Chapter 194: Farewell

A small courtyard, an assassin, a black cat, a youth. It was strange, yet unexpectedly harmonious.

Jiao Tu stood on the roof ridge, looking at the Eight Immortals table beside the indifferent Chen Ji. Suddenly, she sighed, "Time really flies. Two months ago, Yun Yang said you might surpass me and him, and I didn't believe it. In the blink of an eye, you really became our superior."

Chen Ji said sincerely, "This matter is also a coincidence. On one hand, I was promoted quickly, and on the other hand, it's because the two of you were demoted quickly... But as long as I slow down a bit, or the two of you slow down a bit, this kind of thing wouldn't happen."

Jiao Tu rolled her eyes. "Who are you trying to make uncomfortable? You talk just like Yao Taiyi."

Yun Yang's face turned slightly cold. He crossed his arms and looked coldly at Chen Ji. "You want to be our superior? You're still not qualified."

Chen Ji smiled, retreating a step in his words. "I don't want to be your superior. It's just that Si Li Jian is full of dangers, and I want to join hands with you two. You two need to return to your zodiac positions, you need cultivation resources, you need cultivation paths, and I need helpers. It's that simple."

Chen Ji continued, "From now on, we won't use official titles in private. I'm not your superior, and you two aren't my subordinates, alright?"

Yun Yang's face eased a bit.

Jiao Tu suddenly said, "But how should we trust you? You can even betray Jing Wang, Jun Zhu, and Shi Zi. If you rise to power later, you can also betray us. Tsk, poor Jun Zhu, oh. When I saw her yesterday, the light in her eyes was all gone."

Chen Ji's hand holding the chopsticks paused, then he smiled and said, "If mocking me can vent your anger, that's even better. Why don't you two say a few more sentences? After you've finished, we can talk about proper matters."

Jiao Tu let out an "ah ya" sound, covering her mouth to smile. "I didn't mean to mock you. It's just that we saw the precedent at Jing Wang Fu, and we can't help but worry."

Chen Ji said seriously, "I help the two of you, and naturally I have my demands. Previously when we cooperated, I earned fifty taels of silver from the two of you. Why don't we change to a new cooperation? I'll help the two of you return to your zodiac positions, and each of you will pay me five thousand taels of silver."

Jiao Tu's eyes widened. She put her hands on her hips, bent down, and looked at Chen Ji. "Five thousand taels? Why don't you just go rob? Main Xing Si's Lin Chaoqing is watching us every day. Where do we get so much silver?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "That's not something I need to consider. The two of you can't fool me again by saying you have no money. Even Main Xing Si has times when they are careless. Besides, comparing five thousand taels of silver and your zodiac positions, you two know in your hearts which is more important."

Yun Yang touched his neck and asked in a deep voice, "What if you take revenge on Jiao Tu and me after you rise to power?"

Chen Ji laughed. "Yun Yang adult, where in this world is there any deep hatred? It's just the two words 'fame and fortune'."

Jiao Tu probed, "Really?"

Chen Ji picked up a piece of pot-collapsed tofu and ate it, saying with a normal expression, "I can even betray Jing Wang, Jun Zhu, and Shi Zi. For the sake of fame and fortune, I can do anything."

Jiao Tu clapped her hands in praise. "I just said we get along well!"

Yun Yang frowned. "Jiao Tu, this boy has a deep heart. Don't fall for his trick."

Jiao Tu didn't care. "Stop chattering. If you're not willing to cooperate with Chen Ji, then I'll cooperate with him alone. You don't want to return to the zodiac, but I do."

Yun Yang's face stiffened. He turned his head to look at Chen Ji. "What do you need us to do?"

Chen Ji thought for a bit. "The things I need the two of you to do might be many."

After saying that, he took out an envelope from his sleeve and threw it to Yun Yang. "The first thing is to deliver this envelope to Chen Fu."

Yun Yang received the envelope and asked doubtfully, "Now?"

"Of course not now, but tomorrow," Chen Ji pointed to the food on the table. "Since we're going to cooperate, why don't we eat a meal together?"

Jiao Tu blinked at Chen Ji. "Do you have wine?"

Yun Yang glanced at the food on the table. "It looks unappetizing. I'm not eating. Let's go."

As soon as the words fell, he leaped onto the roof, grabbed Jiao Tu's sleeve, and tried to leave.

Jiao Tu didn't go. She turned her head to look at Chen Ji. "Tomorrow, Bai Long will personally escort Jun Zhu to the capital. If you want to see her one more time, I can tell you the escort route."

Saying that, she observed Chen Ji's expression.

But Chen Ji's expression didn't change at all. He just lowered his head to eat, while casually replying, "Why would I see her? Jiao Tu adult still hasn't told me the escort route."

Jiao Tu praised, "How heartless, oh, Chen Ji. You will surely rise straight to the sky."

Yun Yang urged, "Go!"

"Oh!"

After the two of them disappeared from sight, Chen Ji lightly let out a breath. He put down his chopsticks and sat in the cold small courtyard, starting to daydream.

Cooperating with venomous people like Yun Yang and Jiao Tu was like walking on a steel wire, scheming with a tiger. A slight mistake would lead to eternal damnation.

Wu Yun came along the roof and lightly jumped onto the table. "Not fighting? I haven't used the Liang family knife method yet."

Chen Ji picked up a mouthful of preserved meat. "No fight. Using the two words 'fame and fortune' as a knife is enough."

Early morning, the crow of a rooster broke the dawn.

Chen Ji got up and came to the courtyard. He took off all his clothes and used ice-cold water to wash away the smell of wine and dust from his body. It was as if he wanted to wash away his past self and put on a new mask.

He returned to the apprentice bedroom after washing his entire body red.

He stood in front of the wardrobe, hesitating for a while. Finally, he took out the custom-made clothes from Li Ji and put them on. It was a black standing collar jacket with fine and tight stitches, exquisite.

Chen Ji lifted the hem of his clothes and stroked it. Hidden inside were the gold melon seeds he could use in an emergency, not what you would call a girl's thoughts.

He came to the courtyard and looked at his reflection in the water in the water vat. He was thin, capable, and firm.

Chen Ji asked Wu Yun without turning his head, "Wu Yun, do I look like a big figure now?"

Wu Yun glanced at him. "No."

Chen Ji smiled. "Then I don't."

He packed a cloth bundle and slung it over his shoulder.

Chen Ji came to the door and turned his head to take a deep look at the medical hall. Only when he had looked enough did he lock the big door and walk into the crowd going to the market in the early morning.

He asked in a low voice, "Where do they want to go from?"

Wu Yun drilled out from his chest. "Starting from Liu Fu on Qing Ping Street, turn onto Wang Chun Men Street to Hong Dou Alley, and finally exit the city from the North Gate. There isn't much time. They, the Chen family, are going to leave."

Chen Ji's steps quickened until he gradually started running.

He passed through gaps in the crowd and carriages, running towards Qing Ping Street.

When he arrived at Qing Ping Street, Chen Ji suddenly saw a carriage slowly moving in front of the door of Liu Fu, escorted by Bai Long and dozens of Jie Fan Wei wearing raincoats on either side.

Bai Long kept his promise. Since Chen Ji had served the other party, the other party would not make things difficult for Jun Zhu. The journey, which should have been escorted in a prison cage, was changed to a comfortable carriage.

But Chen Ji didn't dare to approach. He could only parallel them in the adjacent street.

Row after row of houses blocked his line of sight. Only when both sides passed a certain alley simultaneously could his gaze penetrate the narrow blue stone alley again and see that carriage.

He walked like this for a section, watching for a section, always from Wang Chun Men Street to Hong Dou Alley. Chen Ji, on the street, avoided pedestrians and ox carts while looking towards the carriage through the alleys.

Until someone lifted the curtain from inside the carriage and quietly looked outside. Chen Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks subconsciously, avoiding the other party's gaze. The carriage continued forward, and another person would forever stop in the past.

Chen Ji turned around and left, going in the opposite direction.

The carriage went north, Chen Ji went south, separated by white walls, buildings, and gray tiles, as if separated by mountains.

Wu Yun looked up at Chen Ji's chin. "Not going to see her off?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "Not seeing her off. We still have our things to do. We will meet again sooner or later."

Cui Yun Alley.

Chen Ji stood in front of the door of Chen Fu. Two stone lions squatted on either side, holding stone balls in their mouths.

He looked at the tightly closed big door, finally took a deep breath, picked up the beast head ring on the vermilion painted big door, and knocked it down. Dong, dong, dong.

With a creak, the door opened.