Jin Zhu had once said that when he left Wunian Mountain, he never looked back even once, and from then on, he never trusted anyone again. This massive Directorate of Ceremonial was like a Gu Insect cage; what was raised inside would inevitably be the most venomous Gu Insect.
Chen Ji hadn't expected that someone as shrewd as Jin Zhu would be pushed eternally into a Doomed Eternally abyss by his colleagues after merely a single moment of carelessness.
At this very moment, the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry locked iron chains around the unconscious Jin Zhu's ankles and dragged him behind a horse.
Chen Ji's expression was hidden beneath his face mask. "Mister Feng, it's over ten miles from here to the Liu Family's main residence. If he's dragged to death alive like this, I'm afraid it might delay tomorrow's drum-beating and banner-sacrificing ceremonies."
Mister Feng smiled. "How could a Xiantian Stage expert be dragged to death so easily? Do not have the Benevolence of women. The moment I show even half a fraction of pity for Jin Zhu, I will not be able to escape Elder Liu's discerning eyes."
Chen Ji silently watched Jin Zhu be forcibly dragged out of the city and all the way to the front gates of the Liu Family's main residence, a distance of over ten miles. Along the way, he tightened his grip on his saber hilt, relaxed it, and then tightened it again.
Confirming his observations from the corner of his eye, Mister Feng said casually, "Don't do anything impulsive. It's a good thing for a young man to have a bit of Blood Qi; many things in this world are accomplished relying precisely on this burst of Blood Qi. But if you ruin my plans, you will be the first person I kill."
Chen Ji took a deep breath and silently loosened his grip.
By the time they arrived at the Liu Family's main residence, the clothes on Jin Zhu's back had been completely worn away, leaving a long trail of blood on the official road.
The grey, towering walls of the Liu Family's main residence were like those of a city. Only after the armored soldiers on the watchtowers verified everyone's identities did they wave a red command flag, ordering the main gates to be opened.
With a creak, the Zhu-lacquered main gates opened, and a scrawny middle-aged man walked out to welcome them. Squatting beside Jin Zhu, he inspected his facial skin and wounds, then stood up, smiled, and cupped his hands toward Mister Feng. "Congratulations to Mister Feng on achieving another great merit. Having a Twelve Zodiacs member's head to sacrifice to the banners tomorrow is a highly auspicious omen."
Mister Feng responded casually, "Advisor Liu, this is a great merit achieved together by General Qian and I. General Qian was even injured because of it; it absolutely cannot be counted solely on my head alone."
"Oh?" Advisor Liu was startled. "General Qian was injured?"
"Mhm, right in the horse carriage at the back."
Lifting the hem of his robe with one hand and carrying a lantern with the other, Advisor Liu walked over to the horse carriage and lifted the curtain.
Slipping into the carriage, he first felt the wound on General Qian's ribs, then rubbed his fingers together, brought them under his nose, and sniffed. Only then did he direct the surrounding armored soldiers, "Hurry, carry General Qian inside to treat his wounds!"
Having said that, Advisor Liu turned his head again toward Mister Feng. "Mister Feng, please accompany me to the ancestral shrine to see the Master; he is still waiting for you. Oh, right, carry Jin Zhu inside as well so he can take a look at him."
Mister Feng responded with a smile, "I will follow Advisor Liu's arrangements."
The Liu Family's main residence was pitch-black, with not a single lantern hanging from the eaves.
Carrying Jin Zhu on a stretcher, Chen Ji and the others followed behind Mister Feng through a long, endless alleyway. They saw white funeral scrolls hanging beneath the eaves on both sides of the path, extending like curtains deep into the residence.
Liu Mingxian still hadn't been buried, his coffin resting here in this main residence.
Ordinary families would only keep a coffin in the house for three days, while some wealthy and prominent households would keep it for seven days. Some families had to wait for officials serving away from home to return for the funeral, so they might keep the coffin for a dozen days or even several months.
But what the Liu Family was waiting for wasn't people returning home; they were waiting for the heads and fresh blood of their enemies.
Passing by Liu Mingxian's mourning hall, Chen Ji turned his head and saw Liu Mingxian's coffin placed lonely and solitary in the center of the hall.
Beside the coffin, corpses of women dressed in white mourning clothes were hanged from the mourning hall's roof beams with White Silk.
When the wind outside the hall blew, the female corpses swayed left and right, like a string of wind chimes that made no sound. Chen Ji only felt all the hairs on his body stand on end in horror. Even the hundred-battles-veteran armored soldiers beside him were startled into letting out low cries.
Leading the way ahead, Advisor Liu said slowly and methodically without even turning his head, "These women were all the Second Master's concubines and maids. Since they couldn't cry in front of the mourning hall, we had no choice but to send them to accompany the Second Master on the road to the Yellow Springs. I presume this is your first time entering this residence, but you shouldn't be so easily startled and making such a fuss."
The armored soldier who had cried out earlier hurriedly turned his head back and said in a panic, "This humble subordinate will go receive twenty military staff strikes myself."
Advisor Liu smiled. "General Qian's subordinates truly are sensible."
Gradually, warm light seeped out from ahead in the bluestone alleyway. In the ancestral shrine with its eight Zhu-lacquered main doors wide open, row upon row of ancestral tablets of the Liu Family's forebears stood towering like a forest above the main shrine niche. Positioned at the very highest point was the Liu Family's founding ancestor, Liu Xuning, who had once ranked among the Three Ducal Ministers and whose position would remain unchanged for a hundred generations.
On the red sandalwood altar table beneath the main shrine niche lay plates of sacrificial offerings. Over twenty incense candles and hundreds of ever-burning lamps illuminated the ancestral shrine as brightly as daytime.
Kneeling on a meditation mat in front of the altar table, Elder Liu had his head bowed, praying for something, looking exactly like an incredibly devout believer before an ancient Buddha and green lamp.
Arriving three rods away from the doors, Advisor Liu turned his head and instructed Mister Feng, "Mister Feng, wait here for a moment. I will go make a report to the Master."
Having said that, he took small, quick steps into the ancestral shrine, bent down, and whispered into Elder Liu's ear, "Master, Mister Feng has returned, bringing a half-dead Jin Zhu and a heavily wounded General Qian."
Without even lifting his eyelids, Elder Liu asked, "Is it confirmed to be Jin Zhu himself?"
Advisor Liu whispered, "Confirmed, he wasn't wearing a human skin mask. He was bound in iron chains by Mister Feng and dragged all the way back from the city by sheer force. The ribs on the left half of his body are completely shattered; it seems he was injured by kicks."
Slowly opening his eyes, Elder Liu said, "He has finally been brought back. My son can finally be laid to rest in the earth tomorrow."
Advisor Liu gave an affirmative 'Eh' sound. "Rest assured, Master. It's just that the timing of General Qian's injury is somewhat tricky. When the hall is opened to sacrifice to the banners tomorrow, the entire Liu clan will gather in one place, so someone is still needed to command the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry to ensure complete protection."
After pondering for a moment, Elder Liu suddenly asked, "Did Mister Feng treat General Qian's wounds?"
Advisor Liu answered, "He did."
Elder Liu asked again, "Were there any problems with the medicine used?"
Advisor Liu answered, "I smelled it. The medicine Mister Feng used was from the Mount Laojun Daoist Court. There were no problems."
Slowly closing his eyes, Elder Liu was deep in thought about something unknown.
After a very long time, he let out a long breath. "Call Mister Feng inside."
Advisor Liu walked out, led Mister Feng inside, and then retreated back out over the threshold.
Standing behind Elder Liu, Mister Feng bowed and cupped his hands. "Master, I have brought Jin Zhu back for you."
Supporting himself on his knees, Elder Liu slowly stood up and tilted his head back, gazing fixedly at the spirit tablets within the ancestral shrine, without continuing Mister Feng's topic. "Mister Feng, the ancestors handed the Liu Family into my hands, yet I never expected that the Liu Family might decline and fall while in my hands."
Mister Feng said with a smile, "How could that be? The Jing Dynasty's Divine Martial Army has already taken advantage of the freeze to cross the Chunlei River. Four of the capital's Five Major Camps have marched off toward Chongli Pass. We will drive straight in without encountering any resistance; the person in Renshou Palace is completely unprepared. Once we go to the capital to 'clear the emperor's side,' if we succeed, Prince Jing's claim to the throne will be improper and his foundation will be unstable, so he will have no choice but to rely entirely on you and Elder Qi."
Elder Liu let out a sigh. "The reason aristocratic families can become aristocratic families is never out of a desire for 'victory,' but rather 'invincibility and avoiding defeat.' Yet the current Liu Family took wrong steps one after another, ending up in a situation where they have no choice but to rebel. Looking back over these dozen or so years just now, I actually don't know who exactly to blame... Should I blame that foolish and ignorant younger sister of mine? Or should I blame that audacious and reckless son of mine?"
"I've been thinking all night," gazing at the ancestral tablets in the main shrine niche, Elder Liu's eyes actually showed a trace of bewilderment. "Prince Jing revealed treacherous intentions in his early years, but now he assumes an appearance of hesitation. Is it because he's grown older and become indecisive? Or is this itself a trap meticulously prepared for the Liu Family? If this truly is an absolutely massive trap, the Liu Family is in grave danger."
Mister Feng thought for a moment. "Perhaps he is worried about the historians condemning him in speech and writing, so he wants to push off the entire crime of treason onto the head of the Liu Family. At that point, the historians' records will simply state that the Liu Family supported his ascension, and it was not his original intent."
Elder Liu sighed deeply again. "We can only make this conjecture. Mister Feng, you and I have been master and servant for many years. The Liu Family has not treated you thinly, and you have also rushed about serving my Liu Family, establishing tremendous merit and sweating like a horse in battle. Now that General Qian is heavily injured, and the other generals have already taken command of their respective military forces, I will hand these six thousand Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry over to you. Do not let them down."
Outside the ancestral shrine, Chen Ji watched Mister Feng lift the hem of his robe with both hands, kneel sincerely on the ground, and kowtow. "To receive the Family Head's trust, this humble subordinate sheds tears of gratitude. I beseech the Family Head to bestow the surname Liu upon me. From this point forward, I, Feng Wenzheng, and the descendants of the Feng family shall change our surname to Liu, plunging into boiling water and treading on fire for the Liu Family for generations to come, without hesitation or refusal."
By the time he looked up again, Mister Feng's face was already covered in tears.
Elder Liu immediately helped Mister Feng up, sighing with emotion. "With Mister Feng's great talents, how could you be forced to act as a domestic slave for my Liu Family? In the future, when we conquer the empire, given Mister Feng's talents, you can be appointed as a general or made a chancellor."
Having said that, he pulled a Tiger Tally from his sleeve and handed it into Mister Feng's palm. "Go to the Tiger Armor Camp to take over the handover! Lead the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry here to set up defenses. It is already the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). In another two hours, we will beat the drums and assign the generals. Do not delay matters."
Tightly gripping the Tiger Tally in his hand, Mister Feng kowtowed once more. "Thank you for your trust, Family Head."
...
Mister Feng hurriedly departed.
Carrying Jin Zhu and standing outside the ancestral shrine's doors, Chen Ji watched his back, still unaware of what the Directorate of Ceremonial planned to do next. As for Jin Zhu, he had already become a true discarded pawn.
He didn't know when this seemingly endless night would finally pass.
Elder Liu arrived beside the stretcher, silently staring at Jin Zhu. "Wake him up."
Advisor Liu pulled a small porcelain bottle from his clothes and waved it under Jin Zhu's nose.
Jin Zhu abruptly opened both his eyes, immediately struggling to get up and fight. However, Advisor Liu merely tapped him lightly on the center of his forehead, and he became instantly unable to move.
Chen Ji was shocked internally. This plain-looking Advisor Liu was actually an expert Grand Guild Agent who deeply hid his abilities. No wonder Elder Liu only kept him by his side, with not a single guard visible anywhere near the ancestral shrine.
Elder Liu looked at Jin Zhu with pity. "In the great furnace of a chaotic world, you and I are both unable to control our own destinies. Do not blame me; if you want to assign blame, you can only blame your Directorate of Ceremonial for never considering leaving my Liu Family a path to survival. Advisor Liu, take him to let my son take a look. Execute Jin Zhu with death by a thousand cuts in front of his coffin, and then chop off his head, so that my son can look upon it and depart peacefully on his journey."
While he spoke, it was as if he wasn't the one who decided to kill Liu Mingxian, and the only ones at fault were the Eunuch Faction.
Advisor Liu hesitated. "Master, shouldn't we wait until we sacrifice to the banners to execute him?"
Elder Liu waved his hand wearily. "Go. My son has waited for far too long; simply placing the head on display tomorrow will be enough."
Advisor Liu beckoned toward Chen Ji and the others. "Carry him and follow me."
The few of them carried Jin Zhu to the front of Liu Mingxian's mourning hall. All the armored soldiers kept their heads lowered, unwilling to look up at the female corpses hanging above their heads, holding their breaths to avoid smelling the foul stench inside the mourning hall.
Acting as if nothing was wrong, Advisor Liu pulled a silver Short Blade from his sleeve. Humming a little tune, he severed Jin Zhu's hand and foot tendons before slicing off bits of Jin Zhu's flesh and blood, cut by cut.
Chen Ji watched Jin Zhu struggle, his eyes splitting open with rage as he endured the agonizing pain of a thousand cuts. Ultimately, he didn't say anything, nor did he do anything.
An unknown amount of time passed before Advisor Liu suddenly asked, "How many cuts have we reached?"
Looking at One Another in blank dismay, none of the armored soldiers could answer.
Advisor Liu smiled. "No matter, no matter. Three hundred and sixty cuts should be enough."
In the next moment, he drew the waist saber from Chen Ji's waist and aimed a slash right at Jin Zhu's neck.
However, right as the blade was about to strike Jin Zhu's body, Chen Ji actually saw a bizarre smile appear on Jin Zhu's face. When the blade fell, no blood spurted out, and no head rolled to the ground.
Instead, Jin Zhu's entire body abruptly transformed into countless copper coins and Silver Ingots, scattering across the ground with a loud clattering sound.
It was as if what had previously laid inside those clothes wasn't Jin Zhu at all, but a puppet completely stuffed full of wealth and money!
Advisor Liu was initially stunned, then cursed furiously, "It's actually the Betting Official Pathway! The bitter flesh scheme! The man named Feng has a problem! Quick, quick, quick! Hurry and chase after that man named Feng!"
(End of this chapter)