The Sheep sought refuge with Prime Minister Xun, but hadn’t gotten involved in the Chu Family case, nor had he managed to commit any heinous deeds for Prime Minister Xun. He received a hundred strikes of the paddle and was released from prison.
As for the Pig, he was granted special pardon and temporarily regained his freedom.
The Sheep said, "As members of the Twelve Guards, it’s only right that we come to congratulate you on your wedding."
Ji Li turned his face away and sneered, "I don’t care about that."
After a brief pause, he glared at the three and demanded, "So, where are the wedding gifts?"
Chen Long tossed him an embroidered box.
Ji Li opened it and his eyes widened instantly, "A Feng Shui Compass? This looks even more extraordinary than my old one... Could it actually be the legendary Heavenly Gang Compass? Where did you get this?"
Chen Long replied, "Stole it from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."
Ji Li’s expression flipped in an instant: "Good brother!"
With the Feng Shui Compass, his luck was turning back! Muahaha!
"And what about you two?"
His face darkened as he turned to Sheep and Pig, staring at them with a serious demeanor.
The Sheep shook his head, "I followed the Prime Minister, but didn’t have the chance to make a fortune before trouble befell him. Still, I can afford a small token of congratulations."
While saying this, he tossed Ji Li five copper coins.
Ji Li remarked, "Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?"
The Sheep replied, "I do have gold."
Chen Long and Pig instantly lunged forward, using all four hands to pin down Sheep, preventing him from pulling out the gold.
Pig scratched his head and said, "About wedding money, you won’t be able to accept mine. I’m not skilled like Chen Long at snatching treasures from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, so all I can give is a handmade wooden carving."
He pulled out a carving meticulously wrapped in silk from his wide sleeves.
Layer by layer, he unwrapped the silk, revealing a carving that stunned everyone—it was none other than a lifelike depiction of Chu Grand Marshal, standing atop a mountain peak, wearing a bamboo hat and wielding a sword.
As they looked at the vivid carving, everyone’s minds involuntarily drifted back to their shared memories.
Those were days of being forced to fight for their lives, yet also the most passionate moments of their existence.
"Old Pig, Old Sheep, come back." Ji Li suddenly spoke.
Chen Long also turned to Ji Li.
Ji Li said, "Don’t you think that the Grand Marshal’s death was also just another move in his greater strategy?"
Pig asked, "What do you mean?"
Ji Li analyzed, "The Black Armor Army vanished overnight—have you ever considered where they went? Outsiders might not know, but we do—all too clearly. Black Armor Army is Black Armor Army, and Twelve Guards are Twelve Guards; there’s no hierarchy between them. We don’t have the authority to command the Black Armor Army. Thus, the Army must have received orders directly from the Grand Marshal."
The Sheep asked, "What does that have to do with us?"
Ji Li weighed the wooden carving in his hand and said, "Don’t you want to know what kind of arrangements the Grand Marshal made? Perhaps, even the fracture within the Twelve Guards was all part of his plan. Only on the day the Twelve Guards reunite will we be qualified to meet him—or rather—meet the new master he’s chosen for the Twelve Guards."
Upon hearing this, all three fell silent.
The Sheep chuckled, "I’m not usually one to worry about other people’s business; I live for my own carefree life. I’m not nearly as devoted as you lot, but your words have piqued my curiosity. I really do want to know what kind of grand scheme the Grand Marshal set in motion. I’m in."
Ji Li turned to Pig again, "And you?"
Pig sighed, "I’m different from you all; I’m not just lacking in loyalty; I’m a traitor through and through. My very presence would only bring shame to the Twelve Guards. Chu Grand Marshal would never rest easy in the afterlife with me around. He surely wouldn’t want me back."
Ji Li shrugged, "Confessing to us won’t cut it—you need to confess to the Grand Marshal, confess to the new master he’s chosen for the Twelve Guards, and let them judge your fate."
Pig asked dubiously, "Do you really think there’ll be a new master for the Twelve Guards?"
Ji Li replied, "Whether there is or isn’t—you’ll know once you try."
Pig hesitated, then shook his head again, "I’m afraid that before we gather the Twelve Guards, Si Snake will kill me."
Ji Li said to him, "You don’t need to worry about that. I’m only asking—are you willing to join the game?"
Pig looked at the three of them, as though making some sort of decision. "You probably don’t know—after I betrayed the Chu Family, I’ve been repenting every night. I constantly think about ending myself, but somehow I feel like I’m not even entitled to do that."
"My life isn’t my own; it belongs to the Grand Marshal. Only he has the right to take it away. If Ji Li’s analysis is correct and he chose a new master for the Twelve Guards, then I’ll let them decide my sentence—no matter how they want me to die, I’ll be at peace."
"So, if none of you object, I’m willing to come back."
Grand and imposing, the wedding procession arrived at Feng Shui Alley amidst drumming and cheering.