Green Mountain-Chapter 667 - 524: A Step Ahead in Skill

The Jiefan Guard arrived too quickly, unusually so.

Brother Pao squinted his eyes and whispered to Chen Ji: "From the time we entered the Wenyuan Bookstore to now, not even thirty minutes have passed. How did the Jiefan Guard get here?"

Chen Ji stood his ground and looked at the Jiefan Guard approaching from several dozen feet away, "It means someone has been secretly watching over Lin Chaojing all along."

Today, Chen Ji was like playing a game of chess against an old and cunning player. He was skilled in Healing Solitary Swallowing Dragon, but the opponent had already calculated everything. Before he could make a move, the opponent had already anticipated what Chen Ji could do, and prepared all contingencies.

Originally, Chen Ji risked the danger of being punished, detaining Lin Chaojing for a secret interrogation by the Meng Ji, as long as Meng Ji acted, the truth would immediately come out.

If Chen Ji guessed correctly and Lin Chaoqing and Lin Chaojing were indeed spies from the Military Intelligence Department, everything would turn out well. If he guessed wrong, he would be exiled to Lingnan with Brother Pao.

But Si Caoding didn't give him this opportunity, nor did he intend to let him leave Liuli Factory.

Chen Ji turned his head to look at Lin Chaojing, "But the faster the Jiefan Guard arrives, the more it proves we captured the right person."

Lin Chaojing, held aloft by ruffians, was unfazed, "Marquis of Wuxiang should consider how to save his own life. Arresting a Hanlin Academy Scholar without evidence, do you know what the consequence is?"

At this moment, the Jiefan Guard were closing in from the front, and hoofbeats echoed from behind. Chen Ji looked back, and the Liuli Factory Alley behind him was blocked by the Jiefan Guard.

Brother Pao scratched his scalp, "I'm not good at this sort of thing. What should we do?"

Chen Ji walked forward, "Head into Wenchang Bookstore."

He arrived at the Wenchang Bookstore before the Jiefan Guard. Before he could knock, the door opened.

Aunt Ping urged, "Come in, I'll hold them off."

Chen Ji led Brother Pao into Wenchang Bookstore, brushing past Aunt Ping, "Aunt Ping, be careful of Lin Chaoqing, he's a Seeking Dao Realm Official."

Aunt Ping stood in front of the door and no longer feigned the shopkeeper's stature, straightening her back, "Don't worry."

Dozens of Jiefan Guards dismounted, and one said solemnly, "The Marquis of Wuxiang has colluded with Jing Dynasty spies and illegally detained Hanlin Academy Scholar Lin Chaojing. Arrest him immediately and take him to the Imperial Prison! If there is any resistance, kill without mercy!"

Chen Ji turned his head upon hearing this.

The Jiefan Guard drew their swords to attack the Wenchang Bookstore. Aunt Ping's silhouette was firm as a pine, effortlessly blocking their assault.

One of the Jiefan Guards shouted, "Seeking Dao Realm Official!"

Chen Ji observed the shadows flickering outside the door, the faces of the Jiefan Guards obscured by bamboo hats. He couldn't discern if Lin Chaoqing was among them.

He glanced away and took Lin Chaojing from the ruffians, dragging him to the backyard, "Interrogate him."

Er Dao asked, "How do we interrogate?"

Brother Pao thought for a moment and said, "Start by pulling out the nails."

Er Dao responded with an "oh," drew out a pair of iron pliers from his waist, and began removing Lin Chaojing's fingernails one by one.

Lin Chaojing was in excruciating pain but refused to plead, allowing the sweat to drench his clothes, glaring savagely at Chen Ji, "No evidence and you're punishing a Hanlin Academy Scholar with private torture. Do you have a death wish?"

Er Dao continued, and within a few breaths, the fingernails of the left hand were all gone.

Chen Ji crouched in front of Lin Chaojing and asked solemnly, "Is Lin Chaoqing Si Caoding, known as Long Whale?"

Lin Chaojing, drenched in sweat, still spoke defiantly, "I thought the Marquis of Wuxiang would have some clever tactics, but it seems you're just trying to force a confession before the Jiefan Guard breaches the place. Rest assured, I will endure to the end; just hold on for ten minutes more, and it'll be you who dies."

Chen Ji signaled to Er Dao, "Continue pulling."

Er Dao removed all the nails on Lin Chaojing's hands, making him tremble with pain. Er Dao then removed his boots and extracted the toenails.

This time, Lin Chaojing finally couldn't help but scream.

Chen Ji, staring intently at Lin Chaojing, continued, "The Divine Palace Supervisor isn't from the Military Intelligence Department. It was only after being imprisoned by Lin Chaoqing that he was coerced into working for them. Right or not?"

Veins bulging on his neck, Lin Chaojing retorted, "Mr. Chen acts based on conjecture? Where is your proof?"

Chen Ji told Er Dao, "Break all his fingers."

Er Dao responded and began snapping Lin Chaojing's fingers as if breaking chopsticks.

Lin Chaojing's face contorted, "Chen Ji, my brother won't spare you."

Chen Ji nodded, "They say no hero survives under the Execution Stick; an ordinary person would have cried for their parents by now, but Lord Lin can still threaten me. If you aren't a spy, who is? Helping Wenyuan Bookstore publish newspapers, I presume it was to find a place to relay messages for the Military Intelligence Department."

Lin Chaojing sneered, "The Marquis of Wuxiang's tricks are all used up."

Chen Ji stood up, "Er Dao, break his legs."

Then he went out, only to find Aunt Ping had already closed the Wenchang Bookstore door, turning back to tell him, "The Jiefan Guards aren't many; they withdrew because they couldn't get in, likely waiting for reinforcements."

Chen Ji contemplated, "Aunt Ping, you should leave."

Aunt Ping frowned, "You're about to..."

Chen Ji interrupted Aunt Ping, solemnly saying, "This time, I'm not asking Aunt Ping to stay out of it, but I'm asking Aunt Ping to take Lin Chaojing and find Bai Long at Taiye Pond, and let Bai Long hand Lin Chaojing over to Meng Ji for interrogation. I'm sure this person is a spy for the Military Intelligence Department, and only Meng Ji's interrogation can break the situation. I'll fight my way out to draw the attention of the Jiefan Guard, Aunt Ping, you will leave from the back amidst the chaos, please!"

Aunt Ping took a deep breath, "What if the Jiefan Guard kills you amidst the chaos?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "Aunt Ping, I am the Marquis of Wuxiang, the Jiefan Guard has no right to kill me. They must first have my title revoked by the court. If the Jiefan Guard rashly kills me, they would also pay with their lives. Lin Chaoqing also just arrived in the Imperial Capital recently, there aren't many in the Jiefan Guard willing to join his treason and rebellion. Once you leave, I will be captured, but they won't kill me."

Aunt Ping asked again, "What if Lin Chaoqing takes action himself? In his view, you protected Princess Liyang to escort her back to the Jing Dynasty, and framed Si Caogui, already a major threat to the Military Intelligence Department. If he has the chance to kill you, he definitely won't pass it up."

Chen Ji grinned and said, "Aunt Ping, life and death are destined."

Aunt Ping gave him a deep look, turned around, and walked towards the backyard, "Alright, I will definitely bring Lin Chaojing alive before Bai Long."

However, just at this moment, more urgent hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the yard, reinforcements from the Jiefan Guard surrounded Wenchang Bookstore.

But the Jiefan Guard didn't storm inside; instead, they shot crossbow arrows from outside.

The arrowheads were wrapped in turpentine and set ablaze, crossbow arrow after crossbow arrow pinned to the doors and windows, the paper windows catching fire and igniting a blazing inferno.

Chen Ji's pupils suddenly contracted.

Shouts of "The Marquis of Wuxiang intends to rebel, arrest him!" resounded from outside.

Aunt Ping turned back to him, "There's no time, the Jiefan Guard has us surrounded here, and with fire on all sides, even I can't fight my way out."

It's lost.

Ultimately, Si Caoding's skills are better, having seized the advantage. The other side knows Lin Chaojing can't withstand Meng Ji's interrogation, so they are well prepared.

Standing amidst the firelight, the flames danced wildly in Chen Ji's eyes, and suspicious clues from his time in the Imperial Capital resurfaced in his mind.

Where is the evidence from the Military Intelligence Department?

Chen Ji had searched through books at Wenchang Bookstore for a month without finding any trace of Military Intelligence Department communications, so by what means were they transmitting messages in the Imperial Capital?

The next instant, Chen Ji looked up abruptly, quickly heading towards the backyard.

Aunt Ping reacted, "What's wrong?"

She followed Chen Ji to the backyard, watching as he tore a strip from his clothing to cover his mouth and nose, and charged into the inferno, "What are you doing?"

Aunt Ping instinctively reached to grab Chen Ji's arm, but only heard the sound of tearing as the sleeve ripped, Chen Ji didn't look back, and she could only watch Chen Ji rush into the storeroom of Wenchang Bookstore, his figure swallowed by the flames spreading over the doors and windows.

Brother Pao was bewildered, "Has the Landlord gone mad? What's in there?"

Aunt Ping recalled, "Only the pear wood carving plates Wenchang Bookstore uses daily..."

Before she could finish, the main door of Wenchang Bookstore was shattered, wood splinters flying.

The Jiefan Guard drew their swords from their waists and charged inside, "Capture the Marquis of Wuxiang!"

Aunt Ping spoke solemnly to Brother Pao, "Hide behind me!"

Aunt Ping stood firmly in the door leading to the backyard, single-handedly blocking the path.

A Jiefan Guard rushed forward and swung his sword, Aunt Ping slapped the blade, and it seemed glued to her palm, following her hand movement.

Aunt Ping pulled the sword-bearing Jiefan Guard close with her left hand, pressing her right palm against his chest, causing him to vomit blood, and the straw coat on his back was penetrated, creating a hole.

She didn't use Eight Trigrams Dragon, nor did she strike at the Jiefan Guard's soul; she used pure martial skills against them.

The Jiefan Guard in front of Aunt Ping slowly crumbled, she held the long knife of the fallen guard, her eyes fixed intently on the mass of Jiefan Guards inside the bookstore's main hall.

One of the guards shouted from behind, "Use crossbows!"

The crowd of Jiefan Guards detached their crossbow arrows from their waists and shot at Aunt Ping, like a torrential downpour.

Aunt Ping was forced to dodge, but in doing so, she opened the path to the backyard.

At that moment, the fearless Jiefan Guards surged in, enclosing Aunt Ping, while another group charged at Brother Pao, shouting, "Surrender and you'll live, resist and be killed!"

Brother Pao turned to the inferno, the flames had first consumed the doors and windows, now they burned fully inside, yet he could vaguely see a human figure moving inside, Chen Ji seemed to be searching for something.

Brother Pao gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves and said to Er Dao, "Fight them, I never cut losses, I gamble and pay the price!"

He grabbed Lin Chaojing and held him in his arms, pressing a dagger against his chin and yelled angrily, "Back off, or I'll kill him now!"

The Jiefan Guard wielded their swords and slowly advanced, forming a fan shape, forcing Brother Pao and the others step by step backwards.

Brother Pao could even feel the surge of fire behind him, scorching his back... he couldn't retreat any further.

In a critical moment, Chen Ji's figure burst out of the inferno, clutching over a dozen pear wood carving plates with burnt edges, "The evidence of Lin Chaoqing and Lin Chaojing's treason in collusion is here, back off!"