Green Mountain
Chapter 201 - 156, Heavenly Son Capital

Chapter 201: 156, Heavenly Son Capital

In the snowy field, Zhang Zhuo helped Zhang Xia remount his horse and patted Zaozao’s cheek, "Thanks to you, from now on you will be considered a great hero of the Zhang Family. When we get back, I’ll have the steward find you a mare..."

Zhang Xia glared at him, "Father, what are you saying?!"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "It’s the natural order of things, what’s not to be said?"

Chen Ji watched this scene, reflecting, "Everyone says Lord Zhang is greedy, which may not be true, but they say he’s lecherous, which might not be false... However, I see that he truly loves Second Miss Zhang. He’s still in his official robe, probably was at the government office when he got the news and came rushing here without stopping."

Zhang Zhuo laughed loudly, "The one who knows me, is Chen Ji."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Lord Zhang, this horse is exceptionally spirited. I heard Second Miss Zhang say it was brought back by Deputy Director Xu Shu from the Observatory?"

Zhang Zhuo mounted his horse, "That’s no secret. Seven years after Xu Shu miraculously recovered, he suddenly bade farewell to Official Xu and went north, saying he wanted to find something. Later, he told me he went to the colder regions north of Luocheng City looking for something he didn’t find, but he brought back this Dragon Horse."

"I heard from Second Miss Zhang that it’s of dragon descent."

Zhang Zhuo said, "Xu Shu mentioned that in the cold northern regions, there are some ancient bloodlines left, which make the most mystical war horses."

Chen Ji suddenly wondered, if, as he suspected, Xu Shu also came from the Forty-nine Heavens, what was he really looking for in those frigid northern lands?

Artifacts from the Forty-nine Heavens, lost to the human world?

Chen Ji asked again, "Lord Zhang, you are widely read and knowledgeable, have you ever heard of someone named Xuanyuan?"

This was his most urgent question.

In this world without search engines, finding information was like looking for a needle in the ocean. Only someone with an extraordinary memory and extensively read like Zhang Zhuo could possibly clarify his doubts.

Zhang Zhuo pondered for a moment, "On Huangshan Mountain, there’s Fuguo Peak, and beneath it a cavern, inside which the characters ’Xuanyuan’ are engraved; there’s also a damaged book that records the sharpest sword in the world named ’Xuanyuan Sword’, but this sword was lost and has never been seen... There’s not much more than that in the records."

Chen Ji nodded, not questioning further, realizing he might have to ask Xuanyuan himself.

He slowly closed his eyes, letting the horse take him away, shaky and unsteady, as Ice Flow surged through him, transporting him back to the black sea of clouds and dropping him atop Qingshan Mountain.

When he opened his eyes, Chen Ji did not see Xuanyuan’s figure at the summit of Qingshan.

The black Royal Banner with golden characters was inserted between the rocks, with nobody around.

Chen Ji felt strange and stood on the edge of the cliff to look down, only to see that, unbeknownst to him, farmland had been cultivated at the base of the mountain.

Xuanyuan, having shed his King Robe and changed into coarse clothing, was rolling up his trousers and plowing the field.

Chen Ji came down to the edge of the field, curiously asking, "What are you doing?"

Xuanyuan casually answered, "Farming."

Chen Ji puzzled, "You’re an Immortal who needs neither food nor drink, why bother to farm?"

Xuanyuan impatiently said, "I like farming, is there a problem? Society Society, ’Society’ stands for land, ’Society’ for the grain; if there’s no grain, the world’s incomplete, it’s the foundation of a nation."

Chen Ji sat down at the edge of the field, "But in the term ’Society’, there’s no mention of people."

Xuanyuan paused, "What?"

Chen Ji on his knees said, "Land for ’Society’, grain for ’Society’, but where are the people?"

Xuanyuan thought for a moment, "In the emperor’s heart."

Chen Ji laughed heartily, "Funny."

Putting down the plow on his shoulder, Xuanyuan sternly asked, "What brings you here today?"

Chen Ji seriously said, "Did you ever build a cavern for cultivation beneath Fuguo Peak?"

Xuanyuan puzzled, "Fuguo Peak? I’ve never heard of it."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, rephrased his question, "In the outside world, I found a cavern beneath a mountain, engraved with the characters ’Xuanyuan’. Not far from that mountain, there’s also a canyon had opened, looking up to a sliver of blue sky, invisible at noon, the sun and moon unseen."

Xuanyuan startled, "Heavenly Son Capital? You found the Heavenly Son Capital?"

Chen Ji also startled, "What’s Heavenly Son Capital?"

Xuanyuan left the field, and in a blink, draped a black King Robe over himself; it seemed to appear out of thin air, instantaneously materializing on him, "I once fled there, severely wounded, to heal and contemplate... and it was also there that I made your acquaintance."

Chen Ji had not expected this association with himself, "And after we met?"

Xuanyuan did not wish to continue on that question but squinted instead, "Strange strange, if you could find Heavenly Son Capital, then it implies Guixu, Leize, Qingqiu Country, Heavenly Mountain, Zhangwei Mountain, Fajiu Mountain, Riyue Mountain are all still around, just renamed..."

"That should be the case."

A peculiar expression crossed Xuanyuan’s face, "In a spring within Heavenly Son Capital, there’s a sword hidden, which I obtained after slaying my enemy. If you captured its Sword Intent, you could nurture the sword seed within you, ascending in one step."

Chen Ji’s eyes brightened, but they quickly dimmed, "It’s been over sixteen thousand years, the sword must have decayed?"

Xuanyuan sternly questioned, "Has the Whale Blade decayed?"

"No."

"If the Whale Blade hasn’t, neither has it. I placed it in the spring there purposely using Heavenly Son Capital, the world’s most unusual peak, to nurture the Sword Intent, waiting for later use, not expecting it would benefit you."

Chen Ji’s spirits raised, "Which spring? Can you describe some visible features?"

Xuanyuan avoided the question, slowly saying, "Not just there, I have hidden many treasures in the world. Though I don’t know their current names, I could draw them for you... but why should I draw them for you?"

Chen Ji earnestly said, "If one day I die, wouldn’t you be able to use my body to return to the world? I’m merely safeguarding these treasures; they are all yours eventually. When you return to the world, you wouldn’t need to tire yourself searching for them, you could use them right away."

Xuanyuan scoffed, "Do you think I’m a fool?"

Chen Ji helplessly said, "Name your terms."

Xuanyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved towards the distant troops, "Feng Huai, Feng Lie, Feng Xiao, Feng Gui!"

From within the ranks, four soldiers stepped forward, kneeling on one knee, "Present!"

Xuanyuan turned back to look at Chen Ji and sneered, "Four of them will surround and attack you. When you can defeat all four, I will tell you the location of the first treasure."

Feng Huai wielded a blade, Feng Lie an axe, Feng Xiao a club, and Feng Gui a bow on his back. Their aura was fierce, brimming with the will to fight.

Chen Ji cursed under his breath and turned to run.

...

...

"Chen Ji, wake up."

"Chen Ji, we have arrived."

Chen Ji opened his eyes atop his horse and saw a world bathed in red.

The slanting rays of the setting sun.

The gleaming white snow reflected a brilliant light, like orange-red auroras flowing over the snow.

The gate tower of Luocheng appeared on the horizon, resembling a mirage.

Chen Ji gazed at this scene, somewhat lost in thought.

Zhang Zhuo rode his horse closer, curiously asking, "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ji snapped back to reality and said with a smile, "Lord Zhang, right now I very much want to return to the Medical Hall for a good sleep, but with such a breathtaking sight, I feel compelled to stop and take it in. Tell me, what’s more important, the destination or the scenery along the way?"

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard, pondering for a long while before replying, "If you ask me, the destination is more important."

Chen Ji puzzled, "Why?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed and said, "I am quite greedy, you see. When I encounter one beautiful sight, I think about whether there might be even more beautiful ones ahead, and I’m not satisfied until I see the destination... Young man, you saved my official position during the last civil unrest, and this time, you saved my daughter’s life. How should I ever repay you?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Lord Zhang, you are too polite. I and Second Miss Zhang were classmates, how could I not save her?"

"It’s different," Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Participate in the civil service examination. As long as you do not kill anyone in the examination hall, I assure you’ll become a scholar."

"Is it that simple?"

"That simple," Zhang Zhuo said. "I know you do not want to mix in officialdom, but I also know you are not someone who only wishes to fend for himself."

Chen Ji looked into the distance, "Your lordship misunderstands."

Zhang Zhuo smiled, "Had you been a solitary Confucian civil servant, you would not have leaped from the city walls during the day of the civil unrest. Work with me, and I assure..."

Before he could finish, Mr. Wang galloped away from the Thousand-year Army’s formation and came beside Chen Ji.

He said to Zhang Zhuo, "Chen Ji is not suited to be a civil servant, nor must he necessarily take the path of the civil service exam. After the New Year, follow me to the capital, I’ll find you a role in the Ministry of War. The court has long been plagued with maladies, what benefit is there in delaying three years?"

Zhang Zhuo was displeased, "What business are you meddling in?"

Wang Daosheng calmly replied, "He is better suited for the border army."

Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "Promotions are too slow in the border army."

Wang Daosheng impassively retorted, "If not for the border army, how could the south enjoy peace and prosperity? Lord Zhang thinks little of the border army?"

"Stop throwing mud at me," Zhang Zhuo snapped. "I am not saying the border army is useless, but having him close by allows me to elevate him sooner, and having power in hand allows us to do more."

Wang Daosheng airily inquired, "What relation are you to him? I am his mentor, it is only logical for him to work with me."

Zhang Zhuo was taken aback, struggling to counter, "I... I can..."

He glanced back at Zhang Xia and swallowed his words, "You’ve taught him for only a few days, what kind of mentor is that? Wait and see, may the best man win!"

Chen Ji glanced left at Zhang Zhuo, then right at Wang Daosheng, "My lords..."

Wang Daosheng’s expression remained calm, "You may address him as ’lord’, but henceforth, you should address me as ’master’."

Chen Ji: "Master..."

Wang Daosheng spoke slowly and deliberately, "I don’t necessarily need you to work, but if you wish to work, you must follow me, not him. He works for the Xu Family and he’s not careful with his reputation; who knows how the future historians will write about him?"

Chen Ji quietly tightened the reins and slowed down, quietly extracting himself from the quarrel between the two lords.

With his interference gone, Zhang Zhuo and Wang Daosheng drew closer, their argument growing more intense.

Zhang Zhuo said, "It’s still uncertain whether you can be reassigned to the position of Minister of War when spring comes, why make such promises now?"

Wang Daosheng: "In the spring of the 24th year of Jianing, you lost to me in debating the scriptures."

Zhang Zhuo’s eyebrows twitched, "You’ve been demoted twice by His Majesty, and the Donglin Party also can’t stand your unorthodox methods; what can he accomplish following you?"

Wang Daosheng: "In autumn of the 25th year of Jianing, you lost to me again in debating the scriptures."

Zhang Zhuo became instantly furious, swinging at Wang Daosheng from his horse, yet Wang Daosheng, clad in Heavy Armor, didn’t feel a thing.

Wang Daosheng disdainfully retorted, "An official of the court resorting to blows, what kind of comportment is that?"

Zhang Zhuo shouted, "Scoundrel, prepare to die!"