The Azure Mountain

Chapter 117: Of One Heart And One Mind

A great fire and thick smoke soaring to the sky attracted all the people of Luo City to Peony Bridge.

The commoners stopped going to work, one after another craning their necks and rushing over to watch the commotion; even peddlers with carrying poles were striding forward vigorously.

Chen Ji walked silently towards Anxi Street. The stream of people were all rushing behind him; only his thin figure was going against the current.

He wanted to quickly return to the medical clinic, because he had too many questions to ask.

When returning to the entrance of Taiping Medical Clinic.

The fragrance of white congee and sizzled oil drifted out from the door. Chen Ji could even hear the noisy sounds of Liu Quxing and She Dengke quarreling in the backyard.

He stood motionlessly outside the door for a long time. Only then did he take a deep breath and step over the threshold. The instant he stepped over the threshold, a wave of exhaustion surged into his mind, yet it felt as if a suspended stone in his heart had finally landed on the ground.

Chen Ji let out a long breath, spitting out all the unsatisfactory things from outside the door in one breath: "I'm back!"

Standing alone behind the counter, Old Yao was looking down and flicking the abacus while muttering: "Back is back, what are you yelling for?!"

Tucking her two paws inward, Wu Yun was napping beside the abacus. Only upon seeing Chen Ji enter the door did she open her eyes.Standing opposite the counter, Chen Ji stared at his Master in front of him, considering how to begin speaking.

Old Yao stopped his hand from flicking the abacus beads, raised his eyes, and looked at him askance: "If you have a fart, let it out quickly."

Chen Ji asked: "Master, did you help me today?"

Old Yao raised his eyebrows: "What did I help you with? What nonsense are you spouting."

Chen Ji frowned, somewhat suspicious: "Did you not?"

Old Yao pointed at Wu Yun: "I was together with this little thing the whole night. You ask her, to see if I helped you."

Chen Ji looked at Wu Yun. Wu Yun meowed once: "It seems he indeed didn't help."

Old Yao stroked his beard and began laughing complacently: "Right."

Wu Yun meowed again: "But Master cares about you very much. He took me to the riverbank to watch you chase and kill Shopkeeper Yuan, and only returned to the medical clinic at dawn after confirming you were safe and sound."

Old Yao smacked his lips: "Who asked you about this?!"

At this time, Liang Mao'er came out carrying a bowl of steaming hot ginger soup, directly handing it to Chen Ji: "Master just told me to boil ginger soup, one bowl per person to drive away the cold energy. It's just right that you came back, quickly drink it while it's hot."

Holding the ginger soup, Chen Ji was silent for a long time, ultimately drinking the ginger soup in one gulp.

He placed the porcelain bowl on the counter and said calmly: "Master, today Jin Zhu invited Meng Ji over to interrogate me, but Meng Ji told me in the dream that you had already instructed him not to cooperate with Jin Zhu in interrogating me. You don't need to hide it from me anymore, thank you for helping me survive this tribulation."

Old Yao ridiculed him: "Still trying to trick me, this old man? When I was tricking others, your father hadn't even met your mother yet!"

Chen Ji: "..."

Old Yao looked at him askance: "To be able to instruct the Twelve Zodiacs to do things, it must be a big shot in the Directorate of Ceremonial who's capable of reaching the heavens. If I had such an identity, how could I tolerate a Jing Dynasty thief like you jumping up and down in front of me?"

Chen Ji fell into deep thought.

When Meng Ji said a big shot favored him, his first reaction was that his own Master had made a move to help him.

But what Master said now also made sense. One of the Directorate of Ceremonial's duties was to arrest Jing Dynasty spies. If Master was truly a big shot of the Directorate of Ceremonial, how could he tolerate his survival.

Chen Ji changed the topic and asked: "Master, do you have any understanding of Jin Zhu?"

Old Yao: "No understanding."

Wu Yun: "I have understanding!"

Old Yao expressionlessly and slowly turned his head to look at Wu Yun.

Chen Ji asked curiously: "Today Jin Zhu reached a deal with me. The instant the deal was reached, I seemed to sense some changes, yet I couldn't say what this change was about. Furthermore, after reaching the deal, he seemed to have genuinely lowered his guard..."

Wu Yun said: "Master said, Jin Zhu has to rely on investing and betting on others to be able to cultivate. This is his cultivation pathway. Previously, he invested in Tian Ma and suddenly broke through to the Path-Seeking Realm. But later, he successively failed in his investments in two people, so he fell back from the Path-Seeking Realm to the Connate Realm. Now he chose to bet on you, it is his last chance."

Chen Ji was startled in his heart. There was actually such a bizarre cultivation pathway? Could this cultivation pathway's name be called "Gambling Dog"?

No wonder Jin Zhu said, even if he had to kneel in front of the Trouble-Resolving Tower, he would also kneel until he got a cultivation pathway for himself. It turned out he wanted to borrow him for his own cultivation.

Chen Ji hurriedly asked: "What kind of connection will I have with Jin Zhu? If something happens to him, will it affect me?"

Wu Yun looked at Old Yao: "Master, you didn't talk about this."

Old Yao said impatiently: "Naturally it won't. Even if he dies, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that from now on, whenever your cultivation realm breaks through one level, he will benefit from it."

"How much benefit?"

"About fifty percent."

Chen Ji's brows furrowed tightly: "Then doesn't that mean he can know my cultivation progress? Why didn't you remind me earlier..."

Old Yao ridiculed: "What's wrong with having a Zodiac as a bodyguard? If you encounter danger right now, Jin Zhu would be more attentive than your parents and older brothers."

Chen Ji was somewhat puzzled: "If I die, he would merely drop down a realm again, is it really to this extent?"

Old Yao unhurriedly said: "The Path-Seeking Realm is a major kalpa in life; stepping into it means a different life altogether. But there are also differences within the Path-Seeking Realm itself. If one steps into the Path-Seeking Realm and consolidates their realm before the age of thirty-six, they can be reborn and transformed, prolonging their life and increasing their longevity; living to a hundred years old is not a problem. If one steps into the Path-Seeking Realm after the age of thirty-six, they are no different from ordinary people with birth, aging, illness, and death. Jin Zhu is already thirty-one years old now, he doesn't have much time left. His last hope of establishing his footing rests entirely on you."

"So that's how it is," Chen Ji was puzzled: "Then why was he still suspecting me like that, wasn't he offending me to death."

"Speaking of which, you might not believe it. Although he suspected you and interrogated you, he hoped you were innocent more than even you yourself did."

The main hall of the medical clinic quieted down. Old Yao began flicking the abacus again.

Chen Ji suddenly said: "Master, you don't need to hide it, Meng Ji really told me everything."

Old Yao said grumpily: "Roll to the side!"

Having said that, he looked at Wu Yun on the counter: "Liang Gou'er should be waking up, you also roll!"

Wu Yun dejectedly went out the door to act as the Nine Heavens Responding Source Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Heavenly Lord. Chen Ji dejectedly returned to his bedroom and changed into dry clothes.

...

...

Chen Ji sat on the bed in the dim bedroom, staring blankly.

Among the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Division who knew his spy identity, those who died are dead, those who left are gone. Jin Zhu, who suspected him within the Ning Dynasty's Secret Spy Division, had also lowered his guard.

Life seemed to finally settle down, able to catch a breath.

Chen Ji looked up at the ceiling above his head.

The cobwebs on the roof beams needed to be swept, and the broken tiles on the roof also had to be replaced.

Several bricks in the courtyard were broken, and water would pool there on rainy days.

He had to go buy some brand new bricks and tiles. Taking advantage of the fact that it hadn't completely entered winter yet, he would use cement as a base to replace all the tiles and grey bricks. This way, he wouldn't be afraid of the roof leaking or water pooling.

Mm, I'll go buy them today!

At this time, a hearty laughter came from outside the house.

Chen Ji bent over to put on his boots properly. Going out the door to take a look, remarkably, it was Zhang Zhuo standing under the apricot tree, sizing up the red cloth strips on the tree with great interest.

Zhang Zhuo was wearing a red official robe today, which actually matched well with the red cloth strips on the apricot tree.

After reading all the wishes on the red cloth strips, he turned his head and asked Liu Quxing: "May I trouble this little Doctor Liu. I wonder if there are any red cloth strips left in the medical clinic? I also want to write one and hang it up."

Liu Quxing hurriedly ran to the main hall: "Wait a moment, there are still a good number of red cloth strips left."

After he brought over the cloth strip and handed out the writing brush, he stretched out the cloth strip with both hands in front of Zhang Zhuo.

Zhang Zhuo picked up the brush and wrote down four words: Of One Heart And One Mind.

Subsequently, he personally tied the red cloth strip onto an empty branch.

Liu Quxing's expression became bizarre: "Lord Zhang, what does the metaphorical meaning of this mean?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily: "Wishing the three of you fellow disciples to be of one heart and one mind, isn't that good?"

Liu Quxing muttered softly: "It's good alright, but the four words that usually follow 'of one heart and one mind' are 'lifting the tray to eyebrow level'..."

At this time, Chen Ji spoke up and asked: "Why did Lord Zhang come to Taiping Medical Clinic today?"

Zhang Zhuo turned around to look at Chen Ji, immediately explaining patiently: "Little Doctor Chen, I only heard this morning that Xia-er, not knowing where she heard some hearsay, actually made a scene at the medical clinic on her own authority. I came here specifically to apologize to you. This child has had a hasty temper since she was young, but her fundamental nature is not bad. You absolutely must not stoop to her level."

Chen Ji let out an "Oh": "So to say, the matter Second Miss Zhang spoke of, doesn't exist?"

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard: "Of course. A forcibly twisted melon is not sweet. I, Zhang Zhuo, am an open-minded person and will absolutely not do that kind of thing of forcing someone against their will! Little Doctor Chen, just put your heart back into your stomach. I appreciate your character, and will naturally consider things comprehensively for you."

This time it truly made Chen Ji not know how to follow up the conversation.

He pondered for a moment: "Why does Lord Zhang appreciate me? We haven't met each other many times."

Zhang Zhuo's interest was piqued: "When I evaluate a person, I only look at two points. The first point is to see what he does when he suddenly becomes wealthy—whether he is arrogant and domineering, whether he rustles his clothes loudly to show off. The second point is to see what he doesn't do when he is poor and destitute—whether he maintains his original heart, whether he commits crimes and violates laws..."

Just as he was speaking, footsteps were heard coming from outside the door again.

Everyone turned to look, only to see Prince Jing coming straight to the backyard, followed by that tall-statured Eunuch Feng.

Old Yao muttered: "The small Taiping Medical Clinic, is actually more lively than Prince Jing's Estate."

Upon entering the courtyard and seeing Zhang Zhuo, Prince Jing was also somewhat surprised: "Didn't Lord Zhang say you were going to supervise the construction of the refugee barracks, why did you run to Taiping Medical Clinic?"

Zhang Zhuo was slightly embarrassed: "Just passing by, just passing by."

Prince Jing also didn't tease him, turning his head to look at Chen Ji: "Early this morning, your f... Lord Chen Liqin came searching for me."

Chen Ji asked calmly: "I wonder what matter Lord Chen sought the Prince for?"

Prince Jing smiled: "Seeking knowledge."

"Seeking knowledge?"

Prince Jing explained: "Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao are going to the Capital City to take the imperial examination at the beginning of spring. At that time, scholars from the entire country will gather together in one hall; the difficulty is not something the Autumn Examination can compare to. It just so happens that Mr. Wang returned to Luo City to observe the mourning period. During the day, he is responsible for teaching Yunxi, Baili, and Lingyun at my royal estate. Therefore, Lord Chen wanted Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao to also come and listen to the lectures, lest these two idle at home and delay next year's Metropolitan Examination."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Prince Jing said with a smile: "Lord Chen has also paid your tuition fee together. He wants you to also go listen to Mr. Wang's teachings. I thought about it carefully, and also feel that at your age, you should listen to more scholarship. And so I simply paid Liu Quxing and She Dengke's tuition fee together as well. You can be greatly at ease, Mr. Wang is different from other academy teachers; even His Majesty holds him in the highest esteem. It will definitely allow you all to gain some benefit."

Thinking for a moment, Chen Ji said: "I cannot make the decision on this; I must have my Master's consent."

Having said that, he turned his head to look at Old Yao, blinking vigorously several times.

Old Yao said slowly and leisurely: "I have no objections. Letting these three little brats go listen to lectures means I can also have a half-day of leisure and peace every day, very good."

Chen Ji: "..."

However, right at this moment, the eyes of Zhang Zhuo at the side flickered slightly, and he suddenly spoke up: "I still remember how stunning Wang Daosheng's 'Twelve Strategies for Pacifying the Wo' was back then during the Palace Examination. It's a pity his lifelong talent and learning cannot be put to use presently. Prince, can my family's Zhang Xia also go to his place to listen to the lectures, so that he can discipline and instruct that wild temper of my daughter?"

Prince Jing was amused: "Of course you can."

(End of Chapter)