Green Mountain

The grand ceremonial procession of the Phoenix sedan chair entered the city from Anding Gate, with the Empress looking formidable and ready to confront someone, the carriages and horses didn't stop.

The Yulin Army followed behind, Qi Zhenzhuo cautiously observing Chen Ji along the way, unsure of how he had offended his master, he carefully approached on horseback, "Master, I heard that Mr. Chen, Chen Lizun, plans to add you to the family register after the imperial examination and then come to my Qi family to propose... We'll be family soon, shall we go for a drink?"

Chen Ji said nothing.

Qi Zhenzhuo became even more nervous, "Although my sister is a bit spoiled, her nature is still good."

Chen Ji still didn't speak.

Li Xuan gave Qi Zhenzhuo a look, signaling him not to say anything more.

Ever since the Yulin Army's Left Brave Guard drank together last time, Chen Ji had become somewhat estranged from them. On regular days, for any matters, Chen Ji would only instruct Lin Yanchu and other humble soldiers to handle it and no longer consulted with them.

Even after everyone regained their spirits, Li Xuan still sensed a vague estrangement from Chen Ji.

He looked towards Chen Ji, "You whipped the Divine Chief Eunuch today, he might complain to Your Majesty... how do you plan to handle this?"

Chen Ji responded absentmindedly, "Let him complain."

At this time, the procession was about to make a right turn at the intersection of Shuntian Prefecture Street and Anding Gate Street, and Chen Ji was ready to turn his horse when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

On the south side of Anding Gate Street, a young Taoist sat on the back of a Qing Niu, holding a booklet in his left hand and a brush in his right, writing vigorously.

Despite the bustling noon street and the throngs of passersby, none caught his attention. This young Taoist did not seem to be in a busy street, but in a study, at a desk.

The brush in his hand seemed to have endless ink, as he was seen writing hundreds of characters in one go without the need to dip for more ink.

The young Taoist's hair was carelessly tied with a wooden hairpin, with messy fringes at his forehead and nape. The Qing Niu beneath him ambled slowly along the road, not avoiding oncoming carriages and horses, forcing them to make way.

He stood apart from the world.

Seeing this person brought Chen Ji to life, and he said to Li Xuan, "You all continue with the procession, I have something to attend to."

Li Xuan responded, "Wait, we need to return the Phoenix sedan to the palace first..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Ji had already urged his horse away from the procession, chasing after the Taoist and the Qing Niu.

Li Xuan furrowed his brows, feeling as if he had missed something important.

...

...

On the long street, the young Taoist continued to write briskly, muttering to himself, "Three beats on the board, the Bodhisattva's prayer beads suddenly snapped..."

"Li Changshou sighed, 'Such a convenient method of the Zen Sect, no wonder corrupt officials are devoted, borrowing your cassock to wrap skeletons... No, no, this line is too harsh, those bald ones will try to mess with this poor Daoist's life...'

The young Taoist crossed out the line with his brush, and the original ink-colored text vanished from the booklet, leaving it clean.

He was about to rewrite when he heard someone calling from behind, "Daoist Master Zhang Li!"

Zhang Li quickly turned around, seeing Chen Ji galloping through the crowd, he immediately patted the Qing Niu's neck, urging, "Hurry up, hurry up, don't make me beg you!"

But the Qing Niu was stubborn, unmoved by urging, still plodding along slowly.

Hearing the horses' hooves approaching from behind, Zhang Li quickly put on a smile, turning to greet, "Ah, it's Fellow Daoist Chen Ji, how have you been?"

Chen Ji, sitting on his warhorse, tilted his chin up, "Running away, why not run?"

Zhang Li laughed heartily, "Why run? I felt a kindred spirit with Fellow Daoist Chen Ji at first sight, since we met, we should drink fine wine together, why should I run?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Before writing the Four Dreams of Bianliang, did Daoist Master Zhang Li ever ask me?"

Zhang Li internally calculated: he wrote the Four Dreams of Bianliang while hiding in the City God Temple, had his junior apprentice brother deliver it to the Music Performance Department, and his junior had returned to Huangshan Dao Court, unlikely captured by Chen Ji. The official at the Music Performance Department had gone to Jinling to oversee the Southern Imperial Music Bureau's performance, not caught by Chen Ji either.

Hmm, no evidence.

He looked up feigning ignorance, "Ah? Four Dreams of Bianliang? What Four Dreams of Bianliang?"

Seeing his refusal to admit, Chen Ji was not anxious, "I wish to ask Daoist Master Zhang Li, the Taoist Scripture says, 'Act without action, and there is nothing that will not be governed.' In 'act without action,' is it action or inaction? If a cultivator deliberately pursues 'inaction,' could they not fall into the delusion of 'seeking nothing'? I've been pondering this without result, planning to consult the Bodhisattva at Yuanjue Temple."

Zhang Li's face changed drastically, "Let's talk nicely! Brother Chen Ji, let's talk nicely!"

Chen Ji lazily sat on his horse, leisurely asking, "Who wrote the Four Dreams of Bianliang?"

Zhang Li quickly replied, "I wrote it!"

Chen Ji asked again, "The stories of Lu Hun Manor spreading north and south of the Yangtze River, who wrote them?"

Zhang Li answered again, "I wrote them!"

Chen Ji chuckled, "Wouldn't it have been better to admit it earlier? Your Dao Court used me to undermine the Buddhist Sect's reputation, causing the Buddhist Sect to see me as an enemy. How should this be resolved?"

Zhang Li sighed, "What does Fellow Daoist Chen Ji want?"

Chen Ji seemed to have known his plan, "The leaves you used to help me evade capture earlier, three of them, plus one Life Feather Pill."

Zhang Li widened his eyes, "Fellow Daoist, the Life Feather Pill is the treasure of our Dao Court, how can I give it to you? No person with any sense of dignity would ask for a Life Feather Pill."

Chen Ji was easily persuaded, "Then five leaves."

Zhang Li shook his head like a rattle drum, "Impossible, impossible, the leaf of illusion is very useful to me. It's harder to refine than elixirs, my junior only refines one a year, I had to rob several people to get two."

Chen Ji calmly said, "What is written in Daoist Master Zhang Li's booklet, may I have a look?"