Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Seeing that Ji Chang had already made up his mind, Zhang Kui said no more.

The old man's ability to remain calm and endure such hardship despite the grief of losing his son demonstrates a mental fortitude far exceeding that of ordinary people. Zhang Kui simply reminded him to take care of himself again before leaving the cell.

The next day, the envoy from Chaoge indeed arrived in Youli, ostensibly to "visit" but in reality to monitor him, and brought with him "deer meat" bestowed by King Zhou. When the food box was delivered to the prison, even though Zhang Kui was not present, he could imagine the torment and sorrow in Ji Chang's heart.

In the military camp, Zhang Kui gazed in the direction of the prison and sighed in his heart: "The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son... but now the ruler is no longer a ruler, the father is no longer a father, and the subject can only act disloyally."

Several days later, King Zhou's decree spread throughout the court and the country, pardoning Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, and bestowing upon him a white banner and a yellow battle-axe, ordering him to guard the western border and granting him the power to wage war.

According to custom, Ji Chang was required to personally go to Chaoge to meet the emperor and express his gratitude.

Before departing, Zhang Kui agreed to travel with Ji Chang. When they were stationed in Youli, Bi Gan and Huang Feihu hoped that Zhang Kui could ensure Ji Chang's safety. Now that Ji Chang was about to be released, he decided to go to Chaoge with him to report to King Wu Cheng, Huang Feihu, and take this opportunity to resign from his post as the garrison commander of Youli.

Upon arriving in Chaoge, the group was personally greeted by Huang Feihu, who showed great respect for Ji Chang, a highly respected senior minister, and invited him to a banquet at the royal palace. Zhang Kui, as one of the accompanying generals, was also present at the banquet.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Kui took the opportunity to submit his resignation to Huang Feihu. "Your Highness is wise. Since joining the army, I have been away from home for a long time. I would like to apply for a transfer back to my hometown of Mianchi so that I can take care of my elderly mother closer to home."

Huang Feihu greatly admired Zhang Kui, knowing his outstanding abilities and the fact that Grand Tutor Wen also favored him. After a moment's thought, he readily agreed: "I understand General Zhang's loyalty and filial piety. I will handle this matter immediately. General, you can first relinquish your military duties in Youli and return to Mianchi to rest for a while. Your new appointment will be issued soon."

The banquet was lively, and the wine was flowing freely. Seeing that the time was right, Huang Feihu lowered his voice and earnestly advised Ji Chang: "My lord, Chaoge is a place of great turmoil and you should not stay here for long. His Majesty's mind is unpredictable; he may pardon you today, but things may change again tomorrow. For your safety, you should leave Chaoge as soon as possible and return to Xiqi to truly find peace."

Having said that, he actually took out his own bronze token and handed it to Ji Chang: "This is my token, which can help you pass through the checkpoints. You should change your clothes immediately and leave the city under the cover of night to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Zhang Kui, listening from the side, frowned slightly. He wanted to speak up and dissuade him, feeling that leaving without saying goodbye was too disrespectful to King Zhou's face. Given the king's stubborn, brave, and decisive nature, he would definitely not let it go easily and might even become enraged and send troops to pursue him.

However, Huang Feihu and Ji Chang were clearly influenced by the pressure and alcohol of the past few days, and the two hit it off immediately and decided to follow the plan.

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Seeing that they had made up their minds, Zhang Kui knew that further discussion was pointless. He muttered to himself, "Hopefully, nothing else will go wrong. But Ji Chang must have returned to Xiqi safely, since Jiang Ziya is already fishing with a straight hook on the Wei River."

The next day, King Zhou learned that Ji Chang had left without saying goodbye and was furious. "How dare Ji Chang be so arrogant!" he exclaimed. "I ordered Yin Pobai, the commander of the Northern Army, and Lei Kai, the general of the palace guard, to gather three thousand elite cavalry and rush out of the city to capture Ji Chang."

Upon receiving their orders, Yin Pobai and Lei Kai immediately led their troops out of the city...

Upon hearing the news, Huang Feihu broke out in a cold sweat, realizing his mistake due to being drunk. He then pleaded with a look of shame, "General Zhang, this matter is entirely due to my lack of foresight. Now that the pursuers have set out, the Marquis of Xibo is in imminent danger. At this moment, no one but you, General, can protect him. I beg you to spare no effort and escort the Marquis for another stretch, simply helping him safely cross the Yellow River and enter Xiqi territory. I, Feihu, will forever remember this kindness."

Looking at Huang Feihu's anxious and sincere face, Zhang Kui sighed helplessly. He was truly destined to be a busybody. Oh well, he could just accept that a higher-ranking official could crush him.

"Your humble servant obeys." He clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, said no more, and turned to leave the Wu Cheng Prince's residence.

After leaving the Wu Cheng Prince's residence, Zhang Kui did not immediately chase after Ji Chang's carriage. Instead, he found a secluded place to make some preparations.

Yin Pobai and Lei Kai led the elite cavalry of Chaoge, which were extremely fast, while Ji Chang's group consisted mostly of scholars and servants, who moved slowly. It was only a matter of time before they were caught up.

With a calm mind and careful consideration, combined with his knowledge of the terrain, he quickly determined the most likely location for interception—Lintong Pass. This pass was a crucial strategic point leading to the Yellow River crossing, with a treacherous terrain, and was the only way to reach Xiqi.

"We must stop the pursuers at Lintong Pass, or at least buy Ji Chang time to cross the pass." Zhang Kui moved swiftly, using his flying technique, like an invisible chill merging into the wind, his speed suddenly increasing as he sped towards Lintong Pass.

……

Meanwhile, at Yuzhu Cave in Zhongnan Mountain.

Suddenly, Yun Zhongzi had a sudden inspiration. He did some calculations with his fingers, and his expression changed slightly.

He glanced at his exquisitely handsome disciple beside him, who was curiously fiddling with two newly formed immortal apricots in the cave. The apricots exuded a unique fragrance, and faintly, the energy of wind and thunder swirled within them.

"Alas, such is fate, there is no way to avoid it." Yun Zhongzi sighed softly. At the very moment of his sigh, the two immortal apricots seemed to be drawn by some force, and they fell off on their own, turning into two streams of light that shot straight into the mouth of the unsuspecting Lei Zhenzi.

"Ugh!" Lei Zhenzi felt two huge and violent streams of spiritual energy surge into his limbs and bones, causing him excruciating pain. He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

Unlike the original story, because Zhang Kui had cleansed his marrow and refined his body with the power of the Book of Changes, forging a "pure and spotless" foundation, his physical foundation was far more solid and pure than in the original story. Although he was enduring the pain of being infused with the power of wind and thunder, it did not cause his face to become distorted or his body to become deformed.

With a ripping sound, his clothes tore apart, and a pair of fleshy wings, wreathed in wind and thunder, burst forth from his body, unfurling to a wingspan of over ten feet, crackling with lightning and howling with the wind. His height also increased accordingly, and in no time, he grew into a dashing young man over eight feet tall. His face remained handsome, but there was a hint of ignorance between his brows, and a faint flash of lightning flickered in his eyes as they opened and closed.

"Master...Master!" Lei Zhenzi was both shocked and panicked, feeling the wings on his back and the surging power within his body.

Seeing this, Yun Zhongzi said in a deep voice, "Disciple, do not panic! This is your opportunity. The Wind and Thunder Wings are now complete. You should quickly descend the mountain and head towards Lintong Pass to rescue your father, Marquis Ji Chang of the West, from danger. This is your destined responsibility. I have also bestowed this golden staff upon you. Go quickly."

Although young, Lei Zhenzi was extremely intelligent. Upon hearing of his father's predicament, he immediately put aside his discomfort and a resolute look flashed in his eyes: "Disciple obeys!"

He tried to flap the wind and thunder wings on his back. With a whoosh, a flash of lightning, and his figure shot out of the Jade Pillar Cave like an arrow, transforming into a streak of blue and red light, heading straight for Lintong Pass.

……

Outside Lintong Pass, dust billowed along the official road.

Yin Pobai and Lei Kai led three thousand iron cavalry and finally caught up with Ji Chang's somewhat disheveled carriage.

"Marquis of Xibo, His Majesty has treated you well, pardoning you and granting you power. Yet you dare to leave without saying goodbye, showing contempt for the Emperor's authority. Quickly surrender and return with us to Chaoge to plead guilty to His Majesty!" Yin Pobai reined in his horse, pointed his spear at the convoy, and shouted sharply. Three thousand cavalrymen instantly dispersed, forming a semi-encirclement, completely surrounding Ji Chang and his entourage, their killing intent palpable.

Ji Chang stood atop the chariot shaft, with a pass blocking his way in front and elite troops in pursuit behind. It seemed that things would not end well today.

Just as Yin Pobai was about to order the arrest—

"call out--"

A sharp whistling sound came from the sky, followed by a terrifying blade aura, extremely refined, dark gold in color, and carrying the cry of a dragon-bird. The blade aura struck the ground in the middle of the road with perfect precision, like lightning tearing through the sky.

"BOOM!!!"

With a deafening roar, earth and rocks flew everywhere, and dust billowed into the sky. The violent shockwave, mixed with the sharp intent of a blade, forced the front-line cavalrymen to fall and their horses to the ground, throwing their formation into chaos.

"Who dares to obstruct the royal army?" Yin Pobai was both shocked and furious, and looked up.

On the hillside beside the official road, a figure had appeared out of nowhere. The person was tall and stood there casually, holding a strange long sword with an ancient design, dark gold shimmering, and a sparrow-beak-shaped blade, with five rings hanging from the blade.

It was Zhang Kui who had arrived early and had been waiting there for a long time.

"Commander Yin, how have you been?" Zhang Kui's voice clearly reached everyone present. "The Marquis of Xibo returned to his country by royal decree. How can you leave without saying goodbye? You led troops to pursue him. Are you trying to defy the imperial order?" He directly turned the tables and seized the moral high ground.

Yin Pobai recognized Zhang Kui. Recalling the humiliation he suffered at the gates of Youli City, both old and new grudges surged into his heart. Seeing that the other man was alone, he mustered his courage and roared, "Zhang Kui, stop your sophistry! Ji Chang left the capital without an audience with the Emperor to express his gratitude, which is a great disrespect. You dare to obstruct the royal army, which is tantamount to treason. Soldiers, form ranks, charge, and kill without mercy!"

The three thousand cavalrymen were, after all, the elite of Chaoge. Although they had been intimidated by the previous blow, upon hearing their general's order, they immediately regrouped, their murderous aura coalescing like rolling dark clouds, and charged towards Zhang Kui and Ji Chang's convoy behind him. Their iron hooves thundered as they pounded the ground, their momentum terrifying.

Zhang Kui's eyes turned cold. He knew words were useless; only a fight would suffice. He did not back down. Instead, he took a step forward, and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade in his hand emitted an excited hum.

"Since you insist on this, then don't blame me for being ruthless with my blade."

Just at this critical moment, a long howl, even higher and sharper, containing the power of wind and thunder, suddenly came from the sky.

"Father, don't panic! Lei Zhenzi is here!"

Before the words had even faded, a streak of light, a mix of blue and red, descended from the sky and crashed onto the official road. As the dust settled, a spirited young man, eight feet tall with wings of wind and thunder on his back, appeared, wielding a golden staff and surrounded by swirling lightning, exuding an imposing aura.

It was Lei Zhenzi who was sent down the mountain by his master to save his father.

His sudden appearance, along with his inhuman form and overwhelming aura of wind and thunder, caused the charging cavalry formation to halt once again. The warhorses neighed in fear, and many cavalrymen showed expressions of horror.

Zhang Kui looked at Lei Zhenzi's sudden appearance, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by understanding. He gripped the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow in his hand, nodded slightly to Lei Zhenzi who had just landed beside him, and said in a deep voice, "You've come at the right time. Lei Zhenzi, protect your father. Leave the rest to me."

The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment...

Let reading always be a chapter faster than others.