Beneath the thick white mourning banners, in front of the coffin,
Chen Ji silently stared at the scattered silver coins on the ground and suddenly understood what Jin Zhu’s real trump card was in following the officials’ door–the person who was most cautious about death and gambled the most heavily had chosen a cultivation path that suited him best.
Then... did Mr. Feng know that Jin Zhu was following the officials’ door and possessed a Death Replacent Puppet?
He must have known, for he had once inadvertently given himself away!
Just a few hours ago, Mr. Feng had subconsciously said to him, "As far as I know, you have no connection with Jin Zhu, right?" That sentence was where he slipped.
Previously at Dragon King Village, Jin Zhu had rushed day and night to save him, which to any normal person would seem like an act of deep friendship, but Mr. Feng didn’t see it that way.
Only those who knew of Jin Zhu’s cultivation path would understand that Jin Zhu’s efforts to save soone were not out of friendship, but rather a gamble on that person.
But why would Mr. Feng lie about planning to return to the Spy Departnt to take over Jin Zhu’s zodiac position?
If the nature of a lie is to conceal the truth, then what exactly was Mr. Feng trying to hide?
Suddenly, Chen Ji’s eyes widened–Mr. Feng was trying to conceal his real identity!
At this mont, Grandmaster Liu was running outside, shouting as he went, "Where are the Black-clothed Guards? Bring that man surnad Feng back, don’t let him get a hold of the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry at any cost!"
A few n in black erged quietly from a narrow alley: "Grandmaster Liu, please calm yourself, we’ll go after him."
In front of the Liu Mansion, Grandmaster Liu called for several carrier pigeons from the Black-clothed Guards and instructed them in detail, "You’re no match for that man surnad Feng. Split into seven groups and head for the Tiger Armor Camp to find Colonel Yang to expose Feng Wenzheng. If Colonel Yang doesn’t believe you, tell him to co to the Liu Mansion to ask the master in person! If you succeed, write imdiately and send the pigeon back!"
One of the Black-clothed Guards hesitated, "But Mr. Feng... he holds the Tiger Talisman, and the Tiger Armor Camp recognizes the Commander’s Seal, not the person."
Grandmaster Liu said solemnly, "We can only try, hurry!"
"Yes!"
The Black-clothed Guards each put the pigeons into their bosoms, mounted their horses, and charged into the night.
Grandmaster Liu propped himself against the door fra, waiting anxiously. Not even thirty minutes had passed when a pigeon fluttered back.
Grandmaster Liu was startled and stretched out his hand to let the pigeon land on his wrist. An armored soldier reminded him, "Grandmaster Liu, there’s blood on the pigeon’s feathers."
"It’s the blood of the Black-clothed Guards," Grandmaster Liu’s gaze flickered uncertainly, "Soone outside is ambushing the Black-clothed Guards I sent out!"
Everyone looked up toward the mansion’s gate, where the pitch-dark sky lood like an abyss that no one could ever fill.
Grandmaster Liu’s face turned ashen as he ordered loudly, "Close the mansion gates tightly, light the torches on the watchtowers, and no one is to open the gate without my orders!"
Chen Ji and several armored soldiers slowly pushed the heavy cinnabar-painted doors closed, and the mont the two doors shut, the Liu Mansion beca a heavily fortified fortress.
Suddenly, Grandmaster Liu turned and headed toward the ancestral hall: "I’ll go find the master!"
Chen Ji and the other armored soldiers followed him through the long alley, only to see Grandmaster Liu kneeling in front of the temple door, "Master, we’ve all been deceived by Feng Wenzheng! I said before that it was likely Feng Wenzheng who was causing trouble behind the scenes that led to the events happening among the generals of the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry. This man has told nothing but lies, not a single word of truth from his mouth..."
In this mont, Chen Ji and Grandmaster Liu shared a mutual sympathy.
That Mr. Feng seed like a con artist, both righteous and wicked, chaotic, and powerful.
He brazenly navigated amidst knife edges, making a fool of everyone, and even Chen Ji could not distinguish between his truths and lies.
Grandmaster Liu continued, "Master, it’s too late to call back the other troops now. The priority is to find General Zhou and order him to co with the Elephant Armor Camp for reinforcent..."
In the ancestral hall, Official Liu paid no attention to Grandmaster Liu, turning his back on everyone, slowly looking up towards the ancestral tablets that rose like mountains, and sighed deeply, "If Feng Wenzheng truly has been setting up this ga since seven years ago, then it’s all over..."
Grandmaster Liu suddenly looked towards Official Liu’s kneeling silhouette, "Master, we cannot just sit and wait for death!"
"Of course, we cannot just sit and wait for death; that isn’t dignified," Official Liu stood up, smoothing his coarse cloth robes: "Beat the drum to convene a eting, burn incense, draw the lots of death, and raise the flags!"
...
...
At 5 to 7 AM, the sky was faintly brightening, and the first light of dawn tinged the east.
Deep inside the high walls of the Liu Mansion, the sound of drums beat repeatedly, growing more urgent.
From house to house within the mansion, relatives of the Liu family clan rushed over upon hearing the drumming.
Grandmaster Liu led the armored soldiers in opening the gates of the mansion, where hundreds of black-clothed Death Soldiers stationed outside stread in, finally crowding densely in front of the ancestral hall and filling up the open ground and alleys.
Not a word was spoken. Everyone just watched solemnly as Official Liu took out the long-sealed lots of death from below the offertory table in the ancestral hall, sixteen bamboo containers filled with lots.
Official Liu wiped off a container with his sleeve and spoke leisurely, "I originally intended to lead you in a mission, but I didn’t anticipate being outmaneuvered and making such a grave mistake. Today, we open the ancestral hall; those who draw a lot of death will face the enemy with , while those who do not will leave through the back door. Soon, soone will escort you quietly down south to board a ship for Java Island. I’ve already arranged for my eldest son to establish assets there years ago, enough for you all to live on. Rember, never return to the Ning Dynasty."
Everyone had thought that Liu Gun, the eldest son, had already taken vows and left ho for the Imperial City Yuanjue Temple, not realizing that the Liu family had long ago employed a decoy strategy, sending him to Java Island instead.
Just as Official Liu had said, the ultimate goal for a noble family was not to ’win’ but to ’remain undefeated’ to last in perpetuity.
Grandmaster Liu pleaded, "Master, why won’t you leave? That fast ship can carry more than a hundred people! The eldest son has already established himself in Java Island, and you can make a coback there!"
Official Liu chuckled, "If I don’t die, the one in the Renshou Palace won’t be able to sleep. My staying here will give him an explanation. Beat the drum!"
The drumming intensified once again, and the cleaned container was passed among the crowd, everyone solemnly drawing their lot. Those who drew a lot that promised life cried out in joy, so even secretly exchanging their lot for others; those who drew lots of death remained silent, while others who could not accept their fate collapsed in loud weeping.
Official Liu stood on the steps of the ancestral hall, his gaze filled with the vicissitudes of ti.
Thirty minutes later, those who had drawn the ’alive’ lots left the ancestral hall under the escort of a few Black-clothed Guards, their destination unknown. Those with ’death’ lots wrapped their heads in white cloth, their attire entirely white.
Suddenly, Grandmaster Liu said, "Master, Prince Jing is still in our residence, he must have participated in the plotting! The Liu Family’s calamity is greatly his doing!"
Official Liu remained silent for a long ti, "Bring him here, use him to consecrate the flag!"
Chen Ji felt a heaviness in his heart.
Grandmaster Liu turned to the Black-clothed Death Soldiers and ordered, "Go! Bring the Prince, the Princely Heir, and the Commandery Princess here! Consecrate the flag!"
Chen Ji watched as more than twenty Black-clothed Death Soldiers turned and walked away. He wanted to follow them but had no reason to do so.
After hesitating for a mont, he finally began to move his feet slowly, trying to surreptitiously follow.
Grandmaster Liu turned and looked at him, "Where are you going?"
Chen Ji replied in a muffled voice, "Master, I need to use the restroom."
Suddenly, Grandmaster Liu raised his voice sternly, "Who are you? Take off your mask!"
However, just at that mont, a scream suddenly ca from the lookout tower of the Liu Mansion, interrupting Grandmaster Liu’s train of thought.
Hundreds of people turned to look in unison, just as a teor shot across the dim sky, piercing through the Death Soldier on the tower.
When the teor extinguished, the light of the sky dimd once again, as if nothing had happened.
That darkness paused for an instant, which seed like an eternity, and the next mont, teors burst forth like rain, brilliant as the Milky Way, piercing through all the Death Soldiers on over ten lookout towers!
Then, the sound of heavy iron hooves resounded outside the Liu Mansion. The sound spread from the North to the East and West, surrounding this massive estate that had stood for hundreds of years.
At that mont, a Death Soldier, pierced through the abdon, lay on the lookout tower, using his last strength to shout, "The Jiefan Guard has arrived! The Thousand-year Army as well!"
Grandmaster Liu bellowed in anger, "Where is the Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry?"
But the Death Soldier had already lost his voice.
The Tiger Armor Iron Cavalry, which should have been blocking the roads and setting up defenses, had been led away by Mr. Feng sowhere—the Thousand-year Army and the Jiefan Guard had breached the Liu Family’s defenses and arrived right before them.
Grandmaster Liu yelled fiercely, "The Thousand-year Army? Prince Jing is indeed involved! Master, we should just execute Prince Jing right here... Wait, where did that soldier go?"
Distracted by the Heavenly Horse, when Grandmaster Liu looked back to where Chen Ji had stood, Chen Ji had already vanished.
At this ti, Official Liu sighed softly, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing, the Eunuch Party, they’ve all been scheming against the Liu Family for years. We lost fairly. Master, take so n and hold them off, buy so ti for the family mbers who drew the ’alive’ lots."
Grandmaster Liu led n towards the main gate to support, "Quickly, to the main gate, stop them, don’t let them break in!"
As his voice fell, with a thunderous crash, the red lacquered main gate of the Liu Mansion was broken open from the outside. The two doors slowly toppled, stirring up a cloud of dust in the air.
The Black-clothed Death Soldiers who had just rushed to the front of the gate halted their advance as they tried to see through the dust to identify the intruder, but they could only make out a vague figure slowly appearing through the dust.
A few breaths later, a man in white clothing, wearing a white mask, stepped over the threshold. He fanned the dust in front of him with his right hand, smiling at the several hundred Death Soldiers crowded in the alleyway, "Oh, there are so many of you here?"
The white mask was adorned with light gold dragon patterns using a gold-plating technique. In the Ning Dynasty and Jing Dynasty, those who dared to use dragon patterns other than a direct gift from the emperor would be raided and executed.
For a mont, Grandmaster Liu felt like he was facing a formidable enemy: "Lord Bai Long?!"
Lord Bai Long appeared nonchalant as he took a token out from his sleeve and spoke leisurely, "The King’s Command Flag is here. Those who see it must kneel as if the king himself is present."
Grandmaster Liu and the Death Soldiers remained expressionless, unmoving. The white headbands wrapped around their foreheads
Lord Bai Long didn’t seem to care as he put the command flag back into his sleeve, still smiling, "If you don’t want to kneel, that’s fine. After all, everyone present here is condemned to die."
Grandmaster Liu spoke coldly, "Lord Bai Long truly honors the Liu Family with your presence."
Lord Bai Long laughed heartily, "Had I not co personally, it might have been a little risky."
Grandmaster Liu’s face twisted with fury, "The Liu Family will not surrender without a fight..."
Before he could finish, everyone suddenly heard a voice above their heads, "I advise you not to move. Otherwise, you’ll be the first to die."
Grandmaster Liu looked up and saw Jiao Tu and Yun Yang both dressed in black, perched on the rooftops on the left side of the alley.
Jiao Tu sat on the very edge of the roof ridge, her legs dangling and swinging, while Yun Yang stood by her side, arms crossed over his chest, both wearing smiles as they looked down upon the Death Soldiers.
Grandmaster Liu was filled with shock and uncertainty, "You... Weren’t you both banished to Lingnan?!"
Jiao Tu played with a jade pendant on her collar and said cheerfully, "The climate in Lingnan is hot and humid, and there are too many poisonous insects. Halfway there, we simply didn’t want to go anymore."
From the other side ca another voice, "Grandmaster Liu, if you don’t want to die, quietly put down your weapons."
Grandmaster Liu turned and saw Jin Zhu and ng Ji standing on another rooftop, trapping the few hundred Death Soldiers in the alley!
Lord Bai Long, Heavenly Horse, Jin Zhu.
ng Ji, Jiao Tu, Yun Yang.
All six zodiac mbers had arrived!
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