Chapter 26: Procession

“To catch a spy, one must learn to think like a spy.”

“If I were the Director of the Jing Dynasty Intelligence Bureau, what kind of person would I recruit as my spy within a Prince's manor?”

Chen Ji sat on the communal bed, propping his chin on his hand, analyzing silently

“Not a guard; guards are not permitted into the inner quarters.”

“...The imperial physicians and apprentices from the Taiping Medical Clinic can not only contact people outside, but are also qualified to enter the inner residence.”

Chen Ji froze. “Am I actually a Jing Dynasty spy?!”

He seriously analyzed this possibility

He had appeared at Zhou Chengyi's residence in the middle of the night; the first time he met that butler, the man already knew he was a medical apprentice, which meant the original owner of this body had visited the Zhou estate more than once.

Alum is frequently used as medicine, and the Taiping Medical Clinic stocked it. If he were a Jing Dynasty spy, the alum at Zhou Chengyi's estate would have a clear source...

*Hiss!*

Chen Ji drew in a sharp breath.

Wait, no, that's not right.

According to the intelligence passed on by Zhou Chengyi, the spy should have already met the high-ranking figure in the Prince's manor. Once both sides confirmed their sincerity, only then would the Director of the Intelligence Bureau plan to head south.

Furthermore, when he had previously gone to Wanxing Court for a medical call, when Chun Rong tried to strike him dead with a staff, Consort Yun had risen to leave, and Consort Jing had remained silent and indifferent. Had he not actively fought for survival, he likely would have died in Wanxing Court that very day.

If he were a Jing Dynasty spy, at least one of those two powerful figures should have protected him.

Chen Ji rose quietly, stealthily opening the shared wardrobe. He felt through everyone's clothing, not even sparing the collars or cuffs, checking for any hidden items.

However, he found no clues.

Chen Ji then crouched down, using his fingers to trace the bricks of the communal bed in the dim light, carefully running his hand over every single one.

*Huh?*

He actually felt a brick protruding slightly by about two millimeters, and the surrounding clay was loose.

Chen Ji used his index fingers and thumbs to grip the edges of the brick, pulling it out bit by bit. To his shock, he found a small hollowed-out hole behind the brick, concealing five silver ingots!

*What?!*

A single silver ingot weighed ten taels; this was certainly not something a medical apprentice could possess, unless funded by the Jing Dynasty Intelligence Bureau.

Previously, when Chen Ji suspected a spy was at the clinic, he had mocked himself for being paranoid, but now that he saw the evidence, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Were these ingots She Dengke's? Or Liu Quxing's?

...Or his own?

Chen Ji tucked the ingots and the brick back into place and returned to his bed to sleep, acting as if nothing had happened.

...

...

In the early morning, before the roosters had even crowed, Old Man Yao, who was sleeping on the bed, was awakened by movement in the courtyard.

He put on his white cloth shoes with black soles and walked slowly toward the door with his hands behind his back. In the courtyard, Chen Ji was gently pouring freshly carried water into the water vat.

Old Man Yao glanced at Liu Quxing, who was slumped over the kitchen stove asleep, then looked at the energetic Chen Ji. He frowned and said, "...Did you cook him to death?"

Chen Ji: "...No, Senior Brother Liu just fell asleep."

Old Man Yao curled his lip. "The chickens haven't even crowed yet, and you've already made enough noise to wake me. How about we stop the chickens from crowing altogether and you do it instead?"

Chen Ji smiled, not taking his master's words to heart; he had grown accustomed to the man's venomous tongue. "Master, I'm going to fetch more water. I'll have the vat full before the roosters crow so I don't delay your morning lessons."

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves to his wrists, hoisted the shoulder pole, and headed out.

However, before Chen Ji could reach the door, the sound of bronze bells suddenly echoed from the distance. The ringing was crisp and pleasant, growing louder as it approached.

Old Man Yao frowned and, unexpectedly, stepped forward quickly, pulling Chen Ji back into the house before he could exit.

Chen Ji was pulled back involuntarily, causing the shoulder pole and wooden buckets to sway wildly.

A moment later, a procession of people carrying a majestic and solemn Buddha statue passed through Anxi Street in the dawn light.

Thirty-two monks, dressed in grey robes with one shoulder bare, steadily carried the massive Sumeru throne.

Beside the throne, other monks held bronze bells in their left hands and incense in their right. Occasionally, they struck their hands together, causing the incense and bells to produce brilliant sparks and crisp sounds.

The incense burned steadily, sending sparks flying into the sky like a garden of fire and silver flowers, swirling like dragons and fish.

Chen Ji whispered, "Master, why did you pull me back..."

Old Man Yao said expressionlessly, "Do not ask."

Chen Ji stood side-by-side with Old Man Yao, silently watching the procession of monks as they slowly passed in front of the Taiping Medical Clinic.

As he watched, he suddenly took a step back.

In that fleeting moment, the Buddha statue seemed to have glanced at him—a gaze that was indifferent, yet carried a hint of compassion.

At this time, Liu Quxing was also startled awake by the bells and rushed out. He looked at the procession before the door. "It's the monks from Tuoluo Temple in the south of the city! Whose family has such grand wealth to afford a procession of the Buddha through Luocheng during the Double Ninth Festival?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, do gods and Buddhas truly exist in this world?"

Liu Quxing jumped in to answer, "Of course they do! Two years ago, in Liujiatun in the outskirts, a man's mother was gravely ill. He knelt before the Buddha statue during a procession to pray, and as a result, his mother's illness was cured on the spot!"

Chen Ji was skeptical; he knew many religions used miracles to attract followers.

But Liu Quxing continued, "Also, I remember three years ago, there was a filial son in western Luocheng whose parents both died of a plague. He went to Tuoluo Temple to pray, donating his entire fortune, land deeds, and ancestral property to invite Abbot Yunfang to perform a Water and Land Ritual to offer to the Buddhas."

"And what happened?"

"His parents came back to life, and the plague vanished! They just lay in bed unable to move," Liu Quxing replied.

Chen Ji frowned and turned to Old Man Yao. "Master, is what Senior Brother Liu saying true?"

Old Man Yao, hands behind his back, gave a casual grunt of affirmation. "When his parents were sent to me, they were already at death's door. I told him to take them away so they wouldn't die in the clinic and ruin my reputation."

Liu Quxing muttered under his breath, "Master, you said back then that they were beyond saving and it was better to save money for the living..."

Old Man Yao ignored him and continued, "His parents drew their last breaths right before my eyes. So, when news of their resurrection arrived, I went there personally to verify it. The old couple had indeed come back to life, but they lay on their sickbeds without consciousness; their pulse, heartbeat, and breathing were all present."

Chen Ji froze. Then, his own parents...

But he heard Old Man Yao sneer, "But what is the meaning of living like that? It's better to let them pass away in peace."

Chen Ji suddenly pressed, "Master, has there ever been a case where someone who passed away was brought back to life completely?"

Old Man Yao glanced at him. "Rumor has it that when the only son of the current Grand Secretary, Xu Gong, died in an accident, Xu Gong spent a fortune to invite the Abbot of Yuanjue Temple to act. Using a Seven-Treasure Lotus Lamp, he sculpted a physical body for his son, allowing him to live a second life."

"Is his son still alive?"

"He is. He is the current Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory, Xu Shu."

Chen Ji's mind felt as if a giant axe had swung through the haze and chaos, leaving it instantly clear.

He had already lived a second life. If there truly were people in this world who could resurrect the dead, then could he, one day, find the way home and resurrect his own parents?

Make money.

Cultivate.

A fire burned in Chen Ji's heart.

If he wanted to cultivate, he could no longer hide from the Ice Flow; he had to figure out exactly what the Ice Flow was, how it was produced, and how to obtain it!

By the time the monk procession disappeared at the end of Anxi Street, the sky had gradually brightened.

The neighbors had lost their sleepiness; they had already taken down their door panels and were greeting each other joyfully, setting up their stalls on the street early.

Chen Ji did not return to the backyard; he headed toward the well with his shoulder pole.

A young man carrying firewood approached from the opposite direction, calling out his wares. As they passed each other, Chen Ji stopped and grabbed him. "Tell Lord Yun Yang that I need to visit the Inner Prison."

The young man looked bewildered. "What is Doctor Chen talking about? I don't understand."

Chen Ji said calmly, "A wood seller wanders the streets and alleys, exposed to wind and sun; he wouldn't have such a clean, fair complexion like a secret agent. Furthermore, a wood seller wouldn't just loiter on this single street, failing to sell a single load of wood from morning till night. If he were a Jing Dynasty spy, his expression wouldn't be arrogant, but cautious. Go tell Lord Yun Yang that I want to check the prisoners and the case files in the Inner Prison; perhaps I can help him find new merit."

With that, he turned and went to fetch water without looking back.

It wasn't just today that Chen Ji had noticed the abnormality in this wood-selling boy. He had sat on the clinic's threshold for an entire day while waiting for his parents to deliver his tuition money, and he had known then.

And the reason he was going to a place like the Inner Prison—a place everyone else avoided—was simply because...

Where do the most wrongful deaths occur?

The Inner Prison of the Intelligence Bureau.

The wood-selling boy slowly withdrew his smile, staring at Chen Ji's departing back. He had thought his disguise was perfect, but it seemed the other party had long since detected his problem and was merely quietly watching his clumsy performance.

A moment later, the boy dropped his firewood and shoulder pole, turned, and strode away with long, purposeful steps.