Midnight.
Chen Ji woke up from a dream, slowly sitting up in his bed.
In the simple apprentice dormitory, Liang Mao'er, She Dengke, and Liu Quxing were sound asleep.
Liang Gou'er was nowhere to be seen, probably out fooling around as usual, and hadn't returned for the night.
The usually inseparable cat and dog duo hadn't gone out together today.
Chen Ji struggled to get out of bed and cautiously made his way to the courtyard.
He needed to find out whether Wu Hongbiao had been lying to him or not.
The empty courtyard was silent, save for a crow perched on the apricot tree branch.
Chen Ji turned his gaze toward the wall where a ladder was propped up.
No one was peeking over the wall, no one was holding their sister steady as she wobbled on the other side.
The young master and the White Carp Princess had suddenly stopped going out to play, or perhaps they no longer used the medical clinic as a shortcut.
The Peaceful Medical Clinic had returned to its usual tranquility.
Chen Ji fetched some leftover food and water from the kitchen and was about to head out of the clinic when the crow blocked his path, pointing outside.
"Uncle Crow, what are you trying to say?" Chen Ji asked, puzzled.
The crow spread its wings and gestured, first pointing outside the clinic, then mimicking the motion of drawing a knife from its waist.
Chen Ji was stunned.
"Are you saying the Peaceful Medical Clinic is being watched?"
The crow nodded approvingly.
Chen Ji's heart sank.
"Uncle Crow, who's watching the clinic? If it's the Secret Intelligence Bureau, blink once. If it's the Military Intelligence Bureau, blink twice."
The crow blinked three times.
Chen Ji: "..."
The crow grinned, as if mocking Chen Ji for being in deep trouble.
Chen Ji frowned, deep in thought.
Why were these two factions watching him? What had gone wrong? And with both sides keeping an eye on him, how was he supposed to meet Wu Hongbiao?
The crow stopped teasing Chen Ji and waved its wing, signaling him to follow.
It then flew up to the roof of the clinic's main hall.
Chen Ji brought over a ladder and stealthily climbed up to the roof with the crow.
At midnight, a man and a crow peeked over the ridge of the roof, spying on the shops across the street.
The two sides were separated by Anxi Street, and in the darkness, it was hard to make out details.
The crow pointed to the second floor of the third shop on the right.
The room was dark, but the window was slightly ajar, giving a clear view of the clinic's entrance.
The crow then pointed to the second floor of the second shop on the left.
Similarly, the window was slightly open, facing the clinic's main entrance.
Both sides seemed to be observing who was coming and going from the clinic.
Chen Ji muttered, "At least they didn't rent the same shop..."
The crow silently laughed.
Chen Ji pulled his head back behind the roof ridge and whispered, "Uncle Crow, how many people are in the shop on the right?"
The crow blinked three times.
Three.
"And on the left?"
The crow blinked three times again.
Also three.
Chen Ji felt a heavy sense of danger.
Sending one person was normal for surveillance, but sending three? That was preparation for an arrest or an assassination.
Thankfully, Uncle Crow was here to help...
Chen Ji turned to the crow with a smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Crow, for helping me again... Why are you willing to help me?"
The crow smiled silently but didn't answer.
Chen Ji asked again, "How do I get to the fabric shop?"
The crow waved its wing, indicating a detour to the back.
Following the crow's guidance, Chen Ji moved through the shadows between the buildings along Anxi Street and climbed into the backyard of the fabric shop.
Not only that, but Uncle Crow also took care of the aftermath.
Once Chen Ji entered the yard, it perched on the wall, keeping watch.
Hearing the sound of someone climbing over the wall, Wu Hongbiao, who had been lying on the ground, sat up.
"Finally, you're here. Are the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Secret Intelligence Bureau still after me?"
Chen Ji replied, "They're still after you, but they've been lured to the west market. I heard the fabric shop is about to be sold, so this isn't a safe place to stay. Someone might come to inspect the shop at any time."
Wu Hongbiao thought for a moment.
"Then I'll clean up the place tomorrow. If someone comes, I'll climb out of the yard and wait until they leave before climbing back in."
"It's still not safe."
Wu Hongbiao pondered and then asked, "Have you found out the true identity of the Chief?"
Chen Ji remained silent for a moment.
"First, answer some questions for me and do something for me. Then I'll answer your question."
Wu Hongbiao studied Chen Ji carefully.
"You've changed."
Chen Ji leaned against the doorframe, letting the moonlight stretch his shadow.
Once close friends, one stood at the door, the other sat on the ground, both looking worse for wear, like brothers who had fallen on hard times, yet maintaining a safe distance.
Wu Hongbiao said softly, "You used to be untrained and lacked vigilance. Of course, that's also because of the environment you grew up in. In the Jing Dynasty, we were conscripted into the harshest northern military camps at the age of twelve, raised in bitter cold, where half the year was winter. The food in the camps was limited, and if you weren't good enough, you'd go hungry. Go hungry twice, and you'd freeze to death. There, even getting a full meal required scheming against each other."
Wu Hongbiao continued, "You grew up in the warm, flower-filled south of the Ning Dynasty, where there are beautiful dancers and singers, elegant scholars, and the bustling Qinhuai River. Living here, naturally... you were softer."
Chen Ji asked calmly, "And now?"
Wu Hongbiao replied seriously, "Now it's different. I don't know what you've been through, but now you're more like a proper soldier. Though it's a bit disheartening not to be trusted, I'm genuinely happy for you. Only someone like you could survive long enough for us to meet again."
Chen Ji lowered his head.
"Since the Jing Dynasty betrayed you, have you considered joining the Secret Intelligence Bureau?"
Wu Hongbiao's expression turned stern.
"It's not the Jing Dynasty that betrayed me, but the Chief. I've told you before, I won't let the dirty politics of a few people shake my faith. I believe your uncle and his allies will rise again and cleanse the court of its corrupt elements. The people of the Jing Dynasty have suffered enough. I won't betray my homeland because of a few scoundrels."
Chen Ji fell silent.
This was the first time he'd heard the word "faith" since coming to this world.
He didn't want to dwell on the issue and asked the question he most wanted answered: "You said it was the Chief, the one with the green-faced, fanged mask who's skilled with a blade, who wanted to kill us. Why do you say that?"
Wu Hongbiao looked puzzled.
"The Chief is the Chief. Why add all those descriptions? There's only one Chief."
Chen Ji shook his head.
"Just answer my question."
Wu Hongbiao recalled, "The people who came to kill me first lied, saying the Chief had ordered me to go to the east market to pick up a shipment. I'm a pigeon-level spy. In the entire Luo City, only you, Zhou Chengyi, and the Chief know my identity. Also, on the day the assassins came, I demanded they show me the Chief's token, and they did."
"What's the Chief's token?"
"It's a copy of the 'Luo City Chronicles' with a special seal from Rongbaozhai. The seal has a chipped corner on the upper right, making it impossible to forge."
Chen Ji finally understood.
Wu Hongbiao didn't know there was another Chief, nor did he know that a new Chief had arrived in Luo City and pushed out the old one.
So, according to his own deduction, it was the original Chief, the shopkeeper Yuan, who wanted to kill them, not the coachman Chief.
But Chen Ji needed to verify that Wu Hongbiao wasn't lying.
After a long silence, he said, "I need you to do something."
"What is it?"
"Meet the Chief."
Wu Hongbiao looked shocked.
...
Early morning, Luo City Magistrate's Office.
The office bore a golden plaque reading "Luo City Government Office."
Officials hurried to the entrance to check in, with one clerk whispering, "Hurry up, hurry up. If we're late, the Vice Magistrate will have our heads."
As they spoke, a carriage adorned with golden sparrow patterns slowly stopped at the entrance.
The officials, forgetting to check in, stopped and bowed.
The coachman lifted the curtain and hooked it to the carriage, then placed a stool beside it before saying softly, "Second Master, we've arrived."
Liu Mingxian, dressed in a blue official robe, a black hat, a jade belt loosely tied around his waist, and black boots with white soles, stepped down from the carriage.
"Greetings, Vice Magistrate."
"Greetings, Vice Magistrate."
Liu Mingxian grunted in acknowledgment, and the officials straightened up and hurried into the office.
By protocol, a fifth-rank official like Liu Mingxian wasn't entitled to ride in a golden sparrow carriage.
But with the Liu family's patriarch holding a high position and Yuzhou being the Liu family's stronghold, no one dared to say anything.
Once Liu Mingxian entered the office, the coachman drove the carriage to the side, put on a bamboo hat, and squatted at the entrance, chatting with other coachmen and sedan carriers.
The coachman asked with a smile, "Er Niu, did your master go out to have fun again last night?"
Er Niu chuckled, "When doesn't my master go out to have fun? Last night, he went to the White Clothes Lane brothel and apparently met the famous courtesan, Liu Xing."
The coachman raised an eyebrow.
"Every master in Luo City wants to see what Liu Xing looks like. What did your master say?"
Er Niu replied honestly, "My master said Liu Xing is truly a remarkable woman, but she's under the protection of the Xu family, so no one dares to mess with her."
The coachman paused for a breath, then asked, "Old Li, what about you? What did you do last night?"
"What else could I do?" Old Li yawned.
"Last night, a group of spies from the Craftsmen's Bureau came to inspect the warehouse ledgers. My master had to stay there all night, not allowed to leave. He didn't even go home this morning and came straight here."
The coachman laughed.
"That's rough. Go home and have your wife give you a good back rub."
"My wife? She'd rather hit me than rub my back!"
The coachmen and sedan carriers burst into laughter.
At that moment, Liu Mingxian's coachman glanced across the street and his expression darkened.
On the other side of the street stood a pale young man, staring directly at him.
The coachman said to the others, "I haven't eaten yet this morning. I'm going to grab a bowl of tofu pudding. Keep chatting."
"Sure, bring me a couple of fried dough sticks when you come back!"
The coachman, Chief, quickly blended into the crowd.
As he walked, he suddenly sidestepped next to the young man, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into an alley.
Once they were in the alley, the coachman Chief hissed, "Wu Hongbiao, are you trying to get yourself killed? The Secret Intelligence Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau are both after you, and you're still in Luo City?!"
Wu Hongbiao whispered, "I can't leave."
The coachman Chief asked sternly, "How do you know my identity? How did you find me here?"
Wu Hongbiao lowered his head.
"I followed you before."
The Chief sneered.
"You followed me? You think you could follow me? Have you already defected to the Ning Dynasty's Secret Intelligence Bureau?"
Wu Hongbiao looked up and met the Chief's gaze.
"I was one of Minister Lu's elite, specially sent to the Southern Dynasty. Don't underestimate me."
The Chief still didn't believe him.
He narrowed his eyes, his hand slipping into his sleeve, ready to draw a dagger.
He quickly scanned the surroundings but saw no one closing in.
The Secret Intelligence Bureau had used over a hundred men last time at the Qinhuai River and still failed to capture him.
If Wu Hongbiao had defected, the Secret Intelligence Bureau would have already mobilized troops from Mengjin Camp to surround him.
The Chief mused, "Why haven't you gone into hiding yet? What do you want from me?"
Wu Hongbiao said, "Someone used your token to lure me into a trap. Naturally, I came to ask you directly, Chief. Why do you want to kill me?"
"It's not me. Someone is trying to purge us," the Chief replied gravely.
"How can you prove it?"
The Chief sneered.
"If I wanted to kill you, would you still be alive today? Stop wasting time. Since you're alive, go to the Peaceful Medical Clinic and tell Chen Ji. Tell him to meet me in this alley tomorrow evening. I'll arrange for you both to leave Luo City!"
"Where to?"
"A merchant will take you back to the Jing Dynasty. Go back and find his uncle. Only by staying with him can you be safe for now," the Chief said.
Wu Hongbiao turned and left.
At the same time, two tabby cats stopped their play on the roof tiles and jumped down, disappearing into the vast city of Luo.
...
Noon.
Black Cloud jumped from the roof into the courtyard.
It lifted its paw and gently patted Chen Ji, but failed to wake him.
Black Cloud waited patiently until Chen Ji gasped and woke from a nightmare of an ancient battlefield.
He touched his neck—just now, Feng Huai had slashed him there...
Chen Ji looked at Black Cloud.
"Are you hurt again?"
Black Cloud raised its head proudly.
"Victory! From now on, Anxi Street is mine!"
Chen Ji was impressed.
"You're fierce!"
Black Cloud recounted the day's surveillance of Wu Hongbiao.
Chen Ji concluded: Wu Hongbiao hadn't lied, and the coachman Chief hadn't intended to kill him.
The Chief had come yesterday to protect him.
The one who wanted to kill him was Shopkeeper Yuan.
Black Cloud suddenly asked, "Are you leaving the Ning Dynasty?"
Chen Ji fell silent.
Should he leave? If he left, he wouldn't have to live as a double agent anymore.
In the Jing Dynasty, he had an uncle who had been a high-ranking official.
Even if he was out of power, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.
Even without power, he could at least buy more ginseng, right?
Though he'd miss some new friends, they wouldn't be coming to the clinic anyway.
The only thing he couldn't let go of was Old Man Yao...
If he left, what would happen to him? He'd have to leave him in the care of She Dengke and Liu Quxing.
From every angle, Chen Ji should leave.
It wasn't the choice he most wanted to make, but it was the wisest.
Chen Ji looked at Black Cloud.
"Will you come with me?"
Black Cloud thought for a moment.
"It's a shame to leave Anxi Street just after conquering it, but where you go, I go."
Chen Ji took a deep breath.
"Alright, we'll leave tomorrow afternoon and get out of this mess."
He slowly got up and moved to the courtyard, looking at the large water jar in the southeast corner, the apricot tree in the middle, the closed main hall, and the bustling clinic...
Chen Ji hadn't been in this world for long, but even after just ten days, the thought of leaving filled him with reluctance.
At that moment, Liu Quxing returned to the backyard to wash his hands.
He looked at Chen Ji in surprise.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Chen Ji smiled and pulled out a piece of broken silver.
"Senior Brother, could you buy some meat and vegetables for me? I want to cook a meal for everyone."
(End of Chapter)