CHAPTER 60: 57, SWORD TIDE

Outside Chao Cang Gambling House, the calm of Hongyi Lane after the rain was like the stillness of quails.

In the pitch black night of Luocheng City, the lanterns had been extinguished, with only over a hundred spies holding torches, sealing off Hongyi Lane in search of the Jing Dynasty spy’s whereabouts.

At this moment, the once arrogant and invincible Executive Officer was being bound by several loops of iron chains thick as fingers, kneeling on the ground.

This man, who possessed astonishing skills in Cross Training, was able to battle against over a hundred spies for half an hour.

Yet, as Old Yao said, in this world, no matter how formidable an Executive Officer is, they still fear the military formation. Do not think that one’s own might makes them invincible; power is the most formidable thing in this world.

Jin Zhu picked up the hem of his garment, picked up a damaged blue large cloak from the ground, and draped it over the Executive Officer with a smile, crouching in front of him, "Zhao Zhong, the hereditary Executive Officer of the Zhao Family from Hezhou. As I recall, you were once a guard for a son of the Xu Family; how have you now fallen to serving the Jing Dynasty? Or is it... the Xu Family also had a hand in tonight’s events?"

Zhao Zhong’s face turned iron blue: "Eunuch Party, lackeys, pah!"

He spat toward Jin Zhu’s face. Jin Zhu seemed prepared as he took out a folding fan from his bosom and opened it in front of his face to block the spit.

Jin Zhu wasn’t angry, just smilingly said, "The hereditary Executive Officer of the grand Zhao Family is now merely a prisoner at the mercy of others. Take him to the inner prison; sooner or later, he will spill his Cultivation Path to Lord Prime Minister, take him away!"

After speaking, he stood up and turned to the silently standing spies with torches in hand, "Today is a great victory. Brothers, after you escort the prisoners to the inner prison, rest early. Once you wake up tomorrow, I’ll treat everyone to the finest feast at Eight Immortals Building in Luocheng!"

A close follower and spy whispered a reminder at his side, "Sir, Chen Ji was pursued and has gone missing; he has yet to show up."

Jin Zhu patted his forehead loudly, "Ah, I almost forgot about him. An apprentice from a Medical Hall being chased by a spy, he’s likely dead. Lord Prime Minister just promoted him into the Spy Department yesterday, and if he dies under my watch, others might think I’m jealous of his talent, quick, search for him! We must preserve his life at all costs!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking loudly, Jin Zhu turned and whispered to a spy next to him, "Although tumbling down from the second floor while clinging to the spy should’ve been no issue for him, afterward, he didn’t think to circle back to the Gambling House to regroup with us, but instead ran outside... Now if anyone says he went to report to the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department, I’d believe it. We must find him tonight, alive or dead. We need to see the body!"

"Sir, what if he’s still alive?"

"Then he needs to explain clearly what he did tonight and why he didn’t regroup with us!"

"Sir, what if he’s dead?"

"If he’s dead, then he’s dead, give him a proper burial."

The spy, puzzled, said, "Sir, didn’t you want to invest in him?"

Jin Zhu rolled his eyes at his confidant, "Of course, the idea of investing is genuine. Do you not know the worth of being personally selected by Lord Prime Minister into the Spy Department? But I certainly can’t invest in a Jing Dynasty spy or a dead man!"

...

...

In the moist air after the rain, there was a unique smell of earth.

Chen Ji was sneaking along, hugging the shadows of the grey walls and tiles; he was already drenched by the rain, feeling the wet clothes on his body getting colder and colder.

He unwrapped the bandage covering his wound and saw that the edges around the wound had been soaked white by water. If not treated in time, he feared he might fall seriously ill.

But where did he have the time to deal with his injuries now? After escaping the Gambling House, no matter how convincingly he acted, Jin Zhu would surely harbor suspicions.

If he couldn’t explain his whereabouts afterward, that would be truly fatal.

At this moment, Chen Ji did not return to Taiping Medical Hall but was heading back to the alley where he had killed the Jing Dynasty spy. He intended to create a fabricated crime scene, pretending he had passed out there after the fight.

Wait.

Chen Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling he had overlooked some detail, one that could potentially expose him.

What could it be?

What exactly was it!

Suddenly, Chen Ji looked down at the wound on his chest and realized what he had missed.

He took up the long knife of the Jing Dynasty spy and carefully made a cut on his right thigh, and then continued on his way.

Chen Ji staggered along, occasionally avoiding the night patrol on the streets, feeling himself growing weaker and weaker, so weak he could barely keep his eyes open.

At a certain moment, he wondered: Was it worth it to end up with a badly injured body tonight and still not eliminate the hidden danger?

Wu Hongbiao, to him, was like someone who had sprung out of a rock, appearing all of a sudden, catching him off guard.

Had Wu Hongbiao lied? Chen Ji was inclined to think not.

As soon as they met, they clashed in battle, and Wu Hongbiao was still capable of fighting, with no need to feign anything.

But upon recognizing Chen Ji, he immediately relaxed, fell to the ground, and even threw away his knife, effectively handing his life over to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji couldn’t bring himself to strike down someone risking his life to bring him a warning, even though he didn’t know the person and harbored no affection. Law-abiding by day, the strong preyed and reveled by night; the era was indeed diseased, but in the end, he was not from this era.

Watching as the alley drew nearer and nearer... Just as he was one street corner away from the alley, Chen Ji saw the glow of fire coming towards him, someone seemed to be carrying a torch and searching for something.

He quickly hid in the shadow beneath the wall, pondering his next move.

The incoming party must be from the Spy Department. If he simply walked over, he would surely run into them.

Should he turn back and retreat right away?