Chapter 933 - 775: Reunion with Old Friends

Zheng Jiye led the Anti-Japanese Army, blocking the fat and skinny men together at the city gate hole. The fat man looked around cautiously and said, "We’re not deserters, we’re merchants passing through here with connections in Jinling, don’t trouble yourself."

Upon hearing the other side had background in Jinling, Zheng Jiye hesitated a bit.

But Chen Yu suddenly said from the side, "Don’t listen to his nonsense, that fat one’s name is Song Qian, the skinny one is Bai Jin. We all fled from the Central Army Commander’s Mansion; they’re just poor folks, no mistake about it."

Song Qian, Jin Zhu.

Bai Jin, Heavenly Horse.

Zheng Jiye relaxed upon hearing Chen Yu name them, "Almost got tricked by you."

Jin Zhu snorted with laughter, seeing only old, weak, and disabled soldiers around him. He sneered, "Running, my ass! When did I become a deserter? Get lost, or don’t blame me for being rude!"

Zheng Jiye smirked, looking at them with disdain, "I’ve caught Seeking Dao Realm Officials, I advise you not to trouble yourself."

Jin Zhu was stunned, glancing secretly at Chen Xu next to Chen Yu. Was this the one he was talking about catching? This damn Anti-Japanese Army... so formidable?

He previously thought the rumors about the Anti-Japanese Army were nonsense, but now he was uncertain about Zheng Jiye’s capabilities.

Next moment, Yuan Xing and Jiang Chai led the Anti-Japanese Army as they passed by the North City Gate. Chen Yu suddenly waved, "Gentlemen, there are two deserters here trying to run!"

Yuan Xing rode over, Jin Zhu quickly raised his hands smiling to defuse the situation, "Not running, not running, the truth is we came to Jingjiang County to join the Anti-Japanese Army."

Yuan Xing glanced coldly over them, "Continue training, slackers don’t get dinner."

Saying that, he shook the reins, leading with Jiang Chai as their teams Camp A and B shouted in unison and ran off.

In front of the city gate hole, Zheng Jiye pointed his index and middle finger at his eyes and then at Jin Zhu, "Don’t think of escaping, I’m watching you."

Jin Zhu clasped his hands, "Rest assured, Sir."

Zheng Jiye nodded, "Alright, you two go to the Mao Team. Remember, the Anti-Japanese Army doesn’t support idlers, if I find you lazy, I won’t keep you."

Jin Zhu forced two smiles, "Okay, okay, noted."

Zheng Jiye waved, and the Ding Camp immediately ran westward.

Chen Yu, Chen Xu, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse fell behind. Jin Zhu lowered his voice to ask Chen Yu, "What’s really going on? You two were captured too? Is Chen Xu the Seeking Dao Realm mentioned?"

Chen Xu spoke up for once, "Not me."

Chen Yu glanced at the silhouette of Zheng Jiye and explained softly, "This man is Zheng Jiye, a household leader of the Anti-Japanese Army, but he doesn’t lead the Anti-Japanese Army. They’ve divided the army into Camp A, B, C, D. Zheng Jiye can only lead Ding Camp. The ones who passed by were Ah Xing leading Camp A, and next to him Jiang Chai leading Camp B..."

Jin Zhu pondered, "Are they in charge?"

Chen Yu panted after running a few steps, "No, above them is an ’adoptive father’, that’s the most important person."

Jin Zhu pondered, "Adoptive father? Ah Xing is over forty, his adoptive father must be an old man then?"

Chen Yu explained, "I was just captured today, haven’t seen the adoptive father yet..."

Saying this, Chen Yu hesitated.

Jin Zhu was anxious, "What do you want to say? Just say it!"

Chen Yu glanced at the distant Yuan Xing, "Today they inadvertently revealed their Jing Dynasty identity while teaching flag orders; I suspect Ah Xing from Camp A is Right Martial Guard Commander Yuan Xing..."

Jin Zhu laughed, "Nonsense, the Right Martial Guard Commander is already a prominent figure in the Jing Dynasty, why would he come to the Ning Dynasty to resist the Wokou? Besides, he’s Yuan Xiang’s nephew; who can be his adoptive father? Did Yuan Xiang also come to our Ning Dynasty to resist the Wokou?"

Chen Yu sighed, "I thought the same... but Seeking Dao Realm Officials aren’t just roadside cabbages. Lord Jin Zhu is part of the Twelve Signs of the Spy Department, naturally knows more about Jianghu matters. Can you think of any Seeking Dao Realm Grand Official in Jiangnan who can compare with Ah Xing?"

Jin Zhu pondered, "Really can’t think of any, that’s why I’ve come to Jingjiang County to investigate this group thoroughly."

Chen Yu glanced at him, "Your lordship? Has Lord Jin Zhu made it into the Top Three?"

Jin Zhu chuckled, "None of your business."

Chen Yu thought, "The main priority now is to figure out this ’adoptive father’s’ identity and intentions... does Lord Jin Zhu have any ideas?"

Jin Zhu chuckled, "Times have changed; is the Chen family about to join hands with my Eunuch Party?"

Chen Yu quietly said, "We’re all caught as deserters together, what’s the point in dividing Chen family from the Spy Department now."

Jin Zhu casually said, "What does Mr. Xiao Chen plan to do?"

Chen Yu pondered for a moment, "Achieve something, naturally rise up the ranks and meet the adoptive father. These people don’t seem vigilant; haven’t detected anything odd about our identities. Among us, three are Seeking Dao Realm, rising to lead a camp isn’t difficult, then the adoptive father hidden in the shadows will naturally view us differently."

At that moment, Zheng Jiye suddenly turned his head and saw a few people at the end of the team whispering to each other, then shouted, "What are you whispering about? Can’t you see the steps are messed up?"

He gave a signal to the Anti-Japanese Army, who immediately separated Chen Yu, Chen Xu, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse, herding them to run drills together. The four followed the team for training, unable to find a chance to talk privately, and had to suppress their thoughts for the time being.

...

...

In the evening, Chen Ji and Old Ears walked slowly along the official road, followed by over twenty Anti-Japanese Army members driving ox carts, which were piled high with freshly felled bamboo over a meter long.

Old Ears turned around to look at the ox carts while riding his little donkey, "You plan to use these things against the pirates? Is it that lousy formation you used in the Imperial Capital... what’s it called? Oh right, heard it was called the Mandarin Duck Formation, is it effective?"

Chen Ji touched the black cloud in his pocket and casually said, "The Mandarin Duck Formation was originally designed to deal with pirates."

Old Ears raised an eyebrow, "Nonsense, you planned to use it against pirates back when you were in the Imperial Capital?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

Old Ears thought for a moment, "But aren’t you afraid that using the Mandarin Duck Formation will reveal your identity?"

Chen Ji was unconcerned, "Nowadays, the Mandarin Duck Formation is known not just by me; the Three Mountains Association knows it, the Yulin Army knows it, it has long been spread. News of my survival from the Jing Dynasty to the Ning Dynasty will take at least four months. Even if people guess towards the Three Mountains Association and the Imperial Three Camps, or the Yulin Army and the Zhang Family, they won’t directly guess that I died and came back to life."

As they spoke, Jiang Chai saw Chen Ji and the others returning from a distance atop the rammed earth city wall, immediately ran down the wall, and rode out to greet them.

He rode up to Chen Ji and said, "Godfather, today six outsiders arrived in Jingjiang County, among them two were recognized by the Jingjiang locals as brokers from nearby. I suspect they are scouting for the pirates."

Chen Ji asked, "Did you catch them?"

Jiang Chai nodded, "Got them, Zhou Chang is currently interrogating them, probably already broke a few bones and peeled some skin."

"You probably won’t get anything out of the brokers," Chen Ji thought for a moment, "What’s the deal with the other few people?"

Jiang Chai rode alongside Chen Ji, "The other four were deserters caught by that bastard Zheng Jiye..."

Old Ears laughed angrily, "Where does he find so many deserters every day? Is he addicted to catching deserters?"

Uncle Zheng, who was driving the ox cart behind, laughed loudly, "Old man, you might not know, it’s extremely difficult to recruit soldiers for the Anti-Japanese Army, even if you recruit young and strong ones, they belong to Marshal Lv and Zhang Lao Liu. Zheng Jiye had no choice but to pretend to catch deserters. Many government-wanted Green Forest people and tenants avoiding labor duties can’t explain their origins, so they can only stay silently in the Anti-Japanese Army."

Chen Ji looked at Jiang Chai, "Who did he catch this time?"

Jiang Chai recalled, "Those four, judging by their demeanor and bearing, don’t seem like brokers nor Green Forest people or tenants, rather like someone long at a high position."

"Why?"

Jiang Chai replied with a smile, "When a fat guy among them was blocked by Zheng Jiye, he intended to make a move, which meant he had confidence to fight his way out of over a hundred Anti-Japanese Army members. Even if all of Zheng Jiye’s men are old, weak, sick, and disabled, the opponent must at least be an Innate Realm official to have that confidence. Might even be a Seeking Dao Realm."

Old Ears was furious when he heard Zheng Jiye’s name, "Where did he find so many Seeking Dao Realm for him to catch? Even good luck runs out someday!"

Chen Ji pondered, "Let’s go back and see."

...

...

When entering the city, Chen Ji passed a booth selling Nuo faces.

He thought for a moment, dismounted to buy two masks, threw one to Old Ears, and put one on himself, "Nowadays Jiangnan is treacherous, people from the Imperial Capital can’t be avoided, it’s better to disguise a bit."

Old Ears looked at the mask in his hand, "Fish God?"

He then looked at the mask in Chen Ji’s hand, "Tiger Head? Seems fitting for you."

Chen Ji ignored him, took a bamboo hat and straw coat from the ox cart, wore them, and stuffed the black cloud into his pocket for concealment before entering the county school.

The county school was then set up with ten large pots and was cooking meals with the Anti-Japanese Army sitting on the training field, worn out from a whole day of training.

The academic administration of the county school was handled by the county magistrate, occupying a vast area, including even a training field for the six gentlemanly arts. Now the county magistrate and city folks had fled, so the Anti-Japanese Army simply occupied the place.

Yuan Xing recognized Zhao Lei and the little donkey but not the mask as Chen Ji entered and immediately approached to say, "Godfather, Zhou Chang has finished the interrogation. Those two brokers were indeed sent by the Matsubara Clan as scouts; it’s estimated they’ll attack soon."

Chen Ji acknowledged, "What about those deserters caught by Zheng Jiye?"

Yuan Xing gestured with a nod towards the eaves in the distance, "They’re sitting over there, caught but not running, whispering together whenever the chance arises throughout the day, who knows what mischief they’re planning."

Chen Ji turned to look, his gaze swept over the faces of Chen Yu, Chen Xu, Jin Zhu, and Heavenly Horse one by one, then silently gazed into the distance at Zheng Jiye who was sitting among the crowd picking his nose, speechless for a long time.