A small courtyard, a killer, a black cat, and a young man—a strange yet unexpectedly harmonious combination.

Jiaotu stood on the eaves, watching Chen Ji, who sat oblivious by the Eight Immortals table. She suddenly sighed with emotion, “Time truly flies! Two months ago, Yunyang said you might surpass us, and I didn’t believe him. Yet, in the blink of an eye, you’ve actually become our superior.”

Chen Ji replied sincerely, “This was purely a coincidence. On one hand, I ascended quickly, and on the other, it’s because you two descended quickly… Had I been a little slower, or had you two been a little slower, this situation wouldn’t have arisen.”

Jiaotu rolled her eyes. “Who are you trying to get under the skin of? You sound exactly like Imperial Physician Yao.”

Yunyang’s expression turned slightly cold. With his arms crossed, he stared icily at Chen Ji. “You are not qualified to be our superior.”

Chen Ji smiled, conciliating slightly. “I don’t intend to be your superior. It’s simply that the Directorate of Ceremonial is fraught with danger, and I wish to join forces with you two. You need to regain your Zodiac positions, you require cultivation resources, you need access to training methods, and I need assistance. It’s as simple as that.”

Chen Ji continued, “From now on, let’s not address each other by our official titles privately. I won’t be your superior, and you won’t be my subordinates. How does that sound?”

Yunyang’s expression softened a little.

Jiaotu suddenly spoke up. “But how can we trust you? You betrayed even Prince Jing, the Princess, and the Heir Apparent. If you rise to power later, you could just as easily betray us. Tsk, that poor Princess. When I saw her yesterday, the light had completely vanished from her eyes.”

Chen Ji’s hand, holding his chopsticks, paused. Then he smiled brightly. “If mocking me helps you vent your anger, then that’s truly excellent. Why don’t you say a few more things, and then we can discuss serious business?”

Jiaotu gasped, covering her mouth as she chuckled. “I didn’t mean to mock you. It’s just that after witnessing what happened to Prince Jing’s residence, we can’t help but feel a little apprehensive.”

Chen Ji said soberly, “When I help you two, I naturally have my own demands. Previously, our cooperation earned me fifty taels of silver from each of you per instance. How about we transition to a new form of cooperation? I’ll help you both regain your Zodiac positions, and in return, each of you will pay me five thousand taels of silver.”

Jiaotu’s eyes widened. With her hands on her hips, she leaned down to look at Chen Ji. “Five thousand taels! Why don’t you just rob someone? Lin Chaoqing from the Ministry of Justice is watching us constantly. Where are we supposed to get that much silver?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “That’s not for me to worry about. Don’t try to deceive me again by claiming you have no money. Even the formidable Ministry of Justice has its oversights. Besides, you both know which holds more weight: five thousand taels of silver or your Zodiac positions.”

Yunyang rubbed his neck, asking in a low voice, “What if you retaliate against Jiaotu and me once you’ve risen to power?”

Chen Ji chuckled. “Lord Yunyang, what deep-seated animosity could there possibly be in this world? It’s merely about fame and fortune.”

Jiaotu probed, “Really?”

Chen Ji picked up a piece of pan-fried tofu and ate it, his expression unchanged. He said, “I can betray even Prince Jing, the Princess, and the Heir Apparent. For the sake of fame and fortune, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”

Jiaotu clapped and exclaimed, “I told you we’d get along!”

Yunyang frowned. “Jiaotu, this boy is deeply cunning. Don’t fall for his tricks.”

Jiaotu replied nonchalantly, “Stop grumbling. If you don’t want to cooperate with Chen Ji, then I’ll cooperate with him alone. You may not want to regain your Zodiac position, but I do.”

Yunyang’s expression froze, and he turned to look at Chen Ji. “What do you need us to do?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment, “There are many things I need you two to do.”

With that, he took an envelope from his sleeve and tossed it to Yunyang. “The first thing is to deliver this letter to the Chen residence.”

Yunyang took the envelope, asking doubtfully, “Now?”

“Of course not now; tomorrow,” Chen Ji said, gesturing to the food on the table. “Since we’re going to be cooperating, why don’t you come down and join me for a meal?”

Jiaotu winked at Chen Ji, “Got any wine?”

Yunyang glanced at the food on the table. “It looks unappetizing. I’m not eating. I’m leaving.”

As he finished speaking, he leaped onto the roof, pulling Jiaotu by the sleeve, ready to depart.

Jiaotu didn’t leave. She turned back to Chen Ji, “Tomorrow, Bailong will personally escort the Princess to the capital. If you want to see her one more time, I can tell you the escort route.”

As she spoke, she observed Chen Ji’s expression.

But Chen Ji’s expression remained unchanged. He simply continued eating, head bowed, and casually replied, “Why would I want to see her? Lord Jiaotu, it’s better if you don’t tell me the escort route.”

Jiaotu exclaimed admiringly, “How utterly heartless! Chen Ji, you are truly destined for greatness.”

Yunyang urged, “Let’s go!”

“Oh!”

Once the two had disappeared, Chen Ji exhaled softly in relief. He put down his chopsticks and sat lost in thought in the quiet, cool courtyard.

Collaborating with Yunyang and Jiaotu, those two treacherous individuals, was like walking a tightrope or bargaining with a tiger for its skin. The slightest misstep could lead to irreparable ruin.

Wuyun walked along the rooftop, then lightly leaped onto the table. “No more fighting? I haven’t even used the Liang Family Blade Arts yet.”

Chen Ji picked up a piece of cured meat. “No more fighting. Using fame and fortune as my blade is quite sufficient.”

Early morning, the roosters crowed, heralding dawn.

Chen Ji rose and went into the courtyard, stripping naked to wash away the scent of alcohol and dust with ice-cold water. It was as if he was shedding his past self and donning a new mask.

He didn’t return to the apprentice dormitory until his entire body was flushed red from the cold.

He stood before the wardrobe, hesitating for a long moment, before finally taking out the custom-made clothes from Li Ji and putting them on. It was a black garment with a stand-up collar and a wide front lapel, featuring fine, tight, exquisite stitching.

Chen Ji lifted the hem of the garment, running his fingers over it. Hidden within were gold melon seeds he could use in an emergency, and the unspoken sentiments of a young girl.

He went into the courtyard and, looking at his reflection in the water of the large vat, saw himself as lean, capable, and resolute.

Without turning his head, Chen Ji asked Wuyun, “Wuyun, do I look like an important figure now?”

Wuyun glanced at him, “No.”

Chen Ji smiled. “If not, then not.”

He packed a cloth bundle and slung it over his shoulder.

Chen Ji approached the entrance, then turned back to cast a long, deep gaze at the medical clinic. Only when he had seen enough did he lock the large gate and step into the bustling morning crowd heading for the market.

He asked in a low voice, “Which route will they take?”

Wuyun poked her head out from his embrace. “They’ll depart from the Liu Residence on Qingping Street, turn from Wangchunmen Street onto Hongdou Alley, and finally exit the city via the North Gate. There isn’t much time; they’re leaving at *chen shi*.”

Chen Ji quickened his pace, eventually breaking into a run.

He wove through the gaps between pedestrians and carriages, running toward Qingping Street.

Upon reaching Qingping Street, Chen Ji distinctly saw a carriage slowly setting off from the front of the Liu Residence, escorted by Bailong and dozens of Jie Fan Guards clad in straw cloaks.

Bailong had kept his word. Since Chen Ji had served him, he wouldn’t make things difficult for the Princess. The journey, which originally should have involved a prisoner’s cart, was replaced by a comfortable carriage.

However, Chen Ji dared not approach. He could only parallel their route from an adjacent street.

Rows of buildings obstructed his view. Only when they simultaneously passed a particular alley could his gaze once again cut through the narrow bluestone lane and glimpse the carriage.

He walked alongside them like this, watching them depart, all the way from Wangchunmen Street to Hongdou Alley. On the street, Chen Ji repeatedly glimpsed the carriage through the alleys, all while dodging pedestrians and oxcarts.

Until someone inside the carriage quietly lifted the curtain and peered out. Chen Ji suddenly stopped instinctively, avoiding their gaze. The carriage continued its journey, while the other person remained forever in the past.

Chen Ji turned around and left, walking in the opposite direction.

The carriage headed north, and Chen Ji headed south. Separated by white walls, buildings, and grey tiles, they seemed as distant as if divided by mountains.

Wuyun looked up at Chen Ji’s chin, “Aren’t you going to see her off?”

Chen Ji said calmly, “No, I’m not seeing her off. We still have our own affairs to attend to, and we’ll see each other again, sooner or later.”

Cuiyun Alley.

Chen Ji stood before the gate of the Chen Residence. Two stone lions squatted on either side, each holding a stone ball in its mouth.

He gazed at the tightly closed gate, finally took a deep breath, then lifted the beast-head knocker on the vermillion-lacquered door and let it fall, *thump-thump-thump*.

With a creak, the door opened.