Chapter 57: Choice

In the rainy night, Chen Ji tore off his heavy straw raincoat, running frantically wearing only a bamboo hat.

He looked down to find a wound half a pinky nail deep, slicing horizontally from his collarbone to his chest.

The wound was still bleeding; the blood mixed with the rainwater, soaking his clothes through.

Chen Ji could even feel as if his life were trickling away bit by bit along with the flowing blood.

"How unlucky."

His original plan was merely to take a shallow cut, using a "self-inflicted injury" ruse to stage an escape.

However, he was not a seasoned cultivator and lacked sufficient control over his body, causing the blade to strike deeper than intended.

At this moment, the wound burned with a piercing pain that even the freezing rainwater could not alleviate in the slightest.

But now was not the time to dwell on the injury. While tearing a strip of his clothing to perform a simple bandage, Chen Ji looked back and shouted, "Keep up! If we fail to catch that defecting spy, neither you nor I will be able to bear the wrath of the Director!"

The Jing Dynasty Spy: "..."

The two of them crashed through layers of rain, one after another, moving further and further away from Red Clothing Alley.

Once they were far enough away, the Jing Dynasty Spy suddenly gasped for breath and said, "My Lord, My Lord, stop running! You have to tell me what is going on first!"

Chen Ji ducked into a small alley. After ensuring no one was around, he said solemnly, "The Asakura Gambling Den is a trap. The Secret Intelligence Bureau didn't catch anyone at all. Golden Pig announced that the target was caught only because he wanted to lure you all there."

The Jing Dynasty Spy was skeptical. "But the intelligence we received..."

"An undercover agent from the Bureau, right? Golden Pig discovered his identity long ago; that intel was leaked to you on purpose!"

The spy still found it hard to believe. He gripped the hilt of his blade and approached Chen Ji step by step. "My Lord, is there anything else that can prove your identity?"

After a moment of thought, Chen Ji said, "Baolu Pavilion. Is that enough? Last night, you received a shipment at the 'Golden Workshop' in Red Clothing Alley, didn't you? The password is 'Luotian'!"

The spy did not know of the existence of Baolu Pavilion, so he didn't understand the first half of the sentence.

However, he had been a participant in the shipment reception operation last night.

The spy knew well that given Chen Ji's level of knowledge regarding this operation, if Chen Ji were actually from the Ning Dynasty's Secret Intelligence Bureau, they would have been surrounded and annihilated last night.

Therefore, Chen Ji could not be from the Bureau; he could only be an undercover agent from their own Jing Dynasty Intelligence Department.

The spy looked at Chen Ji with newfound respect. "Brother, you've worked hard. Undercover work is not easy. I accidentally wounded you just now."

Chen Ji pressed a hand up to signal him to stop. "We are both serving the Jing Dynasty. You didn't know my identity just now; I don't blame you."

The spy asked, "What do we do now?"

Chen Ji replied, "I already know where the defector is. Follow me to capture him."

However, the spy hesitated for a moment before saying with certainty, "No. The Director is still besieging the gambling den. I must go tell them it's a trap first. This is what we'll do: you tell me where the defecting spy is, and after I report to the Director, I will immediately lead men to rendezvous with you... Wait!"

In the next second, Chen Ji suddenly lunged at the spy. In his terror, the spy tried to raise his blade to resist, but Chen Ji struck his hand with a thunderous punch.

With a *clang*, the blade fell onto the stone pavement.

"You?!" The spy's pupils contracted. The two fell into a fierce struggle, their fists colliding repeatedly.

But at this moment, Chen Ji was nothing like the weak man at the gambling den. His movements were incredibly fast, far beyond what the spy could parry.

Even when they threw punches simultaneously, Chen Ji's fist would land on the spy's face before the spy's own punch had even reached halfway.

Only then did the spy realize that back at the Asakura Gambling Den, the man had been acting!

In a flash, Chen Ji ducked low, slamming his shoulder and elbow into the spy's chest.

The spy felt as if he had been struck by a charging warhorse; he stumbled backward and slammed against the wall of the alley!

The Jing Dynasty Spy was already heavily injured from his fall from the second floor; with this additional blow, he could barely catch his breath and could only slowly sink to his knees.

As Chen Ji approached bit by bit, the spy mustered his last ounce of strength, pulling a dagger from his boot to stab at him.

Instead, Chen Ji kicked the dagger away, pulled the scabbard from the spy's waist, moved behind him, and wrapped the scabbard tightly around the man's neck.

The two fell backward together, lying on the bluestone road, looking up at the raindrops falling from the heavens into the narrow alley.

It felt as if they were lying in a courtyard well, their vision limited to this small fragment of the world.

Chen Ji applied force with both hands, the scabbard crushing the spy's Adam's apple and blocking his airway.

The spy fell completely silent. Even in death, he could not understand why a Ning Dynasty agent would know so much about their Intelligence Department.

A moment later, Chen Ji rose weakly and hid the spy among a pile of debris in the alley.

He stood in the rain for a moment before finally picking up the spy's blade and walking out of the alley.

His time tonight was very tight.

...

...

The Anxi Street was lined with shops; there were always people moving out due to poor business and new merchants moving in.

A fabric shop had closed down half a month ago, and the storefront had yet to be leased out.

At this moment, Chen Ji slowly climbed onto the roof adjacent to the fabric shop. He crouched low, walking cautiously along the ridge, looking down at the fabric shop's backyard.

This entire night of twists and turns had been for the sake of self-preservation—to ensure his identity was not compromised.

And now, the target was right before his eyes.

Chen Ji whispered to the dark cloud beside him, "Are you sure it's here?"

Wuyun nodded and let out a "meow." "The tabby cat I asked was originally staying here with its subordinates, but they were disturbed by that person and had to run to the streets to seek shelter from the rain."

Chen Ji's expression turned strange. "How did you convince the tabby to show you the way? Didn't you say it had a bad temper?"

Wuyun lifted its head and began gesturing with its paws. "I gave it some heavy hits! However, I promised it that next time they fight with the cats from Andong Street, I'll step in to help."

Chen Ji: "..."

Were even cats' social circles this complicated?

Wuyun looked at Chen Ji with concern. "Your face looks terrible. Is the wound alright?"

"It's not," Chen Ji said honestly. "But there is something more important than the wound right now. Let's go. Let's end this."

He gripped the eaves and dropped lightly into the fabric shop's backyard, crouching on the ground like a cat to quietly observe the surroundings.

The main room's doors were wide open, and a bloody handprint remained on the open door.

Chen Ji pointed toward the window for Wuyun, and the man and cat approached the main room from two different directions.

Raindrops hit the gray tiled roof with a rhythmic *patter-patter*. If there hadn't been a struggle, it would have been perfect weather for curling up under a blanket for a nap.

Chen Ji approached the door of the main room, holding his long blade downward... there was no ambush inside.

In the dimness, he saw a disheveled figure lying flat on the ground, breathing weakly. The floor was covered in blood, and the person lying there had at least a dozen wounds on their body.

As Chen Ji approached, the person on the ground suddenly rolled over, pulling a dagger from their hand and slashing toward Chen Ji's neck like a venomous snake's tongue!

Chen Ji raised his long blade to parry the dagger, but the opponent was like a persistent maggot, striking with ruthless, unrelenting ferocity!

This person was clearly not an official, yet their killing intent far exceeded any spy or agent Chen Ji had ever encountered!

Chen Ji could only retreat step by step, waiting for Wuyun to launch a sneak attack from behind.

At this point, one was pursuing and the other was retreating, until they reached the doorway of the main room.

But when the defecting spy caught sight of Chen Ji's face beneath the bamboo hat by the light from outside, he let out a startled cry and instantly withdrew the dagger.

In Chen Ji's astonishment, the man slumped onto the ground, looking as weak as a dying candle. "Chen Ji... your uncle failed in the political struggle in the Jing Dynasty, and people are secretly purging all his followers! The Director is Lu Guanwu's man; they have already started moving. You must be careful too!"

Having said this, the man seemed to have exhausted all his strength and lay back down.

Chen Ji: "..."

He had imagined a fight upon entering the room, and he had even imagined the target might be dead from heavy injuries.

He had come here to silence a witness, but he never expected the story to unfold in a way that completely overturned his expectations.

No wonder this man didn't flee outside the city or toward crowded, chaotic places, but instead came to Anxi Street as if seeking death—it was all to deliver this warning...

But was what the man said the truth, or a lie fabricated for survival? Chen Ji could not be certain.

He looked closer and saw the wounded man was about twenty-seven years old, pale with weak breathing, dressed simply like an ordinary sedan chair bearer or laborer.

A wave of dizziness hit Chen Ji due to blood loss. He leaned against the doorframe, propping himself up with his blade, and asked calmly, "Why did you make yourself look like this? Why did the Director send people to hunt you down?"

The wounded man let out a tragic laugh while lying on his back. "I was trained by your uncle to be sent to the Ning Dynasty. Of course, the Director wanted to kill me immediately. Unfortunately, those small fry were simply too easy to kill."

As he spoke, he struggled to lift his hand and spread his fingers. "I killed five. All five of them tried to kill me and failed. Impressive, isn't it?"

Chen Ji remained unmoved. "Why should I believe you?"

The wounded man fell silent for a moment, then laughed through his gasps. "Correct. All these years of training you, I always taught you never to believe anyone's words. You finally listened."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Was this man actually his instructor after he joined the Intelligence Department?

Based on the current clues, it seemed this person was someone his uncle had specifically sent to the Ning Dynasty to guide him into the Intelligence Department.

But Chen Ji was no longer the Chen Ji of the past; he couldn't even call out the man's name, nor could he believe what he was saying.

He had never even met his uncle.

Furthermore, there were many logical inconsistencies in what the man said: if the Director truly wanted to kill him, why hadn't they done so tonight at the Taiping Medical Clinic?

Wait, if his previous judgment was correct—that more than one person played the role behind the Director's mask—could it be that some wanted to kill him while others did not?

Uncertainty. There was too much uncertainty. Chen Ji felt as if his brain were being churned into muddy water.

Chen Ji asked, "You are on the verge of death. Why risk your remaining strength to bring me this news?"

The wounded man clearly froze. He slowly looked at Chen Ji and said in disbelief, "We have been partners for years, brothers in arms. Do I even need to ask? What kind of person do you take Wu Hongbiao to be?!"

Chen Ji: "..."

There was no way to respond to that.

He didn't even know what kind of friendship he had once shared with this Wu Hongbiao.

At this moment, Wu Hongbiao spoke slowly, "I might not be able to return to the Jing Dynasty. Can I ask one thing of you?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "Speak."

"That younger sister I mentioned to you is still in the Jing Dynasty. If you ever have the chance to return there, please, by all means, ask your uncle to save her. Though he has fallen from power, he can still handle a small matter like this. Can you?!"

Chen Ji fell silent. He could not agree.

Seeing his silence, Wu Hongbiao immediately became agitated, which aggravated his wounds, making even breathing a struggle.

After a long pause, he waited for Chen Ji with angry eyes. "Chen Ji, how have you changed?! I used to joke about playing matchmaker for you two once we returned to the Jing Dynasty. Chen Ji, I beg you. After my defection, the Intelligence Department will not let her go. If your uncle doesn't save her, her life is over."

Chen Ji still did not answer. He picked up his blade and walked slowly to Wu Hongbiao's side, pressing the edge against the man's carotid artery.

Wu Hongbiao's eyes widened, looking at him in disbelief.

In the dim room, all of Chen Ji's expressions were hidden beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat.

Outside, the rain suddenly stopped, and the world fell silent.

It was as if even fate were waiting for him to make a choice: whether or not to kill a man who *might* have risked his life to warn him, but *might* also lead to his exposure.

Ultimately, Chen Ji sheathed his blade and slowly walked out of the room.

Standing in the courtyard, he let out a long sigh and whispered, "Wuyun, keep an eye on him for me."

(End of Chapter)