Liao Zhong lay on the ground, unconscious. The dignified Xing Guan of the Xundao realm had been utterly annihilated by six palms.

Chen Ji looked at Madam Lu, hearing her heavy breathing, as if those six palms had also taken a toll on her. “Aunt Ping is still well?”

Madam Lu whispered, “I’m fine, let’s go.”

“Okay,” Chen Ji bent down, picked up Liao Zhong by his belt, and carried him like a broken sack out of the courtyard gate.

But as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he immediately recoiled backward.

*Thwack!*

A crossbow bolt flew past his nose, embedding itself in the wooden door frame beside him. The tail of the bolt vibrated and hummed incessantly.

The Jiefan Guard had arrived!

On both sides of the alley, Jiefan Guards, clad in raincoats, pressed their right hands on their waist sabers, and held up crossbows with their left hands, pulling the triggers. Crossbow bolts crisscrossed through the air.

Across the alley, Jiefan Guards had also climbed onto the rooftops, firing arrows directly at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji, carrying Liao Zhong, quickly retreated into the courtyard, not forgetting to kick the courtyard gate shut as he went.

*Thwack, thwack, thwack!* Dozens of crossbow bolts almost shattered the courtyard gate.

There was no way out.

Chen Ji looked around.

Behind him was a sea of fire, in front of him, the Jiefan Guard. Which way to go?

The heat from the raging fire washed over him, making his skin feel swollen.

The Jiefan Guards outside the courtyard were not in a hurry to force an attack. They knew that as long as the fire continued to spread, Chen Ji would eventually have to fight his way out. The method Madam Lu had used against Liao Zhong was now being used against them.

Chen Ji, still holding Liao Zhong, leaned against the door and pondered… should he use Jian Zhong? It seemed that was the only way to fight their way out.

If Lu Yang, the Headmaster of Wu Miao Shan, found out about his inheritance, he would die, and not using it now would also lead to death.

But even if they fought their way out of this alley, more Jiefan Guards and secret agents would surround them.

Chen Ji looked at Madam Lu. “Aunt Ping, I have a lead on Chang Jing.”

Madam Lu’s pupils constricted behind her black veil. “What lead?”

Chen Ji quickly said, “Chang Jing is a Si Cao in Jing Chao’s Military Intelligence Bureau. He first worked in the Jinling area, then went to Luocheng to conspire with the Liu family in rebellion. This person is lying low within the Si Li Jian, it’s unknown whether he’s with the Jiefan Guard or the Mi Die Si, but he holds a high position and can freely examine evidence lists and dossiers. Now this person has come to Jingcheng. Someone who could know about the Ren Shou Gong court meeting within a day, and fits these clues, there aren’t many. Find the person who fits, and you’ve found Chang Jing.”

Amidst the swirling flames, Chen Ji felt the heat of the fire curling his hair.

He spoke at an extremely fast pace, telling Madam Lu everything he knew, as if afraid that if he spoke too slowly, he wouldn’t finish.

Chang Jing.

Unconsciously, Chen Ji had already dealt with this Chang Jing many times. The other party seemed unimportant, yet also very important, always remaining outside everyone’s sight, never showing his face.

Chen Ji had never cared who Chang Jing was before, nor had he ever put in the effort to find him.

But now he had to help Aunt Ping find this person; he had promised.

However, Madam Lu seemed less concerned about Chang Jing now. Instead, she asked in a grave voice, “Why didn’t you say this earlier? You’re only saying it now because you’re worried you won’t make it out alive, afraid you’ll take your secrets to the grave?”

Chen Ji corrected her, “There might not even be a grave.”

Madam Lu calmly said, “That’s not funny.”

Chen Ji took a deep breath. “Aunt Ping, you should go.”

Madam Lu’s eyes behind the black veil were unreadable. “I go?”

Chen Ji said solemnly, “I’ll find a way to fight my way out later. After I get out, you go east, and I’ll go west…”

Madam Lu interrupted him. “You’ll find a way to fight your way out? What way could you possibly find to fight your way out?”

Chen Ji said sincerely, “Aunt Ping, don’t worry about anything else, just know that I can fight my way out. You’ve helped me enough, and I’ve told you everything I know. There’s no need to keep helping me. There’s no feast that doesn’t end; it’s time for us to part ways.”

Madam Lu sneered, “If I don’t help you, who will? I am…”

But at this moment, an urgent and shrill copper whistle suddenly sounded outside the courtyard.

This time, the copper whistle was no longer the call of a magpie, but the long cry of a hawk: Dangerous person!

Be careful!

Be careful!

Be careful!

The next moment, shouts of alarm from the Jiefan Guard came from the west side of the courtyard. Someone had attacked, disrupting the Jiefan Guard’s formation.

Two breaths later, cries of pain were heard even from the rooftop across the courtyard, along with the sound of bodies rolling off the tiles to the ground.

Two people had arrived.

With so many Jiefan Guards present, who would dare to intervene at the risk of being accused of rebellion?

Chen Ji and Madam Lu exchanged glances. Madam Lu tore down a door panel. “I’ll cover you, head west!”

She charged forward, holding the door panel, using the wooden board to push the Jiefan Guards outside the door flying backward, crashing into the brick wall of the alley.

Madam Lu held the door panel facing east, and the Jiefan Guards’ crossbow bolts rained down upon it.

Chen Ji, carrying Liao Zhong, fought his way west. They quickly moved towards the sounds of chaotic fighting, back to back.

His gaze pierced through the alley, through the layers of raincoats and bamboo hats, but he could only see shifting figures, still unable to make out who the newcomers were.

At this moment, a Jiefan Guard swung his saber down first. Chen Ji raised his saber with his right hand to block, but then realized the other party’s saber strike changed, aiming for Liao Zhong, whom he was holding with his left hand… This was an attempt to silence him!

Chen Ji took a small step back. The Jiefan Guard’s saber narrowly grazed Liao Zhong’s scalp; another inch and blood would have splattered on the spot. This saber strike disheveled Liao Zhong’s hair, and his graying hair instantly fell loose.

Taking advantage of the opponent’s exhausted force, Chen Ji’s short saber flew from his hand, embedding itself in the Jiefan Guard’s face, splitting open his bamboo hat.

The Jiefan Guard slowly fell backward. As he just began to fall, Chen Ji had already stepped forward and pulled out the short saber again.

A Jiefan Guard Bai Hu shouted loudly from the crowd, “Criminal Chen Ji, surrender now and you might live. If you continue to resist, you will be killed without mercy!”

The firelight reflected on Chen Ji’s face, surging with a powerful and wild vitality.

His life was not given by anyone; he fought for it himself.

Chen Ji rotated the short saber in his hand, switching from a forward grip to a reverse grip.

In terms of power, a forward grip is the standard for saber techniques, good for thrusting, while a reverse grip is good for slashing.

However, the true purpose of a reverse grip is not slashing, but concealing the saber. The blade is hidden behind the forearm, like a scorpion hiding its stinger—it is the most desperate of saber techniques.

Chen Ji pressed close, fighting his way out of the alley, always less than half a step away from the Jiefan Guards. The Jiefan Guards could even clearly see every one of his eyebrows and hear his steady breathing.

The Jiefan Guards’ long sabers had no room to maneuver at this distance. He tried to push Chen Ji with his left hand to create distance, but could only watch as the short saber slashed past his armpit and neck, blood gushing out and splattering on Chen Ji’s body and face.

After killing one person, Chen Ji slipped out of the opponent’s embrace and then crashed into the next person’s. The Jiefan Guard who was too close tried to swing his saber to block, but Chen Ji was a step ahead, slashing a reverse grip at the opponent’s wrist tendon.

Chen Ji had always been wary of Wu Xuan Ge in his mind, but Wu Xuan Ge did not seem to be among them.

Without Wu Xuan Ge, without space to form a formation, and without archers on the rooftops providing support, a Xing Guan of the Xiantian realm had no match among the Jiefan Guards.

The shouts of battle continued at the end of the alley. Chen Ji fought his way out, and someone fought their way in. Although the Jiefan Guards were more numerous, the two of them seemed to be besieging the Jiefan Guards, who were gradually pressed together so tightly they couldn’t move.

Chen Ji fought with bloodshot eyes, pushing forward, not knowing how many people he had killed or how many slashes he had made. Just as he was about to use his short saber to cut the throat of the person in front of him, the blade stopped before their neck.

A woman.

The woman was dressed in black, her face covered by a black cloth, and she giggled, patting her chest. “Lord Chen has such a fast saber, you scared me to death.”

With just one sentence, Chen Ji recognized Jiao Tu’s voice. He frowned and looked at her. “Why are you here? I’m wanted by the authorities right now, aren’t you afraid of being implicated?”

The alley was covered with bodies. Jiao Tu stood in the blood, twirling around as if no one else was there. “That’s why I came masked, Lord Chen. Didn’t you notice? I even changed my clothes and hairstyle!”

“Thank you for your help,” Chen Ji said, about to rush out of the alley, but Jiao Tu leaned against the brick wall, blocking his way.

She said with a smile, “If my sincere heart to save someone like you is thwarted by others, don’t you dare expose me.”

Chen Ji took a deep breath. “Don’t worry, I will never expose you.”

But after he said this, Jiao Tu still blocked the way, playing with a dagger in her hand.

Chen Ji looked back. Madam Lu was still struggling to hold off the Jiefan Guards.

He asked Jiao Tu in a low voice, “What does Milady want?”

Jiao Tu lowered her voice and said with a playful smile, “It’s so easy to talk to intelligent people. Lord Chen, this credit is too great; you alone might not be able to handle it. If Lord Chen dies, then so be it, but if you return to Jingcheng alive, would you be willing to promote me?”

Chen Ji said seriously, “Definitely.”

However, Jiao Tu still didn’t move aside.

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. “Is there anything else, Milady?”

Jiao Tu spun around again. “My night clothes have embroidered lotus patterns, and they’re tailored to fit. You still haven’t told me if they look good!”

Chen Ji was stunned. “They look great!”

“Lord Chen has better taste than Yun Yang!” Jiao Tu finally moved aside, smiling. “Lord Chen, escape quickly. I can only help you block some minor soldiers; I can’t do anything else. There are three warhorses outside. Remember to pay me for them when you return to Jingcheng—three hundred taels of silver per horse!”

“Aunt Ping, let’s go,” Chen Ji quickly walked past Jiao Tu, grabbed the reins of a warhorse at the alley entrance, placed Liao Zhong on its back, and mounted another warhorse himself.

Madam Lu suddenly threw the door panel she was holding about a foot into the air, then pressed down on it with both hands. The door panel shattered completely. An invisible force carried the wooden splinters and arrows from the board flying backward, knocking over the Jiefan Guards in the alley.

Madam Lu turned and left. As she passed Jiao Tu, she gave her a cold look. The sharp gaze, even through the black veil, made Jiao Tu’s heart tremble, and the hair on her neck stood on end!

However, Madam Lu ignored her, vaulted onto the horse. “To the East Gate.”

Jiao Tu watched their retreating figures and shouted to the rooftop, “Come down and get to work!”

Yun Yang, dressed in black and masked, descended from the rooftop into the alley to clean up the mess. The man and woman, both holding daggers, killed with clean efficiency.

“Hey, killing so many people, won’t there be big trouble?” Yun Yang asked curiously. As he spoke, his dagger pierced a Jiefan Guard’s jaw.

The two killed with effortless grace, their techniques skillful, direct, and decisive. The Jiefan Guards had no match.

Jiao Tu stepped through the blood and corpses in the alley. “Don’t worry, they are all people who betrayed the Inner Minister. It’ll be fine after we finish killing them.”

When the alley grew quiet, Yun Yang wiped the blood from his face. “What did that boy say?”

Jiao Tu calmly said, “He agreed.”

Yun Yang stretched. “What if that boy doesn’t keep his word?”

Jiao Tu glanced at him. “You and I already know what kind of person that boy is. Now I trust him more than I trust you.”

Yun Yang’s eyes widened. “You trust him more than me?”

Jiao Tu said casually, “Why should I trust you? Give me a reason.”

Yun Yang opened his mouth, then closed it, speechless.

Jiao Tu sneered, “Shut up and get to work. Block the secret agents coming from the north too. Xuan She chose the wrong side this time for a promotion; he thought Wu Xiu would gain power…”

Yun Yang asked curiously, “Currently, His Majesty indeed favors Wu Xiu more. Should we…”

Jiao Tu squinted at him. “Do you want to die too?”

Yun Yang raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I was just saying.”

“Let’s go.”

Yun Yang was unwilling to move. “You’ve already helped him just now. It wouldn’t matter if you don’t help now, he can’t see anyway. And he might not make it back alive. Too many people want to kill him this time; you and I can’t stop them.”

Jiao Tu said nonchalantly, “But if he really makes it back, you and I can return to our Zodiac positions. Jin Zhu is a shrewd boy; he’s already placed his bet. If we lose, we lose together.”