of black shadows. It rolled up its claws and swatted it on the head with a punch. It was hit so hard that it flipped a somersault.

This punch was extremely ferocious. The hunting dog fell to the ground, its limbs twitching. It was clear it wouldn't live.

Wu Yun?

So ferocious.

Zhang Xia asked in surprised uncertainty, "What was that black shadow that flashed past just now?"

Chen Ji carried Bai Li, turned his body and continued to escape towards the southwest, "I didn't see clearly either. Don't worry about what it is, escaping is more important."

Half an incense stick later, several soldiers rushed to the place where the hunting dogs died.

One soldier squatted down, picked up the hunting dog's back neck skin, and carefully observed the hunting dog's death shape.

He first lifted the hunting dog's eyelid to check and saw that the inside was full of red blood vessels.

He then touched the hunting dog's head. There was a fracture mark on the skull.

"One strike kill!"

The soldiers looked at each other.

Good hunting dogs all have copper heads, iron bones, and tofu waists. Only the waist is a weak point.

Even if the head is hit by a firearm, it may not die.

But now, someone actually hit the hunting dog's head with one palm, literally killing the hunting dog.

One soldier said gravely, "An expert."

As soon as the words fell, a rustling sound came from the southeastern direction and gradually moved away.

The soldiers immediately drew their waist knives, "Chase."

Chen Ji led the Prince and Zhang Xia through the mountain forest to avoid being chased and surrounded by the cavalry.

They escaped from noon until sunset, until they climbed over a small hill, and their view suddenly opened up.

They only saw a small unknown town nestled in the mountain valley below the hill.

In the middle of the small town, sturdy men were pushing wheelbarrows back and forth on the dirt road street.

The street was paved with coal slag, thick and black like ink.

Beside the street, chimneys rose from workshops. Rolling thick smoke was emitted from inside.

Outside the workshops, several hundred *zhang* of civilian houses extended. These houses were probably enough to house over a thousand households.

Chen Ji immediately crouched down, "What town is this?"

The Prince was doubtful, "I haven't heard of a small town here. I remember there were only four small towns on the road to Luhun Shan Zhuang, definitely not including this one. What are these people doing?"

Chen Ji looked at the towering furnaces and said solemnly, "Smelting iron."

No wonder there were organized private infantry and cavalry here. It turned out someone was secretly smelting iron in this place.

This was a capital crime.

"What do we do now?"

The Prince asked.

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "Enter the small town."

The Prince was shocked, "Isn't this walking into a trap?"

Chen Ji said, "We have to go in and change into clean clothes. Otherwise, the County Lord won't be able to bear it."

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