On the bluestone road in Yichuan County, an ox cart ambled slowly ahead, followed leisurely by six scholars carrying their luggage. They chatted and laughed, discussing tomorrow’s literary gathering and various classical texts, just like true scholars.

At one point, Chen Ji began to feel a bit paranoid himself. Sitting in the ox cart, he suddenly turned to Chen Wenzong and whispered, “Brother, what are they discussing?”

Chen Wenzong, slightly flattered, quickly replied, “They’re discussing the current affairs section of this year’s autumn imperial examination. The topic is ‘How to View Border Town Trade,’ and I discussed it from three perspectives at the time.”

Chen Ji didn’t continue listening, only thinking that he might indeed be overly suspicious. How could assassins understand such things?

However, just before leaving the city, he suddenly called out, “Stop the cart.” Prince Jing, wearing a straw hat, pulled the reins and brought the ox cart to a halt.

Chen Ji jumped down, saying, “Everyone, please wait for me for a moment.”

Bai Li asked curiously, “Did you forget something at the inn? I’ll come with you to get it.”

But Chen Ji smiled and said, “We’re just passing a steamed bun shop, and I thought I’d treat everyone. How many would you like?”

The Crown Prince thought for a moment: “Four.”

Bai Li smiled: “Two.”

Chen Wenxiao stubbornly replied, “I’m not hungry. If I want to eat, I can buy it myself.”

After asking everyone, Chen Ji jogged to a steamed bun shop and called out, “Shopkeeper, nineteen savory meat buns, please. And wrap them in yellow paper for me.”

Hearing of the large order, the shopkeeper quickly opened the steamer basket and began selecting buns. While pretending to buy buns, Chen Ji discreetly watched the scholars from the corner of his eye. He saw that instead of continuing forward, the scholars paused briefly, then also started walking towards the bun shop.

One of them smiled and said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, fifteen savory meat buns, please.”

Chen Ji’s heart sank. These people were indeed coming for them. The mere act of stopping to buy buns might not mean much, but the person buying them didn’t ask anyone else how many they wanted; he just ordered fifteen, which didn’t make sense. Furthermore, the person buying the buns didn’t even mention how the payment would be made!

Chen Ji returned to the cart with his usual composure and distributed the buns to everyone.

The ox cart headed west, out of the county town. A dirt official road wound through the forest. The leaves had already fallen, leaving the branches bare. A thick carpet of decaying leaves covered the ground, and signs of human habitation gradually disappeared.

Sitting in the cart, Chen Ji quietly turned his head to look at the road ahead. What exactly were these people here for? Were they there to track down the peeper from last night and silence them, or were they there to protect Prince Jing?

Chen Ji pondered for a moment and concluded it was likely the latter. After all, the trouble from last night had passed. If that mysterious figure with the black jade truly wanted to eliminate witnesses, they would have acted yesterday. Why wait until today? Moreover, with the Crown Prince, Bai Li, and Master Wang in the cart, how could Prince Jing allow anyone to be silenced? With this thought, his heart settled slightly.

At this point, the ox cart followed the official road deeper into the mountains. Master Wang held a scroll and lectured from the cart. He calmly asked, “‘The University of Ribs’ states, ‘The extension of knowledge consists in the investigation of things; when things are investigated, knowledge is extended.’ Here, what is the meaning of ‘investigating things and extending knowledge’?”

Chen Wenzong thought for a moment and said, “Zhu Xi said that ‘investigating things and extending knowledge’ means to exhaust the principles of Heaven, clarify human relations, explain the words of the sages, and comprehend worldly affairs.”

Master Wang leaned casually against the ox cart and smiled, “That’s what Zhu Xi said. Now I want you to tell me, what is ‘investigating things and extending knowledge’?”

Chen Wenzong was stumped. Just as he was pondering his answer, a cat’s meow echoed from the forest. Chen Ji’s eyes widened. He turned to Prince Jing’s back and said, “Please, stop the cart.”

Chen Wenxiao impatiently asked, “What are you doing now? Why are you always causing so much trouble?”

Chen Ji jumped off, clutching his stomach. “Excuse me, I have a stomachache. I need to relieve myself.”

With that, he ran into the forest, trampling on the fallen leaves, running several hundred steps before slowly stopping. He then whispered, “Wuyun?”

He saw Wuyun, carrying a blue cloth pouch, perched on a treetop.

Chen Ji exclaimed in surprise, “Why are you here?”

Wuyun lowered its head, bit open the knot of the cloth pouch, and with a clatter, a wooden box slid out of the bundle. Perched on the branch, it said, “Master casually cast a divination last night. He said you might be in danger, so he sent me to wait for you on this official road overnight, and also brought the fifteen ginseng roots you had hidden.”

Chen Ji’s pupils constricted. These fifteen ginseng roots were a gift from Golden Pig. Chen Ji had been wary of Golden Pig’s gambling-like cultivation method and thus hadn’t had the chance to use them. Now, Old Man Yao had not only sent Wuyun overnight to warn him but had also brought these fifteen ginseng roots along. This time, it was very dangerous.

Chen Ji looked around the forest. “Did Master himself come?”

Wuyun meowed, “Master said if you asked about this, I should tell you on his behalf, ‘It’s none of his business.'”

Chen Ji: “…”

Master truly was still the kind of master who kept himself out of other people’s affairs.

Chen Ji then asked, “Did Master say whether these fifteen ginseng roots would be enough to deal with this danger?”

Wuyun meowed, “I asked about that. Master said, ‘It’s a stretch.'”

Chen Ji: “…”

He stood in the forest, closing his eyes to ponder where the danger originated and how to respond. After much thought, he realized the danger could only come from that mysterious important figure from last night. If such a person were to make a move, how could he, a mere apprentice who hadn’t even entered the Xiantian realm, protect himself?

The next moment, he opened his eyes, picked up the wooden box from the ground, and opened it.