Chapter 21: The Official

Liu Shiyu's mansion's vermilion lacquer grand gate was slowly pulled open from the inside.

Inside the gate, Yun Yang walked out first with a bit more arrogance: "The evidence is here. I will express send these evidences eight hundred li to the capital, to be decided by the Emperor!"

Liu Mingxian sat on his warhorse, his expression under his filial cap reflected by the firelight, alternating between bright and dark.

He looked at the stack of evidences in Yun Yang's hand, the veins on his forehead jumping. He did not expect Yun Yang and Jiao Tu to actually find evidence. At this time, if he still wanted to avenge his old master, there was no longer a valid reason.

However, he suddenly felt something was wrong... He raised his head to look behind Yun Yang and saw a masked person lowering their head.

Who was this?

Why were they masked?

Just as Liu Mingxian wanted to look more carefully, he suddenly saw Yun Yang take a small step, completely blocking the masked person, and looking at him with a half-smile: "Official Liu, still not retreating?"

Liu Mingxian was silent, with no intention of retreating.

Both sides were swords drawn and bows bent, all waiting for him to speak. Whether to fight or retreat was all in his one thought.

Liu Mingxian calmly asked: "Liang Gouer where?"

The young man holding the reins beside the horse said in a panic: "Second Uncle, Liang Cat just came to deliver a message and said that Liang Gouer has already drawn his knife against the eunuch party. He is now sleeping in Hongyi Alley."

Liu Mingxian's face darkened. He sized up the Fish Dragon Guards of the Chief Criminal Division who had already drawn their knives, gritting his teeth and saying: "Let Liang Gouer bring that broken knife of his and roll out of the Liu family. The Liu family has no place for him!"

However, he still did not plan to stop. Instead, he again drove his horse, leading several hundred Liu family members to press forward.

At this time, Lin Chaoqing spoke: "Official Liu, do not wrong the entire Liu family. You'd better wait for Elder Cabinet Liu to return to Luocheng and ask him, then decide what to do."

Liu Mingxian stared directly at Lin Chaoqing. Finally, he cupped his hands in the air: "I, Liu, will wait for disposal at home, return to the mansion! Arrange the funeral matters for the old master!"

As he left, he couldn't help but turn his head to look again and saw Lin Chaoqing saying something in a low voice to the masked person.

"Investigate that masked person!" Liu Mingxian's tone was ferocious: "Yun Yang and Jiao Tu, these two living Yama Kings, are fierce in killing people, but I have never heard that they also have the ability to search for crimes and investigate evidence. It must be that masked person who played a role in it. He must be investigated!"

"Understood, Second Uncle."

At a certain moment, Liu Mingxian even had a premonition: If not for this masked person tonight, perhaps everything would have been different.

After the Liu family members left, Lin Chaoqing also flipped onto his horse. He straightened his raincoat and leaned over to look at Chen Ji: "Young man, my promise is effective within two months. Perhaps you don't need two months, and you will understand what kind of people are inside the Secret Spy Division."

Yun Yang's face darkened: "Who are you being sarcastic about? What else can you, Chief Criminal Division, do besides attacking and criticizing colleagues?"

Lin Chaoqing silently led the Chief Criminal Division towards the east. That dark raincoat was like black wings folded behind him, travel-worn as he came, travel-worn as he went.

When galloping away, a Fish Dragon Guard under his bamboo hat smiled at Chen Ji. They respected capable people.

But Chen Ji was destined not to work for the Chief Criminal Division, because he did not need an official position, nor did he ever think of serving the imperial power.

He now wanted cultivation more, and cultivation needed money, which the Chief Criminal Division could not provide.

The sound of horse hooves faded away. Yun Yang looked at Chen Ji: "Once you join the Chief Criminal Division, then all officials in the entire court are your enemies. You can only be a lone minister for a lifetime. Since ancient times, how many lone ministers have had a good end?"

Chen Ji responded calmly: "Thank you, Official Yun Yang, for the reminder."

Yun Yang asked: "Do you think other Liu family members will be involved?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Don't know."

Yun Yang asked again: "Does the Jing Dynasty still have other means of transmitting intelligence?"

Chen Ji shook his head again: "Don't know."

"Will you, like last time in the Zhou mansion, still have a hidden hand?"

Chen Ji said firmly: "No."

Yun Yang laughed in anger. This boy in front of him was far from as honest as he looked, but he was helpless.

He smiled and narrowed his eyes at Chen Ji: "Tomorrow night, someone will send fifty taels of silver to Taiping Medical Hall. Go."

"Wait a minute! Can you advance eight wen of money first?" Chen Ji asked.

Yun Yang had a strange expression. He counted out eight copper coins from his sleeve: "Are you crazy from poverty? You're even asking for eight wen? Here, this is for you."

Chen Ji smiled sincerely: "Thanks, then I'll take my leave."

Jiao Tu suddenly felt that Chen Ji's smile was most sincere only at this moment.

Yun Yang said: "Wait, don't go yet."

Before Chen Ji could react, he saw a dagger fall from his sleeve and brush past Chen Ji's ear. A lock of hair fell into his hand: "Now you can go."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, and finally left without saying anything.

After Chen Ji had walked far away, Jiao Tu couldn't help but ask: "Why not include him in the Secret Spy Division and transfer him under us? We can easily make him work, where do we need to pay him fifty taels of silver as a reward... Fifty taels of silver can buy so many good-looking clothes, I can't finish wearing them in several years!"

"No," Yun Yang denied: "This boy's ability... ruthless to others, even more ruthless to himself, and smart. This is what the Inner Minister likes most. If we really let him enter the Secret Spy Division, who knows when he will ride on our heads."

"But there's no position in the Twelve Zodiacs," Jiao Tu said.

Yun Yang said in a low voice: "I heard the Sick Tiger is about to retire... I'm really confused as to why I feel he can replace the Sick Tiger's position."

Jiao Tu suddenly said: "We must confirm whether he is a spy of the Jing Dynasty before we can use him with confidence."

Yun Yang said calmly: "I have already thought of this step. Last night, I sent a flying pigeon letter to Meng Ji in Kaifeng Prefecture. He will arrive in Luocheng soon. Having him conduct the interrogation can ensure absolute safety."

"What price did you pay to invite Meng Ji?"

"A very big price... Go, it's not early."

In an instant, the originally lively gate front was left with only leaves fluttering in the autumn wind.

Just as if it were the destined fate of all people, after the noise and feast, only desolation and emptiness remained.

...

...

Chen Ji walked in a dark small alley. As he walked, a black furry small cat appeared on the wall, holding a book and a ginseng in its mouth.

The youth walked on the ground, and it slowly followed on the wall. Under the moonlight, the shadows of one person and one cat were one in front and one behind, as if they had some tacit understanding, some rhythm.

Dark Clouds loosened its mouth, and the book and ginseng fell from the air.

Chen Ji raised his hand silently and caught the book and ginseng in the air. The ice flow that came out along the way turned a small half of the ginseng into four transparent beads.

He stuffed the book and the remaining ginseng into his embrace, then threw the beads one by one onto the wall eaves. Dark Clouds walked while accurately catching the beads in its mouth.

The two, one person and one cat, were as smooth as if they had rehearsed a set of actions. A warm flow was transmitted from Dark Clouds to Chen Ji's body, suddenly lighting up the fire in the fourth lamp furnace beside his dantian!

In an instant, the four lamps furnace fires released flames that were both hidden and present, linking the four lamps furnace fires like chains, like a complete cage, completely sealing the entire dantian.

These four lamps furnace fires seemed to have some natural bond. The moment they linked up, they actually produced a huge warm flow that rushed through his flesh and bones, sweeping away his fatigue from the night.

Chen Ji raised his head and silently pointed a direction to Dark Clouds.

He saw one person and one cat suddenly separate at a T-junction, one forward, one to the left.

The next moment, Chen Ji ran madly!

Immediately after, dozens of steps behind him, urgent footsteps were transmitted through the thin fog. There was indeed a vague figure quickly attacking.

Chen Ji detoured in the darkness, trying to shake off his opponent in the intricate streets.

But the tracker could always find the correct one at the fork. He seemed to be able to hear the opponent's panting sound behind him.

No, he couldn't shake him off.

The opponent's footsteps were getting closer and closer. Chen Ji judged that the opponent's speed was above his, at least at the Secret Spy level.

He knew someone would track him, even kill him, so the ginseng he had originally planned to keep to supplement the medical hall's loss was also used by him without hesitation to convert into ice flow.

People must live first, then everything has meaning.

After coming to this world, Chen Ji seemed to have encountered a hell mode start. Even if he hid in the medical hall and did not go out, danger would still find him one by one.

But if life was destined to be like this, then he chose not to evade.

The footsteps behind him were already very close, Chen Ji's eyes were only calm.

When the footsteps were getting closer and closer, and there were only three body lengths between the two people, he suddenly turned around and rushed towards the comer.

The narrow alley could usually only accommodate two people walking at the same time, with high residential walls on both sides and an uneven stone small road on the ground.

The comer did not expect the prey to dare to turn back and fight. He subconsciously went to draw his waist saber, but before he could draw it out, his wrist was pressed by Chen Ji.

The killer's strength was originally much greater than Chen Ji's, but the inertia of the collision between the two sides allowed Chen Ji to press his hand with greater force.

Clang sound, the saber had not yet been drawn out and was pressed back hard again!

Under the dim moonlight, the middle-aged killer's pupils suddenly contracted. He couldn't help but look at Chen Ji and found that Chen Ji was also staring at him.

This was not the eyes a prey should have.

He saw the middle-aged killer retreat backward, lifting his leg and kicking Chen Ji in the chest, sending the youth rolling backward.

He drew his saber again, but this time the saber was only drawn halfway. After Chen Ji rolled a somersault, he actually crouched and rushed forward without the slightest pause.

Clang sound, the saber was pressed back again.

Two consecutive times, the killer hadn't even drawn his saber!

The killer laughed coldly in his heart. He simply abandoned his saber and didn't use it, hitting Chen Ji's chest with consecutive punches.

In his eyes, the youth in front of him had his middle door wide open, full of flaws, with no killing experience at all.

The killer looked at Chen Ji again and found that there was no fear or pain in the opponent's eyes, but rather excitement, as if there was fire at the bottom of his eyes.

Chen Ji confirmed at this time that cultivators in this world must be a minority. They hid behind this world and did not easily appear.

Otherwise, no matter who wanted to kill him tonight, they should not have only sent this "ordinary person" in front of him.

Compared to Lin Chaoqing and Yun Yang, this middle-aged killer was indeed only an ordinary person!

In an instant, Chen Ji endured the punches, actually counter-attacked and pounced, crashing into the killer's embrace and tightly clamping the opponent's arms under his armpits.

Just now!

A mass of black shadow attacked from the wall eaves. The killer was shocked and turned his head. He thought there was someone ambushing behind him, but he only saw a small black cat.

Before he could relax, the black cat's figure had already brushed past him.

When the two intertwined, Dark Clouds' sharp claws cut across the killer's neck.

Sss.

A splash of fresh blood sprayed on the wall.

Chen Ji released the killer and sat on the ground gasping for breath, coldly watching the killer cover his neck in disbelief and slowly lean against the wall and fall.

The middle-aged killer saw the black cat lightly leap into the youth's embrace, and he asked unwillingly: "Xingguan?"

Chen Ji frowned, Xingguan? Is this a general term for cultivators in this world?