Chapter 58 |
Outside Chao Cang gambling den, Red Cloth Lane after the rain was as quiet as a quail.
In the black night, Luocheng's lantern fires had been extinguished. Only over a hundred spies held torches, sealing off Red Cloth Lane to search for the whereabouts of Jing Dynasty spies.
At this time, that enforcer who had originally been arrogant and overbearing was now bound in coils of finger-thick iron chains, kneeling on the ground.
This person's external cultivation skills were astonishing. Besieged by over a hundred spies, he could still fight fiercely for half an hour.
However, just as Old Man Yao said, no matter how formidable an enforcer was in this world, they still feared military formations. Don't think you're invincible just because you're powerful—authority was the most formidable thing in this world.
Jinzhu lifted his hem and picked up the damaged blue cloak from the ground to drape over this enforcer, squatting down across from him with a smile: "An enforcer from the Zhao family of Hezhou, passed down through generations—Zhao Zhong. I remember you were once a bodyguard for a young master of the Xu family. How have you now fallen to selling your life for Jing Dynasty? Or should I say... did the Xu family also participate today?"
Zhao Zhong's face was ashen: "Eunuch faction, lackey—ptui!"
He spat a mouthful of saliva toward Jinzhu's face. Jinzhu seemed to have anticipated this and pulled out a folding fan from his chest, opening it to block his face.
Jinzhu wasn't angry either, only smiled and said: "The dignified enforcer passed down through the Zhao family generations is now nothing more than a prisoner. Take him to the Inner Prison. Sooner or later, we'll make you spit out your cultivation path for Lord Inner Minister. Take him away!"
A trusted spy beside him reminded in a low voice: "Lord, Chen Ji was chased out and still hasn't been seen."
Jinzhu slapped his forehead and said loudly: "Aiya, I almost forgot about him. A small medical clinic apprentice being chased by spies—eighty percent chance he's dead. Lord Inner Minister just promoted him into the Secret Spy Division, and the next day he dies under my command. If others knew about this, they'd think I was jealous of the worthy and capable. Quick, go search for him. We must preserve his life at all costs!"
However, having just said this loudly, Jinzhu turned and instructed the spy beside him in a low voice: "Although he risked his life hugging the spy and falling from the second floor without issues, afterward, he didn't think about circling back to the gambling den to regroup with us. Instead, he ran outside... Now even if someone said he went to report to the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Division, I'd believe it. Tonight, we must send people to find him—dead or alive!"
"Lord, what if he's still alive?"
"Then make him explain clearly what he did tonight and why he didn't come back to regroup with us!"
"Lord, what if he's dead?"
"If he's dead, then he's dead. Give him a proper burial."
The spy was puzzled: "Lord, didn't you want to invest in him?"
Jinzhu rolled his eyes at his confidant: "Of course I truly want to invest. Do you know what it means to be personally selected by Lord Inner Minister to enter the Secret Spy Division? But I can't very well invest in a Jing Dynasty spy or a dead person, can I!"
......
......
In the air after the rain, there was a unique earthy smell.
I was currently pressed against gray walls and gray tiles, stealthily moving through shadows. My entire body had been soaked through by rainwater. I only felt that wearing water-soaked clothes made me colder and colder.
I opened the cloth bandaging my wound to see that the edges of the wound's skin had been soaked white by water. If I didn't get treatment in time, I'd probably fall seriously ill.
But where did I have time to treat my wounds now? After escaping from the gambling den, no matter how realistically I performed, Jinzhu would definitely grow suspicious.
If I couldn't explain my whereabouts afterward, that would be truly fatal.
At this moment, I didn't return to Taiping Clinic. Instead, I had to return to the alley where I killed the Jing Dynasty spy, forge a fight scene, and pretend I'd passed out there after the fight.
Wait.
I suddenly stopped in place. I felt like I'd overlooked some detail, and this detail could very likely lead to my exposure.
What was it?
What exactly was it!
I suddenly looked down at the wound on my chest. Only then did I realize what detail I'd overlooked.
I picked up the Jing Dynasty spy's long knife and carefully cut a gash on my right thigh before continuing on my way.
I staggered along, occasionally having to avoid night watchmen passing on the street. I only felt myself growing weaker and weaker, so weak I could barely keep my eyes open.
At one moment I wondered—was it worth it to risk all these injuries tonight without being able to eliminate the hidden danger?
That Wu Hongbiao felt to me like he'd popped out of a stone, suddenly appearing and catching me somewhat off guard.
Had Wu Hongbiao lied? I was inclined to think he hadn't.
When we first met and immediately fought, Wu Hongbiao still had fighting strength and didn't need to pretend at all.
But after recognizing me, he immediately relaxed and fell to the ground, even throwing away his knife. This was equivalent to placing his life in my hands.
Someone who risked his life to come tip me off—even if I'd never known him and had no feelings, I still couldn't bring myself to act.
Those who follow the law worry day after day, while the violent and ruthless sing joyously night after night. This era was indeed diseased, but I ultimately wasn't a person of this era.
Seeing that alley getting closer and closer... Just when I was one street away from that alley, I saw distant firelight coming toward me. Someone seemed to be holding torches searching for something.
I quickly hid in the shadows beneath a wall, rapidly thinking of countermeasures.
The newcomers must be the Secret Spy Division. If I just walked over like this, I'd definitely run into them.
Should I retreat directly?
No, I had to return to that alley to complete tonight's story.
I laboriously climbed onto the roof, carefully crouching to avoid the search. Several times spies looked toward the roof, and I could only lie flat first, slowly crawling forward.
Time passed minute by minute. My stamina was also nearly exhausted.
Finally, that alley was right before my eyes. I grabbed the wall and quietly slid down. But when I landed, I felt my feet go soft and fell into the accumulated water.
Too much blood loss—I was in shock.
I struggled to get up, dragged the Jing Dynasty spy's corpse from the debris pile, and forged traces of a fight around us.
Then I manipulated the Jing Dynasty spy's corpse, restoring us to the position where I finally strangled him with the scabbard while lying on the ground, pretending I'd passed out from severe injuries after killing him.
However, my injuries still weren't severe enough—not enough to dispel Jinzhu's suspicions!
A flash of determination crossed my eyes. I gripped the dagger in the Jing Dynasty spy's hand, then held the spy's hand myself and viciously swung the knife toward the gash I'd cut earlier on my thigh, until the dagger was buried to the hilt!
In that instant, piercing pain assaulted me.
My entire body convulsed, and cold sweat fell from my forehead like soybeans.
But from beginning to end, I bit down and didn't make a single sound.
Not only that, I cupped the accumulated water from the ground with my hands and kept pouring it on the wound. This way, the blood seeping from the wound wouldn't show a difference between before and after the rain.
I forced myself to finish all this. Only after I hazily saw firelight gathering outside the alley did I slowly close my eyes, relax my mind, and truly pass out.
......
......
I didn't know how much time had passed. Jinzhu came to my side under a spy's guidance and squatted down to examine me.
He first pulled open my eyelids and brought a torch to wave in front of my eyes: "No eyelid trembling, pupils contract slowly... He really did pass out."
Jinzhu then felt the wound on the Jing Dynasty spy's neck: "Strangled to death with a scabbard. Before dying, he even stabbed this kid's thigh... I didn't expect this kid could actually kill a spy alone. I underestimated him."
Jinzhu changed his tone: "But Jing Dynasty spies have skills far exceeding ordinary people. How did this kid manage to win? Could it really be that fortune favors the good... Wait, remove all of Chen Ji's clothes. I want to examine the wounds. He very likely left midway and came back to supplement his injuries."
The next moment, spies tore open my pants and upper garment, exposing the knife wounds inside. Both knife wounds had been soaked in water for a long time and were swollen pale.
Fortunately, I'd cut a gash on my leg in advance and let it soak and swell. Otherwise, if Jinzhu discovered this was a fresh wound now, I'd definitely be exposed.
This was the detail I'd nearly missed.
The spy said to Jinzhu: "Lord, the knife wounds have been there for a while—no forgery. With such a knife wound on his leg, he can't move freely. He should have passed out here right after fighting the spy."
Jinzhu breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems there really is no problem... Was I being too suspicious?"
"Lord, what do we do now? Should we send him for medical treatment?"
"No," Jinzhu shook his head. "Carry him to the Inner Prison. Invite a doctor to the Inner Prison to treat him. If he wakes up, tell me immediately. I still have some things to ask him. People are most vulnerable when weak—that's when it's easiest to get information."
"Understood."
However, just then, a voice came from outside the alley: "Lords, have you seen my apprentice? Thin and tall, wearing black clothes."
Jinzhu slightly narrowed his eyes looking toward the alley entrance. He saw white-haired and white-bearded Old Man Yao standing at the alley entrance, inquiring of the spies.
While inquiring, Old Man Yao turned to look into the alley and frowned: "Lord Jinzhu, how did you also come to Luocheng?"
"Good evening, Physician Yao. Coming to search for your apprentice in the middle of the night?" Jinzhu walked forward with a smile, blocking me behind him.
Old Man Yao walked forward step by step asking: "Have you seen my apprentice?"
"No," Jinzhu shook his head. "Physician Yao, go search elsewhere."
"Who's that behind Lord Jinzhu?" Old Man Yao had already walked close, looking at me lying on the ground: "Isn't that my apprentice? Why is he lying here? Lord Jinzhu, why are you lying?"
Jinzhu said awkwardly: "Hahahaha, so he's your apprentice. I didn't know before. He was wounded by Jing Dynasty villains. I was just about to send him for medical treatment."
Old Man Yao nodded: "Then I'll trouble Lord to have two spies carry him back to Taiping Clinic."
Jinzhu instinctively said: "No."
Old Man Yao was puzzled: "Is there anywhere in Luocheng better at treating illnesses than my Taiping Clinic? Or has my apprentice committed some offense?"
Jinzhu hesitated: "He hasn't committed an offense. In fact, he has merit."
Old Man Yao breathed a sigh of relief, but his tone grew grave: "If he committed an offense, Lord Jinzhu may handle it as you please. But if he hasn't committed an offense, then I'm going to write a letter to Lord Inner Minister asking him why the Secret Spy Division is detaining my apprentice."
Jinzhu was silent for a long time, finally waving his hand at the spies: "Help Physician Yao carry Chen Ji back."
He stood in the small alley watching Old Man Yao's departing back, frowning.
A moment later, Jinzhu muttered to himself: "I always feel something's not right..."
......
......
In my coma, I lay in the carriage swaying back and forth, as if riding a boat drifting on the sea.
The sixteen furnace fires near my dantian flickered unsteadily, as if their oil was running dry and could extinguish at any moment. The ice flow that had been dormant in my body for so long was stirring restlessly.
I seemed to be swept by the ice flow onto the black cloud sea again, like a lone boat drifting for who knows how long, arriving once more at that ancient battlefield.
Shouts of killing, the clash of metal on metal—like immortals fighting.
I saw countless ancient birds circling in the sky, trailing long, brilliant tail feathers!
I saw human battle formations continuously advancing on the ground. Human cavalry sat upon tall warhorses—no, to be precise, those were no longer horses. Below eight chi were colts; above eight chi were dragons!
On the other side of the human battle formation, countless giant beasts seemed to surround something, continuously wailing!
I fell from the cloud sea, landing on the edge of the battlefield on a green mountain. I saw that in the center of that battlefield, a tall figure wearing golden armor held a royal banner, walking step by step with determination through ten thousand troops.
Beside him, a blue light like a meteor circled, penetrating one attacking enemy after another.
A long time later, I finally saw clearly that the brilliant meteor was actually a handleless "sword"!
However, just then, that tall, towering figure suddenly looked toward me on the mountain: "Return my Divine Path!"
"Return my Sword Seed!"
"Return my Green Mountain!"
"Otherwise, forfeit your life!"
The next moment, overwhelming sword light spread like a tide, so oppressive one couldn't breathe.
Mountain winds howled, making my clothes rustle loudly.
But this time I had no fear. I faced that towering figure, that overwhelming sword tide, and asked calmly: "On what grounds?"
These words were like a giant axe splitting the mountain ridge, echoing with rumbling thunder.
As the words fell, furnace fires suddenly ignited within my body—one lamp, two lamps, three lamps... six hundred eighteen lamps, seven hundred twenty lamps!
The light from those furnace fires penetrated my body, as brilliant as constant stars!
Before these constant stars, the sword light tide met an island and split in two!
That towering figure was silent for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. His laughter spiraled to the clouds: "You've returned! It's actually you who's returned!"
......
......
"Chen Ji? Chen Ji!"
"Why are you calling him? He's still unconscious. Don't call him!"
"But I saw his eyelids move... Hey, hey, hey, look, he opened his eyes... Master! Master! Chen Ji is awake!"
I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying in the medical clinic's apprentice dormitory.
The first thing I did was sense inside my body, but discovered the furnace fires were still sixteen lamps. So just now had only been a great dream.
I looked up again to see faces crowded before me... She Dakang, Liu Quxing, Liang Gou'er, Liang Mao'er, the Prince, Princess Baili, the little monk?
I hadn't expected these last three people to also be in this dim apprentice dormitory.
I tried to prop myself up on my elbows, but was pressed back down by Liu Quxing: "Don't move, don't move. Master said you can't move."
I looked at the sky outside—it was still night. I asked doubtfully: "How long was I unconscious?"
"A whole day!" Liu Quxing said. "You scared us all to death!"
My heart skipped a beat. I'd actually been unconscious for a whole day?
I didn't know if I'd fooled Jinzhu or not.
How was Wu Hongbiao? Had he escaped, or been found by the Secret Spy Division or Military Intelligence Division?
However, when I woke up, at least I wasn't in the Inner Prison... That was good news.
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