Aoyama

Chapter 179 Killing

(Sorry this chapter took a long time to edit and was delayed)
The carriage headed straight for East Market.

Chen Ji lifted the car curtain and silently observed the deserted street. As the curtain swayed, the light and shadow in his eyes kept shaking.

Jin Zhu sat opposite him, holding a copper hand warmer, and said in a gentle voice: "The princess is not a good liar. People with pure minds have never thought about human nature. Their lies cannot deceive others, but only themselves."

Chen Ji asked without turning his head: "What does Master Jinzhu want to say?"

Jin Zhu was silent for a moment. "The princess is very clear about her situation. She said those words because she didn't want to implicate you. You are a smart person. I can see that, and you can see that too. I'm used to seeing intrigues and deceptions in Wu Nian Mountain and the Secret Service. I can't help but sigh when I see such scenes occasionally. But I must remind you that the general trend cannot be violated."

Chen Ji asked: "Master Jinzhu, what is the general trend?"

Jin Zhu replied: "Your Majesty wants Prince Jing to die, the Prime Minister also wants Prince Jing to die, and the most powerful people in the Ning Dynasty want him to die, so he will definitely die. This is the general trend."

"Ah."

Chen Ji suddenly remembered what his master had said about the hexagram. Prince Jing’s mansion was doomed and this was God’s will.

Jin Zhu said seriously: "Take my advice and forget about them as soon as you turn around. Just pretend you have never seen them."

He continued, "When I was first sent to Wu Nian Mountain, I also had very good friends and a girl I liked. At that time, I thought I would never forget them, but now when I think back, I can't even remember what they looked like."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. I understand."

Jin Zhu looked at him doubtfully, and finally could only sigh: "I'm glad you understand."

Chen Ji looked out the window and changed the subject: "Sir, what are your plans after you capture Concubine Yun?"

Jin Zhu thought for a while and said, "The next thing is Bai Long's business, which has nothing to do with us. Bai Long should use the fastest speed to nail down the evidence of the crimes of Prince Jing's Mansion and Luo Tianzong, and then..."

He looked at Chen Ji's expression and said, "Then confiscate his property and execute him."

Chen Ji stopped talking.

Jin Zhu sat opposite him and said with emotion: "I don't know why Concubine Yun was so alert. She actually escaped before the Liu family started the rebellion. Someone must have tipped her off."

Chen Ji calmly lowered the curtain and said, "Sir, we're here."

After saying that, he opened the door curtain, bent down and got out of the car.

The two neighborhoods near Anle Street have been blocked by the Jiefanwei, and neither entry nor exit is allowed. Secret agents are searching house by house in the alleys, and all residents have been taken out of their houses and lined up in the alleys to wait for questioning.

In every household, all places where people could hide were turned upside down, and even the floor was carefully knocked with a knife handle to see if there were any hollow places.

Chen Ji looked up and saw Yun Yang dressed in black, standing on the roof of a restaurant with his arms folded, his eyes scanning the street like an eagle.

Jiaotu was lying on the roof next to Yunyang with his legs crossed. He took a hat from some Jiefanwei and covered his face with it, swaying his toes leisurely.

The golden pig curled his lips: "Pretending!"

He waved to Xifeng and the others behind the carriage and said, "Go in and search. We may find something great."

At this time, Chen Ji's mood slowly sank to the bottom.

He originally thought that Bai Long's claim of finding clues about Concubine Yun was just a cover, either to lure out Han Tong, the leader of the Luotian Sect, or to lure out the mole in the Secret Service.

But he was the only one who knew best that this was indeed where Concubine Yun was hiding. Given the level of detail in the Secret Service's search, it was only a matter of time before Concubine Yun was found.

But what Chen Ji found strange was that Nanny Xitang's betrayal was very sudden, not a day earlier or later, but today.

He took a deep breath and walked deeper into the alley. "Xifeng, you lead the search on the left, and I'll lead the search on the right."

Xifeng subconsciously turned his head to look at Jinzhu. They were both pigeon-level spies, and in terms of rank, it was not Chen Ji's turn to command him.

But when the Golden Pig saw Xifeng looking at him, he nodded imperceptibly, signaling Xifeng to do as he was told.

Chen Ji led more than 20 secret agents in the alley, searching house by house. Occasionally, his eyes glanced at a house deep in the alley, his brows furrowed.

Where are the dark clouds?
Logically, Wuyun should be responsible for taking care of Concubine Yun at this time, so why is there no trace of Wuyun yet?
Wait, since the dark cloud is not here, it means that Concubine Yun is not here either.

Chen Ji glanced at the other spies and walked straight to the house deep in the alley. He just pushed the door lightly with his palm, and it opened with a creak.

There was no bolt on the inside.

He walked in and saw that the vegetable basket that Concubine Yun had carried yesterday was placed on the Eight Immortals Table in the room, and in the basket, there was a piece of paper placed diagonally.

Chen Ji walked quickly forward and unfolded the paper. His pupils suddenly contracted. The paper clearly stated when, where, and how Prince Jing had instructed Concubine Yun to contact the Military Intelligence Department of Jing Dynasty. Prince Jing was the mastermind behind all this, and Concubine Yun was just following orders!
what happened?

Was this letter left behind intentionally by Concubine Yun? If so, then could it be that Nanny Xitang's sudden report to the Secret Service was also instructed by Concubine Yun?

But why did Concubine Yun do this? If this letter fell into the hands of the Secret Service, Prince Jing would lose everything and there would be no turning back.

Chen Ji stood in the room like a sculpture, letting the dust in the air slowly fall on his shoulders.

A moment of kindness almost led to a big mistake.

At this moment, Yun Yang suddenly said from the high roof: "Hey, Chen Ji suddenly went into a house alone for a long time. Is there any problem?"

Jiaotu's face was covered by the bamboo hat and he said slowly, "What problem can there be? Mengji has tried him twice. If there is a real problem, how can Mengji not tell you? Besides, Jinzhu is such a cautious old man, how could he leave such a big trouble around him?"

Yun Yang frowned: "I always feel something is wrong."

Jiaotu took off his bamboo hat, lay flat on his back and looked at him with squinting eyes: "If it were up to me, we should just admit our mistakes honestly. We can fight, and he can use his brain. If we can work together, wouldn't the Minister of Internal Affairs reward us with a lot of cultivation resources?"

Yun Yang glanced at her and said, "We are already enemies."

Jiaotu smiled and said, "It's just a few stabs. How can it be considered a grudge? There are only eternal interests in this world, not eternal hatred. At most, I can sacrifice my looks. How can a young and strong man like him resist such temptation?"

Yun Yang said firmly: "No!"

Jiaotu snorted and covered his face with the hat again.

Yun Yang whispered, "I'll go take a look."

After saying that, he leaped down, and his body landed on the ground lightly like a piece of paper in the air.

Yun Yang quietly came to the door of that family, and then suddenly pushed the door open: "What are you doing?!"

Inside the house, Chen Ji was tapping the wall with his knuckles. When he saw Yun Yang pushing the door open, he asked in surprise, "I'm searching this family. Why is Lord Yun Yang here?"

Yun Yang walked around Chen Ji suspiciously: "Why did you search for so long?"

Chen Ji said helplessly: "Master Yunyang, all my colleagues have searched so carefully, what's wrong with me doing this?"

The next moment, Yun Yang sneered, "Stand still, or I'll kill you."

He searched Chen Ji's clothes up and down, trying to see if Chen Ji had hidden anything, but after searching for a long time, he found nothing.

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Lord Yunyang, there was a misunderstanding between us before, but now we are colleagues. Let's put aside our suspicions for the time being and work hard for the Lord Internal Minister."

Yun Yang also laughed: "That's great. You continue searching, and I'll go look somewhere else."

He turned and walked out the door.

The Chenji in the house and the Yunyang outside the house all stopped smiling.

……

…The sky gets dark especially early in winter, and pedestrians return home in a hurry with their heads down.

Jin Zhu led Chen Ji into a noodle stall, cursing. He sat at the eight-immortal table and rubbed his cold hands. "Is Bai Long really reliable? It's so cold, and so many people have been searching for a whole day, but they didn't even see the shadow of Yun Fei. It's clearly a false clue."

Chen Ji took out his chopsticks and asked the store owner for hot water to rinse them: "Sir, please be patient. Finding Concubine Yun is the top priority now. Even if there are false clues, they must be verified one by one."

When the store owner brought the hot beef noodles, Jin Zhu put all the beef into Chen Ji's bowl and said, "Eat quickly, and then go home and have a rest. We don't know what the white dragon will do tomorrow."

Chen Ji hummed.

At this moment, Jin Zhu stopped eating noodles, looked up and glanced at him, and suddenly reminded him: "Don't have any bad thoughts, remember what I said, forget what you should forget, this is fate."

"Life?"

The Golden Pig smiled and said, "Everything is determined by fate and cannot be controlled by humans."

Chen Ji looked at the beef in the bowl in front of him and said, "Master Jinzhu, if you could live again, would you choose to be a good person or a bad person?"

The Golden Pig thought for a moment and said, "Evil man."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Why?"

The Golden Pig smiled and said, "The thing I want to do most cannot be done by a nice person. Come and eat."

Chen Ji hummed, lowered his head and finished the beef noodles in a few mouthfuls: "My lord, I'm back, you should go back and rest early too."

"Ah? Eat so fast!" Jinzhu looked up in surprise and saw Chen Ji standing up and walking into the night alone.

……

……

Outside the door, the cold wind blew, and Chen Ji felt that even the white air he exhaled would immediately freeze into ice.

His stomach felt a little bloated, and the page of paper he had swallowed earlier could not be digested in his stomach. He tightened his collar, lowered his head, and walked away in the cold wind.

After an unknown amount of time, he arrived in front of a dark alley and whispered, "Nine Heavens Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun?"

The next moment, Wuyun meowed in the shadows of the alley, motioning for him to follow.

Chen Ji stood at the entrance of the alley, seemingly hesitant and conflicted, but he finally caught up and stopped in front of a dilapidated wooden door.

He raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door with his knuckles: "Madam, open the door."

The wooden door was suddenly opened. Concubine Yun was dressed in a simple manner like a neighbor's lady, with a cold look in her eyes: "How did you find this place? Why are you haunting here?! If your military intelligence department is so powerful, why was it wiped out by the eunuch party?"

Chen Ji raised his head and looked directly at Concubine Yun: "Madam, there is no one in Luo City that I can't find now, and it's useless for you to hide. I came here tonight because I have many questions to ask you... Let's go in and talk."

Concubine Yun silently moved aside and closed the door tightly.

Chen Ji stood in the small courtyard, with his back to Concubine Yun, and slowly spoke: "Madam, do you hate the prince?"

Concubine Yun looked calm: "Why do you hate him?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "I hate that he has ignored you for so many years... I secretly hid the letter of denunciation you left in Minzhong Lane."

Concubine Yun's expression changed: "You hid it? What does this have to do with you? Why do you want to meddle in other people's business?"

Chen Ji said softly, "Do you know that if your letter is found by the Secret Service, Prince Jing, the Crown Prince, and the Princess will surely die. In fact, the prince knows that the Princess is not his biological daughter. The look on his face when he saw Han Tong that day should indicate that you knew all this. There is no need to kill him for this."

Concubine Yun was silent for a long time, then sneered, "He knows, of course he knows! Because he has never touched me since he married me into the palace!"

Chen Ji was stunned. He had intended to deceive Concubine Yun, but he never expected that the truth he deceived would be like this.

Concubine Yun walked into the room and sat down. She stared at Chen Ji coldly: "I gave birth to Baili to anger him, but I didn't expect that he was not angry at all. Instead, he treated Baili as his own child. The most terrifying look in the world is not looking down on you, but that he never wants to look at you."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Concubine Yun said coldly: "Over the years, the people have said that Prince Jing is a good prince. How could they know that the good prince they are talking about is just a loyal thug of Emperor Ning. He married me for the Luo Tian Sect behind me. Now that he is dying, he wants to take the Liu family and the Luo Tian Sect into the grave together. Why?"

Chen Ji asked softly, "Is the prince going to die?"

Concubine Yun covered her mouth and laughed: "It seems that you only know a little bit. Three years ago, Feng Daban brought the Shengyu Pill from the capital. It was the one that Huangshan Dao Court gave to Emperor Ning. Now the three-year period has expired, and he will die soon."

Chen Ji suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Prince Jing didn't even look at the Shengyu Pill that Concubine Jing brought back, because the other party had already eaten one, and it would be useless to eat another one.

It turns out that Prince Jing is really going to die...but what about the Crown Prince and Bai Li?
Concubine Yun said slowly, "For so many years, I have only had one wish, which is to give birth to a boy. I have done so many things for him, dispatched Luo Tian Sect for him, raised food and grass for him, and raised military funds for him, but he was unwilling to give me this opportunity even if he was about to die."

Chen Ji asked, "So you deliberately didn't tell the prince and princess about the ambush in Hongyi Lane Gold Square, tricking them into going to their deaths and exterminating Prince Jing's heir?"

Concubine Yun looked at him in surprise: "No wonder Zhu Yunxi and Baili are safe and sound, it turns out you are the one who is interfering."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "But Baili is your daughter."

Concubine Yun chuckled: "The prince only has Baili in his eyes, and now even Han Tong only has Baili in his eyes, but their retribution has come. The prince believed that Emperor Ning would let his offspring go, but he didn't expect that Emperor Ning wanted to cut off the roots from the beginning."

"What's wrong with Baili?"

Concubine Yun stood up and said hysterically, "What have I done wrong?"

Chen Ji looked at Concubine Yun and said softly, "Madam, I have been hesitating about what kind of person I want to be. I asked my master, and he said that the heart can be warm, but the blood must be cold; I asked Mr. Wang, and he said that we should do things according to our conscience, otherwise there will be a piece missing in our heart."

Chen Ji said, "Today I have been thinking about what they said. Both teachers have their reasons. But what Master Jinzhu said makes more sense. What he wants to do cannot be done by good people, so he can only be a bad person. I am the same."

He continued, "Prince Jing is not a good man. He sacrificed so many people for their plan. But the princess shouldn't be buried with you. The moment she closed the door today, I thought that I must let her live."

Concubine Yun frowned. "You want to kill me? I have already written down your identity as a thief of the Jing Dynasty. If you kill me, someone will naturally send that page to the Secret Service."

"I'm afraid I can't deliver it."

As he was speaking, the dark cloud jumped onto Chen Ji's shoulder with a piece of paper in its mouth. As soon as it let go, the piece of paper fell into Chen Ji's hand.

Chen Ji walked into the room and placed the page of paper on the candlelight in front of Concubine Yun: "Is this the page you are talking about, Madam?"

Concubine Yun watched the page of paper burn little by little. The flames lit up her face and then gradually dimmed.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at Chen Ji: "I am Bai Li's biological mother. If you kill me, how will you face her in the future? Even if she doesn't know, every day after that, whenever you see her face, you will remember that you killed her mother with your own hands!"

Chen Ji let go of his hand, letting the paper burn into ashes and drift away. The fire in his eyes gradually died down. "I know, as long as she is alive, that's all."

After that, he pulled out a short knife from his sleeve: "I'm sorry, ma'am."

After a moment, Chen Ji pushed the door open and walked out of the dim alley step by step.

Wuyun jumped into his arms and looked up at him: "Are you okay?"

Chen Ji walked towards Anxi Street. He stopped and looked back.

The East Market, which should have been brightly lit, was now completely dark. The long blue brick street stretched to the end of the world, like a road of no return that stretched into the abyss.

"dark clouds."

"Ok?"

“I can’t be a good person anymore.”

(End of this chapter)