Chapter 6: Colleagues

"There are at least twenty shops in Luocheng that sell xuan paper, and all of them are backed by high-ranking officials and nobles. Which one should I go to?" Jiaotu rolled her eyes.

Chen Ji: "That’s a question for Lord Zhou."

Jiaotu jumped off Zhou Chengyi’s back and flipped him over: "Lord Zhou?"

"Oh my, Lord Zhou?!"

She saw that Zhou Chengyi’s face was dark blue, his eyes wide open; he was already dead.

"Jiaotu, you messed up and killed him!" Yunyang shrieked.

Jiaotu rolled her eyes: "Don't try to pin this on me. He was poisoned."

Yunyang was puzzled: "I already removed the poison sac from his mouth."

Jiaotu: "He must have hidden poison somewhere else on his body. His attempt to kill this kid just now was a ruse; secretly retrieving the poison was his true intention."

"That’s still your responsibility. You were in charge of guarding him."

"If you try to pin this on me again, I’m going to lose my temper."

Yunyang: "Sorry, instinctual reaction..."

Jiaotu looked at Chen Ji: "Searching shop by shop is too slow. If we drag this out, we’ll definitely lose this big fish. Do you have any ideas?"

Chen Ji slowly stood up and walked to the table. His palms gently brushed over the texture of the xuan paper: "Xuan paper is all handmade, and every craftsman has different habits. Some like to add more blue sandalwood bark, others prefer more straw. Some like to grind the pulp finer in the stone mill, while others are lazy and grind it coarser. The craftsmanship of the xuan paper determines its price... If we find the same paper, we can find the shop."

Jiaotu leaned in close, bending over to observe the texture of the xuan paper carefully. Before this, all xuan paper had looked the same to her...

...

...

At this moment, a knocking sound echoed outside the courtyard. Someone picked up the bronze ring on the main gate of the Zhou residence and struck the door rhythmically.

Outside the gate, a weathered, hoarse voice asked: "Lord Zhou, is Chen Ji at your residence?"

In an instant, Yunyang, Jiaotu, all the men in black, and even Chen Ji looked toward the source of the sound.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The knocking sounded again. The beast-head ring on the red lacquered door struck the wood—not hurried, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of pressure.

In the dead of night, the knocking sounded particularly abrupt.

The men in black in the courtyard slowly drew their waist sabers without making a sound, waiting for Yunyang’s signal.

These men were the elite of the elite. Chen Ji recalled that from the moment he transmigrated until now, not a single one of them had said a word of nonsense.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Seeing no response from outside, the weathered voice asked again: "Chen Ji, are you inside?"

Chen Ji was somewhat bewildered.

Who would come looking for him?

He looked at Yunyang, only to see the young man’s expression flickering uncertainly. After a moment of thought, he signaled to one of the men in black: "Drag the corpses into the house."

Jiaotu looked at Yunyang: "Who is it?"

"Don't be nervous, I recognize who it is," Yunyang said, walking over to lift the door latch.

The gate opened, and in the darkness outside stood an old man with a hunched back. He wore a long grey robe and black cloth shoes with white soles. His face was covered in wrinkles like gullies on parched earth.

The old man’s beard reached his chest, and his hair was tied up with a green hairpin. His hair and beard were as white as snow; he was as old as one could possibly be.

The old man seemed surprised to see Yunyang, but Yunyang put on a smiling face: "Doctor Yao, it’s been a long time. Is your health still holding up?"

The old man was silent for a moment: "It’s you. You shouldn't be in the capital; why have you come to Luocheng?"

Yunyang explained: "I had some temporary business, so I came. I happened to be visiting Lord Zhou tonight when I ran into Chen Ji, so I kept him for a chat."

The old man asked: "Has the Inner Minister’s leg ailment improved?"

"Much better, much better. He even praised you as a divine doctor, saying the cold he caught in the Fuel and Charcoal Bureau years ago was finally cured," Yunyang said with a smile: "It’s a pity you didn't stay in the capital, otherwise the Emperor would have summoned you to the palace long ago."

"I cannot cure the Emperor's illness," the old man changed the subject: "What about Chen Ji? Since the medicine has been delivered, it’s time to go back."

Yunyang pondered for a moment: "Chen Ji, hurry back with your master. Look at how much Doctor Yao cares about you, coming all this way at his age to pick you up."

Chen Ji didn't expect Yunyang to be willing to let him go... Was it because the old man mentioned the 'Inner Minister'?

He hurried out. As he passed Jiaotu, she grabbed him: "Don't go around talking nonsense when you get back. We’ll come looking for you again."

Chen Ji didn't speak and quickly walked out the gate: "Master, let’s go back."

"Mm."

Doctor Yao walked with his hands behind his back, hunched over, swaying as he headed deep into the long street, not asking another word.

Chen Ji felt two gazes like hooks staring at his back. He turned his head and saw Yunyang and Jiaotu standing at the doorway, looking at him with half-smiles.

Yunyang and Jiaotu were both dressed in black. Both were handsome, with straight backs—the kind of people who would be pleasing to the eye if seen on the street.

Yet, these two could kill without blinking, as if human life were the cheapest thing in the world.

Scorpions and snakes—that was Chen Ji’s deepest impression of the two.

Chen Ji trotted a few steps to catch up with the old man. With a *clack*, the Zhou residence gate closed behind them.

*Phew*, Chen Ji let out a sigh of relief.

This seemed to be a world where human life was like grass.

When he first transmigrated, he didn't have much desire to survive, observing everything like a bystander; whether he lived or died didn't really matter.

But since he could be reborn once, could his parents also have a chance at rebirth? This was of vital importance to him.

He had to survive first.

"Master, thank you for coming to get me," Chen Ji said, his words sincere and earnest.

The old man sighed: "If I had known the Secret Intelligence Agency was here tonight, I wouldn't have come."

Chen Ji: "..."

What did that mean?

He was just going to abandon his apprentice?

The old man muttered to himself: "Strange, the divination I cast before leaving was 'Great Auspiciousness.' I thought I’d find a gold ingot... Auspicious my foot."

This left Chen Ji confused: "Master, aren't you going to ask about tonight..."

The old man walked in front, his back to him, raising a hand to block the topic: "Wait, don't you dare tell me. I don't want to know about such troublesome things at all; nothing good ever comes from knowing. I’ve lived to be ninety-two precisely because I don't meddle in other people's business."

Chen Ji: "You certainly know how to seek good fortune and avoid disaster..."

The old man stopped: "The medicine is delivered. Where is the payment?"

Chen Ji was stunned. How was he supposed to know about medicine money: "I forgot to ask Lord Zhou for it..."

The old man turned back, displeased: "Go back and ask them for it."

Chen Ji was firm and decisive: "I’m not going."

The old man pondered for a long time: "Then you make up the payment."

Chen Ji changed the subject: "...Are you very familiar with them?"

The old man said: "I dealt with them back in the capital years ago. These people are ruthless and cruel, always doing things that anger both gods and men. If you run into them on the street in the future, pretend you don't know them. Or, pretend you don't know me when you're out."

Chen Ji: "..."

The old man muttered to himself: "With a big shot from the Secret Intelligence Agency here in person, I’m afraid Luocheng won't be peaceful anymore."

The long street was quiet. Luocheng seemed to be asleep; even the usually bustling East Market had quieted down, and many lights had been extinguished.

The night watchman, carrying a white lantern tucked under his arm, passed them by, listlessly striking his gong for the third watch, calling out: "The weather is dry, watch out for fire."

When they reached a crossroads, Chen Ji suddenly saw his master take three copper coins from his sleeve.

The next second, the old man looked up at the position of the stars, squatted down, and cast the coins six times on the bluestone road: "Hmm... go left."

"Master, is there any danger on the right?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

"No danger, really. According to the divination, I might run into a beggar. Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a bit of sympathy; if I see one, I might throw money at them, so I’m taking a detour to avoid seeing it," the old man explained calmly.

Chen Ji: "..."

...

...

Inside the Zhou residence, Jiaotu squatted on a grand armchair, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at the night sky: "We just let him go? Because his master knows the Inner Minister?"

"How could that be? The Inner Minister is a ruthless person who doesn't recognize anyone once he turns his back. Let alone Doctor Yao’s apprentice; if he truly blocked the Inner Minister’s path, even Doctor Yao would have to die."

Jiaotu sighed: "Fine. Do you think that kid could be a spy for the Jing Dynasty?"

"He must be," Yunyang said with certainty: "How could an ordinary apprentice withstand my needles? He would have passed out from the pain long ago. Besides, look at his ability to adapt to the situation; that’s definitely not something an apprentice from a medical clinic could do."

Jiaotu was puzzled: "Then why let him go?"

Yunyang smiled: "If he really is a spy, then he came tonight to meet with Zhou Chengyi to pass on information. The Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Division must know about this. After Zhou Chengyi disappears tonight, and he is still alive, the Military Intelligence Division will surely conclude that he betrayed Zhou Chengyi."

Jiaotu’s eyes lit up: "The Jing Dynasty is always harsh on traitors; they will definitely send someone to eliminate him. When that happens, we can capture the people sent to kill him and earn another merit!"

"Exactly!"

After a while, a man in black returned to report: "My lords, according to the texture of the xuan paper, we found two corresponding shops. The shopkeepers and assistants are being taken to the Luocheng Inner Prison."

Jiaotu stood up: "I’m going to interrogate them overnight!"

Yunyang stretched: "Then I’ll handle the corpses. Once I’m done, I’ll go back and rest early."

"First, let’s talk about how we’re splitting the credit!"

"Of course, it’s a fifty-fifty split."

"No."

Yunyang raised an eyebrow: "Why not?"

Jiaotu: "I killed nine people tonight, you only killed six. I also captured Zhou Chengyi. Sixty-forty, or don't invite me on missions again."

Yunyang sighed: "Interpersonal relationships between colleagues are truly harder to deal with than corpses. Sixty-forty it is."

Jiaotu jumped off the armchair and led the men in black away in high spirits, leaving only Yunyang to clean up.

After everyone had left, Yunyang took a dozen palm-sized... shadow puppets from his sleeve.

He used a silver needle to pierce the wrists of each corpse one by one, squeezing out drops of fresh blood.

Then, he used the blood on the silver needles to dot the eyes of each shadow puppet.

The blood seeped into the eyes of the puppets, turning them a deep crimson, and the little figures seemed to come to life.

"Done!"

The next moment, all the dead corpses in the courtyard stood up one by one, following Yunyang out of the Zhou residence with expressionless faces.

The group walked in a line for who knows how long down the long street. Yunyang suddenly saw a small beggar curled up in a ball under a straw mat by the side of the road, shivering from the cold.

After staring at the child for a long time, Yunyang took a string of copper coins from his sleeve and threw them on the ground, then walked into the night with the dozen or so corpses.

(End of chapter)