Green Mountain

In the darkness, the carriage swayed gently as it traversed the stone-paved road of West Chang'an Street.

Since Si Caogui appeared, Chen Ji rarely walked on his own; wherever he went, he was transported by a carriage. Si Caogui was like a shadow, always sticking close to him.

Become the Division Head?

That wasn't what Chen Ji wanted.

Once Bai Li was rescued, neither the Ning Dynasty nor the Jing Dynasty were good destinations; only by going overseas could he completely avoid trouble... but would they speak English overseas? His English was quite good.

While pondering, the carriage slowly came to a halt.

Chen Ji asked, "Are we there?"

Si Caogui didn't respond.

Chen Ji lifted the curtain slightly; opposite the carriage, a man stood on horseback, a sword strapped to his waist, wearing a black headband embroidered with the character Chen in white thread.

Si Caogui whispered, "He's one of the Seeking Dao Realm Grand Officials kept by the second house, Chen Guang."

In the next moment, the executive officer standing on horseback clasped his fists and said, "Young master, please accompany me; the second uncle awaits you at the Mountain and River Altar."

Si Caogui turned back and whispered, "You can't go. The second house employs ruthless tactics, and you've deeply offended them today. Meeting them in a secluded place can only lead to trouble."

Chen Ji shouted, "Please tell my second uncle, it's late tonight, so I won't be going. If he needs anything, he can come to Silver Apricot Garden first thing tomorrow morning."

Si Caogui shook the reins again, the carriage moved forward slowly, but Chen Guang remained motionless, blocking the way, repeating, "Young master, please accompany me; the second uncle awaits you at the Mountain and River Altar."

The carriage was forced to stop, Si Caogui slowly reached his hand towards his sleeve, whispering, "If a fight breaks out, run to the Chen family's main house. He won't dare to pursue you inside. If Chen Xu by Official Chen's side is alerted, it would spell disaster for him."

Chen Xu?

Chen Ji remembered that Chen Xu was the middle-aged man who invited him to Wendan Hall a few days ago, a confidant of Official Chen.

On Fuyou Street, Chen Guang rode forward, the crisp sound of the horse's hooves grew closer in the night, and the atmosphere between Si Caogui and Chen Guang seemed to solidify.

Chen Guang reached for his sword, while Si Caogui, like a lounging leopard, emitted faint popping sounds from his joints... the sound caused by muscles compressing joints as they tensed.

Wild dogs and cats by the roadside scattered and fled.

At that moment, another carriage approached from behind; both suppressed their killing intent, waiting for it to pass by.

The carriage unawarely drove past them without noticing the intense killing intent on the stone-paved road.

When the carriage departed, as Chen Guang and Si Caogui were about to engage, Chen Ji spoke with a smile, "Very well, let's go then; second uncle is an elder, surely he won't harm me. Even if he intended to vent his anger on me, he wouldn't choose to do it within the Imperial Capital."

The tense atmosphere shattered instantly.

Chen Guang clasped his fists and said, "Young master is wise, please."

Si Caogui gave Chen Ji a glance, remaining silent further. It seemed true to his earlier words; previously, Chen Ji followed his words, but in the future, he would follow Chen Ji, willing only to be a blade.

A blade doesn't ask questions.

The carriage turned direction, following Chen Guang out of Zhengyang Gate, heading to the Mountain and River Altar.

Ten minutes later, Chen Guang turned west in front of the Mountain and River Altar, where the reed marshes hadn't sprouted green leaves, just a scene of withered decay. As the night wind blew, it created a grand, desolate rustling sound.

Beside the Mountain and River Altar were four nameless ponds, each the size of a block, yet no one had the interest to name them.

A wooden dock extended into the reed-filled pond, where Chen Lizhi sat at the very end, holding a fishing rod. His emaciated figure looked less like an aristocratic family authority and more like a solitary old fisherman by the cold river.

Behind him, to the left stood a middle-aged martial artist, and to the right stood the Store Manager of the Chen Family Salt Shop, Chen Yue.

By Chen Ji's side, Chen Guang gestured, "Please."

Chen Ji smiled, walking along the dock towards the middle of the pond.

Si Caogui let go of the reins, intending to follow Chen Ji, but was stopped by Chen Guang, who, with a smirk, said, "The masters are speaking, so we underlings shouldn't follow."

Before Si Caogui could protest, Chen Ji turned his head and instructed, "Wait here for me, I'll go see what instructions second uncle has. Don't worry, second uncle won't harm me."

Si Caogui calmly replied, "Yes, young master."

Chen Ji continued walking forward, and when he got closer, he could see by the bright moonlight a pool of blood near Chen Yue, with his left hand missing a little finger and ring finger.

He wasn't concerned, approaching three steps behind Chen Lizhi and bowing, "Second uncle."

Chen Lizhi didn't turn around; he simply pointed to the center of the pond, "Dear nephew, called you over deep in the night to watch a good show."

Chen Ji looked up, the bright moon reflected in the pond's waves, elongating into a path stretching from the dock to the lake.

In the center of the pond, six black-covered boats floated, each kneeling a salt shopkeeper, tied up with hemp ropes and their mouths stuffed with white cloth, gagged securely.

Behind them stood muscular men.

The second shopkeepers, upon seeing Chen Ji, knelt on the boat's edge, unable to utter a word despite their muffled sounds.

At that moment, Chen Lizhi's fishing rod twitched, and he hastily lifted it, but when the hook emerged from the water, it was empty.

Chen Lizhi cursed quietly, "Even the fish oppose me?"

He impatiently waved at the pond's center, and a man tied a human-head-sized stone to Second Shopkeeper Zhou's feet, unemotionally pushing him into the water.