Green Mountain
Chapter 150 - 109. The Hunter and the Prey

Chapter 150: 109. The Hunter and the Prey

The stone path was sprinkled with moonlight, a gentle layer of white like a delicate veil.

The tense atmosphere had been swept away by the gentle breeze.

Chen Ji sheathed his short knife, looking at Princess Bai Li before him, he softly asked, "How long have you been secretly plotting to help me?"

Princess Bai Li, somewhat embarrassed, fiddled with the purse at her waist, "A day and a half."

Chen Ji wondered aloud, "How did I not notice you all discussing these matters?"

Princess Bai Li explained, "You always come back during the day, looking exhausted, and go straight to your bedroom to sleep. We discussed it quietly in the courtyard while you were asleep."

"Aren’t you afraid I was out gambling?"

"Not afraid, you’re definitely not the gambler others speak of."

"Thank you."

Chen Ji could imagine the group sitting around an eight-immortal table, whispering amongst themselves.

Childish yet sincere.

Chen Ji glanced at Liang Gou’er and said, "Speaking of which, how much money did you all gather to help Brother Gou’er lend a hand? We haven’t received the kiln factory’s dividends yet; isn’t everyone out of money?"

The Princely Heir laughed cheerfully, "Ten silver taels, Princess Bai Li and I really don’t have any money left; those ten silver taels were actually provided by Liu Quxing. You didn’t see the moment Liu Quxing took out the silver ingot from his clothes; his face was all twisted."

Chen Ji was momentarily speechless, and after a long silence, he incredulously exclaimed, "Liu Quxing?"

The Princely Heir laughed, "We agreed to contribute two taels each; he’s just advancing the amount for now. Once the kiln factory’s dividends are distributed, we’ll repay him."

Princess Bai Li asked, "Chen Ji, what kind of trouble have you encountered..."

She stepped forward, but Chen Ji stepped back, "Commandery Princess, I cannot tell. Maybe one day I’ll tell you all, but not now. I must leave, there’s something urgent tonight."

"But Brother Gou’er can help you."

"I don’t need help."

With that said, Chen Ji stepped backward gradually, eventually turning and striding swiftly away, disappearing at the end of the long street.

Liang Gou cradled the long knife, leaning against the wall with his body askew. He gazed at Chen Ji’s departing figure, lost in thought.

At that moment, Princess Bai Li mustered her courage, intending to follow him, but Liang Gou blocked her path with the sheath of his sword against her collarbone, "Commandery Princess, don’t follow him. His matters are best left uninvolved by you."

Princess Bai Li looked at Liang Gou in surprise, "Why?"

Liang Gou smiled, "If it were a normal issue, why would he refuse my help? Unless the trouble he’s encountering comes from the Eunuch Party. Chen Ji is either part of the Eunuch Party or an enemy of them, and he’s well aware that I do not help either."

"But..."

Liang Gou suddenly said, "Perhaps the Princely Heir and you are still unaware of what kind of person you have amongst yourselves."

The Princely Heir puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Liang Gou, holding the long knife, glanced at them both, "This lad definitely has killed someone before, and not just one person. A killer’s gaze is completely different... Do you two know about this?"

The Princely Heir and Princess Bai Li exchanged glances.

The Princely Heir distinctly remembered that night in Hongyi Lane, how a mysterious figure broke the spy’s long knife with one stroke, and even swung three times.

Therefore when Chen Ji chopped Princess Bai Li’s knife in hand, the Princely Heir already knew his identity.

Chen Ji had certainly killed before, even doing so in front of him.

The Princely Heir hesitated for a moment, recalling Princess Bai Li’s recent odd behavior, he quietly asked, "Princess Bai Li, had you noticed already?"

Princess Bai Li hummed in affirmation.

The Princely Heir said reflectively, "No wonder... Brother Gou’er, we know Chen Ji has killed, though we’re still unsure of his identity, it doesn’t stop us from becoming friends with him."

Liang Gou sighed, "His identity, I’m afraid, may be more complicated than you both assume."

"How so?"

Liang Gou explained, "Princess Bai Li and the Princely Heir are not martial artists, so you have no concept of his saber technique, but have you ever seen a saber technique that could cleanly break someone’s weapon with finesse instead of brute force? That was a stroke impressive enough to astonish many swordsmen throughout their lives, unrelated to strength level, let me tell you that skill is something ordinary people couldn’t even learn if they wished."

"But who could have taught him that sword technique?"

Liang Gou looked towards the end of the long street, "Fang Yuwu? Or Li Zhichong? No, neither of them are suitable..."

"Brother Gou’er, are you capable?"

"I certainly am!"

...

...

Chen Ji proceeded down the street from one signboard to the next until he saw the grocery store and then veered into the dark alley next to it.

The moment he turned the corner, he saw dozens of pairs of greasy green eyes looking his way through the darkness.

Chen Ji’s scalp tingled; he couldn’t distinguish which eyes were Wu Yun’s, so he tentatively whispered, "Wu Yun?"

There was no cat’s response, only a continued eerie stare, motionless.

One pair of eyes blinked at him vigorously a few times.

After a moment of silence, Chen Ji tried again, "Heavenly Master Nine Heavens Yingyuan Universal Thunder?"

The next second, a pair of green eyes stood out and approached from the darkness into the moonlight, haughtily meowed, "What do you want from me?"

Chen Ji cleared his throat, "Well, I have something to report to you in private."

Wu Yun turned back to the dozens of eyes in the darkness and meowed, then watched as those eyes slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Wu Yun waited for a while before jumping happily into Chen Ji’s arms, "What was that name you just mentioned? It sounded so impressive!"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "That is the Taoist title of the highest deity of the Thunder Department, who governs life and death, prosperity and decline, reward and punishment, controlling clouds, slaying demons, and commanding thunder."

Wu Yun solemnly admired, "Mighty! Could you call me by that name when other cats are around?"

Chen Ji was silent.

Wu Yun quickly added, "When we get home, I can massage your legs!"

Chen Ji remained silent.

"Or step on your back!"

"Deal, but you don’t have to massage or step on my back," Chen Ji said with a smile as he stroked Wu Yun’s head. "Why haven’t you returned to the Medical Hall these past few days?"

Wu Yun thought for a moment and answered, "Master said that I have already cultivated the Liang Family’s Saber Technique aura. If I stay in the Medical Hall, Liang Gou’er might sense it."

Chen Ji exclaimed, "Ah?"

Really learned it?!

Chen Ji curiously asked, "So, when you meet someone who practices the same path, you can sense each other?"

Wu Yun replied, "Master said that when individuals who practice the same path meet for the first time, their hearts will palpitate as if facing a natural enemy."

He suddenly remembered the first time after resolving Ice Flow using ginseng, when he met Old Yao, his heart had palpitated as if being stared at by a ferocious tiger.

So, from that moment, Master had already known he had entered the path of cultivation, and he had thought no one else knew.

Therefore, in the future, if he encounters Lu Yang of the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple, would the other party immediately know he is also cultivating the Sword Seed Path, and then cleave him with a single sword?

"Let’s talk business," Chen Ji looked at Wu Yun and said, "I need a favor from you."

"What favor?"

"Borrow a knife, kill a few people."

...

...

On the night agreed with Liu Mingxian, Chen Ji arrived at Zhou Mansion as scheduled.

There were no clouds today; under the dense darkness, he stood in front of the reddish door wearing a tiger mask and picked up the animal-head knocker.

The gate opened widely; inside the courtyard of Zhou Mansion, many secret spies dressed in black were sitting cross-legged on the ground, wiping their waist knives.

As Chen Ji entered, the spies continued to wipe their long knives, watching him coldly and silently, their gazes slowly moving as he walked.

Jin Zhu came out from the study, smiling, "You’re quite punctual."

Chen Ji puzzled, "Sir, weren’t you supposed to impersonate the Division Head to meet with Liu Mingxian tonight, why call so many spies here, all looking ready to kill?"

Jin Zhu laughed and explained, "Originally, I also wanted to follow your plan, letting West Wind impersonate the Division Head, gradually extracting some information from Liu Mingxian. But then I thought, although the Jing Dynasty rebels haven’t contacted the Liu Family now, it doesn’t mean they will never contact them. Once they do, our cover could be blown."

Jin Zhu continued, "To avoid any long nights full of dreams, as long as Liu Mingxian shows up tonight, his collusion with the Jing Dynasty is practically confirmed. Even if I arrest him, the Liu Family cannot deny it. At that point, we just need to take Liu Mingxian to the inner prison; with Meng Ji there, he won’t dare not confess."

Chen Ji was startled, "Meng Ji? Sir, did you invite Meng Ji from Kaifeng Prefecture?"

Jin Zhu asked casually, "Why, is there something wrong?"

Chen Ji smiled, "No, I mean as long as Lord Meng Ji is there, Liu Mingxian certainly cannot argue."

Jin Zhu said meaningfully, "Exactly, with Meng Ji involved, nothing can go wrong."

Chen Ji asked, "Sir, since you’ve changed the plan, do you still need me? You know I’m just a medical apprentice and not good at fighting, thus unfit for capturing operations."

However, before he finished speaking, two spies stood up from the ground and slowly approached Chen Ji, subtly cornering him.

Chen Ji turned his head sharply toward Jin Zhu, his expression stiffening, "Sir, what does this mean?"

In the next moment, the seated spies all silently rose, their knives in hand, vigilant like hawks and wolves.

It seemed that in the courtyard that night, everyone was a hunter, except for Chen Ji, who was the prey.

Jin Zhu patted Chen Ji’s shoulder and said, "Brother, you still have to continue playing along with us; after all, we need to lure Liu Mingxian out first. Don’t think too much about it., I know you’re not strong, so these two colleagues beside you are specifically here to protect you."

Chen Ji asked, "Sir, are you sure they are here to protect me?"

Jin Zhu smiled, "What else?"

After saying that, he turned to the spies in the courtyard and commanded sternly, "Tonight we must capture Liu Mingxian. Those who show bravery in capturing the thief will certainly not lack their rewards, let’s go!"

The heavy vermilion gate of Zhou Mansion was once again pulled open, the spies filed out.

The two spies sheathed their long knives, their voices coldly stated, "Let’s go, Sir, don’t make it difficult for us."

Chen Ji, his face hidden behind the tiger mask, remained silent for a long time: "Okay."