Chapter 56: Choice

In the rainy night, Chen Ji tore off the heavy raincoat on his body, wearing only a bamboo hat as he ran wildly.

He lowered his head to check and saw a wound about half the size of a little finger's nail in depth, extending from his collarbone across his chest.

The wound was still bleeding, and the mixture of blood and rain soaked his clothes.

Chen Ji could even feel as if, with the blood flowing out, his own life was also slowly draining away bit by bit.

"Really unlucky."

His original plan was just to take a light cut, using the self-injury trick to act and escape.

However, he was ultimately not someone who had practiced for years, and his control over his body was insufficient, leading to this cut being a bit deep.

At this moment, the wound's pain was piercingly sharp, and even the ice-cold rainwater could not reduce the stinging sensation by half.

But now was not the time to think about the wound.

Chen Ji, while tearing off his clothes to make a simple bandage, turned back to look for the Jing Chao spy.

The two, one in front and one behind, broke through layer after layer of rain, and the distance to Hong Yi Alley grew further and further.

After running a significant distance, the Jing Chao spy suddenly gasped for breath and said, "Master, master, don't run anymore. You must first tell me what's going on."

Chen Ji ran into a small alley, and after confirming there was no one inside the alley, he said solemnly, "Chao Cang Gambling House is a trap. The Secret Spy Division didn't catch anyone at all. Jin Zhu claimed to have caught the person because he wants to lure all of you there."

The Jing Chao spy was half-believing and half-doubting. "But we received intelligence..."

"The undercover secret spy, right? Jin Zhu has already discovered his identity. That was information he deliberately released to you."

The spy still couldn't believe it. He tightly gripped the knife handle in his hand and approached Chen Ji step by step. "Master, is there anything else that can prove your identity?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Bai Lu Pavilion, is that enough? Last night you received a batch of goods at Jin Fang in Hong Yi Alley, right? The code was Luo Tian."

The spy didn't know about the existence of Bai Lu Pavilion, so he didn't understand the first part of the sentence.

But he was one of the participants in the goods receiving operation last night.

The spy knew deeply that, given Chen Ji's understanding of this operation, if Chen Ji were a person from the Ning Chao Secret Spy Division, they would have certainly been surrounded and annihilated last night.

Therefore, it was impossible for Chen Ji to be a person from the Secret Spy Division; he could only be their undercover agent in the Jing Chao Military Intelligence Division.

The spy looked at Chen Ji, solemn and respectful. "Brother, you've worked hard. Undercover work is not easy. I even accidentally chopped you just now!"

Chen Ji pressed his hand. "It's all for serving Jing Chao. 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, then finally said firmly, "No, at this time Si Cao is still attacking the gambling house. I must first go and tell them that place is a trap. Like this, you tell me the defector's position, and after I report to Si Cao, I will immediately lead people to rendezvous with you and so on..."

The next second, Chen Ji suddenly pounced towards the spy. The spy was shocked and tried to raise his knife to resist, but Chen Ji landed a thunderous punch on the back of his hand.

With a clang, the knife fell onto the stone slab road.

"You?"

The spy's pupils contracted. The two fought, fists colliding, but at this time, Chen Ji was completely unlike the weak person in the gambling house. Every move was incredibly fast, and he fundamentally couldn't parry.

They clearly threw punches simultaneously, but his punch was only halfway there when Chen Ji's fist had already struck his face.

The spy then understood that the other person had truly been acting in Chao Cang Gambling House.

In a daze, Chen Ji had already crouched down, using his shoulder and elbow to embrace and collide with the spy.

The spy was knocked back step by step as if hit by a warhorse, falling against the small alley wall.

But the Jing Chao spy was already seriously injured from falling from the second floor, and now, after this heavy blow, he couldn't breathe properly and could only slowly kneel on the ground.

Chen Ji approached inch by inch. The spy mustered his last strength and pulled a dagger from his boot to stab.

Yet, Chen Ji kicked away the dagger, pulled the knife sheath from the spy's waist, went around to the back, and used the knife sheath horizontally to tightly strangle the other's neck.

They both fell backward, lying on the green stone slab road, looking up at the raindrops falling from the sky into the narrow small alley.

It was like lying at the bottom of a courtyard well, where the view was limited to only a small square of this world.

Chen Ji used both hands, and the knife sheath crushed the spy's throat and blocked his windpipe.

The spy completely stopped breathing.

To his dying breath, he couldn't understand why a Ning Chao secret spy would know so many things about their Military Intelligence Division.

After a moment, Chen Ji weakly got up and hid the spy in a pile of miscellaneous items in the small alley.

He stood in the rain for a moment, finally picked up the spy's knife, and walked out of the small alley.

His time tonight was very tight.

An Xi Street was lined with shops. Someone was always moving away due to poor business, and then new business people would move in.

The cloth shop that closed down half a month ago still hadn't sold its storefront.

At this moment, Chen Ji slowly climbed onto the roof of the cloth shop next door, crouching low as he carefully walked on the roof ridge, overlooking and observing the cloth shop's backyard.

This entire night had been spent exerting all his efforts for the sake of self-protection, to avoid his identity being exposed.

And now, the target was right in front of him.

Chen Ji softly asked Wu Yun beside him, "Confirmed it's here?"

Wu Yun nodded and meowed once. "I asked that Li Hua cat. It was originally bringing its little brothers here to settle down, but that person disturbed them, so they had to run to the street to avoid the rain."

Chen Ji's expression was strange. "You said you truly guided me through the Li Hua cat from your nightmare. Didn't you say its temper was bad?"

Wu Yun raised its head and waved its claws to gesture. "I beat it fiercely! However, I promised it that next time they fight with that group of cats on An Xi Street, I will help it out once!"

Chen Ji: "Cats' social relationships are this complex?"

Wu Yun looked worriedly at Chen Ji. "Your complexion is very bad. Is your wound okay?"

"It's not okay..." Chen Ji said frankly, "But now there are matters more important than the wound. Go, end this matter!"

Clinging to the eaves, he lightly dropped into the cloth shop backyard. Like a cat, he squatted on the ground, quietly observing the surrounding environment.

The main house door was wide open, and there was still a bloody handprint on the open door.

Chen Ji pointed to the window for Wu Yun, and one person and one cat approached the main house from two different directions.

Raindrops fell on the gray tile roof, making a pattering sound. If there were no killing, it would certainly be good weather for wrapping up in a blanket and sleeping well.

Chen Ji held the long knife upside down and came to the main house door...

There was no ambush inside the house.

He only saw in the dim light a wretched figure lying flat on the ground, breathing weakly.

The ground inside the house was covered in bloodstains, and on the lying person's body, there were at least ten or more wounds.

When Chen Ji approached, he saw the person on the ground flip over and get up. The other person's hand produced a dagger, and like a poisonous snake spitting its tongue, it slashed towards Chen Ji's neck.

Chen Ji raised his hand with the long knife to block the dagger, but the other person was like a maggot on a bone, their moves sinister and vicious, without end.

This person was clearly not an official, yet their killing intent far surpassed all the spies and secret spies Chen Ji had seen.

Chen Ji could only retreat step by step, waiting for Wu Yun to sneak attack from behind.

At this moment, one side was pursuing and killing, and the other was flying back, reaching the edge of the main house door.

But when the defector clearly saw Chen Ji's face under the bamboo hat using the light from outside, they actually exclaimed in surprise and instantly retracted the dagger.

To Chen Ji's astonishment, the other person sat down on the ground defenselessly, as if their oil had run out and their lamp was dry, and said weakly, "Chen Ji, your uncle failed in the Jing Chao political struggle. Now someone is secretly eliminating all his followers. Si Cao are Lu Guan Wu's people. They have already started. You must also be careful."

After saying this sentence, the other person seemed to have used up all their strength and lay down again.

Chen Ji had imagined there would be a fight after entering the house, and he had also imagined the other person might already be severely injured and dead.

He had originally come for the sake of killing to silence, yet he didn't expect the development of the story to completely subvert his imagination.

No wonder this person didn't escape outside the city, nor did they escape to places with many people and mixed identities, but precisely came to An Xi Street as if seeking death.

It turned out they came to give him a tip-off...

But was what the other person said the truth?

Or were they lies made up for survival?

Chen Ji couldn't be sure.

He looked over and saw that the injured person was about twenty-seven years old, with a pale face and weak breathing. Their clothes were simple, dressed like an ordinary sedan bearer or laborer.

Chen Ji felt a wave of dizziness due to blood loss. He propped himself up with the knife, leaning against the door frame, and calmly asked, "How did you get yourself into this state, and why did Si Cao send people to chase and kill you?"

The injured person lying on their back laughed miserably. "I was cultivated by your uncle and sent to Ning Chao. Of course, Si Cao wanted to send people to kill me immediately. Unfortunately, those few rotten fish and shrimps were really no match."

Saying that, he painstakingly lifted his hand and spread his five fingers. "I killed five of them. They all tried to kill me and couldn't succeed. Impressive, right?"

Chen Ji was unmoved. "How do I believe you?"

The injured person was silent for a moment, then laughed while panting. "Not bad. I always taught you not to believe anyone's words these years. You finally learned!"

Chen Ji was silent.

This person was unexpectedly his teaching mentor after he entered the Military Intelligence Division?

Based on the current clues, the other person seemed to be the figure specially sent by his uncle to Ning Chao to lead him into the Military Intelligence Division.

But Chen Ji was no longer the former Chen Ji. He couldn't even call out the other person's name, and he couldn't believe the other person's words.

He had also never met that uncle of his.

Moreover, there were still many inconsistencies in the logic of what the other person said: if Si Cao really wanted to kill him, why didn't they kill him at Tai Ping Medical Hall tonight?

Wait...

If, as he judged earlier, there wasn't just one person behind the Si Cao mask, then perhaps someone wanted to kill him, while someone else didn't?

Uncertain, too many uncertainties.

Chen Ji felt his brain was like stirred muddy water.

Chen Ji asked, "You're almost dying, why are you still risking a body full of injuries to come and give me a tip-off?"

The injured person was obviously stunned for a moment. He slowly looked at Chen Ji and said somewhat incredulously, "You and I have partnered for several years, brothers on the same field. Do you still need to ask? What kind of person do you take me, Wu Hong Biao, for?"

Chen Ji: "There's really no way to respond to that!"

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

At this moment, Wu Hong Biao slowly said, "I might not be able to go back to Jing Chao. Can I entrust you with one thing?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "Speak!"

"That sister I mentioned to you is still in Jing Chao. If you have a chance to return to Jing Chao one day, please, you must beg your uncle to save her. Although he is out of office, he can still handle this small matter. Can you?"

Chen Ji was silent. He couldn't promise.

Seeing no answer, Wu Hong Biao immediately became agitated, which pulled at his wound. Even breathing took all his strength.

He paused for a long time, then angrily stared at Chen Ji. "Chen Ji, how did you change? I even joked earlier that when we returned to Jing Chao, I would set you two up! Chen Ji, I beg you, after I defected, the Military Intelligence Division will not let her go. If your uncle doesn't save her, her life is over."

Chen Ji still didn't answer. He picked up the knife, slowly walked to Wu Hong Biao's side, and placed the blade against the other person's neck artery.

Wu Hong Biao widened his eyes, looking at him incredulously.

In the dim house, all of Chen Ji's expressions were hidden under the shadow of the bamboo hat.

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

As if even fate was waiting for him to make a choice: to kill a person who had possibly risked death to give him a tip-off, but who could also lead to his exposure!

Finally, Chen Ji put away the knife and slowly walked out of the house.

He stood in the yard, let out a long breath, and softly said, "Wu Yun, help me keep an eye on him!"

.