When Chen Ji arrived in this world, he knew nothing about his past self.
He could only piece together fragments of his identity from the information others revealed.
Now, the picture of his past was becoming clearer—and more terrifying.
A spy for the Jing Dynasty? Was he really a spy for the Jing Dynasty? For Chen Ji, this was the worst possible outcome.
It felt like walking on the edge of a knife, with a bottomless abyss on either side.
One misstep, and he would be doomed.
What should he do?
The person holding a knife to Chen Ji's back spoke calmly, "Don't make any sudden moves, or you'll die."
The voice was dry and heavy, but it carried absolute confidence.
This person was undoubtedly a seasoned operative from the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau, a high-ranking official!
Chen Ji remained still, but the shopkeeper spoke up, "Lord Si Cao, I've confirmed it. On the night of Lord Zhou's incident, this kid was exchanging information with him. Now, Lord Zhou's entire household has disappeared, and only this kid is still alive. He must have betrayed us."
The Military Intelligence Bureau's Si Cao pressed the cold blade tightly against Chen Ji's neck and asked in a low voice, "Do you have anything to say?"
Chen Ji's mind raced, but he remained calm.
"On the night I went to Zhou Chengyi's residence, he had already been betrayed by the 'Thin Horse' from the White Bamboo Garden in White Alley. That's why Yun Yang and Jiao Tu came for him. How can you say it was because of my betrayal that he died?"
The shopkeeper's voice was icy, "Then how did you survive? Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are notorious for their bloodlust. If you hadn't betrayed us and earned their trust, how could you still be alive? You've betrayed the Jing Dynasty!"
The shopkeeper, who had just been kicked earlier, took the opportunity to vent his anger by kicking Chen Ji in the stomach, causing him to double over.
Chen Ji wanted to fight back, but the person behind him kicked the back of his knee, making him almost fall to the ground.
But Chen Ji forced himself to stay upright, refusing to kneel.
The Si Cao kicked him several more times, but each time Chen Ji struggled back to his feet.
Finally, the Si Cao pressed down on his shoulders with great force, but Chen Ji would rather risk breaking his shoulder than bend his knee.
He stood straight, glaring at the shopkeeper and said fiercely, "No matter how many times you torture me, the result will be the same. I only have one question: If I had betrayed you, why are you still alive to talk to me?"
The shopkeeper was momentarily speechless.
This was the reason they hadn't killed Chen Ji immediately.
Although all the evidence pointed to his betrayal, everyone except Zhou Chengyi and Liu Shiyu was unharmed.
Given Chen Ji's position, if he had truly betrayed them, it would have been a disaster for the entire Military Intelligence Bureau in Luo City.
They needed to confirm what had really happened.
The storage room was filled with medicinal herbs, making it feel cramped.
The three of them could hear each other's breathing.
Chen Ji slowly exhaled and used two fingers to push the blade away from his neck.
"You want to kill me without even hearing me out? Let me finish. After I arrived at Zhou's residence, I barely had time to speak with Zhou Chengyi before Yun Yang and Jiao Tu showed up. Zhou Chengyi knew he couldn't survive, so he told me to save myself. He then took poison and died, while I survived by posing as a medical apprentice. The Secret Intelligence Bureau still doesn't know my true identity."
After saying this, Chen Ji no longer looked at the shopkeeper of the Hundred Deer Pavilion but turned to face the Si Cao directly—the third most important figure of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau operating in the Ning Dynasty! The Si Cao was dressed in plain gray clothes, with patches on his elbows and knees.
Strangely, he wore a thin wooden mask carved with a terrifying, demonic face.
Before the Si Cao could speak, he raised his hand and struck Chen Ji's neck, knocking him unconscious.
...
When Chen Ji woke up, he found himself hanging upside down in an unknown location, his head covered with a black cloth.
His vision was completely dark, and his wrist felt like it had been cut, the pain sharp and intense.
He heard a thick, dripping sound, as if his blood was slowly falling drop by drop.
The sound was like a countdown to his death, filling him with fear and urgency.
But Chen Ji remained calm.
"At the rate you're bleeding, you have only two hours to live," the Si Cao's voice came from behind the mask, muffled and heavy.
"Now, I ask you this: The Secret Intelligence Bureau never spares anyone, even if they don't know you're a spy. They would never let you live. Tell me, why did they let you go?"
Chen Ji explained in the darkness, "Because I made a contribution. I used alum as a clue and vinegar to reveal a hidden message on the paper Zhou Chengyi received from the paper shop."
The Si Cao asked sternly, "If what you're saying is true, then the skills you displayed don't match your identity as a medical apprentice. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu would have been suspicious! Yuan Ming, are you sure no one followed him when he came here?"
The shopkeeper shook his head, "No one."
"Check again. See if there are any unfamiliar faces around the Hundred Deer Pavilion."
"Understood."
The shopkeeper, named Yuan Ming, immediately went outside and stood in the courtyard, using a copper whistle to mimic the sound of a swallow.
Soon, similar swallow calls echoed back from the east, west, south, and north directions around the Hundred Deer Pavilion.
The shopkeeper returned, looking puzzled, "Lord Si Cao, our men report that no one followed him."
The Si Cao fell into deep thought, "How did you gain the trust of the Secret Intelligence Bureau to the point where they didn't even send someone to tail you?"
Chen Ji also pondered.
Yes, how did he...
It seemed like he had suddenly gained the trust of Yun Yang and Jiao Tu.
Not only was he allowed into the inner prison, but he could also freely access classified documents.
Those documents were the most important secrets of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.
If Yun Yang and Jiao Tu still suspected him of being a Jing Dynasty spy, they would never have let him see them.
Why?
Wait, it was because of that strange dream.
Chen Ji recalled the dream where someone had controlled his subconscious and asked him questions.
He had managed to pass the interrogation because... at that time, he genuinely didn't know he was a Jing Dynasty spy!
How close he had come to disaster, yet he had narrowly escaped!
Drip, drip.
The sound of blood falling continued, like a death knell.
Chen Ji's face was calm, but his voice was urgent, "I had a dream before. In the dream, someone kept asking me if I was a Jing Dynasty spy. My mind was almost overwhelmed, but in the end, I held on and answered 'no.'"
The Si Cao seemed surprised, "Dream Rooster personally interrogated you? And you managed to resist it."
However, the Si Cao wasn't entirely convinced.
Chen Ji felt a sharp pain in his arm, as if it had been cut again.
The sound of dripping blood disappeared, replaced by the sound of blood pouring into a wooden basin, splashing continuously.
The Si Cao said calmly, "No matter how convincingly you speak, it could all be a script prepared by the Secret Intelligence Bureau. If you want me to believe you, prove your loyalty to the Jing Dynasty. If you can't, I'll have no choice but to kill you. I'm sure your uncle would understand."
Chen Ji was stunned.
Uncle?
At this moment, the shopkeeper spoke up, "My lord, don't waste time with him. The Secret Intelligence Bureau must have a reason for letting him live. If we let him go back, the Hundred Deer Pavilion might be destroyed one day. This is one of our most important assets in the south, and many people depend on it for their livelihood."
The Si Cao didn't respond, waiting for Chen Ji's answer.
Chen Ji closed his eyes, thinking about how he could prove his loyalty to the Jing Dynasty.
When he opened them again, he said firmly, "At Liu Shiyu's house, I found the book 'Reflections on Things at Hand,' which contained hidden information using a reverse cipher. But I didn't hand it over to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. In the book, Liu Shiyu revealed that a high-ranking official from the royal palace was in contact with our Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Bureau. He also revealed that the entire Liu family had sided with the Jing Dynasty. If I had handed over that book, the Liu family would have been doomed!"
The Si Cao's breath caught, "Where is 'Reflections on Things at Hand'?"
"I burned it."
The Si Cao narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them.
He thought quietly for a moment, "You're not lying about this. The Secret Intelligence Bureau never found that book. Later, I infiltrated Liu Shiyu's residence to look for it but couldn't find it. So, you hid it in advance. Good..."
Chen Ji's heart tightened.
The Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Bureau knew that the Secret Intelligence Bureau hadn't obtained the book? Were there other spies in Liu's residence that night?!
As the Si Cao pondered, the shopkeeper said urgently, "Lord Si Cao, no matter how convincingly this kid speaks, it doesn't change the fact that he betrayed his comrades. Do you know how much trouble was caused after Liu's paper shop was raided? Not only was Liu Shiyu killed, but it almost led to a major disaster!"
Chen Ji, still hanging upside down, asked solemnly, "Tell me, who else from the Jing Dynasty has gained the trust of the Secret Intelligence Bureau's Twelve Zodiacs? Who else has escaped the interrogation of Dream Rooster?"
The Si Cao's expression changed.
Dream Rooster was one of the biggest obstacles to the Jing Dynasty's infiltration of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.
Countless spies had tried to infiltrate, only to fall before Dream Rooster.
Now, Chen Ji had escaped his interrogation.
Perhaps this was an opportunity.
But how could he be sure Chen Ji had truly escaped the interrogation?
After a long silence, Chen Ji made a bold move, "Give me one month. Within that time, I'll prove I haven't betrayed you, and I'll prove my loyalty to the Jing Dynasty."
The Si Cao thought for a moment, then turned to the shopkeeper, "Send a message. I need to meet with 'Long Whale.' I have important matters to discuss."
The shopkeeper hesitated but eventually left the room.
The Si Cao remained silent for a long time before finally cutting the rope and letting Chen Ji down.
He slowly sheathed the dagger in his sleeve, "When I came to the Ning Dynasty, your uncle asked me to look after you. I never expected things to turn out like this. Don't worry, if what you say is true, I won't kill you. In fact, I'll protect you. But if you're lying to me, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Chen Ji removed the black cloth from his head and found himself still in the medicinal herb storage room.
The Si Cao was holding a chicken, its blood already poured into the wooden basin.
Chen Ji wasn't surprised but pretended to be shocked as he touched his arm, where the pain had been.
There was no wound.
The Si Cao explained calmly, "I still need you to infiltrate the Secret Intelligence Bureau, so I wouldn't leave any suspicious marks on you. Also, out of respect for your uncle, I'm willing to give you a chance to prove yourself."
So, his uncle wasn't from the Ning Dynasty but the Jing Dynasty? That meant Chen Ji had at least half Jing Dynasty blood.
He had always thought the Jing Dynasty was a nomadic people, with appearances vastly different from the Ning Dynasty.
But judging by his own looks, the Ning and Jing Dynasties were clearly of the same origin, completely contradicting his understanding of the world.
For a moment, Chen Ji felt his identity becoming even more mysterious.
No wonder the Si Cao had said earlier...
"You've betrayed your identity, betrayed your surname."
(End of Chapter)