In the dimly lit imperial prison, the interrogation sounds from Pipa Hall had long since ceased. Jiao Tu had locked Chen Ji in the cell next to Mr. Feng and hurried off to “solve the case.”

Mr. Feng stood by the iron bars and laughed through the wall: “Cunning Rabbit intentionally lured Xuan Snake and Bao Monkey here to make enemies for you. She was worried that you wouldn’t be able to form animosity between you, so she even incited Xuan Snake’s subordinate, Hai Dongqing, against you just now. Although she said it was an interrogation, once Hai Dongqing sees you without any torture wounds, he’ll understand everything. Perhaps he’ll even treat you as Jiao Tu’s informant… Be careful, she’s more cunning than Cloud Sheep.”

Chen Ji leaned his back against the iron bars and said, “It’s a pity Jiao Tu and Cloud Sheep aren’t Mr. Feng. They can only see what’s in front of them, not think that far ahead. When no one else can solve the case, she’ll happily go and solve it to claim credit, and naturally, she’ll be remembered by Xuan Snake and Bao Monkey.”

Mr. Feng said with interest, “Wanting to be the one who controls the chess game.”

Chen Ji answered seriously, “I’m learning.”

Mr. Feng asked, “Since you’ve gone to the effort to come in, tell me, what do you want to ask me?”

Chen Ji leaned against the wall of the cell next to Mr. Feng’s and sat down comfortably. Mr. Feng also simply sat down slowly.

Separated by a wall, the two sat as if back to back, the surroundings equally empty.

Chen Ji asked in a low voice, “Exactly how many people are under the White Dragon mask?”

Upon hearing Chen Ji’s question, the corner of Mr. Feng’s mouth curved into a slight smile: “Right from the start, you want to ask me the most crucial secret? Why not pave the way a little?”

Chen Ji repeated his question seriously, “Exactly how many people are under the White Dragon mask?”

Mr. Feng counted on his fingers playfully: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…”

Chen Ji was astonished, so many?

Mr. Feng seemed to see Chen Ji’s expression through the wall and laughed heartily: “Actually, it’s not that complicated. In the ninth year of Jianing, the zodiac first got the title White Dragon, that was the first White Dragon. But this White Dragon later had more important matters, so I took over the mask and became the second one. Now I also want to leave, so there is a third one. We haven’t existed at the same time, each had their era, each had their mission.”

Chen Ji rapidly pondered Mr. Feng’s words.

The first White Dragon was still alive, just for some reason had to remove the mask and go do other things.

What reason could it be?

Going to other places far away, or having a higher status and position, or problems with the cultivation path?

From the ninth year of Jianing onwards, the mask was there, and White Dragon was there. Other zodiacs came and went, Night Sheep died and was replaced by Cloud Sheep, Cunning Rabbit died and was replaced by Jiao Tu, only the title of White Dragon would never change again.

Chen Ji doubted, “Who is the current White Dragon?”

Mr. Feng said with interest, “Why do you ask this?”

Chen Ji said in a low voice, “I previously made a transaction with ‘White Dragon.’ I helped White Dragon do things, and White Dragon helped me save people. Now that the person has changed, is this promise still valid?”

Mr. Feng said “Oh”: “So you’re worried about this… No need to worry, the promise is still valid, and he might be even more trustworthy than me. This new White Dragon, his actions are actually more upright than mine. I’ll give you a piece of sincere advice: if from now on in this Imperial Secretariat, you can only trust one person, it must be him.”

Chen Ji’s pupils constricted slightly.

Who was the new White Dragon, who could actually become the only person he could trust within the secret spy office? Was Mr. Feng telling the truth or falsehood?

Mr. Feng didn’t plan to continue this topic and said casually, “I’ll give you two more questions, consider it a parting gift. The opportunity is rare, if you already have the answers in your heart, then don’t ask again.”

In the long corridor of the imperial prison, Chen Ji raised his head and looked at the ceiling of the cell, swallowing the question on the tip of his tongue.

He had long thought about the question he most wanted to ask. Mr. Feng, however, didn’t urge him, humming an unknown tune through his nose and tapping his knee with his fingers one by one.

Chen Ji pondered for a long time and finally asked, “Why did my master go north, and is there any danger?”

Mr. Feng said curiously, “Such a rare opportunity, why not ask about matters related to yourself? Your master has already gone to the Jing Dynasty, perhaps there will be no more opportunities to meet in this life. Why care about him?”

Chen Ji repeated again, “Why did my master go north, and is there any danger?”

Mr. Feng sighed, “Your master… went to help you kill someone.”

Chen Ji was startled, “Kill someone? Kill who?”

Mr. Feng explained, “Your master’s matters are not something I can casually inquire about. He only mentioned casually before leaving that there is a mountain in your cultivation path that is difficult for you to climb over on your own. As your master, he hasn’t put much effort into it and feels guilty, so he went to find a way to help you move that mountain away.”

Chen Ji sat up in shock.

A great mountain in the cultivation path?

Nowadays, only old man Yao in the whole world knew that he cultivated the Sword Seed path. Even Mr. Feng didn’t know who old man Yao went to kill.

There were only three people in the Sword Seed path. One was Chen Ji, one was the person the Jing Dynasty military intelligence office had searched for years without success, and the third, Lu Yang, was the biggest mountain in the hearts of all officials in the world.

Chen Ji’s voice was dry as he said, “Does my master have a chance?”

Mr. Feng said lazily, “No chance. But as long as he can heavily injure the other person and buy you three years, it’s also an acceptable outcome.”

That harsh little old man, who always said that everyone didn’t need to have master-disciple feelings, was still the warmest in his heart.

Seeing Chen Ji silent, Mr. Feng urged, “Alright, ask the last question.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and asked, “Mr. Feng will certainly not be truly beheaded and displayed this time, so what do you plan to do after faking your death and escaping?”

Mr. Feng scoffed, “You always think about what others are doing, why don’t you ask about your own matters? Perhaps you already have the answers in your heart.”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Mr. Feng bent down and picked up a straw from the ground, tearing it apart strand by strand: “That year I passed the imperial examination, and during the palace examination, I wrote a ‘Plan North Twelve Strategies.’ The strategies said, ‘six strategies to secure within, six strategies to expel outside,’ which was the result of my painstaking efforts for over ten years. However, in the palace examination, it couldn’t compare to a single article of praise for merit and virtue written by your Chen family’s second branch legitimate eldest son. That’s when I knew, studying Confucian classics was useless.”

Mr. Feng smiled, “As for what I want to do, I actually told you long ago…”

Chen Ji recalled Mr. Feng’s words.

In Gu Yuan, Mr. Feng once pointed to the distant dawn light and said that five years later, when the Jing Dynasty came south, he would don armor himself, head north, and water his horses at the North Sea.

At this point, Mr. Feng also had doubts: “That’s not right, you didn’t specifically come to find me to ask things… You just found an excuse to enter this imperial prison. What is in this imperial prison that attracts you?”

Chen Ji was certain that Mr. Feng didn’t know about his Mountain Lord path, so the other party also wouldn’t know what the eight trigram lamps on the walls of this imperial prison locked.

This was a secret only Mountain Lords knew.

Before he could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the long corridor.

Two prison guards came to Mr. Feng’s cell door and said calmly, “Convict Feng Wen Zheng, the inner court’s decree has arrived, immediate public execution.”

Chen Ji turned his head in astonishment, wasn’t he to be beheaded and await execution?

Those who were to be beheaded and await execution were usually held until after autumn for execution. If they had performed meritorious service, or were favored by the emperor, and survived until His Majesty’s birthday and the great amnesty, they basically wouldn’t die.

Why so sudden?

Mr. Feng supported himself on the ground with his hand and slowly stood up, stretching out both hands to let the two prison guards shackle him. He walked towards the deepest part of the imperial prison.

As he was escorted past Chen Ji’s cell, he said with a laugh, “Kid, be a general or a prime minister, see you later.”

Chen Ji stood up and silently watched the other’s retreating back.

This parting, he didn’t know when they could meet again.

Jiao Tu solved the case, but the secret spy office didn’t immediately release the Feather Forest Army. The secret spy office waited for the parents of these Feather Forest Army soldiers to hand over their pledges of loyalty one by one. Once handed over, they could leave.

Qi Jian Zhe and Li Xuan were the first to leave, followed by Zhou Chong, whose father served as the Jinling circuit intendant, and Duo Bao, whose grandfather served as the minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

The Feather Forest Army soldiers were taken away one by one, and finally, only the more than twenty people from humble families and Chen Ji remained.

The Chen family seemed to have become deaf and mute, leaving him in the imperial prison.

Chen Ji sat in the dim prison cell, not knowing how long he had been sitting there.

Perhaps it had been two days. There was no sunlight in the imperial prison, nor could he hear the rooster’s crow or the watchman’s copper gong. Time became a kind of nothingness.

Chen Ji raised his head and looked at the stone wall above him. A small spider was just spinning a white thread, weaving a complete spider web to wait for prey.

He didn’t know when Hai Dongqing, who had been slapped by Jiao Tu, stood outside the iron bars, his face swollen on one side, and quietly examined Chen Ji inside the cell: “Those with a little family background have all been bailed out, only you with a Chen family background are left in the imperial prison, strange.”

Chen Ji’s gaze moved away from the spider and slowly looked towards Hai Dongqing outside the iron bars: “This lord is busy with affairs, I don’t think he came specifically to mock me.”

Hai Dongqing said casually, “Ning Xin didn’t say she was going to interrogate you? Why are there no wounds on your body?”

Chen Ji suddenly understood that Ning Xin was Jiao Tu’s real name.

He said curiously, “Cloud Sheep…”

Hai Dongqing’s voice sank slightly, “He’s not even a zodiac anymore, what Cloud Sheep?”

Chen Ji said calmly, “Then what is he called?”

Hai Dongqing doubted, “You don’t even know what he’s called? What is your relationship with Jiao Tu and Cloud Sheep? Are you their subordinate’s informant?”

Chen Ji didn’t answer.

He and Jiao Tu and Cloud Sheep were indeed in a superior-subordinate relationship now, but it wasn’t quite the same as the other person thought.

Hai Dongqing outside the iron bars saw that he didn’t speak, thought for a moment, and said, “Ning Xin solved the case this time, were you assisting from the side? You took away the Joint Hostel’s account book and helped her find the ink ingot where the Goryeo Crown Prince hid the poison.”

Chen Ji still didn’t answer.

Hai Dongqing said meaningfully, “Ning Xin and Zi Jin got credit from you but didn’t even think about bailing you out, truly cold-hearted. None of their subordinates have been promoted to Hai Dongqing so far. These two only care about grabbing credit for themselves and are not willing to share even half a point with their own people. When will you stand out by following them? Nowadays, I follow Lord Xuan Snake, I have money, I have power, even if I live with my head on my waistband, it’s still somewhat worthwhile.”

Chen Ji said sincerely, “Lord Xuan Snake is indeed far superior to those two.”

Hai Dongqing smiled with satisfaction, “Since that’s the case, are you willing to follow Lord Xuan Snake? When he rises to the upper three zodiacs, he will naturally want to cultivate his own team. If you are capable enough, there will naturally be a place for you in this Imperial Secretariat. Why follow Ning Xin and Zi Jin as a small informant?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, “To be honest, I am not Jiao Tu and Cloud Sheep’s informant either, I just take money and do things.”

Hai Dongqing was suspicious, “Take money and do things? How much did they give?”

Chen Ji said seriously, “Five hundred taels of silver. If Lord Xuan Snake needs something, he can also spend silver to find me to do it. I will certainly go through fire and water for Lord Xuan Snake without hesitation.”

Hai Dongqing laughed coldly, “If you don’t want to follow Lord Xuan Snake, you can say it directly. There’s no need to make up such a clumsy excuse. Guards, take him to Pipa Hall, I have my own way to make him tell the truth.”

The cell door opened, and two secret spies grabbed Chen Ji’s arms and forcibly dragged him out of the iron bars.

However, just at this moment, hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the long corridor again. Hai Dongqing’s heart sank, and he turned his head to see Gold Pig hurrying over.

He only saw Gold Pig walking through the cells one by one and coming to the front of the few people. He asked calmly, “What is this doing?”

Hai Dongqing hurriedly cupped his fists and replied, “Reporting to Lord Gold Pig, this person is suspicious and refuses to confess. This humble officer was just about to take him to Pipa Hall for interrogation.”

Gold Pig slapped Hai Dongqing on the other side of his face, “Interrogate a hammer, let him go, I want to take him.”

Hai Dongqing was slapped so hard his eyes saw stars, and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth: “What does Lord Gold Pig mean by this? There’s no inner court order…”

Gold Pig laughed coldly, “Do you take me for a fool? I’ve interrogated more people in the imperial prison than you’ve seen. The Goryeo envoy case is already concluded, under what crime are you detaining him? Let go!”

Hai Dongqing almost bit off his back molars, but he could only swallow his anger and instruct his subordinates, “Release the person!”

Gold Pig narrowed his eyes with a smile and looked at Hai Dongqing, “What, are you angry?”

Hai Dongqing cupped his fists, “Dare not.”

Gold Pig laughed heartily, “Dare not is good. Huang Yun Bo, I know you want to fight for the Sheep position, so eager for merit. But your ability is not enough, even Xuan Snake doesn’t favor you, and has instead supported Gao Yi… Polish your skills for a few more years. You might have a life-threatening situation even if you barely become a zodiac.”

Huang Yun Bo lowered his head, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, “Yes.”

Gold Pig pulled Chen Ji and walked away. Chen Ji paused for two breaths and added, “Lord Gold Pig, why are you looking for me? Do you want to pay the silver first?”

Gold Pig was slightly startled, then followed Chen Ji’s lead: “Rest assured, your silver won’t be missing.”

When they were a little further away, Chen Ji asked curiously, “Who is Gao Yi?”

Gold Pig said happily, “Another Hai Dongqing under Xuan Snake.”

Chen Ji probed, “Does he have a chance to compete for a zodiac?”

Gold Pig scoffed, “No, I’m just casually stirring up trouble between these two Hai Dongqings under Xuan Snake, I’m bored anyway. You’ll understand in time, between us colleagues in the secret spy office, there are never true friends… No, that’s not right, you, I, and Tian Ma are true friends!”

Chen Ji smiled, “We didn’t agree to be incompatible like fire and water in the secret spy office from now on? Why the change of plan?”

Gold Pig sighed, “Times are different now. Xuan Snake is a very vicious person, he is desperately trying to become one of the upper three zodiacs, killing with bloodshot eyes for merit. If you don’t have someone to support you, something might happen… Xuan Snake is usually quite smart, honestly hiding behind White Dragon and doing things, but now that the upper three positions are vacant, he is also anxious.”

Chen Ji asked casually, “Isn’t Lord Gold Pig jealous? You also have a chance.”

Gold Pig sneered, “Do you know why the upper three are three, not two, or one? That inner minister of ours wants a three-legged stand within the secret spy office, mutually balancing each other. Everyone knows the relationship between me and Tian Ma, we’re so close we could almost wear the same pants. If I were to compete for one of the upper three positions, it would be seeking death.”

Chen Ji said with a laugh, “So that’s how it is.”

Gold Pig strode quickly towards the outside. He said loudly, “Don’t worry about these matters for now. Cultivating steadily is more important than anything. Since you’ve entered the Feather Forest Army, just take this opportunity to cultivate well. That place is most suitable for hiding one’s talents and biding one’s time.”

Chen Ji said “Mm.”

Gold Pig was somewhat doubtful, “Strange, aren’t you White Dragon’s person? Why didn’t he come to bail you out? Also, are all of your Chen family a bunch of beasts? They don’t even save their own people. I guarded outside for a day and a night, and I really couldn’t wait for them, so I had to come and save you myself.”

Chen Ji stopped as he passed by a cell. He looked at the Feather Forest Army soldier slumped on the bedboard inside and turned his head to Gold Pig, saying, “Lord, please hand over the remaining Feather Forest Army soldiers to me one by one to take away.”

The Feather Forest Army soldier inside the cell suddenly raised his head.