Chapter 588: Sick Tiger (Bing Hu) |
Outside the iron window was the dark night.
The secret spy's gaze stared fixedly at the Three Auspicious Gates on the Ivory Plaque. He also raised the oil lamp at his hand and brought it close to the iron window, repeatedly scrutinizing it by the faint light.
After confirming it was the Ivory Plaque on the Verification Blueprint, he tilted his head, his gaze bypassing the Ivory Plaque to look at Chen Ji behind the Ivory Plaque.
Chen Ji raised his head, those eyes between the Bamboo Hat and the black cloth covering his face resolute and decisive, brooking no doubt.
A long time ago, Chen Ji already knew that the Ivory Plaque Old Yao left for him could open every iron door of the Inner Prisons... because this was the court-attending Ivory Plaque of the Top Three Zodiacs, Bing Hu.
Legend has it that no one knows Bing Hu's true face, but does truly no one know?
No, Meng Ji definitely must know.
That's why Meng Ji intentionally went easy during the second interrogation of Chen Ji. During that dreamscape, Meng Ji merely went through the motions.
Mister Feng also definitely must know.
After Chen Ji broke the prison in Luo City, he once went to the Secret Spy Division office in Huanjing Alley to seek Mister Feng.
Mister Feng said to him at the time: "If someone hadn't come here to stall this seat for an hour, did you think you'd have the opportunity to take the Prince Heir out of the Inner Prison?"
Chen Ji was very clear that the person in Luo City who could stall Bai Long for an hour could only be Bing Hu.
And in this Ning Dynasty where his life was unfamiliar and the people strangers, the person willing to stall Bai Long for an hour for him could only be Old Yao, it couldn't be anyone else.
After the battle of Guyuan, Mister Feng talked secretly with him. Above the ruins, that middle-aged refined scholar said impassioned and vehemently: "When the children of wealthy families fight roosters at the Zhangtai (bask in pleasure), we naturally should Run in Opposite Directions from them, and march our army north."
At that time Chen Ji asked: "How to promote the Twelve Zodiacs?"
Mister Feng only said meaningfully: "When the time comes, you will naturally know."
At that moment.
Chen Ji then knew what the court-attending Ivory Plaque Old Yao left for him meant. The reason he previously never showed the Ivory Plaque to people was also because he knew what the price would be once he took out this Ivory Plaque.
At this time, Chen Ji stared at the secret spy inside through the small iron window: "Open the door."
The secret spy hurriedly agreed. Several sounds of locks opening came out, and the first iron door rumbled open.
Followed by the second one, which also opened together.
The secret spy made way, revealing that long, dark corridor behind him: "Lord Bing Hu, Lord Qiu Shu is not present tonight. She has led twenty-four secret spies to stand guard at the Huitong Hostel. Does this humble official need to call someone to find her?"
"No need," Chen Ji walked toward the depths of the Inner Prison without looking sideways. The secret spy bowed his body constrainedly behind him, not daring to straighten up for a long time even after his figure had disappeared into the dark corridor.
Chen Ji walked deeper along the stone steps, the Eight Trigrams lamps on the stone walls swaying unsteadily. After several months, the Ice Flow accumulated in the Inner Prison surged out completely, merging into his Dantian.
Every single Eight Trigrams lamp in this Inner Prison corridor came from Old Yao's hands, all to lock all the Ice Flow and pave the way for the next Mountain Lord.
Wails of anguish sounded from the depths of the Inner Prison, not knowing how many people were currently suffering severe torture. Chen Ji ignored all of this, walking straight toward the Pipa Hall.
The secret spies encountered along the way, upon seeing the Ivory Plaque in Chen Ji's hand, immediately stood separated on both sides not daring to raise their heads, respectfully saying in succession: "Lord Bing Hu."
The Eunuch Faction's Inner Prison, which made Jianghu chivalrous swordsmen change their expressions at the mere mention, was unimpeded before him.
Chen Ji once told Han Tong that he first needed to use the opposing party to exchange for Bai Li, and then rescue the opposing party afterward. As long as Han Tong was willing to cooperate, he could guarantee the father and daughter leaves the capital city.
This wasn't deceiving Han Tong, but Chen Ji knew from the very beginning how he should rescue Han Tong.
Just as he told Han Tong... rescuing Han Tong was much easier than rescuing Bai Li.
At this very moment, the twelve lamps in the Pipa Hall were Brightly Lit. The coal stoves were burning with red-hot Branding Irons, and the gaps in the floorboards were dried with un-washable bloodstains. The smell of blood and putrid stench assailed the nostrils. Ordinary criminals brought into the Pipa Hall would already be paralyzed with fear even before torture was applied.
At this time, several secret spies were recording case files, and Han Tong was bound to the torture rack, unconscious.
When Chen Ji walked into the Pipa Hall and flashed his Ivory Plaque, the secret spies broke into cold sweats out of fear and trepidation, standing up and cupping their fists in succession to salute: "Lord Bing Hu... we don't know what instructions Lord Bing Hu has."
Chen Ji said calmly: "Untie Han Tong, this seat is taking him away."
A secret spy asked cautiously: "Dare to ask Lord Bing Hu, does the Inner Chancellor know of this matter?"
Chen Ji's gaze swept over: "Who are you?"
The secret spy bowed and answered: "This humble official is Gyrfalcon Gao Yi under Xuan She's command."
Chen Ji glanced askance at the back of his head: "Does this seat's actions require you to interrogate? Has Xuan She not taught you the rules?"
Gao Yi emboldened himself, raised his head, and met Chen Ji's eyes. Yet in those eyes, several hundred human lives were clearly buried.
In an instant, Gao Yi's voice trembled: "This humble official would not dare... Hurry, untie Han Tong and hand him over to Lord Bing Hu."
Several secret spies frantically untied Han Tong from the torture rack. Chen Ji hoisted Han Tong by the belt and strutted outward.
In the Pipa Hall, a secret spy said softly: "Sir, we're just letting him take Han Tong away like this?"
Gao Yi's voice no longer trembled, calming down: "Do you know why our Secret Spy Division only recognizes Waist Plaques and not people? Simply because the three Lords Bai Long, Bing Hu, and Bao Hou all do not show their true faces to people. If the Waist Plaque is there, the person is there. As for whether the person holding the Waist Plaque is actually one of those three, that has nothing to do with us. If he isn't Bing Hu, even if someone makes a fuss in front of Lord Inner Chancellor afterward, it's not our fault. That Ivory Plaque is indeed identical to the Verification Blueprint. But if he truly is the Top Three's Bing Hu, and you and I block him from taking the person, he could just kill you and me on the spot, and our deaths would be in vain."
The secret spy still had misgivings: "But Han Tong..."
If Bai Long took the person away, these secret spies wouldn't dare to say half an extra word. But the previous Bing Hu, Feng Wenzheng, had already been subjected to Immediate Decapitation. Now that the new appointed Bing Hu abruptly appeared, it ultimately made the secret spies unavoidably keep a wary eye open.
Gao Yi watched Chen Ji's back disappear at the end of the corridor, lowering his voice: "Lord Xuan She is currently in 'Yi' (second) cell interrogating Li Muzhe. Hurry and report this matter to the Lord. He has had his eyes on the Top Three for so long. Now that someone has filled Bing Hu's vacancy, no matter what, he will thoroughly investigate the truth."
Chen Ji hoisted Han Tong and exited the Inner Prison.
The moment he stepped out the iron door of the Inner Prison, the fresh air assailed his face, as if extending his body out from dense, sticky black water, shedding a yoke.
He passed through the artificial rockery and hidden sentries as if nothing had happened, without the slightest abnormality on his face. And those pairs of gazes in the darkness, no matter how puzzled or how suspicious, no one dared to come out and stop him.
...
...
Outside Taiye Pool, beside the horse carriage, Chen Huaibei and Zheng Zhou paced back and forth.
Chen Huaibei suddenly came to a halt: "We cannot wait any longer. If that masked person fails, falls into the hands of the Eunuch Faction, and confesses us out, all is lost!"
Zheng Zhou also echoed: "Although the Old Guild Master is important, we can't lose the new Guild Master for the Old Guild Master. Our Canal Transport Guild still needs the new Guild Master to return and preside over the overall situation, we can't all be lost here."
Chen Huaibei faced the horse carriage and said in a deep voice: "Guild Master, the Inner Prison is the Eunuch Faction's nest. We just went to test it earlier, no one other than the Twelve Zodiacs and Trouble-Resolving Guard Chiliarchs are permitted to enter. Friend of yours, unless he has heaven-reaching means, also wouldn't be able to enter equally. You have not experienced worldly affairs deeply. You possess the realm of a Practitioner in vain yet still do not know what this Jianghu looks like. Do not easily trust others, lest you throw away your life."
Bai Li sat inside the carriage, speaking calmly through the carriage curtain: "Wait a bit longer."
Chen Huaibei and Zheng Zhou were about to act out, but recalling Bai Li's Practitioner realm, they could only suppress it.
Tian Kuang leaned close to the horse carriage and probed: "Since the Guild Master trusts this person so much, you must at least inform us of his identity, so we can have some idea in our hearts... Can he really rescue the Old Guild Master? He won't sell us out, will he? If we all fall into the hands of the Eunuch Faction together, the Canal Transport Guild is finished."
Bai Li did not answer.
Right at this time, Chen Ji crossed Taiye Pool, his figure slowly rising from the dark night.
He hoisted Han Tong directly to the horse carriage and said to Bai Li inside the carriage: "Han Tong is brought here. Leave right now, depart from Anding Gate."
Saying this, Chen Ji lifted the carriage curtain and tossed Han Tong into the horse carriage.
Bai Li quietly looked at Chen Ji. A Jar of Five Flavors in her eyes, she wanted to open her mouth to speak several times, yet didn't know where she should start speaking from.
Tian Kuang took the lead and jumped onto the horse carriage, wiping away the bloodstains on Han Tong's face: "It really is the Old Guild Master!"
He put two fingers together and roamed over Han Tong's body, after a moment saying with certainty: "The conception and governing vessels are both present, the Practitioner realm is still there!"
Chen Huaibei and Zheng Zhou were Looking at One Another. Earlier, when this masked person said he was going to rescue the person, they still harbored disbelief. That Inner Prison is the Eunuch Faction's nest, and Han Tong committed a serious crime, how could he be rescued by a lone person?
Furthermore, Bai Li, this Canal Transport Guild Master, is still young. Even if she made acquaintances with Jianghu strongmen in Prince Jing's Estate, how could she solicit an expert who dares to break into the Inner Prison alone?
But now Han Tong was right before their eyes, making them have no choice but to believe it.
The opposing party not only rescued Han Tong, but could also return completely unscathed without a single hair harmed.
Lü Qi cupped his fists toward Chen Ji: "May I ask for the honored name of this good fellow? Our Canal Transport Guild is not an ungrateful bunch, there will definitely be generous rewards."
Chen Ji paid him no mind, instead looking into the dark horse carriage: "Leave quickly."
However, right at this time, urgent footsteps sounded from inside the Taiye Pool. Chen Huaibei and the others felt as if facing a great enemy, immediately taking off the Hand Crossbows at their waists and aiming at the source of the sound.
Chen Huaibei saw Xuan She, draped in a black cloak, chasing after them with great strides. He glanced at Chen Ji and said panic-stricken: "You indeed lured the Eunuch Faction here!"
Chen Ji calmly looked at Xuan She: "Don't panic."
The next moment, Xuan She said loudly: "Lord Bing Hu, please stay your steps."
Chen Huaibei's pupils suddenly shrank. He looked at Xuan She, and then looked at the masked Chen Ji beside him.
Bing Hu?
How could this person be Bing Hu? (End of Chapter)