The warehouse, filled with the smell of medicinal herbs, felt like some forgotten corner of the world.

Chen Ji silently pondered: The position of Sikao in the Military Intelligence Department is very sensitive and involves a high level of secrecy. The fact that my uncle could instruct a Sikao to look after me suggests he is a major figure in the intelligence network.

But why did my mother marry into the Ning Dynasty Chen family? And why did I stay in the Ning Dynasty?

Sikao saw his silence and seemed to misunderstand. “You still seem to resent your uncle.”

Chen Ji lowered his eyes and asked, with an unclear meaning, “Does my uncle still remember me?”

Sikao brushed the dust off his clothes, as if nothing had happened, and said, “Don’t speak such angry words. In that position back then, he had to consider the overall situation. There were naturally reasons why he didn’t take you back to the Jing Dynasty. Perhaps if he had taken you back, you would have been harmed by villains.”

“Is that so? Is my uncle in a bad situation?”

After the Hundred Deer Pavilion manager left, this Sikao seemed to talk more.

He heard him say calmly, “Now your uncle has been framed by villains, demoted, and retired.”

So, my uncle has already retired?

Chen Ji asked, “Then when can I return to the Jing Dynasty?”

He had no sense of belonging to either the Jing Dynasty or the Ning Dynasty, but no matter where he went, it was better than walking on a tightrope here.

However, Sikao said coldly, “You cannot leave yet. Since you are already close to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, you naturally need to make good use of this identity.”

Sikao’s tone allowed no doubt.

Chen Ji was silent for a long time. “Then I will follow Sikao adult’s arrangements. I will strive to gain Yun Yang and Jiao Tu’s trust.”

At this point, Sikao changed the subject. “Wait… the way you transmitted this intelligence used Zhou Cheng Yi’s error character method. The Military Intelligence Department never taught you the Fanqie method. Where did you learn the Fanqie method from? And why did you discover the Near Thoughts Record?”

Chen Ji was momentarily at a loss for how to answer.

He couldn’t explain to the people of this world that he had wanted to become a diplomatic military officer since he was young, so he had read books on popular science, intelligence, and reasoning.

He couldn’t explain to the people of this world that seven months ago, he had been admitted to the Army Foreign Language College with the highest scores in both the written exam and the interview.

And that school, which was about to be renamed the “Army Strategic Support Information Engineering University,” was not just a place to teach foreign languages from the beginning. The written exam and interview for the special recruitment batch did not test foreign languages either.

Sikao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Why aren’t you speaking? Who taught you?”

As he spoke, an invisible pressure suddenly approached. Chen Ji clearly saw the other person reaching for the dagger in his sleeve again.

He quickly weighed the information in his heart and answered, “My mother taught me.”

“Oh?” Sikao’s tone still hadn’t relaxed. “I didn’t expect your mother to teach you these things when you were so young… What else did she teach you? It couldn’t have just been the Fanqie method, that would be too much of a coincidence.”

Chen Ji ‘recalled’, “My mother also told me that if you only use the Fanqie method to hide information, it’s very easy to be exposed if you encounter someone who also knows the Fanqie method. So, in addition to the Fanqie method, she created a new method to hide intelligence.”

“Eh?” Sikao became interested. “What method?”

Chen Ji said, “My mother called it a code book.”

“Code book?”

Chen Ji found a jar of medicinal wine in the warehouse and dipped his finger in it to write on the ground: “Liu edge seek qi low, wave he contend day time. Ying meng language out joy, hit palm with 君 know.”

Sikao said in a concentrated voice, “What is the use of this poem?”

Chen Ji didn’t answer, but just wrote again: “Spring flower fragrance, autumn mountain open, distinguished guest happy song must gold cup, lonely lamp light shine burn silver jar. Of east suburb, over west bridge, chicken sound urge early heaven, strange plum slant cover ditch.”

Chen Ji explained, “The first poem has a total of twenty characters, and the initial consonant of each character is different. The second poem has a total of thirty-six characters, and the final consonant of each character is also different. Then, using these two poems as a code book, you can sequentially number the characters. The twenty characters of the first poem are numbered one to twenty, and the second poem is also numbered one to thirty-six.”

Sikao was a little doubtful. “How do you use it?”

Chen Ji said, “With this code book, if you want to transmit the two characters ‘continue’, you only need to write nineteen, twenty-seven, fifteen, eleven. People who know the code book can immediately translate the information when they see the numbers, but people who don’t know the code book will never be able to crack it. Suppose the Near Thoughts Record transmits messages using this method, even if the opponent intercepts the Near Thoughts Record, they still won’t be able to understand it.”

Sikao praised, “A bit interesting.”

Code book, this multi-layer encryption technology, already existed in ancient times and developed greatly during World War I and World War II.

It wasn’t omnipotent, but intelligence work was always about being one step ahead, which could completely defeat the opponent.

Up to this point, Sikao finally relaxed his tone and chose to believe Chen Ji. “Your mother taught well, and you learned well. Initially, when your mother came to the Ning Dynasty to lurk, it only took her three years to become a famous talented woman in Jinling. I didn’t expect her to be not only skilled in Qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but also to have a deep understanding of the use of the Fanqie method. I will report this matter of the code book and the Near Thoughts Record to Master Si for you and request merit. You are currently a ‘Que’ level spy, right? This merit is enough for you to be promoted to ‘Zhi’ level.”

Chen Ji breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart: I bet right.

According to his guess, both his mother and uncle were from the Jing Dynasty, but his mother had strangely married into the Ning Dynasty Chen family. The only possible explanation for this was that his mother was also a spy!

That year, his mother and uncle came to the Ning Dynasty together. His uncle single-handedly established the Military Intelligence Department’s intelligence network in the south, while his mother married into the Chen residence to obtain intelligence.

Chen Ji changed the subject. “Sikao adult, my next main task is to approach Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. Can you tell me more about them?”

Sikao nodded. “When you get along with Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, never believe a single word they say. These two people have climbed up entirely by stepping on the corpses of their colleagues. They may use you today, and abandon you tomorrow.”

Chen Ji was doubtful. “Wouldn’t they cause public anger among their colleagues by doing this?”

“No, the Secret Spy Department is a place that only looks at merit, not feelings. They are ruthless to their own people, and even more ruthless to us,” Sikao thought for a moment and then instructed, “Of course, given their relationship with the Poison Prime Minister, other colleagues might also be angry but dare not speak.”

“Um?”

“Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are both adopted orphans of the Poison Prime Minister. After more than ten years of training, they have become his loyal assassins. Perhaps their abilities are not as good as others, but they are fearless when it comes to killing for the Poison Prime Minister.”

Chen Ji suddenly recalled that on the night Zhou Cheng Yi died, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu had sworn an oath with his parents respectively…

Just as he was speaking, Manager Yuan pushed the door open and entered. “Sikao adult, the arrangements have been made. Long Whale is tonight in…”

Sikao said coldly, “Slap your own face.”

Manager Yuan was stunned for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and slapped himself ten times.

Sikao’s muffled voice came from behind the mask. “Each intelligence line is not allowed to inform the other of information. You’ve forgotten this principle. You still want to succeed Zhou Cheng Yi as the Sea East Eagle of Lu City?”

Manager Yuan lowered his head. “This subordinate was reckless.”

He heard Chen Ji suddenly say from the side, “Sikao adult, I will do my best to approach Yun Yang and Jiao Tu next, but I have one condition.”

“Say it.”

Chen Ji stared at Manager Yuan and said, “I need the Military Intelligence Department to transfer everyone who knows my spy identity back to the Jing Dynasty, and they can never return to the Ning Dynasty. Otherwise, if I painstakingly approach the twelve zodiac signs, and other people are captured, they will confess me, and all my previous efforts will be wasted.”

Sikao was thoughtful.

Manager Yuan’s face changed drastically. “Sikao adult, he is settling a personal score!”

Chen Ji shook his head. “Not settling a personal score. You already know my identity. If you are captured, you will definitely confess me.”

“I won’t!” Manager Yuan said urgently. “Sikao adult, I have been operating in Lu City for six years, and no one is more suitable here than me.”

Sikao pondered for a moment and walked straight towards a box of medicinal materials.

He pulled open the box and took out a piece of oil paper used for preserving medicinal materials from inside, which he calmly spread on the ground.

When Manager Yuan saw the situation, he turned around and wanted to escape the warehouse.

But as soon as he turned, Sikao had already flashed behind him and lifted that fat body with just one hand, carrying him to the oil paper.

The next moment, Sikao kicked Manager Yuan’s knee, forcing him to kneel.

He drew a dagger from his sleeve and looked at Chen Ji. “This interrogation of you today was also forced, don’t hold a grudge. If this matter today becomes a thorn in your heart, then I will help you pull it out now. Afterwards, you can peacefully approach Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. Except for me, Master Si, and your uncle, no one else will know your spy identity.”

As he spoke, Sikao pinched Manager Yuan’s jaw and stabbed a knife into the other’s heart. “Yuan Ming, you took advantage of your position to embezzle eight thousand three hundred and twenty-seven taels of silver from the Hundred Deer Pavilion in six years. This Hundred Deer Pavilion was originally established to raise funds for the Military Intelligence Department, but it has become a place for you to fill your own pockets. You are already disloyal.”

Manager Yuan gasped for breath, unable to say a word.

As Sikao twisted the dagger, tearing Manager Yuan’s heart to pieces, he lifted that green-faced, fierce-toothed face and looked at Chen Ji. “If not absolutely loyal, then absolutely disloyal. Chen Ji, I give this sentence to you too. Remember it in your heart.”

Chen Ji silently watched this scene. He knew that from now on, he would have to walk alongside these jackals, tigers, and leopards.