Green Mountain
Chapter 340: When the drawing is finished, the dagger is revealed.

Chapter 340: When the drawing is finished, the dagger is revealed.

Half of Guyuan City had already turned into ruins. In the dark night, the emptiness of the ruins let wild grass grow in people’s hearts.

Chen Ji trudged through the night, struggling to discern the direction. Behind him, the rapid sound of horse hooves echoed, and he couldn’t tell how many Tiance Army soldiers and horses had crossed the sea of fire in pursuit of him.

The Tiance Army was drawing closer and closer. Suddenly, Li Xuan said, "You go. I’ll hold them off."

But Chen Ji only cast him a glance and dragged him into a section of the blackened ruins. Amid the ruins, the smoke stung their nostrils. Chen Ji held his breath, closed his eyes, and stayed silent.

Li Xuan was restless. He had fought with the Tiance Army all day and knew well how hard it was to evade their search. But he didn’t dare to voice his concerns to Chen Ji.

Full of apprehension, they heard the sound of Tiance Army horses galloping past the ruins. Just as the soldiers sped away some distance, a leading Black Pheasant Tail Armor Soldier sensed something amiss, pulled his reins tight, and stopped his horse on the spot.

He listened silently for a moment and then turned his horse back: "Search! Leave no part of the ruins unchecked. Those two might be hiding somewhere around here!"

Dozens of Tiance Army armored soldiers charged toward the ruins. Some carried lances over eight feet long, piercing through every corner of the ruins, as if trying to plow the area clean.

The Tiance Army drew nearer and nearer, the sound of horse hooves pounding in their ears.

Li Xuan’s heart sank. Just as he was about to stand up and lead the pursuers away, Chen Ji pressed him firmly back down.

The next moment, they heard the sharp clash of metal in the distance, followed by the sound of someone dragging their blade as they walked. In an instant, dozens of Tiance Army armored soldiers turned their heads in unison, looking toward the source of the sound.

The Black Pheasant Tail Armor Soldier thrust his spear forward and roared, "Kill without mercy!"

The sound of iron hooves gradually receded, and only then did Chen Ji move, slipping away in the opposite direction. Only after running three miles did he slow his steps, unable to suppress a fit of coughing.

For the moment, they were safe.

Li Xuan looked around in disbelief: Had they really escaped?

When he had decided to turn back to save Chen Ji, he hadn’t expected to survive. It was only now that he realized—did Chen Ji even need saving?

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Li Xuan lowered his voice and asked, "What just happened? Do you have allies here? Was it that maid by your side or Second Miss Zhang? How will they escape?"

Chen Ji said nothing. He pushed on through the dense smoke, letting the two sword seeds hidden by the night return to the patterned sheath at his waist. Determining the general direction, he turned and headed toward Taohuai Square.

Li Xuan followed silently behind, carefully observing Chen Ji’s every move.

Passing by a well, Chen Ji stopped to listen for any sounds nearby. Confirming that no one was around, he gently drew up a bucket of water and soaked the hems of his garments, preparing in case they needed to pass through more flames and smoke later.

Li Xuan imitated his actions, soaking the hem of his own garments as well.

Chen Ji re-tied his disheveled hair, securing it with a hairpin.

Seeing this, Li Xuan also began tying up his hair.

Chen Ji gave him a sidelong glance: "Lord Li, why are you copying me?"

Li Xuan hesitated for a moment before explaining, "You seem to move through Guyuan City with such ease. Following you and learning can’t be wrong."

Chen Ji replied calmly, "Lord Li needn’t bother learning."

Li Xuan was slightly taken aback: "Why not?"

Chen Ji casually answered, "Because Lord Li has too soft a heart; I fear you won’t live long enough for it to be of any use."

Li Xuan was momentarily speechless.

Suddenly, Chen Ji asked, "The armored infantry we saw earlier—what did their armor look like? Was it leather armor?"

Li Xuan was startled: "How do you know? Did you also see those infantry soldiers? Where did they come from, which unit do they belong to?"

Chen Ji didn’t answer and simply continued forward.

Li Xuan followed up: "Earlier, I saw you wielding a blade. Where did you learn such archery skills? Could you teach me?"

Chen Ji still didn’t respond.

"Where is the Crown Prince now?"

"Is Mr. Chen doing well?"

"Is Qi Zhenzhuo still alive?"

Chen Ji remained silent throughout.

Soon, Li Xuan realized Chen Ji didn’t want to engage with him, so he too fell silent.

Chen Ji walked ahead, while Li Xuan trailed behind, disheveled and clumsy. It was as though Chen Ji was the commander of the Yulin Army, and Li Xuan was nothing more than a fresh recruit.

Time passed, though how long was unclear. Chen Ji continued to evade the Tiance Army’s patrols, changing directions repeatedly, moving closer to Taohuai Square. But just two streets away from their destination, he suddenly pulled Li Xuan into a burned-out ruin and quietly observed the scene outside.

At the intersection ahead, Tiance troops wielding torches were passing through. Organized iron cavalry marched northward at a steady pace, while infantry soldiers, accompanied by hunting dogs, stayed at their flanks. The long procession seemed endless, cutting off Chen Ji and Li Xuan’s path entirely.

Chen Ji held back his breath: "Wait for them to pass."

The two squatted behind the ruin patiently, waiting. But for a full hour, the army continued marching without end.

Li Xuan sneaked a glance and was startled to see a robust armored soldier atop a warhorse, carrying a black banner that swayed in the torchlight. The banner’s edges were sewn with Black Pheasant feathers, and the fabric bore a single golden character: "Yuan."

Li Xuan whispered, "That’s the Central Army Banner. The Great Commander of the Tiance Army, Yuan Zhen, has entered the city!"

Chen Ji remained expressionless and gave a soft "Hmm."

Moments later, Li Xuan suddenly said, "Chen Ji, Yuan Zhen managed to escape during the Battle of Quwu Mountain in the 25th year of Jianing. If we kill him, it might break the Tiance Army’s morale."

Chen Ji detected the implication but didn’t reply. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the Tiance soldiers passing the intersection as he casually asked, "Lord Li, how old are you this year?"

Li Xuan answered, "Thirty-four."

Chen Ji continued, "Has Lord Li ever been on a battlefield?"

Li Xuan shook his head: "No. I joined the Qi family as a son-in-law at seventeen, then entered the Yulin Army to train in ceremonial formations daily. I’ve never been to war."

Chen Ji responded flatly, "Lord Li criticizes Qi Zhenzhuo for being a wastrel, but how much better are you? Always wearing the expression of someone unappreciated, yet in the Yulin Army, people only respect you because you’re the Qi family’s son-in-law. Your rise to rank is entirely thanks to their support."

"You always boast about your ancestors serving in the Longevity Army, as if it elevates you above the other Yulin soldiers. But in truth, you’re as naïve as a child. Lord Li, you are indeed better than Qi Zhenzhuo, but only because you have the courage to die—and that’s all."

Li Xuan was momentarily stunned, then lowered his head in shame: "I only thought that since Guyuan City has fallen, if I’m going to die anyway, I should at least die meaningfully. Ever since I joined the Qi family, I’ve accomplished nothing aside from leaning on them for support. I’m just..."

Chen Ji shook his head, unsympathetic: "Lord Li, there’s no need to say such sentimental things to me. They’re none of my business."

Li Xuan was silent for a moment: "Apologies. I must have made a fool of myself."

Chen Ji paid no mind to who Yuan Zhen was. All he cared about was staying alive to make it to the Imperial Capital.

But at that moment, the Tiance Army ahead suddenly stopped. A squad of iron cavalry escorted dozens of captives, dragging them to the intersection.

Chen Ji immediately focused his gaze. Among the captives were Zhang Xia, Zhang Zheng, the Crown Prince, and Chen Liqin—they had been discovered by the Tiance Army!

Chen Ji shifted, but then gradually steadied himself. Taking several deep breaths, he narrowed his eyes to observe the scene.

In the torchlight, an armored soldier rode up to the group of captives. He first interrogated a woman before thrusting his spear into her chest and stomach.

The Tiance Army then dragged another person forward for questioning, and again, stabbed them to death.

Chen Ji crouched down, moving soundlessly closer. He could now clearly make out Xiao Man’s cursing lips and the defiant expressions of Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng.

The next moment, the Tiance Army pushed the Crown Prince forward. A mounted armored soldier used the tip of his spear to lift the jade pendant at the Crown Prince’s waist, asking in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

In a calm voice, the Crown Prince replied, "A merchant from the Central Plains, here for business."

The armored soldier on horseback laughed heartily, as if hearing the world’s biggest joke: "Tell me, Crown Prince of the Ning Dynasty, what merchant would dare wear a jade pendant with a four-clawed dragon?"

He gestured to one of his men: "Someone report to the Great Commander—we’ve captured the Ning Dynasty Crown Prince!"

One soldier ran toward the back of the formation, while the mounted soldier waved his hand: "Leave the Crown Prince alive. Kill all the others!"

Among the captives, one figure stumbled forward, shouting, "Don’t kill us! We can be useful! I’m a scholar of the Ning Dynasty, the son of the Junior Scholar from the Master’s Mansion, Chen Wenxiao! Those two over there are the son and daughter of the Left Assistant Minister of Personnel, Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia! Don’t kill us!"

The mounted soldier hesitated briefly, then burst into even more raucous laughter: "Wonderful, truly wonderful! There’s nothing I enjoy more than spineless Southern Dynasty scholars. Put an iron collar on his neck—he’ll be my dog from now on!"

As he spoke, Chen Wenzong rushed out from the group and shoved Chen Wenxiao to the ground. Climbing atop him, he rained punches down on Chen Wenxiao’s face like a storm.

The mounted soldier scoffed: "Separate them. If the Great Commander sees them brawling like this, it’ll be disgraceful."

In the shadows of the ruins, Chen Ji held his breath. Li Xuan, beside him, whispered, "I’ll go kill some of them to draw their attention. You grab the chance to save the captives?"

Chen Ji didn’t answer. This was the Tiance Army’s central force. Even if they had a hundred lives to spare, they wouldn’t be enough.

He fixed his eyes on the intersection and murmured, "Wait."

Li Xuan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, growing restless. He considered charging out, but after looking at Chen Ji and recalling his earlier remark, he suppressed the urge.

In the silence, an entourage surrounded a middle-aged man with graying temples as he arrived at the scene. The man wore no armor, only a black robe, and upon his head sat a gold crown.

It was Yuan Zhen.

Yuan Zhen sat calmly atop his horse, casting a sidelong glance at the Crown Prince. He spoke softly: "Raise your head."

The Crown Prince didn’t respond. A Tiance Army armored soldier stepped forward, forcibly lifting the Crown Prince’s head to meet Yuan Zhen’s gaze.

Li Xuan whispered, "What are we waiting for?"

Chen Ji suddenly said, "I suspected Guyuan was a trap, but I couldn’t figure out why the mastermind hadn’t acted despite the Tiance Army having already entered the city. Now I understand—they were waiting. Waiting for Yuan Zhen and the central force of the Tiance Army to arrive. Even if half of Guyuan’s citizens had to die, they saw it as worth the cost."

Li Xuan froze in shock.

Chen Ji paused before continuing, "Now that Yuan Zhen is here, the plot should reveal itself."

Just as he finished speaking, a thunderous explosion shook the air, causing Tiance Army warhorses to rear and whinny.

In the distance, flames surged skyward as a large section of Guyuan’s city wall near the gates abruptly collapsed, like a mountain crumbling.

Chen Ji stared at the flames in the distance. So, Bai Long had used the firearms there.