Chapter 171: Zodiac Positions

Dark clouds hung thick over Luocheng, gradually obscuring the bright moon.

It was as if an invisible giant hand was gathering the clouds like sand. This huge hand simply casually grasped, instantly covering the meticulously planned schemes and open plots of several years over everyone's heads.

From that winter when Mister Feng arrived at the side of Old Liu's cabinet, people had already been secretly waiting outside the stage in the dark, waiting to deliver the most fatal blow to the Liu family.

The Si Lijian took action to suppress, King Jing stepped forward to tempt, and Mister Feng lay low, leading the Liu family step by step into an irredeemable abyss.

Who laid this trap?

Was it Jin Zhu? No, although Jin Zhu was also ruthless, he did not have such a grand vision.

Was it Tian Ma? No, Tian Ma was bloodthirsty and lacked such long patience.

Who exactly had the ability, courage, and patience to lay this trap? Was it the black-clothed person King Jing once secretly met in the dead of night? Chen Ji remembered, the other party wore a piece of ink jade on his waist.

He raised his head to look at the darkness ahead. One by one, long spears shot out from the dark windows, easily penetrating even the heavy armor of the Tiger Armor Cavalry.

The long spears pierced through the bodies of the front-row soldiers, and the huge inertia brought them down from their warhorses.

However, the Tiger Armor Cavalry did not fall into panic, nor did they retreat. Instead, they heard General Qian coldly laugh: "Playing tricks, kill!"

The next moment, one-tenth of the black-armored soldiers in the cavalry successively leaped up from their horses' backs, like green onions pulled from dry land. They stepped on the horses' heads in the air to borrow strength for another leap, and the warhorses neighed mournfully as they fell.

The heavily armored soldiers leaped onto the second-floor eaves, pressing their waist knives, stepping on the gray tiles, and charging towards the windows one by one!

Row Official?!

Chen Ji suddenly realized that the strength of the black-armored soldiers' leap was even greater than his own.

Dozens of Row Officials were actually hidden among the Tiger Armor Cavalry!

Strange, the paths of Row Officials in the world are like white conch in the vast sea, they can be encountered but not sought. How could the Liu family have so many Row Official paths?

That's not right, the Row Official paths cultivated by these soldiers should be of the same type!

They had given up on extreme cultivation speed and fundamentally had no intention of seeking the path to immortality. They endured this martial force through years of lying low and cultivating.

At this moment, a long spear crossed the long sky from the window, shooting towards General Qian.

General Qian sat steadily on his horse and reached out to grasp. His palm was like iron pliers, gripping the spearhead, and the spear tail still trembled incessantly.

"Go!"

General Qian turned the long spear around and threw it back into that dark window. Sounds of painful cries immediately came from inside the window.

One by one, the soldiers then stepped on the gray tiles and charged inside. Sounds of metal clashing came from inside the house. The Tiger Armor Cavalry on the ground completely surrounded the ambush building, not planning to let a single spy escape.

General Qian said coldly: "Set fire and burn it for me! Burn this entire row of buildings!"

Chen Ji breathed nervously. The appearance of these fifty-plus Acquired Realm Row Officials was too sudden. At this time, he absolutely dared not rashly approach General Qian!

He silently looked around. Jin Zhu, huh? Tian Ma, huh?

Just at this moment, rapid footsteps suddenly came from a small alley beside the street. Chen Ji turned his head to look, and suddenly saw Jin Zhu rushing out from the dark small alley.

"Get down!"

Jin Zhu suddenly came to General Qian's horse, took a breath, and punched out in one breath!

This punch heavily struck General Qian's horse's head. The warhorse fell down with a boom, causing General Qian's body to slant downwards.

"Seeking death!" General Qian did not panic. He held the long spear upside down, leaped into the air, and strangely twisted his body in the air. As if using a return horse gun, the long spear, like a venomous snake spitting a letter, stabbed towards Jin Zhu.

Jin Zhu dodged the spear by turning his body, but he did not defend. General Qian shook his hand, and the long spear, like a whip, heavily struck his chest.

"Ouch!" Jin Zhu was whipped and flipped out. He rolled several somersaults like a ball, then turned and ran back into the small alley.

Some soldiers urged their horses to chase, but were stopped by General Qian: "Do not chase. The eunuch party has many tricks. Do not fall into their trap."

Chen Ji secretly sighed in his heart. Jin Zhu at least held on for a while. Now General Qian was fundamentally unwilling to take the bait.

He also did not know what special abilities Jin Zhu's cultivation path had. They were clearly both Innate experts, yet his fighting ability was still inferior to this General Qian by a section.

General Qian squatted in front of his warhorse. Seeing that the warhorse would no longer stand up, he drew a dagger from his boot and simply and neatly stabbed it into its neck.

Just at this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from the long street.

General Qian stood up and looked, only to see Mister Feng urging his horse to rush over alone. He did not salute, and the expression under his fierce tiger-faced armor showed no joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure: "How did Mister Feng come?"

Mister Feng wore a large green cloak and said with a smile: "On my way back to the Liu family's main residence, I suspected the eunuch party might use deception, so I came to take a look."

General Qian paused the long spear in his hand and said lightly: "The Tiger Armor Cavalry has been lying low for several years, waiting for exactly today. Just now, Jin Zhu risked death to assassinate, and I have already counterattacked."

After speaking, he pointed to the two-story building not far away: "Mister Feng only needs to wait a moment. The eunuch party inside must all be executed under our iron cavalry."

Mister Feng said in surprise: "Jin Zhu? Where is he?"

General Qian pointed to the small alley: "He escaped."

Mister Feng immediately dismounted and chased into the alley: "General Qian, continue to surround and kill the eunuch party. I will go and capture Jin Zhu. This is a great merit. Old Master said that when the army sets out tomorrow, he needs his head to sacrifice the flag!"

General Qian watched Mister Feng disappear into the alley, pondered for a long time, and finally also strode in pursuit.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ji jumped off his horse and said to the soldiers on his left and right: "I will go forward and lend the general a hand!"

Chen Ji turned left and right in the dim small alley. The small alleys in Luocheng were all identical with white walls and gray tiles. If there weren't the sound of General Qian's armor rubbing ahead, he would almost get lost inside.

Mister Feng coming here must be because he was worried that he and Jin Zhu would not be able to kill General Qian.

But Chen Ji also had doubts. If General Qian died here, would Old Liu's cabinet not suspect the appearance of Mister Feng, who shouldn't be here?

Before he could think more, General Qian's muffled groan suddenly came from the front.

Chen Ji quickened his footsteps and turned past a fork in the road, just to see Jin Zhu holding a dagger in the narrow, dim small alley, launching a sneak attack. The knife blade stabbed into General Qian's ribs from a gap in the armor.

General Qian originally thought that Mister Feng was in front of him, and even if he encountered Jin Zhu, Mister Feng would encounter him first. Who knew that Mister Feng chased the wrong road, allowing himself to carelessly fall into an ambush.

That's not right, could there be a problem with Mister Feng?

General Qian made a move in anger, punching Jin Zhu's body one after another. However, Jin Zhu disregarded life and death, headbutted General Qian's chest, gritted his teeth, coughed up blood, held General Qian's head with his left hand, and continuously pulled out and stabbed the dagger with his right hand. He stabbed three times consecutively, but the armor was tight and never reached a vital point.

General Qian no longer beat Jin Zhu, but instead grasped Jin Zhu's knife-holding wrist and wrestled with it. The tip of the knife stopped in front of General Qian and could no longer be stabbed in.

Both sides were in a deadlock. Chen Ji was about to help Jin Zhu, but then felt something was wrong again.

Mister Feng, huh?

Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed past him from the side.

Chen Ji turned his head, just to see Mister Feng's large cloak flying and brushing past him.

Mister Feng, like a ghost, came to General Qian's side and kicked Jin Zhu's side with one foot.

With a bang, Jin Zhu flew sideways and heavily hit the alley wall. Bricks and stones blasted out a spider web-shaped depression. Accompanied by several cracking sounds of bones breaking, Jin Zhu fell heavily to the ground, vomited a mouthful of fresh blood, and fainted.

Chen Ji was shocked in his heart. Wasn't it to kill General Qian? How did it become killing Jin Zhu?

In the dim light, Mister Feng supported General Qian and said with concern: "General Qian, are you alright?"

Saying that, he raised his head and said to Chen Ji: "What are you stunned doing? Come over and support General Qian!"

Chen Ji silently walked forward and placed General Qian's arm on his own shoulder.

Mister Feng took out a small white porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured out some powder from inside, applying it to the wound: "General Qian, the knife wound did not pierce the lungs and internal organs, so there should be no danger to your life. This is golden wound medicine made by Old Jun Mountain Dao Court. After applying it, you only need a little over a month to heal."

General Qian hesitated for a moment, then quietly clenched his fist tightly: "Many thanks, Mister Feng. How should we handle this Jin Zhu?"

Mister Feng slanted an eye at the unconscious Jin Zhu and said with a smile: "Naturally, we'll take him back. Early tomorrow morning, we'll beat the drum and enter the hall, chop off his head at the general's platform, draw his tendons, and let his blood sacrifice the flag! General Qian, rest assured, this merit belongs to both you and me. I will not take it alone."

As he spoke, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Chen Ji, immediately making Chen Ji feel a chill all over: Mister Feng's goal of seizing power had been achieved, the Liu family army was about to set out, and General Qian, being severely injured, was naturally unable to command the army. Moreover, General Qian was not dead and had even captured Jin Zhu alive, so Old Liu's cabinet would naturally not suspect anything.

Mister Feng was going to use Jin Zhu in exchange for the control of the Tiger Armor Cavalry.

But... what about Jin Zhu?

At this time, Mister Feng instructed Chen Ji: "Go find some hemp rope and tie up the eunuch party on the ground."

Chen Ji hardened his heart and responded: "Mister Feng, first support General Qian back to treat his injury. I will tie up this fellow properly and then rendezvous."

General Qian said coldly: "No, I want to personally escort this fellow back to the Liu family's main residence. You quickly go find the hemp rope. Mister Feng and I will just wait here."

Mister Feng smiled and looked at Chen Ji: "Still not going quickly?"

"Yes."

Chen Ji found a household in the small alley, broke down the door and entered, took the hemp rope, and came back to tie up Jin Zhu with the five-flower knot.

He had been looking for an opportunity to leave Jin Zhu a way out, but with Mister Feng and General Qian staring together, he simply couldn't find an opportunity. It wasn't until this moment that General Qian slowly loosened his fist and relaxed his heart.

After tying him up, Mister Feng again smilingly took out a dried green-skinned walnut from his sleeve: "Press this thing into Jin Zhu's mouth. In just a moment, his mouth and teeth will be numb, preventing him from speaking vulgarities in front of Old Master."

Chen Ji's heart tightened. Mister Feng had prepared this early to prevent Jin Zhu from spilling all of the Si Lijian's plan after realizing he had been sold, dragging everyone down with him.

On Ningyuan Street, the Tiger Armor Cavalry had already captured all the spies inside the building, killing seventeen people and capturing twelve alive.

The soldiers neatly mounted their horses, escorting the captured individuals towards the south. General Qian, having lost too much blood, was carried back in a carriage found by the soldiers.

The heavy sound of "da da" horse hooves pressed down, as if stepping on Chen Ji's heart.

From the moment the Liu family was mentioned, things had been linked one after another, pulling everyone into a vortex of right and wrong, powerless to break free.

Chen Ji urged his horse to walk at the very end. Just as he lowered his head in thought, Mister Feng unexpectedly slowed down his horse and came over, laughing in a low voice: "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ji raised his head and carefully looked around at the others, confirming that they were far away. Only then did he lower his voice and ask: "Is Mister Feng from the Secret Spy Division?"

Mister Feng laughed heartily: "Sort of, I guess."

Chen Ji asked again: "Mister Feng and Jin Zhu are colleagues. You just sold him like this?"

Mister Feng sized up Chen Ji: "As far as I know, you and Jin Zhu have no friendship, right?"

Chen Ji was slightly startled. He always felt that there was something wrong with the other party's question. He thought for a moment: "Um, no friendship."

Mister Feng said slowly: "After this matter ends, I will return to the Secret Spy Division. Inner Minister promised me twelve zodiac positions, but now there are no positions in sight. So, I'll just vacate a position for myself. Isn't that reasonable?"

Chen Ji said lightly: "Cloud Sheep and Bright Rabbit are not here. The sheep and rabbit positions are all empty, right?"

Mister Feng chuckled: "Those two were just exiled away. They will still come back."

Chen Ji said again: "They say Sick Tiger is going to retire."

Mister Feng replied: "Sick Tiger is one of the top three positions. I dare not hope for that yet. I like the Pig position. Sometimes, a Pig can eat a Tiger."

"What about Tian Ma?"

Hearing this word, Mister Feng seemed a little troubled: "Yes, ah, what about Tian Ma?"

()