Chapter 78: Farewell

Chen Ji gripped the reins, stopping the ox cart on the road heading south.

It was midnight in the quiet falling snow. Snowflakes landed on the bodies of the three people, embedding themselves in their hair.

Si Cao Gui sat at the front of the cart, driving. At this moment, he turned back to look at Chen Ji and asked solemnly, "Why do you want to go back to Taiping Medical Hall? Don't you trust me and Wu Hong Biao, unwilling to leave with us?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "I trust you. You could have fled far and high this evening, but you risked your lives to save me. If not for you, I might already be in the inner prison."

Si Cao Gui asked again solemnly, "Then do you know that staying is very likely to result in being settled by Lu Guan Wu's people?"

Chen Ji slowly loosened the reins, "Now the people in the Military Affairs Department who know my identity, some are dead, some are gone. Even if a new Si Lord, Si Cao, arrives in Lu City, they won't trouble me again."

Si Cao Gui was silent.

Chen Ji's expression was serious, and he spoke righteously, "I have finally managed to stay in Jing Wang's mansion and have finally infiltrated the Ning Dynasty's secret plot department. I absolutely cannot leave Lu City just because I am timid."

He added, "The firearm I used tonight to bomb the golden pig and kill shopkeeper Yuan was obtained from that important figure in the Wang mansion. If I can get firearms this time, next time I can get formulas, drawings, and marching deployment maps. If I stay, my role will be bigger!"

Wu Hong Biao respectfully and solemnly said, "Your faith is much firmer than mine!"

"Sir," Chen Ji pondered for a moment, looking at Gui. "After you leave, Si Cao Xin also died on the way. Who will take over Lu City in the future?"

Gui pondered for a moment, "There were earlier rumors that shopkeeper Yuan once contended with Ding for power in Lu City. Presumably, Ding will take over."

"What kind of person is he?"

"I don't know," Gui said calmly. "Si Cao do not meet each other. If Xin and I were not old acquaintances, we probably wouldn't recognize each other. No matter who takes over, do not actively contact them; it is extremely dangerous."

Chen Ji asked again, "Who will be the next Si Lord?"

Gui answered directly, "This matter is the highest secret of the Military Affairs Department. Not only do I not know, but even if I did, I couldn't tell you."

"Understood."

Gui hesitated repeatedly, but still advised, "Although your role will be bigger if you stay, you will be safer if you return to the Jing Dynasty. Stay by your uncle's side; no one can do anything to you."

Chen Ji slowly jumped down from the cart and, in the drifting snow, bowed to the two in farewell, "I want to return to Taiping Medical Hall. After this farewell, you and I will be separated by two dynasties. I don't know when we can meet again. We will meet again later!"

He looked at Si Cao Gui in the cart; his face was thin and angular. Wu Hong Biao, whose injuries had not yet healed, appeared somewhat weak.

He was not deeply acquainted with these two people, but one was willing to risk death to give him a tip, and the other was willing to give up the opportunity to flee far and high to come back and save him.

Chen Ji faced them, feeling very grateful, but still added in his heart that they would not meet again later.

At this moment, Wu Hong Biao did not say goodbye to Chen Ji directly. He looked at Si Cao Gui, "Sir, can you wait for me for a bit?"

Si Cao Gui frowned, "You can."

Then, Wu Hong Biao dragged his injured body and searched everywhere. Finally, he found a closed wine shop.

He went around to the backyard and quietly flipped in. Not long after, he came out carrying a small jar of wine, "It should be chrysanthemum wine the shop owner didn't sell out during the Double Ninth Festival. It smells very fragrant. After this farewell, Chen Ji, I don't know when I can meet you again. Let's drink this wine as a send-off."

Chen Ji was a little startled. He opened the mud seal of the wine jar, drank a large mouthful of chrysanthemum wine, and handed it to Wu Hong Biao.

Wu Hong Biao also hugged the small jar and fiercely gulped a large mouthful before passing it to Si Cao Gui.

Si Cao Gui hesitated repeatedly and finally took the wine jar, taking a small sip, "I still need to leave the city later. I must stay sober. Drinking wine will delay matters."

Under the moonlight, fine snowflakes drifted into the wine jar. Chen Ji suddenly smiled and took over the wine jar, "I'll drink your share for you!"

Saying that, he again gulped a large mouthful of wine, patted the wine jar on the ox cart, and bowed his hands, "We will meet again later!"

Si Cao Gui and Wu Hong Biao also bowed their hands together, "We will meet again later!"

The ox cart slowly started moving again. The wooden wheels pressed on the stone road, creaking as they went far away.

The snow gradually grew bigger, bigger and bigger, like goose feathers.

Chen Ji stood in the wind and snow.

He thought of the Jianghu people who had abandoned the heir apparent and run away earlier, and then looked at the two Jing Dynasty spies who were gradually going far away.

Chen Ji suddenly felt that this was the Jianghu.

"Morning rooster crows, early to bed, early to rise!"

An old, poor watchman, carrying a lantern, braving the wind and snow, and knocking a copper gong, slowly walked past the long street.

The words the watchman shouted were different at each hour.

At the first watch, he recited, "Heaven is dry, things are dry, be careful with fire and candles."

At the second watch, he shouted, "Close doors and windows, prevent stealing and theft."

At the third watch, he shouted, "No illness, no disaster, safe and sound."

At the fourth watch, he shouted, "Heaven is cold, the ground is frozen, be careful of slippery roads."

At the fifth watch, he shouted, "Morning rooster crows, early to bed, early to rise."

The common people in the city could distinguish which watch it was simply by hearing what the watchman shouted.

After the watchman left, Chen Ji slowly walked out from a narrow alley, stumbling and绕ing his way back to Taiping Medical Hall.

There was no one in the courtyard. Even the crows didn't know where they had gone, leaving only a bare apricot tree.

Chen Ji stood in the snow, letting the heavy snow fall on his head and shoulders. He felt a sudden release of breath, as if as long as he returned to the medical hall, he could settle his heart.

Chen Ji did not return to his room to sleep, but with some intoxication, he came to the water vat and took off his clothes.

He stood in the pure white snow and scooped ladle after ladle of ice-cold water onto his head, washing away the bloodstains, dust, gunpowder smell, and restlessness on his body, until his whole body's skin was red. Only then did he dry his body.

Chen Ji returned to his room, changed into a set of dry clothes, lit the stove in the kitchen, and threw his old clothes into the stove fire.

He sat on the small bamboo stool in front of the stove, letting the orange-red warm firelight envelop him. The dry firewood in the stove fire crackled, especially peacefully.

Hei Yun stepped on the floating snow in the courtyard and came to the kitchen. It lightly jumped onto Chen Ji's knee, snuggling up warmly, "It's so cold! I followed Gui and Wu Hong Biao to confirm they safely left the city before coming back."

"How did they leave the city?"

Hei Yun replied, "Gui's subordinate in the Lu City military horse department secretly let them pass. I heard them say on the road that it would be very dangerous if you stayed behind. They thought you should follow them to the Jing Dynasty. I feel these two new friends really care about you."

Chen Ji smiled and stroked Hei Yun's head, "I don't seem to be very suitable for making friends. Every time I make friends, I soon lose them."

Hei Yun thought for a moment, "I will accompany you."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "Now in Lu City, only Yun Fei knows my spy identity. I must figure out how to keep it a secret."

"Yun Fei," Hei Yun thought of Yun Fei and was immediately angry, "It's her who brings Bai Ban Ruo to Wan Xing Yuan every day to beat me! So hateful!"

Chen Ji laughed, "Later we'll figure out a way to get revenge! However, she is a bit different from Jing Fei. She should be manageable."

"Why?"

Chen Ji analyzed, "Jing Fei and Yun Fei are completely different types of people. When you were with Jing Fei, if you couldn't beat Bai Ban Ruo, you wouldn't even get food, and you would be scolded by Chun Rong. You see, you've been away from Wan Xing Yuan for so long, and she hasn't sent anyone to look for you. This kind of person is very dangerous because her heart only has herself."

"What about Yun Fei?"

Chen Ji recalled and said, "When Bai Ban Ruo was injured, she invited a doctor for Bai Ban Ruo. She leaves some persimmons on the persimmon tree in her courtyard for the birds to survive the winter. She leaves room for others in her actions. Also, Bai Li County Lord was also taught by her. I think a mother who can teach out a daughter like Bai Li County Lord wouldn't be bad to the core."

"Oh."

Sounds came from outside the courtyard. Chen Ji used the iron poker to poke the still-burning clothes back into the stove fire, then hid the short knife in his sleeve and slowly walked out of the kitchen to check.

The next moment, he was stunned.

He saw Bai Li lying on the courtyard wall early in the morning, smiling with squinted eyes and greeting him, "Good morning!"

Bai Li was swaying on the heir apparent's shoulders. Her hair was newly tied up, and the red fish-shaped lead pendant hanging on her collar button was particularly bright against the white snow.

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment, "Good morning."

Bai Li asked curiously, "Why are you in the courtyard? Didn't you sleep all night?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, "No, I slept very early last night. I just woke up."

Bai Li was suspicious, "Really?"

"Yes."

Bai Li asked again, "Didn't you go out last night? Don't lie to me, okay? Generally, people can't fool me."

As she spoke, the heir apparent on the opposite side of the wall interrupted their conversation, "Bai Li, you can't just flip over and chat every time! My shoulders hurt to death! Little monk, you come and let her step on you for a while!"

"Heir apparent, how can I come into contact with a female body?"

"When you were in Hong Yi Xiang, you didn't refuse when those sisters touched your face!"

Bai Li supported herself with both hands and flipped onto the wall, then walked down step by step using the ladder.

She didn't care whether the heir apparent flipped in or not. She just circled around Chen Ji, looking him up and down, even leaning closer to smell his body.

Chen Ji smiled helplessly, "County Lord, what's wrong with you? Did something happen last night?"

Bai Li pouted, "Just don't admit it!"

Chen Ji shook his head, "County Lord, I really don't know what you're talking about."

Bai Li suddenly sniffed the air, "What's that smell? It's not the smell of burning firewood, is it?"

Saying that, Bai Li turned to walk towards the kitchen, but Chen Ji quickly walked a step ahead and blocked the doorway, "County Lord, the kitchen is smoky and fiery. If you go in with those white clothes, they will get dirty."

"I'm not afraid. I'll wash them when I get back."

"Smoke stains are not easy to wash off."

"Oh," Bai Li turned to leave, but after walking two steps, she turned back, trying to catch Chen Ji off guard. However, Chen Ji still opened his arms and blocked her.

Bai Li smiled slyly, suddenly bent down, and looked towards the stove fire from under Chen Ji's armpit.

He saw that in the orange-red stove fire, Chen Ji's set of clothes had already burned completely, but there were still some just-burned charred pieces of cloth.

Bai Li stood up and proudly pointed a finger at Chen Ji's collarbone, "Don't worry, my mouth is very tight!"

Chen Ji: ......

Someone knocked on the medical hall door. The heir apparent, who had just flipped into the courtyard at this time, said, "I'll go open the door."

When the main door of the medical hall was opened, only the wind and snow from outside poured in. Liang Gou Er stood at the door, disheveled, his hair messy like a bird's nest.

Everyone was stunned. Ever since the last time Jin Zhu came over, Liang Gou Er had disappeared. Chen Ji still thought he had gone to Hong Yi Xiang to mess around, but now it didn't look like it.

Liang Gou Er strode into the small courtyard and stuffed a small porcelain bottle into Chen Ji's hand, "I went to Lao Jun Mountain to find Dao Leader Cen Yun Zi to get medicine for you. It's Ruan Yu Gao refined by the Yao Guan Men of Lao Jun Mountain. General knife and sword wounds can heal in three days. It has miraculous effect."

The heir apparent and Bai Li's eyes lit up.

Chen Ji looked at the porcelain bottle in his hand and then at Liang Gou Er, "This is for me?"

Liang Gou Er rolled his eyes, "Otherwise? Although we can't help you against the eunuch party, we are absolutely not the kind of people who disregard righteousness. It's over three hundred li of mountain road round trip. I'm exhausted!"

The heir apparent asked curiously, "Does Brother Gou Er have a friendship with Dao Leader Cen Yun Zi of Lao Jun Mountain? Medicine is not easy to seek."

Liang Gou Er said carelessly, "My father has a friendship with him. I have no friendship with him."

As he spoke, the little monk slowly and awkwardly climbed up the courtyard wall.

He hadn't been able to climb down the ladder yet when the heir apparent suddenly bent down and rubbed a large snowball, laughing heartily and smashing it on the little monk's bald head.

"Ah!" The little monk lay on the eave of the wall, unable to advance or retreat for a time.

Bai Li, taking advantage of Chen Ji's attention being elsewhere, secretly rubbed a snowball and stuffed it into the back of his collar.

Seeing Chen Ji frozen with bared teeth and a grimace, Bai Li laughed bent double, but was not careful as Chen Ji grabbed a handful of snow and stuffed it into her mouth.

Liang Mao Er, She Deng Ke, and Liu Qu Xing also woke up. The three, wearing cotton jackets, joined the battlefield. The courtyard became a snowball melee at some point.

Liang Gou Er looked at this group of "little children" dumbfounded and also smiled, bending down to rub up several snowballs.

He saw him throw a snowball with a "bang" sound, smashing it on She Deng Ke's face. This snowball was wrapped with soft true qi, smashing She Deng Ke into a stumble.

He saw him again throw a snowball that smashed on Bai Li County Lord's shoulder. Bai Li County Lord lost her balance and lay in the snow.

Everyone was foolish. Who had ever seen this kind of snowball!

In the heavy snow flying, the heir apparent hugged Liang Gou Er's waist and roared, "Everyone run quickly!"

The clouds rolled and loosened in the sky. The clouds drifted away, and then drifted back again.

Volume One, First Acquaintance, complete.