"Half the credit goes to me, and half to you. How about that?"
The once bustling gambling den was now eerily quiet.
In a lavishly decorated private room, the plump Golden Pig sat at a round table.
Above the table, a hanged corpse swayed from the beam, yet Golden Pig smiled as if nothing was amiss, as though he were sitting next to a courtesan from the red-light district.
Chen Ji sat down across the table, curious.
"Lord Golden Pig, if we catch the spy from Jing Dynasty tonight, it would be a significant achievement. Are you really giving me half the credit?"
Golden Pig poured Chen Ji a cup of hot tea and spoke leisurely.
"Over the years, thanks to the trust of the Inner Minister, I've been managing the finances of the Secret Spy Bureau. At first, I didn't understand much. I got swindled in grain shops, brothels, gambling dens, and clothing stores, losing a lot of money. But the Inner Minister never said a word. He just told me not to be afraid of making mistakes."
Chen Ji suddenly realized that Golden Pig was likely also an orphan adopted by the Inner Minister.
Despite his young age, Golden Pig held the financial power of the Secret Spy Bureau, and even his losses were tolerated by the Inner Minister.
Their relationship must be incredibly deep.
In every word Golden Pig spoke, there was a deep admiration for the Inner Minister.
To the outside world, the Inner Minister was a venomous figure, but to Golden Pig, he was like a father.
Golden Pig continued, "Later, I discovered I had a talent for business and gradually learned the tricks of the trade. I found that third-rate investments are about labor—working hard to run a small business, like a noodle shop. Second-rate investments are about technology—doing what others can't, like making sugar. First-rate investments are about making money from money, like running a bank. But none of these are the most brilliant investments..."
Chen Ji pondered, "Then what is the most brilliant investment?"
Golden Pig smiled.
"Of course, investing in 'people.'"
He sighed, "Over the years, my best investment was helping Tianma. Back then, I wasn't Golden Pig, and he was just a low-level spy. He always charged ahead when catching spies, and no matter how tired he was, a bowl of beef noodles would make him happy and ready to sleep. Watching him eat, it seemed like beef noodles were the best thing in the world."
"Later, I became Golden Pig, and he was still just a low-level spy. I gave him all my credit, helping him gain access to cultivation, and now he's Tianma. Over the years, the lower nine zodiac positions have come and gone like falling flowers, but only I and Xuan Snake have remained steady. Xuan Snake is under the care of White Dragon, and I owe my stability to Tianma."
For a moment, Chen Ji felt a rare sense of humanity in the cold, ruthless Secret Spy Bureau.
He imagined Golden Pig, with his hidden knives behind his smile, taking the young Tianma to a noodle shop after catching a spy, peeling garlic and chatting about how close they had come to danger.
It all felt a bit unreal.
No wonder Golden Pig, despite being just one of the lower nine zodiacs, was much more formidable than Cloud Sheep or Moon Rabbit.
"May I ask, Lord Golden Pig, what rank must one reach to gain access to cultivation?" Chen Ji asked softly.
Golden Pig drained his teacup.
"The Sea Eagle. That's the threshold. Once you become a Sea Eagle, you're no longer a small spy. Even the civil officials won't dare look down on you. At the same time, you'll have the chance to glimpse the path to immortality."
"Then, if I get promoted, what would you need me to do, Lord Golden Pig?" Chen Ji asked curiously.
Golden Pig smiled.
"Right now, the position of Sea Eagle in Luo City is vacant. I'm not sure if the Inner Minister is deliberately keeping it open or if there's just no suitable candidate, but someone will have to fill it eventually. I have many businesses in Luo City, and I need someone to keep an eye on them. You don't need to do much—just make sure no one causes trouble."
"What businesses do you have, Lord Golden Pig?" Chen Ji asked.
Golden Pig laughed.
"I just added one, and it's a good chance for you to get familiar with it... Bring him in!"
...
Two spies dragged in a thin, short merchant and forced him to kneel on the ground.
The merchant, tears and snot streaming down his face, pleaded, "My lord, I, Chaocang, have always run my business honestly. This gambling den has no connection to the Jing Dynasty spies!"
Golden Pig squatted in front of him and said calmly, "You say there's no connection? If there's no connection, why did the Jing Dynasty spy pass through here? Why did a fight break out in your shop? Sign the deed honestly, and you'll avoid a beating. Otherwise, your whole family will be executed or exiled to Lingnan... Give him the paper and pen."
The spy threw the prepared contract on the ground and said coldly, "Boss Chao, sign and press your fingerprint."
Chen Ji: "..."
So this is how Golden Pig's businesses came to be?!
This wasn't making money from money—it was making money from nothing!
The gambling den owner trembled as he finally pressed his fingerprint, then collapsed like a pile of mud as he was dragged away.
Chen Ji asked, puzzled, "Lord Golden Pig, this merchant isn't a Jing Dynasty spy... Won't the Ministry of Justice intervene?"
Golden Pig looked at him and said earnestly, "Of course he's not, but I manage the finances of the Secret Spy Bureau. So many people need to be fed, so I have to find ways to increase revenue and reduce expenses for the Inner Minister, to share his burden. Hehe, Lin Chaoqing from the Ministry of Justice isn't in Luo City today. This is a rare opportunity."
"What if someone finds out?" Chen Ji asked curiously.
Golden Pig stood up and patted his shoulder.
"Gambling dens are harmful, and Boss Chao is deeply sinful. Tonight, he'll commit suicide out of guilt. Don't worry, no one will find out."
With that, he smiled at Chen Ji.
"I'm telling you this because I consider you a trusted confidant. You wouldn't betray me, would you? Don't worry, following me is much more rewarding than following Moon Rabbit or Cloud Sheep. From now on, the court will give you twenty-four taels of silver a year, and I'll give you another twenty-four taels, totaling forty-eight taels."
Chen Ji thought to himself that forty-eight taels wouldn't be enough for his cultivation expenses.
"Is this only for a few people, or does everyone get it?"
Golden Pig replied, "Everyone gets it. Our brothers risk their lives, and twenty-four taels a year isn't enough to live on. The civil officials limit our salaries, so the Inner Minister has his ways. Many people look down on my position, saying I reek of money, but what do they know? I manage the internal allowances and compensations for the Secret Spy Bureau. We have to be frugal and meticulous."
Seeing Chen Ji's expression, he added slowly, "Once you become a Sea Eagle and gain access to cultivation, you'll receive additional cultivation resources every month."
Chen Ji probed, "What can an ordinary Sea Eagle get, and how much?"
Golden Pig thought for a moment.
"For an ordinary martial artist's cultivation path, if you have no achievements in a month, you'll get about six old ginseng roots. If you have achievements, the more you accomplish, the more you'll receive."
Chen Ji's heart stirred.
This was the most important part.
With over two hundred cities across the twelve provinces of Ning Dynasty, that meant over two hundred Sea Eagles.
The amount of cultivation resources distributed each month was astronomical!
Just the six ginseng roots given out this month, totaling about one hundred and ninety taels, was more than many people could earn in ten years!
Golden Pig stared straight at Chen Ji and said seriously, "But you must remember, this is given to you by the Inner Minister, not the court."
Chen Ji understood.
Golden Pig wasn't managing the maritime trade, silver mines, or textile bureaus—those revenues went to the emperor's inner court.
Golden Pig managed the Inner Minister's personal treasury.
He stood up and clasped his fists.
"Lord Golden Pig, I will go through fire and water for the Inner Minister, without hesitation!"
Golden Pig smiled, stood up, and took his hand.
"Tonight, luring and killing the Jing Dynasty spy is one achievement. If we can catch the defected spy, that's another great achievement. I know you're clever, so I'll rely on you for this."
Chen Ji thought for a moment.
"Lord Golden Pig, do you have any leads?"
In fact, this was what Chen Ji cared about most.
This Jing Dynasty spy had seen his face.
He had to find this person before the Secret Spy Bureau did.
Every day he wasn't found was another day of unease.
When it came to leads on the defected spy, Golden Pig cursed.
"This spy is seriously injured. He should be easy to catch, but a rainstorm wiped out his trail. Finding him in Luo City now is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
At that moment, a cat's meow came from outside the window.
No one paid attention, thinking it was just a stray cat sheltering from the rain.
Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "Then, Lord Golden Pig, please continue waiting here for the Jing Dynasty spy. I'll go down and see if I can find any leads on the defected spy."
With that, he left the private room, pulling his hat low.
In the room, a spy said, "My lord, he knows about our ambush plan. Should we be careful in case he leaks information?"
Golden Pig nodded.
"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him leave 'Chaocang.' Although Meng Ji tested him and confirmed he's not a Jing Dynasty spy, it's better to be safe than sorry."
...
Chen Ji walked down from the second floor.
Spies with hands on their sword hilts guarded every passage, and almost everyone had a hand crossbow at their waist.
With this level of control, if the Jing Dynasty's military intelligence bureau came to silence witnesses, they would pay a heavy price.
But what did that have to do with Chen Ji? He only cared about whether he would be exposed.
As he descended the stairs, he glanced down and saw a familiar figure: his own second brother, Chen Wenxiao!
Strange, why would Chen Wenxiao be in a gambling den in the middle of the night? Could he also be involved with the Jing Dynasty spy?
No, his face was pale, his eyes dark—he looked like a true gambling addict, not the elegant nobleman he appeared to be during the day.
Chen Ji suddenly remembered the rumors about his own gambling addiction and felt there was more to the story.
As he pondered, Chen Wenxiao quietly looked around.
Chen Ji pulled his hat lower and walked away.
In the gambling den, copper coins and silver were scattered on the floor.
A trail of blood led from the entrance to the backyard, likely the escape route of the defected spy.
Chen Ji followed the blood trail toward the backyard.
Upstairs, the spy next to Golden Pig leaned on the wooden railing, his eyes closely following Chen Ji's steps.
When he saw Chen Ji about to leave the gambling den, his eyes tightened.
He gestured to two spies downstairs, signaling them to follow.
However, Chen Ji stopped before leaving the den and turned to another corner.
The spies relaxed.
Chen Ji reached a corner, bent down as if searching for clues, and whispered, "Dark Cloud, Dark Cloud?"
From the shadows, a soaked Dark Cloud meowed, "I'm here!"
Chen Ji's face was hidden under his hat as he asked softly, "How did you find me?"
"I wanted to go to the clinic to tell you that Consort Jing plans to have Chunhua seduce you, but I found you weren't there," Dark Cloud replied.
"I asked many cats along the way to find this place."
Chen Ji was stunned.
"Wait, you asked many cats?"
"Of course," Dark Cloud said, not understanding Chen Ji's surprise.
"You humans ask humans for directions. Why is it strange for us cats to ask cats?"
"Can they answer... I mean, can cats without spiritual intelligence answer your questions?"
"Fat Orange and Cow Cat definitely can't. They're not very smart, so asking them is useless. But Tabby Cats can. They're clever, good fighters, and have large territories. But Tabby Cats can be hard to deal with—they have bad tempers," Dark Cloud explained.
Chen Ji's mind raced.
This was an angle he had never considered.
Stray cats were everywhere in Luo City.
He quickly asked, "Can you get them to help me find someone? He's seriously injured and disappeared after escaping from Chaocang Gambling Den last night!"
"Where did he escape to?"
"I don't know."
"That's hard to find..."
Dark Cloud fell silent for a moment.
"I'll need to find a Calico Cat. They're well-liked and can ask Tabby Cats in different territories."
"This is a matter of life and death for me. We must find this person before the Secret Spy Bureau does!"
Dark Cloud pounded his chest with his paw.
"Leave it to me, don't worry!"
...
There will be another chapter tonight at midnight, followed by a shorter author's note.
You can read it or not.
(End of Chapter)