Green Mountain-Chapter 694 - 550: Keeping the Appointment

The night is deep and quiet.

Chen Ji sits silently on the ridge of Silver Apricot Garden, polishing the Whale Blade. The long Whale Blade is like flowing mercury, reflecting the moonlight in the sky and also shining in Chen Ji's eyes.

From a distance, he sees a small shadow leap into the Chen Mansion, and only then does he breathe a sigh of relief.

The figure agilely hops between rooftops, quickly arriving beside him and sitting down with a soft "meow": "She's dead, but it wasn't as satisfying as I imagined."

Consort Xue's Ice Flow merges into his body, and Chen Ji looks at the patch of orange-red firelight in the night mist afar: "Because she was not the main culprit, she was just the knife that killed the Empress, not the hand that wielded it, hence it wasn't satisfying."

Wu Yun hesitates: "Did I kill the wrong one then?"

Chen Ji shakes his head: "You didn't kill the wrong one. If there's a chance, we should kill them all. We just don't have the opportunity to kill them all now; we can only kill one at a time."

He takes out a wooden box from his chest and opens it, revealing three Yang Green Jade Rings, all gifted by Jin Zhu.

Chen Ji ponders: "Clearly, I've already ascended to the Eighth Floor, and developed extra patterns, lighting seven hundred and twenty stoves, yet the Mountain Lord's Executive Officer realm is stuck at Peak of Innate, showing no signs of crossing into Seeking Dao Realm. Could it be that crossing major realms requires jade?"

Previously, Jin Zhu said that the Innate Realm and Seeking Dao Realm are a celestial boundary, which some people can never cross in their lifetime.

Now, he stands in front of this great divide, completely baffled.

Chen Ji hands the box to Wu Yun: "Try touching these three rings, see if you can use the jade to advance into Seeking Dao Realm."

Wu Yun extends a paw and carefully touches the ring surface.

The moment the paw tip touches the ring surface, the Yang Green in the jade disperses, and the ring surface becomes transparent. A current of Molten Flow feeds back from Wu Yun to Chen Ji, causing the seven hundred and twenty stoves to suddenly blaze with brilliance.

But Chen Ji still hasn't crossed that celestial boundary.

He thinks for a moment: "Try again."

Wu Yun turns the other two rings into Molten Flow as well, but aside from the increasingly vigorous stoves, there is still no qualitative change.

Wu Yun turns to him: "I seem to be a little bit stronger."

Chen Ji frowns: "My strength is also somewhat increased, but there is no qualitative change."

Wu Yun is puzzled: "Where did it go wrong?"

Chen Ji is also perplexed, lowering his voice: "Could it be that we need to kill an Emperor?"

Wu Yun responds with awe: "That's impressive!"

Chen Ji isn't so arrogant as to want to kill an Emperor, he's merely counting the differences between his and Old Yao's paths of cultivation – the other has gone through the late Emperor's collapse, picking up imperial fortune for free, which he hasn't.

No, not just once.

He silently calculates while looking up; Old Yao is ninety-three, probably already seen off two Emperors, all free Ice Flow gains.

Chen Ji sighs: "The Forbidden Palace is full of experts, and being within twenty steps of the Emperor would suppress one into an ordinary person... Killing an Emperor is too difficult, no wonder Master wants to be the Imperial Physician."

Wu Yun tilts its head: "Does it have to be an Emperor, what about one from the barbarian tribes?"

Chen Ji is thoughtful: "Barbarians are indeed easier to kill, but the neighboring tribes of Ning and Jing dynasties only have kings, not Emperors. Besides, I'm not sure if my guess is correct. What if I'm wrong? Normally, Master should have informed me beforehand, if he doesn't, there's certainly a reason."

Wu Yun considers: "Without the Seeking Dao Realm, what do we do tomorrow?"

Chen Ji exhales a long turbid breath under the night sky: "Take it one step at a time."

...

...

The eighteenth day of the eighth month of Jaining 32nd year.

Chen Ji unusually didn't go to fetch water but instead left the Chen Mansion carrying the Whale Blade.

The Imperial Capital still maintains its solemn silence, occasionally a breeze lifts the passing sedan curtain, revealing officials inside with white linen coats over their official robes. Sedans originally with green silk fabric or red silk fabric, have also been covered overnight with white linen.

Chen Ji hears Brother Pao say that many class leaders of the opera troupes left the Imperial Capital overnight with their troupes, otherwise, they couldn't sustain themselves and their families during this one hundred days of national mourning, they have to go to the county to perform to make a living.

Passing through Xuanwu Gate Street, Chen Ji sees the red festive characters originally pasted on Doctor Li of the Ministry of Industry's door being removed, many families in the capital with scheduled weddings now have to postpone until after November 17th.

The common folk have never seen the Empress, don't know what she did during her lifetime, nor understand why she passed away, only grumble incessantly.

Chen Ji suddenly remembered the Prime Minister once told him that all joys and sorrows in the world do not withstand scrutiny because they are matters solely of your own.

Upon arriving outside the Meihua Ferry Crossing, Chen Ji saw several vendors silently passing by with their shoulder poles, all familiar spies under Jin Zhu.

When he ascended the Meirui Building, he saw Heavenly Horse sitting in a corner with his eyes closed, resting, while Jin Zhu was playing Go with Brother Pao; the two were such bad players that their Go game turned into Five-in-a-Row.

Jin Zhu tried playing a couple of games and clapped his hands in delight: "This playing style suits me; I can't make sense of Go at all. All that strategic planning and decisive victory across great distances, that's for bigwigs. I'll stick to my straightforward Five-in-a-Row."

Chen Ji placed the Whale Blade on the table: "Have the men been positioned around?"

Jin Zhu grinned: "Rest assured. The personnel were set up last night; they're all experts I've trained over the years, so no information will slip through. And it's not just newly arranged personnel, my Spy Department has long stationed people in Baishun Alley; that Qingyin Small Class diagonally across from your Meihua Ferry Crossing is also a Ritual Supervision enterprise."

Chen Ji suddenly understood. Jin Zhu had mentioned when in Luocheng City that he was the Prime Minister's 'wallet,' controlling a large share of the unseen enterprises under the Ritual Supervision, making it convenient to insert informants.

Others might visit the ancestral home in Yuan Cheng for a bit of fighting and looting, but Jin Zhu could visit and steal a lot of good stuff as well; indeed, the Prime Minister found the right person.

Jin Zhu chuckled: "Among us in the Spy Department, if discussing who knows the most secrets, naturally it's the Prisoner, as too many important figures have perished in the inner prison, and no one knows what they said before dying; for the most sinister interrogation methods, it's Xuan Snake; but for street gossip, no one is better informed than I am."

Chen Ji curiously asked: "What about Bai Long?"

Jin Zhu rolled his eyes: "Those of us in the Lower Three, what are we comparing to the Top Three?"

Chen Ji was puzzled: "What's the difference?"

Jin Zhu lowered his voice: "Our Spy Department has informants inserted among literary and military officials; they're not divided by 'Sparrow,' 'Pigeon,' or 'Hai Dongqing,' but rather named 'Sheng,' 'Dan,' 'Jing,' 'Chou,' with no hierarchical difference, only differing responsibilities."

Chen Ji suddenly realized he had felt something missing in the Spy Department; it turns out he had only seen the spies moving openly, yet hadn't encountered those lurking alongside the officials.

Jin Zhu glanced at Heavenly Horse and continued: "Only the Top Three can use this line, the Lower Three can't touch it. Even among the Top Three, Heavenly Horse can currently only manage 'Chou,' and hasn't touched Sheng, Dan, Jing. Some informants hold high positions and hide deep, scary to speak of. If officials were to find out, they'd probably curse us out again."

Chen Ji lowered his head in thought: with theatrical roles as names, 'Sheng' are old men and young men, martial artist roles; 'Dan' are leading ladies and young women; 'Jing' often represent loyal and brave generals' roles; 'Chou' are comedic roles.

He thought for a moment and asked: "Lord Heavenly Horse can only manage informants being drivers, sedan chair carriers, servants in officials' homes?"

Heavenly Horse opened his eyes to glance at Jin Zhu, gesturing: "Don't say too much; he's too smart."

Jin Zhu used gestures to reply: "What's there to fear? It's not some earth-shattering secret; it's only a matter of time before he achieves his zodiac position."

Heavenly Horse pondered for a moment and then closed his eyes again.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji: "When is the person you're waiting for arriving?"

Chen Ji glanced at the sky: "They should come after nightfall."

Jin Zhu inquired again: "When to act?"

Chen Ji lifted the Whale Blade, weighing it in his hands: "When I draw the blade, that's the signal to act."

Just then, Er Dao hurriedly stomped up the stairs: "Landlord, a carriage has stopped at the door, the driver says if you want to see Han Tong, go with him. Alone, unarmed."

Chen Ji frowned: "Arrived so quickly?"

Jin Zhu squinted his eyes slightly: "He doesn't come to see you and wants you to go see him instead? If you just leave with the Cao Guild people, wouldn't my whole night's effort be wasted? Who knows where Cao Guild might take you, what if they go for the kill, those so-called Four Beams and Eight Pillars and Hall Masters of the Cao Guild, their hearts are all black inside."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Jin Zhu looked at Chen Ji: "Listen to brother; even if you miss this opportunity, you can't just fall into Cao Guild's hands. And going alone, you can't accomplish anything."

Chen Ji shook his head: "Can't wait any longer."

Jin Zhu looked at his expression, gritted his teeth and said: "Then I'll secretly follow behind."

Chen Ji shook his head again: "Han Tong is so cautious; surely, he will have people observing in secret. If he notices anything amiss, it'll be difficult to find him again."

Jin Zhu urgently said: "Han Tong is in the Seeking Dao Realm; what kind of life-and-death game are you, an Innate Realm Executive Officer, playing with him?"

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Let's give it a try."

He turned to go downstairs. At the back door, he saw the driver politely standing by the carriage, handing Chen Ji a black hood: "Please excuse, Marquis of Wuxiang, even if Qigong wants to see our gang leader, he would have to make this journey."

Chen Ji glanced into the carriage, where two men were staring at him intently.

The driver raised his hand: "Please."

Chen Ji entered the carriage and sat between the two men, putting the hood over his own head.