Chapter 673
Taking the Sword
When Chen Ji emerged from the stern, the boatmen had already gathered on the deck to play dice. But they weren't betting on money; they were betting on whether they would be able to disembark and see the world at Jingcheng Port, or lose and have to stay on the ship and live a hard life.
Old Ears didn't gamble; he stood alone on the ship's railing, his arm resting on the railing as he silently watched the sea. A peach branch held his gray hair in place, the strands swaying in the wind.
Chen Ji walked up to him: "You like to look at the sea?"
Old Ears continued to gaze at the sea: "If you don't know how to start a conversation, don't force it. Just spit it out."
Chen Ji coughed and said, "I'd like to exchange a secret for some information."
Old Ears turned his head and looked at him with great interest: "Whose secret?"
Chen Ji considered for a moment: "The Xu family of the capital."
The old man turned his head again: "I'm not very interested in the Xu family. I know everything you need to know. If you want to exchange information in the future, you'll have to offer your own affairs."
Chen Ji frowned: "My own?"
“Tell me about your relationship with your master, or about your relationship with Miss Zhang, or even better, about your relationship with that gangster…” Old Ears gestured with his chin toward the stern: “Why don’t you start by telling me how you got involved with the owner of the Lanterns?”
Chen Ji remained calm: "Why do you want to hear this?"
Old Ears looked at the sea and said slowly, "Nonsense is certainly novel, but stories of kindness and righteousness are the ones you never tire of hearing."
"why?"
Old Ears said matter-of-factly, "Because when I hear about those acts of kindness and righteousness, I fantasize that such things could happen to me. I fantasize that someone would go through fire and water for me, that someone would dedicate their entire life to me if I entrusted them with their orphan. Of course, sometimes I also think that if I could be that kind of person, it would be quite satisfying, even if I only accomplished one thing in my whole life, it would be worth it."
Before Chen Ji could speak, Old Ears chuckled and looked at him: "But most people in this world forget all about chivalry and loyalty when it comes to real matters. Alright, tell me about you and that owner of the Lighthouse."
Chen Ji only told what the outside world knew: "After being framed by the Crown Prince, I fled to Changping, where I happened to meet Aunt Ping who helped me out, and that's how we got to know each other."
Old Ears said impatiently, "You can only fool ghosts with these words. This Anlan was never hers to begin with. A few days ago, Deng Huo spent a lot of money to buy this ship from Xu Chuanyin and temporarily replaced it with her people and goods. Do you know how much of a markup she paid for the ship? Thirty percent. People in the martial arts world who know her say that Deng Huo's boss is good at business. She can dig out a small profit from a losing deal. Would someone like that spend 30% more money to buy a ship for no reason?"
Chen Ji glanced at the stern tower subconsciously, then turned back to Old Ears and explained, "To repay Changping's favor, I helped Deng Huo expose Ding, the chief clerk of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau..."
Old Ears waved his hand: "Stop, stop. If I believed your nonsense, I'd be laughed to death in the martial arts world. The owner of this lamp shop used to be as elusive as a dragon, harder to find than a white dragon, but ever since you came to the capital, she's been guarding the Bianyifang business... What's so great about guarding that lousy Bianyifang business?"
Chen Ji remained silent.
Old Ears' eyes swept over Chen Ji: "It's fine if you don't want to talk, I'll just follow you and watch the show. Maybe I'll see something soon. But if you want to get information from me, you'll have to exchange it for your own secrets."
Chen Ji thought for a moment: "I wet the bed once when I was seven years old."
Old Ears laughed in exasperation: "What use is this kind of secret to you, little old man? Tell me about what will happen when you grow up."
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "When I was ten years old, I accidentally picked up rat poison mixed with arsenic and ate it. I didn't dare tell my family, so I secretly hid under the covers and vomited white foam all night. I survived by myself."
Old Ears widened his eyes: "You're really lucky, kid... Let me tell you about growing up. What's the difference between ten and seven years old?"
Chen Ji looked at the distant sea, pondered for a long time, and then said, "Does my desire to kill the Crown Prince count?"
Old Ear stroked his beard: "No, the whole capital knows you and the Crown Prince are at odds. You're the one who hurt his leg. Not only do you want to kill him, he wants to kill you too."
Chen Ji responded with an "Oh," and said, "I am one of the three sick tigers of the Secret Service."
The old man, stroking his beard, paused slightly. "This secret is rather interesting... Although the Poisonous Minister is narrow-minded, he has a keen understanding of human nature. He often takes unconventional approaches and uses people like a god. For him to use a mere Innate Realm official like you as a sick tiger is quite audacious. Speak, what do you want to ask?"
Chen Ji turned to look at Old Ears: "Are there any sword cultivators in Korea?"
The old man asked meaningfully, "What do you want with the sword cultivator?"
Chen Ji tried to cover it up, saying, "It's nothing, just a casual question. I've already entrusted my secret to you, so just answer me."
Old Ears gazed at the sea, lost in thought. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Goryeo and my Han people share the same lineage. The sword is the gentleman among weapons, so naturally, many of them practice it. Have you ever heard of Goryeo's Heartless Swordsmanship? It's quite famous."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "The Way of the Heartless Sword?" "Never heard of it?" Old Ears said with a smile, "Then let me tell you about it."
Chen Ji said earnestly, "I would like to hear the details."
Old Ear walked to the mast, leaned against it, and sat down: "In Goryeo, there is a Heartless Swordsmanship, which claims to be one with the sword, that the body has no heart, but the sword is one's heart. This Heartless Swordsmanship has a history of several hundred years and has produced five great swordsmen at the Divine Path Realm. It is the national sect of Goryeo, and the sect enshrines the swords worn by these five great swordsmen at the Divine Path Realm. They are known as the Five Ancestors of Swordsmanship, and the King of Goryeo will go to pay homage to them after he ascends the throne."
Chen Ji's expression shifted, and he followed Old Ears and sat down beside him: "Are the five great sword cultivators at the Divine Dao Realm still here?"
Old Ears pulled out a handful of peanuts from his sleeve and slowly peeled and ate them: "They died long ago. The Heartless Sword Path hasn't produced anyone in the Divine Path Realm for two hundred years. It's because as soon as they reach the Divine Path Realm, the successive abbots of the Martial Temple will come to challenge them with swordsmanship, scaring them so much that they dare not set foot in the Divine Path Realm again."
"How many peanuts did you actually have in your sleeve?" Chen Ji asked curiously. "And then what happened?"
Old Ears popped a roasted peanut into his mouth: "Later, there was a genius in the Heartless Sword Dao named Cao Xizong. At the age of sixteen, he comprehended the 'Unmoving Heart Sword Dao' at the bottom of the sea, claiming that his sword could calm the waves and overturn the mountains. After that, Cao Xizong found a mountain in northern Goryeo, established a mountain gate, and renamed the mountain Wuji Mountain."
Chen Ji asked in confusion, "Is the Caoxi Sect very powerful?"
Old Ears scoffed, “What’s so great about him? After Wu Kezhi of the Martial Temple reached the Dao Seeking Realm, he went to Wuji Mountain to test his sword. After that one strike, Caoxi Sect went into seclusion for twenty-eight years and has not left Wuji Mountain since. Wu Kezhi threw those five swords into the lake at the top of Wuji Mountain, so that Wuxin Sword Dao could no longer be called the Five Ancestors of Sword Dao, and renamed Wuji Mountain to Zhier Mountain.”
Chen Ji asked curiously, "So those five swords were just thrown into the lake? Wouldn't the people of the Heartless Sword Path dare to take them secretly?"
Old Ears chuckled: "Wu Kezhi is the resident official of the Martial Temple. When Headmaster Lu Yang is not around, his word is law. Even if you gave Wuxin Sword Dao ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to take the sword he threw away. If they dared to secretly pick it up, the disciples of the Martial Temple would come down the mountain and raze Wuji Mountain to the ground, leaving no chickens or dogs alive, not even the eggs would be broken."
Wuyun popped out of Chenji's arms and meowed, "Mengmeng!"
Chen Ji asked casually, "Do you know where this Zhier Mountain is, and how far it is from Jingcheng Port?"
Old Ears replied matter-of-factly, “I know, it’s only a day’s journey from Mirror City Port. You just need to cross a few mountains, set off in the morning, and you’ll arrive by night. Besides, I know a little path that can bypass the gates of the Heartless Sword Sect and sneak up to the lake.”
Old Ears' eyes darted around: "But this old man's legs aren't very strong, so I can't take you there."
Chen Ji said firmly, "I will carry you up the mountain."
Old Ears put on airs: "Forgot the rules again? If you want this old man to give you directions, then tell me about you and that man who runs the lantern business."
Chen Ji got up and left.
Old Ears got impatient: "You can ask another question."
Chen Ji stopped in his tracks.
Old Ears pondered for a moment: "I'm curious, have you been sleeping on the floor ever since you entered the Zhang family?"
Chen Ji raised an eyebrow, then silently slipped into the cabin. Behind him came Old Ears' boisterous laughter: "Looks like it's true, hahaha, what a disgrace! Hey, don't go! I promised to give you directions, we'll chat some more when we get back!"
Chen Ji returned to the cabin and lay on the narrow bed, quietly looking at the wooden plank above his head. On the plank, someone had carved the words "Go Home" with their fingernails. It was unknown which boatman had carved it in the same spot.
Dark Cloud popped out from his arms and meowed, "Aunt Ping is really good to you. She even bought this boat especially for you."
Chen Ji said softly, "I know... Once we get to Mirror City Port, we'll sneak away after we disembark."
Wu Yun asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to eat ginseng anymore?"
Chen Ji remained silent for a long time: "I don't want to owe so many favors."
Wu Yun was somewhat puzzled: "But you know perfectly well that she wants to make it up to you."
Chen Ji looked at the wooden board; how could he not know?
The bracelet Xiaoman gave, the betrothal gifts from Denghuo, Hu Sanye's attitude, and the past events in Guyuan—one by one, they all revealed Aunt Ping's identity; she wasn't a fool.
Chen Ji patted Wu Yun's head: "But the person she wants to make amends to isn't me. I don't want things to escalate to the point where it ends up like what happened between Xu Shu and Grand Secretary Xu; that would make her very sad." (End of Chapter)