Green Mountain
Chapter 139 - 101, Gambling with Life_2

Chapter 139: 101, Gambling with Life_2

They had barely reached Mudan Bridge when the three suddenly stopped.

The old man whispered by the carriage window, "Second Master, we’ve arrived. They are not under the bridge; they are on the bridge."

Sitting in the carriage, Liu Mingxian calmly lifted the curtain and peered out, only to see two figures in the middle of the bridge, each wearing a mask and coldly watching them at the bridgehead.

One wore the face of an ox, the other a tiger.

The Peony Stone Arch Bridge was about thirty zhang long, comprising twenty-four arches, allowing two carriages to pass side by side.

The old man by the carriage gave Xu Can and his brother a look, and the next moment, Xu Can and Xu Chu leaped onto the stone parapets on either side of the arch, stepping closer towards the middle of the bridge.

Rubbing the vermillion Mountain Flower Ghost Money at his waist, the old man strolled leisurely in the middle of the bridge, the three of them moving with the precision of an arrow, until they were only ten steps away from the ox and tiger on the bridge before they slowly stopped.

Liu Mingxian got out of the carriage and walked up behind the old man, locking eyes with the masked figures.

Behind the ox mask, Jin Zhu squinted his eyes. He glanced at the Mountain Flower Ghost Money at the old man’s waist, then shifted his gaze to the strange tattoos on the necks of the two stout men, his body tensing up.

Jin Zhu quietly glanced at Chen Ji, unsure of what Chen Ji had written on the note to summon two killers from the border town that had gone missing a long time ago.

Could it be that Chen Ji had betrayed him and was planning to ambush him with the Liu Family?

That couldn’t be right; Chen Ji’s hands were steady, hands reflect courage, and a steady hand meant a calm heart.

Chen Ji was very composed.

But Jin Zhu didn’t know why Chen Ji was so composed.

Under the moonlight, neither party spoke, and the bridge grew increasingly tense.

Slowly, the mist of an autumn morning began to rise, and the sky gradually brightened.

Just as Jin Zhu was about to speak to ease the tension, Chen Ji calmly asked, "Your Liu Family was sloppy in handling the smuggling of firearms from the Craftsmanship Supervisor, leaking the news and sabotaging our major plans. How shall this be settled? The Division Head has already arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture, originally scheduled to meet today in Luocheng City. How should we explain now?"

Jin Zhu: What?!

Division Head?

Meeting?

Jin Zhu’s pupils contracted behind the wooden ox mask, almost instinctively wanting to abandon Chen Ji and flee alone.

At this moment, he finally understood that Chen Ji intended to directly impersonate a member of the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department to liaise with the Liu Family.

Was this an investigation?

This was clearly gambling with their lives!

Jin Zhu wasn’t a fool; he understood that Chen Ji hoped to exploit the temporary inability of the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department to move openly and contact the Liu Family amid the search across the city because of the siege on Hongyi Lane.

During this gap, they could impersonate the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department, leading the Liu Family into a trap step by step, urging them to hand over the incriminating evidence willingly!

But this was like walking a tightrope; if the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department still maintained contact with the Liu Family, or if there were any special codes or agreements still undisclosed between them... any slight mistake could cost them their lives here today.

What a reckless madman!

As he pondered, Liu Mingxian, hearing Chen Ji’s accusation, narrowed his eyes slightly: "Craftsmanship Supervisor? I don’t understand what you are talking about."

Chen Ji said calmly, "Let’s not waste any more time."

Liu Mingxian sneered, "My Liu Family abides by the law. If you have summoned me here today just to speak these nonsensical words, I might just have to take you both as Jing Dynasty rebels and hand you over to the Spy Department."

Chen Ji unflappably asked, "On the day Yun Yang and Jiao Tu opened the coffin, Lord Liu killed his own grandfather, a man who committed regicide and treason, how can you speak of abiding by the law? Without our reminder that day, Lord Liu would likely have been imprisoned by now."

Jin Zhu was taken aback; he listened to Chen Ji speak confidently, hardly seeming like an act. If Meng Ji hadn’t personally tested Chen Ji, he might have believed that he was truly standing next to a Jing Dynasty spy, or at least a Si Cao.

He also harbored doubts.

Anyone who had seen the files knew that during the first opening of the coffin by Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, Old Master Liu was indeed not inside. These zodiac figures wouldn’t joke about such a matter.

For the second opening of the coffin, someone must have tipped them off in advance, allowing the Jiefan Guard to arrive too late.

However, how could Chen Ji be so sure it was the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department that informed the Liu Family? Was it a guess? Or was there indeed a Jing Dynasty spy standing beside him, aware of the insider details?

Jin Zhu’s suspicions grew.

On the other side, Liu Mingxian’s expression was as grave as water, holding his biggest secret. If not for the reminder from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department that day, he might have already been accused of treason.

Hearing this, he believed Chen Ji’s identity as a member of the Jing Dynasty.

Liu Mingxian said with a grave expression, "The siege on Hongyi Lane was not my wish. Driving away Yun Yang and Jiao Tu only led to a Jin Zhu who is ten times more cunning arriving, a very difficult adversary who guessed early on that we would tamper with the Craftsmanship Supervisor and tracked us down."

Chen Ji sneered, "This matter is not something that can be resolved just by Lord Liu claiming it was ’not my wish.’ What do you plan to do now?"

Liu Mingxian slowly replied, "Collaboration between us surely aims to achieve our goals. Since this delivery failed, then we will simply choose a new delivery date. However, the Spy Department is currently watching closely, we need more time."

Chen Ji sternly said, "The Division Head is now in Kaifeng Prefecture, constantly at risk of exposing his identity. There’s no time to wait. If the Liu Family is not sincere, the Division Head will return to the North!"

Liu Mingxian frowned, "Then when do you want the delivery?"

"Tomorrow, still at Mudan Bridge. I want to see the goods. Otherwise, the Division Head will leave Kaifeng Prefecture immediately, and all agreements between our Military Intelligence Department and the Liu Family will be void."

The bridge fell silent, the morning mist growing thicker, to the extent that they could barely see each other from ten steps away.