In the medicinal materials warehouse, the smell of blood hung heavy. Si Cao, whether intentionally or not, twisted the dagger in the fat shopkeeper Yuan’s heart with his right hand while pinching his jaw with his left, turning his fleshy face towards Chen Ji.

As the shopkeeper Yuan died, Chen Ji could clearly see his fear and resentment.

Si Cao observed Chen Ji’s expression and sighed in admiration, “I remember you previously haven’t stained your hands with human life. Now, to contact Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, you’ve killed someone in advance to help you ‘open the hall’. I didn’t expect it to be a bit redundant.”

With those words, shopkeeper Yuan finally took his last breath.

Chen Ji saw a stream of gray-white ice flow out from the other’s brow, drilling into his own. It was slightly less than the ice flow provided by Zhou Cheng Yi.

Indeed!

He had been waiting for this ice flow to confirm his suspicion: not only officials from the Ning Dynasty but also those from the Jing Dynasty would produce ice flow.

As the ice flow merged into his body, the stone in Chen Ji’s heart finally settled. He suddenly said, “Master Si Cao, you shouldn’t have killed shopkeeper Yuan.”

Si Cao calmly replied, “Once you enter my Military Intelligence Department, you lose your soft heart. Now your task is of the utmost importance. He was worried about you, this noble young master. To compete with him for the position of Sea East Eagle vacated by Zhou Cheng Yi, he would inevitably scheme against you, openly and secretly. Such private motives absolutely shouldn’t be left behind.”

Chen Ji shook his head and said, “Master Si Cao, I wasn’t being benevolent towards him. What I meant was, he still hasn’t told you what time and location to see that ‘Long Whale’ tonight.”

Si Cao was silent for a long time. “…It doesn’t matter.”

He looked at Chen Ji. “While approaching Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, don’t forget your original task. As long as the Prince’s mansion and the Liu family show enough sincerity, Master Si can meet with that important figure in the Prince’s mansion to discuss the next step of cooperation. You need to find an opportunity to approach that important figure again soon and ask her when to deliver the goods.”

Chen Ji’s heart tightened.

Important figure? Which important figure?

Can’t you just say a name? I still don’t know who this important figure is or how to contact her.

Based on the attitude, Chen Ji was inclined to believe this important figure was Yun Fei.

Firstly, that night in the Late Star Garden, Yun Fei’s attitude towards him was clearly better, while Jing Fei and Chun Rong Momo truly intended to kill him.

Secondly, Yun Fei later sent Xi Bing with Bai Re carrying a White Prajna to the medical hall. This was very likely Yun Fei’s way of trying to exchange intelligence with him.

Thinking up to this point, Chen Ji recalled the last time Xi Bing came to the medical hall. Not only did he not reveal any intelligence, he also prescribed a fifty-year-old ginseng for the cat…

If Yun Fei really was that important figure, she would certainly be very puzzled…

Si Cao saw Chen Ji wasn’t speaking, so he solemnly asked, “How is it? Are there any difficulties?”

“No,” Chen Ji cupped his hands and bid farewell to Si Cao. “Master Si Cao, I came today on my master’s orders to purchase ginseng. It wouldn’t be good to wait too long.”

Si Cao nodded, wiping the blood from his hands with a cloth as he spoke, “We have ready stock of ginseng. Just go to the main hall, pay, and you can take it away.”

Chen Ji asked, “Can I get a discount?”

Si Cao looked at him doubtfully. “You’re using Taiping Medical Hall’s money to buy ginseng. What discount do you want? Do you know how many spies in my Jing Dynasty rely on Hundred Deer Pavilion for support? Don’t take advantage of our own people for outsiders.”

Chen Ji: “…You have a point.”

Leaving Hundred Deer Pavilion, Chen Ji let out a long breath.

Difficulty after difficulty, overcome one after another. Step by step is difficult, but step by step one must go.

Whether it was the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department or the Secret Agent Department, he had no choice.

After he melted into the crowd, Si Cao stood quietly at the window on the second floor of Hundred Deer Pavilion, not knowing who he was asking, “Are you sure no one is tailing him?”

A voice replied, “No, perhaps Yun Yang and Jiao Tu really trust him.”

Si Cao pondered for a long time. “Let’s see if he can truly prove his loyalty…”

…

…

Inside the capital city’s imperial palace.

At the highest point of Si Li Jian’s exclusive canopy building, it was clearly daytime, yet the doors and windows were tightly shut and candles were lit inside.

A pale-faced eunuch without a mustache, in his middle age, lifted the hem of his robe with one hand and hurried through the imperial palace.

The middle-aged man wore a set of green plain single python robes, radiating a heavy sense of nobility.

Ning Dynasty python robes were divided into two types: single python and sitting python. They had to be personally granted by the emperor, and only those with honored and favored positions could wear them.

Outside the Chief Eunuch’s canopy building, guards stood in rows, dressed in black, silent.

When the python-robed middle-aged man approached, he said to one of the guards, “I want to see the Inner Minister.”

The guard had a long knife hanging from his waist and the characters “Jie Fan” embroidered on his sleeve cuffs. One of them made a hand gesture: What is the matter?

These guards could only listen and surprisingly could not speak.

The python-robed middle-aged man said, “Three carrier pigeon letters have arrived from Luo City.”

The guard turned and went upstairs to report. A moment later, he returned and made a gesture of invitation.

The python-robed middle-aged man followed the wooden stairs up and came to a door on the top floor, knocking three times. “Master Inner Minister, Wu Xiu has an important matter to report. There is news from Luo City.”

He heard the sound of a copper bell from inside the room. Wu Xiu then pushed the door open and entered.

Upon entering the inner room, he did not see the Inner Minister himself. In the dim room, the desk was blocked by a screen. A sitting python was embroidered on the screen, facing the newcomer directly.

If one entered this room for the first time, they would likely be shocked by this giant python.

Wu Xiu stood outside the screen, lowering his head and saying, “Master, three letters have arrived from Luo City, for Main Criminal Department’s Lin Chao Qing, Secret Agent Department’s Yun Yang, and Secret Agent Department’s Meng Ji, respectively. Which one would you like to open first?”

For a long time, there was no response from inside the screen, and the honorable Wu Xiu, wearing the python robe, didn’t even dare to lift his head.

After an unknown period, the person behind the screen said calmly, while writing documents, “Main Criminal Department.”

Wu Xiu hurriedly took out three thin bamboo strips sealed with fire lacquer from his sleeve. He opened the first bamboo strip and pulled out a rolled white paper.

He unfolded the white paper and saw densely written text on it. After a moment, Wu Xiu was somewhat surprised. “Master, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu have found evidence of Liu Shi Yu.”

In the darkness behind the screen, someone let out a sound of “Oh.” “Those two?”

Wu Xiu hurriedly said, “I also feel these two act rashly. It would be better to send Jin Zhu over.”

However, the Inner Minister behind the screen made no comment. For a long time, he did not respond. Wu Xiu panicked and lowered his body. “This subordinate has spoken too much.”

In the dim light, someone said, “Continue.”

Wu Xiu continued to look at the white paper and raised his head. “It’s not Yun Yang and Jiao Tu’s merit. According to Lin Chao Qing, a masked person helped them find the evidence. At that time, the situation was urgent. One more step and Lin Chao Qing would have forced Yun Yang and Jiao Tu back to the capital.”

“What is the masked person’s identity?”

“Lin Chao Qing doesn’t know. He only said this person first helped Yun Yang and Jiao Tu find the rice paper shop, and then helped them find evidence of Liu Shi Yu… The letter only says this much. Which one should I open next?”

“Yun Yang.”

Wu Xiu rolled up his own python robe sleeve, opened another bamboo strip and the fire lacquer, then hesitated and said, “Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are boasting to the skies, yet they don’t mention a word about that masked person.”

The Inner Minister behind the screen was silent for a moment. “These two brats are truly audacious. They want to embezzle others’ merit again.”

Wu Xiu looked down again and raised his eyebrows. “Master, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu opened the coffin to examine the corpse and discovered that there was no one inside Old Master Liu’s coffin. The other person is possibly not dead. The Liu family is truly bold to dare to fake this matter.”

He quietly lifted his eyes, wanting to observe the Inner Minister’s reaction through the screen, but could only see a vague figure.

The Inner Minister behind the screen, for the first time, stopped writing documents, his brush suspended over the paper. “What are Yun Yang and Jiao Tu’s plans?”

Wu Xiu said, “Yun Yang and Jiao Tu requested to transfer nearby Secret Agent Department ‘Jie Fan Guards’ to Luo City to publicly open the coffin and expose the Liu family. Master, the Liu family just reported to His Majesty, wanting to give Old Master Liu a posthumous title. If this matter is true, it is already the crime of deceiving the emperor!”

The Inner Minister thought silently.

Wu Xiu spoke again. “Master, this is a once-in-a-thousand-years good opportunity.”

The Inner Minister said, “Let Yun Yang and Jiao Tu coordinate with the Jie Fan Guards to go. My Si Li Jian doesn’t know anything. Destroy the paper strip.”

Thus, no matter what Yun Yang and Jiao Tu did, it was all their own doing.

If they succeeded, they succeeded. If they failed, they would naturally be the scapegoats.

The next moment, Wu Xiu directly crumpled the paper strip into a ball and, in front of the Inner Minister, skillfully swallowed it into his abdomen.

After swallowing the paper strip, he spoke again. “Master, there is still a letter from Meng Ji. Let me open it and see… Is he not in Kai Feng Fu? How did he use a Luo City carrier pigeon?”

A moment later, Wu Xiu held the paper strip. “Master, Meng Ji says Yun Yang and Jiao Tu spent heavily to invite him to Luo City to use a C-grade dream to verify whether Yao Tai Yi’s apprentice Chen Ji is a Jing Dynasty spy. There is something fishy about this matter. Why would they verify a young apprentice, and even need Meng Ji to go specially?”

Wu Xiu saw that the Inner Minister had not answered for a long time, so he mustered the courage to lift his head and probe, “Master?”

The Inner Minister calmly said, “This young apprentice of Yao Tai Yi is just that masked person who helped them catch the spy. Write a letter to Yun Yang and tell him to deliver this apprentice’s information to me.”

“Yes,” Wu Xiu bowed down again. “Master, according to the probe from the White Dragon side, the heir of Jing Wang Fu is on his way back to Luo City from East Lin Academy. This son has gathered some Jiang Hu heroes, including some important officials registered in my Si Li Jian. What do you think? Do we need to do something to prevent him from gaining power?”

In the darkness behind the screen, the Inner Minister responded flatly, “It’s fine, they are just some Jiang Hu heroes. With the words ‘fame’ and ‘fortune’ as my knife, I can cut off nine-tenths of the chivalrous spirit in the world.”