Chapter 183: Innate

At the Zi hour, in the deep night, heavy snow blanketed Hongyi Hutong, extinguishing the usual magnificence of the lamps. She Dengke, his face etched with urgency, braved the snow and arrived.

He hesitated before the door of 'Liuligong,' attempting to knock, but no one opened it for him.

He stepped back several paces and looked up, only to see that Liuligong, the most famous establishment in Hongyi Hutong, had its doors and windows tightly shut, curtains drawn, and was pitch black.

She Dengke muttered to himself, "Didn't they say Dog Elder Brother was inside? This place is completely dark, doesn't look like anyone is here."

Just then, a bent-over servant rushed out from a small alleyway, laughing with a low, obsequious tone, "Young master, have you come to Liuligong for fun?"

She Dengke replied, "I'm looking for someone, I'm looking for Liang Gouzi."

The servant smiled, eyes squinted, "Ah, so you're Dog Elder Brother's esteemed guest! This way please, this way please."

With that, the servant led She Dengke into the small alley and guided him all the way to Liuligong's dimly lit back door.

Upon opening the door, he heard the sounds of orioles and swallows within the building. His eyes met a dazzling display of colors, and a hot, fragrant wind rushed towards him. The place was anything but quiet.

She Dengke stared, dumbfounded, "I thought there was no one inside..."

The servant, with a fawning smile, explained, "These days, the Secret Agents Division is everywhere in the city, like living Kings of Hell. We really don't dare to be ostentatious."

As She Dengke walked inside, he suddenly discovered that the ground floor of Liuligong was heated. It was actually warmer inside than in spring. The constant flow of enchanting dance girls exposing their snow-white skin almost made his eyes lose focus.

The servant led him upstairs and knocked on the door of the 'Chun Yi Wan' private room. He heard Liang Gouzi's voice call out, "Come in!"

Pulling open the door, he saw Liang Gouzi sitting beside a round table, holding two dance girls and laughing boisterously. Beside him sat Liang Maozi, looking helpless, continuously stuffing food into his mouth.

She Dengke quickly walked several steps, pulled away a dance girl, and sat down beside Liang Gouzi, whispering a few sentences. Liang Gouzi, still holding a dance girl, glanced at him sideways and said, "Little Brother She, you know my rules, Liang Gouzi has three things he won't do, one is he won't help..."

She Dengke said solemnly, "Dog Elder Brother, we're all friends. Can't you make an exception just this once?"

Liang Gouzi sneered, "What friends? I only think about needing money. Wine and meat friends just drink your wine. You want wine and meat friends to risk their lives? What kind of logic is that..."

Yu Dengke was silent for a moment, then took an envelope from his chest. "If you act according to the plan, take this envelope after the matter is done. I guarantee you can see Jiang Liuxian."

Liang Gouzi suddenly sat up straight. "Say that again?"

Yu Dengke said seriously, "Jiang. Liu. Xian."

Liang Gouzi's face gradually turned cold.

Yu Dengke continued, "If you don't act according to the plan, then you will never see..."

Before he finished speaking, Liang Gouzi pushed away the dance girl beside him and said in a deep voice, "Get out, all of you!" After all the dance girls had left the private room, he took the envelope, pulled out a page of paper, and scrutinized it repeatedly, his expression shifting between cloud and sun.

A moment later, the drunkenness in his eyes vanished. He stared intently at Yu Dengke. "You kid don't have the guts to talk to me like this. You shouldn't even know where Jiang Liuxian is. Who taught you all this?"

She Dengke hesitated for a while before also looking at Liang Gouzi, meeting his gaze directly. "No one taught me."

"You dare to come in front of me and say the words Jiang Liuxian just based on yourself?" Liang Gouzi laughed coldly. "I already guessed who it was. Young man, you have deep thoughts. You will stop at nothing to achieve your goals... Is he not afraid I'll settle scores after the fact?"

She Dengke was getting impatient. "Succeed or not, give me a clear answer. I still have several places to go. Tonight is very busy."

Liang Gouzi closed his eyes and pondered.

When he reopened his eyes, he drained the wine in the Liuli cup. "Tell him, as he wishes."

She Dengke quickly left.

Outside the door, he looked at the heavy snow falling from the sky, then gripped his collar tightly with his right hand and hurried away with his head down.

At the Yin hour, the sky was still pitch black.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the Luo City granary. A soldier on the sentry tower, carrying a lantern, squinted his eyes. "Who's there!?"

The next moment, through the wind and snow, he saw Zhang Zhuo, dressed in a set of red official robes, riding towards them, leading over a hundred manor soldiers behind him.

Zhang Zhuo stopped his horse in front of the stockade gate and said in a cold voice, "Open the gate!"

The stockade gate slowly opened. A deputy general, pulling up his trousers, ran towards the outside. "Lord Zhang, why have you come at midnight?"

Zhang Zhuo raised his chin. "Wake up all the soldiers. The transport of autumn grain and tax silver was delayed due to the people's rebellion. Tomorrow, it must all be sorted and transported away."

The deputy general was startled. "My lord, why so hasty? Just sorting the autumn grain will take three days... Moreover, we haven't contacted the boat gangs yet. They might not even have large ships for transport waiting at the dock."

Zhang Zhuo laughed coldly. "Is this Luo City under your command or mine? You prepare according to what I said. Before the Shen hour this evening, transport away as much as you've sorted."

The deputy general hesitated, uncertain.

Zhang Zhuo, sitting on his horse, looked down at him. "This official previously beheaded a deputy general here. I'm not afraid to behead another."

The deputy general panicked and bowed his head. "Yes, this lowly subordinate understands."

At this time, Zhang Zhuo spoke again. "Also, the route for transporting the grain needs to be changed a bit. This time, we'll pass through Guangji Street and then escort it to the dock. This is to prevent thieves familiar with our route from setting up an ambush ahead."

The deputy general was puzzled. "My lord, these days, Luo City is full of the eunuch party's hounds, and the Jianghu has fierce bandits. Even if they had nine brains, they wouldn't dare to rob official grain and official silver!"

Zhang Zhuo slightly narrowed his eyes. "I say, you do. Where do you get so many questions?"

The deputy general was startled. "This lowly subordinate understands!"

The sound of roosters crowing rang out. Zhang Zhuo looked up at the faint white light on the horizon. It was already the Mao hour.

Among the manor soldiers behind him, Zhang Zheng, hidden within the team, slowly urged his horse forward. "Father, did we make it in time?"

Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment. "We should make it in time... This matter is very important. I am risking the Zhang family's scholarly fate with this."

Zhang Zheng said with a laugh, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, Big Brother and I are not suited for being officials."

Zhang Zhuo glared. "You have the nerve to say that?"

Zhang Zheng hurriedly changed the subject. "Right, Father, where's Younger Sister?"

Zhang Zhuo looked into the black night. "She has her own matters to attend to."

At the Si hour, the sky was brightly lit. Inside the small courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall, snow had already accumulated thickly.

The snow accumulation on Anxi Street had been cleared by merchants, but the snow in front of the Medical Hall door remained untouched.

Old Head Yao stood behind the counter in the main hall, taking pulses and dispensing medicine for patients. When there were no patients, he would occasionally poke his head towards the back courtyard to see if Chen Ji had woken up.

Hei Yun, tucked up beside his hand, meowed. "Master, Chen Ji isn't sick. He wasn't a lazy sleeper before."

Old Head Yao sneered. "Sick? An external injury from the Shanjun Gate can heal quickly. How could he easily get sick?"

"Oh... then why is he still not up?"

Old Head Yao stood behind the counter, his hands clasped in his sleeves.

He looked at the snow accumulation in front of the door and replied casually, "Maybe there's nothing good to look forward to."

Hotpot in winter, wine in the evening, none of it was very important.

At this time, inside the apprentice's sleeping room, Chen Ji opened his eyes and looked at the house beam. He watched the dust motes floating in the air, not knowing what he was thinking.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ji got up and changed into a set of brand new black winter clothes. He took the bamboo broom from the courtyard and walked outside.

Seeing Old Head Yao and Hei Yun, he smiled and greeted them, "Morning."

Old Head Yao glanced at him. "You still know how to get up? What, planning to wait for me to sweep the snow clean? Dressed up like a proper gentleman, going to Hongyi Hutong?"

Chen Ji smiled happily. "Master, don't be angry. I'm just going to sweep the snow. I'm going to a banquet tonight to invite colleagues, so I'm dressed a bit formally."

As he spoke, the crisp sound of copper bells rang out from a distance on Anxi Street.

The next moment, thirty-two monks, wearing gray monk robes and baring half of their shoulders in the cold winter season, steadily carried a colossal Sumeru Seat and a venerable Avalokitesvara.

Beside the Sumeru Seat, the monks held a copper bell in their left hand and incense fire in their right. Occasionally, their left and right hands would strike each other, causing the incense fire and the copper bell to collide, producing splendid sparks and crisp sounds.

In the places they passed, the common people prostrated themselves on the ground.

An eighty-year-old wealthy man surnamed Zhuang, celebrating a major birthday, had specially donated incense and invited the Buddha and Bodhisattva to patrol and look after the human world.

Chen Ji stood inside the doorway, hands together, and softly made a wish with his eyes closed.

Old Head Yao looked at his back and laughed. "Going to kill people tonight, so you're going to offer salvation beforehand? Didn't you used to debate scriptures with the Buddhist sect? When did you become a devout believer under the Buddha's Sumeru Seat?"

Chen Ji opened his eyes, smiled, and turned back. "Master, since this world has forty-nine layers of heaven, it's always good to have one more preparation. What if the Bodhisattva really blesses me today?"

Old Head Yao lowered his eyelids. "This human world is already in such chaos. If they truly have a compassionate heart, they should open their eyes and look."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Master, since Xu Shu and Hu Junyan can come down from the forty-nine layers of heaven, there must also be a way to go up, right?"

Old Head Yao looked up at him. "What, you want to go up and see?"

Chen Ji leaned on his bamboo broom and laughed. "Just asking."

Old Head Yao stood behind the counter and pondered for a moment. "Rumor has it that the forty-nine layers of heaven are where immortals live. If one day you cross the realm of the Divine Path, pass through the tribulation, and ascend, perhaps you can become an immortal up there."

Chen Ji's eyes slightly brightened. "Master, have people successfully passed through the tribulation and ascended these years?"

"Yes."

"Master, do you want to become an immortal?"

Old Head Yao scoffed. "If it's not for a hundred thousand years, why be an immortal in the heavens?"

Chen Ji was startled. This sentence seemed to have meaning. He slowly swept the snow in front of the door, somewhat thoughtfully, from noon until evening.

After the last piece of snow was swept clean, he turned and went back inside, took out the ginseng he had previously bought, transformed it into crystal beads in front of Old Head Yao, and watched as Hei Yun swallowed them one by one.

Old Head Yao watched silently for a long time, then took out ten more branches of ginseng from the main house and placed them on the counter.

Chen Ji looked up, across the counter. "Master, how do you sell this ginseng?"

Old Head Yao pushed the ginseng towards him. "No need for money this time."

Chen Ji was astonished. "You are..."

Old Head Yao said expressionlessly, "Don't walk in front of me."

Chen Ji grinned. The ice flow within his body all transformed into a molten flow. A hundred and ten lamp furnaces blazed fiercely. His eyes seemed to be lit up with stars.

Hei Yun's body suddenly grew a circle. Originally only the size of two palms, it was now as long as a forearm.

It shook its body, shedding a body of floating fur that turned into dust in the air. Its newly grown fur was black and shiny.

Chen Ji placed Hei Yun on his shoulder and walked outside. When he reached the door, he turned back and looked at Old Head Yao, only to see the other party quietly gazing at him from behind the counter.

Old Head Yao slowly said, "One step, one layer of heaven; a hundred steps, you reach the clouds. Go, you will be an innate expert afterwards."

Chen Ji knelt down and kowtowed three times to Old Head Yao, then got up and strode away.

Taiping Medical Hall became quiet again. Old Head Yao casually fiddled with the abacus, but he didn't know what he was calculating.

After a long silence, he took out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve and scattered them on the counter. After seeing the divination image, he gathered the copper coins and scattered them again.

He scattered them over ten times before finally sighing.

A black crow flew into the house from an unknown place, lightly landed on his shoulder, and cawed.

Old Head Yao made no sound, only gathered the copper coins, held his hands, and slowly walked out of the medical hall, walking into the setting sun.