In the snow, Zhang Zhuo helped Zhang Xia remount her horse. He patted Zaozao's cheeks. "Thanks to you, from now on you are a great meritorious subject of my Zhang Family. When we get back, I'll have the steward find a mare for you—"
Zhang Xia glared angrily. "Dad, what are you saying?!"
Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily. "This is the natural order of Heaven and Earth; what's wrong with saying it?"
Watching this scene, Chen Ji sighed with emotion. "People in the world all say Lord Zhang is corrupt; this matter might not be true. But people saying Lord Zhang gets handsy with the ladies is probably not false—However, I see that Lord Zhang truly loves his Second Miss Zhang dearly. Seeing him in his official robe, he was likely informed of the news while working in the yamen, and rushed over without stopping."
Zhang Zhuo laughed loudly and clearly. "The one who knows me is Chen Ji."
Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Lord Zhang, this horse is exceptionally divine and handsome. I previously heard Second Miss Zhang say that the Vice Director of the Imperial Observatory, Lord Xu Shu, brought it back from outside?"
Zhang Zhuo swung onto his horse. "That's not exactly a secret. Seven years after Xu Shu returned from the dead, he achieved success in his cultivation. He suddenly bid farewell to Grand Secretary Xu and went north, saying he was going to find an item. Later I heard him say that he went to the bitterly cold lands further north in the Jing Dynasty. He didn't find what he wanted, but he brought back this Dragon Horse."
"I heard Second Miss Zhang say it's of dragon lineage."
Zhang Zhuo said, "Xu Shu said that some ancient bloodlines still remain in the bitterly cold lands of the north, and using them as warhorses is the most miraculous."
Chen Ji suddenly wondered, if, according to his guess, Xu Shu was also a person who had descended from the Forty-Nine Heavens, then what was the other party suddenly trekking ten thousand miles to the bitterly cold lands of the north to find?
A treasure left behind in the mortal realm from the Forty-Nine Heavens?
Chen Ji asked again, "Lord Zhang is erudite and has a strong memory; have you ever heard of a figure named Xuanyuan?"
This was what he wanted to ask the most.
This world had no search engines. Trying to find any piece of information was like fishing for a needle in the ocean. Only a person with exceptional memory who was well-read like Zhang Zhuo could possibly answer his doubts.
Yet Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment. "Yellow Mountain has a Fugu Peak. Beneath Fugu Peak is a cultivation cave, and inside the cave, the two characters 'Xuanyuan' are carved. There is a fragmentary book recording that the sharpest sword in the world is called the 'Xuanyuan Sword', but this sword was lost and its whereabouts are unknown; no one has ever seen it—that's all the records that can be found."
Chen Ji nodded and didn't say anything more. It seemed some matters had to be asked of Xuanyuan himself.
He slowly closed his eyes, letting the horse carry him swaying into the distance. The Ice Flow within his body spread out, bringing him back once again to that black Sea of Clouds, plummeting onto Green Mountain.
When he opened his eyes, Chen Ji didn't see Xuanyuan's figure at the peak of Green Mountain.
A black royal banner embroidered with golden characters was planted in the crevice of a giant boulder, with no one around.
Feeling strange, Chen Ji stood at the edge of the mountain cliff and looked down. He saw that the Sea of Clouds had parted, and at the foot of the mountain, a patch of farmland had somehow been cultivated.
Xuanyuan had stripped off his royal robe and changed into coarse cotton clothes. With his pant legs rolled up, he was pulling a plow in the field.
Chen Ji went down the mountain and came to the edge of the farmland, asking curiously, "What are you doing?"
Xuanyuan answered casually, "Farming."
Chen Ji was puzzled. "You're already an immortal who doesn't need to eat or drink; why are you still farming?"
Xuanyuan said impatiently, "I like farming, is that not allowed? The State; 'She' is the altar to the god of the soil, 'Ji' is the altar to the god of the five grains. If the five grains are gone, this realm under heaven is incomplete. This is the foundation of a nation."
Chen Ji sat down at the edge of the farmland. "But within the two words 'Sheji' , there are no people."
Xuanyuan was taken aback. "What?"
Chen Ji sat cross-legged. "She represents the land, Ji represents the five grains. Where are the common people?"
Xuanyuan thought for a moment. "In the heart of the Emperor."
Chen Ji chuckled cheerfully. "Humorous."
Xuanyuan put down the plow on his shoulder and said with a cold face, "What matter brings you here today?"
Chen Ji said seriously, "Did you ever build a cultivation cave beneath Fugu Peak to cultivate?"
Xuanyuan was puzzled. "Fugu Peak? Never heard of it."
Chen Ji pondered for a moment and asked in a different way: "In the outside world, I found a cultivation cave beneath a mountain peak, and the two characters 'Xuanyuan' were carved inside the cave. Not far from that mountain peak, there is also a canyon. When walking through it and looking up at the vast sky, the blue sky is only a sliver. Unless it's noon or midnight, you cannot see the sun or moon."
Xuanyuan was stunned. "The Emperor's Capital? You found the Emperor's Capital?"
Chen Ji was also stunned. "What Emperor's Capital?"
Xuanyuan left the farmland. In the blink of an eye, he draped a black royal robe over himself out of thin air. The royal robe seemed to come from the void, appearing on him in the blink of an eye. "I was once severely injured and fled to a place in the mountains to recuperate and attain the Dao—that was also where I met you."
Chen Ji hadn't expected that this place was actually related to him. "And after meeting me?"
But Xuanyuan didn't want to answer this question. Instead, he narrowed his eyes. "Strange, strange. Since you can find the Emperor's Capital, then that means Guixu, Thunder Marsh, Azure Hill Country, Tianshan, Mount Zhangwei, Mount Fajiu, and Sun Moon Mountain are all still there, just with their names changed—"
"That should be the case."
Xuanyuan's expression became bizarre. "In the Emperor's Capital, there is a spring eye that hides a sword. It is the one I seized after single-handedly slaying my enemy back then. If you take its sword intent, it can be used to nourish the Sword Seed within your body, allowing you to reach the heavens in a single bound."
Chen Ji's eyes lit up, but then instantly dimmed. "It's been over sixteen thousand years; I'm afraid that sword has long since rotted away?"
Xuanyuan gathered his voice and asked, "Has the Whale Blade ever rotted away?"
"No."
"If the Whale Blade hasn't, then neither has it. I stored it in that spring eye specifically to use the Emperor's Capital, the number one wondrous peak under heaven, to nourish its sword intent, waiting to retrieve and use it in the future. I didn't expect it to end up benefiting you."
Chen Ji's spirits rose again. "Which spring eye? Can you describe its specific topographical features?"
Xuanyuan avoided the question and only said unhurriedly, "Not just this one place. I also have many heavy treasures hidden in the world. Although I don't know what it's called now, I can help you draw them out—but why should I help you draw them out?"
Chen Ji said earnestly, "If one day I die, couldn't you borrow my body to return to the world? I'm just keeping these heavy treasures safe on your behalf; they'll all be yours in the future. Once you return to the world, you won't have to work hard going to find them; you can use them immediately."
Xuanyuan sneered. "Do you take me for a fool?"
Chen Ji said helplessly, "State your conditions."
Xuanyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand toward the military formation in the distance. "Feng Huai, Feng Lie, Feng Xiao, Feng Gui!"
From within the military formation, four soldiers stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "Here!"
Xuanyuan looked back at Chen Ji and sneered. "The four of them will encircle and kill you. When you can defeat the four of them, I will tell you the first hidden treasure location."
Feng Huai wielded a broadsword, Feng Lie wielded a giant axe, Feng Xiao wielded a staff, and Feng Gui carried a bow on his back. The arrogance of the four men was conspicuous; their battle intent surged to the heavens.
Chen Ji cursed inwardly, turned around, and ran.
"Chen Ji, wake up."
"Chen Ji, we've arrived."
Chen Ji opened his eyes on the horse, and what entered his vision was a expanse of red.
The setting sun cast a slanted glow.
The white snowy plain reflected magnificent light, like an orange Aurora Borealis flowing over the accumulated snow.
The gate tower of Luo City appeared on the horizon, like a mirage.
Looking at this scene, Chen Ji was somewhat entranced.
Zhang Zhuo rode up next to him and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"
Chen Ji came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Lord Zhang, right now I really want to return to the medical clinic and get a good sleep. But the beautiful scenery right now is soul-stirring, and I want to stop and look at it a bit more. Tell me, is the destination more important, or is the scenery along the way more important?"
Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard, pondering for a long time before responding, "If you ask me, naturally the destination is more important."
Chen Ji was confused. "Why?"
Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily. "I'm a rather greedy person. When I see a piece of scenery, I always wonder if there's something even better waiting for me ahead. I won't be reconciled until I reach the destination—Young man, you protected my official hat during the civil unrest last time, and this time you protected my daughter's life. How should I repay you?"
Chen Ji smiled. "Lord Zhang is too polite. Second Miss Zhang and I are schoolmates; how could there be any principle of not saving her when she's in mortal danger."
"Two different matters." Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Take the Imperial Examination. As long as you don't kill anyone in the examination hall, I guarantee you'll become a Juren."
"That simple?"
"That simple." Zhang Zhuo said, "I know you don't want to mix in officialdom, but I also know that you are not someone who only wishes to maintain his own integrity while ignoring others."
Chen Ji looked into the distance. "My Lord misunderstands."
Zhang Zhuo laughed. "If you were merely a Confucian civil official who only knew how to maintain your own integrity, you wouldn't have leaped off the city wall the day of the civil unrest. Work under me, and I guarantee you—"
Before he could finish speaking, Mister Wang whipped his horse, detaching from the Thousand-Year Army formation, and arrived beside Chen Ji.
He said to Zhang Zhuo, "Chen Ji is not suited to be a civil official, nor must he necessarily take the path of the Imperial Examination. After the new year, accompany me to the Capital City. I will secure a post for you in the Ministry of War. The Imperial Court has long accumulated malpractices; what benefit is there in wasting three years?"
Zhang Zhuo was displeased. "What business do you have joining in the fun here?"
Wang Daosheng answered calmly, "He is more suited for the Border Army."
Zhang Zhuo shook his head. "Promotion in the Border Army is too slow."
Wang Daosheng was expressionless. "If not for the Border Army, how could there be singing and dancing in peace in the south? Does Lord Zhang look down on the Border Army?"
"You old boy, stop trying to pin crimes on me," Zhang Zhuo said angrily. "I'm not saying the Border Army is useless. I'm saying keeping him by my side allows me to promote and support him earlier. Only with greater power in hand can one accomplish more things."
Wang Daosheng asked lightly, "Who are you to him? I am his teaching master; it naturally stands to reason that he works with me."
Zhang Zhuo was stunted. For a moment he wanted to refute it, but didn't know where to start. "I—I can—"
He looked back at Zhang Xia, and swallowed his words back into his stomach. "You only taught him for a few days, what kind of teaching master are you? Just wait, we'll see whose abilities are greater!"
Chen Ji looked left at Zhang Zhuo, then right at Wang Daosheng. "My Two Lords—"
Wang Daosheng's expression was calm. "You can call him 'My Lord', but from now on when addressing me, call me 'Teacher'."
Chen Ji: "Teacher."
Wang Daosheng said methodically, "I don't necessarily demand that you come out and work. But if you want to work, you must accompany me; don't follow him. He works for the Xu Family, and normally doesn't cherish his reputation. Who knows how the annals of history will write about him?"
Chen Ji discreetly tightened the reins, slowed his speed, and retreated from the two lords' argument.
Without his obstruction, Zhang Zhuo and Wang Daosheng got closer and debated even more fiercely.
Zhang Zhuo said, "It's still uncertain whether you can be transferred to be Minister of War come spring; why are you randomly making promises now?"
Wang Daosheng: "In the spring of the twenty-fourth year of Jianing, you lost to me in a scripture debate."
Zhang Zhuo raised his eyebrows. "You have already been demoted and reprimanded twice by His Majesty, and the people of the Donglin Faction cannot tolerate a rebel against orthodoxy like you. What can following you accomplish?"
Wang Daosheng: "In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of Jianing, you lost to me in a scripture debate again."
Zhang Zhuo instantly grew furious. Riding on his horse, he aimed punches at Wang Daosheng from a distance. However, Wang Daosheng wore heavy armor, and a bit of punching and kicking didn't hurt or itch at all.
Wang Daosheng said with apathetic disdain, "Imperial Court officials getting physical; what kind of propriety is this."
Zhang Zhuo roared, "You dog thief, give me your life!"
(End of Chapter)