The Talking Elbow:

“First drum, battle meal made. Second drum, battle robes tightened. Third drum, swords drawn from scabbards. Fourth drum, engage the foe. Advance or retreat, all must heed commands; disobey, and a blade you’ll meet. All troops, return to camp with your lord!”

Chen Ji looked up and saw that back in a brown, lapel-collared robe, humming a tune as he ascended the river embankment step by step, disappearing behind a row of willows.

The man had come and gone in a rush, like a famous actor on a stage who, having played out his moment of glory, retreats into the darkness beyond the limelight. This time, Chen Ji was ready to use the furnace fire within him to forcefully resist the dream realm, even preparing to try to pull Meng Ji back into Xuanyuan. If his plans were exposed, he might be thrown into the inner prison. If he could secure a chance for exile, he would diligently cultivate the Path of the Sword Seed in the place of banishment. When he returned to the Central Plains, he would slay all those treacherous scoundrels with a single sword stroke.

Of course, he might not even secure a chance for exile. In that case, he would invent some small things to earn leniency. Chen Ji had considered many possibilities before entering the dream, but he hadn’t considered that Meng Ji would go easy on him. Chen Ji sensed no hostility from Meng Ji; he only felt a hint of envy when Meng Ji looked at him. Recalling Meng Ji’s words about “being favored by that lord,” Chen Ji suddenly realized: someone had instructed Meng Ji not to interrogate him. Who?

Who had the authority to instruct Meng Ji?

An answer formed in Chen Ji’s mind.

At that moment, Jin Zhu interrupted his thoughts, bowing sincerely with cupped hands. “Brother, there have been many misunderstandings in the past; I hope you’ll be forgiving. I said that as long as you could prove your innocence, I would certainly find a way to compensate you. From now on, whenever you need my help, you only need to speak the word, and I will not refuse.”

As he spoke, he eagerly reached to grasp Chen Ji’s right hand. But Chen Ji calmly took a step back. “Sir, I request to resign from my position in the Secret Service.” Jin Zhu quickly stepped forward with a smile. “Why suddenly resign from the Secret Service? Our Secret Service salary is twice that of other officials of the same rank.” Chen Ji shook his head. “What good is money if one’s life is gone?”

Jin Zhu immediately changed his approach. “With this matter settled, I will personally report your merits to the Internal Minister, and I will certainly secure a cultivation path for you. If you can break through to the Xundao Realm before the age of thirty-six, living a hundred years will be effortless.”

Chen Ji took a second step back. “Sir, you promised me a cultivation path before, but I risked my life and still saw no trace of it. The powerful figures in our Secret Service change their minds faster than flipping a book; I cannot endure it.”

Jin Zhu pressed forward again. “Once you become a Shengxiao and hold a fifth-rank official position in our Ning Dynasty, the common techniques of petty cultivation paths will be useless to you. Look at Zhang Guor; ordinary people fear him, but the impure creatures he keeps cannot even come close to me.”

Chen Ji was about to take a third step back, but Jin Zhu quickly grabbed him. “Don’t step back, don’t step back! This time, even if I have to kneel indefinitely before the Jiefan Tower, I will kneel to get you a cultivation path.”

Chen Ji was silent for a long time.

At this moment, Jin Zhu’s attitude had completely reversed; he no longer uttered threats.

Jin Zhu asked in a solemn voice, “Is it a deal? I’ll get you a cultivation path, and all past grievances will be wiped clean.” Chen Ji looked up. “Deal.”

In that instant, the world seemed to fall silent for a moment, even the soaring firelight in the distance paused.

Jin Zhu let out a long sigh of relief, and the muscles in his face seemed to lighten considerably.

For some reason, Chen Ji suddenly felt that Jin Zhu experienced a sense of liberation, as if he had finally resolved a major life matter.

Jin Zhu cheerfully patted Chen Ji’s shoulder. “From now on, your life is more valuable than mine. Don’t worry, anyone who troubles you is troubling me.”

As he spoke, he remarked with some emotion, “Brother, don’t blame my caution. It’s just that I can’t afford to lose anymore.”

Chen Ji was puzzled. “Sir, what do you mean?”

Jin Zhu gave a mysterious smile. “You’ll understand later.”

The sky had already brightened.

Chen Ji saw more people gradually appearing on the river embankment, neighbors carrying buckets full of water, rushing towards the sea of fire. But the fire was already too powerful; the surging fire dragon would not rest until it had burned down the entire district. Jin Zhu stood by the river, sighing, “Many common people have suffered again this time. It was not my wish.” Chen Ji glanced at him pointedly. “Sir, if not for the conflict between the Secret Service and the Liu family, there would not have been this great fire.” Jin Zhu thought for a moment and replied, “Chen Ji, let me ask you: a single fire will harm hundreds of households, but if the Liu family is not removed, if they are allowed to continue occupying Yuzhou, annexing land and concealing land reports, how many households will suffer?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “Sir, you don’t need to tell me these things. I don’t intend to understand such grand principles.”

“As you wish!”

Jin Zhu turned to look at the heart of the river, where Tianma stood in white robes on a covered boat, and a thin layer of mist was rising from the water. Tianma stood within it, like a quiet, banished immortal.

Jin Zhu spoke loudly, “Don’t mind me; go apprehend Liu Mingxian.”

But Tianma silently made a few hand gestures at the bow of the boat, and Jin Zhu replied with a few hand gestures of his own. Then, the dark boat slowly turned around and sailed into the thickening mist.

Everything was very quiet.

“Lord Jin Zhu, Lord Tianma…” Chen Ji looked at Jin Zhu in surprise.

Jin Zhu watched Tianma’s receding figure and said softly, “He can hear, but he’s suffered from aphasia since childhood and cannot speak. The Internal Minister invited imperial physicians to diagnose him in turns. Herbal medicines were tried, acupuncture was tried, but none could cure him.” Chen Ji asked, “Did my master treat him?”

“Physician Yao also treated Tianma,” Jin Zhu said, “but after just one look, Physician Yao didn’t even check his pulse; he turned and left. When I asked what was wrong, Physician Yao said that Tianma’s mouth was fine, but he couldn’t speak because of a ‘heart illness’.”

“Heart illness?”

Jin Zhu chuckled self-mockingly. “Heh, our Secret Service has many people who are physically or mentally flawed.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “What do you lack, Lord Jin Zhu?”

Jin Zhu looked at his empty wrists and sighed mournfully. “I’m very short on money right now.”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Sir, has Liu Mingxian been captured?”

“No, the Liu family’s retainers and Elephant Armored Guards risked their lives to protect him, and he escaped.”

“This is a good opportunity.”

Jin Zhu sneered towards Peony Bridge. “He won’t escape. This time, our Secret Service will turn Luocheng upside down to find him. For years, Liu Mingxian has been in charge of the Liu family; once he’s caught, the Liu family is finished…”

On the official road in Luocheng, a carriage sped along, the wind whipping back the curtains, and the wooden wheels clattered over the stone slabs. Liu Mingxian pulled back the curtain; his face was pale, and he urgently pressed, “Quick, back to the Liu family mansion! Send people to Yan Shi Camp to bring all the Elephant Armored Guards, lest the Jiefan Guards surround the mansion.”

The driver did not obey him, and the carriage did not head south.

Liu Mingxian asked sharply, “This isn’t the way back to the Liu family mansion. Where are you taking me?” The driver calmly replied, “Second Master, the Master had previously instructed that if your affairs were exposed, I was to take you directly to the ancestral mausoleum to meet him. He should be waiting for you there now.”

Liu Mingxian sighed in relief. “So it was Father’s arrangement. It’s good that Father is there.”

He slumped back into the carriage, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples. For eight years in power, he had been like an emperor in Yuzhou. He thought he could handle things independently, but in the end, he still had to ask his father to emerge from retirement.

The carriage wound its way up Luocheng’s Beiman Mountain.

When Liu Mingxian arrived at the ancestral mausoleum, a forest of stone tablets, Liu Gun was quietly kneeling before the tomb of the old Liu family patriarch, dressed in white hemp mourning clothes and wearing a mourning hat, burning a stack of joss paper. Liu Mingxian hastily said, “Father.”

Liu Gun said softly, “You come and kneel too, burn some paper money for your grandfather.” His calm voice seemed to possess a soothing power.

Liu Mingxian reluctantly knelt beside him, took a stack of joss paper from a guard, and tossed it all into the brazier at once. Liu Gun slowly said, “When you were young, your grandfather doted on you the most. Even if you wanted the stars from the sky, he’d probably find a way to get one for you.” Liu Mingxian’s expression froze. Liu Gun continued, “I told you to go to the capital to become an official and see the world, but your grandfather couldn’t bear for you to suffer injustice in the capital, so he insisted on keeping you by his side, where you served as Yuzhou’s judicial commissioner for eight years. Do you know where you lost? Both you and your aunt lost because of your limited vision.” Grand Secretary Liu looked up at the vast Beiman Mountain in the thin mist and sighed. “Your aunt’s world was only the tiny imperial harem within the Forbidden City. Your world is only this one province of Yuzhou. How could you possibly win?”

“Come, let’s play a game of Go. It seems we haven’t played in a long time, you and I.” Grand Secretary Liu slowly stood up, dusting the ash from his knees. A servant spread a straw mat, brought a low table, and laid out the Go pieces.

Grand Secretary Liu knelt on the mat and placed his first stone, opening with a small knight’s move to secure a corner. In just thirty-two moves, he forced Liu Mingxian into deep thought, unsure how to play. The more he looked, the more his white pieces resembled the Liu family’s predicament: attacked from left and right, ambushed on all sides.

On Beiman Mountain, the sound of war drums seemed to echo, or perhaps someone had suddenly plucked a pipa string, revealing murderous intent.

“Hesitating?” Grand Secretary Liu sighed.

Liu Mingxian gritted his teeth. “Father, my pieces have no way to live.”

Grand Secretary Liu pointed to the ‘Hu’ position on the board. “Play here. Sacrifice the small for the large, and you might still struggle a bit.”

Liu Mingxian looked up suddenly. “Father!”

The next moment, his neck was suddenly strangled from behind, choking him. Liu Mingxian struggled, kicking over the Go board, unable to utter a single word. His face turned purple, his eyes like those of a dead fish, staring straight at Grand Secretary Liu, as if asking why. Grand Secretary Liu picked up the fallen Go pieces one by one, returning them to the basket, and sighed, “Ah Xian, the person who wanted to protect you most has been killed by your own hands.” With that, he stood, removed his hemp mourning clothes and hat, and strode down the mountain with powerful steps. “Give his body to Jin Zhu, and say that this rebellious son, dedicated to eradicating the traitors of the Jing Dynasty, nearly caused a great disaster, and then committed suicide at home out of fear of punishment.”

“Master, the Secret Service won’t believe that.”

Grand Secretary Liu did not turn his head. “Whether they believe it or not, it’s not important.”

In his dying moments, Liu Mingxian saw one gray-clad assassin after another from Yan Shi Camp emerge from the stone tablet forest, silently following his father down the mountain.