Midnight.

The iron gate of the inner prison creaked, a sound that seemed to scratch deep within one’s heart, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Golden Pig emerged first from the gate. Outside, over twenty black-clad secret agents stood solemnly, hands on their blades.

Wearing a black combat suit, he stood before the agents and stated expressionlessly: “The battle at Peony Bridge cost our brothers dearly. But this is the life we live: killing the most vicious villains and sleeping with the most beautiful women in Red Robe Alley. Tonight, be prepared to risk your lives and earn merits with me.”

With that said, he turned to West Wind and said, “Bring out Manager Yuan.”

Manager Yuan, his hands and feet bound by iron shackles, stumbled out of the inner prison. As he moved, blood seeped from the wound in his thigh, where he had been shot by Heavenly Horse.

He stopped outside the gate and, disheveled and dirty, lifted his head, greedily inhaling several breaths of fresh air. He exclaimed, “How delicious!”

Golden Pig, with his hands behind his back, said with a smile, “If we can capture Long Whale tonight, you’ll never have to return to the inner prison.”

Manager Yuan chuckled and, bowing with his shackled hands, said, “Thank you for your auspicious words, sir.”

Golden Pig escorted him into the carriage.

Just as Chen Ji was about to step into the carriage, Golden Pig turned and stopped him. “Tonight, you and West Wind will follow on the periphery. Do not get too close.”

Chen Ji asked, puzzled, “Sir, do you not trust me?”

Golden Pig, sitting in the carriage, chuckled. “How could I not trust you? It’s just that the closer you get tonight, the more dangerous it will be with the Jing Dynasty villains. You haven’t yet begun your cultivation journey, and you’re unarmed and defenseless. You cannot put yourself in harm’s way.”

He continued, emphasizing seriously, “Tonight, if you find that things are going wrong, hide immediately. Above all, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not do anything rash out of hot-headedness.”

Upon hearing Golden Pig repeat ‘absolutely’ three times, Chen Ji’s expression immediately grew complicated. “Sir, if I’m not in the carriage, who will offer you advice? I’m not afraid of danger.”

Golden Pig was slightly moved. “No. I appreciate your willingness, but you’ve only just gained access to the cultivation path; you cannot die.”

With that, he lowered the carriage curtain and called out loudly, “Depart!”

The carriage slowly drove toward the East Market.

Chen Ji stood before the inner prison gate, silently watching the carriage’s retreating form grow smaller and smaller. Golden Pig’s reluctance for him to approach danger was a good thing; at least he wouldn’t have to worry about being stabbed in the back at any moment.

However, he had originally planned to kill Manager Yuan tonight amidst the chaos, to avoid implicating Concubine Yun. Now, he could only improvise.

As he pondered.

West Wind looked at Chen Ji. “Chen… Sir, let’s depart as well. Let’s follow the carriage from a distance, to ensure we can provide timely support if Sir Golden Pig encounters danger.”

Chen Ji glanced at him. “You and I are both Dove-level secret agents; there’s no need to call me ‘sir.'”

West Wind chuckled flatteringly. “With your intelligence and wisdom, Sir, it’s only a matter of time before you’re promoted to East Sea Azure.”

The next moment, he took out a bronze whistle and blew it. The agents immediately dispersed, moving through the alleyways.

Only West Wind remained by Chen Ji’s side as they walked, yet he heard West Wind occasionally blow a bird call, adjusting the agents’ formation, providing cross-cover for the advancing carriage.

During a break in commanding, West Wind furtively glanced at Chen Ji. “What grade is the cultivation path Sir gave you?”

Chen Ji cast a sidelong glance at him. “Sir didn’t tell me. If you want to know, you can ask him yourself.”

West Wind shrunk his neck. “I won’t ask him; I’d definitely get scolded if I did.”

Just as they were speaking, the carriage ahead suddenly accelerated and turned left onto Baining Street.

West Wind and Chen Ji exchanged a look. Chen Ji said, “No, Manager Yuan said he arranged to meet Long Whale tonight at the Canal Wharf at quarter past Chou (1:15 AM), but this isn’t the way to the Canal Wharf.”

West Wind asked, “What should we do?”

Chen Ji said, “Blow the bronze whistle and ask Sir Golden Pig.”

West Wind blew the bronze whistle but heard only a single reply from the carriage. At the same time, West Wind’s expression turned serious. “Sir says to keep following.”

Chen Ji took a deep breath. “We’ll follow Sir’s orders.”

The agents continued to advance, crisscrossing through the alleyways, relentlessly pursuing the carriage.

But before they could catch up to the carriage, it suddenly turned another corner, heading in a new direction.

Everyone continuously increased their pace, following behind the carriage. One by one, the agents became breathless, realizing that if they kept running like this, they would have no strength left when they reached their destination.

Chen Ji frowned and said, “Use the bronze whistle to signal Sir to stop. We can’t keep being led by the nose by those Jing Dynasty villains.”

West Wind blew the bronze whistle. This time, only two brief bird calls replied from the carriage.

Chen Ji asked, puzzled, “I’ve been hearing you blow the bronze whistle. How do you distinguish what message these whistle sounds convey?”

West Wind explained, “The bronze whistle can imitate three types of bird calls. The first type is the magpie: one call means ‘rally, follow’; two calls mean ‘surround, ambush’; three calls mean ‘retreat’; and four calls mean ‘charge like hell.'”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. “That emotional?”

West Wind explained, panting, “That was my simplified explanation. The second bird call is the bamboo partridge; different numbers of calls represent different formations. The third bird call is the long cry of a hawk: this whistle is only blown in one situation—when encountering an extremely dangerous individual.”

Chen Ji paused, then asked, “Is it that sound?”

West Wind said, “That’s the sound! Oh no, enemy attack!”

On the cold, desolate bluestone street, the flagstone path was so smooth it reflected the moon. Reflected on these flagstones was a halberd shooting down from a pavilion roof, as if piercing the moon itself.

With a hum, the halberd flew across the sky. Precisely hitting its mark, it pierced straight through the carriage with a thunderous crash. The wooden carriage splintered into countless fragments, scattering across the air.

After shattering the carriage, the halberd embedded itself in the bluestone path, its wooden shaft still vibrating continuously.

Amidst the flying debris, Golden Pig and Manager Yuan were thrown from the carriage, one to the left and one to the right, landing on the ground.

West Wind gasped, “Sir!”

He was about to rush forward to rescue them when several masked assassins emerged from the rooftops, simultaneously hurling halberds from their hands. Though not as terrifying as the first halberd, they effectively blocked all routes for the agents to provide support.

Chen Ji pulled West Wind into a corner and peered out. Looking towards where the first halberd had come from, he saw a masked man standing on the ridge of a building, with several halberds strapped to his back with hemp rope.

The man tapped his heel backward, hitting the end of a halberd just right. The halberd sprang from his back and landed in his hand.

The next moment, that halberd flew from his hand.

With a hum, the halberd was not aimed at Golden Pig, but rather shot directly towards Manager Yuan’s chest and abdomen. The attackers intended to silence the heavily injured Manager Yuan first.

In the nick of time, Golden Pig scrambled to Manager Yuan’s side. He grabbed the man’s collar and yanked hard.

The halberd, which was originally headed for Manager Yuan’s chest and abdomen, deeply pierced his lower leg and pinned him to the ground.

“Ah!” Manager Yuan wailed.

Golden Pig snapped angrily, “What are you wailing about? And you still expect your comrades to save you? It’s not our Secret Service who wants to kill you now; it’s those very comrades who want you dead!”

Manager Yuan stammered, “Save me, Sir Golden Pig, save me!”

In an instant, West Wind shouted loudly, “Sir, look out!”

Golden Pig abruptly turned his body sideways. He saw a halberd, whistling through the air, fly past his face, and embed itself with a thud in the flagstone path behind him.

He roared, “Heavenly Horse! This person is a Xundao realm master; if you don’t act now, I’ll die!”

But this time, no brilliant meteor shower streaked across the night sky.

The sudden change in route left Heavenly Horse waiting in vain.

Golden Pig gritted his teeth, rose, and leaped onto the pavilion, charging towards the man on the second floor. “West Wind, go help the other brothers and hold them off until Heavenly Horse arrives!”

Chen Ji hid in the corner, silently observing the battlefield.

Halberds flew across the flagstone path in all directions, and Manager Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly pulling the halberd out of his leg.

He endured the pain and scrambled to his feet, using the halberd in his hand as a prop. Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention to him, he limped towards an alleyway!

Chen Ji slowly retreated into the shadows, pursuing Manager Yuan in the direction he fled.

He weaved continuously through the alleyways until he heard heavy panting from around the next corner. He then abruptly stopped.

Chen Ji listened as the heavy panting grew closer and closer, until…

He suddenly burst out of the alley, colliding fiercely with his shoulder.

With a clatter, the halberd fell to the ground, and Manager Yuan was sent tumbling by the impact.

Chen Ji silently observed the man. He saw Manager Yuan lying motionless on the ground.

Feigning death?

No, he wasn’t feigning death.

Chen Ji looked closely. He saw Manager Yuan’s face had turned black. It was a sign of impending death.

Was the halberd coated with poison?

He picked up the halberd from the ground and walked step by step towards Manager Yuan. Just as he was about to raise the halberd to deliver a finishing blow, he suddenly stopped.

Something was wrong.

He felt that something was amiss.

Chen Ji slowly put away the halberd, leaned against the wall, and said, “To die by your own people’s hands, how pathetic. In your next life, remember not to be a Jing Dynasty person.”

Just then, he looked up and around, only to find Heavenly Horse had appeared unnoticed, standing on the eaves above him, silently watching him.

Chen Ji’s heart jolted.

Heavenly Horse did not greet him, but lightly leaped down from the wall, took a pill from his sleeve, and put it into Manager Yuan’s mouth.

In just a few breaths, Manager Yuan’s breathing gradually grew heavy, and the blackness on his face quickly receded, replaced by a healthy flush.

Disordered footsteps approached. Golden Pig limped into the alley, squatted beside Manager Yuan, and grabbed his collar. “You dared to betray me!”

Manager Yuan slowly regained consciousness. “Mercy, sir!”

Golden Pig was about to punch him in the face, but Heavenly Horse seized his fist.

He looked up. Heavenly Horse silently shook his head.

Golden Pig’s expression changed several times. Finally, he lowered his head to look at Manager Yuan. “Now, the Jing Dynasty people want you dead even more than we do. In this wide world, where will you find a place to hide? Tell me, will you cooperate with us or not?”

Manager Yuan hastily said, “Yes, yes!”

Golden Pig asked in a low voice, “Did you really arrange to meet Long Whale tonight?”

“Yes, I did!”

Chen Ji silently watched this scene and let out a soft breath.

Only at this moment did he finally confirm that everything that happened tonight was merely a play staged by the Secret Service themselves.

Although the assassins’ halberds were formidable, no secret agents died except for Manager Yuan. The first halberd clearly had an opportunity to kill Golden Pig, yet it flew right through the center of the carriage. Golden Pig, a person so afraid of death, had clearly fallen to the Xiantian realm, yet dared to pursue and fight a Xundao realm master…

Every detail revealed something strange.

But the most crucial detail was this: West Wind had said that one bird call meant ‘rally, follow’; two calls meant ‘surround, ambush’; three calls meant ‘retreat’; and four calls meant ‘charge like hell.’

The second time Golden Pig responded to the whistle from inside the carriage, it was clearly two calls.