Chapter 530: Heaven and Earth (End) |
Chen Ji looked at the boundless and limitless Reed Marshes. As the summer winds blew, the densely flourishing and abundant Reed Marshes slumped over in patches like waves, emitting tremendous sounds.
The sounds blanketed the heavens and covered the earth, pressing over everything.
Chen Ji gazed after the completely empty little boat sailing towards the south. Jin Zhu by his side comforted: "Let's go. Within three days the Trouble-Resolving Guard will be able to lay out heaven's nets and earth's snares. Even if he escaped today, wanting to flee out will also be difficult."
Chen Ji hummed an acknowledgement, turning his horse around.
Jin Zhu looked at him several times, Hesitating to Speak.
[Translation note: Skipped website advertisement message]
Chen Ji angled his gaze over asking bewilderedly: "Lord Jin Zhu wishes to say what?"
Jin Zhu hesitated for a moment: "Have you entered the Trouble-Resolving Tower?"
Chen Ji stared blankly.
Chen Ji recalled: "Lord Jin Zhu said, the Inner Chancellor had once stated, the sharpest objects in this world... the first is fame, the second is profit."
Jin Zhu said grumpily: "Don't play the fool and feign ignorance. You know I'm not referring to this sentence."
Chen Ji smiled faintly: "The Inner Chancellor had once stated, the two things in this world easiest to utilize... the first is hate, the second is love."
"The Inner Chancellor knows how to utilize these four things the best. Clearly not even being a Practitioner, yet he is capable of making all people in the world fearful and wary of him." Jin Zhu looked at the undulating Reed Marshes in the distance, sighing with emotion: "Be somewhat careful. Although the Trouble-Resolving Tower can resolve troubles for the people of the world, for those who have entered, their lives are no longer their own."
Chen Ji acted as if he hadn't heard that last sentence, merely asking seriously: "Can it truly resolve troubles?"
Jin Zhu laughed from anger: "You brat won't let oil or salt enter? (Refuse to listen to reason?)"
Chen Ji remained silent, unspeaking.
Jin Zhu let out a scoffing laugh: "Never mind. I also lack the qualifications to lecture you... Relax your heart. Although the Inner Chancellor fixes his thoughts upon your life, as long as it is a matter he promised you, there is none that cannot be accomplished."
Chen Ji smiled: "Then that is enough."
...
When Chen Ji returned to the Gate of Eternal Stability it was already evening. The orange-red slanting evening sunlight illuminated Capital City's grayish-white city walls.
Behind him horse hoof sounds rose.
Chen Ji, Jin Zhu, and Tian Ma simultaneously turned their heads back. They only saw a traveling group of twenty-five people whipping their horses wildly galloping over. Everyone universally wore black clothes: twelve men, thirteen women.
Jin Zhu saw one woman taking the lead wearing a Bamboo Hat on her head, concealing her face with black gauze, only exposing a pair of eyes.
Relaying solely on the other party's body shape and this pair of eyes, he recognized the other party's identity. Instantly his complexion changed: "Didn't Qiu Shu go to Wunian Mountain? How come she returned this quickly?"
Chen Ji concentrated his spirit gazing over. This was still his first time seeing Qiu Shu.
Before waiting for him to see clearly, Jin Zhu suddenly instructed Chen Ji and the secret spies under his command: "Everyone cover your faces. Don't let the wolf whelps who just came out from Wunian Mountain remember your appearances."
Jin Zhu tore off a strip of cloth from the hem of the clothes of a secret spy beside him, handing it to Chen Ji: "Quickly."
Chen Ji did not understand yet still acted according to it. As he covered his face he measured up the surrounding secret spies, yet saw these secret spies who were ferocious gods and baleful demons during ordinary days acting as if every man's life was in danger.
Just after covering it well, Qiu Shu had already arrived at close range. An appearance of around thirty years old towards up or down.
She evaluated Jin Zhu coldly and terrifyingly: "Dead fatty. Seeing me, why don't you offer greetings?"
Jin Zhu laughed awkwardly: "Isn't this because there hasn't been enough time yet."
Chen Ji looked at the two people with a bizarre expression. The last time he saw Jin Zhu this yes-yes and obedient-obedient (subservient), was still before Bai Long. But Qiu Shu was not of the Top Three Ranks, and Tian Ma was still by his side...
There's a story here.
Tian Ma performed sign language to Jin Zhu: I am going to see the Inner Chancellor. You guys chat.
Jin Zhu nodded his head.
Wait until Tian Ma departed, Qiu Shu looked toward the secret spies behind Jin Zhu, her tone ice-cold: "A Weak Soldier Is Just One, A Weak General Ruins The Whole Unit. One by one lacking spirit and depressed in spirits... what kind of appearance is this?"
Jin Zhu turned his head back for a glance, angrily rebuking: "Straighten all your waists up!"
Saying so, he again looked toward the twenty-four young men and women behind Qiu Shu.
These wolf whelps fundamentally did not shun or taboo Jin Zhu's gaze, but instead looked at him eye-to-eye one by one. Continuing, their gazes swept across Jin Zhu's neck, waist and abdomen, and other fatal places one by one, seeming to be looking at how many flaws there were on Jin Zhu's body.
Qiu Shu without turning her head knew what these wolf whelps behind her were doing: "Stop looking. This old brat Jin Zhu likes playing the pig to eat the tiger the most. If you reckless youths are schemed against by him, who's to say you might even have to help him count the money. He's not someone you can afford to provoke."
Jin Zhu heihei laughed: "Elder Sister Qiu Shu has misunderstandings about me. My Jin Zhu is entirely a piece of the Heart of a Newborn Child. When have I ever done the shady business of scheming against people?"
He whipped his horse approaching Qiu Shu, asking inquiringly in a low voice: "All just escorted out from Wunian Mountain? Did you circle a bit more road? Don't let them grope their way back."
Qiu Shu laughed mockingly: "Is it your turn to come teach me to do things? That kind of ghost place... having seen the bustling and blooming world outside, who would still be willing to return? Would you be willing?"
Jin Zhu shook his head: "I am not willing to, but still must be a bit more cautious. It's not guaranteed there truly wouldn't be someone who left their soul behind at Wunian Mountain... The last person who killed their way back caused a massive incident."
Qiu Shu did not care in the slightest: "Relax your heart... Hand over the money."
In the next moment, Jin Zhu pulled out a bag of silver from inside his sleeves tossing it to the person behind Qiu Shu. Following closely, as if performing a magic trick, he again pulled out another bag of silver tossing it to the next person, continuing until all twenty-four wolf whelps had a money bag in their hands. Only then did he stop.
Jin Zhu said with smiling eyes: "Today tying a good karmic affinity with everyone. This Capital City doesn't compare to Wunian Mountain; the places to spend money are many. In those years when I came from Wunian Mountain to Capital City, before receiving my first salary stipend, I was so poor I couldn't even afford to eat a bowl of hot soup noodles. Eagerly waiting until the time salaries were issued, I ate twelve bowls in a single breath."
Qiu Shu said in a cold voice: "Why haven't you thanked Lord Jin Zhu?"
On the faces of the twenty-four people neither joy nor anger could be seen: "Thanking Lord Jin Zhu."
Jin Zhu changed the direction of the edge of his words (changed the subject), saying with smiling eyes: "Also gifting you all a few pieces of news. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu a while ago were demoted to Gyrfalcons. These two people possess bravery but lack strategy. Only with great difficulty did they establish great merit at Chongli Pass and return to the Twelve Zodiacs; their foundations are unsteady. Xuan She had both his arms broken by someone when in Changping. Now he hides his two arms inside a great cloak. Thinking upon it, they still haven't grown back well."
Chen Ji saw that on the faces of those twenty-four people opposite him finally there was luster and expression.
Qiu Shu cast a glance at Jin Zhu: "Stop digging pits. The Inner Chancellor keeping these people is of use."
Jin Zhu heihei laughed, speaking no more words.
"Not speaking anymore, I'm still hurrying to go see the Lord Inner Chancellor." Qiu Shu brushed shoulders with Jin Zhu passing by, whipping her horse walking into the city gate tunnel of the Gate of Eternal Stability. She didn't even turn her head back giving instructions to the twenty-four people behind her: "Hold your silver and go stroll around Capital City's bustling and blooming world by yourselves. Use fine wine and beautiful women to eliminate the murderous aura on your bodies. Remember, today no killing people is permitted."
Chen Ji looked at Qiu Shu's back figure, turning his head to look towards Jin Zhu: "You are very afraid of her?"
Jin Zhu smiled faintly: "For me this is not fear, it is respect. She came out of Wunian Mountain three years earlier than me. When I came to Capital City I raised my eyes lacking relatives, possessing not a single penny on my body. During the first month it was her who gave me one tael of silver, otherwise I would have starved to death on the street corners. Reminding you a bit, don't provoke her. She has managed the Inner Prison for many years. The people Xuan She and Bao Hou have killed these years added together might not necessarily be as many as hers. When she does matters, she does not recognize the six relations (is completely ruthless)."
Chen Ji didn't know whether these words were true or false, merely feeling the relationship between these two people wasn't as simple as Jin Zhu himself said.
Jin Zhu waved a hand: "Go back and rest. The moment there is news of Lin Chaoqing, I will immediately dispatch people to notify you."
"Many thanks."
...
Chen Ji bade farewell to Jin Zhu, returning to the Chen Estate alone.
He stood outside Ginkgo Garden forcefully rubbing his cheeks. Only then did he push open the door: "I've returned."
Xiaoman hugged the little black cat welcoming up. Seeing Chen Ji's current appearance, she instantly tossed the little black cat onto the ground: "What's wrong with Young Master? Looking like you've been burned by fire... I'll go boil water for you to bathe."
Chen Ji said smiling: "No need. Such hot days, I simply need to take a cold water bath and it's fine. You guys go out first and wait a moment."
Xiaoman gave an 'oh' sound, pulling the Little Monk out the door.
Chen Ji took off his clothes. Using a wooden ladle to scoop up clear water, he poured it down ladle by ladle, using the coolness of the water to extinguish the irritation and dry heat in his heart.
He also didn't know, after Lin Chaoqing met with his uncle who held massive authority in his grasp, how would the other party deal with him?
Would he consider familial affection or abandon him? Would he have Military Intelligence Division spies expose his identity?
Or dispatch Practitioners to clean up the household doors (eliminate traitors)?
Chen Ji had no way of knowing. He only hoped the encirclement and arrest by the Secret Spy Division and Trouble-Resolving Guard could drag out the time of Lin Chaoqing's return to the Jing Dynasty a bit longer.
As for the second life he owed the Inner Chancellor, he could only think of another method.
Chen Ji swapped into a suit of clean clothes, reopening the courtyard doors anew. He precisely saw Xiaoman and the Little Monk Whispering Privately outside the door.
He asked bewildered: "What's wrong?"
Xiaoman carefully and meticulously measured his expression: "Young Master, if I speak you absolutely must not be angry."
Chen Ji said perplexed: "Exactly what matter has occurred."
Xiaoman took out a stack of Bamboo Paper from inside her sleeves: "Just now Wenyuan Bookstore released some damn Capital City Evening News to fight against us in the arena (compete with us). They're even cursing you on the newspaper."
Chen Ji received the newspaper and spread it open. Impressively he saw the front page headlines were precisely the matters of him fighting over wind and eating vinegar (being jealous) and using Private Torture on Lin Chaojing.
Now the arrest of Lin Chaoqing was kept secret and unannounced. The commoners only knew the royal court was catching fleeing criminals, yet did not know who was currently being caught, nor for what reason they were being caught.
The Directorate of Ceremonial knew the true facts, but also paid no attention to this Capital City Evening News. Also not knowing whether it was in order to confuse the public's sight and hearing, or if they did not wish to offend the Xu Family members.
In the newspaper, who knew which literati scholar wielded the pen, writing him as unforgivably wicked, mutually abandoned by humans and gods.
Xiaoman said with a worried heart: "Young Master, I originally wanted to have Big Sister A'Xia speak with Lord Zhang Zhuo, to have the Xu Family members not oppose you. But Big Sister A'Xia previously said, Elder Xu is hanging onto a single breath, not knowing when he will depart. The elegiac scrolls and burial clothes have all been prepared... The Xu Family right at this moment is extremely chaotic. Fighting back and forth, even chickens and dogs are not at peace."
Chen Ji lowered his head evaluating the newspaper. He paid no mind at all to those words cursing himself, but instead touched the paper: "What they are using is also Shuzhou Jiajiang Bamboo Paper. Cheap."
He again evaluated the ink color and printed text: "Wenyuan Bookstore is not using movable type, but instead used the stupid method. Using much more men and labor to carve blocks overnight... the manpower needed is a whole lot more than us. They also could only print out two pages in a mad rush, lacking a vast amount of essays compared to ours. The ink is also not oil ink; many words cannot even be seen clearly..."
Xiaoman became anxious: "Young Master, what time is it already, you still care about these things."
Chen Ji smiled faintly: "Anxious for what? The heavens haven't collapsed yet. Isn't it just being cursed a few sentences by people? Just let them curse."
Saying so, he continued to flip and look through the Capital City Evening News. Yet he stopped his gaze at the advertisement business on the final page, staring blankly on the original spot.
Xiaoman asked bewildered: "What's wrong with Young Master?"
Chen Ji looked fixedly at the newspaper. At the bottom right corner of the final page, impressively there was an advertisement swaggeringly written out using an acrostic method.
Drunken Immortal Restaurant's Newly Opened Market Signboard:
'Earth' grade old wine, opens its jars today.
Propping up the pots to steam new grain, the fragrance permeates three alleys.
Already retreated the heat of the fire, leaving behind mellow richness.
Retreating the old year, welcoming new guests.
Heaven-bestowed secret recipe, activates and is put to use today.
Propping open Eight Immortals Tables, exclusively waiting for people who understand wine.
Unsealed, if not drunk no money is wanted,
Using true heart, exchanged for Milord's tasting.
Chen Ji looked at the advertisement, saying in a low voice: "'Earth' Branch has retreated, 'Heaven' Branch is activated." (taking the first character of each line: 地 支 已 退 天 支 啟 用)
...