CHAPTER 441: 342, TRAP

"What are the Forty-nine Heavens?"

"East Kunlun, West Kunlun, Yujing Mountain, Northern Continent, Southern Zhanzhou, Great Western Heaven, Little Western Heaven, Five Muddied Evil World... Xu Shu, the senior monk, mentioned them, but there are too many for me to remember."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Isn’t there a record in Yuanjue Temple?"

The little monk explained, "The records related to the Forty-nine Heavens should all be in the most crucial seventh floor of the Scripture Pavilion. They usually don’t let me in there, nor do they allow me to inquire about it."

Chen Ji sat on the grass, leaning against a sturdy bamboo: "Did Xu Shu, the senior monk, mention how to return to the Forty-nine Heavens?"

The little monk replied as if it were natural, "Yes, he did."

Chen Ji sat up straight suddenly, "How?"

The little monk lowered his head, touching the grass leaves on the ground, his fingertips slowly gliding across them: "One only needs to cultivate to the Divine Realm to return to the Forty-nine Heavens."

Chen Ji was taken aback: "It’s that simple?"

The little monk raised his head in surprise, "It’s not simple. Reaching the Divine Realm is very difficult."

"No, no, no, I mean, it’s so straightforward to return to the Forty-nine Heavens," Chen Ji furrowed his brow again, "Something isn’t right. If reaching the Divine Realm allows one to return to the Forty-nine Heavens, then why are Lu Yang of the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple and the Apostle of Huangshan Dao Court still in the human world?"

The little monk responded with an "oh": "One must achieve unity with the Dao. As long as there is one other person in the world cultivating the same path, the practice is not considered perfect, and one cannot ascend."

Chen Ji murmured to himself, "No wonder it’s called the Divine Realm... these executive officers are already living immortals."

Now knowing the way to return to the Forty-nine Heavens, he realized that to return home, he must cultivate to the Divine Realm, and then kill Lu Yang or perhaps another Mountain Lord.

Before he could speak, the little monk cautiously reminded, "The Mountain Master Lu Yang of the Temple of Martial Arts might be hard to kill..."

Chen Ji snapped back to attention.

This feeling of having all your secrets seen through was indeed unpleasant.

The little monk noticed Chen Ji’s expression and realized he had answered Chen Ji’s inner thoughts.

He slowly lowered his head, "I too want to suppress my telepathy, so you wouldn’t have to worry, but I can’t help it..."

Chen Ji smiled and patted his shoulder, "You won’t spill the beans anyway, don’t worry, I’m not afraid."

The bamboo forest swayed.

In the cool breeze, the little monk turned to look into Chen Ji’s eyes. Most people in this world say one thing but mean another.

But Chen Ji is true to his heart.

The little monk happily exclaimed, "You really aren’t afraid!"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Why so happy? Prince Jing, the princely heir, and the Commandery Princess weren’t afraid of you either."

The little monk shook his head, "They have the protection of the dynasty’s aura, so they aren’t worried. But you’re different; you truly aren’t afraid."

At this moment, the sound of brittle bamboo leaves being crushed underfoot came from behind them.

The sound was fine and particularly abrupt.

Chen Ji turned around abruptly, only to see two figures lifting their skirt hems and quietly approaching.

He slowly rose to his feet, breaking off a bamboo branch: "Who?"

Upon being discovered, the newcomers no longer hid, swaggering through the bamboo forest to stand before Chen Ji.

Qi Zhaoning, leading a maid, stood a step away from Chen Ji, scrutinizing him up and down: "Hey, I heard from my brother that you are proficient in all eighteen kinds of weapons, is that true?"

Chen Ji stepped back, "Third Miss Qi, you are a lady of the Qi Mansion, I am an outsider; it’s better not to meet in private."

Qi Zhaoning was unconcerned, "This is my Qi Mansion; who dares spread those idle rumors? I’m asking you, is what the Crown Prince wrote in his memorials about military achievements true?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "False."

Qi Zhaoning was slightly disappointed, "False, huh..."

She changed her mind, "But it’s okay, it doesn’t have to be all about fighting. My brother-in-law comes back from training every day drenched in sweat; you can smell his sweat from far away, so unrefined. I ask you, in the Four Dreams of Bianliang, the tale of you and Princess Bai Li..."

Chen Ji slightly lowered his eyes: "Also false."

The little monk turned his head, quietly gazing at Chen Ji.

Originally, great mountains were not that tall from the beginning but were built bit by bit from small, coarse stones, accumulating a little every day.

And gradually formed grand mountains.

Qi Zhaoning was taken aback, "Ah, is it a fictitious story? But everyone says you helped the Commandery Princess with her horse."

Chen Ji explained, "That day, Prince Jing wanted to thank me for saving the princely heir at Dragon King Village by holding the reins for me. How could I, a medical hall apprentice, have a prince lead my horse? So, I turned to lead Princess Bai Li’s horse instead, and thus everyone had an out."

Qi Zhaoning’s eyes brightened, "So that’s how it was. But don’t call him prince in front of outsiders; those convicted of treason have been stripped of titles by Your Majesty, and calling him prince is as criminal as treason. Also, about that Princess Bai Li, she’s no longer a princess; she’s just a nun in the Jingyang Palace and won’t come out for this lifetime."

Chen Ji suddenly tightened his grip on the bamboo branch in his hand.

The little monk feared trouble, hurriedly pulling Chen Ji’s arm, "Let’s go, your colleagues are still waiting for you, don’t let them..."

Before finishing his sentence, a servant hurriedly ran along the path, calling loudly from afar, "Young Master Chen!"

Chen Ji frowned and looked, "What’s wrong?"

The servant, panting heavily, arrived close and said, "Young Master Chen, Master sent a message saying that after the court refused to send troops to Korea today, all one hundred and seventeen Korean envoys at East Rongmi Lane took poison in protest. Now, the Spy Department is investigating who sent poison to the Korean envoys, arresting many clerks from the Six Ministries and citizens. The Imperial Capital is about to erupt in trouble, and all Yulin Army members must quickly return to the Governor Mansion to await orders, lest they be caught on something."