Green Mountain

Chapter 811 658: The Great Fire

The taste of being homeless...

Chen Ji looked at this small courtyard. He brought Xiao Man from Luocheng City, and Xiao Man was still eagerly looking forward to eating grapes in the summer. Instead, they didn't even make it through the winter before they were driven away again.

Now, having barely settled at the Zhang Family, just after turning nineteen, there are countless Jiefan Guards stationed at the Zhang Family's entrance.

At this moment, a fire light flares up not far away, and someone shouts, "There's a fire! Where is the Fire Armor? Quick, come and put out the fire!"

Outside Shaojiu Alley, it becomes lively.

Inside Shaojiu Alley, Yao An and Chen Ji remain seated, their gazes fixed on each other's faces, not shifting an inch.

Chen Ji casually asked, "Did Senior Brother set the fire?"

Yao An smiled, "It really wasn't done by your foolish brother. The Imperial Capital is still the same; it's prone to accidents in winter. Those burning charcoal, coal, lighting oil lamps, a slight carelessness leads to a big fire. I remember in Jianing Eighth Year, a big fire nearly burned down the Glass Factory… There will be more people who are homeless again, how nice."

Chen Ji softly said, "Senior Brother, in our lifetime, there are many choices to face, and each choice leads to a forked path. You are homeless because you made the wrong choice. You never understood that home isn't a structure but the people inside. Even if the house burns down, as long as the people remain, there will be a home. And you, Senior Brother, even in this courtyard, are a homeless person."

Yao An observed Chen Ji's expression and teased, "Speaking of homelessness, why does Junior Brother seem so deeply affected... Tsk, tsk, there's a sense of hostility."

Chen Ji did not answer, his right hand slowly stroking the Whale Blade, while his left hand finger rubbed another object hidden within his sleeve.

If he were to reveal all his cards, he might still fight for life and death with someone in the Seeking Dao Realm. Previously, he feared Mountain Master Lu Yang who couldn't use the sword seed, but now it's the moment of mutual destruction.

Chen Ji already made a new decision.

However, he still couldn't determine how many Chang Ghosts this Senior Brother had, couldn't ascertain if the person in front of him was the real one or a Chang Ghost, nor could he grasp the link between Senior Brother and the Chang Ghost.

Logically, since Yao An is still practicing the Mountain Lord Sect's Scripture, he should be the same as him and Wu Yun, with no clear distinction of master and servant, all being independent.

But the tiger and Chang Ghost seem to be different.

Chen Ji said nonchalantly, "Senior Brother, today your Chang Ghost was personally ended by me, just a one-round opponent. How do you think you can surpass me?"

Yao An chuckled, "Junior Brother possesses the fortune of Prince Jing and the Empress, naturally progressing faster in cultivation than your foolish brother. What your foolish brother wants to compare isn't martial prowess, but intellect."

Chen Ji felt slightly relieved, the bluff worked.

What the Chang Ghost saw and heard couldn't notify Yao An instantly. The latter still believed Chen Ji had entered the Seeking Dao Realm, unaware of his ability to be reborn.

Chen Ji probed, "How does Senior Brother want to compare?"

Yao An thought for a moment, "How about you guess what your foolish brother plans to do next? Even if you can't, you can add Bai Long, Jiao Tu, Yun Yang, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse to your guess."

Chen Ji asked again, "Senior Brother is likely not alone either, there are several Si Caos from the Military Intelligence Department in the Imperial Capital, all under your command?"

Yao An said with a smile, "Junior Brother wants to buy time? No need, your Senior Brother is leaving now."

In an instant, Chen Ji felt an alarm sound in his heart, retreating swiftly with the Whale Blade.

Yao An slapped the stone table with both hands, and the heavy stone table flew towards Chen Ji and Treasure Monkey, weighing like a thousand pounds, unavoidable.

Treasure Monkey turned into a black mist, but from within the mist came Changsheng's sharp voice, "No!"

Qi Xiao murmured, "Let me."

The next moment, the black mist landed before Chen Ji, solidifying again, and continued to expand.

Qi Xiao turned into a ten-foot-tall Heavenly God, blocking Chen Ji's front like an eclipse, adorned with alternating green and gilded armor, wearing the Gilded Bright Armor. His eyes wide open, with pupils of red gold, gaze fierce and dignified.

Qi Xiao opened a giant umbrella in front of Chen Ji, the stone table smashing and exploding on the giant umbrella, with the gravel striking the umbrella cover with crackling sounds.

When the sound subsided, Qi Xiao closed the giant umbrella.

Only to see Yao An come out of the kitchen, tossing a piece of wood into the main house, where a big fire instantly ignited.

With his back to Chen Ji, Yao An calmly watched the fire spread, "Wandering afar, the heart finds no shore. Junior Brother, this place holds the memory of your foolish brother and the Master. You cannot live here, no one can live here."

Changsheng's sharp voice said, "This person's mind is even more diseased than Liao Zhong!"

Yu Yuan whispered, "Qi Xiao, kill them."

Qi Xiao, with large strides, rushed toward Yao An, but just as he reached the kitchen door, there was a loud boom, with gunpowder exploding inside. The huge blast sent the roof flying, even blowing Qi Xiao out.

Among the rumble, Yao An remained calm and composed.

The young Chang Ghost stood in a bow stance under the main house eaves, lifting hands skyward. Yao An stepped upward like ascending stairs, treading on the young Chang Ghost's thighs, then his left hand, followed by his right hand, leisurely strolling onto the rooftop.

He stood on the gray tiles, leisurely turning to see Qi Xiao ascending from the ground, teasing, "Mixed Element Pearl Umbrella, Vilu Crown, Gilded Bright Armor in green and gold. Is this the Northern Duo Wen Heavenly King? It looks impressive, but you aren't the real Duo Wen Heavenly King either."

After speaking, Yao An looked at Chen Ji again, smiling brightly, "Junior Brother, until we meet again, we should be seeing each other very soon."

Chen Ji drew the Whale Blade, intending to step on Qi Xiao's shoulder to leap onto the rooftop. Mid-air, the young Chang Ghost shook both arms, pulling out two Soft Swords from his sleeves, producing a swishing sound.

He leaped into the air as if from solid ground, pouncing towards Chen Ji in mid-air.

Chen Ji's blade shifted, moving with the force of splitting a mountain, aiming to cut the Chang Ghost in two from top to bottom. But before the blade could fall, he saw the towering and burly Qi Xiao grab the Chang Ghost's ankle, yanking him forcefully from the air.

Qi Xiao muttered, "Die!"

He swung the Chang Ghost's ankle as if swinging a doll, repeatedly smashing it against the ground.

At that moment, a rumbling sound came from the main room once again, with flames spewing from the door and windows. Qi Xiao held the Chang Ghost before him, bending to withstand the wave of heat.

Chen Ji was swept backward by the heat wave, flipping over and landing on the ground.

When he looked up again, he only saw the wreckage of Old Yao's house, where Aunt Yao had lived for many years, and Aunt Yao on the rooftop was nowhere to be found.

Everyone was speculating on where the Military Intelligence Department would use the stolen seventy pounds of gunpowder, either to assassinate the cabinet minister or to assassinate Your Majesty. No one expected it to be used here.

Shaojiu Alley was only separated from the Forbidden City by a Jade River Street. The rumbling reached deep into the palace, and outside the alley, the sound of hooves rose. Chen Ji sheathed the Whale Blade, and softly said to Qi Xiao, "Let's go quickly!"

Qi Xiao's figure, resembling the Duo Wen Heavenly King, deflated like a fish bladder, shrinking within two breaths to the original form of the Treasure Monkey, the wooden monkey mask still on his face.

The two left the small courtyard. Chen Ji glanced back at the raging fire behind them, ducking into the small east alley before the Jiefan Guard arrived.

In the narrow alley, Chen Ji thanked the Treasure Monkey.

The Treasure Monkey was indifferent, "Lord Bai Long instructed that you must be safe."

Yu Yuan asked curiously, "Lord, where's your Little Black Cat? Is it alright?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

...

...

On the other side, Aunt Yao, draped in a Daoist robe, walked leisurely through the night. He didn't seem rushed to go anywhere, just wandering in the inner city, but he could always avoid the patrols of the Five Cities Military Department and the Jiefan Guard.

Drums sounded from the city tower, urgent in their rhythm.

The curfew began.

All the taverns and teahouses in the inner city sent their guests away, rushing to close before the drumbeat ceased. Guests cursed as they returned home, leaving the Imperial Capital silent once more.

When dawn gradually arrived, Aunt Yao veered south, reaching the entrance of the East Garden Wood Factory at Xianyi Square.

Aunt Yao walked in; inside the courtyard, two people knelt on the ground, wiping bloodstains from the green bricks. Seeing him, they immediately rose and cupped their hands, "Mountain Lord."

Aunt Yao ignored them and walked further in, where two more were carrying four corpses in the wood factory to the warehouse.

On closer inspection, these four corpses had their hearts removed, and both the two wiping the floor and the two carrying the corpses bore identical looks to the four corpses.

Aunt Yao passed through the courtyard, pushed open the door to the main house, and sat in the deepest darkness inside, quietly watching the moonlight outside the door, lost in thought.

In the darkness, someone behind Aunt Yao asked softly from an even darker corner, "Why didn't you inform the Division Head about this unexpected trouble?"

Aunt Yao didn't turn his head, "I, Yao, am the Tidings of the Military Intelligence Department, not under the Division Head's control. The private meeting of Heavenly Branch and Earthly Branch is not something I will dispute with you all. Si Caoding, Si Caogui, and Si Caoxin were cleared up one by one, the Division Head stood by and watched, forcing me to rush back from Yunzhou to hold the fort. These matters, I can let slide... Don't come looking for trouble."

"The Division Head did not stand by," the person behind said heavily, "Lord Lu sent you here for a more important task. You're creating more problems, I will definitely report to the lord."

Aunt Yao smiled and smoothed his robe, "Don't use Lu Jin to scare me. If it wasn't for me back then, he'd probably never have escaped back to Jing Dynasty. Now I'm just under his command because I prefer staying out of the spotlight."

The person behind was silent.

Aunt Yao casually said, "Tell the Division Head when you return, I won't delay his matters, and he shouldn't interfere with mine."

The person behind slowly retreated, speaking as he went, "Don't provoke Chen Ji anymore, focus on the important tasks."

With that, he opened the window and leapt out.

Aunt Yao snorted lightly.

Just then, there was a knock on the wood factory's door, "Open the door!"

The four Chang Ghosts in the wood factory exchanged glances, one of them went to open the door.

The large door creaked open. The middle-aged Chang Ghost rubbed his eyes, looking like he was still drowsy, "Who is it?"

Outside, the Jiefan Guard said solemnly, "Passing the Holy Emperor's order, Mr. Qi passed away. Grant the secret instrument of the East Garden, a coffin, length ten feet, width four feet, height three feet, inside and out red lacquer, carved with sun, moon, dragon, phoenix, tiger, and tortoise linked by jade, take the golden nanmu from the Inner Palace, complete the construction within three days, and deliver it to the Qi family by cart."

The middle-aged Chang Ghost hurriedly knelt and loudly said, "Sir, Master of East Garden Zhuang, obeys the order."