Chapter 53: Giving Credit

In the pouring rain of the dark night, more than ten spies traveled in silence, letting the curtain of rain soak their straw raincoats and bamboo hats.

Turning the corner at Anxi Street, several secret agents led out more than ten warhorses. The group mounted their steeds and galloped toward the East Market.

The sound of hooves striking the puddles went *tap-tap-tap*, like ripples blooming across the ground.

Having narrowly escaped death, Chen Ji’s heart still raced uncontrollably. He could only pull the reins tight to adapt to the rhythm of the galloping horses, struggling to avoid being thrown from his mount.

The pain in his neck almost made him believe that the *Sicao* (Division Chief) was still choking him.

However, many doubts lingered in Chen Ji's mind...

Golden Pig, riding on horseback, turned to look at him: "You seem a bit different from usual today, preoccupied with heavy thoughts. What is it? Did something happen at the Taiping Medical Clinic?"

Chen Ji's heart sank. This Golden Pig was an expert at reading people; he would not miss even the slightest clue.

He summoned all his focus to respond: "Reporting to Lord Golden Pig, I was lectured by my master later today. He told me not to run around so often and to focus on my studies."

Golden Pig knew Chen Ji was implying *'don't come looking for me if nothing is wrong,'* but he feigned ignorance and smiled: "Ah, Imperial Physician Yao. I used to see him often in the capital years ago. When he was here, he cured the Grand Chancellor's leg ailment; everyone in the Secret Intelligence Division treats him with great respect. It is no matter. You can frankly tell the Old Lord about your identity as a spy; he will understand."

Seeing that Chen Ji remained silent, he continued to comfort him in a slow voice: "Are you worried that capturing the Jing Dynasty spies is too perilous? Rest assured, our Secret Intelligence Division is filled with elite soldiers and strong generals. White Dragon and Black Snake have driven the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Chief into hiding in the capital, while Corpse Dog and Treasure Monkey have them gasping for breath in Jinling. This empire still belongs to our Ning Dynasty; we will not allow them to run rampant."

Hearing this, Chen Ji suddenly fell into deep thought.

The Ning Dynasty's Secret Intelligence Division was guarded by the Twelve Zodiacs. Did the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Division truly rely on only one *Sicao* to hold the line?

One had to know that in the structure of the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Division, the rank above *Sicao* was the Division Master. With only these two people supporting such a massive intelligence division, it seemed incredibly thin and vulnerable.

Yet, this very fact fueled Chen Ji's suspicion: the *Sicao* he saw today seemed different from the one he saw last time.

At the Hundred Deer Pavilion, that *Sicao* had deliberately avoided the eyes of his victims when killing. But tonight, the man stared fixedly into his eyes, as if he enjoyed watching the light fade from a dying person's gaze.

At the Hundred Deer Pavilion, that *Sicao* preferred using a blade; even against a minor character like himself, he would surely draw a short knife. But tonight, this *Sicao* had not drawn a weapon.

At the Hundred Deer Pavilion, that *Sicao* had mentioned his uncle several times, yet tonight, he had not said a single word about it.

The more Chen Ji thought, the stranger it felt. Was it the same person beneath that mask? If it truly were the same person, the daily affairs at the Hundred Deer Pavilion would be busy enough—how would this *Sicao* have the energy to manage the entire intelligence network of the Military Intelligence Division?

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Lord Golden Pig, is that Military Intelligence Division Master hiding somewhere in our Ning Dynasty's capital?"

Golden Pig nodded. "Mhm, at least that is the intelligence we have received. But the spies we have captured are all too low-ranking; so far, no one has seen his true face."

Chen Ji asked again, "Then in Jinling, which members of the Military Intelligence Division are undercover?"

"Naturally, the *Sicao* of the Military Intelligence Division. However, we do not know who has come to Luocheng this time."

Chen Ji fell into thought.

...

...

Golden Pig looked at Chen Ji and asked with a smile, "Why are you asking about their *Sicao* and Division Master? Do you want to catch them? That's ambition! If you truly catch them, you might just be promoted to one of the Twelve Zodiacs. By then, you won't lack paths to cultivation, and the Grand Chancellor will ensure your meteoric rise."

"Oh? Paths to cultivation?" Chen Ji asked in confusion. "Does the Grand Chancellor possess many such paths?"

Golden Pig laughed heartily. "What kind of figure is the Grand Chancellor? When he swept through the martial world ten years ago, he gathered quite a lot of good things. Otherwise, why do you think Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit want to earn merits? It's because their cultivation techniques are stuck at the Innate Realm. To break through to the Path-Seeking Realm, they must achieve great feats."

Chen Ji thought to himself, *So that's how it is.* No wonder the Grand Chancellor could control so many officials.

He asked again, "Lord Golden Pig, since the Jing Dynasty spies have already been caught, they should know who the target is and what they look like. Why do they still need to find me?"

Golden Pig gave a sly grin. "I have my own arrangements."

Chen Ji frowned; he did not understand Golden Pig's intention.

Golden Pig was clearly different from Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit. Though he always wore a smile, he was like a bottomless pit—impossible to see through or predict.

The group passed through the rain and finally arrived at Red Clothing Alley.

Red Clothing Alley was the liveliest place in Luocheng at night, lined with brothels, gambling dens, and eateries. If any establishment wanted to make a name for itself in Luocheng, it had to be located here.

At this moment, amidst the brightly lit, staggered buildings, the rain washed over the rooftops and cascaded from the eaves like curtains of water.

Countless women in bright clothing waved and teased the passing customers below; even the heavy rain could not dampen the heat of Red Clothing Alley.

However, when the more than ten riders of the Secret Intelligence Division arrived, all the women and customers, seeing the grim straw hats and raincoats, scurried into the buildings. Some even hurriedly blew out the candles in their rooms.

In just a few breaths, the arrival of the Secret Intelligence Division felt like a basin of ice water being poured down; the vast Red Clothing Alley fell into a deathly silence.

Golden Pig laughed and looked at Chen Ji. "See that? What is the Secret Intelligence Division? This is the Secret Intelligence Division!"

The group leaped from their horses at a gambling den named "Chōkurā" and walked straight inside.

They saw that the gambling den had been taken control by dozens of secret agents at some unknown point; the gamblers and the dealers were all forced to squat to one side. The so-called dealers were the equivalent of croupiers in this era, also known as recorders.

Golden Pig lowered his voice and asked, "Where is the defecting spy?"

A secret agent bowed with cupped hands. "My Lord, he is upstairs. He is willing to confess, but he insists on speaking to you personally. He says he has conditions to negotiate."

"Lead the way!"

Standing to the side, Chen Ji felt an inexplicable sense of dread: *The Secret Intelligence Division has already caught the defecting spy?!*

If he just followed them upstairs like this, wouldn't he be recognized immediately?

What should he do? Fight his way out?

With so many secret agents present, even with his status as a newly entered official, he might be able to handle one or two, but how could he fight his way out?

Golden Pig walked up the stairs and looked back at Chen Ji in confusion. "Eh? Why aren't you coming up? There is much to be done. Do not waste time."

Chen Ji said, "My Lord, I wish to check downstairs to see if there are other spies hiding among the gamblers."

Golden Pig waved his hand dismissively with a smile. "No need, no need. Come up quickly."

Helpless, Chen Ji could only pull his bamboo hat lower and force himself to walk upstairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, Golden Pig pushed open a side door. There, a person hung from the ceiling, hands bound with hemp rope, suspended from a ceiling beam. Four secret agents stood guard around him, hands resting on their waist-swords.

Chen Ji cautiously looked up, only to find with horror that the hanging man's face was already purple, blood was flowing from his seven orifices, and he was as dead as could be.

A dead man naturally could not identify anyone!

Chen Ji's palms were numb with tension, but he feigned composure and asked, "Lord Golden Pig, since a defecting spy is of utmost importance, why kill him?"

"This person was not the defecting spy, but the spy responsible for capturing him... what a mouthful! Haha, after we caught him, he bit poison and committed suicide," Golden Pig said with a laugh.

Chen Ji's heart leaped again—the defecting spy was not dead!

He saw Golden Pig circling the hanged spy, admiringly saying, "The Jing Dynasty spies are all death-seekers. They are ruthless to others, but even more ruthless to themselves. In all these years, it has been difficult for our Secret Intelligence Division to catch a single living one. Do you know why?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "I do not."

"On one hand, it is because they purge themselves quickly enough. As soon as they discover someone has been exposed, they immediately purge the entire intelligence line from top to bottom, sacrificing the pawns to save the king. Killing a few to save the whole is a wise move. As the saying goes, 'righteousness does not trade, and mercy does not command armies.' That Military Intelligence Division Master is a formidable character."

"On the other hand, they specifically choose spies with families to go undercover. Once a spy defects, they arrest the spy's entire family in the Jing Dynasty. The young? The men become slaves and the women become prostitutes. The old? They are executed directly."

Chen Ji's heart tightened; the struggle between the spies of the two dynasties was so brutal.

He asked, "I wonder what Lord Golden Pig plans to do next. Does my Lord require me to search for traces of the defecting spy?"

"No rush, no rush. We only know that the spy was injured. We could have followed the scent of blood, but unexpectedly, the heavy rain washed away the tracks, making him hard to find now. But it doesn't matter..." Golden Pig looked at a nearby agent. "Since we entered, has anyone gone to tip them off?"

The agent whispered, "It was the very spy you suspected, my Lord; he quietly headed toward the latrine."

"Let him go. We will wait right here for the Jing Dynasty spy to come and silence us!"

Chen Ji suddenly understood. Golden Pig had not caught the defecting spy tonight, nor did he intend to.

The man had blockaded the entire gambling den and suppressed the news, directly announcing to the world that he had caught the defecting spy, thereby baiting the Military Intelligence Division's *Sicao* to come and kill the witnesses!

Golden Pig was gambling on the fact that the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Division also hadn't caught the defecting spy and would be forced to come and silence the mouths of those who knew! *What incredible adaptability!*

This kind of person was far more difficult to deal with than Cloud Goat or Bright Rabbit!

Chen Ji remained silent for a moment. "Why is Lord Golden Pig telling me everything?"

Golden Pig smiled and took his hands. "You don't know, but I am different from Bright Rabbit and Cloud Goat. They like to snatch credit; I like to give it away!"

"Oh?" Chen Ji was puzzled.

Golden Pig patted the back of his hand. "Those two killers are solely focused on cultivation, wanting to exchange merits for higher cultivation paths. I have no such ambition, nor do I seek immortality. It was not easy to reach the position of the Twelve Zodiacs; to go any higher, I fear I would have to enter the palace eunuch-style to replace Lord Wu Xiu. I don't care about being in the top three or the bottom nine. The bottom nine is fine—if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up!"

Chen Ji was speechless; this Lord Golden Pig was truly a master of the Middle Way.

Golden Pig continued, "I like making friends. When the Grand Chancellor personally issued the decree to bring you into the Secret Intelligence Division, I knew you had caught his eye. The last time someone was specially admitted like this was Tianma..."

"Oh?"

Golden Pig smiled. "Do you know whose subordinate Tianma was when he first started as a spy? He was under mine. Back then, I helped him earn merits step by step, pushing him all the way to the position of Tianma. Now that he has achieved one of the top three, he naturally remembers my kindness. Don't worry, I am not afraid of your status being higher than mine in the future. The higher you sit, the better... just don't forget me."

"So, the reason you called me here tonight is..."

"If we catch a Jing Dynasty spy tonight, half the credit is yours, and half is mine."

...

(End of Chapter)