Chapter 229: The Killer

Previously, the head of the Liang escort agency said that Guyuan had a magically powerful inn, opened by General Wen Tao's old subordinates, and that it could send people to the Jing Dynasty.

I wonder if this is the one the head of the Liang escort agency was talking about.

Chen Ji looked out the window. The bandit, Hu San Ge, led several youngsters away, leaving only him and dozens of corpses in the room, along with the silver-white moonlight streaming in through the window.

He listened as the sound of iron hooves drew closer, finally stopping in front of the relay station's gate. The rustle of densely packed armor and iron pieces rang out, and over a hundred people dismounted at the entrance.

Someone shouted, "Surround the relay station!"

Amid the shouts, Zhang Xia rushed into the room where the bodies were. She looked at Chen Ji, who was standing in the moonlight, and said, "Chen Ji, there are people outside the relay station! They should be the Crown Prince's men!"

She glanced at Chen Ji and went straight to pull a sheet from a common bed. When she reached the bed, she saw the corpses with blood and tears flowing and hesitated.

But she only hesitated for two breaths before Zhang Xia hardened her resolve and pulled down a sheet.

Chen Ji was slightly surprised, not understanding what she intended to do.

Zhang Xia came to him, lowered her head, and used the sheet to re-wrap the Whale Blade. "I figured you wouldn't want to attract attention. This knife is too noticeable, so I'll help you cover it up."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Second Miss Zhang is admirable, not losing her composure in the face of danger, and her mind is sharp. Let's go out and take a look."

The two came to the middle of the courtyard, just as Chen Liqin, lifting the hem of his official robe, rushed in frantically. "Madam, forgive me..."

Madam Liang staggered a few steps into his embrace, weeping sorrowfully. "My lord, you've finally returned. If you were any later, I fear you wouldn't have seen us again."

Chen Liqin coughed. "The Crown Prince is also here. Don't be impolite."

Madam Liang lifted her head in surprise, her gaze going over Chen Liqin's shoulder towards the large gate of the relay station.

She saw a noble young master in a white fox fur coat approaching, his face like jade. More than twenty soldiers in silver armor with white cloaks on their shoulders followed closely, their hands resting tightly on their long swords at their waists.

The noble young master's hair was gathered with a white jade hairpin at the top of his head. His lips were red and his teeth were white, as if he had stepped out of a painting.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Madam Liang quickly separated from Chen Liqin's embrace, wiped her tears, and bowed. "Ten thousand years to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince returned the bow, his voice warm. "Auntie Chen, please don't be so polite. Today, it's all my fault for being negligent. I clearly knew that Guyuan was not peaceful, yet I didn't arrange for armored soldiers in advance to ensure your safety. Fortunately, none of you are harmed, otherwise I would be to blame even if I died ten thousand times."

Madam Liang was a little flattered to see the Crown Prince returning her bow. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you mustn't say that."

Chen Liqin bowed at the side. "Your Highness, you don't need to blame yourself. Who could have imagined that the bandits in Guyuan would be so rampant, actually daring to secretly harm the relatives of a court-appointed official? That you could come in person, your minister is already endlessly grateful."

Chen Wenzhao tearfully said, "Father, this matter must be investigated thoroughly!"

Chen Liqin's face darkened. "Crying and whining in front of the Crown Prince, what kind of behavior is that? Learn from your older brother, look at how he handles things."

The Crown Prince praised, "Wenzong's brother is truly a hero. After enduring this disaster, he still dared to come to the prefectural office alone to report, which shows his courage and spirit."

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia stood in the corner of the courtyard. Zhang Zheng muttered in a low voice, "They've been here for a long time, and no one has gone to look at those maidservants and attendants. They all died for nothing."

Zhang Xia glared fiercely at him. "Brother, say less."

Zhang Zheng said bluntly, "Our Zhang family and Xu family are not afraid of him!"

Zhang Xia lowered her voice. "You're not planning to become an official, but you can't implicate other people!"

Zhang Zheng glanced at Chen Ji and closed his mouth.

At this moment, Chen Ji remained silent.

The moment the Crown Prince appeared, the molten flow within his body surged violently, like a fierce tiger.

His heart beat rapidly, and the blood pumped from his heart flowed through the blood vessels in his forehead with a gurgling pulse, like the roar of the molten flow.

It was only after more than ten breaths that the molten flow gradually returned to silence.

This was the first time the molten flow had reacted so violently... Could it be because he saw the heir apparent of a country?

Just as he was pondering, the Crown Prince looked towards the middle of the courtyard. His gaze swept over Chen Ji's face, and when he saw Zhang Xia, his gaze paused slightly, then he looked at Zhang Zheng and Xiaoman. "Who are these people?"

Chen Wenzong stepped forward from behind. "Reporting to the Crown Prince, on the left is my younger brother, Chen Ji, and his personal maidservant. On the right are Master Zhang Zhuo's son and daughter. They came to Guyuan with us this time, originally to play, but unexpectedly found themselves in danger."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly, then cupped his hands towards Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia. "I received orders to come to Guyuan to investigate the case of killing good people and faking merits. This has implicated the two of you..."

Before he finished speaking, firelight illuminated the area outside the relay station.

The crowd turned their heads. A team of armored soldiers came with torches in hand, walking like wolves and tigers. The armored soldiers wore rattan armor, and on the rattan armor, traces of axe chops, chisel marks, and knife cuts could still be seen.

They were border army soldiers.

Behind the Crown Prince, more than twenty silver-armored personal guards drew their swords. The border army soldiers in their worn rattan armor had not drawn their waist knives, but their footsteps did not stop.

A powerful aura forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood rushed into the sky, forcing the personal guards to subconsciously retreat two steps.

The border army stood on the steps of the relay station, and the Crown Prince's personal guards stood below the steps of the courtyard, confronting each other with swords drawn and bows bent. The flames of the torches swayed non-stop, making puffing sounds in the wind.

Just then, Chen Ji suddenly felt his arm being grabbed, and the grip grew stronger.

He glanced sideways and saw Zhang Xia staring in the direction of the border army.

Zhang Xia's lips parted slightly, and she said in a voice as thin as a mosquito's, "The person behind the border army general was here at the relay station this afternoon. At that time, this person wasn't wearing rattan armor, but he has a scar on his right cheek. I couldn't have mistaken him."

Chen Ji's pupils suddenly constricted. He looked over with wide eyes. The man with the scar on his face was looking over the heads of the others, examining the courtyard, as if searching for something.

Something wasn't right.

According to the relay station attendant, this relay station was idle year-round and usually didn't even have enough firewood.

It was unreasonable for a border army soldier in civilian clothes to quietly come to the relay station.

If this person was truly the killer, wouldn't he be too brazen? After killing thirty or forty people of the Chen family, he actually dared to return here swaggeringly...

What confidence did this border army have to dare to defy the heir apparent of a country like this?

Zhang Xia asked in a low voice, "Should we expose him or not?"

"No," Chen Ji replied without changing his expression. "This is border army territory. If we really provoke the other side and make them desperate, no one will survive. Furthermore, we only saw the other side come over; there's no way to prove that the other side came to poison. Don't be nervous, and don't let the other side find any clues."

Zhang Xia nodded, her expression gradually calming down. "Understood."

In the standoff with swords drawn and bows bent, the Crown Prince raised his head and looked at the border army on the steps. "What brings you all here?"

The leading border army general cupped his fists and replied, "Reporting to the Crown Prince, the humble general heard from the prefectural office guards that a murder case occurred at the relay station and led men here to apprehend the criminals."

Li Xuan stepped forward to block the border army. "You all don't need to enter. My Imperial Forest Army can handle this."

The border army general was startled by these words. He immediately placed his hand on his waist knife and said in a deep voice, "Master Li, my Guyuan Prefectural Office governs thirty-six thousand households and manages the land of this city. Catching spies and criminals are all my prefectural office's duties. I hope the Crown Prince and Master Li will not overstep."

Li Xuan put his hand on the hilt of his waist sword and retorted, "How do I know this wasn't done by your Guyuan border army? If this case is handed over to you all..."

"It would just give you all an opportunity to destroy the evidence!"

The border army general's face changed, and his eyes showed a fierce light. "Master Li, what do you mean by this? My border army guards the border here, throwing their heads and spilling their hot blood. I will not tolerate you slandering us!"

Li Xuan let out a cold laugh. "Whether it's slander or not, you know very well in your heart."

The border army general said angrily, "We border army kill people, always meeting the thieves of the Jing Dynasty head-on with white blades seeing red! When have we ever used such despicable means as poison?"

Li Xuan wanted to say something more, but was stopped by the Crown Prince, who pressed his shoulder.

He turned his head to look at the Crown Prince. "Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

The Crown Prince said slowly, "It's alright, I will speak with General Zhou."

Li Xuan hesitated for a moment and retreated to the side.

The Crown Prince raised his head and looked at the border army general on the steps. "General Zhou, Master Chen has just arrived and has already suffered this misfortune. This is already alarming. After I return, I will definitely write a memorial overnight and send it by six hundred li urgent post to the capital to report to the Emperor, thoroughly investigating this matter. Now the border army also has suspicions, so it's better to avoid suspicion a bit."

General Zhou's expression was solemn. "Your Highness, it's not that we are intentionally offending your heavenly might, but we also worry that someone will frame us for this matter. In recent years, the border army has suffered many criticisms and truly cannot afford this kind of stigma. The Crown Prince originally came to investigate the case of killing good people and faking merits, which has nothing to do with this matter. Why do you need to intervene?"

The Crown Prince gently shook his head. "Not so. Master Chen is now a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy. His affairs within my East Palace are naturally East Palace affairs. General Zhou, you led men to surround my Imperial Forest Army, could it be that you want to rebel?"

General Zhou stared straight at the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, you don't need to scare me. I, Zhou, have crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. I stand tall and upright, and my conscience is clear. Even arguing before the Emperor, I am not afraid. If Your Highness the Crown Prince insists on not letting us investigate this matter, then we can only offend."

The Crown Prince looked at the border army soldiers, who looked like fierce gods and evil spirits. After pondering for a moment, he said, "How about this? The border army and the Imperial Forest Army will investigate this matter together. If the border army is truly innocent, the Imperial Forest Army can also testify for everyone."

General Zhou's eyes flickered. After several breaths, he made a decision. "Good!"

The Crown Prince turned his head to look at Chen Liqin. "Master Chen, this relay station is not suitable to live in. Let's all follow me back to the prefectural office. There are still several empty courtyards there."

Chen Liqin cupped his hand and said, "Everything depends on Your Highness the Crown Prince's arrangements."

The Crown Prince then looked at Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia. "What are your intentions?"

Zhang Xia replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, we will follow the Chen family."

The Crown Prince was the first to walk up the steps, and the border army soldiers successively made way.

Zhang Zheng whispered from behind, "Should we run? The prefectural office is the border army's old nest. If we go to live there, won't we be throwing ourselves into a trap and worrying constantly, not daring to eat?"

Zhang Xia negated this. "If we run, it will definitely make the other side suspicious and alert them."

Chen Ji said calmly, "If the border army really did it, they absolutely wouldn't let people die inside the prefectural office. Let's go. It's actually safest to go to the border army's territory at this time."