Chapter 373: The Biting Dog

In the twilight, the carriage swayed gently through the cobblestone streets of West Chang'an Avenue.

Ever since Sima Cao-gui appeared, Chen Ji rarely walked on his own. Wherever he went, he was picked up and dropped off by carriage. Sima Cao-gui was like a shadow, clinging to his side.

That was not what Chen Ji wanted.

After rescuing Bai Li, neither the Ning Dynasty nor the Jing Dynasty would be the best place to go. Only by going abroad could he completely avoid trouble... He wondered if English was spoken overseas; his English was quite good.

As he was thinking, the carriage gradually came to a stop.

"Are we there?" Chen Ji asked.

Sima Cao-gui did not reply!

Chen Ji pulled open a slit in the carriage curtain. Across from the carriage, a man sat still on horseback. A sword was strapped to his waist, and a black cloth band was tied across his forehead, with the character 'Chen' embroidered in white thread on it!

Sima Cao-gui whispered, "It's Chen Guang, one of the Dao-Realm grand officials kept by the Second House!"

The next moment, the official, still on horseback, cupped his fists and said, "Young Master, please come with me. The Second Master is waiting for you at the Altar of Mountains and Rivers!"

Sima Cao-gui turned back and whispered a warning, "You can't go! The Second House acts without scruples. You've offended him severely today. There'll be nothing good if he invites you to a secluded spot!"

Chen Ji said loudly, "Please tell my Second Uncle that it's late tonight, so I won't go! If he has something, he can come find me at Ginkgo Courtyard early tomorrow morning!"

Sima Cao-gui flicked the reins again. The carriage slowly moved forward, but Chen Guang remained unmoving, blocking the path, repeating his earlier words: "Young Master, please come with me. The Second Master is waiting for you at the Altar of Mountains and Rivers!"

The carriage was forced to stop. Sima Cao-gui slowly reached into his sleeve and instructed quietly, "If a fight breaks out later, run towards the Chen family mansion. He wouldn't dare to kill you inside the manor! If you alert Chen Xu, who is by Grand Secretary Chen's side, he'll be dead!"

Chen Ji remembered that Chen Xu was the middle-aged man who had invited him to the Hall of Literary Courage a few days ago, and Grand Secretary Chen's confidant!

On Fuyou Street, Chen Guang urged his horse forward. The crisp sound of hooves grew closer in the night. The air between Sima Cao-gui and Chen Guang seemed to grow increasingly tense!

Chen Guang reached for the sword at his waist. Sima Cao-gui, like a couching leopard, emitted faint crackling sounds from his joints!

It was the sound of muscles tensing and pressing against joints!

Stray dogs and cats by the roadside scattered!

At this moment, another carriage approached from behind. Both men suppressed their killing intent, waiting for the carriage to pass.

The carriage passed by them, completely unaware, not sensing the palpable killing intent on the cobblestone street!

The moment the carriage departed, and just as Chen Guang and Sima Cao-gui were about to make their move, Chen Ji spoke with a laugh, "If it's just a trip, then a trip it is. My Second Uncle is an elder; he won't do anything to me! Even if he really wants to take out his anger on me, he wouldn't choose to do it in the capital!"

The tense atmosphere disintegrated instantly.

Chen Guang cupped his fists and said, "Young Master is reasonable, please proceed!"

Sima Cao-gui glanced back at Chen Ji, asking no more questions. It seemed truly as he had said before: in the past, Chen Ji listened to him, but from now on, he would listen to Chen Ji. He was content to be merely a blade!

And a blade does not ask questions!

The carriage turned around, followed Chen Guang out of Zhengyang Gate, and headed for the Altar of Mountains and Rivers!

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Chen Guang turned west in front of the Altar of Mountains and Rivers. Here, the reed marsh had not yet sprouted green leaves and was still a desolate, withered landscape!

The night wind swept through, creating a grand yet lonely rustling sound!

Beside the Altar of Mountains and Rivers were four nameless ponds, each the size of a city block, yet no one had bothered to name them!

A wooden pier extended into the reed-filled pond. Chen Li-zhi sat at the very end of the pier, holding a fishing rod!

His gaunt figure did not resemble that of a powerful head of a prominent family. He looked more like a solitary old fisherman with a straw cape and hat, fishing in a cold river!

Behind him, on his left stood a middle-aged martial artist, and on his right stood Chen Yue, the head manager of the Chen family's salt business!

Chen Guang made a gesture beside Chen Ji, "Please!"

Chen Ji smiled and walked along the pier towards the middle of the pond!

Sima Cao-gui tossed the reins and was about to follow Chen Ji, but Chen Guang blocked him, saying with a forced, unnatural smile, "When the masters are speaking, us servants shouldn't follow!"

Before Sima Cao-gui could retort, Chen Ji turned back and instructed, "Wait for me here. I'll go and hear what Second Uncle has to say! Don't worry, Second Uncle won't harm me!"

Sima Cao-gui calmly replied, "Yes, Young Master!"

Chen Ji continued walking forward. Only when he got closer, by the bright moonlight, did he see a pool of blood dripping beside Chen Yue. The man's left hand was missing its little finger and ring finger!

He paid it no mind, and standing three paces behind Chen Li-zhi, cupped his hands in a bow, "Second Uncle!"

Chen Li-zhi didn't turn around. He simply pointed towards the center of the pond, "Nephew, I called you out here in the middle of the night to witness a good show!"

Chen Ji looked up. The bright moon was stretched long in the rippling water of the pond. That light was like a path, extending from the pier all the way into the lake!

In the center of the pond floated six flat-bottomed boats. On each boat, a salt merchant's manager knelt. The managers were bound hand and foot with hemp ropes, and their mouths were tightly gagged with wads of white cloth!

Behind each of them stood a burly man!

When the managers saw Chen Ji looking over, they immediately knelt at the gunwales, whimpering and unable to speak!

Just then, the fishing rod in Chen Li-zhi's hand twitched. He quickly reeled in the rod, but when the hook emerged from the water, it was empty!

Chen Li-zhi cursed under his breath, "Even the fish are against me!"

He impatiently waved his hand towards the center of the pond. A burly man then tied a head-sized stone to Manager Zhou Er's feet, and expressionlessly pushed him into the water!

Manager Zhou Er splashed into the water and sank to the bottom of the pond after only a few struggles!

The other managers became even more terrified, twisting their bodies one by one!

Before the water could calm down, Chen Li-zhi said impatiently, "What are you waiting for? Are you going to put on a show for my nephew one by one? Push them all in."

As his words fell, the burly men on the flat-bottomed boats pushed the remaining five managers into the water, as if pushing off a few sheep!

Chen Yue's eyelids twitched slightly, but he dared not utter a single word, standing silently with his hands at his sides!

Chen Ji remained silent, watching quietly!

Chen Li-zhi turned his head to observe Chen Ji's expression, then burst out laughing, "Chen Yue, you truly deserved to lose! Look, my grand-nephew is far calmer than you. You thought he was a domesticated little lamb, but you didn't expect him to be a wolf who has weathered great storms in Guyuan! You, this dog, may be fierce, but a dog is a dog after all!"

Chen Yue softly said, "Second Master is right!"

Chen Li-zhi looked at the surface of the pond. "Nephew, I didn't call you here today to scare you. I also know that someone who has been to Guyuan won't be frightened by a small scene like this!"

Chen Ji watched the flat-bottomed boats scatter and row away on the water. "Then what is Second Uncle's intention in calling me here?"

Chen Li-zhi rebaited his hook. Looking closely, the bait was actually Chen Yue's recently severed little finger!

He cast the bait into the water. "Are you perhaps wondering why, even though Chen Yue was the one who caused me to lose money and made a mistake, I didn't kill him, but instead killed the other managers who didn't make mistakes?"

Chen Ji hummed, "Indeed, I am puzzled!"

Chen Li-zhi leisurely said, "Excluding the twenty thousand Jinling salt permits he bought from you, Chen Yue caused me to lose seventy thousand taels of silver overnight. It's not a lot, not a little. As the Old Master would say, my Chen family can afford it! Tsk, how come when the Family Head says this, it sounds so imposing, but when I say it, it sounds bland?"

Chen Ji replied with a smile, "Because Second Uncle is talking about seventy thousand taels, while the Family Head is talking about hundreds of thousands of taels!"

Chen Li-zhi nodded, "That makes sense. The loss was too small!"

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Second Uncle still hasn't explained why you killed the other managers but kept Chen Yue? He was clearly the one who made you lose money!"

Chen Li-zhi casually said, "But he was the only one who dared to bite you!"

Chen Ji looked thoughtful.

Chen Li-zhi said lazily, "When a master keeps a dog, wagging its tail isn't enough; it must also be able to bite! It must bite when outsiders come, and when someone climbs into the yard. Isn't the purpose of keeping a dog to help the master bite people? It doesn't matter if it bites the wrong person or misses, but it must dare to bite!"

Chen Li-zhi continued, "Although Chen Yue was foolish and failed to bite you, he was the only one in the salt business who dared to bite you, and that's enough!"

Chen Ji humbly said, "I understand now. Thank you, Second Uncle, for clarifying!"

Chen Li-zhi then added, "But money was lost after all. While he's spared from death, he can't escape punishment. I had to cut off two of his fingers to vent my anger, lest everyone think they can make me lose money without consequence! Also, calling you here tonight was also to apologize to you, nephew. Chen Yue offended you, so tell me, how many of his fingers should be cut off to appease you?"

Chen Ji smiled, "I don't have that deep a grudge against him, Second Uncle, so you don't need to go to such lengths. It's just that your nephew doesn't understand what trick you're playing!"

Chen Li-zhi didn't catch a single fish for a long time. He simply threw the fishing rod into the pond, stood up, and said, "Nephew, you have the heart of a Bodhisattva and the methods of a Vajra. I couldn't have done that at your age. I admire you! Chen Yue, thank my nephew here; your remaining fingers are saved!"

Chen Yue hastily knelt on the ground. First, he kowtowed three times to Chen Li-zhi, then turned and kowtowed three times to Chen Ji!

Chen Li-zhi nudged Chen Yue with his toe. "Scram. This time you're spared from death. Don't embarrass yourself in the capital anymore. Before those border families find you, go to Jinling and manage the few businesses I have there. If those businesses there go wrong again, you can send your own head back to the capital!"

"Thank you, Second Master, for sparing my life!" Chen Yue then loudly kowtowed nine more times, stood up, and hurried away!

Chen Li-zhi also waved his hand at the middle-aged martial artist beside him. "Go far away. I want to talk with my nephew!"

Once the pier was quiet.

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Did Second Uncle invite me here tonight just to help me vent my anger?"

Chen Li-zhi's figure was gaunt, and his cheeks were sunken!

His bulging, fish-like eyes stared intently at Chen Ji. "Nephew, how about we reconcile?"

Chen Ji was taken aback!

Chen Li-zhi clasped his hands behind his back and looked towards the center of the pond. "Tonight, I understand clearly. The one standing behind you is not Chen Li-zun, but someone else! But I don't care who is truly backing you, nor do I care what fortuitous encounters you've had these past few years. I only care about the affairs of my Chen family!"

Chen Ji said nothing, his mind racing, yet filled with various unanswered questions!

What trick was his opponent trying to pull now?

Chen Li-zhi continued, "Nephew, if you want money, I can give it to you right now! If you want an official position, I can buy one for you tomorrow. But regarding the First House's adoption matter, can you please not contest it?"

Chen Ji was confused, "What is Second Uncle trying to do?"

Chen Li-zhi smiled. "The young monk must have told you everything, no need to pretend you don't understand! My father, esteemed as the former Minister of Revenue and head of the Chen family, was murdered by a plot designed by the First House! As his son, if I don't avenge this, I will have lived in vain. Anyone who gets in my way, I will kill! You're not from the First House, so there's no need for you to get involved in this muddy water!"

A lightning bolt seemed to flash through Chen Ji's mind. So that's how it is!

Chen Li-zhi suddenly spoke so candidly today because he thought the young monk had already seen his true intentions through mind-reading, and his secrets were no longer secrets!

What his opponent didn't know was that the young monk never revealed what he saw in people's minds to a third party!

Chen Ji suddenly realized that his uncle Lu Jin's assassination of the Minister of Revenue and subsequent success and fame in the Jing Dynasty was not the end of an inspirational story, but the beginning of a new feud. Chen Li-zhi attributed this entire conspiracy to the First House's bid for power, viewing Grand Secretary Chen and Chen Li-zun as his father's murderers!

Chen Ji asked skeptically, "Wasn't this carried out by Jing Dynasty spies?"

Chen Li-zhi said gravely, "My father had a Dao-seeking Realm official accompanying him, named Ning Ji! But when I heard the terrible news and went to examine the ambush site, I didn't see the official's body. That official's whereabouts remain unknown to this day! This official was clearly an inside agent planted by the First House beside my father!"

Chen Ji sighed inwardly. What a mess this all was! He still had many things to do, yet he was now dragged into the chaotic feuds of a powerful family!

Chen Li-zhi gazed at Chen Ji. "Chen Ji, I am a true villain, but that father and son in the First House are hypocrites. You'd be better off trusting me than them! Tonight, just name your terms. I will agree to everything I can. Take what you want and leave the capital. You can go wherever you wish! Your father, Chen Li-qin, is a clever man. This month, he already spent ten thousand taels of silver with Zhang Zhuo to secure a transfer as the Jinling Assistant Prefect. I also put in a good word for him, and the Ministry of Personnel's official document should be issued tomorrow! So why don't you go to Jinling with him? It's a prosperous place. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a powerful and wealthy gentleman there?"

The terms Chen Li-zhi offered were very tempting. If this were when Chen Ji first arrived in this world, he would certainly have accepted!

But not now. What he wanted, Chen Li-zhi couldn't help him with!

Chen Ji spoke calmly, "Second Uncle, you've misunderstood. I have no intention of getting involved in the feud between you and the First House, nor will I reveal your secrets to them! You do your business, I'll do mine. We won't interfere with each other!"

Chen Li-zhi stared silently at Chen Ji, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes!

Chen Ji said calmly, "Second Uncle, at this critical juncture, if you kill me, everyone in the world will know it was your doing. If you have patience, why not wait a bit longer?"

Chen Li-zhi was silent for a moment. He looked at Chen Ji, then at Sima Cao-gui in the distance, and suddenly burst into laughter!

He patted Chen Ji's shoulder. "Nephew, what nonsense are you saying? We're family; why would I kill you? Go back and rest early. You still have to report for duty tomorrow!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands in a bow to Chen Li-zhi. "Second Uncle, you should also rest early. Your nephew will take his leave!"

He walked back towards the shore. As he boarded the carriage, he looked back, and saw Chen Li-zhi still standing at the very end of the wooden pier, gazing at him with profound meaning!