Chapter 127: A Good Show

At Zi time, the inner prison's iron door creaked open, like a withered claw scratching at the depths of the heart, making one's teeth ache.

Jin Zhu was the first to emerge from the door. Outside, more than twenty black-clothed secret agents stood solemnly with drawn knives.

He stood in front of the secret agents in a set of black tight-fitting clothes, his face expressionless. He said, "The battle at Mudan Bridge was a heavy loss for our brothers. But this is the rice we eat – killing the fiercest bandits and sleeping with the most beautiful women in Hongyi Lane. Tonight, all of you tie your heads to your waistbands and follow me to earn merit."

After speaking, he turned to Xi Feng and said, "Bring Manager Yuan out."

Manager Yuan's hands and feet were locked with iron shackles. He staggered out of the inner prison. As he walked, blood seeped from the wound in his thigh that had been shot by Tian Ma.

He stopped outside the door, his disheveled hair and dirty face raised. He greedily breathed in several lungfuls of fresh air and praised, "It's really delicious!"

Jin Zhu clasped his hands behind his back, smiling and squinting his eyes. He said, "If we can capture Long Jing tonight, you'll never have to return to the inner prison."

Manager Yuan laughed weakly and, with the shackles, cupped his hands, saying, "May I borrow your auspicious words, sir."

Jin Zhu pushed him onto the carriage.

Just as Chen Ji was about to step onto the carriage, Jin Zhu turned his head and stopped him. "Tonight, you and Xi Feng will follow from the outer perimeter. Do not approach."

Chen Ji didn't understand. "Sir, you don't trust me?"

Jin Zhu, sitting inside the carriage, laughed. "How could I not trust you? It's just that the closer you are tonight, the more dangerous the Jing Dynasty bandits are. You haven't yet stepped onto the path of cultivation and have no strength to even tie a chicken. You cannot put yourself in danger."

He continued to instruct him with heavy emphasis, "Tonight, if you discover anything wrong, immediately find a place to hide. By no means, absolutely by no means, should you act impulsively."

Chen Ji heard Jin Zhu say "by no means" three times and his face suddenly became complex. "Sir, if I'm not on the carriage, who will strategize for you? I'm not afraid of danger."

Jin Zhu's expression softened slightly. "No, your intentions are received, but you have just obtained the path of cultivation and cannot die."

After speaking, he lowered the carriage curtain and said loudly, "Depart."

The carriage slowly drove towards Dongshi.

Chen Ji stood in front of the inner prison door, silently watching the carriage's receding silhouette, going further and further away. Jin Zhu's unwillingness for him to approach danger was a good thing; at least he didn't have to worry about being backstabbed at any time.

But he had originally planned to take advantage of the chaos tonight to kill Manager Yuan to avoid involving Concubine Yun. Now, he could only adapt to the circumstances.

Just as he was pondering, Xi Feng looked at Chen Ji. "Sir Chen... Sir, let's also depart. We'll follow the carriage from a distance to ensure that if Sir Jin Zhu encounters danger, we can provide timely support."

Chen Ji glanced at him. "You and I are both pigeon-level secret agents. There's no need to call me sir."

Xi Feng flatteringly said, "With your intelligence, sir, promotion to East Sea Eagle is just a matter of time."

The next moment, he took out a copper whistle and blew it. The secret agents immediately dispersed and passed through the small alleys, adjusting their formation and advancing with the carriage in a staggered manner.

During a break in command, Xi Feng looked at Chen Ji with a sly expression. "What grade of cultivation path did Sir give you?"

Chen Ji glanced at him. "Sir didn't tell me. If you want to know, you can ask him yourself."

Xi Feng shrank his neck. "I won't ask him. I'd definitely get scolded if I did."

Just as they were speaking, the carriage in front suddenly accelerated and turned left onto Baining Street.

Xi Feng and Chen Ji exchanged glances. Chen Ji said, "Something's not right. Manager Yuan said he agreed to meet Long Jing at the Grand Canal Wharf tonight at the first quarter of Chou time, but this isn't the direction of the Grand Canal Wharf."

Xi Feng asked, "What should we do?"

Chen Ji said, "Blow the copper whistle and ask Sir Jin Zhu."

Xi Feng blew the copper whistle and heard a single response from inside the carriage. Simultaneously, Xi Feng's face became serious. "Sir says to follow."

Chen Ji took a deep breath. "Listen to Sir."

The secret agents continuously advanced through the alleys, chasing the carriage non-stop.

But before they could catch up to the carriage, it surprisingly turned another corner, changing to a new direction.

Everyone following behind the carriage continuously sped up. One by one, the secret agents ran until they were panting. They saw that if they kept running like this, they would have no physical strength left by the time they reached their destination.

Chen Ji frowned and said, "Use the copper whistle to signal Sir to stop. We can't keep being led around by the nose like this."

Xi Feng blew the copper whistle. This time, only two short bird cries were heard from inside the carriage.

Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "I always hear you blowing the copper whistle. How do you distinguish what message these copper whistle sounds transmit?"

Xi Feng explained, "The copper whistle can imitate three kinds of bird calls. The first kind is the magpie. One call means assemble, follow up. Two calls mean surround, ambush and kill. Three calls mean withdraw. Four calls mean 'do his mother'."

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. "Is it that emotional?"

Xi Feng panted as he explained, "That's my vulgar explanation. The second kind of bird call is the bamboo partridge. Different numbers of calls represent different formations. The third kind of bird call is the long cry of a hawk or falcon. This whistle sound is only blown in one situation, and that is when an extremely dangerous character is encountered."

Chen Ji was startled for a moment and asked, "Is that the sound?"

Xi Feng said, "Exactly that sound. Holy shit, enemy attack!"

On the clear, cold, solemn long street, the stone slab road was smooth enough to reflect the moon. On this stone slab, a long halberd was precisely reflected as it shot down from the roof of a pavilion, as if a halberd had pierced through the moon.

With a buzzing sound, that long halberd could be seen crossing the long sky, straight and true, penetrating right through the middle of the carriage. With a boom, the wooden carriage unexpectedly split into four pieces, turning into fragments scattered everywhere.

After the long halberd smashed the carriage with a boom, it nailed itself onto the bluestone slab road. The wooden pole was still shaking uncontrollably.

Along with the fragments scattered everywhere, Jin Zhu and Manager Yuan flew out of the carriage, one left and one right, and fell to the ground.

Xi Feng exclaimed, "Sir!"

He was about to rush forward to rescue them when he saw several masked assassins appear on the roof, simultaneously shooting out the long halberds in their hands. Although not as terrifying as the first long halberd, they blocked all the routes for the secret agents to come to their aid.

Chen Ji pulled Xi Feng to hide in a corner and peered out, looking towards where the first long halberd had flown from. He saw a masked man standing on the ridge of the building, with several long halberds tied to his back with hemp rope.

The man knocked his heel backwards, just hitting the tail end of a long halberd. The long halberd bounced out from his back and fell into his hand.

The next moment, that long halberd left his hand.

With a buzzing sound, the long halberd unexpectedly did not rush towards Jin Zhu, but aimed directly between Manager Yuan's chest and abdomen. The other side wanted to first kill the heavily injured Manager Yuan to silence him.

In a moment of extreme peril, Jin Zhu continuously rolled and crawled, rushing to Manager Yuan's side. He grabbed the other person's collar and pulled violently.

The long halberd, originally aimed at Manager Yuan's chest and abdomen, deeply penetrated his calf and nailed him to the ground.

"Ah!" Manager Yuan wailed.

Jin Zhu angrily said, "Why are you wailing? You still hope those colleagues of yours will save you. Now it's not our Secret Agent Department that wants to kill you, it's those colleagues who want to kill you!"

Manager Yuan trembled and said, "Save me, Sir Jin Zhu, save me!"

In a flash, Xi Feng shouted loudly, "Sir, be careful!"

Jin Zhu suddenly twisted his body to the side and saw a long halberd, howling with the sound of wind, surge past him. With a boom, it nailed itself onto the stone slab road behind him.

He roared angrily, "Tian Ma! This person is a master of the Xundao realm! If you don't make a move now, I'm going to die!"

But this time, there was no brilliant meteor shower streaking across the night sky.

The sudden change of route had also left Tian Ma waiting in vain.

Jin Zhu gritted his teeth, got up, and leaped onto the pavilion, charging towards the man on the second floor. "Xi Feng, go help the other brothers. Stall until Tian Ma arrives!"

Chen Ji hid in the corner, silently observing the battlefield.

The long halberds shot from all four directions interweaved on the stone slab road. Manager Yuan could be seen taking a deep breath and forcefully pulling down the long halberd in his leg.

He endured the pain and crawled up, using the long halberd in his hand to support his body. He took advantage of no one paying attention to him and limped towards the small alley!

Chen Ji slowly retreated into the shadows and chased after Manager Yuan's escape direction.

He continuously shuttled through the small alley until he heard heavy panting sounds coming from around the next corner. He then suddenly stood still.

Chen Ji listened to the panting sounds, coming closer and closer, closer and closer, until...

He suddenly rushed out of the alley and violently collided with his shoulder.

With a clang, the long halberd fell to the ground, and Manager Yuan was also knocked to the ground by the collision.

Chen Ji quietly and silently observed the other side. Manager Yuan was lying on the ground, motionless.

Feigning death?

No, not feigning death.

Chen Ji fixed his gaze. Manager Yuan's face had turned black, already showing the appearance of oil exhausted and lamp dry.

Was the long halberd just now surprisingly still smeared with poison?

He picked up the long halberd from the ground and walked towards Manager Yuan step by step. Just as he was about to raise the long halberd to deliver a finishing blow, he suddenly stopped again.

Something's not right.

He always felt that something was off.

Chen Ji slowly put away the long halberd and leaned against the wall, saying, "To die at the hands of your own people is truly enough. Remember in your next life not to be a person of the Jing Dynasty."

At this moment, he raised his head and looked around. He discovered that Tian Ma had appeared without him knowing and was standing precisely on the eaves above his head, lowering his head and silently gazing at him.

Chen Ji's heart skipped a beat.

Tian Ma didn't greet him, but lightly floated down from the wall. He took out a pill from his sleeve and stuffed it into Manager Yuan's mouth.

In just a few short breaths, Manager Yuan's breathing gradually became heavy, and even the black color on his face rapidly faded, turning ruddy.

Chaotic footsteps sounded, and Jin Zhu limped into the small alley, squatted beside Manager Yuan, and grabbed his collar. "How dare you scheme against this old man!"

Manager Yuan leisurely woke up. "Mercy, sir!"

Just as Jin Zhu was about to smash his fist onto his face, Tian Ma grabbed his fist.

He raised his head to look, and Tian Ma silently shook his head.

Jin Zhu's expression changed several times. Finally, he lowered his head to look at Manager Yuan. "Now the people of the Jing Dynasty want you dead even more than we do. This world is so big, where else do you have a place to stay? Tell me, are you willing to cooperate with us in the end?"

Manager Yuan hurriedly said, "Willing, willing!"

Jin Zhu asked in a low voice, "Did you or did you not arrange to meet Long Jing tonight?"

"I did!"

Chen Ji silently watched this scene and lightly let out a breath.

Only at this moment did he finally confirm that everything that had happened tonight was just a good play directed and performed by the Secret Agent Department themselves.

Although the assassins' long halberds were fierce, except for Manager Yuan, no secret agent died. The first long halberd clearly had an opportunity to kill Jin Zhu, but that halberd happened to fly over from the middle of the carriage. Jin Zhu, a person so afraid of death, had clearly fallen to the innate realm, yet dared to chase after a Xundao realm master...

Every detail revealed something strange.

But the most crucial detail was precisely what Xi Feng said: One bird cry means assemble, follow up. Two sounds mean surround, ambush and kill. Three sounds mean withdraw. Four sounds mean 'do his mother'.

The second time Jin Zhu responded to the whistle from inside the carriage, it was clearly two sounds.