Green Mountain-Chapter 671 - 528: Until We Meet Again

Chen Ji placed the old, broken bed board back where it belonged.

Almost every spy in the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department has undergone rigorous training. The Military Intelligence Department strips away their nature, teaching them to bury their scent like beasts, living cautiously in the Ning Dynasty.

Recklessness means death.

But among these people, they still left this broken bed board. Perhaps it was unnecessary to destroy it, or perhaps they were reluctant to let it go, Chen Ji could not know.

He found it difficult to judge these people.

Or rather, it was hard for him to judge anyone in this era; it seemed unfair to evaluate them from any one-sided perspective.

Chen Ji searched the dilapidated old house again, but found no other clues.

The trail had gone cold.

Lin Chaoqing had disappeared.

Chen Ji turned back to look at the extinguished fire basin.

It was as if time had returned to an hour ago, back when it was not yet dawn.

He could even imagine Lin Chaoqing sitting in front of the fire basin, with the flames flickering on her cheeks, yet her gaze was empty.

Chen Ji squatted down in front of Lin Chaoqing, staring into her eyes.

Outside the courtyard, he could hear the sounds of chaos—hooves, shouts... Yet, inside the courtyard, Lin Chaoqing continued to burn paper money, unconcerned.

Chen Ji watched Lin Chaoqing's phantom before him, slowly tossing yellow paper money into the fire basin: "You're not afraid. Even with pursuers so close, you dare to honor your colleagues right under their noses because you've prepared thoroughly and left enough escape routes... But where can you hide?"

Lin Chaoqing did not answer; she would not answer.

Chen Ji pondered for a long time, but could not think of an answer.

He stood up and left, closing the courtyard door. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused, clutching the door ring and bowing his head in contemplation.

Wait.

Chen Ji reopened the courtyard door, squatted down in front of Lin Chaoqing: "You've disguised yourself, haven't you? That's why you're not afraid of being discovered by others."

He suddenly remembered Aunt Ping saying that the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department also had an Official Gateway that could disguise people.

It requires the blood of one's beloved, which can change appearance, voice, and figure... When Si Caoxin impersonated Manager Yuan, it was done this way.

It's different from human skin masks.

On the night Manager Yuan was killed, despite the explosion from firearms and being buried alive by a collapsing house, the appearance was not impacted; this Official Gateway's disguise withstands any scrutiny.

Chen Ji was certain that Lin Chaoqing had already disguised herself, living safely in the Imperial Capital under a new identity...

No, no, that's not right.

Chen Ji felt like he had overlooked something; there must be something he hadn't thought of.

What is it?

He stared into Lin Chaoqing's empty gaze, then lowered his head toward the fire basin: "You're not a sentimental, indecisive person. You easily sold off Lin Chaojing, whom you raised... Why would someone like you take such a risk to honor colleagues now? If you've decided to hide in the Imperial Capital, you could come to honor them anytime later; you wouldn't choose today... You're leaving, aren't you? You won't easily return here, so you're honoring your colleagues with burnt paper at this moment?"

Lin Chaoqing is leaving the Imperial Capital!

Chen Ji jumped up, realizing that now the nine gates of the Imperial Capital only allow entry, not exit. Who can walk out of the Imperial Capital so boldly? Only the Spy Department and Jiefan Guard!

He dashed across the fire basin, breaking through the imagined phantom of Lin Chaoqing, and rushed out the door.

The morning in the Outer City lacked vitality, breakfast stalls hesitated to open, even small vendors carrying wares were afraid to shout loudly, fearing to offend any wandering King Yan.

Chen Ji's lonely sprint attracted the attention of spies by the street; they did not recognize him and immediately drew swords with a low command: "Who are you? Stop!"

But Chen Ji didn't care about them and continued his sprint, leading a group of spies to chase him into Chongnan Fang, searching for Jin Zhu and Heavenly Horse.

When he found Jin Zhu and Heavenly Horse, they were sitting by the window in a noodle shop, eating lamb noodle soup, with six or seven empty bowls stacked beside them.

Chen Ji stopped at the door, gasping for breath, surrounded by panting spies.

Jin Zhu glanced at him while eating noodles and immediately stood up, asking through the window: "What's going on here?"

A spy behind Chen Ji, still gasping for breath, said: "Sir, this person was sprinting suspiciously; we suspect him..."

Jin Zhu impatiently waved a hand: "Get lost, who asked you?"

Chen Ji came to the window, holding the window frame, and asked in a firm voice: "Within an hour, have any troops, whether from the Spy Department or Jiefan Guard, left the Imperial Capital?"

Jin Zhu was momentarily stunned: "Honestly, I don't know; I was busy eating noodles."

A spy behind Chen Ji said: "I know, within an hour, only one group of Jiefan Guard left the Imperial Capital; they showed their waist tag at Yongding Gate, saying they were heading towards Jinling and Yangzhou to search for Lin Chaoqing, totaling six people."

Chen Ji's expression tightened: "How long ago did they leave?"

The spy recalled: "Almost ten minutes ago."

Chen Ji urged: "Pursue them!"

Jin Zhu didn't ask another word, quickly said: "Quick, bring the horses!"

At this moment, Heavenly Horse finished drinking the noodle soup and set down his bowl, using sign language to ask Jin Zhu: What's happening?

Jin Zhu replied in sign language: We've found Lin Chaoqing.

Heavenly Horse wondered: Is it found just like that?

Jin Zhu responded: The kid hasn't missed a beat.

Heavenly Horse nodded, stepped out the door, mounted his horse, and led dozens of spies galloping towards Yongding Gate.

Chen Ji rode closely behind, crouching low, explaining to Jin Zhu: "I suspect Lin Chaoqing has disguised himself as one of the Jiefan Guard and left the city with them."

Jin Zhu didn't inquire for details, only reassured: "Don't worry, there should still be time!"

The party galloped to Yongding Gate, where three rows of barriers stood before them.

Without waiting for the infantry of the Five Cities Military Department to examine waist tags and move aside the barriers, Heavenly Horse directly drew his bow and shot arrows, reducing the barriers to flying wood splinters with a barrage of Meteor Arrow Rain.

The defending infantry scrambled to dodge, allowing them to gallop through the flying wood chips.

After leaving the city, they pursued south along the official road for ten miles, when Chen Ji's expression suddenly changed. In front lay a long pavilion, where five corpses of the Jiefan Guard were sprawled, blood trickling down the stone steps.

A short pavilion every five miles, a long pavilion every ten miles. When someone left for the south, friends and family would see them off to this long pavilion, where they would drink and bid farewell.

Back when Wuzhai led the monks of Yuanjue Temple across Luocheng City, the scholars of the Imperial Capital escorted them here, writing poems like "Green Ox Listening to Scripture Introduction," "Sending Monk Wuzhai to the South," and "Breaking Mystic Song" on the long pavilion.

But now, the pavilion was stained with blood.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji: "You were right. There were six leaving the capital, now only five corpses remain. Lin Chaoqing killed them."

Chen Ji urgently asked: "There must be a reason he chose to act here; he doesn't want to continue south... Is there a route nearby to escape?"

Jin Zhu pondered for a moment, confidently replied: "Only by waterway. The southern crossing of Yongding River is not far, he must be trying to leave by water! Pursue him!"

Jin Zhu turned his horse's head and led the way, running two miles before encountering vast reed marshes.

It was summer, the lush reeds taller than a person swayed gently.

The party rode along the official road through the reeds, arriving at the crossing just in time to see a small black-roofed boat descending the river, with Lin Chaoqing standing serenely at the stern, and a lean man behind him poling with a long bamboo pole.

The small boat in the middle of the river was particularly solitary.

Lin Chaoqing wore a bamboo hat and a straw coat, resembling a traveler heading south.

When Jin Zhu and others reached the crossing, he seemed surprised that someone had pursued him so quickly.

Lin Chaoqing smirked and said: "Turns out, besides Bai Long, the Spy Department has some smart people."

Jin Zhu shouted across the river: "If you leave, I'll make sure to greet Lin Chaojing well in the Imperial Prison, to execute him by slow slicing!"

Lin Chaoqing remained unfazed, loudly declared: "Two dynasties have been at war for too long, with high taxes and the people's suffering. When I return, I'll lead the Iron Cavalry to break through your Southern Dynasty Capital and bring peace to the world again."

Jin Zhu cursed: "Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty?"

Lin Chaoqing chuckled, cupped his hands in a farewell gesture, loudly proclaimed: "Sirs, there's no need to see me off, until we meet again."

Chen Ji looked around, noticing the dozen or so boatmen at the crossing had all been killed by Lin Chaoqing, and the boats destroyed.

In the next moment, Heavenly Horse drew his shining longbow from thin air.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Arrows from the Meteor Arrow Rain traced a parabolic path towards the small boat, heading straight for Lin Chaoqing's face from over two hundred paces away. Lin Chaoqing drew his sword from under the straw coat, shattering each Meteor Arrow Rain into daylight stars.

Lin Chaoqing sheathed his sword, refusing to say more.

Jin Zhu whispered: "Distance is too far... This old fox hid his abilities all along, he's clearly a Grand Official at the Peak of the Seeking Dao Realm."

Chen Ji stood at the crossing with his horse, watching the small boat gradually disappear into the dense reed marshes.

Lin Chaoqing just left like that.

Si Caoding, who had been lurking in the Ning Dynasty for so many years, who killed so many and fooled so many, just retreated unscathed like this; it's no wonder the Military Intelligence Department's "Earth" division is led by him.

Heavenly Horse put away the bow and used sign language with Jin Zhu, who turned to instruct the spies: "Send a carrier pigeon back to the capital, have the Jiefan Guard intercept and kill him along the way!"

A spy hurriedly left.

Chen Ji suddenly turned his horse around, galloping southward from the crossing, the horse's hooves kicking up a cloud of yellow dust behind him.

Another ten miles south, his line of sight was finally free of the reed marsh's cover.

Chen Ji steadily watched the Yongding River surface; he was sure that the small boat couldn't be faster than a warhorse, not even if the bamboo pole broke. But from 7 to 9 AM until noon, he waited until the small boat slowly drifted out of the reed marsh, lonely and slow.

When the boat appeared again, neither Lin Chaoqing nor the boatman were in sight.

Where did they go?

Unknown.

Perhaps others were waiting for a pickup in that reed marsh, or maybe there were other routes or tributaries within; Chen Ji couldn't ascertain.

Lin Chaoqing meticulously planned his departure from the Ning Dynasty, perhaps waiting for this day for a full twenty-one years.

Chen Ji watched quietly.

He had a premonition that this time Lin Chaoqing was truly unreachable.