Chapter 175: Blood Must Cool

Sheng Yu Dan is a medicine official's lifelong labor of love, a treasure of the Dao Court. Even within the Dao Courts of Mount Huang and Mount Laojun, only two medicine officials can refine this Dan.

Now, that incomparably precious Sheng Yu Dan lay quietly on the ground. Everyone's gaze fell upon it. Golden Pig, Cloud Sheep, Jiao Rabbit, and Dream Chicken couldn't hide the desire in their eyes, yet no one dared to pick it up.

Their gazes turned back towards Jing Wang, but saw him standing silently in the ancestral temple, his head bowed, looking at Jing Fei's corpse for a long time without speaking.

Jie Fan Wei, Qian Sui Army, everyone waited in silence, with only the cold wind howling.

This vast Liu family mansion was clearly full of people, yet it felt like an empty, desolate ruin.

A rebellion with grand momentum ended without fanfare, leaving behind only chaos.

In the silence, White Dragon bent down, picked up the blood-stained Sheng Yu Dan, wiped it with his sleeve, and put it back into the box: "Wang Ye, this is the Sheng Yu Dan!"

Jing Wang didn't pay attention to him, only saying softly: "Liu Ge Lao has served in officialdom since he entered, successively as Shang Shu of the Ministry of Rites and Shang Shu of the Ministry of Personnel. In the year His Majesty ascended the throne, the capital was in panic, and the feudal kings were restless. It was he and his father who rectified the chaos and stabilized the situation, assisting His Majesty to ascend the throne! Although he had faults in his life, he also had merits. Bury his father and daughter well! And that Liu Shi Ye!"

Feng Da Ban bowed in promise: "Yes!" Jing Wang turned his head and asked: "Ling Yun? Why don't I see her?"

Feng Da Ban replied: "She should have been sent away by Liu Ge Lao. Does your subordinate need to chase her back?"

Jing Wang sighed: "Let her go."

He stepped out of the ancestral temple and walked towards the door: "Return to Wang Fu!"

He hadn't walked many steps when he saw White Dragon blocking his path, warmly advising: "Wang Ye, the Liu family's Xiang Jia Camp and Hu Jia Iron Cavalry have not yet been pacified. For your safety, please temporarily stay in this Liu family mansion and do not return to Luo City yet!"

Jing Wang stopped, quietly gazing at the mask with the engraved gold dragon pattern.

White Dragon didn't retreat or yield, confronting him!

The atmosphere outside the ancestral temple suddenly became tense. Jiao Rabbit slightly pursed her lips, subtly retreating a small step towards Cloud Sheep.

Jing Wang looked towards the Jie Fan Wei in front of the ancestral temple door.

He saw that the Jie Fan Wei were wearing straw raincoats and conical hats, their faces hidden in the shadows under the conical hats, their expressions看不清 (kàn bù qīng - unable to see clearly).

He looked again at the Qian Sui Army, wearing armor and red tassels on their helmets.

He saw the Qian Sui Army soldiers slowly put their hands on their knife handles, poised for a confrontation with the Jie Fan Wei.

Jing Wang suddenly smiled.

He turned his head and looked at Liu Ge Lao, still on the roof beam, and said in a desolate tone: "Good, as Lord White Dragon said, I will first stay in this Liu family mansion. Qian Sui Army listen to my order, you all go assist in suppressing the rebellion, do not let the Xiang Jia Camp and Hu Jia Iron Cavalry cause any more trouble!"

The Qian Sui Army general hesitated, not understanding.

Jing Wang said with a laugh: "Are you not going to obey my command? Go quickly!"

The Qian Sui Army general cupped his fists: "Your subordinate receives the order!"

With that, he led the Qian Sui Army away, and in an instant, half of the Liu family mansion was empty.

White Dragon said with a laugh: "Wang Ye deeply understands righteousness, your humble servant admires you. The Inner Prime Minister instructed that the evidence of the Liu family's crimes must be solidified, so that those civil officials cannot make any counterarguments. Therefore, there are still many documents and confessions that need Wang Ye's help to complete, and it is also a good time to sort out the whole matter's context, and bring all those who participated in the rebellion to justice!"

Jing Wang laughed heartily: "I am tired today, let's talk about it tomorrow. Lord White Dragon, you go ahead and be busy, I will go back and rest!" Shi Zi and White Carp were still searching for Chen Ji in the crowd, wanting to say something. But they were pulled away by Jing Wang.

Before the scattered corpses in the Liu family were even cleared, the Jie Fan Wei had already dispersed throughout the Liu family mansion, searching houses and tallying assets.

The Jie Fan Wei pulled out the offering tables placed inside the ancestral temple. Four accounting masters sat in front of the tables, setting out four abacuses.

One accounting master was responsible for tallying the searched house deeds and land deeds, one for tallying gold, silver, and copper money, one for tallying the Liu family's secret accounts of fields, and one for tallying the servant contracts.

The abacus beads clicked and clacked in front of the Liu family ancestral temple door, making cracking sounds, as a huge giant whale in these lively sounds suddenly crashed down and decomposed.

In the small alley opposite the ancestral temple, Cloud Sheep and Jiao Rabbit came up to Chen Ji with seemingly smiling faces: "Young man, long time no see."

Chen Ji was originally looking solemnly as Jing Wang left. Hearing this sound, he immediately turned his head and laughed: "When the two lords were imprisoned earlier, I still felt pity, but now I see you both safe and sound, and I am relieved."

Cloud Sheep smiled and asked: "Really relieved?"

"Yes. Relieved!"

Cloud Sheep slowly put away his smile: "Then let me ask you. When the coffin was opened to verify the body earlier, was it you who went to the Liu family to tip them off?"

Chen Ji was startled: "Lord Cloud Sheep, why do you say this? I didn't know you two went to open the coffin to verify the body!"

Jiao Rabbit used her slender, pale green fingers to point at his shoulder, smiling slyly: "But only you knew that we once went to check the Liu family ancestral tomb. If it wasn't you who tipped them off, you just find out who this highly secret person is for me, otherwise, hmph hmph!"

Chen Ji said helplessly: "How is this matter related to me?"

Cloud Sheep smiled and squinted: "That may not be up to you!"

Just at this moment, a fat figure squeezed into the middle of the three, pulled Chen Ji behind him with a forced smile: "You two capsized in the ditch yourself, so don't randomly blame the newcomer. Originally, Lord Inner Prime Minister still ordered me to secretly set a trap for you two to expose flaws, so that the Liu family would relax their vigilance. But I didn't expect you two to get confused and get yourselves imprisoned, which instead saved me a lot of trouble!"

Cloud Sheep looked at Golden Pig, his handsome face frowning slowly: "Golden Pig, do you want to protect him?" Golden Pig said happily: "What protection? Everyone is working for the Inner Prime Minister. We should be of the same mind. This time, we smoothly brought down the Liu family, and he also has a share of the merit. Now the Inner Prime Minister has already bestowed cultivation paths, saying that perhaps one day he will become a high official. Perhaps the two of you will!!"

Jiao Rabbit's eyes widened, interrupting: "Fat Pig, are you threatening us? Be careful, I'll stab you! Do you remember, that year on Mount Wu Nian, when others were bullying you, I still helped you!"

Golden Pig pouted: "What nonsense are you talking about. The one who bullied me the most is you, isn't it?"

Jiao Rabbit tilted her head, looked over Golden Pig's fat head, and looked at Chen Ji behind him: "Young man, do you want to continue working with us later? We cooperated quite happily earlier."

Cloud Sheep also helped say: "Among the upper three zodiacs of the Secret Agent Division, Lord Sick Tiger doesn't know where he is, and Lord Tian Ma likes to come and go alone. If we talk about ability and authority, Lord White Dragon must be number one. Working with us is working with Lord White Dragon, and the future is promising!"

Golden Pig's face changed: "Digging for people in front of me? Is there still any law?"

Jiao Rabbit smiled and squinted: "He was originally led into the Secret Agent Division by us."

Golden Pig no longer paid attention to her, turned his head to look at Tian Ma, who was standing in white clothes on a distant roof, and waved his hand: "Tian Ma, look here, look here, Cloud Sheep and Jiao Rabbit want to chat with you."

Cloud Sheep glanced at Tian Ma, and without waiting for the other to catch up, turned to Chen Ji and said meaningfully: "We will be colleagues later. There will surely be opportunities for cooperation. Jiao Rabbit, let's go!"

With that, he pulled the unwilling Jiao Rabbit and stood behind White Dragon.

Golden Pig lowered his voice to Chen Ji: "There are many factions within the Eunuch Bureau. These two always don't work for White Dragon and are lawless. If you follow me and Tian Ma later, your safety will definitely be guaranteed, and then we can find an opportunity to deal with them. You are the new zodiac."

Chen Ji's face was strange: "Do you really want to deal with one?" Golden Pig asked back as a matter of course: "Otherwise, how can you become a zodiac? It's also okay to deal with two together!"

Chen Ji asked curiously: "Isn't there a vacant position?"

Golden Pig shook his head: "No!"

Chen Ji pursued the question: "Among the upper three, there are White Dragon, Tian Ma, and Sick Tiger. Lord White Tiger has Jiao Rabbit and Cloud Sheep under him, so who does Lord Tian Ma have?"

Golden Pig lowered his voice: "The Tian Ma faction currently only has me. But don't worry, when you become a zodiac, our momentum will become strong!"

Chen Ji's face was strange: "So the remaining zodiacs are all Lord Sick Tiger's people?"

"No, no, no."

Golden Pig counted with his fingers: "Prison Rat is in charge of the inner prison, hiding in the stinky inner prison every day and not recognizing anyone. Corpse Dog leads a group of people and comes and goes alone, specially helping Lord Inner Prime Minister dig graves and open tombs. Mountain Ox is Lord Inner Prime Minister's personal guard, sitting in Jie Fan Building every day and not going out. Dream Chicken is quite treacherous, helping whoever gives money. And Xuan Snake and Bao Monkey, these two are Lord Wu Xiu's people."

Chen Ji had heard the name 'Wu Xiu' multiple times.

He asked doubtfully: "Lord Wu Xiu is??"

Golden Pig reminded: "Lord Wu Xiu is His Majesty's brush eunuch. If you go to the capital later, absolutely do not provoke him. This person holds grudges the most!" He added: "But remember, no matter who we follow, in the end, we are all working for Lord Inner Prime Minister. As long as you remember this point, you won't make big mistakes."

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "Has Lord White Dragon always been by Lord Inner Prime Minister's side these years?"

Golden Pig recalled for a moment: "Half the time. Although Lord Inner Prime Minister has extremely important matters, he will prioritize giving them to him to handle. He is also a figure whose head is seen but not his tail. You need to be careful of him. This person is thick-skinned and black-hearted, extremely vicious. All the matters of searching houses and exterminating families in the Secret Agent Division these years are done by him. Why are you asking this?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "Lord Golden Pig, where is Mister Feng at this time?"

Golden Pig heard the words Mister Feng and said somewhat annoyed: "How would I know? I only learned that he was one of us when I was in Long Wang Tun. He's clearly one of us, and I don't know where the grudge came from, but he beat me so hard. If I encounter him in the Eunuch Bureau later, I must give him some trouble!"

Chen Ji lowered his head, silent.

Golden Pig was curious: "What are you thinking?"

Chen Ji said lightly: "Thank you, Lord Golden Pig, for resolving my doubts!"

"Thank you for what......"

Golden Pig happily patted his shoulder: "When I was dragged away by that old boy surnamed Feng, you were willing to draw your sword for me. We are our own people!"

Chen Ji shook his head: "I didn't do anything in the end!" Golden Pig turned his head to look at the long and deep bloodstain in the Liu family mansion, sighing: "In this five turbid evil world, everyone is not in control of themselves. Having that intention is enough!"

Speaking of this, Golden Pig smiled and squinted: "However, next time if you are dragged behind a horse, and I don't draw my sword for you, you just consider that I have drawn my sword for you in your heart. Don't blame me!"

Chen Ji couldn't help but laugh, for a while, he couldn't tell whether Golden Pig was speaking the truth or lying, he only promised: "Okay!"

Golden Pig asked: "You've been rushing around these days, do you need to rest a bit?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Lord, lend me a horse and a Secret Agent Division waist card. My master and two senior brothers are still in the city. I must go back and find them!"

Morning sunrise.

Chen Ji rode his horse at a gallop on the official road, passing lively markets and ox carts without seeing a trace.

The south gate of Luo City was no longer tightly closed. The troops of the Soldier and Horse Division had disappeared, replaced by army flags that Chen Ji didn't recognize.

The bloodstains on the stone slab road inside the city gate were still not cleaned up.

Along the way, wine shops, grain and oil shops, noodle stalls, clothing shops, each family's doors were tightly closed, a scene of desolation.

Like a military town on the edge of a vast desert.

When Chen Ji arrived at the door of Jing Wang Fu, there were just over ten Jie Fan Wei guards.

He dismounted from his horse and walked up, leading the reins.

The Jie Fan Wei all drew their waist knives, coldly scolding: "Stop!" Chen Ji took out his waist card from his chest: "A secret agent of the Secret Agent Division, here to find Yao Tai Yi of Tai Ping Medical Hall."

One Jie Fan Wei under his conical hat scrutinized him, "Yao Tai Yi and Lord Chen have already left Wang Fu. You should go back to the medical hall to find them."

Chen Ji thanked them and returned to Tai Ping Medical Hall, but the door was still tightly closed.

He frowned and pushed open the door: "Master, I'm back!"

No one answered.

Chen Ji led the warhorse through the main hall to the backyard.

The yard was cold and quiet, only the red cloth strips on the apricot tree added a bit of warmth.

"Could it be that the Jie Fan Wei were deceiving themselves?"

He shouted loudly: "Master, Master, are you home?"

The next moment, he saw that the fire under the kitchen stove was already lit, and a pot of white porridge was cooking on the stove.

Only then did he slowly breathe a sigh of relief.

Master and the others were indeed released back, but he didn't know where they had gone.

Chen Ji thought for a moment, tied the warhorse's reins to the apricot tree, turned around, and took off his clothes by the water jar.

He used scoop after scoop of icy cold water to pour over his head, washing away the dust from his whole body.

He finally stopped when his whole body's skin turned red.

Just as he returned to his bedroom to find dry clothes, he heard the disdainful voice of old man Yao from outside the door: "I, this old man, was just out for a while, and you've already made a mess of water in the yard. Are you shrimp soldiers and crab generals from the Luo River? Do you like bathing in cold water so much?"

Chen Ji heard the familiar harsh voice in the room and laughed. As he buttoned the buttons of his slanted-collar clothes, he walked out the door: "Master, where are Senior Brother She and Senior Brother Liu?"

Old man Yao said disdainfully: "Two cowards. After being confined, they cried and wailed. I just let them go home to rest. Where is Wu Yun? I haven't seen it for several days."

Chen Ji explained: "It went to help me find someone!"

Old man Yao slanted him a look: "When you see it, call it home."

Chen Ji hummed and looked towards the kitchen: "Master, have you made my meal?"

Old man Yao sneered: "A short-lived ghost doesn't need to eat, it's a waste of grain."

Chen Ji was startled: "Master, what do you mean by this?"

Old man Yao stood under the apricot tree with his hands behind his back, raised his head to look at the red cloth strips on the apricot tree: "You are a very smart child, but you are still not smart enough!"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "How so?"

Old man Yao said: "In the eyes of the smartest people in the world, there are only interests, no feelings. Look at those dignified lords in the court, which one doesn't practice self-preservation to perfection? Someone like you who risks his life may not live long! Boy, your heart is in chaos once you have ties! When you were in Cui Yun Alley, you shouldn't have mixed in with the armored soldiers. After you came to Jing Wang Fu, you should have even less ventured to save people under Mister Feng's eyes!"

Only then did Chen Ji understand that old man Yao knew everything, and he didn't know where Uncle Crow was hiding and observing, but he actually saw his every move clearly. He stubbornly said: "But I can't really kill you, can I?"

Old man Yao laughed coldly: "That Mister Feng clearly saw that your identity had a problem, so he ordered to kill us. Zhang Zhuo is backed by the Xu family, and I am just an unrelated Tai Yi. Why would he kill us? In normal times, you should have thought these things through a long time ago. But yesterday you didn't!"

Chen Ji no longer spoke.

Old man Yao continued to ridicule: "Seeing Golden Pig being dragged away, you couldn't help but want to act. You completely didn't care about your own situation. Seeing someone wanting to kill White Carp, you actually didn't even have the most basic calmness. If Tian Ma hadn't happened to arrive and kill them, could you still be breathing and talking to me now?"

The small yard became quiet. Neither master nor disciple spoke.

After a long time.

Old man Yao slanted his eye to see Chen Ji hanging his head and not speaking, finally sighing: "Boy, I see that you are still young, so I won't say more. But I only remind you once, if you want to accomplish things, your heart can be hot, but your blood must be cold!"

Chen Ji hummed: "Thank you, Master. I remember!"

Just at this moment, the wooden door of the medical hall creaked open, and someone came uninvited.

Chen Ji turned around and looked, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He saw White Dragon, wearing a mask, leisurely walk in. Bloodstains still remained on his clothes.

Chen Ji calmly asked: "Lord White Dragon, do you have any instructions?"

White Dragon casually moved a chair in the yard and sat down, then raised his head and explained: "Passing by Tai Ping Medical Hall, I came in to rest my feet. Don't be tense! Let's sit and chat." Old man Yao stood up and walked away: "You chat, I, this old man, am still making rice!"

White Dragon watched old man Yao enter the kitchen, then turned his head to look at Chen Ji: "I heard Cloud Sheep say that you are unwilling to work for me? Do you know how many people in this Eunuch Bureau want to serve under me, and I still look down on them!"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied: "Lord White Dragon, it's not that I am unwilling, but I am already serving under Lord Golden Pig."

White Dragon lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his head again and asked: "What if Golden Pig dies?"

Chen Ji was shocked: "Why would Lord White Dragon kill each other?"

White Dragon laughed heartily: "That boy Golden Pig says bad things about me behind my back every day. I've wanted to kill him for a long time."

Chen Ji frowned.

White Dragon said with interest: "Forget it, forget it. Do you take a joke seriously? I'm not joking with you. I came here specifically to find you this time."

"Yes?"

White Dragon asked solemnly: "Someone from the Liu family tipped me off, saying that before Jing Wang encircled the Liu family, there was a pretense of a real act. He sent Yun Fei to secretly contact the chief of the Jing Chao Military Affairs Division to discuss major matters. It was only later that the Military Affairs Division's forces in Luo City were all encircled, and only then did he extinguish the thoughts of rebellion, being forced to continue acting according to my plan!"

White Dragon asked in a deep voice: "Do you know about Jing Wang's intention to pretend to act real?" Chen Ji's heart suddenly tightened.

The matter of Yun Fei contacting the Military Affairs Division, could it not be a trap set by the Secret Agent Division and Jing Wang together?

If not, could Jing Wang really have considered taking advantage to rebel?

No no no.

Not right.

It is the Secret Agent Division that wants to take advantage to frame Jing Wang.

This scheme from the beginning was not only to kill the Liu family, but to kill two birds with one stone.

White Dragon asked calmly: "Why aren't you speaking?"

Chen Ji said casually: "Lord White Dragon, such a big matter, how could Jing Wang let me know? It's better to catch Yun Fei and ask her!"

White Dragon laughed: "Yun Fei is a smart person. Seeing the situation was not right, she hid the first time. My people searched for her all night but couldn't find her hiding place."

Chen Ji said regretfully: "What a pity. If she were caught, we could naturally force out the truth!"

White Dragon said: "Now that this key witness is not here, I want to ask you. You are very close to Shi Zi and Jun Zhu. Have you ever heard them say a word or two?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No!"

White Dragon asked again: "What if I threaten White Carp's life, can I force out Yun Fei?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "I don't know!"

White Dragon's tone gradually sharpened: "You don't know, or you don't want to answer? Young man, you need to understand that you are a person of my Secret Agent Division. If you shield someone with the great crime of rebellion, you will also be executed."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Lord White Dragon, I originally had no connection with Yun Fei. I naturally cannot answer these questions you ask. Otherwise, I will go help you capture Yun Fei now. As long as she is caught, the truth will naturally be clear!"

White Dragon, under his mask, stared at him for a long time, then lightly laughed and stood up: "It doesn't matter, you just rest well. Perhaps when you are refreshed, you can think of some clues. I'm leaving!"

With that, White Dragon walked away with his hands behind his back, disappearing leisurely outside the medical hall door, coming suddenly, and leaving just as suddenly.

Chen Ji stood up, looked through the corridor, and looked towards the cold Qing An Xi Street outside the door! He turned his head and glanced at the apricot tree, and also walked outwards.

Old man Yao walked out of the kitchen with a pottery bowl in his hand, saying indifferently: "Going out in such a hurry? Aren't you eating?"

"Yes. I won't be eating at home!"

Old man Yao sneered: "Remember what I just told you?"

Chen Ji took a deep breath, then said calmly: "I remember. Your heart can be hot, but your blood must be cold!"

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