Chapter 5: Broken Porcelain Shards

Only a quarter of an hour.

It was very brief.

Chen Ji stopped wasting words. He quickly scanned the study, his gaze lingering on the scattered scrolls and rice paper before he began flipping through the books on the shelves.

"The rice paper is all blank, and the books are all common ones found on the market. There’s nothing hidden inside," Jiaotu reminded him.

Chen Ji turned and walked into the courtyard.

It was a two-courtyard *siheyuan*. He carefully observed every detail of the grounds, attempting to find any trace of a clue. Chen Ji knew in his heart that he had no real certainty of finding anything; he had only said that because, facing a group of cold-blooded killers, not saying so would likely mean immediate death.

As time ticked away, Yunyang gradually lost his patience. "Too slow, too slow. We need to add a game. See that paulownia tree in the courtyard? For every leaf that falls while you’re searching for clues, I’ll prick you with a needle."

No sooner had he spoken than a leaf detached from a branch.

Yunyang raised his hand, caught the withered yellow leaf in mid-air, and sighed, "Your luck is truly bad."

As he spoke, he walked up to Chen Ji and drove a needle into the web of the boy's hand.

Chen Ji’s face flushed crimson instantly. He doubled over from the intense pain, and though it was a chilly autumn, beads of sweat the size of beans began to pour down his forehead.

He cursed Yunyang as a pervert in his heart, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain.

Yunyang said unhurriedly, "The time wasted due to pain also counts toward that quarter of an hour."

Chen Ji leaned against the paulownia tree and slowly straightened his back, moving step by step into the kitchen. He had to find a clue before the second leaf fell!

Inside the kitchen, there was nothing more than a brick stove and a pile of jars and bottles containing seasonings.

The room was clean and tidy, without a single unnecessary item.

Chen Ji checked all the jars and bottles before walking out of the kitchen. However, just as he stepped out, he stopped in his tracks.

He muttered to himself, "Something feels wrong. It seems I’ve missed a detail."

Yunyang leaned against the kitchen doorframe, yawning as he toyed with a silver needle between his fingertips. "You’re running out of time. It seems I’ve wasted a quarter of an hour."

Chen Ji remained standing there, desperately thinking about what detail he could have missed!

While he was pondering, another leaf fell from the paulownia tree, and Yunyang drove another needle into the back of his ear.

In an instant, Chen Ji collapsed to the ground, curling up like a shrimp, unable to move, nearly slipping into shock.

But this time, without waiting for Yunyang to urge him, he straightened up and returned to the kitchen, bringing out two jars containing fine, white crystalline powder.

Yunyang glanced at them curiously. "Two jars of salt. What’s the problem?"

"Why would a kitchen have two jars of salt?" Chen Ji said, pinching a bit of the fine white powder from one of the ceramic jars and rubbing it between his fingertips. "This isn't salt."

"Not salt?" Yunyang was curious. He and Jiaotu specialized in killing, cleaning up, shifting blame, and stealing credit; finding clues was truly their weak point.

Chen Ji held out his finger to Yunyang. "Taste it and see what it is."

Yunyang retorted, "You’re quite cautious, kid. What if it’s poisonous? I’m not tasting it."

Jiaotu laughed out loud.

If not for the corpses littering the ground, this cold-blooded girl might have looked quite cute when she laughed.

Yunyang kept a straight face. "Taste it, quickly."

Chen Ji pinched a bit of the white powder and put it into his mouth. "Extremely astringent on the tongue, no distinct flavor."

He fell into deep thought.

What could this be?

Chen Ji quickly searched his memory, trying to find an answer from the books he had read.

Wait, this is alum!

Some books on military intelligence and popular science mentioned that alum was one of the primary materials used for writing secret messages in intelligence warfare.

When writing with alum water, the ink would disappear once it dried. This espionage technique originated in the 13th century and was frequently used by spies until the First and Second World Wars.

Chen Ji pondered for a long time. He was certain he had found the answer: the Jing Dynasty spies used alum to write secret messages. Zhou Chengyi had hidden this in his home, mixing it with salt to confuse the eye. Keeping it so close and convenient meant that secret correspondence must be very frequent. Therefore... there must be secret messages in Zhou Chengyi’s home regarding his exchanges with other spies.

He immediately grabbed a vinegar jar from the kitchen and returned to the study. He laid out sheets of snow-white rice paper on the table, tore a piece of cloth from his own clothing, dipped it in vinegar, and gently wiped every inch of the paper.

He wiped five or six sheets in a row, but didn't get the answer he wanted. Time ticked away, and in the chilly autumn air, fine beads of sweat formed on Chen Ji’s forehead.

He turned to look at Zhou Chengyi, only to see the man’s expression was calm, showing no panic.

Could he have guessed wrong?

No, there was absolutely no mistake!

Just then, a cold wind blew, and the withered yellow leaves on the paulownia tree fell like rain. Yunyang smiled. "Your luck isn't good enough..."

"Found it!"

"Hm?" Yunyang’s gaze was drawn over.

When Chen Ji wiped the twelfth sheet of rice paper, a line of red text appeared where the pale yellow vinegar had passed: "Li’s Sweet Water Shop, Lijing Lane, East City. In case of danger, go there immediately."

Seeing these words, Yunyang’s eyes lit up. "This is a new stronghold established by the Jing Dynasty spies. It’s possible a big shot from the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Division has come to Luocheng!"

As he spoke, he looked at Jiaotu. "A great merit!"

Jiaotu thought for a moment. "Slaughter this kid, and the credit is ours."

"No, I promised not to kill him. Besides, he isn't one of our Secret Intelligence Division people; the credit will be counted toward you and me regardless."

"Fine..."

In contrast, Zhou Chengyi, the Jing Dynasty spy, looked ashen.

He stopped pretending and immediately drew a hidden soft sword from his belt, lunging at Chen Ji, clearly intending to kill him in a desperate struggle.

As the Jing Dynasty spy charged, he shed his previous disheveled appearance in the blink of an eye, becoming as fierce as a wild beast.

Chen Ji retreated rapidly, while on the other side, Jiaotu suddenly flashed up like a phantom, moving like a fluttering butterfly.

She blocked Zhou Chengyi’s path. As their figures flashed past each other, the silver needle between her two fingers pricked Zhou Chengyi’s waist like a dragonfly skimming the water.

With a *thud*, Zhou Chengyi lost his strength and collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was at this very moment that a cold current surged out from Zhou Chengyi’s body, like a grayish-white, flowing dragon in the dark night, and burrowed into Chen Ji’s body.

It was a sensation he had never experienced in his seventeen years of life. The icy flow was like glacial water from a snow-capped mountain, clear and limpid, constantly wandering through his blood.

Where did this icy flow come from? Why did it come? Chen Ji did not know.

The scenes he had witnessed tonight were things that previously only appeared in movies. This world was completely different from the one he knew!

Chen Ji observed Jiaotu and Yunyang and found that they didn't seem to have seen that scene just now. Could it be that only he could see it?

Seeing that Zhou Chengyi no longer had the ability to resist, Yunyang turned to look at Chen Ji with interest. "How does a medical apprentice know these things?"

Chen Ji explained without hesitation, "Alum can be used as medicine; it has the effects of stopping bleeding, treating ulcers, and relieving pain, so I know a little about it."

"Oh?" Yunyang pinched some alum from the jar and put it into his mouth. "Just so happens I have a mouth ulcer from internal heat."

Jiaotu stood straight on Zhou Chengyi’s back. "Why are you chatting at a time like this? Send someone to Lijing Lane immediately to take down that Li’s Sweet Water Shop."

Immediately, eight black-clad men who had been on standby went out, mounted their horses, and galloped toward Lijing Lane.

The crisp sound of hooves hitting the midnight bluestone road tore through the tranquility of the night.

Chen Ji asked, "Can I go now?"

"Uh... I'm afraid not," Yunyang shook his head.

"Going back on your word?"

"That’s not it. I only said you could live, but I never said I would let you go," Yunyang brushed the dust off his clothes. "I have to take you to the Inner Prison for a proper interrogation."

"Interrogate what?"

"For instance, why would a medical apprentice from the Prince Jing’s Mansion appear at Zhou Chengyi’s residence in the middle of the night? Is Prince Jing already colluding with the northern Jing Dynasty through Zhou Chengyi, intending to use the power of the Jing Dynasty to rebel?" Yunyang spread his hands. "See, I have so many questions I want to ask."

Jiaotu tempted him, "Zhou Chengyi is just a small county magistrate, but if you can implicate Prince Jing, we will grant you wealth and glory!"

Chen Ji sighed inwardly at the complexity of his situation; it seemed to exceed his imagination.

Where was the Jing Dynasty? And who was Prince Jing?

Were the social connections of the deceased so complex?

He replied, "I came to deliver medicine and was innocently implicated."

Chen Ji answered this way because he had seen two packages of medicine labeled "Taiping Medical Hall" in the kitchen, wrapped in yellow paper and placed next to the clay pot stove, still unopened.

Yunyang shook his head. "That’s just your side of the story. I only believe the answers I get from interrogation."

Chen Ji changed the subject. "Do you want to catch that big shot from the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Division?"

"The people to catch him have already gone."

"You won't catch that person at the sweet water shop in Lijing Lane. That place is clearly just a spot used to help Zhou Chengyi escape; there won't be any big shots there."

Yunyang looked thoughtful. "You have other clues?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Yunyang came before Chen Ji, holding that slender silver needle between his middle and index fingers, and lightly pricked Chen Ji’s shoulder socket.

In an instant, Chen Ji felt a piercing pain invade him. In just a few breaths, sweat soaked his clothes. However, this pain came quickly and left quickly; in another few breaths, it vanished without a trace, as if it had all been an illusion.

Yunyang said nonchalantly, "I have many more methods like this. In all my years wandering the world, those who could withstand three of my needles can be counted on one hand."

Yet Chen Ji remained silent.

Yunyang pricked another needle into the back of Chen Ji’s hand. The boy’s body couldn't stop trembling, but he didn't make a sound.

Yunyang pricked two more needles in succession, but Chen Ji still didn't say a word.

"He can withstand even this?" Yunyang exclaimed in surprise.

The next second, a piece of broken porcelain suddenly appeared in Chen Ji’s palm, and he tremblingly moved it toward the carotid artery in his neck!

That piece of broken porcelain had been hidden in his palm the entire time.

The shard stopped abruptly just before his neck as Yunyang grabbed Chen Ji’s wrist. "Threatening me with death?"

"Forget it, if we delay any longer, the big merit will run away," Jiaotu held up three fingers. "I swear on my mother’s honor, as long as you provide the intelligence to help us earn this merit, I will return your freedom."

Yunyang held up three fingers. "I also swear on my parents’ honor; if I lie, may they fall into the infinite hell forever."

Chen Ji remained silent, pondering the weight of these oaths.

People in this era should be superstitious, so the weight of an oath is heavy... No, still can't trust them.

But if he demonstrated enough ability, making himself useful enough, could he gamble his life on it?

Finally, he gasped and said, "That rice paper must have already had the alum water writing on it when it was bought. It was likely written by the very Jing Dynasty big shot you mentioned. So, if you want to find clues now, you shouldn't go to Lijing Lane, but find the shop that sold the rice paper. That shop is the most important intelligence channel."