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Bone Painting Coroner - Chapter 123-124

Published at 22nd of March 2018 09:43:47 PM


Chapter 123-124

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Chapter 123 – Monarch and Vassals

She should have known that she would definitely encounter them at some point during her journey to the capital from the day Ji Shuhan sent the letter to the capital. If they found out that she had burnt down the Ji mansion and indirectly caused her grandmother to die from anger, her second brother would definitely use his Xuan Chi sword to chop her until she becomes meat paste at the earliest opportunity he can get if she were to ever poke her head out of the carriage for even a second. In fact, she wasn't that afraid of death. She was more afraid of pain and she was unwilling to die under the hands of anyone from the Ji family. This would be the ultimate grievance for her and she didn't want that!

In front of the carriage. Jing Rong remained mounted on his horse. His eyes sparked with a cold light in a split of second, causing his body to exude en enigmatic and unfathomable aura.

Both Ji Li and Ji Huan dismounted from their horses in succession. Then, they saluted Jing Rong, with one knee on the ground and hands clasped in front of them. "Paying respects to Prince Rong!" Jing Rong lowered his eyelids. "Get up." "Thank you Prince Rong." Ji Li and Ji Huan weren't part of Jing Rong's social circle in the capital, thus he didn't have much interaction with them. Most of his encounters with them were during official meetings pertaining the court matters.

The oldest of the brothers, Ji Li, is Army Supervisor Yi's Left Secretary, a position considered to be half civil and half military. In Ji Li's hand, he controlled an army of 50,000 soldiers and the methods he used in his work were quite ruthless and merciless. As long as the goal is achieved, anything goes. The whole northern region nicknamed him "Howling Wolf" as to imply figuratively that he could devour people without spitting back their bones. The second brother, Ji Huan, was personally bestowed the title Changlin General by the emperor. He was a genuine general with a temperament as big as his brilliant military achievements. In other words, he was rough, cruel, and rude! Fortunately, his behavior is not too bad, although his temper is… if you treat him badly, he will retaliate harshly, and if you treat him well, he will reciprocate in kindness. "Where are you two going in such a hurry?" Jing Rong asked, despite knowing the answer. Ji Li's disposition was gloomy. Although he wasn't very tall, his narrow and slanted eyes seemed as if it had a dense myriad of sharpness, causing people to shudder in fear. Moreover, he possessed wisdom and was farsighted. He lowered his head and replied, "This humble one's home is in mourning. We spured our horses to return home as soon as possible to send the departed and thus, happened to meet your Highness on the way. If we have offended your Highness, please forgive us." "Since it is the case, I won't hold your back to speedily return home to send the departed." 'Send the departed? The corpse has already been burnt to ashes. You can be really funny, Jing Rong.' Ji Huan with his sharp mind raised his head during their conversation and stared at the carriage behind Jing Rong. A sinister glow could be seen in his eyes. A sly tone could be heard as he voiced his question. "Your Highness, with the recent chaos, there has been many bandits roaming on the roads. Your Highness may need to be careful during your journey." "Bandits?" Jing Rong heard the underlying meaning behind Ji Huan's words. He glanced at the carriage behind him. The corner of his mouth hooked up. "Many thanks to General Ji for your reminder. This Prince will pay more attention." "May I inquire… who is inside the carriage?" "My honorable guest." Jing Rong replied without hesitation.

Ji Li narrowed his eyes, contemplating the many implications behind those words. His expression was seen by Ji Huan, who completely understood the meaning. He then decided to put the meaning into action by stepping forward a few steps and asked in a rude and violent tone, "Who are you inside the carriage? Open the curtain and let me see so as to avoid mistaking you for a bandit." Jing Rong's expression turned grim. He elevated his voice in reprimand. "General Ji Huan, what is the meaning of this? Are you suspecting this Prince for harboring a bandit?" "This general has no such meaning. I just want to investigate that person's identity in your stead." As soon as he was done speaking, he unsheathed his Xuan Chi sword and ferociously thrusted his sword towards the occupants inside, through the curtains. Despite being inside the carriage, Ji Yunshu could clearly feel the murderous intent emitting thickly from the Xuan Chi sword as it closed in, thrusting through the curtains and directly homing towards her heart. Her hands only had enough time to grip her skirt. She could only hold onto her breath while her black pupils dilated at the sight of death!

"Shu'er…" In an instant, Wei Yi threw himself on Ji Yunshu and tightly hugged her slender waist as his head leaned on her neck. Ji Yunshu watched the silhouette outside approaching. Only the curtain of the carriage separated them. At this instant, only one thought occupied her mind – she was screwed. Suddenly, the wind blew, causing the curtain to unveil! She saw Ji Huan, sword in hand. Their eyes met! Ji Huan saw a young woman in the carriage with a veil covering her face, dressed in silk clothes with a skirt that was fluttering with the wind. Her long black hair draped her shoulders and only a simple hairpin held her hair in place.

In her arms, a man was hugging her! With only her eyes revealed, he couldn't clearly identify her. Besides, this kind of woman could never be his third sister that made him want to cut her into mincemeat. The wind died, and the curtain fell down. Ji Huan's sword was suddenly deflected, and before he could react, there was a blade resting by his neck. 'Whose speed could be this terrifying?' "Presumptuous!" Jing Rong spat out. They had incurred his wrath. The sword in his hand made a slit on Ji Huan's neck, opening a bloody wound. If he was to apply a bit more force, even his strong, thick neck would not be able to withstand the cut. "What great courage you have that you dare to point your sword at my honorable guest?! Do you even put this Prince in your eyes?!" Ji Huan's expression remained steady. Many years of military campaign had forged his character into one unfazed and indomitable in the face of danger. Therefore, he replied in a calm tone, "This general thought a bandit had hid himself inside the carriage, thus I decided to draw my sword preemptively. I have investigated clearly. I apologize for my impulsive act. I hope your Highness will forgive me." "Forgive you?" The sword in Jing Rong's hand changed its angle slightly, pricking the lower jaw of Ji Huan. Then, Jing Rong sneered. "You should know that I, this Prince, can have executed you here and now." Hearing the words, Ji Li, who was a few meters away, kneeled down immediately. He beseeched Jing Rong, "Your Highness, please be lenient. Ji Huan had offended you, but he did so in order to assure your safety. I beseech your Highness' magnanimity. Please be lenient." "You, Ji people, are quite talented when it comes to crowding people with numbers. Each and every time… It has truly widened my horizons!" He squinted his long eyes and spoke in a furious tone. He used his sword to prop up Ji Huan's chin and continued, "In all of the Great Lin, there has never been any vassal who would dare to draw a sword in front of this Prince. Ji Huan, I know you don't fear death, but don't forget: A monarch is a monarch, and a vassal should act like one." It was a strong warning! Despite being a martial man, Ji Huan still understand the meaning encompassing the concept of a monarch and his vassals. Therefore, he was forced to compromise, "Yes, your Highness. This general understands." After a moment, Jing Rong retracted his sword and threw it at Lang Po. Then, he swept a glance at the kneeling Ji Li and coldly stated, "Get up! Regardless, you are still the Left Secretary and Changlin General of this empire. This Prince cannot possibly claim your life. As for what had just occurred, let bygones be bygones. But I hope this is the last time. If it happens again, don't blame me for being ruthless." "Many thanks your Highness!" Jing Rong mounted back his horse. Without throwing another glance at the brothers, he lightly urged his horse forward. "Let's go!" Ji Li and Ji Huan retreated to the sides to allow Jing Rong to pass. The carriage moved forward while Ji Yunshu forced herself to maintain her calm despite the panic from earlier still lingering, not fading completely. Meanwhile, Wei Yi continued to hug her without letting go. He was probably scared to his wits' end. She had no other choice but to pat his back and whisper comforting words. However, just as their carriage passed by Ji Li and Ji Huan, fortunately or not, the curtain was once again blew up by the wind, and so did her veil…

Grenn’s Rants Corner

I like this chapter because of Jing Rong’s interaction with the Ji brothers. I like the way their characters are illustrated through the interactions and their actions more than through mere description.

  

  

Chapter 124 – This is the Great Lin, Not Qujiang!

The visage inside the carriage, barely visible through the swaying curtain, was inadvertently captured by Ji Li's and Ji Huan's sight. It was not clear-cut, but enough to prod Ji Huan's hand to rest on his sword hilt; he had his doubts and wanted to pull that person out of the carriage, rip off the veil and ascertain his guess. However, before he could take another step, Ji Li pulled him back and whispered to him, "Prince Rong is here, we cannot risk it."  

Ji Huan's bitterness was conspicuous. He threw off Ji Li's hand away from his as the carriage disappeared and vented out his anger, "If it really was Ji Yunshu inside the carriage, doesn't that mean that we just let her escape? How are we going to avenge third brother then?" Compared to him, Ji Li was a lot more composed. He said with a sunken expression, "Regardless of whether it was her or not, we are on quite bad terms with Prince Rong now, and this will hurt us in the future. We should be looking to make new friends, not create new enemies." Ji Li was was the left secretary in the army. He was both a cultured man and a talented martial artist, enough to be considered as a military advisor with high potential. Thus, his brain was much more flexible compared to Ji Huan who has more brawn than brain. Ji Huan dropped the subject unwillingly. He snorted, letting out white fumes from his nose as if he had exploded inside.

The two had yet to go home for Ji Yuanzhi's funeral. If they had known that their grandmother had also passed away, and that the Ji Mansion had been burned to the ground, they would probably have regretted bitterly for not chasing after that carriage and cutting it into two.

…………….. Inside the carriage, Wei Yi had finally calmed down and was holding onto the portrait of his parents. "Shu'er, who was that just now? Did he want to kill us? Why would he want to kill us?" "It's fine. They didn't want to kill us. It's just a misunderstanding." "Really?" Ji Yunshu nodded. "Yes, really."

Wei Yi moved closer to Ji Yunshu, but no longer said a word. Ji Yunshu processed the situation that had occurred just now. If Jing Rong didn't manage to stop Ji Huan, she would have been dead by now. She reached for the curtain and lifted it to look outside. Coincidentally, Jing Rong turned back to look at the carriage. His eyes carried a tint of concern. Ji Yunshu nodded at him, expressing her thanks and telling him that she was fine. After that, she pulled her head back inside the carriage. As they continued their journey, Jing Rong became even more vigilant. He ordered several bodyguards to protect the rear. Their final formation encircled the carriage for protection against anything unexpected. They proceeded on until the sky turned dark. Fortunately, as night came, the official road was even and didn't cause them much trouble until they finally reached an inn. Although the inn isn't located on the outskirts of any agglomeration of inhabitants, it was still very big in size. What's more, it was a popular stop with many merchants and peddlers setting up shop around it.

Only after getting off the carriage and touching ground, did Ji Yunshu truly feel that she was alive and had survived the ordeal earlier. Jing Rong ordered some people to feed the horses before entering the inn. As they made their appearance in the inn, they captured everyone's attention. A handsome and stern man equipped with long sword being accompanied by a woman dressed in an elegant and uncommon attire, and furthermore her face was being concealed by a veil. Although this is a farway region, merchants and swordsmen weren't lacking in numbers. Thus, it wasn't surprising encountering someone carrying a sword. However, it was quite a rare sight for a group of people to attract that much attention. Several men even overtly stared at Ji Yunshu. A drool worthy sight! An enthusiastic waiter bowed at them and hurriedly welcomed them inside. "How many of you are staying at the inn?" Jing Rong kept a stoic face. It made the waiter feel as though he had swallowed ice. Lang Po stepped forward and took out money which he stuffed inside the waiter's hand before instructing him, "Please prepare several rooms for us."

Gripping onto the money, the waiter's eyes sparkled. He pulled down the towel on his shoulder and moved away from them. "Allow me to lead you upstairs." He led them to the stairs. Ji Yunshu had climbed a few stairs when someone rushed downstairs. His steps seemed as if they produced wind, advancing like a storm and violently bumping against her shoulder. She staggered from the impact and fell backward. Fortunately, Jing Rong timely encircled her waist, resting his hand on her back, and stopped her fall.

The man who bumped against her appeared to be around thirty. He had his head lowered and seemed in a panic. He hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, sorry…" He rushed downstairs after apologizing. "Are you alright?" Jing Rong asked, his mouth near her ear. She shook her head. "Are you still unsettled because of your brothers? Don't worry. With me here, I won't let anyone from the Ji family lay a single finger on you."

"Thank you very much your Highness." She lifted the hem of her skirt and continued to climb the stairs. The waiter pushed the door open for her. "Miss, this is your room. It's quite spacious." "Thank you." She went inside with Wei Yi following after the her, but before he could entered, Jing Rong had grabbed unto his collar. "Your room is over here." He unceremoniously dragged Wei Yi away into another room.

Ji Yunshu wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, she refrained herself. If Wei Yi decided to stick with her and wanted to sleep with her, she wouldn't know how to escape from this predicament. Therefore, Jing Rong dragging Wei Yi away made her feel immensely grateful at him.

Wei Yi was extremely unhappy when he was being dragged to another room. He glared at Jing Rong. "Why don't you let me stay with Shu'er?" "Man and women should have a sense of propriety, don't you know that?" "I know, but mother said that too." Jing Rong frowned. "And you still want to go in?" Wei Yi properly voiced his reasoning. "But Shu'er is my wife! Mother said that I can sleep with my wife." "……" Right at this moment, Jing Rong really doubted that Wei Yi was not doing it on purpose. Jing Rong grumpily ordered Lang Po, "Tonight, you will sleep in the same room as him. Watch him properly and don't let him run off." "Yes, your Highness!" Hearing that he would sleep with Lang Po, Wei Yi pouted and sticked up his nose while shaking his head in a hurry. "I don't want to sleep with him! I want to sleep with Shu'er." "As if!" Jing Rong spat out the reply before leaving. Wei Yi wanted to chase after him, but Lang Po got in his way. As a rough and strong man, cherishing words like gold, he crossed his arms and simply camped himself in front of the door. "We slept together yesterday, so why is today any different?" Lang Po retorted at Wei Yi. 'That's right. Last night, you used my shoulder as a pillow, so why is it a problem for you today?' Lang Po didn't understand the reason. It wasn't like he smelled bad. So, why Wei Yi is refusing to sleep with him? 'How annoying!'

Wei Yi roared at Lang Po, "It's not the same!" Wei Yi threw a small tantrum by sitting on the chair and lightly hammering the table with his clenched fists as if he was using it as a punching bag. Lang Po had received an order, thus he followed it to the letter, observing Wei Yi without blinking and not allowing him to go find Ji Yunshu.

Meanwhile, from the moment Jing Rong's party entered the inn, a pair of inquisitive and playful eyes closely following them. Li Shiyan, who sat in a private room on the second floor, had a clear view of the entrance and the entire second floor of the inn. He rested one leg on a stool and one of his hands was grabbing peanuts, tossing them into his mouth. With a playful expression, he muttered, "Interesting!" His attendant approached him and asked, "Young Prince, are you interested in that young lady?" "What? You mean I can't?!" "That woman had a veil on. We don't know if she's beautiful or ugly underneath. Besides, look at the people at her side. All of them have swords. It's better not to cause trouble. If the marquis knows you caused trouble, he would not spare you." Li Shiyan slowly got up and pat his attendant's head. "I have my ways. I don't want to repeat myself everytime. When outside, we cannot mention the marquis. This is the Great Lin, not Qujiang!"

Grenn’s Rants Corner

Lang Po and his ambiguous words… Or I am just too rotten.

  





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