Green Mountain-Chapter 592 - 449: Unattached, Unburdened, Won’t Die

Chapter 592: Chapter 449: Unattached, Unburdened, Won’t Die

Ah Sheng saw Chen Ji dragging a dead man like a dead dog, dragging the Life-catcher General through the woods. The General’s hands were weakly dragging on the ground, the armor rubbing against the surface with a rustling sound.

In a flash, Ah Sheng saw Chen Ji splattered with blood and instinctively raised his bow and arrow, but then remembered he was an ally, quickly putting away the arrow and hanging the bow on his back.

He looked down at the Life-catcher General beside his feet and then at the one Chen Ji was dragging. Both had a long black pheasant tail feather inserted in their helmets, indicating these two were Centurions, skilled within the ranks of the Life-catcher General.

Ah Sheng cautiously asked, "Master, did you kill all these?"

Chen Ji replied with a sound: "By luck."

Seeing Chen Ji’s calm demeanor, Ah Sheng suddenly remembered, when he took out an ear from his bag to show Chen Ji earlier, other noble youths would avoid or scream in horror, but Chen Ji did not.

He changed his previous attitude and cleverly took the water bag from his waist, handing it to Chen Ji: "Master, have some water."

Chen Ji looked at him with surprise: "Not thirsty."

Ah Sheng’s eyes moved, and he took out two warm eggs from his pocket: "Master, have some eggs, they were originally prepared for Mr. Hong. He won’t be able to have them now."

Chen Ji hadn’t eaten breakfast, so he took them and began peeling the egg shells.

Ah Sheng praised: "Master, your ability is impressive. Not many in the Night Patrol can kill two Life-catcher Generals at once."

Chen Ji, peeling the eggs, asked: "Who else?"

Ah Sheng smiled and replied: "The Five Armies Camp’s Zhou Kuang, but after Zhou Kuang was promoted to thousand households, he returned to the Imperial Capital. Also, there’s the Longevity Army’s Gao Yuan, Gao Ye, the Divine Machine Camp’s Zhang Liang, Li Rang, and Chongli Pass’s Hong Zuer, Zhang Baishi."

Chen Ji asked: "To claim the Life-catcher General’s battle merit, where should one cut?"

"How could you personally do such dirty work? I’ll help you. Usually, Mr. Hong kills the enemy, and I gather the trophies," Ah Sheng squatted down and started searching the Life-catcher General’s body: "To verify the Life-catcher General’s military merits is quite complex. Even if you’re from the Imperial Capital, the Merit Officer will check carefully. First, look for the Life-catcher General’s waist tag, it records which army they are from, used to verify identity in and out of the Jing Dynasty military camp. But Life-catcher Generals are cunning and deceitful, often deliberately hiding the waist tag so that once they’re dead, the Night Patrol can’t verify their military merits."

Indeed, these two Life-catcher Generals did not carry waist tags.

Ah Sheng continued: "If no waist tag is found, more evidence is needed. The Life-catcher General’s bow and blade are better than ordinary infantry, these must be brought back, after verifying military merits the Merit Officer will return it to you. You can use it yourself, sell it in the Military Market, it’s worth a lot of silver."

"Then it’s their heads. Life-catcher Generals are Executive Officers, their teeth and hair are much better than ordinary infantry, and this is also proof of identity."

"Finally, it’s their armor. The Life-catcher Generals’ leather armor is made from raw cowhide soaked in tung oil and dried, then repeatedly lacquered and dried again. It takes three years to make a set of leather armor, which costs more than a set of iron armor and is much lighter. Only the elite Executive Officers in the Jing Dynasty’s army can wear it, and common blades and axes can’t cut it, suitable for long-distance raids."

Ah Sheng knocked on the Life-catcher General’s black leather armor with the knife blade, making a sound like striking resin, then pinched the armor plates, finding them difficult to bend.

He discreetly glanced at the corpse Chen Ji dragged, noting the Life-catcher General had three penetrating wounds, two of which pierced through the leather armor, rendering the armor useless.

Ah Sheng was puzzled, Chen Ji was unarmed, what kind of Executive Officer skills did he possess to penetrate the leather armor and pierce the Life-catcher General’s body?

Chen Ji ate another egg, calmly asked: "Will the leather armor also be returned?"

"No," Ah Sheng continued to explain: "These leather armors are handed over, the Merit Officer will not return them. They are sent to the Imperial Capital intact for court safekeeping, sometimes used as rewards, not privately kept unless rewarded; slightly damaged ones are repaired by craftsmen and directly allocated to the elite of the Imperial Three Camps; severely damaged ones are simply repaired then sent to the border army... So, the Night Patrol lords deliberately damage the leather armor more, then ask the General to keep them."

While speaking, Ah Sheng had skillfully stripped the Life-catcher General clean and casually severed its head, taking out lime from his bag and applying it: "The battle merits of these two Life-catcher Generals are enough for you to be promoted to Common Households, as for reaching Thousand Households, it depends on how strong your background is."

Chen Ji confusedly said: "Previously that Common Households told me that two Life-catcher Generals were enough for promotion to Thousand Households."

Ah Sheng shook his head, patiently explained: "But that’s Thousand Households, General Zhang Lanjin, General Zhang can’t decide alone, it has to be reported to the Ministry of War. If promoted to Thousand Households, then it’s a fifth-rank military general, changing to a bear badge. After returning within the pass, you can immediately be appointed any local garrison, or as the Leader of Transport Thousand Households on the canal, all fat positions... Having two Life-catcher Generals’ merits only means you have the premise of operating the matter, but whether it can be done depends on yourself."

Chen Ji calmly said: "Then why did the Common Households say that?"

Ah Sheng grinned: "That’s what we say to deceive noble youths, those noble youths are naive and wealthy, their family sends them silver by thousands every month. Selling them one Life-catcher General for two thousand silver taels lets us live well for years... But you’re an expert, I can’t deceive you."

Ah Sheng hid the head, leather armor, and bow under a pile of rocks: "Pressure it well with stones, otherwise the head will be dragged away by beasts."

Chen Ji leaned against the tree trunk, finishing the last egg, watched as the young Ah Sheng completed everything, meaningfully said: "Why not take it directly back to Chongli Pass, why hide?"

Ah Sheng’s eyes moved, and he laughed saying: "Master, we still need to go somewhere else first, not back to Chongli Pass."

Chen Ji casually said: "First you showed goodwill, giving me eggs you weren’t willing to eat yourself. Then you went to great lengths to handle this matter for me, deciding presumptuously to hide everything away, claiming we need to go elsewhere. Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Ah Sheng, being uncovered, was not embarrassed, he sincerely said: "Master is smart, I won’t beat around the bush. Uncle Baisi and Star are still trapped in Liutiao Valley, please assist in rescuing them."

Chen Ji casually said: "What’s in it for me?"

Ah Sheng, with bright eyes and innocent look, said: "Master, aren’t we all working for the court?"

Chen Ji stood upright: "The Life-catcher Generals have reached Chongli Pass, it’s perilous all the way to Liutiao Valley, I’m just a small flag officer, not going."

Ah Sheng hurriedly said: "How can I persuade you to go?"

"Two things," Chen Ji pondered for a moment: "Firstly, I don’t plan to be promoted, help me sell these two Life-catcher Generals, all the silver is mine."

Ah Sheng was taken aback: "Master, do you really not want to get promoted at all?"

Chen Ji smiled: "Getting promoted to a Common Household doesn’t require a Life-catcher General. Don’t you still have the ears of the Jing Dynasty infantry? Give me ten." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ah Sheng muttered softly: "You are quite shrewd in business... What’s the second thing?"

Chen Ji pondered: "Is there a secret path through the Dama Mountains that few people know of?"

Ah Sheng became vigilant: "Why are you asking this?"

Chen Ji looked at him: "Do you not want to save your Uncle Baisi?"

Ah Sheng gritted his teeth: "There is one, after exiting Chongli Pass, it goes through Yaozi Gully, Wangma Gully, Xishan Cha..."

Chen Ji shook his head: "At that time, you will personally lead me."

Ah Sheng hesitated repeatedly: "Aren’t you afraid I’ll back out?"

Chen Ji turned and walked north: "Those who risk their lives to save others are men of their word. I’m not afraid you’ll back out. Let’s go to Liutiao Gully."

...

...

The two headed towards Huangtu Mouth, intending to check whether the comrades of Chen Ji’s flag were still alive.

Ah Sheng found his way easily, as if he remembered the position of every tree.

Following behind, Chen Ji climbed over mountains and ridges curiously asked: "Since Mr. Hong adopted you when you were just over a year old, why do you still call him Mr. Hong and not change your form of address?"

Ah Sheng paused for a moment, then continued forward as if nothing had happened: "Mr. Hong wouldn’t allow it."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why wouldn’t he allow it?"

Ah Sheng, without looking back, explained: "Mr. Hong said a Night Patrol cannot have attachments, having attachments means fearing death, and in a ghostly place like Chongli Pass, fearing death means death, it’s very ominous."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Ah Sheng sighed: "Every time before Mr. Hong left Peace Gate, he would first gamble everything away at the Military Market. He said by spending all the silver, he had no attachments and would surely come back alive."

Chen Ji teased: "So, despite earning so much silver from military exploits, you all still live like this?"

Ah Sheng chuckled: "Isn’t it so? I’ve sold at least eighty if not a hundred ears myself, and have also sold the heads of Life-catcher Generals twice. Every time I told Mr. Hong, once we saved enough silver, we should stop risking our lives and go live a prosperous life in the Imperial Capital, or perhaps join the Longevity Army. Anyway, the Longevity Army’s General Lu Wuya wanted to recruit him."

"And what was the result?"

Crossing a small stream, Ah Sheng casually said: "He scolded me each time. Mr. Hong has a bad temper, often scolding people. He just scolded me when we returned to respond to your call."

Chen Ji curiously asked: "Aren’t you afraid of death, knowing there are Life-catcher Generals, yet you still dare to return?"

Ah Sheng hung his head low: "No choice, Mr. Hong said it is the fate of a Night Patrol. Besides, we need to save Uncle Baisi and Star’s lives. If a Night Patrol falls into the hands of a Life-catcher General, they are flayed, dismembered, and executed slowly. We hate them, and they hate us. Star is about my age, we grew up playing together, I can’t just watch him die like this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ah Sheng slowly came to a stop, staring blankly ahead.

Chen Ji looked up to see a horrific sight — hundreds of heads piled into a mound, the dead staring sightlessly, an expression of extraordinary terror.

Ah Sheng, step by step, moved towards the mound: "Scar-face Uncle, Brother Liu..."

He identified each exposed head, speaking as if his teeth were about to shatter.

Reaching the mound, Ah Sheng brushed his eyes with the back of his hand, unfazed by the bloodstains and horror of the heads, he gently picked them up and laid them on the ground.

Chen Ji watched from not far away, seeing Ah Sheng turn to him and say: "Everyone from your flag is here, as are those from other flags. But Uncle Baisi and Star aren’t among them, they’re still alive."

He sincerely pleaded: "Please, Master, help save them."

Chen Ji gravely asked: "Which direction is Liutiao Gully?"

Ah Sheng pointed to the northeast: "That way."

Chen Ji turned and sprinted northward: "Let’s go now."

The mound was a way for the enemy to demonstrate, common infantrymen would feel fear seeing it.

The Life-catcher General ventured deep into the Dama Mountains to force the Ning Dynasty soldiers back into Chongli Pass, so that they could work with peace of mind... But what were they planning?

Chen Ji was certain the Life-catcher General was here for the Jing Dynasty Envoy, they intended to ambush and kill the envoy.