Green Mountain-Chapter 696 - 552: Betting My Life

The Imperial Capital was quickly enveloped in night.

The shops along the street dared not light up to do business, and there were significantly fewer pedestrians.

Chen Ji was running wildly on the silent bluestone road, trying to catch a fleeting clue: Han Tong hadn't not met him, but had already seen him in a more subtle way.

After Zhu Xiao had taken him in circles, they had changed carriages in a bustling market.

During the transfer, Zhu Xiao took Chen Ji through a street-side shop and paused at the back door. It seemed like he was waiting for another carriage, but he took the opportunity to ask him how he killed Consort Xue.

At that time, there were also two Cao Guild men beside Chen Ji; this wasn't a question Zhu Xiao should ask, nor was it something the Cao Guild men could hear... Zhu Xiao was asking on Han Tong's behalf.

Han Tong was right next to him at that moment!

When Chen Ji figured this out, he also figured out Han Tong's hiding place... he was hiding in that shop.

But how to find that shop? Which street is the shop really on?

Chen Ji ran furiously while rapidly thinking about each clue: at that time sitting in the carriage, the sturdy sound of wheels pressing against the road surface indicated it should be on a main road paved with slates in the Outer City.

The roads of the Imperial Capital were not smooth, and the bricks and stones used were different.

In the Inner City, the main roads mostly used large blocks of greenish-white stone bricks; in the alleys, smaller stone bricks were more common; the Outer City roads varied greatly, with a few major roads having been paved with giant slates in earlier years, and the smaller roads were all made of rammed earth surfaces.

It was easy to tell if the carriage wheels were pressing on slate or rammed earth.

Which major roads in the Outer City were paved with slates? Xuanwu Gate Street frequently traveled by officials and nobles, Guangning Gate taken by foreign envoys entering the capital, and Zhengyang Gate Street used by Emperor Ning for sacrifices at the Mountain and River Altar, only these three.

Which one is it?

Before switching carriages, Chen Ji had smelled a strong odor of manure inside the carriage, and he also smelled a strong scent of grain and oil when entering the shop.

It was near Guangning Gate.

Zhengyang Gate Street, close to the Eight Great Hutongs, had high rent on both sides of the street, mostly occupied by taverns, with no grain or oil shops.

Xuanwu Gate Street had the Five Cities Military Department guarding it, and although there was a manure smell, it wasn't overwhelming.

Only Guangning Gate was left.

In the long street night, Chen Ji sprinted straight to Guangning Gate, where the yet-to-be-cleared manure from the day still emitted a strong grassy smell at night.

Standing at Guangning Gate, Chen Ji looked into the city: Vegetable Market Street, Luoma Market Street, Pig Market, the three roads connecting at their ends, stretching for miles.

On this main road, there were twenty-seven grain and oil shops alone facing the street; which one was Han Tong hiding in? Chen Ji couldn't just break into each one.

At this moment, Chen Ji looked down and searched all along the way, finally stopping in front of a grain and oil shop on Luoma Market Street. He looked up at the sign "Zhang's Grain and Oil."

This is it.

When he was led into the shop with his head covered, he'd pretended to trip on the threshold, but in fact, he used this as cover to leave a mark with his sword seed on the threshold.

Chen Ji took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Thud, thud, thud.

There was no response from inside.

Standing outside, Chen Ji kept a calm expression, but it was as if he could feel Han Tong already standing by the door, silently gazing at him through the door panel.

Chen Ji spoke up: "Leader Han, I came alone."

A moment later, a sliver of the shop door opened, and in the dim interior, Han Tong looked at him coldly: "Where's Zhu Xiao?"

Chen Ji's expression did not change: "Dead, I killed him."

Han Tong's eyes narrowed slightly: "You killed Zhu Xiao, and still dare to come meet me alone?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "I sincerely want to discuss with Leader Han how to rescue Princess Bai Li. Leader Han used Zhu Xiao to kill me, so I killed him as a matter of course."

In the crack of the door, Han Tong said coldly: "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Chen Ji looked into his eyes: "If I were afraid of death, I wouldn't have come to the capital. Leader Han, I don't owe you anything, there is no need to be so aggressive. Previously in Luocheng City, I used you to draw away Jiao Tu and Yun Yang to save the princess, and that's something you owe her as her father, not me."

Han Tong was silent for a moment: "If you were capable of saving her, she wouldn't be in Jingyang Palace."

Now it was Chen Ji's turn to be silent. Han Tong didn't know that he had already rescued the princely heir and had almost saved Bai Li too. Han Tong also didn't know how he had managed to make his way all the way to the capital, and Chen Ji couldn't tell him.

After a long pause, Chen Ji spoke: "This time we can definitely succeed."

Han Tong sneered: "How can you be so sure you'll rescue her this time? How do I know you haven't teamed up with the Eunuch Party?"

Chen Ji said earnestly: "Leader Han is cautious, but if I had teamed up with the Eunuch Party, you'd already be surrounded by soldiers and horses, there would be no need for further talk. This is the capital, I ask you, if the Spy Department's Xiao Qi arrives, what chance does Leader Han have of escaping?"

Standing at the door crack, Han Tong scrutinized Chen Ji carefully, trying to discern if he was lying.

He quietly listened to the sound of the wind at night, and eventually, his expression softened a little: "Let me ask you, who started the fire at Cining Palace? And who killed Consort Xue right under the nose of Jiefan Guard? It's all too strange, the murderer left not even a footprint in Yikun Palace, and Jiefan Guard couldn't find a single clue. If it weren't for Jiefan Guard helping you, how would you have done it? Was it the Empress's spirit that killed Consort Xue?"

Chen Ji was suddenly enlightened; it turned out the manner in which Wu Yun killed Consort Xue was so bizarre that Han Tong couldn't figure it out, and thus attributed it to the Jiefan Guard.

He shook his head, "Leader Han, you don't have to know how I killed her; I did it merely to prove my qualifications to join forces with you."

Han Tong scrutinized Chen Ji, "As far as I know, you've only known Bai Li for a few months. Why are you willing to risk your life to save her?"

Chen Ji pondered for a long time, "Carving a boat to seek a sword."

Han Tong was puzzled, "Carving a boat to seek a sword?"

The next moment, Chen Ji pushed open the door gap with disregard and walked inside, Han Tong's face darkened, but in the end, he didn't make a move, only shutting the door with a backhand.

Chen Ji found a chair and sat down, "Leader Han, who leaked the information this time? Why did someone know in advance that the Cao Guild was looking for someone resembling Princess Bai Li?"

Han Tong sat opposite him, "It was one of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars of my Cao Guild, Minister Bian, who has been killed yesterday."

In the dim room, only Han Tong and Chen Ji were present. Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Why does the court want to apprehend you?"

Han Tong pulled out a short knife, rubbing it between his fingertips, "The Cao Guild has more than a hundred thousand members; no one wants such a colossal entity beside their pillow."

Chen Ji shook his head, "Not enough."

With the means of the Prime Minister, wanting to dissolve the Cao Guild like a gentle breeze and drizzle, wouldn't require Han Tong's life. Even the Liu Family has fallen; dissolving the Cao Guild wouldn't be harder than dissolving the Liu Family.

Han Tong further said, "The goods from the Chen and Xu families destined for overseas must pass through the canal before reaching the port. Restraining the Cao Guild also means restraining the Chen and Xu families."

Chen Ji shook his head again, "Still not enough."

Overseas trade might garner a large amount of silver, but it can't compare to the importance of firearms improvements.

Han Tong retorted coldly, "That's not enough, this is not enough. What exactly are you trying to ask?"

Chen Ji asked earnestly, "Do you know the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal?"

Han Tong was startled, "Never seen it."

"Really?"

"Really."

Chen Ji also became puzzled; why exactly does the Prime Minister, who had been sitting in Jiefan Building for decades, want to capture Han Tong? Is it a long-planned scheme or a sudden whim?

Could it be that increasing crop yield and improving firearms are truly of no importance to him?

The grain and oil shop remained longingly silent, with only a few mosquitoes stirring their wings to make buzzing noises.

Han Tong asked in a deep voice, "You said there's a way to save Bai Li. Just how exactly do you plan to save her?"

Chen Ji raised his head to look at Han Tong in the darkness, his hands resting on his knees slowly clenched into fists, "Use your life in exchange."

In an instant, it was as if a taut string shot through the air in the darkness; the mosquitoes all lost their sound, dropping to the ground.

Han Tong sneered, "An Innate Realm Official, come to seek death in front of me?"

Chen Ji softly said, "You're willing to wait until the Princess reaches Annan to save her, but I'm not willing. Now someone wants me to use your life to exchange for Bai Li's life, I can't help but exchange. Leader Han, I have my plan, today I will take you into the inner prison to exchange for the Princess. Once the Princess regains freedom, I will rescue you out."

Han Tong's fingers rubbed the calluses on the knife edge repeatedly, making a penetrating sound, "How does the Marquis of Wuxiang intend to save me?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "Can't say."

Han Tong's hand stopped making noise, "If you have the ability to save me from the inner prison, then you could have saved Bai Li already. It's just a lie to make me willingly surrender."

Chen Ji resolutely said, "Rest assured, Leader Han, I will rescue you, rescuing you is simpler than rescuing the Princess."

Han Tong leaned forward slightly, "What if I say no?"

The next moment, Chen Ji abruptly jumped forward.

Han Tong's short knife slashed across, Chen Ji actually reached out with his left hand to grab the blade, enduring the excruciating pain, landing a punch at Han Tong's abdomen.

But this punch missed Han Tong.

Han Tong exerted force to withdraw the knife, retreating a step backward to evade the punch, but Chen Ji held on tightly, following Han Tong forward in step, directing sword.

He mimicked Zhang Xia using the Cloud-Veiling Sword Qi, in the darkness utilizing the sword seed to stab Han Tong's thigh.

Han Tong was shocked, thunderously kicking him away, the Seeking Dao Realm Official's kick snapped three of Chen Ji's ribs instantly. Chen Ji could no longer grip the blade, his body being thrown back, smashing into the wooden barrels storing grain.

Chen Ji propped himself up with an arm, slowly stood up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Han Tong looked down at his leg, blood gushing, tearing a strip of his clothes to bind the wound for stopping the bleeding, "Your skills have improved, but not enough. Kid, how many lives do you have to wager against me?"

In a place invisible to Han Tong, the second pattern on Chen Ji's waist rib gradually faded, the wound on his hand healing in an instant, even the broken ribs reconnecting one by one.

Chen Ji wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, "Wager as many lives as I have."