Green Mountain-Chapter 574 - 434: Searching for a Needle in the Sea
Li Changge.
This was originally a fictional name, disseminated throughout the Imperial Capital through a fictional tale.
But the moment Chen Ji wrote the three characters "Li Changge" on the book cover, he seemed to have formed some connection with the name. From then on, he was Li Changge, and Li Changge was him.
Chen Ji suddenly let out a muffled groan, taking a small step back as if suffering severe trauma out of nowhere.
Xiao Man quickly supported Chen Ji, exclaiming in astonishment, "There’s something wrong with this book; damn Taoist, you’re harming my young master!"
Zhang Li lazily said, "How can it be harmful? This is clearly a good thing. Rest assured, your young master will be fine in a little while."
Xiao Man was skeptical: "How do you say?"
Zhang Li patted the Wordless Heavenly Scripture in his palm: "This is the treasure of our Huangshan Dao Court, the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. Now that Li Changge’s fame has spread far and wide, with many followers, your young master merges with him, receiving the wishes and power of the believers, naturally extending life and being immune to all diseases. It’s like setting up a living shrine for your young master on the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. Many dignitaries want a living shrine but can’t get one; this is a rare opportunity."
Xiao Man was startled: "A living shrine?"
Zhang Li chuckled: "If my tale can spread across the north and south of Yangtze River, not to mention extending life, it might even help your young master become a saint through incense offerings."
At this moment, Chen Ji remained silent.
He heard faint voices flying from all directions, comprising men and women, young and old.
The voices were calling out repeatedly: "Li Changge..."
"Li Changge..."
"Li Changge!"
The voices of the believers were like mountains and seas roaring, with emotions interwoven, nearly drowning his consciousness.
He suddenly felt as if his spirit was wandering beyond the sky, overlooking the backyard of the City God Temple. In the backyard, Zhang Li sat on the stone steps, Xiao Man supported him, and the little monk chanted scriptures with his head down.
Chen Ji kept his eyes tightly shut, unable to move or open his eyes.
Zhang Li glanced at the little monk: "The little monk’s skills are inadequate, he can’t pull him back; I, this humble Taoist, shall do it instead."
The next moment, he looked up at him and, forming hand signs, chanted: "The Three Platforms give birth to me, the Three Platforms nurture me, the Three Platforms protect me, urgently like a command."
Then Zhang Li solemnly shouted, "Come back!"
All fell silent!
Chen Ji plummeted from the sky, falling back into his body. He looked down and clenched his hands, feeling as if he had been reborn.
Xiao Man worriedly asked, "Young master, are you alright?"
"I’m fine," he looked up at Zhang Li: "Daoist, what just happened?"
Zhang Li smiled: "There was too much incense buildup from believers in this Wordless Heavenly Scripture, momentarily startling your souls and spirits, but now it’s alright. Rest assured, although you won’t feel any changes in your body, the benefits of the living shrine will manifest sooner or later."
Zhang Li was mistaken; perhaps others couldn’t feel any bodily changes, but Chen Ji could.
The long-dormant stove fire within him lightly flickered. The crimson stove fire turned into a pale yellow.
This was not the end, until his stove fire changed from pale yellow to bright yellow, it gradually stopped.
Back in Luocheng City, when the Dao Court wrote to the storyteller about his scripture debate with Wuzhai, the stove fire inside him gradually turned from light red to crimson, though changes afterward were slow.
Chen Ji knew in his heart that every time the color of the stove fire changed, the speed at which he could heal would increase, which was a tangible benefit.
He cupped his hands toward Zhang Li: "I’ll leave Xiao Man and Rochusaga to the Daoist’s care."
"Leaving a monk in the care of a Taoist, you are indeed unique," Zhang Li mused: "Perhaps I could help you find someone with the surname Wang, and you would owe the Dao Court a favor."
Chen Ji turned and walked out: "I appreciate your kind offer, Daoist, but there’s no need to help find someone—the Dao Court is skilled in calculations, and I fear I might not be able to repay the favor."
Zhang Li curiously said: "The Outer City is a mix of various people, merchants and peddlers from both the north and south gather here—finding someone is like finding a needle in a haystack..."
Chen Ji, without looking back, replied: "It’s alright, I still have some connections in the Outer City."
He walked out of the City God Temple, brushing past the faithful entering the temple.
From afar, his peripheral vision caught sight of Si Caogui’s figure hidden in the distance, yet he acted as if he hadn’t seen anything and boarded the carriage: "To Meihua Ferry Crossing."
...
...
Baoji Alley.
In a home, Wang Gui lifted the lid of a rice jar, only to find it empty.
Cursing his bad luck, he searched other corners of the kitchen, finding nothing.
Wang Gui returned to the room, lying on the bare wooden bed frame, staring blankly, his eyes sunken from hunger.
In the main room, there was a large wooden chest filled with gold and silver ornaments he had embezzled from the Chen family, but now he dared not leave the house, unable to exchange them for a grain of rice.
This house was bought in his early years to secretly maintain concubines, but later, when he had to accompany Chen Liqin to Luocheng City, he sold the concubines back to the brothels.
A few days ago, suspecting the second branch of the Chen family planned to kill him to silence him, he immediately escaped here.
Fortunately, the Chen family didn’t know he had another house here, and luckily the second branch of the Chen family lost the support of the Five Cities Military Department and "Heji," no longer able to act with such omnipotence.
The second branch of the Chen family originally maintained Heji’s fighting profession in the Outer City, not for those businesses: whoever controlled the fighting profession in the Outer City also controlled the various classes and had eyes everywhere in the city.
Wang Gui rolled over from the bed frame, slowly opened the door a crack, and stealthily looked outside... Yesterday, Chen family’s servants were patrolling outside, but today there were none.
He pondered, perhaps the court found nothing and simply gave up?
Or maybe the second branch of the Chen family had already confessed and submitted?
Wang Gui paced back and forth in the courtyard, anxious and restless.
Just then, footsteps echoed in Baoji Alley, a man’s steps, heavy and firm.
His heart leapt to his throat—could the Chen family still be pursuing him?
In his panic, he heard the man knocking on the next door: "Madam Du, open the door."
The door opened.
A woman’s voice lazily said, "Why haven’t you visited in days, have you forgotten about me?"
The man explained in a low voice, "The wife at home is being strict..."
Du Niang sneered, "Seems like the wife at home is more important."
The man impatiently said, "Why talk about this, I’m not your only man, let me in first."
Du Niang blocked the door, extending her hand to the man, "Where’s the silver?"
The man pulled out a string of copper coins from his bosom, "Just this much."
Du Niang turned and walked into the house, "Next time if you only bring this much, I won’t accept it."
Wang Gui listened against the courtyard wall for a while. As soon as the man and Du Niang entered the room, heavy breathing ensued, making his eyes glaze over.
In less than 15 minutes, the man fastened his clothes and walked out, "I have other matters today, so I’ll leave first."
The man pushed the door open and hurried away.
Du Niang spat in the courtyard, "Useless!"
Wang Gui’s eyes shifted; this Du Niang was a covert prostitute, the kind with the least background in the Capital. Even if asked something, it shouldn’t alarm the Chen family.
He returned to the house and found a golden hairpin from the box, squeezing through the door crack to Du Niang’s door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Du Niang’s impatient voice came from the courtyard, "Why are you back again, aren’t you afraid of your wife... Who are you?"
She looked at Wang Gui with vigilance, about to close the courtyard gate, when she saw Wang Gui take out the golden hairpin and wave it in front of her.
Without waiting for Du Niang’s reaction, Wang Gui squeezed through the door, closing it behind him.
He went straight to the kitchen, scooped a bowl of cold porridge from the pot, and drank it down.
Du Niang inexplicably leaned against the kitchen door frame, tugging at her clothes to reveal half a shoulder, "Guest, what are you doing?"
Wang Gui drank another bowl of cold porridge before speaking, "Sir will ask you some questions, answer them well, and the hairpin is yours."
Du Niang’s eyes lit up, "Ask away, sir."
Wang Gui asked, "Has there been any major event in the Capital recently?"
"Major event?" Du Niang thought for a moment and answered, "Young Master Chen came back from Fragrant Mountain, and Prince Fu was leading a horse for him at Anding Gate."
Wang Gui was shocked, could Chen Ji really survive and return?
He calmly said, "And then?"
Du Niang leaned against the door frame, laughing as she replied, "Then I heard he entered the palace and was granted a title by His Majesty. Today, the entire city is buzzing about his engagement to the Qi family. Many people are mixing into the inner city to claim rewards at the Chen family on Fuyou Street."
Wang Gui silently pondered.
A marriage means Chen family’s second branch is fine; otherwise, given the second branch’s treacherous charges, they wouldn’t have time for a wedding, let alone think about joyous occasions.
Seems like the Chen family has covered things up... But the Capital is still a place he can’t stay. As long as he lives, Chen Lizhi won’t sleep soundly.
But, Chen Lizhi also dare not make a splash, nor can he openly capture him.
While contemplating this, Du Niang pressed closer, "What else do you want to ask, sir?"
Wang Gui, provoked, pushed Du Niang away, "Has Yongding Gate been heavily guarded recently?"
Du Niang, somewhat impatient, "How would I know? What’s with you asking all sorts of nonsense here and even drinking two bowls of my porridge? Do you even know what kind of place this is?"
Wang Gui’s face darkened, he picked up the vegetable knife from the stove, split the hairpin in half, and tossed half to Du Niang, "Go to Yongding Gate, observe and listen to everything, then tell me, and I’ll give you the remaining half."
Du Niang bit the half hairpin, noticing the bite mark on the gold, smiled brightly, "Sir, you’re generous."
She slowly approached, "Sir, is this all you’re going to do?"
Wang Gui frowned and pushed her away, "Go away, is a sir someone you can touch?"
Du Niang raised her eyebrows, her hand suddenly reached for Wang Gui’s crotch, "Sir, aren’t you... not working?"
Wang Gui was hurt, bent over and gasped for breath, "Damn it!"
Du Niang leaned against the stove and sneered, "Did I say something wrong?"
Wang Gui flew into a rage, "Wait!"
He turned back to his own courtyard and retrieved a phoenix crown blue flower headpiece, returning to Du Niang’s room, "Put it on!"
Du Niang’s eyes widened, "Sir, this is the type of headpiece that only wealthy families use for weddings."
Wang Gui urged, "Enough nonsense, put it on quickly."
Du Niang went to the main room, put on the headpiece in front of the mirror, and turned her head side to side to examine herself in the mirror.
Wang Gui pressed her against the mirror.
Du Niang tried to look back at Wang Gui, but he turned her face away, "Don’t look at me."
...
...
An hour later, Du Niang adjusted her clothes and left the courtyard, leaving Wang Gui alone in the room quietly gasping for breath.
He got up, went to the kitchen, found two wheat buns and a dish of pickles, sat beside the stove quietly eating, contemplating how to escape the Capital.
Another thirty minutes passed, only to hear Du Niang’s voice outside, "Master, he’s inside!"
Wang Gui was shocked, tried to get up and run, but as soon as he emerged from the kitchen, he saw Chen Ji squatting on the courtyard wall, smiling at him.
He ran towards the door, only to see Brother Pao leading Er Dao guarding the entrance, looking fierce.
Wang Gui retreated step by step back to the courtyard, and with a thud, knelt on the ground, "Young Master, spare my life!"
Chen Ji seemed puzzled, "You don’t seem to be a spy from the Military Intelligence Department; the Military Intelligence Department doesn’t have spies as incompetent as you... How did you become a spy of the Jing Dynasty?"
Wang Gui cried out, "I am not a spy of the Jing Dynasty! Someone sought me out earlier to buy information about you, asking me to note down what you did and whom you met each time, paying me a hundred taels of silver! Later, that Jing Dynasty scoundrel said that since I took their silver, I must work for them, or they’ll report me to the Spy Department... I was forced!"
Chen Ji stopped in his tracks.
From Luocheng City to the Capital, has it always been the Military Intelligence Department buying his information?
