The vermilion gates of Liu Shiyu's mansion slowly creaked open from within.
Stepping out first was Yun Yang, his demeanor carrying a hint of arrogance.
"The evidence is here," he declared.
"I will send it posthaste to the capital for the Emperor's judgment!"
Liu Mingxian sat atop his warhorse, the flickering flames casting an uncertain light on his expression beneath the mourning hat.
He stared at the stack of evidence in Yun Yang's hand, veins throbbing on his forehead.
He hadn’t expected Yun Yang and Jiao Tu to actually find evidence.
Now, if he wanted to avenge the old master, he no longer had a justifiable reason.
But something felt off… He looked up and noticed a masked figure standing behind Yun Yang, head bowed.
Who was this? Why was he masked?
Just as Liu Mingxian tried to get a closer look, Yun Yang subtly shifted his position, completely blocking the masked figure.
With a faint smile, Yun Yang asked, "Lord Liu, will you not retreat?"
Liu Mingxian remained silent, showing no intention of backing down.
The tension between the two sides was palpable, waiting for his decision—whether to fight or retreat.
Liu Mingxian calmly asked, "Where is Liang Gou'er?"
A young man holding the reins beside the horse nervously replied, "Uncle, Liang Mao'er just came with a message. He said Liang Gou'er has already dealt with the eunuch faction and is now resting in Red Clothes Alley."
Liu Mingxian's face darkened as he surveyed the drawn swords of the Fish and Dragon Guards from the Main Punishment Bureau.
Through gritted teeth, he said, "Tell Liang Gou'er to take his broken blade and get out of the Liu family. There’s no place for him here!"
Yet, he still wasn’t ready to give up.
He urged his horse forward, leading hundreds of Liu family members to press on.
At this moment, Lin Chaoqing spoke up, "Lord Liu, do not bring ruin upon the entire Liu family. Why not wait until Elder Liu returns to Luocheng and consult him before making any decisions?"
Liu Mingxian stared straight at Lin Chaoqing.
Finally, he cupped his hands in a distant salute.
"Liu will await judgment at home. Let’s return and prepare the funeral for the old master!"
As he left, he couldn’t help but glance back, catching sight of Lin Chaoqing whispering something to the masked figure.
"Investigate that masked man!" Liu Mingxian growled.
"Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are known for their killing prowess, but I’ve never heard of them being skilled in gathering evidence. That masked man must be the key. Find him!"
"Understood, Uncle."
For a moment, Liu Mingxian had a gut feeling: if not for that masked man, perhaps everything would have turned out differently.
After the Liu family departed, Lin Chaoqing mounted his horse, adjusting his raincoat as he looked down at Chen Ji.
"Young man, my offer stands for two months. Perhaps it won’t even take that long for you to understand what kind of people are in the Secret Intelligence Bureau."
Yun Yang’s face darkened.
"Who are you mocking? All your Main Punishment Bureau knows is how to attack colleagues. What else can you do?"
Lin Chaoqing silently led the Main Punishment Bureau eastward, his dark raincoat fluttering like black wings behind him.
He had come in a hurry and left just as swiftly.
As they rode away, a Fish and Dragon Guard tipped his hat to Chen Ji with a smile.
They respected those with skill.
But Chen Ji would never work for the Main Punishment Bureau.
He didn’t seek an official position, nor did he wish to serve the imperial power.
What he wanted now was to cultivate, and cultivation required money—something the Main Punishment Bureau couldn’t provide.
As the sound of hooves faded, Yun Yang glanced at Chen Ji.
"Once you join the Main Punishment Bureau, you become the enemy of all officials in the court, destined to be a lone minister. Since ancient times, how many lone ministers have met a good end?"
Chen Ji calmly replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Lord Yun Yang."
Yun Yang asked, "Do you think other members of the Liu family are involved?"
Chen Ji shook his head.
"I don’t know."
Yun Yang pressed, "Does the Jing Dynasty have other means of transmitting information?"
Again, Chen Ji shook his head.
"I don’t know."
"Are you hiding something, like you did last time at the Zhou residence?"
Chen Ji firmly replied, "No."
Yun Yang chuckled.
This kid wasn’t as honest as he seemed, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He smiled at Chen Ji.
"Tomorrow night, someone will deliver fifty taels of silver to Taiping Medical Hall. Farewell."
"Wait! Could you advance me eight coins?" Chen Ji asked.
Yun Yang looked at him oddly, then fished out eight copper coins from his sleeve.
"Are you that desperate for eight coins? Consider it a gift."
Chen Ji smiled sincerely.
"Thank you. I’ll take my leave now."
Jiao Tu suddenly realized that Chen Ji’s smile at this moment was the most genuine.
Yun Yang called out, "Wait, don’t go yet."
Before Chen Ji could react, a dagger slipped from Yun Yang’s sleeve, grazing past Chen Ji’s ear.
A strand of hair fell into Yun Yang’s palm.
"Now you can go."
Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then left without a word.
After Chen Ji had gone, Jiao Tu couldn’t help but ask, "Why not bring him into the Secret Intelligence Bureau? If he’s under our command, we can make him work without paying him fifty taels of silver… Fifty taels could buy so many beautiful clothes, enough for me to wear for years!"
"No," Yun Yang rejected the idea.
"This kid’s abilities… he’s ruthless to others and even more so to himself. He’s also clever—exactly what the Prime Minister likes. If he really joined the Secret Intelligence Bureau, he might end up surpassing us."
"But there’s no room in the Twelve Zodiacs," Jiao Tu said.
Yun Yang whispered, "I heard Sick Tiger is about to retire… I must be out of my mind to think he could replace Sick Tiger."
Jiao Tu suddenly said, "We need to confirm whether he’s a Jing Dynasty spy. Only then can we use him with confidence."
Yun Yang calmly replied, "I’ve already thought of that. Last night, I sent a carrier pigeon to Meng Ji in Kaifeng. He’ll arrive in Luocheng soon. With him handling the interrogation, there’s no room for error."
"What did it cost to bring Meng Ji here?"
"A hefty price… Let’s go. It’s getting late."
In the blink of an eye, the once bustling courtyard was left with only the rustling of leaves in the autumn wind.
It was as if everyone’s fate was destined to end in desolation and emptiness after the noise and feasting.
…………
Chen Ji walked down a dark alley.
As he moved, a small black, furry cat appeared on the wall, carrying a book and a ginseng in its mouth.
The boy walked on the ground, while the cat followed slowly on the wall.
Under the moonlight, their shadows moved in tandem, as if sharing some unspoken rhythm.
The cat, named Wu Yun, dropped the book and ginseng from its mouth.
Chen Ji silently reached out, catching them mid-air.
A cold stream of energy flowed from him, transforming half of the ginseng into four transparent beads.
He tucked the book and the remaining ginseng into his robe, then tossed the beads one by one onto the wall.
Wu Yun caught each one with precision as it moved.
The boy and the cat moved in perfect harmony, as if they had rehearsed the routine countless times.
A warm current passed from Wu Yun to Chen Ji, suddenly igniting the fourth furnace flame beside his dantian.
In an instant, the four furnace flames released faint, flickering fire, linking together like chains to form a complete cage, sealing the dantian entirely.
The four flames seemed to share an innate bond.
The moment they connected, a powerful surge of warmth washed over Chen Ji’s flesh and bones, dispelling the fatigue of the night.
Chen Ji looked up and silently pointed in a direction for Wu Yun.
At a T-junction, the boy and the cat suddenly parted ways—one going straight, the other turning left.
The next moment, Chen Ji broke into a sprint!
Soon after, hurried footsteps echoed from the mist behind him, where a blurry figure was rapidly closing in.
Chen Ji navigated the dark, winding streets, trying to shake off his pursuer.
But the tracker always seemed to find the right path at every fork.
Chen Ji could almost hear the man’s breathing behind him.
This wasn’t working.
He couldn’t outrun him.
The footsteps grew closer.
Chen Ji judged that the pursuer was faster than him, at least at the level of a Secret Intelligence agent.
He had expected someone to follow him, perhaps even try to kill him.
That’s why he had used the ginseng he had planned to save for the medical hall to create the cold stream without hesitation.
One had to stay alive for anything to matter.
Since coming to this world, Chen Ji felt like he had been thrown into a hellish start.
Even if he hid in the medical hall, danger would find him.
But if life was destined to be this way, he chose not to run.
The footsteps were almost upon him, but Chen Ji’s eyes remained calm.
When the pursuer was just three steps away, Chen Ji suddenly turned and charged at him.
The narrow alley normally only allowed two people to walk side by side, with high residential walls on either side and uneven stone paths underfoot.
The attacker hadn’t expected his prey to turn and fight.
He instinctively reached for the sword at his waist, but before he could draw it, Chen Ji grabbed his wrist.
The assassin’s strength was greater than Chen Ji’s, but the momentum of their collision gave Chen Ji the upper hand.
With a clang, the sword was forced back into its sheath before it could be fully drawn!
Under the dim moonlight, the middle-aged assassin’s pupils contracted sharply.
He looked at Chen Ji, only to find the boy staring back at him with equal intensity.
This wasn’t the look of prey.
The assassin stepped back, lifting his leg to kick Chen Ji in the chest, sending the boy tumbling backward.
He reached for his sword again, but before he could draw it, Chen Ji somersaulted and lunged forward without pause.
Another clang—the sword was forced back once more.
Twice in a row, the assassin hadn’t even managed to draw his blade!
The assassin sneered inwardly.
He abandoned the sword and began throwing punches at Chen Ji’s chest.
In his eyes, the boy was wide open, full of openings, with no experience in combat.
But when he looked at Chen Ji, he saw no fear or pain in the boy’s eyes—only excitement, as if there was fire in his gaze.
Chen Ji was certain that cultivators in this world were a rare breed, hidden behind the scenes, rarely appearing.
Otherwise, whoever wanted him dead tonight wouldn’t have sent just an "ordinary" man like this.
Compared to Lin Chaoqing and Yun Yang, this middle-aged assassin was indeed just an ordinary man!
In that instant, Chen Ji endured punch after punch, then lunged forward again, crashing into the assassin’s chest and pinning his arms under his own.
Now was the time!
A shadow descended from the wall.
The assassin turned in alarm, thinking someone was ambushing him, but all he saw was a black cat.
Before he could relax, the cat had already passed him.
As they crossed paths, Wu Yun’s sharp claws slashed across the assassin’s neck.
Ssssh.
A spray of blood splattered against the wall.
Chen Ji released the assassin and sat on the ground, panting.
He coldly watched as the man clutched his neck in disbelief, slowly collapsing against the wall.
The middle-aged assassin saw the black cat leap gracefully into the boy’s arms.
With his last breath, he asked, "A cultivator?"
Chen Ji frowned.
Cultivator? Was that what they called people like him in this world?
(End of Chapter)