32. Infernal Affairs
Coming into this world, Chen Ji knew nothing about his past self and could only piece himself together bit by bit from the information revealed by others.
Today, the details about his past are becoming more and more complete... and more and more terrifying.
Jingchao spy? Am I really a Jingchao spy?!
For Chen Ji, this was the worst outcome. It was as if he was walking on a cliff with a knife edge and a bottomless abyss on his side. No matter whether he fell to the left or the right, there was no way back.
what to do?
The man holding the knife behind Chen Ji said calmly, "Don't act rashly, or you will die."
The voice was dry and dull, but full of absolute confidence.
The other party must be an official who has practiced for a long time and a big shot in the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Department!
Chen Ji didn't move, but heard the shopkeeper say, "Master Si Cao, I've confirmed that this guy passed information to Master Zhou on the night of his accident. Now everyone in Master Zhou's mansion has disappeared, and only this guy is still alive. He must have betrayed us."
The Military Intelligence Department's Cao placed the cold blade against Chen Ji's neck and asked in a serious tone, "What do you want to say?"
Chen Ji's thoughts raced, but he finally calmed down and said, "The night I arrived at Zhou Chengyi's residence, he had already been betrayed by Skinny Horse from Cuizhu Garden in Baiyi Lane. That's why Yunyang and Jiaotu came looking for him... How can it be said that he died because of my betrayal?"
The shopkeeper asked in a serious tone, "Then how did you survive? Jiaotu and Yunyang are notoriously bloodthirsty. If you hadn't betrayed and made meritorious contributions, how would you have survived until now? You have betrayed Jing Dynasty!"
The shopkeeper had just been kicked and was now angry. He took the opportunity to kick Chen Ji in the stomach, bending his waist.
Chen Ji wanted to fight back, but the person behind him kicked him in the knee.
But Chen Ji's knees went weak and he almost fell to the ground.
But he managed to hold on and stood up before his knees touched the ground.
The Military Intelligence Department's Cao kicked him several more times, but each time Chen Ji struggled to stand up before he could kneel down.
Seeing this, Si Cao pressed down on his shoulder with great force. However, this time Chen Ji would rather break his shoulder than bend his knees.
He stood straight, stared at the shopkeeper, and said harshly, "No matter how many times you torture me, the result will be the same. I only have one question: if I've betrayed you, why are you still alive to talk to me?!"
The shopkeeper's expression froze.
This was why they did not kill Chen Ji immediately. Although all signs indicated that Chen Ji had defected, everyone except Zhou Chengyi and Liu Shiyu was safe and sound.
Given Chen Ji's identity, if he defected, it would be a disaster for the entire Los Angeles Military Intelligence Department system. The Military Intelligence Department must confirm what exactly happened.
The warehouse was filled with medicinal herbs and seemed a bit crowded. The three people in the room could even hear each other's breathing.
Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief, pinching the blade with two fingers and pushing the dagger away from his neck. "You want to kill me without asking any questions? Let me finish my words. After I arrived at the Zhou Mansion, I had barely exchanged a few words with Zhou Chengyi when Yunyang and Jiaotu showed up. Zhou Chengyi knew there was no hope of survival, so he told me to fend for myself. He later committed suicide by swallowing poison, but I survived as an apprentice in the medical clinic. The Secret Service still doesn't know my true identity."
After saying that, he no longer looked at the shopkeeper of Bailu Pavilion, but turned around to face the military intelligence officer behind him: the third person in the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department who was lurking in the Ning Dynasty!
But this Si Cao was dressed in gray clothes, with two patches on his elbows and knees.
What was strange was that Sicao was wearing a thin wooden mask with a green face and fangs engraved on it, looking terrifying and ferocious.
Before he could say anything, Si Cao raised his hand and hit him on the neck accurately, knocking him unconscious.
…
…
When Chen Ji woke up slowly, he suddenly found himself being hung upside down somewhere, with a black cloth covering his head. Everything in front of his eyes was dark, and his wrist was painful as if it had been cut.
He heard a sticky dripping sound, as if his own blood was falling drop by drop.
The ticking sound, like the countdown of life, makes people feel fear and urgency.
But Chen Ji calmed down instead.
"At the rate you're bleeding, you only have fifteen minutes to live," Si Cao's voice came from behind his mask, a little dull. "Now let me ask you, the Secret Service would rather kill someone by mistake than let them go. Even if they didn't know your identity as a spy, they would definitely not let you live. Tell me, why did they let you go?"
Chen Ji explained in the darkness, "Because I performed a meritorious service. I used alum as a clue and brushed the paper with vinegar to find the secret letter that the Xuanzhipu shop had sent to Zhou Chengyi."
Si Cao asked in a deep voice, "If you're telling the truth, then the abilities you've displayed don't match your position as a clinic apprentice. Yunyang and Jiaotu will definitely be suspicious! Yuanming, are you sure no one followed him when he came?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "No."
"Confirm again to see if there are any unfamiliar faces near Bailu Pavilion at this time."
"clear."
The shopkeeper of Bailu Pavilion, named Yuanming, immediately pushed the door open and went out. He stood in the courtyard and used a copper whistle to make the clear sound of a swallow.
Soon, the calls of swallows could be heard from the east, south, west and north outside Bailu Pavilion.
The shopkeeper returned to the house, a puzzled look on his face. "Master Si Cao, the brothers who are monitoring the surrounding area report that no one is following him."
Si Cao fell into deep thought: "How did you gain the trust of the Secret Service Department when you don't even have a tailer?"
Chen Ji also fell into deep thought. Yes, why should I...
It seemed as if he had suddenly gained the trust of Yunyang and Jiaotu. Not only could he go to the inner prison, he could even review the files at will.
Those files are of utmost importance to the Secret Service. If Yunyang and Jiaotu still suspect that I am a spy from the Jing Dynasty, they will never give them to me for review.
Why?
Wait, it’s because of that weird dream.
Chen Ji recalled that in the dream, the other party had controlled his subconscious and answered some questions.
The reason why he managed to pass the interrogation was... he really didn't know that he was a Jingchao spy at that time!
It was a close call. I managed to escape the interrogation by accident!
Tick, tick.
The sound of blood falling continued, as if urging death.
Chen Ji's face was calm, but his tone was hurried as he spoke, "I had a dream earlier. In the dream, someone kept asking me if I was a spy from the Jing Dynasty. I almost lost my mind at the time, but I finally managed to hold on and answer 'no'."
Si Cao seemed a little surprised: "Meng Ji took action personally? You actually resisted Meng Ji's interrogation."
However, Si Cao did not completely believe it.
Chen Ji felt a pain in his arm, as if it had been cut by a knife again.
The sound of dripping blood disappeared, and instead, there was a sound of blood pouring into the wooden basin like a thin line, dripping non-stop.
Si Cao said calmly, "No matter how fantastic your story is, it may have been arranged by the Secret Service. If you want me to believe it, it proves that you are still loyal to the Jing Dynasty. If you can't prove it, I can only kill you. I believe your uncle will understand me."
Chen Ji was stunned for a moment. Uncle?
At this time, the shopkeeper said: "Sir, don't waste your time talking to him. The Secret Service must have a conspiracy to let him live. If you let him go back, maybe one day Bailu Pavilion will be destroyed.
This is one of our most important industries in the south. Many people rely on Bailu Pavilion for their livelihoods."
Si Cao did not answer, but just waited for Chen Ji to answer.
Chen Ji closed his eyes and wondered how he could prove that he was still loyal to Jing Chao.
When he opened his eyes again, he said firmly, "I saw the book 'Jinsi Lu',' which used the Fanqie method to hide information, in Liu Shiyu's house, but I didn't give it to Yunyang and Jiaotu. In the book, Liu Shiyu revealed that a high-ranking official in the palace was in contact with our Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department, and also revealed that the entire Liu family had turned to the Jing Dynasty. If I hand over this book, I'm afraid the Liu family will be doomed!"
Si Cao held his breath and asked, "Where is the 'Recent Thoughts Record'?"
"It's burned."
Si Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, a fierce gleam in his eyes, and thought quietly: "You didn't lie about this. The Secret Service really didn't find the "Recent Thoughts Record". Afterwards, I sneaked into Liu Shiyu's mansion to look for it, but couldn't find it. It turns out that you had hidden it in advance. Very good..."
Chen Ji's heart trembled. Did the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department actually know that the Secret Service Department hadn't obtained the "Recent Thoughts Record"? Could there be other spies in the Liu family residence that night?
Just as Si Cao was pondering, the shopkeeper said urgently, "Master Si Cao, even if this kid talks a lot, it can't change the fact that he betrayed his colleagues. You know, the Liu family's rice paper shop was confiscated and it implicated many people. Not only did it kill Liu Shiyu, it also nearly caused a disaster!"
Chen Ji hung upside down from the beam and asked solemnly, "May I ask, who else in my Jing Dynasty has gained the trust of the Twelve Zodiac Signs of the Secret Service? Who else can escape Meng Ji's interrogation?"
Si Cao's expression changed.
Meng Ji has become one of the biggest obstacles for the Military Intelligence Department to infiltrate the Secret Service Department. Many spies have tried to infiltrate the Secret Service Department, but ultimately fell in front of Meng Ji.
Now that Chen Ji has escaped the other party's interrogation, this may really be an opportunity.
But how can we be sure that Chen Ji really escaped interrogation?
After a long time without hearing Si Cao's answer, Chen Ji finally placed a heavy bet: "Give me a month. Within a month, I can prove that I have not betrayed the country and that I am loyal to the Jing Dynasty."
Si Cao thought for a moment, then turned to look at the shopkeeper: "Send a message out. I need to see 'Chang Jing' and tell him something important."
The shopkeeper hesitated to speak, but turned and walked out.
Si Cao was silent in the room for a long time, and finally cut the rope and let Chen Ji down.
He slowly sheathed the dagger into the scabbard between his sleeves. "When I came to Ning Dynasty this time, your uncle asked me to take care of you on his behalf, but I didn't expect such a change to happen. Don't worry, if it's really as you said, not only will I not kill you, I will protect you. But if you lie to me, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Chen Ji took off the black cloth covering his head, but saw that he was still in the medicine warehouse, and Si Cao was holding a chicken in his hand, and the chicken blood had been poured into a wooden basin.
Chen Ji was not surprised, but he still pretended to be surprised and touched his arm. There was no wound where he felt pain just now.
Si Cao calmly explained, "I was counting on you to infiltrate the Secret Service, so I naturally wouldn't casually leave wounds on you that would arouse suspicion. Also, for your uncle's sake, I'm willing to give you a chance to prove yourself."
My uncle is not from Ning Dynasty, but Jing Dynasty? Then I am at least half of Jing Dynasty blood.
Chen Ji originally thought that Jing Chao was a nomadic people, and his appearance would be very different from Ning Chao. However, judging from his appearance, Ning Chao and Jing Chao clearly had the same origin, which was completely different from his judgment of the world.
For a moment, he felt that his identity was becoming more and more confusing. No wonder the other party had said...
"You betrayed your identity and your family name."
…
It’s the Dragon Boat Festival, and I will only update once today and tomorrow. I wish you all a happy holiday.
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