Chapter 176: Identity

Luocheng's East Market is like spring within the four seasons. The prosperous vitality within the city always begins here first.

Just as the common people in Luocheng were still trembling with fear, the merchants in the East Market had already silently unloaded their door boards and were doing business in a low-key manner.

Chen Ji, dressed in plain gray clothes, walked along the street, stopping and starting, seemingly searching for something. He appeared relaxed, as if today was no different from any other day.

Finally, he stopped in front of Ding Chang Pawnshop, raised his head to look at the plaque, then stepped over the threshold: "Shopkeeper, I want to pawn something!"

A pawnshop counter is different from an ordinary goods shop.

The front counter was sealed with varnished wooden boards, with only a small window left at the top.

Behind the window, a white-haired old shopkeeper, head lowered and eyes narrowed, looked out from the small window: "Young man, what do you want to pawn?"

Chen Ji took a large pearl from his sleeve, raised his hand and handed it over: "An East pearl!"

The old shopkeeper casually took it, brought it to his eyes to examine it, and said: "Record it down, a poor scholar young man pawning a dull piece worth not much yuan!"

Pawnshop slang was numerous at this time.

For example, a robe was called: "wind block".

Silver was called: "soft goods dragon".

Gold was called: "hard goods dragon".

A pearl was called: "yuan".

Fox fur was called: "big fur".

Sheep fur was called: "small fur".

Whenever someone pawned something, the shopkeeper would first belittle it with a few sentences.

For example, if someone pawned fur goods, he would say "bald board, no fur. Worm-eaten, rat-bitten piece."

Chen Ji smiled and asked: "How much silver can I pawn it for?"

The old shopkeeper thought for a moment: "Twenty taels of silver!"

Chen Ji asked: "I heard people say this thing is worth four hundred taels."

The old shopkeeper pinched the pearl in his hand, squinted his eyes and sized up Chen Ji: "Young man, I'm afraid this thing didn't come by the right way. Where would an ordinary family have such a big pearl? With the way you're dressed, I'll only give you twenty taels. If you think it's too little, go ask other shops. But if I send you to the officials for investigation, I'm afraid you'll lose your life!"

Chen Ji did not retort, only took another object from his sleeve and handed it over: "Then help me look at this thing!"

The old shopkeeper casually took the secret agent office waist token, and subconsciously said: "Dim, no light... Oh, ancestor..."

There was a clang inside the counter, and the old shopkeeper fell from his high stool.

He didn't care about the pain, and hurried to open the side door of the counter and ran out with small steps: "What wind has blown you here, sir? Just now, I had no eyes, that East pearl is worth whatever you say it is!"

Chen Ji calmly said: "I don't intend to make things difficult for you, just pawn this pearl for me according to the market price."

The old shopkeeper hurriedly said: "Good, good, good, we will get the silver for you right away. Do you want a live pawn or a dead pawn?"

"Dead pawn!"

Chen Ji said: "Don't be in a hurry to exchange the silver, does your Ding Chang Pawnshop have any old mountain ginseng pawned by others? Don't want low-year ones!"

"Yes, yes, yes, whatever you say, how can we not have it?"

The old shopkeeper said: "Assistant, bring out all the ginseng in our warehouse for the official master to choose from."

Chen Ji waited silently. This East pearl was left behind when Jing Fei framed him with Chun Hua.

He hadn't pawned it for a long time.

One reason was the worry of leaving behind evidence and repercussions.

The second reason was the worry of being easily deceived in this world without an official position.

Now Jing Fei had passed away.

This East pearl could be considered free of repercussions.

The old shopkeeper brought out eight exquisite wooden boxes: "Just look, these are all the ginseng collected in our pawnshop. If you want them, they can be folded to you at a price of thirty taels, no, at twenty taels per root."

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "How much money were these collected for? Bring that account book over for me to see."

The old shopkeeper suddenly looked bitter: "Fifteen taels per root."

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "Okay, throw away the wooden boxes and wrap the ginseng in cloth."

An incense stick later, he carried the ginseng and silver out of the pawnshop.

Just as he had just left, Yun Yang turned out from the small alley beside the pawnshop and walked in.

It only took a moment for Yun Yang to walk out of the pawnshop, come to a carriage opposite the street, and say in a low voice: "White Dragon sir, this boy went in, showed his secret agent office identity, and pawned the East pearl that Jing Fei lost for four hundred and sixty taels of silver, and then bought eight roots of ginseng from the pawnshop at a price of fifteen taels per root."

A lazy voice came from inside the carriage: "Nothing else?"

"No!"

White Dragon slowly said through the carriage curtain: "This boy is quite cautious, he kept an East pearl for so long before pawning it. He has just started on the path of cultivation, so it's understandable that he wants to exchange for cultivation resources. Yun Yang, do you think this boy knows where Yun Fei is?"

Yun Yang thought for a moment: "White Dragon sir, aren't you overestimating this boy? He's just a small apprentice in a medical hall. How would he know Yun Fei's whereabouts?"

White Dragon said lightly: "It's not easy for you and Jiao Tu to become part of the zodiac, you should cherish it well. Although you are a killer by origin, you can't be a killer your whole life, can you?"

Yun Yang hesitated: "What does sir mean?"

White Dragon smiled and said: "I know you and Jiao Tu are worried about this boy taking revenge. But he has already entered the inner minister's eyes, so it's better not to provoke him if you don't have full confidence."

Yun Yang understood: "Sir wants me to find an opportunity to strike and kill him with one blow."

White Dragon was silent for a moment in the carriage, then laughed and scolded: "Yun Yang, you are also a wonderful person. With this free time, why not quickly find out the transport fee for me? Now that she's missing, many things can't be done. There's only half a month until the inner minister's deadline. If things aren't handled properly and she gets away, be careful that both you and I will be punished!"

"This woman is also alert. She actually detected it in advance and ran away without a trace."

Yun Yang complained in a low voice: "Sir, Jiao Tu and I are not good at finding people. Why not let Jin Zhu and Meng Ji go?"

White Dragon thought for a moment: "Alright, let's go back to the Liu family's large residence!"

Yun Yang said "Ah". He sat on the coachman's seat and raised the whip.

On the roof of Ding Chang Pawnshop, a racoon cat that had just tucked its claws and was napping opened its eyes, got up, flipped over the roof ridge, and disappeared.

Several streets away, in Ma Ji's noodle stall.

The boss was stirring the bone broth in the large pot with a long-handled wooden spoon.

He heard someone enter and say: "Boss, one bowl of noodles, add an extra portion of mutton!"

The boss didn't turn his head and casually asked: "Guest, do you want wide noodles or thin noodles?"

"Wide noodles!"

The boss turned his head and saw a clear and handsome, thin boy who had already found a seat by the window.

He said "Alright" and added: "Guest, please wait a moment!"

While he was pulling the noodles, he heard the boy ask: "Boss, it's lunchtime, why is the shop empty?"

The boss smiled bitterly: "The city was troubled by a military disaster, and only now are merchants willing to come out to buy food. These merchants are also unlucky. They want to go home but can't. All their goods are stocked at the wharf and they still need to pay the transport gang warehouse fees."

The boy casually asked: "Aren't there any ships sailing from the wharf?"

The boss threw the pulled noodle pieces into the boiling pot: "Don't know why. Anyway, no ships are sailing."

Chen Ji looked at the sparse pedestrians outside the window. He guessed that in the secret agent office's plan, the Liu family and King Jing depended on each other. After executing the Liu family, they would also conveniently eliminate King Jing, using a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

But no one expected that while King Jing was in a coma, he reminded Yun Fei: "Wangye has already detected that Han Tong, the sect master of Luo Tian Zong, is coming to visit the county lord," causing the transport fee to escape from the Wang residence for the first time and hide.

By mistake, the secret agent office lost key evidence.

Now, since the secret agent office couldn't find Yun Fei, there was no way to use the criminal evidence of "King Jing's residence colluding with the Jing Dynasty military intelligence office" to nail down a real power vassal king with extremely prosperous prestige.

But Yun Fei being in Luocheng was always a big hidden danger.

The boss carried a wooden tray and placed it in front of Chen Ji: "Guest, please enjoy. You are the first guest today, I will add one liang of noodles for you."

Chen Ji took out chopsticks from the wooden tube on the table and said thank you.

He had only eaten a few mouthfuls of noodles when he saw a fluffy black cloud leap from outside to the windowsill, meowing: "No one is following. The wharf is guarded by people from the secret agent office. Only entry is allowed, no exit. At this moment, a group of secret agents in plain clothes are searching everywhere. As soon as someone approaches the wharf, they will be seized and questioned. The homes of the wharf coolies have all been turned upside down."

Chen Ji smiled and picked up a piece of mutton from the bowl and handed it to its mouth: "Thanks, it's been hard these days!"

Black Cloud bit the mutton, raised its head, and swallowed it into its belly: "So hot!"

Chen Ji picked up another piece of mutton, blew on it, and handed it to its mouth again: "Where is she?"

After eating, Black Cloud meowed softly: "Coming!"

As soon as the words fell.

He saw a sallow-faced woman carrying a vegetable basket pass by outside the window.

Chen Ji immediately put down his chopsticks, threw thirty copper coins on the table, got up, and followed.

The woman carried the basket, like a neighbor aunt, first went to the grain and oil shop to buy two liang of corn flour, then went to the street corner to buy several mixed grain cakes.

Then she turned into a small alley.

Between the white walls and gray tiles, Chen Ji said softly behind her: "Madam Yun Fei!"

The woman pretended not to hear and continued to walk forward calmly and slowly. Chen Ji followed behind her not too tightly and not too slowly, and spoke again: "You just went to quietly observe the wharf, didn't you? The eunuch party sealed the wharf and is strictly monitoring all the transport gang members under Luo Tian Zong. You want to leave Luocheng, but you simply can't get away!"

The woman turned back and looked at Chen Ji doubtfully: "Young man, are you talking to me? I'm afraid you've found the wrong person!"

At this time, Yun Fei had no jewelry on her body, a patch on her gray cloth shirt, and a small hole in the toe of her cloth shoes.

Her appearance had also changed.

Her eyebrows were much thinner, her nose bridge much higher, her lips much smaller. Even people who knew her well would not necessarily recognize her if they met her face to face.

No wonder the secret agent office couldn't find her!

Yun Fei no longer paid attention to Chen Ji, turned around and left.

She heard the boy behind her suddenly say: "Madam, I have a way to send you to the Jing Dynasty!"

Yun Fei suddenly turned around with the vegetable basket, and asked arrogantly: "How exactly did you find me?"

In that instant, her shoulders were straight again, and she became that dignified Wang Fei once more.

Even the rough cloth headscarf and clothes couldn't cover the noble air she had accumulated over many years of living in luxury.

Chen Ji calmly said: "Madam is eager to leave Luocheng now, and Luo Tian Zong cannot help you. But I can!"

Yun Fei retorted: "Haven't your military intelligence office forces in Luocheng already been uprooted by the eunuch party? How can you send me away?"

Chen Ji originally didn't want to mention his spy identity again.

However, at this time, he could only follow the other party's words and continue: "My military intelligence office can lurk in the Ning Dynasty for so many years, naturally we have our foundation, otherwise how would I find you? You don't need to ask too much, you just need to know that I can help you leave!"

Yun Fei thought for a moment, stared at Chen Ji and said: "Nothing in the world is without profit, why would your Jing Dynasty military intelligence office want to help me?"

Chen Ji explained: "My military intelligence office wants to cooperate with Luo Tian Zong, naturally we want to protect madam's life!"

Yun Fei suddenly smiled: "You are lying!"

Chen Ji did not change his expression and countered: "What does madam mean?"

Yun Fei carried the vegetable basket and walked towards Chen Ji step by step, stopping slowly when she was two steps away: "You are here for the white carp, right?"

Chen Ji was silent.

The two stood in the narrow alley confronting each other, the atmosphere heavy.

A moment later, Chen Ji opened his mouth and said: "Madam, may I ask you a question?"

Yun Fei didn't commit: "Ask!"

Chen Ji asked: "Did Wangye instruct you to contact my Jing Dynasty military intelligence office?"

Yun Fei sneered: "If he didn't instruct me, why would I contact you?"

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Then does Wangye know about my Jing Dynasty spy identity?"

Yun Fei laughed: "So you were worried about this matter. He naturally knows."

Chen Ji suddenly felt puzzled.

When White Dragon mentioned Yun Fei colluding with the Jing Dynasty, Chen Ji realized that this was a plan between the secret agent office and King Jing.

King Jing must have known his spy identity. There was no reason for Yun Fei to conceal it from him.

But since King Jing knew, why did he completely ignore his spy identity, and even act as if he was entrusting an orphan?

Moreover, since he entrusted the orphan, he must have thought that White Dragon, Jin Zhu, etc., definitely did not know his identity, otherwise entrusting the orphan would have been completely meaningless!

Why did King Jing conceal this matter from the secret agent office?

Chen Ji suddenly had a headache. He always felt as if he had fallen into a quagmire, but he didn't know how he had fallen in, or how to struggle out.

He raised his head to look at Yun Fei: "Madam, no matter what you think, please come to this place again tomorrow evening, I will send you away from Luocheng!"

Yun Fei said in a deep voice: "Without a secret agent office waist token, how can I get out of the city?"

Chen Ji said: "I have my own way!"

Yun Fei turned around and left: "Hope you are not speaking nonsense."

Chen Ji watched Yun Fei disappear at the end of the small alley. Black Cloud jumped from the roof onto his shoulder and meowed curiously: "Are you really planning to risk sending her away?"

Chen Ji stood in the shadow under the high wall of the small alley and did not answer.