Chapter 160: A Deal

The cold quiet of Taiping Yiguan suddenly grew noisy. Jing Wang was like a vortex, sweeping up old rotten leaves and dead branches, pulling visible and invisible rights and wrongs towards this place.

Yun Fei led the strong servants who were scattered throughout the courtyard, glaring menacingly, making the courtyard seem somewhat crowded. Behind Yun Fei, the strong servants contemptuously sized up this dilapidated small courtyard: the accumulated snow hadn't been swept clean, there was still moss in the cracks of the blue bricks, a large water jar in the corner was missing a small corner, and the bamboo broom leaning against the wall was bald! Only the apricot tree in the courtyard, wrapped in red silk cloth, looked a bit better.

A strong servant reached out to touch the red cloth strip on the tree branch but was grabbed by the wrist by Liang Mao’er, who said in a muffled voice, "Don't touch it." The strong servant struggled several times before pulling his arm back, muttering in a low voice, "Who cares about it anyway."

At this time, Xi Bing was leaning sideways, wildly signaling Chen Ji from behind Yun Fei, telling him to quickly retreat. However, Chen Ji did not retreat; he only propped up his whale knife. "Madam Yun Fei, stop. You can't go in now."

Yun Fei looked at him expressionlessly. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Reporting to Madam, I know what I'm doing. My master is currently performing acupuncture for Wang Ye, and he cannot be distracted in the slightest. This matter concerns Wang Ye's life, and I hope Madam understands."

Yun Fei sneered, "How do I know if you are all plotting to harm Wang Ye's life? Move aside!" As she spoke, she walked directly towards the room inside as if no one else was there, completely ignoring the Chen Ji in front of her. Yun Fei was much more domineering than Jing Fei. With every step she took, Chen Ji had to retreat one step.

Just as Chen Ji was about to be forced into the room, he said in a low voice, "Madam, I have some well-intentioned advice, but I don't know if you are willing to listen!"

Yun Fei slowly stood still, only one step away from Chen Ji. She waved her robe sleeve, ordering the strong servants to retreat several steps, then stared at Chen Ji and asked in a low voice, "In what identity are you speaking to me? A medical hall apprentice, or a Jing Dynasty spy!?"

Chen Ji said, "Madam doesn't need to care about my identity; you can judge for yourself if my advice is useful!"

Yun Fei slightly lifted her chin. "Say it, let's hear."

Chen Ji chose his words carefully, then lowered his voice to say, "On the way back with the County Princess, Wang Ye once encountered a man with a Buddha tattooed on his wrist. Wang Ye didn't pay attention at first, but later the Shizi told Wang Ye that this person had visited Baili multiple times. Wang Ye's expression then changed for the worse."

Yun Fei remained expressionless. "What does this matter have to do with me? Don't make up nonsense to delay me!"

Chen Ji said seriously, "If this matter hadn't happened, I absolutely couldn't make it up. If Madam knows this person, you should quickly notify him to leave Luocheng. Otherwise, when Wang Ye wakes up, he will probably search the entire city for him. By then, he won't be able to escape."

Yun Fei's face changed slightly. Chen Ji knew he had guessed correctly. That man indeed had a secret connection with Yun Fei. But even though he guessed correctly, he couldn't be happy, because Yun Fei's reaction confirmed his guess, leading to the worst possible outcome. That was the truth the County Princess was unwilling to bear.

Yun Fei frowned slightly. "How do I know if your words are true or false?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "If Madam doesn't believe me, you can go ask the Shizi, or ask Wang Ye."

Yun Fei remained silent and expressionless. The next moment, she flung up her robe sleeve and turned to leave. After walking two steps, Yun Fei suddenly turned back and asked, "How is Wang Ye's health?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "My master just told Jing Fei that Wang Ye has at most three months left."

Just then, dense footsteps and the sound of armor rubbing together, *huala huala*, rang out from outside Taiping Yiguan, making one's scalp numb. The entrance, the back wall, everywhere was surrounded by Wang Fu guards, watertight. Chen Ji stood on the steps of the main room and looked up, only to see a commoner-dressed Feng Daban striding purposefully towards him. He showed no intention of stopping even when he reached Chen Ji.

Feng Daban was the person Sili Jian had planted beside Jing Wang. The fact that he was leading soldiers to surround Taiping Yiguan and force entry made it completely impossible to judge his intentions. In an instant, Chen Ji raised his whale knife and slashed towards Feng Daban. Only at this moment did Feng Daban finally stop, calmly dodging the blade by a hair's breadth. As the blade edge cut past Feng Daban's front, he then flicked the side of the blade with his finger, making a *buzz* sound, and the whale knife vibrated violently and incessantly. Chen Ji's tiger's mouth went numb, and his face fell as he retreated a step.

Feng Daban praised with a smile, "It actually didn't break. Good knife."

Chen Ji re-gripped the knife handle, holding the whale knife horizontally in front of him. Feng Daban saw that he was still unwilling to move aside and laughed softly, "A newborn calf doesn't fear tigers, but when it grows horns, it fears people. Young man, you're a bit unaware of your limits."

Chen Ji said calmly, "It has nothing to do with limits."

Feng Daban smiled indifferently and continued to step towards the main room. Between the two, the atmosphere was like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment. She Dengke and Liu Quxing nervously stood up involuntarily, and Liang Mao’er also quickly stepped towards Chen Ji, but it was already too late.

Feng Daban came in front of Chen Ji, gently raised his right hand, and his palm floated towards Chen Ji. The action was clearly very slow, yet Chen Ji had the illusion of a tsun*ami rushing towards him. He couldn't dodge! Just as this palm was about to press against Chen Ji's face, Jing Wang's weak voice came from the room: "Feng Daban has come? Come in."

Feng Daban's palm suddenly stopped in front of Chen Ji. The wind brought by this palm suddenly blew Chen Ji's hair back, and even the door curtain behind him was blown open, causing the oil lamp inside the room to sway.

Feng Daban withdrew his palm and asked with a smile, "Young man, Wang Ye has spoken. Are you still not moving aside?"

Chen Ji lowered the whale knife and expressionlessly slowly retreated to one side. Feng Daban looked at him deeply, then lifted one side of the door curtain, bowed his head, and walked in. "Wang Ye, are you feeling better?"

As the door curtain was lowered, the sounds from inside the room were isolated. Chen Ji leaned by the window, wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation inside, but found that he couldn't hear anything. It seemed both Feng Daban and Jing Wang had lowered their voices. He gazed back at the courtyard, looking at the figures hurrying away from the medical hall, and then let out a long sigh.

She Dengke and the others quickly surrounded him. "Are you okay?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "I'm okay!" He sat on the low stone steps in front of the main room door and sighed, "What is all this!"

She Dengke hesitated slightly. "Chen Ji, where did you get this knife from? And the move you used just now, it looked very powerful, more powerful than the dockworkers in Dongshi."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Senior brothers, go rest first. We'll talk about everything tomorrow! If there's nothing else, don't go near Master's room for now." With that said, he slowly closed his eyes and sank into the Qingshan dream realm.

He didn't know how long passed, but the door curtain of the main room was lifted by someone. Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes and saw Feng Daban hurrying out with his head lowered. This expert planted in the Wang Fu by Sili Jian didn't look at Chen Ji again, while the Wang Fu guards still surrounded the medical hall like an iron bucket, unmoving. Now, not even a bird could fly into Taiping Yiguan.

Jing Wang called from the room, "Young man, come in!"

Chen Ji walked into the room. "Wang Ye, what do you need?"

Jing Wang sat by the bed, once again pulling out the silver needles from his body, and said discontentedly, "Next time, you must not say your master is performing acupuncture on me again. Otherwise, every time you lie, I have to be stabbed once. You'll stab me sick even if I'm not."

Chen Ji also lost some respect and said discontentedly, "Wang Ye, if I don't find this excuse, what excuse can I find? If you don't run around, why would I need to lie like this?"

Jing Wang smilingly appeased him, "Okay, okay. I only asked you to guard the door, how did you get angry? Is there still rice in the kitchen? Go help me get another bowl."

Chen Ji lamented, "You really don't treat yourself as an outsider. There's no rice left in the kitchen. If you want to eat, I'll cook it now. It will probably take about three quarters of an hour."

Jing Wang regretted, "Too long." Saying that, he sat on the edge of the bed and carefully sized up Chen Ji. "Young man, how about we make a deal?"

Chen Ji hurriedly said, "No!"

Jing Wang became interested. "Why? In this world, there are as many people who want to make deals with this Wang as there are ox hairs. Why do you avoid it like snakes and scorpions?"

Chen Ji explained, "Your identity is noble. The things that can touch you are not things I can bear. You should find another expert. I think my master is not bad."

Yao Laoren glared at him. "You're really good at finding trouble for me."

Jing Wang laughed, "I need to go out incognito these days to handle some matters, but I lack a trustworthy guard by my side. How about this. Every time you follow me out, I will give you fifty taels of silver."

Chen Ji leaned by the door and said, "I won't go. Being your guard is too dangerous. I still want to live to ninety-something like Master!"

Yao Laoren stroked his beard. "Based on your character, I'm afraid that's a bit difficult."

Chen Ji was suspicious. "Did you calculate for me, or are you deliberately trying to scare me?"

Yao Laoren said leisurely, "I can't calculate your matters accurately now. A few days ago, I did a divination and actually calculated that you will still be deceived at over nine hundred years old."

Jing Wang touched his chin. "Did you drink fake Meng Po soup?"

Chen Ji cried and laughed. "That's too inaccurate."

Jing Wang looked at him and said, "You two master and disciple don't joke around. Back to this deal, you be my guard. If there are assassins who want to kill me, you are allowed not to act. How about that?"

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Wang Ye, why me?"

Jing Wang also sighed. "That's right, why you!"

Chen Ji was suspicious. "Huh?" He always felt that Jing Wang's words had a hidden meaning.

Jing Wang smiled and waved his hand. "Young man, there's no one else I can trust by my side. Agree to it. If I have an accident, Baili and Yunxi will have no father, and your annual two thousand five hundred taels of dividends will likely not materialize."

Chen Ji narrowed his eyes. "How can the agreed dividends be reneged upon? Are you threatening me?"

Jing Wang laughed happily. "That's right, I'm threatening you!"

Chen Ji was helpless. "Such a powerful feudal king, how can you be so shameless?"

Jing Wang said meaningfully, "Otherwise, how do you think I became a powerful feudal king?"

Chen Ji stood up. "I can temporarily act as your guard, but let's be clear beforehand, if assassins act, I will turn around and run away immediately."

"Rest assured!" Jing Wang opened the bed and went towards the tunnel.

Chen Ji was startled. "Are you going now?"

"Yes, going now!"

...

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