Chapter 183: Innate

At the Zi hour, late at night, a heavy snow blanketed Hongyi Alley, and no lamp fires were visible.

She Dengke rushed through the snow, his expression hurried.

He hesitated at the entrance to the Liuli Palace, attempting to knock on the door, but no one answered.

He stepped back a few paces and looked up. He saw only the tightly closed doors and windows of the Liuli Palace, the most renowned establishment in Hongyi Alley. With the curtains drawn, it was completely dark.

She Dengke muttered to himself, "Didn't they say Brother Gou'er was inside? It's so dark, it doesn't look like anyone is here."

Just then, a hunched servant rushed out of a small alley nearby. He said in a low, obsequious voice, "Young Master, have you come to the Liuli Palace for some fun?"

She Dengke replied, "I'm looking for someone, for Liang Gou'er."

The servant squinted and smiled, saying, "Ah, so it's Brother Gou'er's distinguished guest. This way, please, this way."

With that, the servant led She Dengke into the small alley, walking all the way to the dimly lit back door of the Liuli Palace.

As the door opened, the sound of singing orioles and chattering swallows could be heard from inside. Five colors and ten hues met the eye, and a hot, fragrant wind rushed out. It was truly lively.

She Dengke stared with wide eyes and an open mouth. "I thought there was no one inside..."

The servant accompanied him with a smile and explained, "These days, the secret police's living Kings of Yan are everywhere in the city. We truly don't dare to advertise."

She Dengke walked into the building and suddenly discovered that the Liuli Palace had a heated floor, making the interior warmer than spring. The seductive dancers coming and going, revealing their snow-white skin, almost made his eyes water.

The servant led him upstairs and knocked on the door of the elegant room, "Spring Intent Late." Liang Gou'er's voice came from within, "Come in!"

Pulling open the door, he saw Liang Gou'er sitting at a round table, laughing wildly while hugging two dancers. Beside him, Liang Mao'er sat helplessly, constantly stuffing food into his mouth.

She Dengke quickly took several steps forward, pulled aside one of the dancers, sat down beside Liang Gou'er, and spoke a few sentences in a low voice. Liang Gou'er, still hugging the dancer, glanced at him sideways. "Little Brother She, you know my rules, Liang Gou'er. I have three things I don't help with. First, I don't help..."

She Dengke said earnestly, "Brother Gou'er, we're all friends. Can't you just make an exception this once?"

Liang Gou'er sneered, "What friends? I just need money to spend, that's all. Friends in wine and meat just drink a bit of your wine, that's all. You actually want the lives of friends in wine and meat? What kind of reasoning is that..."

Yu Dengke was silent for a moment. He took an envelope from his chest. "If you act according to the plan, take this envelope after the matter. I guarantee you can see Jiang Liuxian."

Liang Gou'er suddenly sat up straight. "Say that again?" She Dengke said seriously, "Jiang, Liu, Xian."

Liang Gou'er's face gradually turned cold.

Yu Dengke continued, "If you don't act according to the plan, then you'll never see..."

Before he could finish, Liang Gou'er pushed away the dancers beside him and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, get out!" After the dancers had all left the elegant room, he finally took the envelope, drew out a page of paper from inside, and repeatedly examined it, his expression gloomy and uncertain.

After a moment, the drunken haze in his eyes was completely gone. He stared directly at Yu Dengke. "You, boy, have no confidence to speak to me like this. You shouldn't even know where Jiang Liuxian is. Who taught you all this?"

She Dengke hesitated for a moment before looking back at Liang Gou'er, neither avoiding nor yielding. "No one taught me."

"Just based on you, you dare to come in front of me and say the words Jiang Liuxian?" Liang Gou'er let out a cold laugh. "I've already guessed who it was. Young man, you have deep thoughts. To succeed, you actually stop at nothing... isn't he afraid I'll settle the score after the matter?"

She Dengke also became a bit impatient. "Give me a definite answer on whether it will succeed or not. I still have several places to go. I'm very busy tonight."

Liang Gou'er closed his eyes and pondered.

Opening his eyes again, he drained the grape wine in the Liuli cup. "Tell him, as he wishes."

She Dengke hurriedly left.

Outside the door, he looked up at the heavy snow falling from the sky. Then, his right hand clutched his collar tightly, and he lowered his head and hurried on his way.

At the Yin hour, the sky was still pitch black.

The sound of horse hooves echoed outside the grain warehouse in Luocheng. A soldier on the watchtower squinted, holding a lantern. "Who is it!?"

The next moment, he saw Zhang Zhuo, dressed in a set of red official robes, riding his horse through the wind and snow. Behind him were more than a hundred yamen soldiers.

Zhang Zhuo stopped his horse in front of the stockade gate and said in a cold voice, "Open the gate!"

The stockade gate slowly opened, and the deputy general ran out, pulling up his pants. "Master Zhang, why have you come in the middle of the night?"

Zhang Zhuo raised his chin. "Call all the soldiers up. The autumn grain and tax silver transport were delayed previously due to the peasant rebellion. Tomorrow, they must all be counted and transported away."

The deputy general was startled. "Master, why so hasty? Just counting the autumn grain will take three days... moreover, we haven't even notified the grain guild. It's not certain they'll have large grain transport ships waiting at the dock."

Zhang Zhuo let out a cold laugh. "Is this Luocheng under your command or mine? Just prepare as I've told you. Before the Shen hour in the evening, transport away as much as you can count." The deputy general was still doubtful.

Zhang Zhuo sat on his horse and looked down at him. "This official has previously beheaded a deputy general here. I'm not afraid to behead another."

The deputy general panicked and lowered his head. "Yes, this humble subordinate understands."

At this time, Zhang Zhuo said again, "Right, the grain transport route needs to be changed slightly. This time, pass through Guangji Street, then escort it to the dock, to avoid thieves familiar with our route setting up an ambush ahead."

The deputy general was puzzled. "Master, these days, there are eunuch party hounds everywhere in Luocheng, and even fiercer bandits in the Jianghu. Give them nine heads, and they still wouldn't dare to rob official grain or official silver!"

Zhang Zhuo slightly narrowed his eyes. "I said, you do it. Where do all these problems come from?" The deputy general was startled. "This humble subordinate understands!"

The sound of a rooster crowing echoed. Zhang Zhuo looked up at the faint white light on the horizon. The Mao hour had arrived.

Among the yamen soldiers behind him, Zhang Zheng, hidden within the team, rode his horse slowly forward. "Father, did we make it in time?"

Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment. "We should have made it in time... this matter is very important. I am staking the Zhang family's literary fate on this."

Zhang Zheng said with a smile, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, neither Big Brother nor I are suitable to be officials." Zhang Zhuo glared. "How can you say that?"

Zhang Zheng quickly changed the subject. "Right, Father, where is Younger Sister?" Zhang Zhuo looked towards the dark night. "She has her own matters to attend to."

At the Si hour, the sky was bright, and the small courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall was already covered in thick snow.

The accumulated snow on Anxi Street had been cleared by the merchants, but the snow in front of the medical hall's door still hadn't been cleared by anyone.

Old Master Yao stood behind the main hall's counter, taking pulses and dispensing medicine for patients. When there were no patients, he would occasionally poke his head towards the back courtyard to see if Chen Ji was up yet.

Black Cloud, nestled beside his hand, meowed. "Master, Chen Ji isn't sick. He wouldn't be so lazy before."

Old Master Yao sneered. "Sick? External injuries from the Mountain Monarch Gate can heal quickly. How could he just get sick?"

"Oh... then why isn't he up yet?"

Old Master Yao stood behind the counter, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

He looked at the accumulated snow in front of the door and casually replied, "Perhaps there's nothing good to look forward to."

Hot pot in winter, wine in the evening, none of it was very important.

At this moment, in the apprentice's bedroom, Chen Ji opened his eyes and looked at the roof beams. He watched the dust motes floating in the air, swaying up and down, not knowing what he was thinking.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Chen Ji got up and changed into a new set of black winter clothes. He picked up the bamboo broom from the courtyard and went outside.

Seeing Old Master Yao and Black Cloud, he smiled and greeted them, "Good morning." Old Master Yao glanced at him. "You still know how to get up? What, planning to wait for me to sweep the snow clean? Dressed up like a person of importance, going to Hongyi Alley?"

Chen Ji smiled happily. "Master, don't be angry. I'll go sweep the snow now. I'm going to a banquet tonight to invite colleagues, so I'm dressing up a bit."

As he spoke, the crisp sound of copper bells rang out from a distance on Anxi Street.

The next moment, thirty-two monks, wearing gray monk robes and with one shoulder bare in the cold winter, steadily carried a huge Sumeru Seat and a venerable Freely Guanyin.

Beside the Sumeru Seat, the monk held a copper bell in his left hand and incense in his right. Occasionally, he would strike his hands together, and the incense and copper bell would collide, producing brilliant sparks and crisp sounds.

Wherever they passed, ordinary people prostrated themselves on the ground.

An old father in a wealthy Zhuang family was celebrating his eightieth birthday and had specifically donated incense to invite the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to patrol and look after the human world.

Chen Ji stood inside the door frame, his hands together, his eyes closed, and softly made a wish.

Old Master Yao looked at his back and laughed. "Going to kill people tonight, so you're giving them a preliminary send-off? Weren't you arguing scriptures with the Buddha gate before? When did you become a good man and believer under the Buddha gate's Sumeru Seat?"

Chen Ji opened his eyes, smiled, and turned back. "Master, since this world has forty-nine layers of heaven, it's always good to have an extra hand. What if the Bodhisattvas really bless me today?"

Old Master Yao lowered his eyelids. "This human world is already in such chaos. If they truly had compassionate hearts, they should open their eyes and look."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Master, since Xu Shu and Hu Junyan can descend from the forty-nine layers of heaven, there must naturally be a way to go up, right?"

Old Master Yao looked up at him. "What, do you want to go up and see?" Chen Ji leaned on the bamboo broom and laughed. "Just asking casually."

Old Master Yao stood behind the counter and pondered for a moment. "Rumor has it that the forty-nine layers of heaven are where immortals live. If one day you cross the divine path realm and ascend through tribulation, perhaps you can go up and become an immortal."

Chen Ji's eyes brightened slightly. "Master, have there been people who successfully ascended through tribulation in recent years?" "Yes."

"Master, do you want to become an immortal?" Old Master Yao said dismissively, "If there's no eternal life, what's the point of being an immortal in heaven?"

Chen Ji was startled. This sentence seemed meaningful. He thoughtfully swept the snow slowly in front of the door, sweeping from noon until evening.

When the last snowflake was swept clean, he turned around and went inside to get the ginseng he had bought earlier. In front of Old Master Yao, he instantly transformed it into crystal beads, which Black Cloud swallowed one by one.

Old Master Yao watched silently for a long time, then took out ten branches of ginseng from the main room and placed them on the counter.

Chen Ji looked up, across the counter. "Master, how do you sell this ginseng?" Old Master Yao pushed the ginseng towards him. "I don't want money this time."

Chen Ji was astonished. "You are..."

Old Master Yao said expressionlessly, "Don't walk in front of me."

Chen Ji grinned. The ice flow within his body transformed into a melting flow, and one hundred and ten lamps burned fiercely. Stars seemed to be lit in his eyes.

Black Cloud's body suddenly grew a circle larger. It was originally only two palms big, but now it was as long as a forearm.

It shook its body, shaking off a body of floating fur that turned into dust in the air. The newly grown fur was black and shiny.

Chen Ji placed Black Cloud on his shoulder and went outside. When he reached the door, he turned back and looked at Old Master Yao, who was quietly gazing at him from behind the counter.

Old Master Yao said unhurriedly, "One step, one layer of heaven. A hundred steps, reach the clouds. Go. After this, you'll be a congenital expert."

Chen Ji knelt down and kowtowed three times to Old Master Yao. He got up and strode away.

Taiping Medical Hall became quiet again. Old Master Yao casually fiddled with the abacus, but he didn't know what he was calculating.

After a long period of silence, he took out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve and scattered them on the counter. After seeing the divination image, he gathered up the copper coins and scattered them again.

He scattered them more than ten times, then let out a sigh.

A black crow flew into the house from somewhere, lightly landing on his shoulder and cawing.

Old Master Yao didn't respond. He just gathered up the copper coins, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out of the medical hall, walking into the sunset.