Red Robe Alley was ablaze with color under the night sky.

From one end to the other, the alley was festooned with lanterns and decorations, as if celebrating a new marriage every day, with tipsy revelry dispelling worries every night, and red-sleeved women beckoning from every floor.

The Golden Pavilion earned its fame by coating its beams in gold leaf and powder, creating a striking contrast with the prevalent red decor. Inside, the ceilings of the Pavilion of Enduring Autumn were inlaid with glittering jewels, making them brilliantly splendid and dazzling.

While this practice was common in Jinling, it was still unique in Luocheng.

In a corner outside Red Robe Alley, as dark clouds slowly merged with the night, Chen Ji quietly scaled the wall eaves. With a light push, he leapt up, landing steadily atop the ledge.

With another gentle leap, he wrapped his hands around a protruding eave of the building, swinging himself onto the rooftop.

His right leg was injured and lacked strength, but fortunately, having lit twenty-six “furnace fires,” he could easily climb the building using only his arm strength.

Chen Ji crouched down, quietly surveying his surroundings. Below, the crowds flowed like a river, while above, the grey gabled rooftops undulated like a series of hills.

The ridges of the roofs resembled mountain spines. The side facing Red Robe Alley was the illuminated “sunny” side, while the other was the unlit “shady” side.

Confirming no one was present, Chen Ji walked slowly along the shady side of the rooftops. He trod lightly on the grey tiles, afraid of alerting those below. Fortunately, Red Robe Alley was inherently noisy, so faint footsteps wouldn’t be noticed.

As he walked, his gaze swept over the rooftops, looking down towards Red Robe Alley.

Chen Ji, on the grey tiles, moved through the darkness of the night, while Bai Li and the Prince walked amidst the lanterns of Red Robe Alley, like two parallel lines that would never intersect.

He turned his head, watching Bai Li and the Prince’s footsteps, wanting to see where the Prince was headed. His mind was solely on one thought: “Please, not the Golden Pavilion; there will be danger there.”

Just then, he saw vendors moving to and fro with their carrying poles. Princess Bai Li stopped and chose a tiered box from a pole. Inside the box were small dishes of malt candy and plum sauce, mixed together. She picked at them with a bamboo skewer, eating as she walked.

Amidst the crowds and the red hues, Bai Li and the Prince, both clad in white, stood out like two pieces of mutton-fat jade hidden within the chaotic currents of a troubled world, attracting exceptional attention.

The next moment, Chen Ji heard the sound of tiles shifting, both in front of and behind him.

He whipped his head around, startled to see two black-clad figures, long swords at their hips, climbing up from below using a ladder.

On the desolate rooftop, Chen Ji froze, and the two black-clad figures also paused in surprise.

These elite black-clad agents, whether from the Secret Police or the Military Intelligence Bureau, had climbed to the rooftop intending to overlook Red Robe Alley for observation and surveillance, only to coincidentally encounter Chen Ji!

In an instant, the two black-clad figures silently drew their swords and advanced, one in front and one behind, treading on the sloping grey tiles.

Chen Ji cursed his luck inwardly. When he had first climbed up, he had worried someone might have the same idea, which was why he had only ascended after confirming the rooftop was clear.

At the time, he had even wondered to himself why such an excellent vantage point for observation was left unoccupied, thinking that the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Secret Police were terrible at small-scale tactical deployment.

Who would have thought that they hadn’t failed to consider this spot; they had just arrived late!

Below, amidst the red decor, singing and dancing flourished, while above, under the cover of night, murderous intent became apparent. None of the three uttered a sound, seemingly afraid of being discovered by outsiders.

Chen Ji began to run quickly, trying his best to ignore the pain in his leg and move like a normal person. He aimed to break free of their encirclement before the two black-clad figures could corner him, avoiding the danger of a pincer attack.

However, these two black-clad figures were also seasoned veterans. Seeing through Chen Ji’s intention, they immediately changed their movements, working in tandem, one in front and one behind, to block his escape route.

The rooftop was only so large; Chen Ji had nowhere to retreat unless he jumped directly off the roof.

He stood at the edge of the eaves, looking at the six-meter drop and considering his injured leg. After much deliberation, he stepped back.

While he was pondering, the two elite agents had already closed in on Chen Ji, simultaneously unleashing horizontal slashes.

The two long swords, like scissors, aimed to cut him down, their blades reflecting the red glow from the alley!

In the space of a breath, Chen Ji’s deeply ingrained sword-fighting instincts seemed to awaken. A sound like hammers striking iron suddenly erupted in his mind as he swiftly, like lightning, swung his blade twice, one forward and one back.

Chen Ji was faster than the two black-clad figures; though he struck later, his blows arrived first.

His sword movements were like a white deer in the forest—effortless, natural, and perfectly executed.

Two clangs of metal, drowned out by the clamor of Red Robe Alley, revealed that one black-clad figure’s forged steel long sword had snapped, its broken blade clattering onto the sloping tiles,

and sliding down the roof into the dark courtyard below.

The other black-clad figure’s sword, though not broken, was also jolted from his grasp.

Chen Ji paused in surprise, and the two elite agents were also stunned once more.

All three’s pupils suddenly constricted, as if they had witnessed something incredible.

Cuo Jin.

Chen Ji had once asked Feng Huai what this move was—the one that struck the blade and made his hand sting from the shock. Feng Huai had replied that “Cuo Jin” used subtle force to find flaws and break a blade, and if it weren’t for the special material of “Whale,” it would have broken long ago.

Yet now, an apprentice from a medical hall, who should have been scrambling to escape under attack, struck with an instinct honed through countless trials. With a short blade used for chopping medicinal herbs, he severed one sword and knocked another flying with his first move.

Had Chen Ji not been somewhat unpracticed using Cuo Jin on others for the first time, both swords might have broken simultaneously.

The two black-clad figures exchanged glances. They found the night somewhat eerie. It was one thing to encounter a swordsman of this caliber on a secluded rooftop, but why had this swordsman been running just now? And why was he even more shocked than they were?

Little did they know, when Chen Ji fought Feng Huai, he always felt his strength was useless; Feng Huai had no weaknesses and consistently suppressed him.

Against an opponent like Feng Huai, he always felt a sense of powerless frustration, even wondering if he lacked talent for swordsmanship.

But when he faced anyone other than Feng Huai, everything seemed different.

The two black-clad figures looked down at the broken blade, a hint of fear rising in their hearts. However, having come this far, there was no reason to retreat.

Driven by the resolute will forged in a harsh, barren land, they simultaneously discarded their broken swords and drew daggers from their waists, lunging to stab.

They moved in perfect coordination, one feigning an attack while the other lunged for a real one, one a diversion, the other genuine, effectively blocking all of Chen Ji’s possible escape routes.

Yet Chen Ji suddenly felt that, compared to Feng Huai, these two were riddled with weaknesses.

The instant the two daggers, one in front and one behind, lunged at him, Chen Ji subtly shifted his body, avoiding their trajectories. With his left hand, he seized one assailant’s wrist, pulling it like an iron clamp, preventing the dagger from being withdrawn.

With his right hand, he deftly flicked his blade, severing the other man’s hand tendons. With a clang, the dagger fell onto the grey rooftop tiles and rolled into the courtyard below the eaves.

The black-clad figure whose hand tendons were severed retreated rapidly.

Chen Ji pulled the other man’s wrist like a puppet, pursuing the retreating black-clad figure closely, his body driving the blade forward.

The short blade repeatedly plunged into the heart, spleen, and liver, with the final strike severing the neck.

The other black-clad figure, his wrist still clamped and pulled, could only stumble along. He watched helplessly as his comrade was stabbed again and again, unable even to stand steady.

Before he could figure out how to break free from Chen Ji’s grasp, the chilling glint of the blade suddenly reversed, slicing across his neck under the moonlight.

Tiny flecks of blood splattered onto Chen Ji’s charcoal-streaked face. He slowly released his grip, letting the black-clad figure slowly fall to his knees and collapse.

Chen Ji searched the bodies. He knew that all spies under Jin Zhu carried a brass whistle that could mimic bird calls to transmit messages, but these two had none.

He realized these were Manager Yuan’s people.

The wound on his leg throbbed. He hadn’t felt it during the fight, but now Chen Ji realized that the struggle had aggravated his old injury.

Chen Ji wiped the blood from his hands, hoping to prevent his grip on the blade from being slippery, but it was useless.

He lowered his head and tore a piece of cloth from his garment to wrap around his hand. When he looked up again, his gaze swept over the rooftops to Red Robe Alley. At some point, several martial artists had gathered around the Prince and Bai Li, chatting happily.

He then saw Princess Bai Li and the Prince had already reached the entrance of the Golden Pavilion. Miss Yan’er emerged from inside, smiling as she welcomed them in.

As expected, they were going to the Golden Pavilion.

Chen Ji sighed inwardly, standing silently on the rooftop, quickly surveying his surroundings.

He could no longer concern himself with the Prince and Bai Li; he had to find Manager Yuan as quickly as possible.

In Red Robe Alley, more and more people were entering the Golden Pavilion, but Manager Yuan was nowhere to be seen. He wondered if the manager hadn’t arrived or was already inside.

Wait.

Chen Ji saw figures stirring in the darkness outside Red Robe Alley. Hundreds of secret agents, with long swords at their hips, were moving in, forming two teams to surround the alley from both ends.

Among the crowd, Jin Zhu also donned light armor, his usual genial smile gone. He looked more like a general commanding troops before the palace.

Further away, Chen Ji even saw five hundred mounted Jie Fan Guards. Their horses’ hooves were wrapped in burlap, and each man wore a bamboo hat and straw cape, standing silently with their spears in the darkness outside the alley.

The leader, with his blade resting across his saddle, stood motionless.

Lin Chaoqing…

Lin Chaoqing was here too!

Chen Ji marveled at Jin Zhu’s excessive caution. Having only just uncovered clues about the missing firearms from the Directorate of Works, he had actually gone so far as to cooperate with the Principal Penal Bureau, directly deploying the Jie Fan Guards from Mengjin Barracks.

At the entrance of Red Robe Alley, Lin Chaoqing sat atop his horse and calmly remarked that the Twelve Zodiacs of the Secret Police were all impulsive and reckless. He recalled how Rabbit and Sheep’s previous deployment of the Jie Fan Guards had landed them in prison, and wondered what fate awaited Jin Zhu this time.

Jin Zhu chuckled, stating that he was different from them. He had already located the Jing Dynasty rebels, and not only the external threats but also the internal traitors.

Lin Chaoqing responded, noting Jin Zhu’s extreme discretion, as he had previously shown no hint of his findings.

Lin Chaoqing scoffed, remarking that after Jin Zhu arrived at his Mengjin Barracks, he constantly clamored for Yellow River carp and even ordered his Jie Fan Guards to fish for him, making Lin Chaoqing think he only cared about eating. He added that, with Rabbit and Sheep as precedents, the Jie Fan Guards would not act this time unless Jin Zhu disclosed his intentions.

Jin Zhu smiled and advised Commander Lin not to speak in anger, explaining that as the commander of Yuzhou’s Principal Penal Bureau, it was necessary for him to know why the Jie Fan Guards had been mobilized. He then asked Commander Lin what he believed the Jing Dynasty rebels most wanted to steal from the Ning Dynasty.

Commander Lin replied, listing military deployment maps, court secrets, and firearms.

Jin Zhu confirmed this, stating that Zhou Chengyi’s persistent attempts to subvert officials at the Directorate of Works indicated that firearms were their primary target. He continued that upon arriving in Luocheng, his first priority was to monitor all sales of saltpeter and sulfur, and his second was to investigate the Directorate of Works’ inventory and accounts. A few days prior, he had discovered a discrepancy between the firearms inventory and the records at the Directorate of Works, and several blueprints were also missing. Following these leads, he had apprehended six individuals, some from the Grand Canal Association and some from the Directorate of Works. Ultimately, he discovered that the lost firearms had flowed to this location: Red Robe Alley.

Lin Chaoqing expressed his confusion, asking which of the many brothels in Red Robe Alley Jin Zhu suspected, noting that all businesses in Red Robe Alley had deep connections, and surely he didn’t intend for the Jie Fan Guards to search every single one.

Jin Zhu chuckled, revealing that he had previously set a trap at the Chaocang Casino, where he captured twelve live spies. Eleven had committed suicide by poison, but one survived and defected. That individual had told him he was instructed by a Military Intelligence Bureau official to retrieve a shipment of goods from the Golden Pavilion. Logically, he continued, the Jing Dynasty rebels shouldn’t be foolish enough to conduct transactions twice in the same location, so initially, he had only assigned a few secret agents to monitor the place as a casual move. However, unexpectedly, today another suspicious individual transported a shipment of goods into the Golden Pavilion, and Jin Zhu had apprehended him.

Lin Chaoqing no longer questioned him. He knew Jin Zhu was a favored confidant of the Grand Chancellor and had achieved great merits.

The reason Jin Zhu remained among the “Lower Nine Zodiacs” was not due to a lack of ability, but because his relationship with Pegasus was too close, and the Grand Chancellor did not permit such strong ties among the “Upper Three Zodiacs.”

Some speculated that if Sick Tiger retired in recent years, Jin Zhu might take his place.

But Lin Chaoqing knew that, given the Grand Chancellor’s nature, as long as Pegasus lived, Jin Zhu would never get the chance.

After a moment of thought, he told Jin Zhu that the Jie Fan Guards would be at his disposal that night, cautioning him simply not to make any mistakes.

Jin Zhu replied that Commander Lin’s word was enough, then signaled his secret agents.

Countless secret agents swarmed into Red Robe Alley to apprehend people. In an instant, chaos erupted as customers from various taverns and brothels fled in panic, terrified of being caught in the affair.

They tried to escape Red Robe Alley but were blocked by the Jie Fan Guards’ cavalry at both the north and south entrances, with no way out.

Hiding on the rooftop, Chen Ji suddenly saw the Prince, Bai Li, and those martial artists also run out of the Golden Pavilion. Seeing both ends of the alley blocked, they simply rushed into the tavern opposite the Golden Pavilion, the one directly beneath Chen Ji, intending to pass through its main hall and escape by scaling the backyard wall.

Six secret agents spotted their attempt to escape and immediately abandoned their pursuit of others, drawing their swords and chasing them into the tavern.

Chen Ji stood at the edge of the eaves, looking down. He saw the martial artists accompanying the Prince reach the backyard and effortlessly leap over the two-meter-high courtyard wall.

From the backyard, the Prince called out over the wall, asking them to lend a hand and help him and Bai Li get over.

The martial artists stopped. One of them leapt up, clung to the top of the wall, and extended a hand, saying that they should grab it and he would pull them up.

But before the Prince could grasp his hand, the six secret agents, swords drawn, had already rushed in.

One of the martial artists urged the others to leave quickly.

The next moment, the martial artists actually abandoned the Prince and Bai Li, turned, and vanished into a small alley outside the courtyard wall.

Chen Ji frowned, sensing something amiss with the situation.

If the Prince had only come here for leisure, he would simply need to remain still and wait for the Secret Police’s interrogation.

Once the matter was investigated and cleared, those without suspicion would naturally be fine.

Why risk fleeing then?