The once bustling Guizi Street was devoid of life. Only the wind drifted from afar, carrying the scent of ash and rolling colorful silk scarves across the ground. The singing girls and dancers had long since fled, their whereabouts unknown.

War was as cruel as a cold wind. Wherever it swept, leaves abandoned their branches and grasslands withered yellow. For thousands of miles, everything lay desolate.

Chen Ji held his whale-bone saber, his eyes cautiously surveying his surroundings, his ears catching every sound from the street.

Qi Zhenzhuo quickly took two steps, leaned closer to Chen Ji, and whispered, “Chen Ji, it was my petty thoughts that caused trouble in the past. I hope you, being a magnanimous person, won’t hold it against me.”

Chen Ji glanced at him in surprise but did not respond.

Qi Zhenzhuo hesitated for a moment. “Chen Ji, can you teach me combat skills?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “No.”

Qi Zhenzhuo shamelessly persisted, “Don’t worry, when we work for the Crown Prince in the future, if you point east, I’ll never go west; if you point west, I’ll never go east. I can even become your disciple!”

Chen Ji frowned. “The Imperial Guards have instructors. Why would you need to be my disciple?”

Qi Zhenzhuo sighed. “Most Imperial Guard instructors teach flashy moves that look good for inspections. They’re useless in real combat.”

Xiao Man, cradling Wuyun, trotted up. “How can you be so shameless? My young master already said no. You even disliked my young master before. Don’t tell me you’re cooking up another scheme!”

Qi Zhenzhuo opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. To his surprise, the Crown Prince spoke up in support, “Deputy Envoy Qi’s words are quite true. If we can return to the capital alive, the five thousand Imperial Guards before the throne should indeed get new instructors. I think the Right Commander would be very suitable.”

Chen Ji interrupted, “Your Highness, this is not the time for such talk. Follow me.”

With that, he turned towards Taohuai Ward, the place where he had previously shaken off the archer.

Seeing the direction Chen Ji was heading, Chen Liqin quickly took two steps to catch up. “Chen Ji, we saw clearly from the rooftops just now. That direction is full of Jing Dynasty rebels burning, killing, and looting. It’s not that I don’t trust you; I’m just worried you weren’t on the roof and don’t know what’s happening outside.”

Chen Ji did not reply. He simply continued on his way.

By now, there was no safe place left in Guyuan City. The Jing Dynasty cavalry would sooner or later sweep through every corner. Fleeing to areas not yet taken by the Tiance Army? They would still meet their demise.

Their only chance of survival now was to hide in the cellar of the grain and oil shop. But he had no time to argue. Those who trusted him could follow; those who didn’t would not be forced.

Seeing Chen Ji walk further and further away, with even the Crown Prince silently following him, Chen Liqin hesitated for a moment but eventually followed.

Chen Ji led everyone cautiously through the narrow alleys, finally stopping behind a mud house.

This was a gap at the boundary where the Tiance Army and the Border Army clashed. They fought back and forth, and the shouts of battle were almost upon them.

Everyone felt uneasy hearing the battle cries, but they didn’t know why Chen Ji had stopped in such a dangerous place.

Chen Ji merely glanced silently at the sky. The last rays of the setting sun were fading away, the orange-red glow like a thin veil covering Guyuan City, slowly being pulled away.

Just one stick of incense.

In the time it takes for another stick of incense to burn, the sky would be completely dark.

Chen Ji leaned against the mud wall, listening to the battle cries, and slowly closed his eyes. Exhaustion, like a rising tide, slowly engulfed his heart.

Zhang Xia leaned against the mud wall beside him, turning her head to look at the weariness on his face. Then she quietly turned her head back to the sky and said, “If only I were an Xingofficial too. It’s a pity my uncle clearly possesses the method to becoming an Xingofficial, but he won’t teach it to me.”

Chen Ji replied with his eyes still closed, “It’s likely that the Xingofficial method your uncle possesses isn’t unique, so he worries that other Xingofficials with the same method might discover and assassinate you. Being an Xingofficial isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Zhang Xia lowered her head and sighed, “But if I were an Xingofficial, today… today I would have been able to protect myself and wouldn’t be in such a desperate state. If I survive this, I will find the Xingofficial method myself, whether by buying it or trading for it. Either way, I’ll find an opportunity to become an Xingofficial.”

Chen Ji hummed in acknowledgement.

Xiao Man, cradling Wuyun, kindly reminded her, “Miss Zhang, there are indeed Xingofficial methods for sale in Panjiayuan in the capital. However, those methods only allow cultivation up to the Xiantian realm.”

Zhang Xia was silent for a moment. “Being able to cultivate to the Xiantian realm would be good enough.”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred. He, in fact, possessed an Xingofficial method with an extremely high potential.

While he was pondering, the sky gradually grew dim.

Chen Ji immediately gave Wuyun a look. Wuyun stepped on Xiao Man’s head, lightly leaped onto the rooftop, then slipped into the direction of Taohuai Ward.

Chen Ji followed closely behind, listening to Wuyun’s guidance to find his way.

“Meow!”

The next moment, Chen Ji suddenly stopped at an alley entrance, his right hand forming a fist. Everyone behind him stopped, not daring to breathe loudly, for fear of inadvertently revealing their presence.

After a long while, hurried footsteps approached.

Everyone secretly peered out of the alley and saw Li Xuan carrying a seven or eight-year-old girl on his back. Behind him, six other fleeing commoners were scrambling desperately.

Behind them, the thunder of the Tiance Army’s horses grew increasingly urgent.

As they passed the alley entrance, Li Xuan inadvertently turned his head and was startled to see Chen Ji standing calmly in the shadow of the eaves, watching him.

Li Xuan was about to open his mouth to ask for help, but then he saw Chen Ji’s indifferent gaze, a look of detachment and warning.

He hesitated for a moment, then swallowed the words he was about to say, pretending he had never seen anyone in the alley.

Behind him, a woman stumbled and fell to the ground while fleeing. The girl on Li Xuan’s back cried out, “Mom! Uncle, save my mom!”

Li Xuan wanted to turn back and help the woman up, but when he looked back, he saw the Tiance Army cavalry charging rapidly on horseback.

The woman, lying on the ground, waved her hand, urgently urging, “Go quickly, brave man, don’t mind me, I can’t run anymore! Please, take Nannan and go!”

Li Xuan gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. He eventually steeled his heart and turned away.

Qi Zhenzhuo was about to call out “Brother-in-law,” but just as his mouth opened, Xiao Man, as if knowing beforehand, had already come to his side and covered his mouth.

A whistling arrow flew over their heads, slicing through the air with a sharp sound, as the Tiance Army swept past with a roar.

On the saddle of every Tiance Army cavalryman hung a rope strung with right ears, all bloody trophies of war.

The woman who had just fallen was barely getting up when she was immediately knocked down again by a passing Tiance Army cavalryman. The cavalrymen behind him trampled over her one by one, nearly crushing her into pulp.

Chen Wenzong watched, his eyes nearly bursting from their sockets. But Chen Ji, at some unknown moment, had come to his side, covering his mouth with one hand and tightly holding his body with the other.

He turned to look at Chen Ji, his eyes filled with despair and helplessness.

Chen Ji did not look at him. He simply waited quietly for the sound of hooves to fade into the distance.

After an unknown period, he slowly released Chen Wenzong. His gaze slowly swept across each person’s face.

Everyone was immersed in the despair they had just witnessed up close, unable to recover. Chen Wenzong gazed at Chen Ji but said nothing.

Standing in the shadows, Chen Ji said softly, “Brother, you don’t need to look at me like that. I was never a good person to begin with. I don’t care what you want to do, but don’t implicate others.”

Qi Zhenzhuo’s mind was in turmoil. “But my brother-in-law…”

Xiao Man sneered, “Aren’t you an Xingofficial too? If you want to save him, go save him yourself. Who’s stopping you?”

Qi Zhenzhuo was speechless for a moment. He finally spoke in a disjointed, despondent manner, “I… I don’t dare. My skills are lacking, I’m scared, I’m worthless…”

Zhang Zheng sighed. “I originally wanted to scold you, but on second thought, if it were me, I wouldn’t dare go either. You and I are just ordinary people.”

Xiao Man added from the side, “But don’t expect my young master to go rescue him. My young master doesn’t owe anyone anything… Huh, where’s my young master?”

Everyone suddenly looked up. Chen Ji was nowhere to be seen in the cellar.