Chapter 181: The Feast

The Thousand Years Army... it was no longer that branch. That was the Thousand Years Army which had gone through life and death alongside Jing Wang.

Over the long years, Si Li Jian had used various methods to divide, intimidate, and disintegrate it. Those who were disobedient had already been beheaded, and only the obedient remained alive.

There were no reinforcements.

Chen Ji suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness, as if no matter how much effort he put in, there would always be a hand reaching out, correcting his desperately changing fate one by one.

Could it be that the divination image calculated by Master could not be changed at all? Was this fate?

No!

Chen Ji stood completely surrounded by Thousand Years Army officers and soldiers, like an isolated reef in a tide. However, without waiting for the officers and soldiers to close in, he did not advance but retreated, like an ice-breaking ship in the open sea, charging straight towards the deputy general!

No one expected him to be so arrogant, actually intending to behead the general. Caught off guard, the deputy general swung his long halberd, and the halberd whistled towards him, yet it stopped steadily in Chen Ji's hand.

Chen Ji shook his wrist with force: "Let go!"

A huge force transmitted from the halberd body to the deputy general's hand, shaking him and forcing him to let go: "Acting official, approaching innate!"

The other officers and soldiers saw the situation and surrounded him, but the long halberd in Chen Ji's hand turned horizontally and swept like a swinging crescent moon, sweeping away everyone.

By the time they reacted again, they saw Chen Ji already standing behind the deputy general, pressing the halberd's crescent blade against his neck: "Everyone else retreat, otherwise his life is not safe! Speak, let your subordinates retreat!"

The deputy general said in a deep voice: "My Thousand Years Army does not fear death, and your threat is useless." Chen Ji sneered: "If you truly do not fear death, why would you sell out your master for glory?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the officers and soldiers holding halberds looked at each other.

Chen Ji held the deputy general and slowly retreated towards the military camp gate, speaking loudly as he went: "Now Jing Wang is detained in Luo City's inner prison by the secret agent department, charged with fabricated slander, in imminent danger. Jing Wang personally wrote a blood letter, asking me to bring it to General Wang, hoping he could rob the prison tonight and rescue the world son and county lord. The result is that General Wang pretended to agree, but now he is holding the blood letter and going to report it to the secret agent department. This deputy general is also the same, slandering me as a remnant of the Liu family! If I am a remnant of the Liu family, what would I come to your Thousand Years Army camp for?!"

The military camp was in an uproar. Chen Ji's long halberd crescent blade cut into the deputy general's neck, drawing blood: "If you don't tell the truth, I will take your life now, and we will die together."

The deputy general sneered: "You kill me, how will you escape?"

Chen Ji suddenly said loudly: "All officers and soldiers, look clearly at my appearance. On that day at Lu Hun Mountain Villa, the world son and county lord were right beside me, and I once led a horse for the county lord!"

Some officers and soldiers recognized Chen Ji: "I remember him. At that time, I thought he was Wang Fu's Yi Bin!"

The emperor's son-in-law is called Fu Ma, and a county lord's husband is called Yi Bin. Although the identity was wrong, many people indeed recognized his appearance as Chen Ji.

Chen Ji slightly relaxed his breath. Just as he was about to say something, he caught a glimpse of a person in deputy general armor climbing up the arrow tower in the oblique rear. With a cold face, he drew his bow and shot a cold arrow. The military camp gate was also slowly closing!

He suddenly turned his body and used the deputy general in front to block the arrow. This was bad, too many people in this military camp had been bought off!

Chen Ji discarded the corpse he was holding, ran with all his might, and threw the long halberd at the deputy general on the arrow tower. The halberd's momentum was heavy and powerful. The deputy general hurriedly bent down, and the long halberd barely brushed past his head, smashing the wooden top of the arrow tower.

The Thousand Years Army camp's door was slowly closing. At the last moment, Chen Ji flew forward and dived out through the nearly closed gap.

When his diving body landed, he suddenly supported the ground with both hands, then exerted another force and rushed out like a hunting leopard, not stopping at all.

Arrows shot out one by one, but they could not catch up to his footsteps, only nailing one by one onto the footprints behind him.

Chen Ji came to where he had tied his horse and flipped onto its back. He fiercely squeezed the horse's belly, and the warhorse rushed out like an arrow from a bow, leaving the noise and commotion far behind.

Chen Ji kept urging the horse, forcing the warhorse to speed up again and again. However, his warhorse could no longer run, only trotting slowly.

He turned his head to look, confirmed that no one was chasing him, and only then relaxed his breath. But what to do now?

If General Wang gave the blood book to White Dragon, the blood book would be evidence of Jing Wang instigating the Thousand Years Army to rob the prison, which was also a great crime of rebellion.

Moreover, once this blood book fell into White Dragon's hands, Chen Ji would also be considered a co-conspirator... perhaps as long as he caught up with General Wang, there would still be a chance to turn things around, but he was destined to not catch up, the other side was too much faster than him. Two hours later, when Luo City's city head appeared on the horizon, Chen Ji slowly exerted force on the reins, and the warhorse slowed down, finally stopping in place.

He looked at the city gate in front of him, his brows heavy: It was still time to escape from Ning Dynasty now.

As long as he was like Si Cao Gui and Wu Hong Biao, first go to Jin Ling, Yang State to lie low and avoid the wind, hide in the pleasure boats of Qin Huai River for a month or two, and then detour north to Jing Dynasty.

From now on, Ning Dynasty's matters would have nothing to do with him. Those people, those things, would eventually be forgotten one day.

Chen Ji seemed to see a road of white bones paved into the city. Pure white snow fell on the broken bones, and the fragments of broken bones were like another kind of thorn. Once he stepped on them, he could not return.

He looked up in a trance, only to see snowflakes indeed floating down from the sky. This was Luo City's third snow of this winter.

Go, or stay? Cannot go.

The next moment, Chen Ji again urged his horse to rush into Luo City. When he was near the inner prison, he suddenly heard someone call his name: "Chen Ji, why are you here?"

Chen Ji suddenly turned his head and saw Gold Pig leading West Wind getting off a carriage.

He said doubtfully: "Lord Gold Pig, weren't you capturing Cloud Concubine? Why are you at the inner prison?"

Gold Pig was full of anger: "I was just looking for clues about Cloud Concubine over here. White Dragon suddenly sent someone to give an order, summoning all the zodiacs to the inner prison. I don't know what else this guy wants to do. He treats everyone like monkeys every day, summoned to come and waved to go!"

Saying that, he went to knock on the iron door of the inner prison: "Open the door!"

When the jailer opened the door, Gold Pig took the lead and went down the stairs. He found that Chen Ji hadn't moved, turned his head and said doubtfully: "Go, what are you dazing about?"

Chen Ji hummed and followed him down. He didn't know why White Dragon suddenly summoned all the zodiacs, nor did he know what would happen next.

He only knew that he himself, Jing Wang, the world son, and the county lord were already on the brink of death. Entering the dim tunnel, Chen Ji saw the end at a glance. Quite a few people had already gathered in front of the cell door of Armor Character Number One. Feng Da Ban and White Dragon stood side by side.

When he passed the cell of Seven Number again, the world son and White Li were just gripping the railing and standing in the prison cage. The world son urgently asked Gold Pig: "Lord Gold Pig, what happened, why are there so many people? What do you all want to do?"

Neither Gold Pig nor Chen Ji answered.

When the two of them came to the door of Number One cell, White Dragon did not speak, his expression hidden under his mask.

Feng Da Ban smiled slightly and opened his mouth to say: "Everyone has been working hard recently. First, we quelled the rebellion of the Liu family, and then we captured Jing Wang Fu, the ringleader of this rebellion."

Chen Ji's pupils suddenly contracted.

The next moment, Feng Da Ban took out a page of paper from his sleeve. On it were written words in fresh blood: "Just today, Jing Wang wrote a blood book, ordering the Thousand Years Army to rob the prison, committing a great crime of rebellion!"

Cloud Sheep, Jiao Rabbit, Meng Ji, and Gold Pig exchanged glances. They had only just learned about this!

Feng Da Ban smiled and said: "It's good that my Si Li Jian has a young hero. After tricking the blood book from Jing Wang, he immediately handed it over to me, preventing Jing Wang and the Thousand Years Army from brewing a big mistake... right, Chen Ji?"

Cloud Sheep, Jiao Rabbit, Meng Ji, and others all turned their heads to look at Chen Ji. Their eyes flashed with an inexplicable expression. Everyone knew that he was very close to Jing Wang Fu, but they didn't expect that in the end, it would be he who betrayed Jing Wang.

Chen Ji stood in place, stunned.

He thought the blood book would be in White Dragon's hands, but he didn't expect that Feng Da Ban was the one behind planning all this. White Dragon didn't say a word from beginning to end.

What was this Feng Da Ban's identity? Sick Tiger? Or was he an outsider who was above the zodiacs?

He knew that this blood book was clearly tricked away by General Wang and handed over to Feng Da Ban, but now Feng Da Ban was saying that he had tricked it out of Jing Wang's hands.

Why? Why? Why!?

Chen Ji turned his head to look at the cell of Armor Character Number One. He saw that Jing Wang was just making eye contact with him. Those eyes were neither sad nor happy, without emotion.

In the damp and cold inner prison, Chen Ji felt a boom in his brain, as if something had exploded.

Gold Pig poked Chen Ji with his arm and reminded him in a low voice: "Speak!"

Chen Ji came back to his senses, his heart cold as ice. He cupped his hands and saluted: "Reporting to Feng Da Ban, this lowly official only did what was within his share."

Feng Da Ban raised his hand and pressed down twice in front of him: "Don't be humble. This time, if it weren't for you, it would truly be difficult for my Si Li Jian to convict Jing Wang. This is a great merit. After this seat returns to the capital, I will personally report to the inner prime and request another merit for you."

After speaking, he smiled and took out a white scroll from his sleeve: "Just right, your order to promote to Sea East Eagle has also arrived. Congratulations. In the future, guard against pride and impatience, and do not rest on your laurels. My Si Li Jian needs young talents like you to serve the country."

Chen Ji took a few steps forward and took the scroll: "Thank you, Feng Da Ban."

Feng Da Ban seemed to smile but not smile: "Don't thank me, thank the inner prime for his appreciation of you. Three days later, White Dragon, Cloud Sheep, Jiao Rabbit, and Gold Pig will escort Jing Wang into the capital together."

After speaking, Feng Da Ban turned to White Dragon and said: "Lord White Dragon, please. You and I will lead people to Jing Wang Fu to search and confiscate, and then discuss the journey back to the capital."

White Dragon smiled: "Good."

After the two of them left, Jiao Rabbit tilted her head and sized up Chen Ji curiously: "Actually handling Jing Wang Fu's matter, even if you openly released water, no one would say anything, after all, you are friends with the world son and county lord. I didn't expect you to be quite ruthless, boy, stabbing them personally."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Cloud Sheep smiled and said: "You are becoming more and more like a zodiac."

Suddenly, Chen Ji smiled and said: "Lord Cloud Sheep is too kind. It is already not easy for this lowly official to be lucky enough to be promoted to Sea East Eagle. I plan to hold a banquet at Welcome Immortal Building tomorrow to celebrate this matter. I wonder if I would be lucky enough to invite a few lords to grace us with their presence?"

Gold Pig laughed heartily: "Go, we'll go together, to celebrate your merit! Hey, Meng Ji, you also come and have a drink. When was the last time we drank wine? Wasn't it when His Majesty invited the officials to a banquet on the road during his southern tour?"

Meng Ji brushed the dust off his sleeves and said in a flat tone: "Drink then drink, it doesn't matter."

Gold Pig looked at Cloud Sheep and Jiao Rabbit again: "What about you two? Give face, everyone is colleagues, not enemies."

Cloud Sheep had not yet spoken, but Jiao Rabbit smiled and narrowed her eyes in response: "Good, let's go together. But I want to drink thirty-year-old cellar-aged Huadiao wine, not a year less will do."

"Good, if that Huadiao wine is less than a year old, I will chop off the head of the owner of Welcome Immortal Building and kick it like a ball!" Gold Pig put his arm around Chen Ji's shoulder and walked outside: "Go, go, go, I will invite you to this celebration banquet at Welcome Immortal Building. Earlier, I was still worried that you would think too much and do something stupid. Now that I see you enlightened, I am even happier than you. Just remember, these false feelings in this world are not important. Only power in your hand is real!"

When the two of them passed the cell of Armor Character Seven Number, Chen Ji subconsciously looked towards the cell inside.

White Li's two rows of clear tears flowed down her cheeks, finally gathering on her chin and dripping towards the ground. The iron railing between the two people was like a deep abyss and a natural barrier, far out of reach.

Chen Ji turned his head and smiled: "How can I let Lord Gold Pig invite? I am promoted to Sea East Eagle, so naturally I will invite."