Chapter 136: Reinforcements

On the bluestone road of Yichuan County town, the cow cart in front moved slowly, followed by six scholars carrying boxes. They chatted and laughed, discussing tomorrow's literary gathering, talking about classics, history, philosophy, and collections, truly like a group of scholars.

At that moment, Chen Ji felt somewhat suspicious and uneasy himself. Sitting in the cow cart, he suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Wenzong and asked in a low voice, "Elder brother, what are they discussing?"

Chen Wenzong was a little flattered and surprised, quickly answering, "They're discussing the current affairs section of this year's autumn examination. The topic is how to view border town trade, and elder brother argued from three directions at that time."

Chen Ji didn't listen further; he just felt he might be overly suspicious. How could killers understand these things?

However, before leaving the city, he suddenly called out, "Stop the cart for a moment."

Jing Wang, wearing a straw hat, pulled the reins to stop the cow cart.

Chen Ji jumped down, saying, "Everyone wait for me a bit."

Baili asked curiously, "Did you forget something at the inn? I'll go with you to get it."

But Chen Ji smiled and said, "I just passed a steamed bun shop and was planning to treat everyone to steamed buns. How many would you all like?"

The heir apparent thought for a moment and said, "Four."

Baili laughed, "Two."

Chen Wenxiao stiffened his neck and said, "I'm not hungry. If I want to eat, I can buy it myself."

Chen Ji asked everyone, then ran to a steamed bun shop and called out, "Shopkeeper, I'll take nineteen meat-filled steamed buns. Please wrap them in a yellow paper bag."

The shopkeeper, hearing a big order, quickly lifted the steamer lid and took out the steamed buns.

While pretending to buy steamed buns, Chen Ji used his peripheral vision to observe the scholars. He saw them not continuing forward, pausing slightly, and actually coming towards the steamed bun shop as well.

One of them smiled and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, I'll take fifteen meat-filled steamed buns."

Chen Ji's heart sank. These people were indeed coming towards them.

The fact that the other side simply stopped and bought steamed buns didn't necessarily mean anything, but the person buying them didn't ask others how many they wanted and directly ordered fifteen, which didn't make sense. Furthermore, the person buying the steamed buns didn't even mention how to pay!

Chen Ji's expression remained normal as he sat back down and distributed the steamed buns to everyone.

The cow cart continued westward out of the county town.

A dirt road meandered through the forest. The leaves had already fallen, and the branches were bare. The ground was covered in a soft carpet of rotten leaves, and gradually there was no sign of human habitation.

Chen Ji sat in the cart, silently turning his head to look ahead on the official path. What exactly were these people here to do? Were they investigating the peeper from last night and killing to silence, or were they protecting Jing Wang?

Chen Ji thought carefully for a moment and felt it should be the latter. After all, last night's storm had passed. If that mysterious figure wearing ink jade truly wanted to kill and silence, they should have acted yesterday. Why would they drag it out until today? Moreover, this cart had the heir apparent, Baili, Master Wang, and Jing Wang. How could Jing Wang allow the other side to kill and silence?

Thinking of this, his heart felt slightly more settled.

At this moment, the cow cart entered the deep mountains along the official path. Master Wang held a scroll and was lecturing in the cow cart. He calmly asked, "The Great Learning says, 'To attain knowledge, one must investigate things; when things are investigated, knowledge is attained.' Here, what is the meaning of investigating things to attain knowledge?"

Chen Wenzong thought for a moment and said, "Zhu Zi said that investigating things to attain knowledge is to exhaust heavenly principles, clarify human relations, explain sage words, and understand events."

Master Wang casually leaned on the cow cart and laughed, "That is what Zhu Zi said. Now I want you all to say it yourselves. What is investigating things to attain knowledge?"

Chen Wenzong was a little troubled.

Just as he was pondering his answer, he heard a cat's meow from the mountain forest. Chen Ji's eyes suddenly widened. He turned his head to Jing Wang and said, "Could you please stop the cart for a moment?"

Chen Wenxiao said impatiently, "What do you want to do now? Why do you have so many issues?"

Chen Ji covered his stomach and jumped down from the cart. "Sorry, my stomach hurts. I need to relieve myself."

Saying this, he stepped on the rotten leaves and ran into the forest, running several hundred steps before slowly stopping and calling out softly, "Wuyun?"

He saw Wuyun carrying a blue cloth talisman bag appear on a treetop.

Chen Ji was surprised. "How did you get here?"

Wuyun lowered its head and bit open the knot of the cloth bag talisman. With a clatter, a wooden box slid out of the bag. It squatted on the branch and said, "Master casually made a divination last night. He said you might be in danger, so he told me to come to this official path overnight to wait for you, and also bring your fifteen hidden ginseng roots."

Chen Ji's pupils slightly contracted. These fifteen ginseng roots were given by Jin Zhu, but because Chen Ji was wary of Jin Zhu's gambling-like cultivation path earlier, he had never had a chance to use them. Now, Old Man Yao not only sent Wuyun to warn him overnight, but also brought these fifteen ginseng roots. This time, it was extremely dangerous.

Chen Ji looked towards the forest. "Is Master here?"

Wuyun meowed. "Master said if you ask about this, I should reply on his behalf, that it's none of his business."

Chen Ji: ...

Master was indeed still that indifferent master.

Chen Ji asked again, "Then did Master say whether I can cope with this danger with these fifteen ginseng roots?"

Wuyun meowed. "I asked about that. Master said, it's quite a choke."

Chen Ji: ...

He stood in the forest, closing his eyes and thinking about where the crisis was coming from and how to cope. But after thinking for a long time, he realized that the crisis could only be from the mysterious big figure from last night. If someone of that caliber was acting, how could he, a young apprentice who hadn't even entered the Innate Realm, protect himself?

The next moment, he opened his eyes, picked up the wooden box from the ground, and opened it.

This chapter is not finished, middle...