The sun was just rising, and Chen Ji walked through the morning mist.

He stepped carefully, sometimes closer, sometimes further, to avoid the corpses on the ground. Sometimes he also had to dodge the mud mixed with blood and loess. Later, he stopped trying to avoid them, as there were too many bloodstains to evade.

The night was merciful; it hid the blood and corpses in unseen places. Only when dawn broke could one truly see the brutality of the war.

On the dirt road, border soldiers threaded their way through the corpses. They piled the bodies of common folk, border soldiers, and Tiance soldiers onto flat carts and pulled them away.

As bodies were piled high on the carts, arms, legs, and heads hung limply, devoid of life and dignity.

An old border soldier spotted a pair of suitable boots. He immediately sat beside a corpse, grinning, and peeled off the boots, then neatly slipped them onto his own feet.

The old soldier exclaimed in delight, “They fit! These Jing Dynasty scoundrels are quite generous, bringing boots all the way here… Comfortable!”

Someone laughed and cursed, “Aren’t you going to wash them first, you bastard?”

The old border soldier grumbled, “If I wash them and hang them outside the tent, some bastard will snatch them again. Back in the 25th year of Jianing, I finally got a pair of boots from Quwu Mountain, but before they were even dry after washing, that damn Old Yao put them on…”

As he spoke, the old border soldier suddenly remembered that Old Yao was no longer alive, having just been taken away on another cart.

In the silence, someone patted his shoulder and said, “Find another pair of boots and burn them for Old Yao.”

The old border soldier finished putting on his boots, patted his backside, and stood up. He grinned and said, “Bullshit! What’s a dead man going to do with good boots? If I find another good pair, I’ll hide them and rotate them!”

It was a smile more painful than a cry.

Instead of returning to rejoin the others, Chen Ji went to where the innkeeper of Dragon Gate Inn had died. The innkeeper was still slumped there, in the same position as when he died.

After a moment’s thought, he hoisted the innkeeper’s body onto his back and walked towards the inn.

Along the way, some surviving common folk from Guyuan came rushing, brushing past him.

Some stood blankly in front of their burned-down houses, while others threw themselves onto corpses, wailing inconsolably.

Chen Ji walked silently past them, feeling as if everything was over, yet somehow not over. War leaves scars on everyone, whether on the body or in the heart.

Arriving at the Dragon Gate Inn, Chen Ji called loudly inside, “Is anyone here?”

No one answered.

Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu, and the others were nowhere to be found.

Chen Ji remained silent for a long time, then gently set the innkeeper down, leaning him against the right doorframe. He himself leaned against the other side, gazing blankly at the desolate Kucha Street.

He murmured, “In the winter of the 14th year of Jianing, General Wentao was framed by the Chen and Xu families, then executed by slow slicing. Afterwards, his subordinate, Third Master Hu, and his sworn sister, to avenge him, killed the original innkeeper and staff of the Dragon Gate Inn overnight, hanging them from the twelve honorary archways, right?”

The innkeeper’s eyes were closed; he could never answer Chen Ji’s questions now. But Chen Ji didn’t know who else he could ask.

He continued to speculate to himself, “Years later, Third Master Hu and the others discovered that the real culprits weren’t the innkeepers and staff, so they resigned from their posts and secretly went to the capital for revenge. General Wentao’s sworn sister feigned marriage into the Chen family, then set a trap, killing the Chen family’s Minister of Revenue and taking his head back to the Jing Dynasty… right?”

Still, no one answered.

Chen Ji sighed. All of this was just his speculation, and only this hypothesis could make many things make sense… But even so, many things still didn’t add up.

Should he investigate?

Chen Ji didn’t want to investigate.

What did an old injustice from years ago have to do with him? He only needed to rescue the princess, then take her far away from the Jing Dynasty or set sail on the sea; the rest was none of his concern.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ji came back to his senses. He went up to the third floor and retrieved their luggage.

He took a clean change of clothes from his luggage and went to the backyard. He took off his tattered clothes and stood before the water vat in the courtyard, pouring ladle after ladle of cold water over his head.

The dirt and bloodstains on his body and in his hair were washed away by the icy cold water.

Not until this moment did Chen Ji feel alive again.

Just then, the sound of loose roof tiles came from a distance.

He grabbed his clothes and quickly slipped into the stable, dressing swiftly. When he emerged, he saw Jiao Tu, dressed in black, leaning against the eaves of the second floor of the Dragon Gate Inn, her calves dangling slightly outside the eaves.

Yun Yang stood beside her, hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression indifferent.

Seeing Chen Ji emerge, Jiao Tu covered her mouth and chuckled, “Why are you so stingy, my lord, not letting anyone see your body? You heard us coming and immediately hid in the stable.”

Yun Yang said coldly, “What’s there to see?”

As Chen Ji fastened his belt, he said casually, “What brings you two here?”

Jiao Tu sat upright and said meaningfully, “Naturally, we’re here to ask if there are any merits you can share with us, to help us regain our Zodiac positions sooner. Have you forgotten what you promised, my lord?”

Chen Ji finished fastening his belt, and leaned against the stable, alert, but said casually, “Wasn’t something as important as Guyuan entrusted to you two? That shows Minister Nei trusts you both. Regaining your Zodiac positions is only a matter of time.”

Jiao Tu said indifferently, “That Mr. Feng, who suddenly appeared, is gaining great momentum. He lay low in the Liu family for seven years, and now he’s here in Guyuan to oversee things. He might even replace us and become the new Zodiac when he returns to the capital.”

Chen Ji felt a flicker of doubt. Jiao Tu and Yun Yang didn’t seem to know that Mr. Feng was White Dragon.

He said calmly, “Why don’t you two secretly kill him on your way back to the capital? That way, he won’t be able to replace you.”

Jiao Tu, with her slender, fair fingers, twirled a strand of her hair, and said with a smile, “Minister Chen, you have ill intentions, trying to trick us into our deaths? That Mr. Feng is unfathomable; we won’t fall for it.”

Chen Ji spread his hands. “I was just making a suggestion… But you two lords don’t need to worry about Mr. Feng; perhaps he doesn’t even care for a regular Zodiac position?”

Jiao Tu was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Chen Ji said casually, “Isn’t it rumored that Lord Sick Tiger is retiring? Perhaps Mr. Feng is returning to the capital to take his position?”

Jiao Tu and Yun Yang instinctively exchanged glances. Both felt that what Chen Ji said was more plausible.

Yun Yang whispered, “Don’t waste time with this kid. He’s cunning; who knows what his intentions are in saying these things? Let’s get to the point.”

Jiao Tu became serious and said, “Minister Chen, we’ve come here today simply to clear up any misunderstandings between us. If we’ve offended you in the past, we hope you, as a magnanimous person, will overlook our minor offenses.”

After speaking, she stood up and performed a deep bow on the eaves. She turned to see Yun Yang hadn’t moved, and immediately tugged at his sleeve. Only then did Yun Yang reluctantly make a bow.

Chen Ji didn’t answer, unsure of their true intentions.

Jiao Tu continued, “My lord is returning to the capital soon, but you might not yet know the dangers of the city. As your subordinates, we naturally ought to inform you… Would you like to hear it, my lord?”

Chen Ji said casually, “Lord Jiao Tu has had a change of heart and is starting to do good deeds? Then I’ll listen.”

Jiao Tu shook her head. “I won’t just tell you for nothing. How does Minister Chen plan to repay me?”

Chen Ji asked, “What does Lord Jiao Tu want?”

Jiao Tu said with a playful smile, “If Minister Chen takes off his clothes for me to see, then I’ll tell him.”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow, but then heard Yun Yang say angrily, “What’s there to see?”

Jiao Tu laughed, shaking uncontrollably. “What are you to me, why are you so anxious? Among colleagues, Lord Yun Yang is too meddlesome!”

Yun Yang tried to speak but stopped himself, ultimately saying nothing.

Chen Ji looked at Jiao Tu, then at Yun Yang. “If Lord Jiao Tu wishes to provoke Lord Yun Yang using me, there’s no need.”

Jiao Tu scoffed. “What’s the point of provoking him? It’s boring!”

She sat back on the eaves, her expression becoming indifferent. “While the Directorate of Ceremonies is a nest of vipers, and back-and-forth scheming is common, there are two people you absolutely cannot provoke: one is Shan Niu, and the other is Wu Xiu.”

Chen Ji: “Oh?”

Jiao Tu lazily looked at her nails, and said slowly, “Shan Niu guards Minister Nei in the Jie Fan Tower, keeping to himself. Provoking him is provoking Minister Nei, and you naturally won’t have a good outcome.”

Chen Ji nodded. “What about Wu Xiu?”

Jiao Tu narrowed her eyes slightly. “Wu Xiu is the Director of Ceremonies’ chief eunuch, currently favored by the Emperor and serving by His Majesty’s side. He is insidious and malicious, eager to get rid of people like us. He just took control of the Jie Fan Guards from Minister Nei. Minister Chen, you must be careful not to let any weakness fall into his hands.”

Chen Ji said nonchalantly, “Is Lord Jiao Tu genuinely being kind by reminding me?”

Yun Yang was about to speak, but Jiao Tu glared at him, and Yun Yang closed his mouth again.

She smiled and said to Chen Ji, “The reason I’m telling you this today is simply to let Minister Chen know that not only do we need you, but you also need us. Minister Chen, the capital is dangerous; we should help each other. Please, don’t forget our agreement.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, “I wouldn’t dare forget.”

Jiao Tu said with a smile, “That’s good. Once back in the capital, Yun Yang and I will await your orders, my lord. We will be waiting for your esteemed presence at the Directorate of Ceremonies’ yamen.”

Just then, a rustling sound came from inside the stable.

Chen Ji turned around, and was startled to see Xiao Wu peeking his head out of a secret passage, with some straw stuck to his hair.

Xiao Wu saw Chen Ji and asked curiously, “Guest… what are you doing here?”

Chen Ji looked back at the eaves. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu were already gone.