The reins were in Chen Ji's hands as the ox cart came to a halt on the road leading south.
The night was quiet, with snow falling gently, covering the three figures on the cart, their hair speckled with snowflakes.
Si Cao Gui, sitting at the front of the cart, turned to look at Chen Ji with a serious expression.
"Are you really going back to the Taiping Medical Hall? Don’t you trust me and Wu Hongbiao? Don’t you want to leave with us?"
Chen Ji shook his head.
"I trust you. You both could have fled far away by evening, yet you risked your lives to save me. If it weren’t for you, I might already be in the inner prison."
Si Cao Gui pressed further, "But do you realize that if you stay, you might be targeted by Lu Guanwu’s men?"
Chen Ji slowly released the reins.
"Now that the Military Intelligence Bureau knows my identity, those who knew me are either dead or gone. Even if a new bureau head or officer comes to Luocheng, they won’t bother me."
Si Cao Gui fell silent.
Chen Ji’s expression turned serious as he spoke with conviction.
"I’ve worked hard to stay in the Jing Prince’s residence and infiltrate the Ning Dynasty’s spy bureau. I can’t just leave Luocheng out of fear."
He added, "The explosives I used tonight to kill Yuan the shopkeeper and destroy the golden pig were given to me by a high-ranking figure in the prince’s residence. If I can get my hands on explosives this time, next time I can get formulas, blueprints, or even military deployment maps. Staying here, I can be of greater use."
Wu Hongbiao looked at Chen Ji with admiration.
"Your resolve is far stronger than mine!"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and then turned to Gui.
"Sir, after you leave, and with Si Cao Xin dead, who will take over Luocheng?"
Gui pondered for a moment.
"There were rumors earlier that Yuan the shopkeeper once competed with ‘Ding’ for control of Luocheng. It’s likely Ding will take over."
"What kind of person is he?"
"I don’t know," Gui replied calmly.
"We officers of the bureau never meet each other. If it weren’t for my old acquaintance with ‘Xin,’ we wouldn’t have recognized each other. Whoever takes over, don’t try to approach them. It’s too dangerous."
Chen Ji asked again, "Who will be the next bureau head?"
Gui answered bluntly, "That’s the highest secret of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Not only do I not know, but even if I did, I couldn’t tell you."
"I understand."
Gui hesitated but still advised, "Even though staying might be more useful, returning to the Jing Dynasty would be safer for you. Stay by your uncle’s side, and no one will dare touch you."
Chen Ji slowly stepped down from the cart and, in the falling snow, clasped his hands in farewell to the two men.
"I’m going back to the Taiping Medical Hall. After this parting, we’ll be separated by two dynasties. I don’t know when we’ll meet again. Until then, farewell!"
He looked at Si Cao Gui on the cart, his face thin and angular, and Wu Hongbiao, still weak from his injuries.
Though his bond with these two wasn’t deep, one had risked his life to warn him, and the other had given up the chance to flee to save him.
As Chen Ji faced them, though he felt immense gratitude, he silently added in his heart… perhaps we’ll never meet again.
At that moment, Wu Hongbiao didn’t immediately bid farewell to Chen Ji.
Instead, he turned to Si Cao Gui.
"Sir, could you wait for me a moment?"
Si Cao Gui frowned but nodded.
"Alright."
Wu Hongbiao, despite his injuries, searched around and eventually found a closed tavern.
He sneaked into the backyard and soon emerged with a small jar of wine.
"It’s chrysanthemum wine left over from the Double Ninth Festival. It smells wonderful. Chen Ji, since we don’t know when we’ll meet again, let’s drink this wine as a farewell."
Chen Ji was taken aback.
He opened the jar and took a big swig of the wine before passing it to Wu Hongbiao.
Wu Hongbiao lifted the jar and drank deeply, then handed it to Si Cao Gui.
Si Cao Gui hesitated but eventually took the jar and sipped a small amount.
"I need to stay alert. We still have to sneak out of the city. Drinking too much could ruin our plans."
Under the moonlight, snowflakes drifted into the wine jar.
Chen Ji suddenly smiled and took the jar back.
"I’ll drink your share for you."
With that, he took another big gulp and placed the jar back on the cart, clasping his hands again.
"Until we meet again!"
Si Cao Gui and Wu Hongbiao also clasped their hands.
"Until we meet again!"
The ox cart slowly started moving again, its wooden wheels creaking as it rolled away on the stone-paved road.
The snow grew heavier, falling in large flakes like goose feathers.
Chen Ji stood in the snowstorm.
He thought of the martial artists who had abandoned the prince and fled, and now he watched these two spies from the Jing Dynasty slowly disappear into the distance.
Chen Ji suddenly realized—this was the true essence of the martial world.
...
...
"The rooster crows, rise and shine!"
An old, impoverished night watchman, carrying a lantern and braving the snowstorm, slowly walked down the street, striking his gong.
The night watchman’s chants changed with each hour.
At the first watch, he called, "The air is dry, beware of fire."
At the second watch, he shouted, "Close your doors and windows, guard against thieves."
At the third watch, he cried, "May you be free from illness and disaster, safe and sound."
At the fourth watch, he warned, "The ground is icy, watch your step."
At the fifth watch, he announced, "The rooster crows, rise and shine!"
The townsfolk could tell the time by the night watchman’s calls.
After the night watchman left, Chen Ji slowly emerged from a narrow alley, stumbling as he made his way back to the Taiping Medical Hall.
The courtyard was empty, not even the crows were around, leaving only the bare apricot tree.
Chen Ji stood in the snow, letting it pile on his head and shoulders.
He suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if returning to the medical hall would bring him peace.
Chen Ji didn’t go to sleep.
Instead, slightly drunk, he walked to the water vat, stripped off his clothes, and stood in the snow, pouring icy water over his head to wash away the blood, dust, gunpowder, and restlessness.
Only when his skin turned red did he dry himself off.
Chen Ji changed into dry clothes, lit the stove in the kitchen, and threw his old clothes into the fire.
He sat on a small bamboo stool in front of the stove, letting the warm orange flames envelop him.
The dry wood crackled in the fire, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Wu Yun, stepping lightly on the snow in the courtyard, entered the kitchen and jumped onto Chen Ji’s lap, curling up warmly.
"It’s so cold… I followed Gui and Wu Hongbiao to make sure they got out of the city safely before coming back."
"How did they get out?"
Wu Yun replied, "Gui had subordinates in the Luocheng garrison who secretly let them through. I heard them talking on the way, saying it’s very dangerous for you to stay. Aren’t you considering going to the Jing Dynasty with them? It seems these two new friends really care about you."
Chen Ji smiled and patted Wu Yun’s head.
"I don’t think I’m cut out for making friends. Every time I make a friend, I lose them quickly."
Wu Yun thought for a moment.
"I’ll stay with you."
Chen Ji pondered.
"Now, only Consort Yun in Luocheng knows my identity as a spy. I need to figure out how to keep it a secret."
"Consort Yun," Wu Yun grumbled, "She’s the one who always brings Bai Banruo to Wanxing Garden to beat me up. She’s awful!"
Chen Ji chuckled.
"We’ll find a way to get back at her! But she’s different from Consort Jing. She might be someone we can deal with."
"Why?"
Chen Ji analyzed, "Consort Jing and Consort Yun are completely different. When you were with Consort Jing, if you couldn’t beat Bai Banruo, you wouldn’t even get food, and Chun Rong would scold you. Look, you’ve been away from Wanxing Garden for so long, and she hasn’t sent anyone to look for you. People like her are dangerous because they only care about themselves."
"What about Consort Yun?"
Chen Ji recalled, "When Bai Banruo was injured, she called a doctor for him. She leaves some persimmons on the tree in her courtyard for the birds in winter. She leaves room for others. Also, Princess Baili was raised by her. I think a mother who raised a daughter like Princess Baili can’t be entirely bad."
"That’s true."
A voice came from outside the courtyard.
Chen Ji used an iron poker to push the unburned clothes further into the fire, then hid a dagger in his sleeve and slowly walked out to investigate.
The next moment, he froze.
Princess Baili was leaning on the courtyard wall early in the morning, smiling as she greeted him.
"Good morning."
Standing on the prince’s shoulders, her hair neatly tied, the red carp pendant on her collar stood out vividly against the snow.
Chen Ji hesitated.
"Good morning."
Baili asked curiously, "Why are you in the courtyard? Did you not sleep all night?"
Chen Ji paused.
"No, I went to bed early last night. I just woke up."
Baili looked skeptical.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Baili pressed, "You didn’t go out last night, did you? Don’t lie to me. Most people can’t fool me."
Just then, the prince on the other side of the wall interrupted their conversation.
"Baili, can you climb over first before chatting? My shoulders are killing me! Little monk, let her step on you for a bit!"
"Your Highness, how can I have physical contact with a woman?"
"Back in Red Clothes Lane, when those sisters touched your face, you didn’t refuse!"
Baili climbed onto the wall and descended the ladder step by step.
She didn’t wait for the prince to climb in but instead circled Chen Ji, inspecting him closely and even leaning in to sniff him.
Chen Ji laughed helplessly.
"Princess, what’s wrong? Did something happen last night?"
Baili pouted.
"If you won’t admit it, fine!"
Chen Ji shook his head.
"Princess, I really don’t know what you’re talking about."
Baili suddenly sniffed the air.
"What’s that smell? Burning wood doesn’t smell like that."
With that, she turned toward the kitchen, but Chen Ji quickly stepped in front of her.
"Princess, the kitchen is smoky. Your white clothes will get dirty."
"I don’t mind. I can wash them later."
"Smoke stains are hard to wash out."
"Oh," Baili turned away but then suddenly spun back, trying to catch Chen Ji off guard.
However, Chen Ji spread his arms to block her.
Baili smirked, bent down, and peeked under Chen Ji’s arm at the stove fire.
Inside the orange flames, Chen Ji’s old clothes had mostly burned away, but some charred fabric remained.
Baili stood up and tapped Chen Ji’s collarbone with her finger.
"Don’t worry, I can keep a secret!"
Chen Ji: "..."
Just then, someone knocked on the medical hall’s door.
The prince, who had just climbed into the courtyard, said, "I’ll get it."
When the door opened, the snowstorm blew in, and there stood Liang Gou’er, disheveled, his hair a mess like a bird’s nest.
Everyone was stunned.
Since the last time the golden pig had come, Liang Gou’er had disappeared.
Chen Ji had thought he’d gone to Red Clothes Lane, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Liang Gou’er strode into the courtyard and handed Chen Ji a small porcelain bottle.
"I went to Mount Laojun to ask Daoist Cen Yunzi for this medicine. It’s ‘Soft Jade Ointment,’ made by the medicine masters of Mount Laojun. It can heal sword and knife wounds in three days. It’s very effective."
The prince and Baili’s eyes lit up.
Chen Ji looked at the bottle, then at Liang Gou’er.
"This is for me?"
Liang Gou’er rolled his eyes.
"Who else? I may not be able to help you fight the eunuchs, but I’m not someone who lacks loyalty. It took me over three hundred miles of mountain roads to get this. I’m exhausted!"
The prince asked curiously, "Brother Gou’er, do you have connections with Daoist Cen Yunzi of Mount Laojun? Their medicine is hard to come by."
Liang Gou’er said casually, "My father knows him. I don’t."
As they spoke, the little monk clumsily climbed onto the courtyard wall.
Before he could descend the ladder, the prince suddenly bent down, made a snowball, and laughed as he threw it at the little monk’s bald head.
"Ow!" The little monk clung to the wall, stuck between climbing up and down.
Baili took advantage of Chen Ji’s distraction, secretly making a snowball and stuffing it down the back of his collar.
Seeing Chen Ji grimace from the cold, Baili laughed so hard she nearly fell over.
But then Chen Ji grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it into her mouth.
Liang Mao’er, She Dengke, and Liu Quxing were also awakened.
The three of them, wrapped in cotton coats, joined the fray, and soon the courtyard turned into a snowball fight.
Liang Gou’er watched the "children" in amazement, then grinned and bent down to make a few snowballs himself.
His snowball, infused with a gentle burst of energy, hit She Dengke square in the face, sending him stumbling.
He threw another snowball at Princess Baili, hitting her shoulder and causing her to fall into the snow.
Everyone was stunned.
Who had ever seen snowballs like this?!
In the heavy snowfall, the prince grabbed Liang Gou’er by the waist and shouted, "Run!"
The clouds above drifted away, then drifted back.
...
Volume One: First Encounters, End.
(End of Chapter)