Chapter 18: Chao Ge (8)

The spring breeze brought warmth, with orioles flying and swallows singing.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed, and Li Kuo and his companion finally got their long-awaited ten-day break.
From the reply brought by Zhang Fu, Li Kuo already knew that Nan Jiyun had invited his friend Lei Wanchun, and the two of them stayed at Feng Deen’s house. With these two heroic men around, nothing unexpected had happened during this time.
The study system at the Imperial Academy followed the imperial regulations—breaks every ten days. Eager for this rare holiday, the two youths left Wu Ben Fang together and returned to Ke Long Tea House in Tong Ji Fang.
“A Tian, I’m back!”
Li Kuo strode into the tea house, sat down carelessly at a square table, and started pouring tea from the pot on it.
Hearing this, Du Jingtian rushed out from the back yard, her eyes slightly red, complaining, “I’m dying! You stupid Xiao Qi, why did you come back? Just die outside!”
Li Kuo stood up, smiled, and bowed, saying, “Madam, please calm down. Isn’t it enough that I admit my mistake? It’s because the rules at the Imperial Academy are strict—no leave without reason. You surely don’t want me to get beaten up and lose my status, right?”
Du Jingtian grabbed Li Kuo’s ear and snapped, “Rules, rules! So strict that you don’t even have time to come and see me? You left in such a hurry last time that you didn’t even bring the new clothes I made for you. I guess you’ve already forgotten her!”
Her eyes shimmered, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Ah, don’t cry, please don’t cry.”
The young man was at a loss amid her outburst, forcing a bitter smile.
“Brother Kuo, the weather is nice today. A Fu and I will go out for a stroll first. You and Sister Jingtian can chat slowly.”
Zhang Yanji gave Li Kuo a strange smile before urging Zhang Fu to rush out.
The atmosphere in the room became awkward for a moment. Du Jingtian snorted lightly, took her lover’s hand, and led him inside. She lifted the curtain slightly, went straight to the bed, took down the prepared robe from the hanger, and gazed at Li Kuo affectionately.
“Xiao Qi, I’ve been going crazy thinking about you during these days. I was really afraid you’d abandon me.”
Feeling pressured by her gaze, Li Kuo quickly took the robe and started changing. “How could that be? I wouldn’t dare forget anyone—especially little A Tian. Otherwise, who would make clothes for Xiao Qi?”
“Die!”
A flurry of punches hit him, sending ripples of excitement through him.
“Hmm, the fabric of this robe is really good. Truth is, since Grandpa had that accident, I’ve never worn a robe made of such fine material.”

He pulled the front part of the robe diagonally to his waist and tied a bow there, then gave the young woman a gentle smile.
“Wow, I measured it according to your size—how could it be so much looser!” When the young man turned around after getting dressed, Du Jingtian covered her mouth in shock.
“It’s okay, really.”
Li Kuo spread his arms and spun around. “This robe is a bit big now, but it’ll be just right when we get married and I become your husband.”
The young man winked at her and said playfully.
“Pfft.”
Du Jingtian laughed at his teasing and replied, “Who wants to marry you, you little rascal? You always seem so honest and serious, but turns out all men are the same—perverts!”
“Not at all. As the saying goes, a graceful lady is a perfect match for a gentleman. My brother Xiao Qi is clearly handsome and charming—perfectly matched with our A Tian, a pair made in heaven!”
Li Kuo shook his head and recited some literary phrases, making the young woman’s eyes sparkle enticingly. “I won’t argue with you anymore. You scholars and poets keep flattering us women all day long. But if you dare to betray me, I’ll strip you naked, grab you by the ears, and throw you out!”
“I won’t, I won’t.”
The young man waved his hands frantically, his face turning red with embarrassment.
“By the way, Brother Xiao Qi, did you come back because of Dezi?”
Leaning against her lover’s shoulder, Du Jingtian murmured.
“Mm, I heard that Brother Nan and the others have been protecting Dezi these days. I happened to be free, so I came back to check on things.”
Li Kuo patted her gently and replied.
The two stood in silence, the atmosphere between them growing increasingly intimate, when suddenly a deep voice came from the outer room: “Brother Kuo, come out quickly! There’s a big problem!”
“Get in here right now instead of standing outside causing trouble!”
Li Kuo waved his hand irritably and shouted back.
“Uh, will that disturb Miss A Tian?”
The man added thoughtlessly, then rushed in without waiting for Li Kuo’s reply.
“Stay calm in emergencies—can the sky really fall even if something big happens?”
Annoyed by the interruption, Li Kuo bombarded him with questions.
Who else could it be but Zhang Yanji? He rushed over to Li Kuo’s side and said with a smile, “Don’t be angry, Brother Kuo. I just panicked in the heat of the moment. I’ll change from now on, okay?”
Unable to deal with his friend’s cheekiness, Li Kuo glared at him and sighed, “Alright, what exactly happened?”

Rubbing his hands together, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Li Kuo. Zhang Yanji said, “Here’s what happened: Just now, Ah Fu and I went to visit Brother Dezi. On the way, we met Brother Nan, who gave me this.”

After flipping through the note, Li Kuo frowned immediately. “On the note, someone claiming to be the deputy leader of the Qingke Alliance demands that Brother Dezi meet at the bamboo forest outside Qinglong Temple in Leyouyuan at 3 o’clock in the hour of Xu on April 15th to attend an alliance meeting.”

“The Qingke Alliance?” Du Jingtian asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes, the Qingke Alliance. Brother Nan said that when Brother Dezi saw the note, his body trembled uncontrollably, and he kept muttering something like ‘Qingchen’,” Zhang Yanji said mysteriously, resting his chin on one hand.

Li Kuo stood up and walked a few steps, muttering to himself. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbed Zhang Yanji’s shoulder, and said urgently, “How did Dezi and the others receive this note? Who else was in the room at that time?”

Zhang Yanji shook himself free from Li Kuo’s grip after a few attempts, panting, “Brother Kuo, what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Only then did Li Kuo realize he had lost his composure. He smiled awkwardly and said, “No, I was just too excited. It’s just that I seem to remember my mother mentioning the word ‘Qingchen’ before—seems like my grandfather’s unjust case was related to it.”

“Oh.” Zhang Yanji hesitated, half-believing it, before continuing, “At that time, Brother Nan and Brother Dezi were having dinner inside when suddenly a feathered arrow shot in from outside. The note was tied to the arrow. Brother Nan rushed outside but found that the archer had already jumped onto the roof and fled along the ridge. Nan Jiyun was worried it might be a trick to lure them away, so he didn’t dare chase after them.”

“Qingchen, the Qingke Alliance, Leyouyuan…” Li Kuo murmured solemnly before saying sharply, “Damn it! That Qingke Alliance is likely connected to Li Linfu. Dezi can’t go!”

“How do you know? Oh, it seems Dezi is also aware of this organization. So he must be a member of it?” Zhang Yanji tapped his forehead in realization.

Li Kuo shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure. It’s just that when my grandfather had problems, my mother mentioned ‘Qingchen’ several times. And Li Linfu is undoubtedly the mastermind behind this. So, I suspect…”

“That Li Linfu is the backer of the Qingke Alliance!” Zhang Yanji exclaimed.

“But if that’s the case, why would Li Linfu simply order Wang Xuan to kill Dezi in the prison? Why would he create extra risks and go through the trouble of using the Qingke Alliance to cover his tracks?”

“I know why!”

Nan Jiyun strode into the inner room and spoke loudly.
“Brother Nan!”
Everyone exclaimed in unison.
“I heard of this alliance’s name during my travels in Weizhou. To be honest, this organization has a pretty good reputation in the martial world. Not only do they distribute food to the people during times of disaster, but they also often rob the rich to help the poor. However, there’s one very strange thing about this organization: members must have a green dragon tattooed on their backs and must never hold official positions, living as wanderers for life—hence the name Green Guest Alliance. That person wants to use the Green Guest Alliance to get rid of Dezi, probably trying to cover up his own suspicions.”
Nan Jiyun spoke calmly, seemingly holding some approval for this organization.
“Brother Nan, if this organization only does things like helping the poor by robbing the rich, then how do all their members make a living?”
Zhang Yanji asked doubtfully.
Nan Jiyun shook his head slightly. “I’m not exactly sure, but it’s said that this organization has connections with some high-ranking official in the court, so money might not be an issue.”
After a brief pause, Nan Jiyun sighed. “Every time this organization kills a corrupt merchant or official, they leave behind a line of cryptic verses underground, called ‘Nine additions to supreme glory, four directions in chaos; flames rise in Youyan, war spreads far and wide. When the green dragon emerges from the sea to the southwest, the capital will fall, and its arms will be secured in the east.’”
Li Kuo recited the verses several times, his eyes tightly closed, his eyelids fluttering violently. He clenched his right fist and slammed it against the wall beside him, sending up a cloud of dust. After a long while, the young man finally exhaled deeply and declared firmly, “No matter what schemes the Green Guest Alliance is up to, Dezi must not take any risks!”
“No,”
Nan Jiyun walked slowly to Li Kuo’s side and gently supported the young man. “He must go. We’ll just accompany him secretly. I’ve never believed in those strange prophecies my whole life. I’ve been stuck in the capital for too long—this is a good chance to go to Qinglong Temple and relax!”