Chapter 159: The Sky Has Not Fallen

In the courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall, there was no lamplight, only the first light of the rising moon.

Chen Ji’s head was covered in sweat, and in the cold air, white mist evaporated from it. Jing Fei brought strong servants, their expressions solemn, as if ready to pounce and kill at any moment.

They watched Chen Ji coldly, and Chen Ji watched them coldly. She Dengke and Liu Quxing squatted by the kitchen door, at a loss. Liang Gou’er had gone out to drink and his whereabouts were unknown.

Liang Mao’er didn't pay attention to others. He carried a bowl of rice from the kitchen and handed it to Chen Ji, saying simply and honestly, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Hurry and have a couple of mouthfuls."

Chen Ji looked at the white rice and neatly stacked preserved meat slices in the bowl. "You saved this for me?"

Liang Mao’er smiled and placed a pair of bamboo chopsticks on the bowl. "The master, that old man, said at noon that you would come back, and told me to save it for you."

Chen Ji slightly relaxed his breath. "Thank you, Mao’er big brother."

Holding the bowl, he slowly ate the rice inside while leaning against the wall of the main house next to the window, secretly listening to the sounds from inside the house.

From inside the house, Jing Fei’s suppressed sobs, Jing Wang’s speaking sounds, and coughing sounds vaguely transmitted.

Gradually, the voices of Jing Wang and Jing Fei became softer and softer, seemingly falling asleep again.

After a long time, Chen Ji heard Jing Fei’s weak sobs from inside the white paper window. "Yao Taiyi, tell me the truth, how exactly is Wang Ye's illness?"

The old head Yao casually said, "Jing Fei madam, Wang Ye only needs to rest for a few days and he will recover. There is no need to worry too much."

The sobbing sounds inside the house gradually stopped.

Chen Ji turned his head and looked through the white paper window at the shadows inside the house illuminated by the kerosene lamp.

Jing Fei seemed to hand over something to the old head Yao, then opened her mouth and asked, "Yao Taiyi, tell me the truth. How exactly is Wang Ye?"

Yao Taiyi hesitated for a moment. "Wang Ye was originally thin. The previous wind-cold was not properly treated, and now he is even more exhausted in spirit for the heir and county master. According to his pulse, at the earliest in one month, at the latest in three months, we need to start preparing for the afterlife!"

Chen Ji’s pupils slightly contracted. He subconsciously looked at the others in the courtyard to confirm that no one heard the conversation inside the house before he relaxed.

Jing Wang... is going to leave?

Could it be that his insistence on going out in disguise was because he knew his days were numbered, so he wanted to take his children out to see the world again while he could still move?

In normal times, after Jing Wang’s death, the heir would naturally inherit the kingship. But now, the Liu family is plotting rebellion. How could the heir handle this kind of matter?

Jing Fei was shocked and uncertain. "One month... He can't even last until the New Year?"

The old head Yao said lightly, "If we can obtain the 'Sheng Yu Dan' refined by the medicine official lineage of Lao Jun Shan Dao Ting, perhaps we can still prolong his life for three years."

Chen Ji didn't understand. What kind of elixir was so precious that even the master used the word 'obtain'?

Jing Fei doubted, "I only knew that Sheng Yu Dan is the treasure of the Dao Ting, but I didn't know it was so magical."

The old head Yao explained, "That is the essence and blood of a single elixir furnace from the medicine official lineage. There are only two in the world now. One has been offered to the current emperor by Huang Shan Dao Ting. The other is in the hands of Lao Jun Shan Dao Ting. It is enshrined on Yu Huang Top, gathering the essence of the sun and moon. One piece of Sheng Yu Dan can extend life by three years. Not a day more, not a day less. Even with a serious illness, one can still be active like a normal person for three years."

Jing Fei made a move as if to go out. "I will go and seek medicine for Wang Ye."

The old head Yao added behind her, "Sheng Yu Dan can extend life as only an attached effect. Its true role is to help officials overcome calamities. If Lao Jun Shan Dao Shou Cen Yun Zi wants to overcome the human calamity and break through the realm of the divine path, he cannot do without this item."

Jing Fei was troubled. "Such an important thing, will Dao Ting give it?"

"That depends on what kind of price madam is willing to pay!"

The old head Yao then said indifferently, "However, birth, old age, sickness, and death are the normal emotions of humans. What should come will come, what should go will go. There is no need to force a reversal of fate."

Jing Fei was silent for a long time, then lifted her skirt and went out. "Since Wang Ye insists on staying in the medical hall, I will not say more. Trouble Yao Taiyi to take good care of him. As for the Sheng Yu Dan matter, I will think of a way..."

Having said that, Jing Fei, with red eyes, lifted the door curtain and came out. The green jade pendant on her earlobe swayed.

She glared coldly at Chen Ji, then left with the support of Chun Rong.

Chen Ji noticed that the emerald hairpin she had in her hair when she arrived was missing.

He held the rice bowl, lifted the door curtain, and walked into the house. He saw the master holding a kerosene lamp, and the hairpin was placed in the cabinet.

He glanced at Jing Wang and asked the old head Yao’s back, "Master, even you cannot save Wang Ye?"

The old head Yao snorted a laugh. "I am not an immortal."

Chen Ji felt a pang of regret.

The old head Yao closed the cabinet and turned to look at him. "Sad?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "No, I am not familiar with Jing Wang. I only feel that he is not a bad person. It is a pity that he will die young at just forty-five years old."

"It's truly sad. I thought we were already very familiar!"

Chen Ji suddenly turned his head and saw in the dim light inside the house, Jing Wang suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and pulled out the silver needles from his chest one by one.

Chen Ji: ...

He had been fooled.

Jing Wang smiled at him, looking at the half-eaten rice in the pottery bowl in his hand. "Give it to me, I'm starving!"

Chen Ji silently handed over the bowl and chopsticks. Jing Wang didn't mind that they were used. He finished the rice and dishes in a few gulps, eating with relish.

"The preserved meat is a bit salty..."

Jing Wang handed the empty bowl to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji looked down and saw that not a single grain of rice was left in the bowl.

He was puzzled. "You were spitting blood just now. How can you be fine now?"

Jing Wang laughed. "We are not too familiar either, why should I tell you?"

Chen Ji: ...

Jing Wang got up and adjusted his clothes. He laughed and patted his shoulder. "It's a good thing you caught me when I fell off the horse. Otherwise, I might have fallen badly. Young man, tell me the truth. On the way back to the medical hall, were you worried that after I died, no one would pay you that annual dividend of two thousand five hundred taels of silver?"

Chen Ji answered honestly, "Very worried. Otherwise, I wouldn't have run so fast!"

Jing Wang laughed lightly. "You are truly honest!"

After saying that, he turned and pulled open the bed inside the house, revealing a deep tunnel beneath the bed.

Inside the tunnel were steps about two feet wide, leading to who knows where.

Chen Ji looked at the old head Yao, then at Jing Wang.

So, there had always been a tunnel leading outside hidden inside this medical hall.

And why did Jing Wang want to feign death and stay in Taiping Medical Hall for treatment? It was probably to use the medical hall’s tunnel to shed his skin on the eve of the Liu family's rebellion.

And all of this, the master knew early on.

Chen Ji doubted, "Where does Wang Ye plan to go? Will you come back? If you just leave like this, what about the heir and the county master?"

Jing Wang was happy. "I'm just going out to see someone and I'll be back in a while. Why... do you think I want to escape and wander the world?"

Chen Ji suddenly understood. Jing Wang wanted to go out and secretly plot something with someone to deal with the Liu family.

But in this Luo City, who else was worth a real feudal king painstakingly shedding his skin?

The secret service?

Or was it that important figure he met privately in Yi Chuan county city?

Chen Ji asked again, "Wang Ye, why didn't you avoid me with this big secret?"

Jing Wang said meaningfully, "Because you will know sooner or later."

Chen Ji fell into thought.

At this moment, Jing Wang took the oil lamp from the old head Yao's hand, lifted his clothes, and walked down the stairs step by step. Just before he disappeared into the tunnel, he turned and laughed at Chen Ji. "Young man, guard the door and don't let anyone rush in. Also, for breakfast tomorrow, I want a bowl of buckwheat porridge, a dish of fermented bean curd, and two steamed buns. The fermented bean curd must be 'He Ji's. Troublesome, go buy it for me tomorrow morning!"

Chen Ji raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure this is the time to talk about this?"

Jing Wang chuckled and walked into the tunnel. His voice drifted lightly from inside the tunnel. "The sky hasn't fallen yet. We still have to eat our fill, right!"

The house fell silent again.

Chen Ji looked at the old head Yao, and saw him calmly and slowly take out a match and light another oil lamp.

The old head Yao lifted his eyelids and said indifferently, "What are you staring at me for?"

Chen Ji asked, "Master, what exactly did you come to Luo City for three years ago?"

The old head Yao said casually, "Are you trying to manage me? This Taiping Medical Hall is not your turn to be the master yet. Ask fewer nonsensical questions! Some things that you should know will be told to you. If you shouldn't know, don't ask."

Chen Ji took a deep breath. "Are you a sick tiger?"

The small main house was quiet, until the wick of the oil lamp lightly popped, and the old head Yao slowly said, "If I were a sick tiger, the first thing I would do is expose you, this thief of the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji nervously glanced at the tunnel. "You can't talk nonsense. Everyone who knows my identity now is either dead or gone. I am no longer a Jing Dynasty spy."

The old head Yao gave a cold laugh. "Do you really think it's that simple to leave the Jing Dynasty military intelligence department? One day, people who know your identity will return to this land of Ning Dynasty. At that time, how will you place yourself, and will you again go on a killing spree?"

Chen Ji was silent.

The old head Yao slowly continued, "You were too reckless this time. You shouldn't have shown off temporarily for the county master and offended those bald heads. If they were really easy to bully, the treasures passed down by the Buddha gate would not have become hard currency in Jiangnan and the north. The meaning of them putting their palms together and bowing to you is not that they want to be polite with you, but that they want to use means against you."

Chen Ji asked, "...Are all Buddhists like this?"

The old head Yao smiled. "Of course not. The monks of Ku Jue Temple in Jing Dynasty are some true monks. They hold the precepts fully and practice diligently without stopping."

However, at this moment, Liu Quxing’s voice came from outside the door. "Madam Yun Fei, the master just administered needles to Wang Ye, and he just fell asleep."

Yun Fei’s cold voice transmitted into the house. "Roll open."

Chen Ji and the old head Yao looked at each other. "Master, what should we do?"

The old head Yao pursed his lips. "Wang Ye told you to guard the door, not me."

Chen Ji stared with widened eyes, speechless. "Is that how you understand it?"

"Isn't it?"

There was no time to think more. Chen Ji turned around, lifted the door curtain, and went out.

Outside the door.

Yun Fei was dressed in a brown luxurious robe, embroidered with gold thread along the edges. She wore a gold silk hair ornament on her head, adorned with flower decorations on both sides, looking dignified and majestic.

Her expression was indifferent as she looked at Chen Ji. "Do you want to block me?"

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