Chapter 109

On the bluestone slab road, a layer of white moonlight was scattered, like a gentle veil.

The tense atmosphere, with swords drawn and bows bent, was also brushed away by the clear wind.

Chen Ji sheathed his short knife and looked at the White Carp County Lord in front of him. He asked softly: "How long have you all been secretly plotting to help me?"

White Carp scratched his waist pouch a little awkwardly: "A day and a half."

Chen Ji said puzzled: "How did I not discover you all discussing these matters?"

White Carp explained: "You always come back during the day, looking exhausted, and then you drill into your bedroom to sleep. We all take advantage of your sleeping time to discuss quietly in the courtyard."

"Aren't you all afraid I'd go gambling?"

"Not afraid, you are definitely not the gambler they say you are."

"Thank you."

Chen Ji could imagine this group of people sitting around an eight immortals table, whispering privately.

Childish and sincere.

Chen Ji glanced at Liang Dog: "Speaking of which, how much money did you all pool for Dog Brother to go out and help? The kiln factory's dividend hasn't been received yet, doesn't everyone have no money?"

Shi Zi laughed happily: "Ten taels of silver. White Carp and I really don't have much money. This ten taels of silver was still taken out by Liu Qu Xing. Didn't you see, when Liu Qu Xing tore out that silver ingot from the interlayer of his clothes, his face was all twisted."

Chen Ji was speechless for a moment. He was silent for a long time before saying with difficulty: "Liu Qu Xing?"

Shi Zi laughed heartily: "It was agreed that each person would contribute two taels of silver. This counts as him helping to cover it first. When the kiln factory dividend is distributed, we will return the silver to him."

White Carp asked: "Chen Ji, what difficulty have you encountered exactly..."

She stepped forward, but Chen Ji retreated one step: "County Lord, I cannot say. Perhaps one day I will tell you all everything, but definitely not now. I'll leave first, there's a very important matter tonight."

"But, Dog Brother can help you."

"No need."

After speaking, Chen Ji was seen retreating step by step, finally turning around and striding away, disappearing at the end of the long street.

Liang Dog held the long knife in his arms, leaning against the wall. He looked at Chen Ji's back, not knowing what he was thinking.

At this time, White Carp mustered up the courage to continue following, but was blocked back by Liang Dog pressing the knife sheath against her collarbone: "County Lord, don't follow. It's best if you don't get involved in his matters."

White Carp looked at Liang Dog in surprise: "Why?"

Liang Dog smiled: "If an ordinary person encountered difficulty, why would he refuse my help? Unless the difficulty he encountered comes from the eunuch faction. Chen Ji is either a person from the eunuch faction, or a person who is an enemy of the eunuch faction. He knows very well that I don't help these two kinds of people."

"But..."

Liang Dog suddenly said: "Perhaps Shi Zi and County Lord both still don't know what kind of person is hidden by your side."

Shi Zi was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Liang Dog held the long knife in his arms and glanced at the two of them: "This kid has definitely killed people, and he may have killed more than one person. A person's eyes are completely different if they have killed people... Do the two of you know about this?"

Shi Zi and White Carp exchanged glances.

Shi Zi clearly remembered how the mysterious person in Red Clothes Alley that night had chopped off the secret agent's long knife with one strike, and had seen the other side swing it three times continuously.

So when Chen Ji split the knife in White Carp's hand, Shi Zi already knew Chen Ji's identity.

Chen Ji had of course killed people, and even killed them in front of him.

Shi Zi hesitated for a moment, recalling White Carp's unusual behavior recently, and asked in a low voice: "White Carp, didn't you discover it earlier?"

White Carp hummed a sound.

Shi Zi sighed: "No wonder... Dog Brother, we know Chen Ji has killed people. Although we are not yet certain of his identity, this does not affect us becoming friends with him."

Liang Dog sighed: "His identity is probably even more complex than the two of you can imagine."

"How so?"

Liang Dog explained: "White Carp and Shi Zi don't understand martial arts, so you have no concept of this kid's knife skills. But have you ever seen knife skills that can casually break a person's weapon without using brute force, but only technique? That is a single strike that is enough to amaze many knife users for a lifetime. It has nothing to do with strength level, only technique. Ordinary people can't even learn it if they want to."

"The key is, who taught him this knife skill?"

Liang Dog looked towards the end of the long street: "Fang Yu Wei? Or Li Zhe Chong? No, it's impossible for those two..."

"Dog Brother, can you do it or not?"

"Of course I can!"

Chen Ji followed the signboards one by one until he saw the Chai Ji Grain and Oil Shop. Only then did he turn into the dark small alley next to it.

The moment he turned in, he saw several dozen pairs of green, oily eyes in the darkness looking over.

Chen Ji's scalp tingled. He couldn't distinguish if those eyes in the darkness were Wu Yun's. He asked softly: "Wu Yun?"

No cat responded, only continuing to stare at him eerily, without moving.

Among them, one pair of eyes blinked fiercely at him several times.

After a moment of silence, Chen Ji probed again: "Nine Heavens Responding Yuan Thunder Sound Universalize Heaven Venerable?"

The next second, a pair of green, oily eyes emerged from the crowd, walking out of the darkness into the moonlight, and meowed arrogantly and indifferently: "What do you want to find me for?"

Chen Ji coughed lightly: "Well, I have something I want to report to you alone."

Wu Yun turned his head and meowed at the several dozen pairs of eyes in the darkness. Only then did those eyes slowly disappear into the darkness.

Wu Yun waited for a moment, only then jumping into Chen Ji's arms and saying happily: "What was that name just now? It sounds very majestic!"

Chen Ji laughed and said: "That is the Dao title of the highest heaven god of the Thunder Department, in charge of life and death, prosperity and decline, good and evil rewards and punishments, controlling clouds and rain, cutting down demons and subduing monsters, and commanding thunder."

Wu Yun was solemn and respectful: "Fierce, fierce! When other cats are present in the future, can you just call me by this name?"

Chen Ji was silent.

Wu Yun hurriedly said: "When we go home, I can pound your legs for you!"

Chen Ji was still silent.

"Step on your back!"

"Deal, but you don't need to pound my legs or step on my back," Chen Ji laughed and touched Wu Yun's head, asking: "Why haven't you returned to the medical hall these past few days?"

Wu Yun thought for a while and said: "Master said that my body has already cultivated the Qi mechanism of Liang family's knife skills. If I stay in the medical hall, I will be perceived by Liang Dog."

Chen Ji: "Ah?"

Really learned it?!

Chen Ji asked curiously: "As long as they cultivate the same lineage, they will perceive each other when they meet?"

Wu Yun replied: "Master said that people who cultivate the same lineage will definitely have their hearts palpitate the first time they meet, like encountering a natural enemy."

He suddenly recalled that the first time he saw the old man Yao after dissolving the ice flow with ginseng, his heart had palpitated, as if he was being stared at by a fierce tiger.

Originally, Master had already known he had stepped into cultivation at that moment. He had still thought that everyone else didn't know.

So, in the future, if he encountered Lu Yang of the Jing Chao Martial Temple, the other side would know he was also cultivating the sword seed lineage the first time they met, and then chop him with one sword?

"Let's talk about proper matters," Chen Ji looked at Wu Yun and said: "You must do me a favor."

"What favor?"

"Borrow a knife and kill several people."

As appointed with Liu Ming Xian, Chen Ji returned to Zhou Fu at night as promised.

There were no clouds tonight, under the thick black night. He stood in front of the red lacquer gate, put on the tiger mask, picked up the beast head ring on the door, and knocked.

The large door opened. Only then did he see that in the courtyard of Zhou Fu, there were densely packed secret agents in black clothes sitting cross-legged on the ground, wiping their waist knives.

When Chen Ji stepped in, one by one, the secret agents wiped their long knives while coldly and silently watching him, their gazes slowly turning with his steps.

Jin Zhu welcomed him from the study, smiling and squinting: "You are quite punctual indeed."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "My lord, isn't tonight supposed to be a meeting between Lord Si and Liu Ming Xian in disguise? Why are there so many secret agents, and still with a murderous look?"

Jin Zhu laughed and explained: "Originally, I also planned to follow your plan, let Xi Feng pretend to be Lord Si, and slowly extract some information from Liu Ming Xian. But I changed my mind later. Although the Jing Chao thieves have no contact with the Liu family now, it doesn't mean they will never contact them. As long as they contact, we may be exposed."

Jin Zhu continued: "To avoid complications due to delay, as long as Liu Ming Xian comes to the appointment tonight, it will already confirm his suspicion of colluding with Jing Chao. Even if I catch him, the Liu family cannot say anything. At that time, I only need to bring Liu Ming Xian to the inner prison. With Meng Ji there, he won't dare not confess."

Chen Ji was startled: "Meng Ji? Did my lord bring Meng Ji from Kai Feng Fu?"

Jin Zhu asked casually: "What, is there anything improper?"

Chen Ji laughed: "No, I mean as long as Lord Meng Ji is here, Liu Ming Xian naturally has no way to quibble."

Jin Zhu said meaningfully: "Yes, when Meng Ji makes a move, there is absolutely no mistake."

Chen Ji asked: "My lord, since you have already changed the plan, is there no need for me then? You also know that I am a medical hall apprentice with no power to tie a chicken, and am not suitable for participating in the capture action."

However, as soon as the words fell, two secret agents stood up from the ground and slowly walked to Chen Ji's side, vaguely controlling him.

Chen Ji's face suddenly tensed. He abruptly turned his head to look at Jin Zhu: "My lord, what does this mean?"

The next moment, the secret agents sitting cross-legged on the ground all silently stood up. They held long knives in their hands, watching like eagles and guarding like wolves.

It seemed that in the small courtyard tonight, everyone was a hunter, only Chen Ji was the prey.

Jin Zhu patted Chen Ji's shoulder and said: "Brother, you still have to cooperate with us and continue to act. After all, we need to lure out Liu Ming Xian first. Don't think too much either. I know you have no power to tie a chicken, so these two colleagues by your side are specially sent to protect you."

Chen Ji asked: "My lord, are you sure they are here to protect me?"

Jin Zhu laughed: "Otherwise what?"

After speaking, he looked at the secret agents in the courtyard and said coldly: "Liu Ming Xian must be captured tonight. As long as you are brave when catching the thief, everyone will not miss out on the reward. Set out!"

The heavy vermilion lacquer gate of Zhou Fu was opened again, and the secret agents filed out.

The two secret agents sheathed their long knives and said in an icy voice: "Let's go, my lord, don't make things difficult for us."

Chen Ji's face was hidden under that tiger mask, silent for a long time: "Okay."