Chapter 188: Mr. Feng

Chen Ji knew that from now on, he could only rely on himself.

In the heavy snow, he watched Yu Dengke, the Crown Prince, Liang Gouer, and Liang Maouer’s figures drift further and further away, until this night, only he was left. It was as if he had run from a glorious stage into the darkness outside the stage.

Chen Ji felt as though he had returned to a certain midnight shortly after he arrived in this world. He stood behind the counter of the Taiping Medical Hall, alone, reviewing the general outline of medical arts. Then he wrote ten characters: Life between heaven and earth, suddenly like a far traveler.

The moment Chen Ji walked out of the inner prison, he finally understood many things:

His arrival in this world was no accident. Jing Wang, Master, and Li Qingniao had planned it all, with him as the most crucial chess piece.

Jing Wang, knowing his life was short, had given him Bing Liu at the cost of the entire Jing Wangfu, and given him silver in the name of cement, precisely to make him grow quickly.

The other party seemed to have arranged an especially difficult fate for him, which was why they had said “sorry” to him twice.

It was also precisely because this fate was too bitter that when he wanted to follow Wu Hongbiao and Si Cao Gui in leaving Jing Dynasty, Master took pity and advised him to leave.

At that moment, Master had hoped he would just leave.

If he had left that day, perhaps he would have jumped out of the chessboard. From this, he could guess that Jing Wang did not know about his fallback in Jing Dynasty. The other party did not know about his relationship with Lu Jin, so they never utilized this connection. Master had helped him keep the secret.

That little old man, with his poisonous mouth and warm heart, had ultimately helped him.

So, what exactly did Jing Wang want him to do? Chen Ji only knew it was related to the unification of the Jing and Ning dynasties, related to the immortals of the forty-nine heavens. The other party needed him to make the Mountain Lord Gate increasingly strong. The rest, he still couldn’t guess.

Whether it was Jing Wang or Ning Emperor, both were cold and powerful political creatures. Ordinary people fundamentally couldn't fully fathom their intentions. But what about Bai Li? Why did Jing Wang want Bai Long to take Bai Li away?

How should he save Bai Li? Rob the prison again? Snatch Bai Li from Bai Long’s hands?

Bai Long was a high official at the peak of the Seeking Dao Realm. He, a minor official who had just stepped into the Innate Realm, absolutely couldn't kill him. Now without help, it was impossible for Chen Ji to rob the prison again.

A dead end.

Chen Ji suddenly remembered Master’s words: If he was smart enough, he should just leave.

He carried the Sword Seed Gate, and Jing Dynasty still had a high-ranking uncle to look after him. As long as he went to Jing Dynasty, he would have enough time to wait until he was strong enough to overlook the world, like Wu Temple Mountain Chief Lu Yang.

Ten years. Twenty years.

He was still young. He could wait. But he didn’t want to wait.

At this moment, a Jie Fan Wei rode up the dark, long street at night, iron hooves stepping on the accumulated snow, splashing up waves of snow.

The moment the Jie Fan Wei saw Chen Ji, he resolutely drew the long knife from behind his waist, bent low, and attacked.

Chen Ji advanced instead of retreating. The moment man and horse crossed, the Jie Fan Wei on the horse chopped from the left side with a knife. Chen Ji, however, precisely pulled the war horse’s reins and flipped up, kicking the other party flying from the right side with one foot, landing himself on the saddle.

He did not want to fight, only pulling the reins. The swift horse, pulled by the reins, stood up on its front legs and turned direction.

By the time the Jie Fan Wei struggled up from the snow, Chen Ji had already ridden far away. Time waits for no one!

Two sticks of incense later, Chen Ji looked at the dim Huan Jing Hutong ahead.

This was originally the yamen of Lo City’s Secret Spy Division, but secret spies always preferred to handle cases in dark, unseen places like the inner prison, so the proper yamen was instead idle. Until Bai Long appeared, this yamen was then reused.

Chen Ji pulled the reins in front of the yamen, took a deep breath, and flipped off the horse.

He strode briskly towards the yamen interior. Snow had already filled the empty courtyard. In the courtyard, there was a faint scent of Chinese medicine, like sandalwood and also like musk.

Deep inside the yamen, a lamp was burning. Bai Long, wearing a mask, sat upright behind a red wooden desk, seemingly reviewing documents.

In the boundless night, only this one light remained.

In the main hall, Bai Long heard the sound of footsteps, lifted his head and glanced at Chen Ji, then lowered his head again, reviewing documents while casually saying:“Why have you come to the Secret Spy Division yamen so late?”

Chen Ji walked through the courtyard, stepped over the accumulated snow, one step at a time:“Mr. Feng, is our agreement still valid?”

In the yamen main hall, the vermilion pen in Bai Long’s hand suddenly stopped, as if the heavy snow outside this yamen had also stopped in mid-air.

After a moment of stagnation, the vermilion pen in Bai Long’s hand moved again. He sat behind the desk, stamping the document with a vermilion annotation, then lightly said:“How could this seat be Mr. Feng?”

At this time, Chen Ji looked around the main hall. He saw two tea cups on the desk, the tea still steaming. Both only had half left. This indicated that Bai Long had a guest here just now, who had just left, and this guest was someone who could make Bai Long remove his mask to drink tea.

Chen Ji’s gaze returned, and he replied:“Ever since Bai Long appeared, Mr. Feng disappeared.”

Bai Long said slowly and methodically without lifting his head:“This seat must wait in the inner court, while Mr. Feng must always stay with the Liu family. How can we two be in two places at once?”

Chen Ji replied:“Whoever wears the mask, whoever is Bai Long. I think Jiang Yan is just your puppet, and you are the great official who practices the Yan Sheng technique.”

Bai Long seemed amused by Chen Ji:“Young man, I fear you’ve drunk fake wine. Who gave you the guts to come before this seat and talk nonsense?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said:“I took Jing Wang’s blood letter to the Qian Sui Army to secretly plan to rob the prison, yet I came back safe and sound, and the Qian Sui Army didn’t chase or kill me. I thought it over and over, only Mr. Feng would act to protect me. Thank you, Mr. Feng.”

Bai Long said lightly:“Coming before this seat in the dead of night to talk nonsense, be careful your head falls to the ground.”

Chen Ji said calmly:“Mr. Feng, Wang Ye already told me your identity.”

Bai Long was slightly startled, then reacted:“Boy, are you bluffing me?”

Chen Ji shook his head, and said sincerely:“Not bluffing. Before his death, Wang Ye already told me all his plans and asked me to assist you.”

Before he could finish, Bai Long laughed heartily, as if he had heard a great joke:“Boy, to bluff me, you even dare to make up such a big lie. Are you really not afraid that this seat will kill you now? Truly bold!”

Chen Ji suddenly said:“Mr. Feng, my Master said if I encounter great trouble, then come find you.”

Bai Long laughed and put the vermilion pen on the pen holder. He took off his mask, revealing Mr. Feng’s appearance:“This seat is too lazy to listen to you make up nonsense. If I listen any more, this seat is afraid I can’t help but kill you.”

Chen Ji was silent.

Bai Long said laughingly:“This seat repeatedly asked you if you wanted to follow me and do things, and you always refused. Now how have you suddenly changed your mind?”

Chen Ji replied:“Naturally, I plan to abandon the darkness and turn to the light.”

Bai Long lazily waved his hand:“I know why you’ve come, and I know what you’re thinking in your heart. But now is different from the past. The thing you seek, I can’t do anymore. Please go back.”

Chen Ji stood opposite the desk and asked:“Mr. Feng knows what matter I seek?”

Bai Long picked up the tea cup and took a shallow sip, casually saying:“There are not many things in this world that can make people risk life and death, so it’s not hard to guess. But now the County Princess is trapped in a major rebellion case. This matter is directly judged by the Imperial court, and others dare not say much. Let alone me, even Nei Xiang adult and Wu Xiu adult dare not plead for her.”

Chen Ji was silent for a long time, finally bending his body, cupping his hands, and bowing:“If Mr. Feng does not abandon me, this humble one is willing to go through fire and water for Mr. Feng without hesitation. Mr. Feng’s scheme is very grand and needs someone to do things for you.”

Bai Long stood up and overlooked Chen Ji’s back, with a smile that wasn’t a smile:“You bend your waist for such a small matter. How can you achieve great things?”

Chen Ji did not stand up, and said again:“Hope Mr. Feng will fulfill my wish. This humble one is willing to saddle the horse before and after for Mr. Feng.”

Bai Long said casually:“As you can see, this seat has strong soldiers and ample horses, followers like clouds. How would I lack you, a young man, to help me do things?”

Chen Ji straightened his body and looked directly at Bai Long:“Since Mr. Feng has followers like clouds, why is there no one by Mr. Feng’s side at this time?”

Bai Long’s eyebrows slightly raised.

Chen Ji said:“Because they were led away by me.”

Bai Long praised:“You really don’t want to live, do you? You even dare to say such things. However, do you really think you can outplay the other secret spies around? If no one came here to delay this seat for an hour for you, do you think you would have had the opportunity to bring the Crown Prince out of the inner prison?”

Chen Ji subconsciously looked at the tea cup on the desk. So, someone had come to the Secret Spy Division yamen just now and delayed Bai Long for an hour?

He turned his gaze back and said:“That is also my ability.”

Bai Long was startled, then cried and laughed:“I didn’t realize your skin was so thick before. Alright, alright, even if this is also your ability, do you think you can send the Crown Prince out of Lo City? How about we make a bet? With tonight’s midnight as the boundary, if you can truly prevent me from catching the Crown Prince and Liang Gouer, then this seat will count you as winning and you will have the qualification to do things under this seat. If you lose…”

Chen Ji said with certainty:“I will not lose.”

East Market, canal wharf.

In the past, even when it snowed, there were trackers and laborers busy at night. Goods from the south and north gathered here, making it one of the world’s hubs.

As the saying goes, hundreds of goods piled up like mountains, sails like a forest. By day, thousands bow; by night, ten thousand lamps are bright, very lively.

And at this time, the entire wharf was quiet. Many large ships had dropped anchor and stopped on the black river surface, delaying docking, waiting for the storm in Lo City to calm down.

Snow fell on the lake surface. Han Tong, wearing a conical hat, shuttled and jumped between the decks of ship after ship, as if walking on flat ground. Some ships’ decks had night watch sailors. When they saw him, they only nodded slightly, not reporting, letting him pass like a ghost, as if no one was there.

Han Tong came to the outermost ship, took a fire inch strip from his sleeve, pulled open the wooden cover, and the phosphorus fire burned red sparks.

He raised the fire inch strip in the air, shook it three times, paused for three breaths, then shook it five times again. After a moment, a double-mast fast ship silently weighed anchor in the center of the river and approached the wharf.

When the ship docked steadily, someone jumped down from the high ship side:“Sect Master, why did you suddenly dispatch this ship? This ship is supposed to go to Yangzhou.”

Han Tong said in a deep voice:“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. Don’t drop anchor. Be ready to leave the wharf at any time. Tonight, I need you to smuggle a few people. Is there no one inside the secret room?”

The middle-aged man said:“There’s a Jianghu guest hiding inside. According to him, he slept with an official noble family’s miss in the capital. Her family hired Lamp people to chase him. Without our Cao Gang’s cover, he will undoubtedly die.”

“I didn’t ask you about that,” Han Tong interrupted. “Don’t leave other people in this ship’s secret room. The people I send on board absolutely cannot have any problems. Remember, if you have problems, they absolutely cannot have problems.”

The middle-aged man smiled honestly:“Okay, then I will go and kill that Jianghu guest later. He should have two small yellow fish on him.”

However, just at this moment, a sail on the outermost ship of the wharf suddenly rose halfway. Han Tong suddenly turned back and looked. This was a secret signal between the Cao Gang!

The middle-aged man behind him lowered his voice:“Sect Master, the court’s hounds have come. Hurry and go!”

Han Tong’s eyes narrowed slightly. How could the Eunuch Party chase them here?

“Sect Master, did someone sell you out? Hurry and leave with me. This place is not suitable to stay for long.”

The middle-aged man said this and then wanted to reboard the ship, calling the sailors to sail the ship away. But Han Tong grabbed his wrist, and said in a condensed voice:“I will lead the Eunuch Party away for you. All of you stay here to receive people!”

The middle-aged man was startled:“Exactly what kind of people do you want to send that are so important?”

Han Tong looked at him:“More important than my life.”

The middle-aged man was silent for a long time:“Understood. Still haven’t found A Yun yet?”

Han Tong shook his head:“No, she’s hidden herself. Don’t know where she’s hidden. She doesn’t trust anyone.”

As he spoke, footsteps could already be heard in the distance. Someone was stepping on the wharf’s wooden boards, approaching with a “dong dong dong dong” sound, and there were many of them.

Han Tong no longer hesitated, turned and jumped onto the deck of another ship. Like an ape, he grabbed the mast’s rope and swung far away. One after another, the masts’ ropes became his leverage points.

Beside him was the canal. If there was real danger, he could immediately dive into the water. With his natural water ability, no matter how many Jie Fan Wei came, it would be impossible to catch up with him in the water.

However, just as Han Tong wanted to escape, he saw a team of people on horseback with torches approaching in the distance.

He stood on top of a mast, narrowed his eyes, and when he saw the people clearly, his face changed!

He saw Yun Yang standing in the heavy snow at the wharf, dressed in black. In his left hand, he held a torch, and in his right hand, he pushed Bai Li, whose hands were tied behind her back.

Yun Yang held the torch and waved at Han Tong, smiling and shouting:“Han Sect Master, surrender with your hands tied. Otherwise, the County Princess will perish tonight.”

(There are still updates to come)