Green Mountain
Chapter 157 - 115, Sacrifice small things for big gains

Chapter 157: 115, Sacrifice small things for big gains

"The drumbeats commenced, and the warriors prepared their meals. With the second beat, they tightened their armor. The third called forth the blade from its sheath, and at the fourth, soldiers were handed their commands. In advance and retreat, all must heed the call, for disobedience would surely meet the blade; all troops and lords return to camp!"

Chen Ji looked up only to see a figure in a brown robe humming a tune, slowly walking up the riverbank and disappearing behind rows of willows.

The figure had come in haste and left just as quickly.

Like a famous actor on stage who, after performing his highlight, retreats into the shadows beyond.

This time, Chen Ji was prepared to forcefully confront the dream with the fiery energy within his body; he even planned to try pulling Meng Ji into Xuanyuan’s Qingshan.

If his actions were exposed, he might be captured and thrown into the inner prison. If he could argue for exile, he would devote himself to practicing the Sword Seed Path in the land of his banishment and, upon returning to the Central Plains, slay all these treacherous dogs with a single sword!

Of course, he might not secure an exile, and then he would have to resort to small inventions to bargain for leniency.

Chen Ji had considered many possibilities before entering the dream.

But he had not anticipated that Meng Ji would let down his guard.

He did not feel any animosity from Meng Ji, only a sense... of envy.

Remembering Meng Ji’s reference to "gaining favor from that lord," he suddenly realized: someone had instructed Meng Ji not to interrogate him.

Who?

Who had the authority to instruct Meng Ji?

Chen Ji had an answer in mind.

At this moment, Jin Zhu interrupted his thoughts, earnestly bowing, "Brother, there have been many misunderstandings before, please forgive me. As I said, if you can prove your innocence, I will make amends. If you ever need my help, just call, and I will not refuse."

As he spoke, he reached out enthusiastically to shake Chen Ji’s right hand, but Chen Ji discreetly stepped back, "Lord, I request to resign from the Spy Department."

Jin Zhu quickly stepped forward, smiling, "Why resign from the Spy Department so suddenly? Our department’s salaries are double that of other officials of the same rank..."

Chen Ji shook his head, "What use is money if I lose my life?"

Jin Zhu immediately shifted his approach, "Once this matter is concluded, I will report your merits to the Lord Prime Minister and surely secure a Cultivation Path for you. If you can break through the Seeking Dao Realm by the age of thirty-six, living to a hundred years old isn’t far-fetched!"

Chen Ji took a second step back, "Lord, you had promised me a Cultivation Path before, but I have already risked my life and still haven’t seen even a shadow of it. The higher-ups in the Spy Department turn faces faster than flipping a book. I can’t handle it."

Jin Zhu took another step closer, "Once you become part of the zodiac, endowed with the credential of a fifth-rank official of the Ning Dynasty, common magic paths will be useless against you. Look at Zhang Guo’er. Ordinary people fear him, but the unclean creatures he raises cannot come anywhere near me!"

Chen Ji was about to take a third step back, but Jin Zhu preemptively grabbed him, "No more stepping back, I will even kneel at Jiefan Building and not get up until I’ve secured a Cultivation Path for you!"

Chen Ji was silent for a long time.

Jin Zhu’s attitude had undergone a radical shift, no longer uttering threats.

In a focused tone, Jin Zhu asked, "Do we have a deal? I obtain a Cultivation Path for you, and we wipe our past disputes clean."

Chen Ji looked up, "Deal."

In that instant, the world seemed to pause for a moment, even the flames reaching towards the sky halted briefly.

Jin Zhu breathed a long sigh of relief, his facial muscles visibly relaxing.

For some reason, Chen Ji suddenly felt that Jin Zhu had a sense of relief, as if he had finally resolved a significant issue in his life.

Jin Zhu cheerfully slapped Chen Ji’s shoulder, "From now on, your life is more precious than mine. Rest assured, anyone who troubles you is crossing me."

He added somewhat emotionally, "Brother, don’t blame my caution; I simply cannot afford to lose anymore."

Chen Ji puzzled, "Lord, what do you mean?"

Jin Zhu smiled mysteriously, "You’ll understand in time."

Daylight had broken.

Chen Ji saw more people gathering on the riverbank, neighbors running towards the sea of fire with buckets full of water. But the fire was already fierce, and the engulfing flames would not rest until the entire alley was consumed.

Jin Zhu stood by the riverbank, lamenting, "This ordeal has again harmed many, though it was not my intention."

Chen Ji glanced at him, "Lord, had there been no conflict between the Spy Department and the Liu Family, this conflagration wouldn’t have occurred."

Jin Zhu pondered and replied, "Chen Ji, let me ask you, a fire might bring disaster to hundreds of households, but if the Liu Family is not removed, allowing them to continue to occupy Henan Province, annexing and hiding land, how many more households would suffer?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "Lord, you don’t need to explain these grand truths to me; I have no intention of understanding them."

"As you wish."

Jin Zhu turned to watch the river’s heart, where Heavenly Horse stood in white poised on a boat.

In the chilly autumn morning, a thin fog was rising from the river.

Heavenly Horse stood amidst it, like a tranquil Banished Immortal.

Jin Zhu called out, "Don’t mind me, go and capture Liu Mingxian."

However, Heavenly Horse quietly made a few hand gestures at the boat’s bow, Jin Zhu responded with some signs, and then their dark-cloaked boat slowly turned and sailed into the thickening fog.

All was quiet.

Chen Ji looked at Jin Zhu in surprise, "Lord Jin Zhu, what is this with Lord Heavenly Horse?"

Jin Zhu watched Heavenly Horse’s receding figure and spoke softly, "He can hear, but he’s been mute since childhood; he can’t speak. The Lord Prime Minister had the Imperial Physician rotate to treat him; they’ve tried herbs and acupuncture, but nothing cures it."

Chen Ji asked, "Has my master ever treated him?"

Jin Zhu replied, "Doctor Yao also treated Heavenly Horse, but after taking one look at him, Doctor Yao turned away without even checking his pulse. When I asked what was the matter, Doctor Yao said there’s nothing wrong with Heavenly Horse’s mouth, his muteness stems from a psychological issue."

"Psychological issue?"

Jin Zhu said self-mockingly, "Hah, in the Spy Department, there are plenty of people with physical or mental deficiencies, either bodily handicap or psychological wounds."

Curious, Chen Ji asked, "Lord Jin Zhu, what are you lacking?"

Jin Zhu looked at his empty wrists and sighed sorrowfully, "Right now, I am in dire need of money."

Suddenly, Chen Ji asked, "Lord, has Liu Mingxian been captured?"

"No, the Liu Family’s Guest Elder and the Elephant Armor Guards desperately protected him and aided his escape."

"This is a good opportunity."

Jin Zhu looked towards Mudan Bridge and sneered coldly, "He can’t escape. This time, even if I have to turn Luocheng upside down, I will find him. All these years, it has been Liu Mingxian in charge of the Liu family. If we capture him, the Liu family is finished."

...

...

On the Luocheng Official Road, a carriage sped along, its curtains flapping in the wind reverse and the wooden wheels clattering on the stone pavement.

Liu Mingxian lifted the carriage curtain to see his pale face and urged urgently, "Quick, to the Liu Mansion, tell someone to bring all the Elephant Armor Guards from the Yanshi Camp to avoid the Jiefan Guard surrounding the Liu Mansion!"

The coachman didn’t respond, and the carriage did not head south.

Liu Mingxian demanded angrily, "This is not the way to Liu Mansion! Where are you taking me?"

The coachman calmly said, "Second Master, the Old Master had instructed earlier that if you’re exposed, to bring you immediately to meet him at the ancestral mausoleum. He should be waiting there for you now."

Liu Mingxian relaxed, sighed in relief, "So it was Old Master’s arrangements... It’s good as long as Old Master is here!"

He slumped back into the carriage feeling a throbbing pain in his Taiyang acupoint.

For eight years, he ruled Henan Province like an emperor.

He thought he could stand on his own, but ultimately, he still had to call his father out of retirement.

The carriage went round and round, eventually reaching Beimang Mountain in the north of Luocheng.

When Liu Mingxian arrived at the ancestral mausoleum, a forest of stone steles, Liu Gun was kneeling quietly in front of Old Master Liu’s tomb, wearing white hemp mourning clothes and a mourning cap, burning a stack of yellow paper.

Liu Mingxian hastily said, "Father..."

Liu Gun softly said, "Kneel down too, and burn some paper money for your grandfather."

His calm voice seemed to have a tranquilizing power.

Reluctantly, Liu Mingxian knelt beside him, taking a stack of yellow papers from a guard and throwing them all into the fire bowl in one go.

Liu Gun slowly said, "When you were young, your grandfather adored you the most. He would have likely plucked a star from the sky for you if you asked."

Liu Mingxian’s expression stiffened.

Liu Gun continued, "I told you to go to the Imperial Capital to be an official, to see the world. But your grandfather couldn’t bear to have you suffer there and insisted on keeping you by his side, acting as the Judge of Henan for eight years. Do you know where you lost? You and your aunt both lost because of your limited vision."

Official Liu looked up at the misty vastness of Beimang Mountain and sighed, "In your aunt’s eyes, the world was only the tiny Forbidden City. Your world was only confined to Henan... How could you possibly win?"

Liu Mingxian was startled.

Official Liu slowly got up, brushing the dust off his knees, "Come, play a game with me. It’s been a while since we’ve had a match, father and son."

A servant laid out a straw mat, brought over a table, and set up the chess pieces.

Official Liu knelt on the straw mat, playing defensively from the corner at the start, pressing Liu Mingxian into a long deliberation in just thirty-two moves, unsure of where to play next.

The more he looked, the more he felt his own pieces — white like the Liu family’s situation — were being pincered and ambushed from all sides!

Above Beimang Mountain, the sound of war drums seemed to be echoing, as if someone had fiercely plucked the strings of a pipa, revealing a murderous intent!

"Feeling indecisive?" Official Liu sighed.

Liu Mingxian gritted his teeth, "Father, this game... there’s no way out for me."

Official Liu pointed to a strategic spot on the board, "Play here, sacrifice the small to save the big, and you might struggle through for a while longer."

Liu Mingxian suddenly looked up, "Father!"

In the next moment, his neck was suddenly choked from behind, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Liu Mingxian, struggling, kicked over the chessboard, unable to utter a word.

His face turned cyanotic, and his eyes gazed fixedly at Official Liu like dead fish, seemingly asking why.

Official Liu picked_up the chess pieces one by one, tossing them back into the basket, lamenting, "Ah Xian, the person who most wanted to protect you, you’ve killed with your own hands."

With that, he stood up, shed his mourning clothes and cap, and walked tiger-like down the mountain, "Hand his body over to Jin Zhu, and say that this rebellious son, intent on slaying enemies of Jing Dynasty, almost caused great disaster and has committed suicide at home in fear of punishment."

"Old Master, the Spy Department won’t believe it."

Official Liu, not turning back, said, "Whether they believe or not is unimportant."

As Liu Mingxian lay dying, he saw one after another grey-clad Death Soldier from Yanshi Camp emerge from the Forest of Steles, silently following behind his father down the mountain.