Los City’s winding, twisting streets and alleys are like the city’s palm lines.

Currently chasing Chen Ji and the others, the Liu family team has split into five routes, like a hand closing in, squeezing the air in this city into a solid mass.

Secret agents pass through the shadows between the houses. A few hundred steps behind them are the figures of the Liu family members, holding guns and clubs and raising torches.

Jiao Tu turns her head to glance at Chen Ji at the end of the team, then turns back to ask Yun Yang: “Do you believe that boy? If he hasn’t found the evidence, we might just miss the opportunity to leave Los City tonight.”

“We can only believe him now,” Yun Yang says solemnly. “If we can’t find the evidence tonight, we won’t even be able to get through the Main Criminal Office’s checkpoint.”

Jiao Tu says carelessly: “The Inner Minister won’t really do anything to us. We’re still useful. At worst, we’ll kill more people for him.”

“The Inner Minister has good people and bad people under him, but no stupid people. If you and I mess this up, we might just lose our positions in the Secret Agent Office… Maybe that boy really can find the evidence?”

Jiao Tu says solemnly: “Hope so. If he can’t find the evidence, we’ll just kill our way back to the capital and beg Bai Long for mercy. Anyway, we can’t fall into the Main Criminal Office’s hands.”

Saying that, she turns her head again to size up Chen Ji.

This young apprentice is following at the rear of the team, panting. His hair is wet with sweat, and the cloth covering his face is soaked through, yet he is unwilling to take it off.

“This boy’s physique isn’t bad,” Jiao Tu praises. “He can actually keep up with the secret agents.”

The secret agents under the Secret Agent Office, if you were to pick one at random and place them in the ‘Wan Sui Army’, they would be elites among elites. So, no matter how embarrassed Chen Ji is, it is already not easy for him to keep up with their pace.

At this moment, Chen Ji feels the changes in his body. When he is exhausted, the three furnaces beside his dantian continuously surge out warm currents, supporting him as he continues to run.

The furnace fires rush like floods, causing his body to undergo some mysterious transformation.

It is as if a sword full of rust spots is being wiped clean of the rust.

Passing through Changning Street, the sounds of shouting and killing from behind are already approaching. Yun Yang says solemnly: “The Liu family is more familiar with Los City than us. They are taking shortcuts to surround us. We will definitely be caught if we keep running like this.”

“What should we do?” Jiao Tu asks.

“Abandon the cart to save the commander.”

Passing a small courtyard, Yun Yang instructs: “Qi Wan, you take everyone and lead the Liu family to the west side. This will be considered a great merit for you!”

The black-clothed secret agent named Qi Wan says in a low voice: “Yes, the rest follow me!”

Chen Ji stands beside the courtyard wall, looking at the backs of the departing secret agents without speaking. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu have already flipped into the small courtyard. Seeing him delay and not flip in, they cling to the gray tiles and poke their heads out again: “What are you standing there for?!”

“Coming,” Chen Ji jumps with force, grabs Yun Yang’s extended hand, and embarrassingly flips into the courtyard.

The three people stand behind the wall, pressing against the wall and holding their breath to listen to the movements outside.

They hear dense, chaotic footsteps passing by outside the wall, and they also hear someone saying, “We must not let them escape from Los City, we must avenge the old master.”

They are only separated by one wall. Chen Ji can even smell the burning scent of the torches outside the wall. That smell is a mix of cedar bark and pine resin oil, dry and explosive.

The black mass of people chases after the secret agents in the direction they left. Not until the area outside the wall becomes quiet again does Chen Ji dare to breathe: “Can the secret agents survive?”

Yun Yang glances at him and says: “In chaotic times, life and death are decided by fate. It’s the same for you, for them, and for Jiao Tu and me. When Jiao Tu and I were still small secret agents, we don’t know how many times we were abandoned.”

Jiao Tu says: “Don’t waste words, let’s go quickly.”

The three people flip out of the courtyard wall again. The streets are already empty of people. They walk towards the east but stop at the first crossroads.

Yun Yang narrows his eyes and looks at the bluestone road opposite. Lin Chaoqing and a group of dozens of mounted Yu Long Guards stand their horses, just quietly waiting there, as if they can always find their prey at the first opportunity.

The Main Criminal Office is in the east, and the Secret Agent Office is in the west. They gaze at each other from a distance but do not speak. Both sides stand in the shadows, waiting for the other side to speak first.

The Yu Long Guards wear raincoats and bamboo hats. Every person’s hand is pressing on the handle of the knife behind their waist. The oppressive feeling is like mountains rushing towards them.

In this silence, Lin Chaoqing urges his horse forward, slowly coming towards Yun Yang.

His expression is hidden under his bamboo hat, and no one can see it clearly: “We work in the same Directorate of Ceremonial, we are colleagues. We also don’t want the people from the Secret Agent Office to be overthrown by civil officials. I let you leave just now to give you an opportunity. An hour has passed. Can you produce the evidence now?”

Yun Yang’s face is solemn, and he remains silent, knowing that bluffing is no longer an option.

“It seems not yet,” Lin Chaoqing urges his warhorse forward to press on. “Capture them…”

His words are interrupted by a wave of noisy voices coming from a distance: “Liang Mao’er, where are you carrying me? Girl Yan’er is still waiting for me at the Red Banner!”

“Brother, the Liu family seems angry. We have to quickly go and kill the eunuch party people, otherwise your wine money will be cut off, and the medicinal materials for practice will also be cut off!”

“What! Cut off my wine money?”

“Brother, medicine is more important!”

The Main Criminal Office and the Secret Agent Office look to the left at the same time, only to see a fat young man carrying a drunk middle-aged man running over.

The middle-aged man’s clothes are open and loosely draped over his body, his head resting crookedly on the young man’s shoulder. This person has disheveled hair and looks sloppy, but the knife at his waist seems to be often wiped and is particularly exquisite.

When Lin Chaoqing sees this person, he pulls the reins, and for a moment, all the Yu Long Guards from the Main Criminal Office stop.

Jiao Tu says in a low voice: “It’s Liang Gou’er.”

Everyone silently watches the two people, one fat and one thin. In the strange silence, they see Liang Mao’er carrying Liang Gou’er on his back, scolding as they walk closer.

When passing the crossroads, the fat Liang Mao’er sees the Main Criminal Office and the Secret Agent Office in the shadows by the roadside. He is suddenly so scared he dares not breathe, and his fat body shakes.

“Brother, brother, wake up quickly! I seem to see them!” Liang Mao’er says.

Liang Gou’er opens his drunk eyes: “Found the eunuch party?”

Liang Mao’er’s forehead is covered in sweat. He wants to throw Liang Gou’er down and run. He lowers his voice and says: “Brother, they can hear…”

Liang Gou’er’s gaze turns towards Lin Chaoqing. When he sees the neat bamboo hats and raincoats on the other side, he suddenly says happily: “This water of raincoats and bamboo hats, indeed the eunuch party! But we haven’t offended anyone. Remember to tell the Liu family when we go back that I have drawn my knife…”

In an instant, Liang Gou’er lies on Liang Mao’er’s back, casually hooks the knife handle with his middle finger and index finger together, and flicks it lightly.

With a clang, the long knife is unsheathed.

That surging knife light chops towards Lin Chaoqing. The crowd hasn’t even reacted yet, and the knife is already back in its sheath.

With a crack, the bamboo hat on top of Lin Chaoqing’s head splits in two and falls to the ground, revealing his angular, firm face. This knife in the air is incredibly marvelous. The knife energy stops after shattering the bamboo hat, and Lin Chaoqing’s face is not injured at all.

The long street is quiet. Everyone is shocked by this scene.

Liang Mao’er looks at the Main Criminal Office on the right and then at the Secret Agent Office on the left: “Brother, you chopped the wrong person…”

“Ah?” Liang Gou’er squints his eyes and looks at the Secret Agent Office side, then looks back at Lin Chaoqing.

Lin Chaoqing sits on his horse motionless and says coldly: “Liang Gou’er, open your dog eyes and see who I am.”

“Ah!”

The next second, Liang Gou’er jumps down from Liang Mao’er’s back, rolls and crawls to the front of Lin Chaoqing’s horse, fawningly saying: “Isn’t this Commander Lin? Sorry, sorry. It’s all the Liu family’s fault. I said I wanted to drink in Red Clothes Alley, but they insisted on letting me come and chop you!”

Lin Chaoqing swings his horse whip and hits Liang Gou’er on the shoulder: “I won’t make things difficult for you today. Roll away.”

“Good, good, good, I’ll roll away now!” Saying that, Liang Gou’er actually rolls to the side.

Lin Chaoqing raises his head and looks across.

At this time, Yun Yang, Jiao Tu, and Chen Ji are nowhere to be seen on the opposite street.

“Chase them, they can’t have gone far.”

Dozens of mounted Yu Long Guards urge their horses to chase. Liang Gou’er shakes his body and stands up. Liang Mao’er walks over with a heavy heart to pat the dust off him: “Brother, why bother suffering their bird anger?”

Liang Gou’er happily ties his scattered hair at the top with a hairpin: “Mao’er, wasn’t I clever just now? I cleverly resolved a crisis!”

Liang Mao’er murmurs resentfully: “Not clever at all!”

“Let’s go, after we finish, let’s continue drinking!”

“I’m not drinking! You’ve had enough, you shouldn’t drink either!”

Liang Gou’er: “I still haven’t had enough… Ugh!”

…

…

“The Main Criminal Office’s nose is too sharp. How is it that they can find us wherever we go?” Jiao Tu complains.

Yun Yang carries Chen Ji on one shoulder and says while running madly: “They say we are the Inner Minister’s hounds, we are eagles, and they are dogs. The Main Criminal Office’s nose is famously sharp. Even if you hide at the ends of the earth, they can pull you out.”

While running madly, he coughs up another mouthful of blood.

Jiao Tu says in surprise: “Are you injured? Let me carry him.”

“I just exchanged hands with Lin Chaoqing once. It’s nothing, a minor injury,” Yun Yang says. “This boy is a man, what are you carrying him for… We’re here!”

Coming to the front of a residence with a seal strip on the door, Yun Yang throws Chen Ji down: “It’s here. Be quick, the Main Criminal Office will be here soon!”

Chen Ji walks forward and tears open the seal strip, then pushes the vermilion painted large door open with force. He goes around the rockery and fish pond in front of the door and walks quickly inside: “Where is the study?”

“Deep inside!”

From afar, they already hear the sound of horse hooves, galloping like drums!

They see Chen Ji walk into the study, take down the books from the bookshelf, and roughly flip through each book in the moonlight before throwing it on the ground, just like he did earlier at the Zhou residence!

Yun Yang takes out a fire starter from his bosom and lights the candle on the ceiling. He holds it in front of the bookshelf. He suddenly feels like Chen Ji’s book boy and is a little annoyed, but at this time, with disaster imminent, he can only endure.

Yun Yang says doubtfully: “What exactly are you looking for? How do I feel like you’re just bumping around like a headless fly?”

Chen Ji says: “Sometimes, luck is also a part of strength.”

As he speaks, the sound of horse hooves stops outside the door. They hear the sound of raincoats and saddles rubbing. The Main Criminal Office is coming in to kill them!

Jiao Tu’s face sinks. Her agile, petite body blocks the door, and her hand presses on the handle of a short knife at her waist.

She faces the rushing Yu Long Guards and says: “The Secret Agent Office is at a critical moment capturing spies. Anyone who takes another step will die.”

However, Lin Chaoqing disregards her threat and continues to press forward step by step: “Kill them. Execute those who resist without mercy.”

Just as both sides are on the verge of fighting, Jiao Tu suddenly draws her short knife and cuts open her brow. There, a mass of black fog seems about to drill out.

Inside the solemn residence, Lin Chaoqing, with the long knife hanging from his waist, walks forward step by step. The knife is drawn little by little, and cold light penetrates from under the raincoat, chilling and terrifying.

The sturdy, burly middle-aged man is like a fierce tiger, his eyes always staring at the red wound on Jiao Tu’s brow. An inexplicable power seems to surge from within that wound.

Lin Chaoqing sneers: “I have the status of a fourth-rank official in Great Ning. Don’t bring out such mere small techniques to lose face.”

Jiao Tu says calmly: “Whether it’s a small technique, you’ll know if you try.”

Just at this moment, Chen Ji’s voice suddenly comes from inside the room: “Found it!”

The boy walks out of the room, holding a volume of books in his hand.