Chapter 172: Imprisoning Officials

Jin Pig once said that when he came out of Mount Wunian, he didn't look back even once, and from then on, he stopped trusting anyone. This vast Sili Jian was like a poisonous cauldron, raising only the most venomous creatures.

Chen Ji hadn't expected that someone as cunning as Jin Pig would be pushed into an abyss of no return by his colleagues after just one moment of carelessness.

At this moment, the Hu Family Cavalry was dragging the unconscious Jin Pig, his ankles locked with iron chains, behind a horse.

Chen Ji's expression was hidden beneath his face armor: "Mister Feng, it's more than ten li from here to the Liu Family manor. If you drag him to death like this, it might delay the drum beating and flag sacrificing tomorrow."

Mister Feng smiled: "How can an Innate expert be dragged to death so easily? Don't be soft-hearted. If I show even half a bit of pity for Jin Pig, I won't escape the watchful eye of Elder Liu Ge. The rest of the Liu Family army is stationed north of the city, waiting to set off after the flag sacrificing ceremony tomorrow. Only this Hu Family Cavalry remains close to Elder Liu Ge, and their military power is extremely important, with no room for loss."

Chen Ji silently watched Jin Pig being brutally dragged out of the city, dragged all the way to the entrance of the Liu Family manor, a distance of more than ten li. Along the way, he gripped the handle of his knife tightly, his thumb lightly pushing the guard to open the sheath.

Mister Feng glanced at him sideways and casually said: "Don't do anything impulsive. It's good for a young man to have some spirit, and many things in this world are achieved with this spirit. But if you disrupt my plan, I'll kill you first."

Chen Ji took a deep breath and silently sheathed the knife again.

When they arrived at the Liu Family manor, Jin Pig's clothes were all worn away on his back, leaving a long trail of blood on the main road.

The gray high walls of the Liu Family manor were like a city wall. Only after the armored soldiers on the watchtowers confirmed everyone's identity did they raise the red signal flag and order the gate opened.

The red lacquered double gates creaked open, and a thin middle-aged man came out to greet them. He squatted beside Jin Pig, examined his face and injuries, then smiled and cupped his hands towards Mister Feng: "Congratulations, Mister Feng, for achieving another great merit. Having the heads of the twelve zodiacs to sacrifice the flag tomorrow is a great auspicious sign."

Mister Feng casually replied: "Liu Shiye, this is a great merit I achieved together with General Qian. General Qian was also injured because of this; it cannot be attributed solely to me."

"Oh?" Liu Shiye was surprised: "General Qian is injured?"

"Yes, just in the carriage behind."

Liu Shiye lifted the hem of his robe with one hand and carried a lantern with the other, walking towards the carriage and lifting the door curtain.

He got into the carriage, first touched the wound under General Qian's ribs, then rubbed his fingers near the tip of his nose to smell. Only then did he get off and order a group of armored soldiers: "Quickly carry General Qian in for treatment!"

After speaking, Liu Shiye turned his head and said to Mister Feng: "Mister Feng, follow me to the ancestral temple to see the old master; he's still waiting for you. Right, also carry Jin Pig in and let him have a look."

Mister Feng smiled and replied: "I'll follow Liu Shiye's arrangements."

The Liu Family manor was pitch black, with no lanterns hanging from the eaves.

Chen Ji watched as four armored soldiers used a stretcher to carry Jin Pig. Following behind Mister Feng through a long alley, he saw white mourning banners still hanging under the eaves on both sides of the road. The long mourning banners extended like curtains into the depths of the mansion.

Liu Mingxian was still not buried, his coffin simply placed in this manor.

General families usually kept a coffin for three days. Some large families kept it for seven days, and some families had to wait for officials from other places to return home for mourning, which could take more than ten days or even several months.

But the Liu Family wasn't waiting for people returning home; they were waiting for enemy heads and fresh blood.

Passing by Liu Mingxian's mourning hall, Chen Ji turned his head and saw Liu Mingxian's lonely coffin in the center of the hall.

Beside the coffin, women wearing white mourning clothes, one by one, had been hanged dead from the beams of the mourning hall with white silk.

When the wind blew outside the hall, the female corpses swayed left and right, like a string of silent wind chimes. Chen Ji's pupils contracted; he felt his hair stand on end. Even the battle-hardened armored soldiers beside him gasped in shock.

Liu Shiye, who was leading the way, didn't turn his head back and said slowly and methodically: "These women are all concubines of my family's second master. If they couldn't cry at the mourning hall, then we could only send them to accompany the second master on the path to the Yellow Springs. I imagine several of you are entering this manor for the first time, so there's no need to be startled."

The armored soldier who had just gasped immediately turned his head back and said in a flustered tone: "This humble officer will go and receive twenty military sticks later."

Liu Shiye smiled: "Indeed, a sensible subordinate of General Qian."

Gradually, warm light shone from the blue stone alley ahead. They saw the eight-panel vermilion red double doors of the ancestral temple open. Inside, on the main shrine, the spirit tablets of the Liu Family ancestors stood high like a forest. The highest place was occupied by Liu Xu Ning, the founder of the Liu Family, who was once a Rank Three Duke and remained so for a hundred generations.

On the purple sandalwood table below the main shrine were platters of offerings, more than twenty branches of incense and candles, and over a hundred oil lamps, illuminating the ancestral temple as bright as day.

Elder Liu Ge knelt on a cushion in front of the table, his head bowed, praying for something. He was extremely devout, like a devotee before a green lamp and ancient Buddha.

Reaching three zhang outside the door, Liu Shiye turned his head and instructed Mister Feng: "Mister Feng, please wait here for a moment. I will report to the old master."

Saying this, he stepped into the ancestral temple with small steps, bending his body and whispering in Elder Liu Ge's ear: "Old master, Mister Feng has returned, bringing the half-dead Jin Pig and the heavily injured General Qian."

Elder Liu Ge's eyelids didn't lift: "Is it really Jin Pig himself?"

Liu Shiye whispered: "Confirmed, he's not wearing a human skin mask. He was locked with iron chains by Mister Feng and dragged back from inside the city. His left side ribs are all broken; he must have been kicked and injured by someone."

Elder Liu Ge slowly opened his eyes: "He's finally brought him back. My son can finally rest in peace underground tomorrow."

Liu Shiye said: "Old master, rest assured. It's just that General Qian's injury is a bit untimely. Tomorrow when the hall opens for the flag sacrificing ceremony, the Liu Family clan will all gather, and we still need someone to lead the Hu Family Cavalry to guard the surroundings."

Elder Liu Ge thought for a moment and suddenly asked: "Can Mister Feng treat General Qian's injury?"

Liu Shiye replied: "He's treated it."

Elder Liu Ge asked again: "Is there any problem with the medicine used?"

Liu Shiye said flatteringly: "I smelled it; Mister Feng used medicine from the Laojun Mountain Daoist Court, no problem. Old master, rest assured, if there were any tricks, I could smell them out. How many people have tried to poison you over the years, and none of them escaped my nose."

Elder Liu Ge slowly closed his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking. After a long time, he exhaled a long breath: "Call Mister Feng in."

Liu Shiye went out to lead Mister Feng in, then he himself withdrew outside the door.

Mister Feng stood behind Elder Liu Ge, bending at the waist and cupping his hands: "Old master, I have brought Jin Pig back to you."

Elder Liu Ge supported his knee and slowly stood up, raising his head to gaze at the spirit tablets inside the ancestral temple, but he didn't continue Mister Feng's topic: "Mister Feng, the ancestors entrusted the Liu Family to me, but they didn't expect the Liu Family might decline in my hands."

Mister Feng smiled: "How could that be? The Jing Dynasty's Shenwu Army has already crossed the Chunlei River while it's frozen. Four of the capital's five major camps have set out for Chongli Pass. We can drive straight in. The emperor in Renshou Palace has no defenses whatsoever. This journey to the capital to clear the emperor's side, if we win, the Jing King's position is not proper, and his foundation is unstable, so he can only rely on you and Elder Qi."

Elder Liu Ge sighed: "Why can a prominent family become a prominent family? From the beginning, they sought not to 'win', but to 'not lose'. But now the Liu Clan has made one wrong step after another, falling into a situation where we have to rebel. I've been reflecting on these past ten years and honestly don't know who to blame... Is it my stupid and ignorant sister? Or my audacious son?"

"I've been thinking about it all night," Elder Liu Ge looked at the ancestors' spirit tablets on the main shrine, his eyes somewhat puzzled: "The Jing King showed rebellious intentions in his early years, but now he puts on an appearance of caring for the people of the world. Is it because he's getting old and gradually becoming indecisive? Or, is this itself a carefully prepared trap for the Liu Family?"

The wrinkles beside Elder Liu Ge's eyes bunched up: "If this is truly a huge maze, the Liu Family is in danger."

Mister Feng thought for a moment: "Perhaps he is worried about the Shi Family's criticism, so he wants to push all the blame for this rebellion onto the Liu Family. At that time, the Shi Family's records will show that the Liu Family supported him, not that it was his original intention."

Elder Liu Ge sighed again: "We can only make this guess. Mister Feng, you and I have been master and servant for many years. The Liu Family has treated you well, and you have also charged forward for my Liu Family and achieved great merits. Now General Qian is severely injured, and other generals have already led their soldiers. I will hand over this six thousand Hu Family Cavalry to you, and do not disappoint them."

Outside the ancestral temple, Chen Ji watched as Mister Feng lifted the hem of his robe with both hands and sincerely knelt on the ground, kowtowing: "To gain the family head's trust, this humble servant is grateful to tears. Please, family head, grant me the Liu surname. From now on, I Feng Wenzheng and the descendants of the Feng Family will change our surname to Liu, and generation after generation we will go through fire and water for the Liu Family, without any hesitation."

When he raised his head again, Mister Feng was already in tears.

Elder Liu Ge immediately helped Mister Feng up and sighed: "Mister Feng has great talent; how can you be a family servant of my Liu Family? In the future, when we conquer the rivers and mountains, with Mister Feng's talent, you can be appointed a general and enter the prime minister's office."

Saying this, he took out a tiger tally from his sleeve and handed it to Mister Feng: "Go to the Hu Family camp and complete the handover. Lead the Hu Family Cavalry to arrange defenses. It's already Yin hour; in another hour, the drum will beat and the generals will be called. Don't delay matters."

Mister Feng gripped the tiger tally tightly and kowtowed again: "Thank you for your trust, family head."

Mister Feng hurried away as he wished.

Chen Ji stood at the entrance of the ancestral temple with Jin Pig, watching his back, but he still didn't know what Sili Jian would do next. And Jin Pig had already become a true abandoned piece.

This long night, who knows when it will pass.

Elder Liu Ge came to the edge of the stretcher and quietly gazed at Jin Pig: "Wake him up."

Liu Shiye took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and shook it under Jin Pig's nose.

Jin Pig suddenly opened both eyes and immediately wanted to struggle up and fight. However, Liu Shiye lightly pointed at the center of his brow, and he immediately couldn't move.

Chen Ji's heart was shocked. This ordinary-looking Liu Shiye was actually a deeply hidden official. No wonder Elder Liu Ge kept only him by his side, and not even a single guard was seen near the ancestral temple.

Elder Liu Ge looked at Jin Pig with pity: "In this chaotic world furnace, both you and I are not in control of ourselves. Don't blame me; if you must blame someone, blame your Sili Jian for never thinking of leaving a way out for my Liu Family. Liu Shiye, take him to let my son have a look. Torture Jin Pig to death in front of his coffin and then chop off his head. My son can rest in peace after seeing it."

As he spoke, it was as if it wasn't him who decided to kill Liu Mingxian; the eunuch party was the only one to blame.

Liu Shiye hesitated and said: "Old master, don't you want to wait until the flag sacrificing ceremony to behead him?"

Elder Liu Ge waved his hand wearily: "Go on. My son has waited too long. You can put his head there tomorrow."

Liu Shiye waved his hand to Chen Ji and the others: "Carry him and follow me."

Several people carried Jin Pig to Liu Mingxian's mourning hall. All the armored soldiers lowered their heads, unwilling to look up at the female corpses hanging above their heads, holding their breath to avoid smelling the foul odor inside the mourning hall.

Liu Shiye, however, acted as if nothing was happening. He drew a silver short knife from his sleeve and, while humming a little tune, cut off Jin Pig's hand and foot tendons, then sliced away Jin Pig's flesh with one knife after another.

Chen Ji watched Jin Pig's eyes widen as he struggled to break free, but ultimately said nothing and did nothing. He just quietly gazed at Liu Shiye from behind his face armor, gripping the knife handle tightly, firmly remembering the other's voice and appearance.

He didn't know how long passed when Liu Shiye suddenly asked: "How many knives are there in this torture?"

The armored soldiers looked at each other; no one could answer.

Liu Shiye smiled: "No matter, no matter. Three hundred and sixty knives should be enough."

The next moment, he drew the saber from Chen Ji's waist and swung it towards Jin Pig's neck.

However, as this knife was about to strike Jin Pig, Chen Ji saw a strange smile appear on Jin Pig's face. With one swing, no blood spurted out, and no head fell.

They only saw Jin Pig's whole body suddenly transform into countless copper coins and silver ingots, which scattered on the ground with a crash.

It was as if what had been lying inside these clothes earlier wasn't Jin Pig, but a puppet filled with money and wealth!

Liu Shiye was startled at first, then angrily cursed: "It's actually a method of the Ya Guan Men! Quick, quick, quick! Quickly go and chase that person surnamed Feng!"