Inside the gloomy Imperial Prison, the sounds of interrogation from the Pipa Hall had long ceased. Jiao Tu had locked Chen Ji in the cell next to Mr. Feng and then hurried off to “solve the case.”

Standing by the iron bars, Mr. Feng chuckled through the wall, “Jiao Tu deliberately brought Xuan She and Bao Hou here to be your enemies. She was worried you wouldn’t form an enmity, so she even slapped Hai Dong Qing, Xuan She’s subordinate, on your behalf. Although it’s ostensibly for your interrogation, once Hai Dong Qing sees you have no torture marks, he’ll understand everything and might even mistake you for Jiao Tu’s informant… Be careful, she’s smarter than Yun Yang.”

Leaning his back against the iron bars, Chen Ji replied, “It’s a pity Jiao Tu and Yun Yang aren’t like you, Mr. Feng. They can only see what’s directly in front of them and can’t think so far ahead. When no one else could solve the case, she gleefully rushed to claim credit, and that will surely draw the attention of Xuan She and Bao Hou.”

Mr. Feng asked with interest, “Do you want to be the one who controls the game?”

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

Mr. Feng asked, “Since you went to such trouble to get in here, tell me, what do you want to ask me?”

Chen Ji leaned back against the wall at the foot of the cell next to Mr. Feng’s, finding a comfortable position. Mr. Feng, for his part, slowly sat down as well.

With only a wall separating them, they sat as if back to back, surrounded by emptiness.

Chen Ji asked gravely, “How many people are truly behind the White Dragon mask?”

Upon hearing Chen Ji’s question, Mr. Feng’s lips curled into a slight smile. “You go straight for the most crucial secret right away? Shouldn’t you build up to it a bit?”

Chen Ji earnestly repeated his question, “How many people are truly behind the White Dragon mask?”

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

Chen Ji was taken aback. So many?

As if sensing Chen Ji’s expression through the wall, Mr. Feng chuckled. “It’s not that complicated, actually. In the ninth year of Jianing, the title White Dragon first appeared among the Zodiacs; that was the first White Dragon. However, that White Dragon later had more important matters to attend to, so I took over the mask and became the second. Now that I am also leaving, there will be a third. We never coexisted; each of us had our own era and our own mission.”

Chen Ji rapidly pondered Mr. Feng’s words.

The first White Dragon was still alive, but for some reason, had to remove the mask and attend to other matters.

What could the reason be?

Did they travel far away? Or attain a higher status? Or was there a problem with their cultivation path?

From the ninth year of Jianing onwards, as long as the mask existed, so did the White Dragon. Other Zodiacs came and went; when Night Sheep died, Yun Yang replaced him; when Sly Rabbit died, Jiao Tu replaced her. Only the title of White Dragon would never change.

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

Mr. Feng replied with interest, “Why do you ask that?”

Chen Ji said gravely, “Previously, I made a deal with the ‘White Dragon’: I would do things for the White Dragon, and the White Dragon would help me save someone. Now that there’s a new person, is that promise still valid?”

Mr. Feng uttered an “Oh.” “So that’s what you’re worried about… Don’t worry, the promise is still valid, and he’s even more trustworthy than I am. This new White Dragon acts with more integrity than I do. Let me give you a piece of advice: if, from now on, you can only trust one person in the Bureau of Rites, it must be him.”

Chen Ji’s pupils constricted slightly.

Who was this new White Dragon, to be the only person he could trust in the Secret Intelligence Bureau? Was Mr. Feng telling the truth or lying?

Mr. Feng, however, did not intend to continue the topic. He casually said, “I’ll give you two more questions, as a farewell gift. It’s a rare opportunity, so don’t ask anything you already know the answer to.”

In the long corridor of the Imperial Prison, Chen Ji looked up at the ceiling of his cell, swallowing the question on the tip of his tongue.

He thought for a long time about the question he most wanted to ask. Mr. Feng didn’t rush him, humming an unknown tune through his nose and tapping his fingers rhythmically on his knee.

After much deliberation, Chen Ji finally asked, “What is my master doing in the north, and is he in any danger?”

Mr. Feng asked curiously, “This is such a rare opportunity; aren’t you going to ask something about yourself? Your master has already gone to Jing Dynasty; you might never see him again in this lifetime. Why are you concerned about him?”

Chen Ji repeated again, “What is my master doing in the north, and is he in any danger?”

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

Chen Ji was startled. “Kill someone? Who?”

Mr. Feng explained, “Your master’s affairs are not something I can casually inquire about. Before he left, he only mentioned offhand that there’s a great mountain in your cultivation path that you’ll find difficult to overcome. He felt he hadn’t been a very diligent master and was ashamed, so he went to find a way to help you move that mountain.”

Chen Ji sat up abruptly in surprise.

A great mountain in his cultivation path?

Currently, only Old Man Yao knew he was cultivating the Sword Seed path. Even Mr. Feng didn’t know who Old Man Yao was going to kill.

There were only three individuals in the Sword Seed path: one was Chen Ji, the second was a person the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Bureau had been searching for fruitlessly for years, and the third, Lu Yang, was the most formidable mountain in the hearts of all officials across the land.

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

Mr. Feng said languidly, “No, he doesn’t. But if he can severely injure the opponent and buy you three years, that would be an acceptable outcome.”

That acerbic old man always said there was no need for master-disciple affection, but his heart was the warmest.

Seeing Chen Ji’s silence, Mr. Feng urged, “Alright, ask your last question.”

After a moment’s thought, Chen Ji asked in one breath, “Mr. Feng, you definitely won’t truly be beheaded and displayed this time, so what will you do after you fake your death and escape?”

Mr. Feng sneered, “Why are you always so concerned about others? Why don’t you ask about your own affairs? Do you already have all the answers in your heart?”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Mr. Feng lowered his head, picked up a piece of straw from the ground, and began tearing it into strands. “The year I passed the imperial examination and became a *jinshi*, I wrote an essay titled ‘Twelve Strategies for Pacifying the North’ for the palace exam. The strategies within, six for internal stability and six for external defense, were the result of over ten years of my dedicated effort. Yet, at that palace exam, it couldn’t compare to a panegyric written by the eldest legitimate son of your Chen family’s second branch. It was then that I realized studying Confucian classics was utterly useless.”

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

Chen Ji recalled Mr. Feng’s words.

In Guyuan, Mr. Feng once pointed to a glimmer of dawn in the distance and said that five years from then, when the Jing Dynasty marched south, he would don his armor, ride north, and water his horse at the North Sea.

At this point, Mr. Feng also looked puzzled. “Wait, you didn’t specifically come here to ask me questions… You just found an excuse to get into this Imperial Prison? Is there something in this Imperial Prison that’s attracting you?”

Chen Ji was certain that Mr. Feng didn’t know about his Mountain Lord path, so he wouldn’t know what was locked by the Bagua lamps on the walls of this Imperial Prison.

This was a secret known only to the Mountain Lord.

Before he could speak, footsteps echoed down the long corridor.

Two jailers arrived in front of Mr. Feng’s cell and calmly stated, “Convicted prisoner Feng Wenzheng, the imperial decree from the inner court has arrived. Execution will be carried out immediately.”

Chen Ji turned in astonishment. Wasn’t it a deferred execution?

Deferred executions usually meant imprisonment until the autumn executions, and if one performed meritorious service or was favored by the emperor, they might survive until the emperor’s birthday amnesty, avoiding death altogether.

Why was it so sudden?

Mr. Feng propped himself up with his hands, slowly rose to his feet, and extended his wrists, allowing the two jailers to put shackles on him before walking towards the deepest part of the Imperial Prison.

As he was escorted past Chen Ji’s cell, he smiled and said, “Lad, may you rise through the ranks to be a general and then a prime minister. We shall meet again someday.”

Chen Ji rose and silently watched the receding figure.

This parting, who knew when they would meet again?

Jiao Tu had solved the case, but the Secret Intelligence Bureau did not immediately release the Imperial Guards. The Bureau waited for the parents of each Imperial Guard to submit a pledge of allegiance; only then would they be allowed to leave.

Qi Zhenzhuo and Li Xuan were the first to leave, followed by Zhou Chong, whose father was a Prefectural Magistrate in Jinling, and Duo Bao, whose grandfather was an Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

The Imperial Guards were taken away one by one, until only over twenty individuals from humble backgrounds remained, along with Chen Ji.

The Chen family seemed to have gone deaf and mute, forgetting him in the Imperial Prison.

Chen Ji sat in the dimly lit cell, unsure how long he had been there.

A day?

Or two? There was no sunlight in the Imperial Prison, nor could he hear roosters crowing or the gongs of the night watchman. Time had become a void.

Chen Ji looked up at the stone wall above him, where a small spider was drawing a white silk thread, weaving a complete web as it waited for prey.

At some point, Hai Dong Qing, the man Jiao Tu had slapped, stood outside the iron bars. His face was still swollen on one side as he quietly observed Chen Ji in the cell. “Those with even a little family background have been bailed out, yet you, with your Chen family background, are the only one left in the Imperial Prison. That’s unusual.”

Chen Ji shifted his gaze from the spider and slowly looked at Hai Dong Qing outside the bars. “Your Excellency seems to be a busy man; I presume you didn’t come specifically to mock me.”

Hai Dong Qing said casually, “Didn’t Ning Xin say she was going to interrogate you? How do you have no injuries at all?”

Ning Xin?

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

He asked curiously, “Yun Yang…”

Hai Dong Qing’s voice deepened slightly. “He’s not a Zodiac anymore, so there’s no ‘Yun Yang’ to speak of.”

Chen Ji asked calmly, “Then what is his name?”

Hai Dong Qing asked suspiciously, “You don’t even know his name? What is your relationship with Jiao Tu and Yun Yang? Are you one of their lower-ranking informants?”

Chen Ji did not answer.

He indeed had a superior-subordinate relationship with Jiao Tu and Yun Yang, but it was not quite what Hai Dong Qing imagined.

Seeing his silence, Hai Dong Qing outside the bars pondered for a moment before speaking. “You assisted Ning Xin in solving this case, didn’t you? You retrieved the ledger from the Huiguan Lodge and helped her find the poisoned inkstick hidden by the Goryeo Crown Prince?”

Chen Ji still did not answer.

Hai Dong Qing said meaningfully, “Ning Xin and Zi Jin took credit from you and didn’t even bother to get you out; they truly have cold hearts. Not a single secret agent under their command has been promoted to Hai Dong Qing so far. These two only care about seizing credit for themselves and are unwilling to share any with their own people. When will you ever get ahead by following them? Now, I follow Lord Xuan She; I have money, I have power, and even if I live a life constantly risking my head, it’s worth something.”

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

Hai Dong Qing smiled, satisfied. “In that case, are you willing to follow Lord Xuan She? When he gets promoted to one of the top three Zodiacs, he’ll naturally need to cultivate his own core team. If you prove capable enough, there will certainly be a place for you in the Bureau of Rites. Why remain a mere informant under Ning Xin and Zi Jin?”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment. “To be frank, I’m not Jiao Tu’s or Yun Yang’s informant either. I just do things for money.”

Hai Dong Qing was suspicious. “Do things for money? How much do they pay?”

Chen Ji said seriously, “Five hundred taels of silver. If Lord Xuan She has a need, he can also pay me to do things. I will certainly go through fire and water for Lord Xuan She without hesitation.”

Hai Dong Qing scoffed. “If you don’t want to work for Lord Xuan She, you can just say so. There’s no need to concoct such a clumsy excuse. Guards! Take him to the Pipa Hall. I have my ways of making him tell the truth.”

The cell door opened, and two secret agents seized Chen Ji by the arms, forcibly dragging him out of the iron bars.

However, at that very moment, hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance of the long corridor. Hai Dong Qing’s heart sank, and he turned to see Golden Pig rushing towards them with a look of urgency.

Golden Pig walked past one cell after another until he reached them. He calmly asked, “What’s going on here?”

Hai Dong Qing quickly clasped his hands in greeting and replied, “Reporting to Lord Golden Pig, this man is hiding something and refuses to confess. Your subordinate was just about to take him to the Pipa Hall for interrogation.”

Golden Pig slapped Hai Dong Qing on the other side of his face. “Interrogate what? Release him; I’m taking him with me.”

Hai Dong Qing saw stars from the slap, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. “What is the meaning of this, Lord Golden Pig? Without an Inner Minister’s writ…”

Golden Pig sneered, “Do you take me for a fool? I’ve interrogated more people in this Imperial Prison than you’ve ever seen. The Goryeo envoy case is closed. What charge are you holding him on? Release him!”

Hai Dong Qing almost ground his back teeth to dust but could only swallow his anger and instruct his subordinate agents, “Release him!”

Golden Pig grinned at Hai Dong Qing. “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

Hai Dong Qing clasped his hands and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Golden Pig chuckled. “Good, you wouldn’t dare. Huang Yunbo, I know you want to contend for the position of Sheep, which makes you eager for merits. But your cultivation isn’t deep enough; even Xuan She doesn’t think highly of you and has turned to support Gao Yi instead… You should hone your skills for a few more years. If you force yourself into a Zodiac position, you might end up in mortal danger.”

Huang Yunbo lowered his head, his voice squeezed through his teeth. “Yes.”

Golden Pig pulled Chen Ji and began to walk. After two breaths of thought, Chen Ji added, “Lord Golden Pig, for what purpose do you seek me? You should pay me first.”

Golden Pig paused slightly, then played along with Chen Ji’s words. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your silver.”

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

Golden Pig chuckled, “Another Hai Dong Qing under Lord Xuan She.”

Chen Ji probed, “Does he have a chance to contend for a Zodiac position?”

Golden Pig scoffed, “No, he doesn’t. I was just casually stirring up trouble between those two Hai Dong Qings under Xuan She; I had nothing better to do anyway. You’ll understand over time that there are never any true friends among colleagues in our Secret Intelligence Bureau… Wait, no, you, me, and Pegasus are true friends!”

Chen Ji smiled. “Didn’t we agree to be irreconcilable in the Secret Intelligence Bureau from now on? Why the change of plan?”

Golden Pig sighed. “Times have changed. Xuan She is the most malicious of them all; now he’s desperately trying to become one of the top three Zodiacs, killing ruthlessly to gain merit. If you don’t have someone backing you, something might go wrong… Xuan She is usually quite clever, content to operate quietly behind White Dragon, but now that he sees the top three positions vacant, he’s grown impatient.”

Chen Ji asked casually, “Aren’t you envious, Lord Golden Pig? You also have a chance.”

Golden Pig scoffed, “Do you know why there are three top positions, not two or one? Our Inner Minister wants a three-way standoff within the Secret Intelligence Bureau, a balance of power. My relationship with Pegasus is common knowledge; we’re so close we might as well share trousers. If I were to contend for one of the top three positions, I’d be courting death.”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “I see.”

Golden Pig strode out swiftly, saying breezily, “Don’t worry about these things for now. Focus on your cultivation; it’s more important than anything else. Since you’ve joined the Imperial Guards, seize this opportunity to cultivate well. That place is ideal for biding your time and honing your skills.”

Chen Ji hummed in assent.

Golden Pig seemed a little puzzled. “That’s strange, aren’t you White Dragon’s person? Why hasn’t he come to get you out? And is your Chen family a bunch of beasts? Don’t they even save their own kin? I waited outside for a day and a night, couldn’t wait any longer for them, so I had to come rescue you myself.”

As Chen Ji passed a cell, he paused. He looked at the Imperial Guards slumped on the bed boards inside, then turned to Golden Pig and said, “My Lord, let me take the remaining Imperial Guards with me as well.”

The Imperial Guards in the cell looked up sharply.