Green Mountain-Chapter 695 - 551: Running in Circles

The carriage wobbled and swayed out of the Eight Great Hutongs.

Two members of the Cao Guild sandwiched Chen Ji between them. Chen Ji could smell the fishy odor of water plants, the tung oil scent from the boat wood, and the stench of fish from their bodies.

Each of them held a bone cutting knife against his ribs, ensuring they could pierce his lungs at any moment.

Chen Ji calmly said, "Is this the Cao Guild's way of hosting guests?"

The two men didn't speak. The coachman lifted the curtain and replied, "No offense, Marquis of Wuxiang. Before we came, the Gang Leader instructed us. So many ruthless people have fallen into your hands; it's only right for us to be cautious."

Chen Ji frowned, "I came to discuss important matters with Han Tong. If he doesn't trust me, he could simply refuse to see me. There's no need for such a grand display."

The coachman ignored Chen Ji and only warned the two men, "Keep the cargo steady. Don't let him step on the kiln opening."

Chen Ji calmly closed his eyes, sensing quietly.

The carriage initially headed south for a while, passing Zhengyang Gate Street and the Pig Market. Then it turned east towards Chongnan Fang, and then north into Chongbei Fang.

Chen Ji smelled incense, suggesting they had just passed by the Kitchen God Temple...

But the carriage wound around for too long, and he gradually lost his sense of direction. He had the impression they'd passed Chongnan Fang and Chongbei Fang several times, yet the carriage never stopped.

The Cao Guild was deliberately circling.

He had hoped to determine their location by the hawkers' cries nearby, but because of national mourning, the peddlers with carrying poles and roadside shopkeepers were silent. He could only faintly sense some smells, hearing no sounds.

Then suddenly, a fresh cow dung smell crept into the carriage.

Where is this?

The two men abruptly pulled him off the carriage. Chen Ji glanced down, trying to discern the patterns of the paved stones through the gaps in his hood.

But before he could closely examine them, the men dragged him into a shop. As they entered, he stumbled over the threshold, his instep hitting it hard, making a sound.

Seeing this, the men immediately lifted his arms and escorted him in, passing through the shop. In the air of the small shop wafted the rich scent of sesame oil, and Chen Ji could hear the dull sound of an oil press exerting itself to squeeze the oil residue.

The two men suddenly halted. The leading coachman instructed, "Wait."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Have we arrived?"

The coachman replied with a smile, "Marquis of Wuxiang, be patient; we have to wait a little longer... I'm a bit curious, how did you kill that man last night?"

Chen Ji's expression shifted, "You know who I killed? Han Tong even dares to tell you about this, showing you're highly esteemed in the Cao Guild."

The coachman modestly replied, "I'm Zhu Xiao, one of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars of the Cao Guild, considered the Gang Leader's most trusted aide. Please, Marquis of Wuxiang, be honest with me and tell me the truth."

Chen Ji realized, "So you're Zhu Xiao. But as for the question you just asked, can I answer it, and can you listen? Brother Zhu, this isn't something you should hear. If you want to live, let Han Tong come to ask."

Zhu Xiao smiled and said no more.

Just when Chen Ji thought this was the place to meet Han Tong, another carriage arrived at the back door of the shop. The two men put him back in, and they continued circling the alleys.

Gradually, Chen Ji noticed the temperature in the air slowly decreasing, and the light filtering through the hood's gap grew dimmer.

The sun was setting.

Seated between the two men, Chen Ji asked, "How much longer will you keep circling? Even Qigong didn't circle this long."

Zhu Xiao leisurely replied, "Qigong is Qigong; you are you, naturally there's a difference."

Chen Ji asked in a deep voice, "Where's Han Tong?"

Zhu Xiao smiled, "You'll see him soon."

As he spoke, the carriage finally stopped again. The two men pulled Chen Ji out, bringing him into a residence.

The light had completely dimmed, and the Cao Guild men pressed him into a chair, binding him tightly with two-finger thick hemp ropes, making it impossible for him to move.

Once Chen Ji was firmly bound, Zhu Xiao finally yanked off his hood.

Chen Ji stared ahead, seeing the other holding an oil lamp in front of him: "Where's Han Tong?"

Zhu Xiao bent down to meet his gaze, "Marquis of Wuxiang, you need to explain why there have been Eunuch Party people following you all the way here."

The Zhu Xiao in front of him wore a gray cloth jacket, with a short knife tucked in his waist. His face was a reddish-purple from the sun and wind, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing scars on his forearms.

Chen Ji wasn't sure if he was being deceived or if Jin Zhu really couldn't bear him risking his life, secretly trailing behind the carriage only for the Cao Guild to notice.

He maintained a calm expression: "If you, Cao Guild, get involved with the Spy Department, don't drag me down. I don't want to be targeted by the Eunuch Party."

Zhu Xiao moved the oil lamp closer: "The Marquis of Wuxiang thinks our Cao Guild has fallen, really believing we can't uncover your dealings with the Spy Department? During the Xiangshan Spring Hunt, the White Dragon of the Twelve Signs issued a sea capture document for Liao Zhong to protect you; you've entered the inner prison twice, once Jiao Tu got you out, the other time Jin Zhu did, and you still claim no ties to the Eunuch Party?"

Chen Ji sighed inwardly; too much had happened between him and the Spy Department, leaving him unable to hide from the keen-eyed. This was likely why Official Chen advised him to stay away from the Eunuch Party.

However, this made finding Han Tong even more difficult.

His gaze shifted over Zhu Xiao's shoulder, looking at the wooden gate of the house, and he called out loudly to the outside: "I have a way to rescue Princess Bai Li, please let Leader Han show up."

Zhu Xiao chuckled, pulling out a short knife from his waist and wiping the blood on his sleeve: "Don't bother, the gang leader isn't here at all. He instructed me to leave you with an intact corpse; just pray to Buddha that the Chen family finds you soon, otherwise, in this weather, you'll start to rot in less than three days."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "What about Princess Bai Li?"

Zhu Xiao thumbed the blade: "Our Cao Guild tried to rescue the princess, but there was an insider within the Four Beams and Eight Pillars, which led Jiefan Guard to learn of our plans in advance. Rest assured, the gang leader hasn't forgotten the princess; we have other plans."

Chen Ji met Zhu Xiao's eyes directly: "You plan to rescue her on the wedding procession route?"

Zhu Xiao shook his head: "Not on the wedding procession route, the Eunuch Party will surely increase the escort to use the princess as bait and wait for our Cao Guild to fall into the trap. But the Marquis of Wuxiang need not worry, once the princess reaches Annan, we have other means to rescue her."

Chen Ji sighed: "It's too late."

Zhu Xiao grinned: "That's none of your concern now."

The next moment, he swung the knife toward Chen Ji's neck.

Chen Ji tapped his toes, leaning back with the chair, the knife tip grazing his jaw but never cutting him. In the flickering lamplight, a sword seed slipped from his sleeve, cutting the ropes that bound him from behind.

The coarse hemp fibers snapped one by one in the dim light, and as Chen Ji and the chair tipped backward, his gaze never left Zhu Xiao, in whose eyes he saw surprise and fear.

Zhu Xiao reversed the short knife in his hand, stabbing at Chen Ji backward.

But this time, Chen Ji grabbed Zhu Xiao's wrist, rolling backward, twisting Zhu Xiao's arm forward.

Chen Ji somersaulted backward, twisting Zhu Xiao's arm into a twist, the bones crackled like firecrackers. Zhu Xiao released the short knife unconsciously, which fell toward the ground.

As Chen Ji landed, he caught the short knife before it touched the ground and pressed it to Zhu Xiao's neck: "Take me to find Han Tong."

Zhu Xiao chuckled through the pain: "The Marquis of Wuxiang is indeed fierce, still getting tricked by you after all the precautions. But if you think our Cao Guild is made up of cowards, you're wrong. If you want to meet the gang leader, it'll have to be in another life."

As he spoke, a black stain spread across Zhu Xiao's face along his veins, like a spider's web reaching his eyes.

Chen Ji pried open Zhu Xiao's mouth, only to see the poison bag sealed with white wax at his back molar had been bitten through, just like the death soldier from the Chen family's second branch previously.

He dropped Zhu Xiao's body and pushed open the door to leave.

The small courtyard was empty, and it seemed the Cao Guild members had retreated after bringing Chen Ji here. Looking up, Chen Ji saw Wu Yun crouching on the courtyard wall, meowing: "Are you okay?"

Chen Ji asked urgently, "Where is this?"

Wu Yun meowed: "A small alley north of the Glass Factory."

Chen Ji frowned. How did he end up here?

He asked again: "When did you find me?"

Wu Yun meowed: "Just before sunset, I caught your scent on Zhengyang Gate Street, and I just tracked you here."

Chen Ji pondered, with Zhu Xiao now dead, Han Tong would probably never appear again.

The opposite party likely intended to join forces with sworn brother Lin Daoqian to rescue the princess after she headed to Annan, but he couldn't wait that long.

Chen Ji closed his eyes in silent thought, where could Han Tong be hiding?

Han Tong didn't completely distrust him, just was skeptical. If they fully distrusted him, there wouldn't have been such elaborate efforts to have Zhu Xiao lead him around all day, simply ignoring him would suffice.

But since Han Tong was skeptical yet undecided, why suddenly avoid meeting him? What happened to make the other side change their decision?

Wait a minute.

Chen Ji suddenly opened his eyes, tore a piece of cloth from his hem, and wrote two sentences on it using a charcoal stick from the courtyard, then tossed the cloth to Wu Yun from afar: "Take this to Brother Pao, have him relay the message to Jin Zhu as fast as possible!"

Without another word, Wu Yun grabbed the gray cloth, jumped onto the roof, and Chen Ji dashed out the door.

A man and a cat, one headed east, the other south, both disappearing into the night.