Green Mountain
Chapter 188 - 143, Dragon Seed

Chapter 188: 143, Dragon Seed

In the dimly lit Iron Refining Workshop, the remaining heat from the blast furnace slowly decreased.

In the shadowy interior, the Princely Heir and Zhang Xia sat opposite each other in silence, neither of them knowing if they would survive until tomorrow.

Zhang Xia went to find a clean cloth and washed it, then turned to the Princely Heir, "Could the Princely Heir please step aside for a moment? I need to clean the Commandery Princess’s body."

"Alright," the Princely Heir, sitting crossed-legged on the ground, stood up and moved into the shadows, turning his back on Bai Li and Zhang Xia.

As Zhang Xia knelt on the ground and wiped Bai Li’s body, he asked, "When did the Princely Heir and the Commandery Princess find out that Chen Ji was an Executive Officer?"

The Princely Heir casually replied, "There was a time when Bai Li and I were in a dangerous situation, if it weren’t for him coming to our rescue, Bai Li and I would probably not have survived."

Zhang Xia, with his head lowered, said, "I once asked my uncle if he could teach me the Official Gateway, but he said I didn’t have the talent to become an Executive Officer. Executive Officers are so rare in this world, it’s really enviable."

The Princely Heir paused for a moment, "Uncle?"

He soon realized that Zhang Xia’s uncle was that Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory, Xu Shu.

The Princely Heir chuckled, "I also once harbored the same thought, but my father said that the identity of a Princely Heir is naturally incompatible with the Official Gateway, it’s impossible to succeed."

Zhang Xia was a bit puzzled, "Naturally incompatible? What does that mean?"

The Princely Heir answered, "My father only said that officials above the third rank could never cultivate the Official Gateway, that one cannot have both the fish and the bear’s paw. It’s enough for a person to succeed on one path in life, we shouldn’t be greedy. That’s why the highest position at the Imperial Observatory is only a Standard Fourth Rank."

"Where did the Prince learn this from? My uncle never mentioned it."

"My father said that he also wished to cultivate when he was young, so he sought a Cultivation Path from the palace and secretly practiced it, and he indeed made some progress. However, after he became a prince, his entire cultivation dissipated in an instant."

Zhang Xia sighed, "What a pity."

The Princely Heir laughed heartily, "My dad said the same, ’what a pity’. However, I plan to urge my father to have another son when I return. Then, I could step down as the Princely Heir and join Chen Ji to become an Executive Officer."

Zhang Xia suddenly said after some thought, "Actually, I saw Chen Ji during Patriarch Chen’s sixtieth birthday banquet when I was young. He was sitting in a corner with his mother. His mother was very beautiful, drawing the eye even in that secluded spot. Back then, he seemed wooden and dull, completely different from now. Time flies so fast, I didn’t expect him to change so much."

"Oh?" the Princely Heir was curious, "I was also there, why don’t I remember you and Chen Ji at all?"

Zhang Xia closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, "The Princely Heir was seated at the main table. Before the banquet began, while Patriarch Chen was standing up to give a toast, you secretly took a sip from Prince Jing’s cup and ended up squinting from the spiciness of the alcohol."

The Princely Heir was startled, wanting to turn and look at Zhang Xia, but remembering that he should not turn around, he quickly turned his head back, "Wait a minute, why do you remember so clearly? Could it be that you, like Lord Zhang, have a photographic memory?"

Zhang Xia hummed an affirmation.

The Princely Heir was unsettled, "Do all members of the Zhang Family have this ability?"

"No, just my father and I."

At this moment, Zhang Xia finished tidying Bai Li’s clothes and stood up to clean his own body.

He spoke to himself, "My father married my mother as if he were entering her family, and the Xu Family stipulated that he was not allowed to take concubines or divorce, and not allowed to... there were many rules. After I was born, when I was one and a half years old, I could recite scriptures fluently, so suddenly my mother allowed my father to take concubines. Not only that, but the Xu Family also tried every means to send women to him."

The Princely Heir suddenly understood, "To let Lord Zhang have another son like you?"

Zhang Xia smiled and said, "Yes, my mother and father agreed that if they had another exceptionally talented child, that child should be adopted by my uncle and take the Xu surname."

The Princely Heir knew that the Uncle mentioned by Zhang Xia was the current Cabinet Minister, Xu Gong.

Official Xu’s only son, Xu Shu, had a miraculous revival at Yuanjue Temple and, now devoted to religious practice, had not married and was idling away at the Imperial Observatory.

This move by Official Xu was probably meant to find another successor for the Xu Family to continue its prosperity for generations.

The Princely Heir remarked, "Family legacies truly spare no effort in their continuation."

"It’s done, Princely Heir, you can come back," Zhang Xia rebundled her hair, picking up a metal rod from the ground to use as a hairpin, replacing her conspicuous red jade hairpin.

The Princely Heir returned to sit by Bai Li, anxious, "Why hasn’t Chen Ji come back yet? I hope nothing has happened."

But just at that moment, Bai Li slowly opened her eyes, her voice weak, "Brother, what did you just say about Chen Ji?"

The Princely Heir exclaimed joyously, "You’re finally awake! Let me feel your forehead... it’s still so hot, we need to see a doctor and get you medicine soon."

He was about to withdraw his hand from Bai Li’s forehead, but she suddenly clutched his wrist, "Brother, where is Chen Ji? Don’t change the subject."

The Princely Heir laughed heartily, "Chen Ji went out to look for medicine for you, he’ll be back soon."

Bai Li lay on the ground, staring intensely at the Princely Heir, "Brother, you’re lying!"

The Princely Heir panicked—he wished Bai Li had woken up either earlier or later, but she had to wake up right at this moment!

But before he could think of how to respond, they heard someone outside the Iron Refining Workshop riding a horse quickly by, shouting loudly, "The Major commands that the Second Camp assemble immediately! Search every household, every corner, and leave no outsider unchecked—they are within the Military Town!"

The Princely Heir and Zhang Xia exchanged worried glances, both startled, "How did they know we are in the Military Town?"

The Princely Heir wondered, "Did Chen Ji betray us? No, Chen Ji isn’t that kind of person."

Bai Li declared firmly, "Chen Ji couldn’t possibly betray us!"

Zhang Xia glanced at Bai Li and calmly analyzed, "If Chen Ji had betrayed us, he could have directly informed those soldiers about our whereabouts; there was no need for such a convoluted approach."

The Princely Heir said, "Yes, I knew we could rely on Chen Ji!"

Bai Li glared at the Princely Heir in silence.

Feeling awkward, the Princely Heir chuckled, "I’m not as clever as Zhang Xia, I was just following her lead and spoke without thinking..."

He stood up quickly, pressing his cheek against the workshop’s wooden door to eavesdrop on the commotion outside.

At that moment, another cavalryman galloped past outside the door, shouting loudly, "Mr. Feng has ordered that a full camp assemble, immediately ride into the mountains, and make sure to intercept that foreigner before he passes through Dragon King Valley!"

Bai Li struggled to get up, "It’s Chen Ji!"

Zhang Xia nodded, "It must definitely be Chen Ji. Dragon King Valley is in the northeast, and we’re in the southwest. Chen Ji surely chose this direction intentionally to lure them away from us."

The Princely Heir scratched his head, "You think so fast, just like Chen Ji."

Zhang Xia glanced at him and said calmly, "Before Chen Ji left, he instructed that if there’s any chaos in town, we must immediately take the Commandery Princess and leave. If we’re going to leave, we need to do it now."

The Princely Heir firmly said, "Let’s go!"

He bent down, picked up Bai Li, and carried her on his back as he set off.

Under the cover of night, Zhang Xia led the way, pushed open the door, peeked outside to make sure the soldiers had not yet searched this area, and then immediately led them stealthily towards the wooden fence.

"Who goes there! Halt!"

The voice thundered like a clap of thunder from behind them, the Princely Heir turned sharply to see two soldiers charging at them from several dozen paces away with knives drawn, "Found the foreigner, over here!"

The Princely Heir’s heart sank.

The cavalryman had deliberately shouted loudly to startle and drive them into revealing themselves while the soldiers had already set up a covert post on the street early on, waiting for them to walk into their trap.

He suddenly felt a bit desperate. Even though Chen Ji had risked his life to divert their pursuers, they still couldn’t escape.

As the Princely Heir, he couldn’t even protect two people.

"Run fast!"

The Princely Heir, carrying Bai Li, and Zhang Xia sprinted to the wooden fence.

Standing in front of the fence, he looked back at the soldiers about to catch up and said to Zhang Xia, "You climb over first using me as a step, then help Bai Li over!"

Bai Li weakly said, "Brother... just leave me here."

The Princely Heir angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you talking? How can I leave you here, how would I explain to Father and Chen Ji?!"

Bai Li stubbornly said, "Don’t hesitate, you won’t get far carrying me, hurry."

However, just as she finished speaking, Zhang Xia suddenly exclaimed next to them, "Zaozao?!"

The Princely Heir followed Zhang Xia’s gaze and was startled to see, not far beyond the fence, a group of jujube-red valiant horses, towering over eight feet tall, their breaths visible like arrows in the cold winter moonlight.

A shadow flashed over the top of Zaozao’s head and disappeared into the grass next to it.

The soldiers were nearly upon them.

The next instant, Zaozao neighed loudly; the fierce warhorse charged forward, leaping over the wooden fence more than a man’s height.

The huge warhorse, agile in mid-air, kicked forcefully, and both its muscular hind hooves simultaneously struck the chests of two soldiers.

With a booming sound accompanied by the noise of breaking bones, the chests of the two soldiers caved in, and they were sent flying tens of meters!

The Princely Heir and Bai Li were dumbstruck, and Wu Yun, crouching outside the fence, watched in respect!

Impressive!

The Princely Heir exclaimed in horror, "This Zaozao of yours..."

Zaozao docilely stopped beside Zhang Xia and lowered its head to rub Zhang Xia’s hair.

Zhang Xia, smiling, leaned her face against it, "This horse was a gift from my uncle; he said Zaozao is of dragon descent."

Dragon descent?

Even the Princely Heir, who wielded substantial power, had never heard such a claim!

Thereupon, she mounted the horse and reached out to Bai Li, "Commandery Princess, get on the horse, the Princely Heir sits in front, Zaozao can carry the three of us!"

From a distance, dense footsteps and shouts of killing approached. The Princely Heir and Bai Li no longer hesitated and immediately mounted the horse; Zaozao raised its leg and started walking.

The Princely Heir looked ahead, "What if we’re blocked by the wooden fence? Zaozao, carrying three of us, might not be able to jump over... right?"

With a rumbling sound, Zaozao showed no intention of jumping; instead, without slowing down, it bowed its head and completely shattered the wooden fence.

"Where do we go now?" Zhang Xia asked, pulling on the reins.

The Princely Heir asked, "Can Zaozao carry four people?"

Zhang Xia thought for a moment, "I don’t know... Zaozao, can you carry four people? If you can, neigh once."

Zaozao neighed in response.

The Princely Heir paused for a moment, "Then let’s head to the northeast, and follow Chen Ji!"

Zhang Xia frowned, "What if we can’t meet up?"

The Princely Heir took a deep breath, "At least we won’t have regrets!"

Zhang Xia, "Then let’s go!"

Bai Li, "Let’s go!"

Under the moonlight, clear of clouds, the fiery valiant horse turned direction, taking nothing from outside of themselves, leaving nothing behind.