The Azure Mountain

Chapter 109: Angrier the More She Thinks About It

Second Miss Zhang came in a whirlwind, and left in a whirlwind.

The fine horse named 'Zaozao' snorted white arrow-like breaths from its nose, carrying that fiery red figure away as if flying.

Listening to the fading sounds of horse hooves, She Dengke looked around at everyone and asked in astonishment: "How could she be so tyrannical and overbearing?"

The clinic was completely silent; no one answered his question.

After remaining silent for a long while, Liu Quxing sighed with emotion: "In the entire Luo City, apart from the Liu family and Prince Jing's Estate, there is truly no master more tyrannical and overbearing than the Zhang family."

She Dengke said in a muffled, nasal voice: "But the Commandery Princess isn't like her. I feel the Commandery Princess is very good. She never takes advantage of her power to bully others, nor does she put on airs. The lintel (status) of the Prince's Estate should always be more formidable than the Xu family behind her mother, right?"

With one elbow resting on the counter, the Prince Heir suddenly smiled with profound meaning: "The lintel of our Ning Dynasty's regional princes might not truly be higher than the Xu family's. Within this one-acre three-fen plot of land of Luo City, even the Prince's Estate has to consult and discuss matters with the Liu family. Although the three prominent families of the North—Qi, Chen, and Hu—and the three prominent families of the South—Liu, Xu, and Yang—are at odds with each other, when facing imperial power, they have always shared the same spirit and branches."

He continued: "Previously, my father wanted to scheme for the cement formula, but the moment Chen Ji said he wanted to take the formula back to the Chen family, my father immediately let it go. Why? Isn't it because if this cement formula fell into the hands of the Chen family, even Prince Jing's Estate wouldn't be able to get it back."

She Dengke's eyes widened: "No matter how formidable prominent families are, can they still compete for things with the imperial court?"

The Prince Heir chuckled: "In their eyes, they are the imperial court...""Stop right there," Old Yao cast a sidelong glance at the Prince Heir. "Are these words that an old man like me should hear? Do you resent the fact that an old man like me has lived to ninety-two, and so you plan to send me on my way?"

The Prince Heir said awkwardly: "I won't say anymore."

At this time, Bai Li walked across to the redwood counter and tightly stared at Chen Ji opposite her: "Are you not angry? She spoke about you like that, yet you act as if nothing happened."

Chen Ji didn't answer. Instead, holding the Go board and Go bowls, he turned to walk towards the backyard.

Just after taking two steps, Bai Li was seen standing on tiptoes, reaching across the counter to grab Chen Ji's arm and pulling Chen Ji back: "I'm talking to you, don't leave!"

Chen Ji helplessly stood still and asked with a smile: "Is the Commandery Princess talking about the matter of her disparaging me?"

Bai Li said seriously: "She hasn't understood you at all, on what basis can she say you're inferior to Chen Wenzong? Anyway, it's wrong for her to talk about you like that."

Chen Ji asked rhetorically: "Does the Commandery Princess hope I will prove myself to her?"

Bai Li thought for a moment: "At the very least, you have to let her know that you are not any worse than Chen Wenzong ah."

Chen Ji smiled and said: "And then what?"

"Hmm?"

Chen Ji said: "And then she discovers that this marriage is actually not bad, and happily accepts the marriage. At that time, Lord Zhang will copy others in catching a son-in-law under the noticeboard, forcibly tying me up to go complete the wedding. After getting married, if we want to go out drinking together anymore it won't be possible, I'll have to be at home learning needlework."

Bai Li froze for a moment: "Ah? Then... then better not."

At this time, Liu Quxing asked: "Just now Second Miss Zhang also didn't recognize the Commandery Princess and the Prince Heir, have you never met before?"

The Prince Heir explained: "In my impression, Lord Zhang came to Luo City to assume office in the 27th year of Jianing. At that time he didn't bring his family dependents with him. It seems he only brought his family dependents over prior to the Lantern Festival last year. At that time, Bai Li and I had already gone to Donglin Academy. Have you guys heard of this Second Miss Zhang? What kind of person is she?"

Liu Quxing muttered: "I've only seen her twice, and every time she was vigorously galloping on her horse in the city, startling passersby into making way one after another. Her horsemanship seems to be quite good, as I haven't heard of her horse hitting any passersby."

Liang Mao'er on the side said: "I heard about her when I went drinking with my brother. It's said the young master of the Liu family's eldest branch likes her, and the Liu family sent matchmakers to propose marriage, but were tactfully declined by Lord Zhang. It's not just the Liu family, there are actually quite a few literary scholars who admire her."

Bai Li muttered: "I really don't know where the eyes of this group of people grew, why would they admire her?"

The Prince Heir chuckled happily: "Second Miss Zhang is born pretty, and is the daughter Lord Zhang dotes on the most, naturally there are people flocking to her. If a scholar from a poor background married her, he could avoid thirty years of detours."

Bai Li suddenly looked at Chen Ji: "Chen Ji, do you also feel she is born pretty?"

Chen Ji let out an "ah": "I didn't look carefully."

Bai Li leaned against the counter, feeling somewhat stifled with anger.

The Prince Heir asked curiously: "You're still angry?"

Bai Li puffed her cheeks and said angrily: "Just now when Zhang Xia was here, only she was angering me, but I didn't anger her. Now that I've thought of how to refute her, she has already left!"

Angrier the more she thinks about it!

Bai Li turned and walked outside.

The Prince Heir hurriedly pulled her: "Where are you going?"

Bai Li said indignantly: "I'm going to find her to have another word with her!"

The Prince Heir didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Stop messing around, she's already gone far."

He looked at Chen Ji and said with a smile: "If we discuss family background, Second Miss Zhang is still a good choice. Perhaps she had only heard neighborhood rumors, and because she doesn't understand you, she rushed here to lay down the law. But distance tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's heart. One day she will re-evaluate you... Won't you reconsider?"

Chen Ji smiled and said: "If she doesn't understand me now, there's no need for her to understand me in the future either."

...

...

In the dead of night.

Chen Ji broke away from the Green Mountain dreamscape and slowly opened his eyes.

He silently counted the snoring sounds, and only after confirming that the people beside him had all fallen asleep did he lightly and quietly get up.

However, just as Chen Ji pulled open the door, he saw Old Yao standing under the apricot tree with his hands behind his back, gazing at the red cloth strips on the tree branches.

"Master? Why haven't you slept yet."

Old Yao said mildly: "Why sleep so long while alive, you will surely sleep for a long time after death. I don't know what's going on, but lately I always feel I can't look enough at the scenery of this world."

Chen Ji froze: "Your body is still hale and hearty."

Old Yao sneered: "I'm saying, I want to take a look at this world more before you implicate me to death."

Chen Ji: "..."

Old Yao turned back to look at him: "Acting as the Department Head of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Division in front of the Liu family, this matter is like walking on the tip of a blade. The slightest error and you will be doomed eternally."

"You know everything?"

Old Yao asked: "What are your plans?"

Chen Ji froze.

The old and the young stood under the apricot tree looking at each other.

Chen Ji recalled when he had just arrived in this world, following behind Master slowly walking across the bluestone paved roads, urgently wanting to say something, but the old man avoided danger like a plague and didn't want to hear anything.

Yet now, the old man actively asked.

Chen Ji smiled and said: "You wouldn't have actively asked about these matters in the past."

Old Yao also froze, and subsequently became slightly angry: "If you don't want to say it then don't say it, don't make it seem like I care so much about you. I, an old man, am merely worried about being implicated by you!"

Chen Ji weighed his words for a moment, and finally said: "It's still better to not tell you."

Old Yao sneered: "If you won't say it then don't say it, conduct yourself well."

Chen Ji changed the topic: "Master, where is Uncle Crow? I haven't seen it for a long time."

"It went out to avoid the limelight."

Chen Ji asked again: "Then what about Wu Yun? I didn't see it today either."

"She also went out to avoid the limelight."

Chen Ji: "?"

Is this a whole courtyard of extrajudicial lunatics?

Chen Ji wondered: "What crime did Wu Yun commit that she actually needs to go out and avoid the limelight?"

Old Yao turned and unhurriedly walked back to the main room: "If you want to find her, walk eastward along Anxi Street for a li, turn into the small alley next to Chai's Grain and Oil Shop, she should be there tonight. As for why she wants to avoid the limelight, you'll understand when you see her."

Chen Ji walked outside. Under the moonlight, he followed Anxi Street passing eastward.

However, when he was just halfway through the journey, he suddenly heard extremely faint footsteps coming from behind him.

Chen Ji abruptly spun around, only to see the long bluestone paved road behind him like a transparent tunnel, able to be seen to the very end with a single glance, yet there wasn't a single human figure!

On the boundless long street and under the moonlight, only the thin Chen Ji stood still and looked back.

Empty and desolate.

In an instant, the fine hairs at the back of Chen Ji's neck stood on end.

He recalled the story of the Mountain Flower Ghost Coin, thinking of that Liu family carriage with nobody driving it yet the reins moving automatically without wind...

On this bluestone paved road, it was as if an unseen shadow was sticking to his back, like maggots attached to the bone, sweeping along endless black resentment, bone-piercingly cold.

Has he been targeted by that Beggars' Gang old man named 'Zhang Guo'er'? How did the other party find Taiping Medical Clinic?

No, it shouldn't be the Mountain Flower Ghost Coin. The things driven by the Mountain Flower Ghost Coin shouldn't have footsteps.

Chen Ji turned around, lowered his head, and walked quickly. Just after walking a few steps, those finely broken footsteps behind him sounded again.

This time he no longer turned his head back, but instead gradually quickened his pace, until he began to run.

The next moment, Chen Ji suddenly turned into a gloomy and dark small alley.

It was just that, the instant his body sank into the shadows, he suddenly drew a short blade from his chest out of its sheath, turning around and slashing downwards.

The short blade slashed from the shadows into the moonlight, as if that short blade had always been hidden in the shadows, and then burst forth with a bang.

Yet he heard someone let out a "ya", subconsciously swinging up a long saber to block. However, the short blade slashing from the shadows struck impartially right on the waist of the long saber. With a clang, the long saber broke!

After the short blade severed the long saber, it capitalized on the momentum and flicked upwards. However, Chen Ji felt something was wrong when he heard that "ya", and the tip of the blade barely stopped at the intruder's lower jaw.

Neither more nor less. Plunging in just one fraction of an inch more and blood would be seen.

Standing in the shadows, Chen Ji sized up the intruder in front of him, and froze.

Commandery Princess!?

Under the moonlight outside the small alley, Bai Li was seen holding a broken saber, a terrified expression on her fair face.

Behind her were also the Prince Heir, Liang Mao'er, and Liang Gou'er!

Presumably just now, it was exactly Liang Mao'er and Liang Gou'er who took action to help the Prince Heir and Bai Li hide, which was why he didn't discover their tracks.

At this moment, the Prince Heir and Liang Mao'er stared blankly at Chen Ji.

Only Liang Gou'er's pupils contracted slightly, his expression becoming solemn.

He, who originally looked cynical and negligent, carrying a long saber on his shoulder, suddenly stood up straight.

The reason the Prince Heir and Liang Mao'er were dumbstruck was because they were startled by Chen Ji's fierce and severe slash just now. But they were only amazed that the current Chen Ji was completely different from the Chen Ji they usually knew.

Only Liang Gou'er knew that in that slash just now, there was already no opening to exploit.

Such a masterful, accurate, and domineering saber technique—even a genius like Liang Gou'er couldn't execute it at Chen Ji's current age.

This wasn't a saber technique that a medical clinic apprentice should know!

Chen Ji glanced at Liang Gou'er, slowly sheathed the short blade, and slowly walked out from the shadows of the small alley.

He looked at the sabers in the hands of the Prince Heir and Bai Li, and said helplessly: "Prince Heir, Commandery Princess, Big Brother Mao'er and Gou'er, why are you guys following me?"

Bai Li was still recovering from the shock: "These past two days you always go out at night and only return during the day. Everyone felt you must have encountered some difficulty but refused to say it, so we pooled money to hire Big Brother Liang Gou'er to take action, following to take a look. Chen Ji, if you really have some difficulty, absolutely don't hold it in, everyone will help you solve it together!"

(End of Chapter)