Chapter 32: Avici

Upon entering this world, Chen Ji knew nothing of his former self; he could only piece himself together bit by bit from the information others revealed.

Now, the details of his past were becoming increasingly complete... and increasingly terrifying.

A spy of the Jing Dynasty? Was he truly a Jing Dynasty spy?!

For Chen Ji, this was the worst possible outcome. It felt as if he were walking on the edge of a blade atop a precipice, with a bottomless abyss at his side. Whether he fell to the left or to the right, it would mean eternal damnation.

What should he do?

The person pressing a blade against Chen Ji's back said calmly, "Do not act rashly, or you will die."

The voice was dry and muffled, yet possessed absolute confidence.

The opponent must be a seasoned *Xingguan* (Official), a high-ranking figure from the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Department!

Chen Ji remained motionless, but he heard the shopkeeper say, "Lord Sicao, I have confirmed it. On the night Lord Zhou met with trouble, he was exchanging intelligence with this boy. Now that Lord Zhou's entire household has vanished and only this boy remains alive, he must have betrayed us."

The Sicao of the Military Intelligence Department pressed the cold blade tightly against Chen Ji's neck and asked sternly, "Do you have anything to say?"

Chen Ji's mind raced, but he finally spoke with composure, "The night I arrived at Zhou Chengyi's residence, he had already been betrayed by the courtesan of the Bamboo Grove in White Clothes Alley. That is why Yun Yang and Jiao Tu came knocking... How can you say he died because of my defection?"

The shopkeeper said grimly, "Then how did you survive? Jiao Tu and Yun Yang are notorious for their bloodlust. If you hadn't defected to earn merit, how could you have lived until now? You have betrayed the Jing Dynasty!"

The shopkeeper, having taken a kick earlier, spoke with rising fury and took the opportunity to kick Chen Ji in the stomach, doubling him over.

Chen Ji tried to fight back, but was caught off guard when the person behind him kicked him in the back of the knee.

Chen Ji's knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

However, he forced himself to hold steady. Before his knees could touch the floor, he forced himself back up.

The Sicao kicked him several more times, but each time, Chen Ji struggled to stand before he could fully kneel.

Seeing this, the Sicao used immense strength to press down on his shoulders. This time, however, Chen Ji preferred to risk a fractured shoulder rather than bend his knees even an inch.

He stood straight, staring directly at the shopkeeper, and said fiercely, "No matter how many times you torture me, the result will be the same. I only ask one question: if I have already defected, why are you still alive to speak to me?!"

The shopkeeper's expression froze.

This was precisely why they had not killed Chen Ji immediately. Although all signs indicated that Chen Ji had defected, everyone—except for Zhou Chengyi and Liu Shiyu—remained perfectly safe.

Given Chen Ji's identity, if he had defected, it would be a catastrophe for the entire Military Intelligence system in Luocheng. The Department had to confirm exactly what had happened.

The warehouse was packed with medicinal herbs, making it feel cramped; the three of them could hear each other's breathing.

Chen Ji slowly exhaled, using two fingers to push the dagger pressed against his neck aside. "You want to kill me without asking questions? Let me finish. After I arrived at the Zhou residence, before I could even exchange a few words with Zhou Chengyi, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu arrived. Knowing he had no hope of survival, Zhou Chengyi told me to protect myself. Later, he committed suicide by poison, and I survived by posing as an apprentice from a medical clinic. The Secret Intelligence Department still does not know my true identity."

Having said this, he no longer looked at the shopkeeper of Bailu Pavilion, but instead turned to face the Sicao behind him: the third-highest figure of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Department lurking within the Ning Dynasty!

The Sicao was dressed in simple gray clothes, with patches on his elbows and knees.

Strangely, the Sicao wore a thin wooden mask carved with blue skin and fangs, looking terrifying and grotesque.

Before Chen Ji could speak further, the Sicao raised his hand and struck him precisely on the neck, knocking him unconscious.

...

...

When Chen Ji slowly regained consciousness, he realized he was hanging upside down. A black cloth covered his head, plunging his vision into darkness, and his wrist throbbed with a pain as if it had been sliced open.

He heard a thick, rhythmic *drip, drip* sound, as if his own blood were falling drop by drop.

That sound felt like a countdown to death, instilling a sense of terror and urgency.

Yet, Chen Ji actually became calmer.

"Based on the rate of blood loss, you only have fifteen minutes to live," the Sicao's voice came from behind the mask, sounding muffled. "Now, I ask you: the Secret Intelligence Department would rather kill the wrong person than let a target go. Even if they don't know your identity as a spy, they certainly won't let you live. Tell me, why would they let you go?"

In the darkness, Chen Ji explained, "Because I earned merit. Using alum as a clue and vinegar to brush the paper, I discovered the secret letter delivered to Zhou Chengyi by the Xuan paper shop."

The Sicao asked deeply, "If you are telling the truth, then the abilities you displayed are inconsistent with your identity as a medical apprentice. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu would certainly be suspicious! Yuan Ming, was he certain no one was tailing him when he arrived?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "No one."

"Confirm once more. See if any unfamiliar faces have appeared near Bailu Pavilion."

"Understood."

The shopkeeper, named Yuan Ming, immediately pushed the door open and went into the courtyard. Standing there, he used a copper whistle to emit a crisp swallow's cry.

Soon, swallow cries were returned in sequence from the southeast, southwest, north, and west directions around Bailu Pavilion.

The shopkeeper returned to the room, looking puzzled. "Lord Sicao, the brothers stationed around the perimeter report that indeed, no one was following him."

The Sicao fell into thought. "How did you manage to gain the trust of the Secret Intelligence Department so thoroughly that you didn't even have a single tail?"

Chen Ji also fell into thought. *Yes, why did I...*

It seemed he had suddenly gained the trust of Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, allowing him not only to enter the Inner Prison but even to browse through classified files at will.

Those files were the highest priority of the Secret Intelligence Department. If Yun Yang and Jiao Tu still suspected him of being a Jing spy, they would never have allowed him to view them.

Why?

Wait, it was because of that bizarre dream.

Chen Ji recalled that in the dream, an entity had controlled his subconscious to answer certain questions.

And the reason he had luckily passed the interrogation was... because at that time, he truly did not know he was a Jing Dynasty spy!

How close he had come. He had accidentally dodged the interrogation through sheer coincidence!

*Drip, drip.*

The sound of falling blood continued, like a death knell.

Chen Ji's expression was calm, but his tone was urgent. "I had a dream earlier. In the dream, someone kept asking me if I was a Jing spy. My mind almost broke, but in the end, I held my ground and answered 'No'."

The Sicao seemed somewhat surprised. "The Dream Chicken acted personally? You actually resisted the Dream Chicken's interrogation."

However, the Sicao did not fully believe him.

Chen Ji felt a sharp pain in his arm, as if it had been sliced again.

The sound of dripping blood vanished, replaced by the sound of blood pouring like a thin stream into a wooden basin, *patter, patter*, incessantly.

The Sicao said calmly, "No matter how flowery your story is, it could all be a script taught to you by the Secret Intelligence Department. If you want me to believe you, prove that you are still loyal to the Jing Dynasty. If you cannot, I have no choice but to kill you. I believe your uncle will understand."

Chen Ji froze. *Uncle?*

At that moment, the shopkeeper spoke up, "My Lord, stop wasting words with him. There must be a conspiracy if the Secret Intelligence Department let him live. If we let him go back, Bailu Pavilion might be destroyed one day. This is one of our most important assets in the south; many people depend on it for their livelihood."

The Sicao did not answer, merely waiting for Chen Ji's response.

Chen Ji closed his eyes, thinking: *How can I prove my loyalty to the Jing Dynasty?*

When he opened his eyes, he said with absolute certainty, "I saw that copy of the *Reflections on Neo-Confucianism*—the one using the fanqie method to hide information—in Liu Shiyu's home, but I did not hand it over to Yun Yang and Jiao Tu. In that book, Liu Shiyu revealed that a high-ranking official from a Princely Mansion is in contact with our Jing Military Intelligence. He also revealed that the entire Liu family has defected to the Jing Dynasty. If that book were turned in, the Liu family would surely face destruction!"

The Sicao's breath hitched. "Where is the *Reflections on Neo-Confucianism*?"

"Burned."

The Sicao narrowed his eyes, a fierce light appearing in them as he thought silently. "You did not lie about that. The Secret Intelligence Department indeed failed to find that book. I personally infiltrated Liu Shiyu's residence to look for it and found nothing. So, you hid it in advance. Very good..."

Chen Ji's heart jolted. *The Jing Military Intelligence knows the Secret Intelligence Department didn't get the book? Does that mean there was another spy in the Liu residence that night?!*

As the Sicao was contemplating, the shopkeeper said urgently, "Lord Sicao, no matter how convincing this boy's words are, they cannot change the fact that he betrayed his comrades. Do you realize that the investigation into the Liu family's Xuan paper shop has wide implications? It not only killed Liu Shiyu but nearly caused a catastrophe!"

Hanging upside down from the beam, Chen Ji asked solemnly, "May I ask, who else in our Jing Dynasty has gained the trust of the Secret Intelligence Department's Twelve Zodiacs? Who else could evade the interrogation of the Dream Chicken?"

The Sicao's gaze shifted.

The Dream Chicken was one of the greatest obstacles to the Military Intelligence Department's infiltration of the Secret Intelligence Department. Countless spies had tried to infiltrate, only to fall before the Dream Chicken.

Now that Chen Ji had escaped its interrogation, perhaps it truly was an opportunity.

But how could they be sure he had actually escaped it?

After a long silence from the Sicao, Chen Ji finally placed his final bet: "Give me one month. Within one month, I can prove I have not defected and prove my loyalty to the Jing Dynasty."

The Sicao thought for a moment, then turned to the shopkeeper. "Send word out. I need to see 'Long Jing' (Long Whale); I have important matters to entrust to him."

The shopkeeper hesitated but eventually turned and left the room.

The Sicao remained silent in the room for a long time before finally cutting the ropes and lowering Chen Ji.

He slowly slid the dagger into the sheath at his sleeve. "During this trip to the Ning Dynasty, your uncle once asked me to look after you. I did not expect such a turn of events. Rest assured, if what you say is true, I will not only spare you but protect you. But if you lie to me, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Chen Ji removed the black cloth from his head. He was still in the medicinal herb warehouse, and the Sicao was holding a chicken, its blood having been poured into the wooden basin.

Chen Ji was not surprised, but he feigned shock and touched his arm; there was no wound where the pain had been.

The Sicao explained calmly, "I am counting on you to infiltrate the Secret Intelligence Department; naturally, I would not leave suspicious wounds on you. Furthermore, for your uncle's sake, I am willing to give you a chance to prove yourself."

*My uncle isn't from the Ning Dynasty, but from the Jing Dynasty? That means I have at least half Jing blood in me.*

Chen Ji had originally assumed the Jing Dynasty would be a nomadic people with a vastly different appearance from the Ning Dynasty. But judging by his own features, the Ning and Jing dynasties clearly shared the same roots, which contradicted his understanding of the world.

For a moment, he felt his identity becoming even more blurred. No wonder the man had said earlier...

"You betrayed your identity, and you betrayed your surname."

(End of Chapter)