By The Talking Elbow

The bluestone path was covered with a layer of white moonlight, like a soft, gentle veil. The tense atmosphere was also swept away by the gentle breeze.

Chen Ji sheathed his short saber. He looked at Princess Baili in front of him and asked softly, “How long have you been secretly plotting to help me?”

Baili fidgeted with the pouch at her waist, a little embarrassed. “A day and a half,” she replied.

Chen Ji wondered, “How did I not notice you discussing this?”

Baili explained, “You always come back during the day, looking exhausted, and then you just go straight to your room to sleep. We’ve been discussing it quietly in the courtyard while you were asleep.”

“Weren’t you afraid I was gambling?”

“No, we weren’t. You’re definitely not the gambler they said you were.”

“Thank you.”

Chen Ji could imagine the group sitting in a circle around the octagonal table, whispering amongst themselves. They were naive yet sincere.

Chen Ji glanced at Liang Gou’er. “By the way,” he said, “how much money did you pool together for Brother Gou’er to help? The kiln’s dividends haven’t been received yet, so didn’t everyone run out of money?”

The Young Master chuckled. “Ten taels of silver,” he said. “Baili and I really don’t have much money left. Liu Quxing paid for these ten taels. You should have seen his face contort when he pulled that silver ingot from the hidden pocket of his clothes.”

Chen Ji was speechless for a moment. After a long silence, he said, disbelievingly, “Liu Quxing?”

The Young Master laughed heartily. “We agreed to contribute two taels of silver each. He just fronted the money for now. Once the kiln dividends are paid, we’ll return his share.”

“Chen Ji, what kind of trouble have you gotten into…?” Baili asked.

She took a step forward, but Chen Ji stepped back. “Princess, I can’t say,” he replied. “Perhaps one day I’ll tell you everything, but certainly not now. I must go; there’s something very important I need to do tonight.”

“But Brother Gou’er can help you.”

“It’s not necessary.”

With that, Chen Ji slowly backed away, then turned and strode quickly down the street, disappearing at its end.

Liang Gou’er leaned against the wall, his long saber cradled in his arms. He watched Chen Ji’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

At that moment, Baili mustered her courage and wanted to follow, but Liang Gou’er blocked her with the hilt of his saber against her collarbone. “Princess,” he said, “don’t follow him. You’d best not get involved in his affairs.”

Baili looked at Liang Gou’er in surprise. “Why?” she asked.

Liang Gou’er smiled. “If a normal person encountered trouble, why would they refuse my help? Unless the difficulty he faces comes from the Eunuch Faction. Chen Ji is either a member of the Eunuch Faction or an enemy of it. He knows very well that I don’t help either type of person.”

“But…”

Liang Gou’er suddenly said, “Perhaps the Young Master and Princess don’t even realize what kind of person has been by their side all along.”

The Young Master looked puzzled. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Cradling his long saber, Liang Gou’er glanced at them. “That young man has definitely killed before, and not just one person. A killer’s eyes are completely different… Do either of you know about this?”

The Young Master and Baili exchanged glances.

The Young Master clearly remembered that night in Hongyi Alley, how the mysterious figure had severed the secret agent’s long saber with a single strike, and had seen the person swing it three times in succession. So, when Chen Ji had snapped the saber in Baili’s hand, the Young Master had already recognized Chen Ji’s true identity. Of course, Chen Ji had killed people, and he had done so right in front of the Young Master.

The Young Master hesitated for a moment, recalling Baili’s recent unusual behavior. He whispered, “Baili, did you figure this out a long time ago?”

Baili hummed in affirmation.

The Young Master sighed. “No wonder… Brother Gou’er, we knew Chen Ji had killed people. Although we’re still not sure of his true identity, that doesn’t stop us from being his friends.”

Liang Gou’er sighed. “His identity, I’m afraid, is more complex than either of you imagine.”

“How so?”

Liang Gou’er explained, “Baili and the Young Master aren’t familiar with martial arts, so they have no concept of that young man’s saber technique. But have you ever seen a saber technique that can effortlessly break an opponent’s weapon using only subtle skill, not brute force? That’s a strike capable of astounding many swordsmen in their lifetime. It has nothing to do with one’s cultivation realm; the technique alone is something ordinary people couldn’t learn even if they tried.”

“The crucial question is, who taught him that saber technique?”

Liang Gou’er looked toward the end of the long street. “Fang Yuwu? Or Li Zhechong? No, neither of them is capable of that…”

“Brother Gou’er, can *you* do it?”

“Of course I can!”

Chen Ji followed the shop signs one by one until he spotted Chaiji Grain and Oil Shop, then turned into the dark alley beside it. The moment he turned into the alley, dozens of glowing green eyes stared back at him from the darkness.

Chen Ji’s scalp tingled. He couldn’t distinguish Wuyun’s eyes from the others in the darkness, so he tentatively whispered, “Wuyun?”

No cat responded, merely continuing to stare eerily and motionlessly at him. One pair of eyes blinked rapidly at him several times.

After a moment of silence, Chen Ji tried again, “Jiu Tian Ying Yuan Lei Sheng Pu Hua Tian Zun?”

The next second, a pair of glowing green eyes emerged from the shadowy crowd, stepping into the moonlight. It let out an arrogant, indifferent “Meow.” “What do you want with me?” it asked.

Chen Ji cleared his throat. “Uh, there’s something I’d like to report to you privately.”

Wuyun turned back and meowed at the dozens of eyes in the darkness, and they slowly vanished back into the shadows.

Wuyun waited a moment, then jumped happily into Chen Ji’s arms. “What was that name you just said?” it purred. “It sounds so mighty!”

Chen Ji chuckled. “That’s the Daoist title of the highest celestial deity of the Thunder Department, who commands thunder and lightning, oversees life, death, prosperity, decay, rewards and punishments for good and evil, and brings clouds and rain to vanquish demons.”

Wuyun looked solemn. “Awesome! Can you call me by that name whenever other cats are around from now on?”

Chen Ji remained silent.

“I can massage your legs when we get home!” Wuyun quickly offered.

Chen Ji remained silent.

“And walk on your back!”

“Deal, but you don’t need to massage my legs or walk on my back,” Chen Ji said with a smile, stroking Wuyun’s head. “Why haven’t you been back to the medical clinic these past few days?”

Wuyun thought for a moment. “Master said that I’ve already cultivated the essence of the Liang family’s saber technique within me,” it explained. “If I stayed at the medical clinic, Liang Gou’er would sense it.”

“Huh?” Chen Ji responded. It really learned?!

“If people cultivate the same path, will they always sense each other when they meet?” Chen Ji asked curiously.

Wuyun replied, “Master said that when two people cultivating the same path meet for the first time, their hearts will inevitably pound as if they’ve encountered a natural predator.”

He suddenly recalled his own experience: the moment he saw Old Man Yao for the first time, after using ginseng to dispel the ice flow within him, his heart had indeed pounded, as if he were being watched by a fierce tiger. So, it turned out that his master had known he’d begun cultivating at that very moment, while he had thought no one else knew.

So, in the future, if he were to meet Lu Yang from the Jing Dynasty Martial Temple, would Lu Yang immediately know he was also cultivating the Sword Seed path and then cleave him in two with a single sword stroke?

“Let’s get to business,” Chen Ji said, looking at Wuyun. “I need your help with something.”

“What is it?”

“Borrow a saber, and kill a few people.”

On the night agreed with Liu Mingxian, Chen Ji returned to the Zhou Manor as promised.

The night was cloudless and deeply dark. He stood before the red lacquer gate, put on his tiger mask, and then lifted the beast-head knocker on the door to tap it.

The main gate swung open, revealing the Zhou Manor courtyard. There, countless secret agents in black sat cross-legged on the ground, diligently cleaning their waist-worn sabers. As Chen Ji stepped inside, the secret agents, still wiping their long sabers, silently watched him with cold eyes, their gazes slowly following his every step.

Golden Pig emerged from the study to greet him, a smile on his face. “You’re quite punctual,” he remarked.

Chen Ji looked puzzled. “My lord, aren’t we supposed to be impersonating the Chief to meet Liu Mingxian tonight? Why have you summoned so many secret agents, and why do they all look so murderous?”

Golden Pig smiled and explained, “Originally, I also intended to follow your plan, having Xifeng impersonate the Chief to slowly extract information from Liu Mingxian. But then I reconsidered. Although the Jing Dynasty rebels haven’t contacted the Liu family yet, that doesn’t mean they never will. The moment they do, our entire ruse will be exposed.”

Golden Pig continued, “To avoid any complications, if Liu Mingxian shows up for the meeting tonight, it will confirm his suspicion of colluding with the Jing Dynasty. Even if I arrest him, the Liu family won’t be able to protest. Then, we just need to take Liu Mingxian to the inner prison. With Meng Ji there, he’s bound to confess.”

Chen Ji was startled. “Meng Ji? My lord, you brought Meng Ji from Kaifeng Prefecture?”

Golden Pig asked casually, “What, is there something wrong with that?”

Chen Ji smiled. “No, not at all. I simply meant that with Lord Meng Ji present, Liu Mingxian will naturally have no way to deny anything.”

Golden Pig said meaningfully, “Indeed, with Meng Ji’s involvement, it’s foolproof.”

Chen Ji asked, “My lord, since you’ve changed the plan, do you no longer need my assistance? You know I’m merely a medical apprentice, without the strength to even tie a chicken, hardly suitable for an arrest operation.”

However, no sooner had he spoken than two secret agents rose from the ground and slowly walked to Chen Ji’s side, subtly positioning themselves to restrain him. Chen Ji’s expression hardened. He abruptly turned to Golden Pig. “My lord, what is the meaning of this?” he demanded.

The next moment, all the secret agents who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground silently rose. They held their long sabers, their gazes sharp and predatory like eagles and wolves. It seemed that in the small courtyard tonight, everyone else was a hunter, and Chen Ji was the sole prey.

Golden Pig patted Chen Ji’s shoulder. “Brother,” he said, “you still need to cooperate with us and continue the act. After all, we need to lure Liu Mingxian out first. Don’t overthink it; I know you’re powerless, so these two colleagues beside you have been specially assigned to protect you.”

Chen Ji asked, “My lord, are you certain they’re here to protect me?”

Golden Pig smiled. “Why else?”

With that, he looked at the secret agents in the courtyard and said coldly, “Tonight, Liu Mingxian must be apprehended and brought to justice. As long as you display courage during the arrest, your rewards will certainly not be lacking upon success. Depart!”

The heavy vermilion-lacquered gate of the Zhou Manor was pulled open once more, and the secret agents filed out.

The two secret agents sheathed their long sabers. “Let’s go, my lord,” they said in cold voices. “Don’t make this difficult for us.”

Chen Ji’s face was hidden beneath the tiger mask. After a long silence, he simply said, “Very well.”