Outside Peace Gate, Hong Zuer stared fixedly at Chen Ji.

In his heart, he had already assumed that the inheritor of the Sword Seed Path was Chen Ji: among the Da Ma Mountains, aside from the Night Patrol, Yulin Army, and Mo Blade Camp, only Chen Ji and his group remained.

Moreover, Chen Ji also had the motive to save the Yulin Army.

Hong Zuer murmured, "How could it not be you? Who else could it be?"

Chen Ji feigned confusion and diverted his attention elsewhere: "Mr. Hong, I don't understand what you mean. Who exactly are you looking for? Did the people from the Spy Department do something?"

Hong Zuer lowered his head in doubt: "Could it be them?"

Unwilling to concede, he looked up directly at Chen Ji: "Since it isn't you, where were you earlier?"

Chen Ji replied expressionlessly: "Naturally, I was escorting the Jing Dynasty Envoy to Chongli Pass."

Still unwilling to believe it, Hong Zuer said: "If that's the case, why did you return to Chongli Pass only now? You should have returned long ago!"

Before Chen Ji could speak, Zhang Xia explained from the side: "After we parted, we headed south for five miles but were blocked by a large river. We spent a long time looking for a bridge, went east first, realized it was wrong, then turned back and found the river-crossing bridge to the west."

Hong Zuer furrowed his brows tightly. He knew about the lone bridge over the Zhengou River, which was indeed difficult for outsiders to locate... There was no flaw in Zhang Xia's explanation.

Hong Zuer finally let go of his doubt and questioned: "Did you really just focus on escorting the Jing Dynasty Envoy without concerning yourself with other matters?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No, my duty is solely to escort the envoy; other matters are none of my business."

Hong Zuer said in a deep voice: "You were once colleagues with the Yulin Army. Even outsiders went to save them, yet you stood by and watched? Do you know how many Yulin Army members died this time, just for that cursed Jing Dynasty Envoy, while you disregarded your colleagues?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Xia looked at Chen Ji worriedly, while Xiao Man beside him was furious: "How can you speak like this? Do you really think you're the only hero in the world, and everyone else is mud? My young master in Guyuan..."

Chen Ji raised his hand to stop Xiao Man from speaking.

He no longer paid attention to Hong Zuer and brushed past him: "I admire Mr. Hong as a person and acknowledge your contributions to the border town. But our paths are different, and we can't work together. You have your duties, and I have mine. Once we leave Chongli Pass, Mr. Hong, you can pretend you've never met me, and I probably won't return."

Hong Zuer stood outside Peace Gate, quietly watching Chen Ji's back disappear into Chongli Pass.

Zhang Xia said softly to Chen Ji by his side: "He actually wanted to provoke you into admitting it."

Chen Ji responded calmly: "I know."

Zhang Xia said in a low voice: "But many people will view you this way in the future. They won't know what you've done; they'll only remember you as someone who disregarded his colleagues' lives."

Chen Ji let out a gentle breath and walked out from the shadow of the city gate, head held high: "It doesn't matter."

...

...

Inside Chongli Pass, someone ran to announce the arrival of the Jing Dynasty Envoy to everyone.

Border town soldiers emerged one after another from their military quarters, and more and more people gathered in front of Peace Gate. As Chen Ji and the others emerged from the gate, Chongli Pass soldiers gazed angrily at Princess Liyang.

Someone shouted angrily: "Go back to the Jing Dynasty!"

"We must not let Yuan Cheng return to the Jing Dynasty!"

Some intentionally incited others, blocking Chen Ji at Peace Gate, preventing him from moving forward.

Chen Ji looked up to see Gao Yuan of the Longevity Army standing behind the crowd on horseback, coldly watching him. His eyes were red, perhaps from just losing a comrade in battle and crying.

All the old and new grudges were laid upon him at this moment.

Within a single step in front of him, Zhang Tonggou, who had previously taught Chen Ji to weave straw shoes, nearly spat in his face: "Traitor! What benefits did the Jing Dynasty offer you, that you traitors would allow Yuan Cheng to return?"

Chen Ji stood silently, not refuting.

Because refuting was useless.

Amidst the uproar, the Night Patrol coldly watched, and Zhang Lanjin stood inside the tower, showing no intention of restraint.

In the face of these infantrymen, the title of Inspector General of the Imperial Camp was no longer useful; even if someone produced the King's Command Flag now, it would probably be torn apart in a mutiny.

Zhang Xia whispered beside Chen Ji: "I'll go get the Yulin Army to suppress this."

Chen Ji shook his head: "The Yulin Army can't stop them either."

Just then, Princess Liyang, sitting on Zaozao, eyes red and on the verge of tears, said: "Your Ning Dynasty soldiers, don't you put your strength on the battlefield? Why bully a woman like me?"

As she spoke, her tears fell like pearls, one by one.

Princess Liyang herself was exceptionally beautiful, and now with the blood soaking through her embroidered shoes and her face covered in dirt and dust, she cried with poignant sorrow.

The originally turbulent howling sound was surprisingly subdued by the falling of each tear.

Princess Liyang continued to cry, "Everyone says Chongli Pass is the world's strongest pass, that its border army is the bravest. But I was forced to come to the Ning Dynasty for a betrothal. Why make things difficult for a weak woman like me? Otherwise, just kill me, I won't resist."

The area in front of the Peace Gate gradually quieted down, and the infantry exchanged looks with one another.

Xiao Man held the reins, looking up with wide eyes.

A mutiny is a major taboo in the army. Given the previous commotion, even Zhang Lanjin might have struggled to calm it, yet unexpectedly, it was suppressed by Princess Liyang's tears.

Who knew it could happen like this.

While pondering this, Hong Zuer spoke from the archway of the Peace Gate with a cold voice, "Step aside, or else word of this gets out, and people think the men of Chongli Pass bully women!"

The infantry exchanged another glance and slowly cleared a path.

Behind them, Hong Zuer said in a deep voice, "Zhang Tonggou, take them to the Assistant General's quarters and settle them properly, or else people will think we at Chongli Pass are stingy."

Chen Ji weaved through the crowd, only relaxing after leaving it.

Once out of their sight, he slowed his pace and calmly said to Princess Liyang beside him, "Respect."

Princess Liyang casually wiped away her tears, her crying abruptly stopping.

She leaned down and said in a low voice, "Mr. Chen will understand this ally of yours better in the future. I've said that I only do the right thing. You see, Jiang Xiansheng is dead, yet here I am, alive in the Ning Dynasty."

Chen Ji sighed lightly, once more saying, "Respect."

Zhang Tonggou led the way, guiding Chen Ji and others to an isolated two-entry courtyard on the west side of the city, and said indifferently, "You'll rest here. Do not wander around, or you'll face the unforgiving military codes of Chongli Pass."

With that, he walked away without looking back, as if he had never known Chen Ji.

Chen Ji pushed open the courtyard door, and as soon as he entered, Zhang Xia turned back to close the door: "Xiao Man, quickly help your master find a place to sit."

Just as the door closed, Chen Ji bent over in pain, gasping for breath.

Along the way, he didn't dare show any sign of weakness in front of outsiders; he could only grit his teeth through the pain, pretending nothing was wrong.

At one point, even those by his side almost forgot he was severely injured.

Xiao Man stepped forward to assist him, but he waved Xiao Man off, slowly standing up straight by himself. "It's nothing, just bother the little monk to chant some scriptures again, although the healing is slow, chanting makes the wounds hurt less."

Princess Liyang dismounted from Zaozao, curiously asking, "Why hide your injuries? What exactly happened on your journey that you must conceal it?"

Chen Ji sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, glancing at Princess Liyang, knowing that word of this would eventually reach the Imperial Capital, and that she should be prepared: "I used the sword seed to attempt an assassination on Yuan Heng Lizhen but failed. I was chased by Jiang Liuxian into the Zhengou River. They are unaware of my identity."

"Attempting to assassinate Yuan Heng Lizhen is no big deal..." Princess Liyang was stunned, her pupils constricting sharply: "Wait, you said you used the sword seed? Your official door is the sword seed?"

She instinctively stepped back: "I suddenly feel that if you killed me, it would be justified... But please don't kill me, I promise to keep it secret."

Chen Ji looked up at her: "Are there things you're afraid of too?"

Princess Liyang replied warily, "There's no shame in being afraid to die. If I cultivated the Sword Seed Path, I'd make sure to kill everyone who knew about it too."

This time, she was genuinely scared.

Earlier, she thought she could use her eloquence and intelligence to give Chen Ji a reason not to kill her.

But now it's different, as no reason could outweigh those two words: the Temple of Martial Arts.

Everyone knows that apart from the line of the Temple of Martial Arts at Changbai Mountain, there's still a line of the Sword Seed Path drifting in the world.

For hundreds of years, the Jing Dynasty searched, the Ning Dynasty searched, the Temple of Martial Arts searched, but no one ever found it. This line of the Sword Seed Path has stubbornly prevented generations of Martial Temple Mountain Masters from merging with the Dao and ascending.

Now that the Sword Seed Path has emerged, who knows how many people from the Temple of Martial Arts will descend the mountain to the Ning Dynasty, leaving no trace unexamined.

When Mountain Master Lu Yang asks for a duel at your door, no matter how eloquent you are, what difference does it make? If a Great Grandmaster of the Divine Realm is determined to kill you, unless you stay in the Imperial Palace forever, you will surely die.

During the sixty years of the Jiazi Demon Cleansing, tens of thousands fell to the Mountain Master's hand!

Breathing heavily, Chen Ji said, "Now you understand the courage it takes for me to spare you. So now I ask you again, what reason do I have not to kill you?"

Princess Liyang hesitated for a long time, "I can return to the Jing Dynasty and work as a spy for you, I can..."

Chen Ji shook his head, "Not enough."

Princess Liyang took a deep breath, "Actually, last winter, I was discovered plotting to assassinate Lu Jin. My father stripped me of my title as Princess Liyang and confined me in the Ten Princes Mansion. I was only remembered during this betrothal. Now, I have no choice but to achieve great deeds upon returning to the Jing Dynasty. All of you are a blessing in disguise for me... If my brother becomes emperor one day, what would you all want?"

Chen Ji stared at her, "If one day someone comes to you in the Jing Dynasty and mentions my name, I hope you can protect them throughout their lives."

Princess Liyang smiled radiantly, "No problem... But speaking of which, knowing my new ally cultivates the Sword Seed Path, I suddenly feel like I have a new backer."

She solemnly curtsied to Chen Ji, "Mr. Chen, from now on, I entrust you with my future."