The owner of Li’s Garment Shop, did he see martial artists running out of Hongyi Alley last night?

Yes, sir. Those four martial artists looked hurried and very suspicious.

The snow in Luocheng had not yet melted.

A cold wind howled close to the ground, and flickering torches illuminated the secret agents’ hands, which suddenly tightened on their saber hilts. White mist, exhaled from beneath their bamboo hats, rose like hungry beasts finding new prey.

The secret agents instinctively looked at Chen Ji, awaiting his decision.

Chen Ji, his face covered by a grey cloth, bowed his head in thought.

As the saying goes, three blows from the ‘prestige-shattering rod’ can break a martial artist’s code of honor, and three pages of confession will implicate every brother. These few martial artists were not tough nuts to crack; if the Secret Service captured them, they would surely implicate the Young Lord and Bai Li.

But if he deliberately did nothing, Xifeng was no fool either.

In the flickering torchlight, the oilcloth wrapping the burning torches melted, and drops of flame fell onto the bluestone path.

Suddenly, the wind ceased, and the torchlight stopped swaying.

Chen Ji looked up at the reporting agent and calmly ordered, “Bring the owner of Li’s Garment Shop here for questioning.”

A moment later, a middle-aged man, dressed like a wealthy local notable, approached with a fawning smile: “Greetings, sirs. I am Li Bing.”

Chen Ji glanced at him and calmly asked, “Where did you see those martial artists? Tell me in detail.”

Li Bing hurriedly replied, “Sirs, when Hongyi Alley was being sealed off, they were escaping from the back alley. One of them was so frightened that he dropped his saber, ran a few steps, then turned back to pick it up.”

Chen Ji frowned in disappointment. “Such cowards, they don’t seem like the tactics of Jing Dynasty rebels.”

Xifeng, standing nearby, also looked disappointed. “Though the Jing Dynasty rebels are detestable, they are all well-trained. They are certainly not these petty criminals.”

Li Bing suddenly added, “Oh, right. At the time, someone in the back alley seemed to be calling for their help to climb over the wall. One of them went to assist, but before he could help the person over, he fled back out and told his companions, ‘Hurry, we can’t save them! They’re surrounded by six people!’ They passed right by me as they spoke, and I heard everything clearly.”

Xifeng’s expression changed as he looked at Chen Ji. “Sir, those who surrounded them must be our colleagues. The assassins must have acted to cover the person in the backyard. Though we don’t know who was surrounded, they must be extremely important.”

Chen Ji silently took a deep breath.

This shop owner had listened too carefully; Chen Ji couldn’t conceal it even if he wanted to. “Shopkeeper Li, where did you see them run to?”

“West along Luoyi Street, but I don’t know where they ultimately went!”

Chen Ji breathed another sigh of relief. It wouldn’t be easy to find four people in the vast city of Luocheng; at least this would buy them some time.

However, Li Bing paused dramatically before speaking again: “But I know where they live.”

Chen Ji: “Hmm?”

Li Bing quickly explained, “These four martial artists arrived in Luocheng half a month ago. I remember them because even though they wore ordinary and worn-out clothes, they spent lavishly. As soon as they arrived in Luocheng, each of them ordered two sets of clothes from my shop. They were all autumn-style garments with stand-up collars and large lapels, and they specifically chose the elaborate gold-thread rat-claw pattern.”

Li Bing continued, “After their measurements were taken, the four men left, instructing me to deliver the finished clothes to the Fulao Inn in the west.”

The so-called gold-thread rat-claw pattern was an embroidery pattern used on cuffs and collars. Its intricate craftsmanship made it popular among officials and nobles, and it was quite expensive.

The more Li Bing spoke, the heavier Chen Ji’s heart became.

He had met these four men before.

Among the twelve people who met Head Courtesan Liu in the Embroidered Tower of Baiyi Alley that day, besides Chen Ji, the Young Lord, Bai Li, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Liang Gou’er, and Liang Mao’er, were these four men.

At that time, these four men were wearing garments with stand-up collars and large lapels, with the gold-thread rat-claw pattern embroidered on their cuffs.

Furthermore, the timing of their arrival in Luocheng matched. These four men had originally lived in dire poverty; their lives only improved after they befriended the Young Lord.

But even though the Young Lord had been so good to them, they abandoned him and Bai Li when danger arose.

Xifeng, standing beside him, looked at Chen Ji’s profile. “Sir, what should we do?”

Chen Ji’s voice was as calm as an ancient well. “Surround Fulao Inn and apprehend them.”

His only hope now was that these four men weren’t so foolish as to return to the inn after escaping from Hongyi Alley.

Outside Fulao Inn, dozens of secret agents, sabers at their waists, swiftly and quietly surrounded the inn in just a dozen breaths.

The backyard, both sides, the stables—not a single spot was overlooked.

If those four martial artists of the Houtian realm were inside the inn, they would have no wings to fly away.

In silence, Chen Ji was the first to step over the inn’s threshold.

The inn’s ground floor was a simple tavern.

It was closed for the night; the wooden chairs had been cleaned and were overturned on the tables.

Behind the counter, a young attendant was fast asleep, face down on an abacus, with an oil lamp flickering beside him.

Chen Ji approached the counter and gently patted the attendant’s shoulder.

The attendant, groggy with sleep, lifted his head and murmured as if in a dream, “Are you looking for a room, sirs? A ‘Heaven’ room is 140 wen a night, an ‘Earth’ room is 45 wen a night, and the stables are 12 wen if you don’t mind roughing it.”

As he spoke, the attendant noticed the masked Chen Ji and the several saber-wielding secret agents behind him, instantly sobering up.

He stammered, “Sirs, I… I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Chen Ji asked, “Don’t be afraid. I just have one question for you.”

“Please ask, sir.”

“Are four martial artists carrying blades staying here?”

The attendant quickly replied, “Yes.”

“Are they still inside the inn?”

The attendant answered truthfully, “Yes, they are. They said they were going to Hongyi Alley to have some fun yesterday, but they returned early, before midnight, looking hurried. After that, all four of them ordered food and drinks directly to their room and haven’t come out since.”

This was the answer Chen Ji least wanted to hear.

He was silent for a moment. “Which room are they staying in?”

The attendant pointed to the stairs. “The third room on your right after you go up the stairs, a ‘Heaven’ room. It has a sign that says ‘Spring Water’ hanging outside the door.”

Before Chen Ji could give the order, Xifeng winked at the secret agents, and several of them immediately drew their sabers, cautiously bending low as they crept upstairs.

Chen Ji was about to follow, but Xifeng unexpectedly placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Sir, Lord Jinzhu said you possess no martial arts and specifically instructed us to ensure your safety. Let us handle such dangerous matters; please do not put yourself at risk.”

Chen Ji observed the serious, earnest, and unwavering expression beneath Xifeng’s bamboo hat. He thought, ‘He’s not doubting himself; Lord Jinzhu truly gave that instruction.’

He sighed inwardly, then stood by the counter, no longer moving. “Be careful.”

The secret agents abruptly kicked open the door to the Spring Water room. Armed with long sabers, they streamed in, exuding killing intent.

However, the next moment, someone suddenly yelled, “Sir, come quickly!”

Chen Ji immediately grabbed the oil lamp from the counter and rushed upstairs.

He pushed past the agents in the hallway to the doorway, looked up at the ceiling beams, and his breath hitched.

On the ceiling beams, the four martial artists they were looking for hung neatly from their necks, strangled by four white silk cords.

What’s more, the skin had been completely flayed from their faces, leaving only raw, bloody facial muscles exposed to the air, a truly horrific sight.

The secret agents’ expressions were stoic, as if they had seen such things many times before.

But a sudden chill surged through Chen Ji. These four men had been silenced prematurely.

He suppressed his discomfort and went to examine the bodies.

The bodies were cold and rigid, the rigor mortis having spread throughout their entire bodies, indicating they had been dead for at least four hours.

Chen Ji went to the door; the bolt was undamaged.

He then went to the window, only to find that the copper latch used to secure it had been severed by a sharp object. The killer had entered through the window.

“Take them down and strip off their clothes.” Chen Ji said coldly.

The agents formed a human chain, took down the four bodies, and laid them on the beds.

Once the four men were stripped, everyone saw by the moonlight streaming through the window that a copper nail had been driven into the heart of each corpse.

The copper nails had been driven in cleanly, without a single drop of blood being shed.

The deceased had not cried out for help, meaning their killer must have been a master among masters, not even giving them a chance to react.

Chen Ji then pried open the mouths of the four men, revealing a short copper nail driven into each of their tongues.

“This isn’t just silencing them; it’s a judgment.”

“Someone is punishing them.”

Xifeng’s expression was grim. They had just found a new lead, and before they could even be pleased, the trail had gone cold again.

Chen Ji looked at Xifeng. “Have you ever heard of such a method of judgment?”

Xifeng pondered. “There seem to have been two such cases in the martial arts world, but the specifics would require checking the imperial prison’s archives. Sir, this matter is suspicious. The person they abandoned earlier must have been extremely important, important enough for someone to kill them to silence them permanently. Furthermore, the killer specifically flayed their faces to prevent us from finding witnesses who knew them. Who do you think did this?”

“Who did it? Simple. Whoever benefits the most, did it.”

Chen Ji stood in the dim room, still holding the oil lamp in his left hand.

He recalled the Young Lord’s bold and cheerful smile, finding it hard to believe such profound and sinister cunning lay behind him.

Moreover, if the Young Lord had such a master to handle things afterward, why would Chen Ji have needed to intervene to save them last night?

But if it wasn’t the Young Lord, then who could it be?

Chen Ji’s bright impression of the Young Lord suddenly blurred, as if a layer of gloom was gradually descending upon the Young Lord’s face.

End of chapter.