Aoyama

Chapter 258 White Dragon
The man from Los Angeles, murderous intent amidst the sulfur.

Chen Ji fell into deep thought. Why did a group of people who came all the way from Luo City hide in Taohuaifang to make firearms?
Old Wu contacted Jing Chao and passed a note to the people of Luocheng at the same time... Could this firearm be used to blow open the city gate? No, it's not that simple.

Chen Ji turned his head and looked out the window. On the distant city wall, the figures of border soldiers were coming and going.

The hustle and bustle on the city wall and the silence inside the city seem like two different worlds, and the secret of Guyuan seems to be hidden in Taohuaifang.

At this time, Xiaoman took out a few steamed buns, a plate of pickles, and a plate of bacon from the food box and placed them on the table: "Everyone, come and eat... Sir?"

Before she finished speaking, she looked up and saw Chen Ji turning around and about to leave: "You guys eat first, I have to go out for a while."

Chen Ji picked up the whale knife leaning against the door, thought for a moment, and put it down again.

Zhang Xia asked curiously, "Do you want to go to Taohuaifang to investigate? There are secret agents there..."

She recalled: "When I passed by, the owner of Baofengzhai Dim Sum Shop on the street was still doing business even though everything had been searched by the border troops. He sat at the door and could just see everyone on East Street. The owner of Wangji Tailor Shop was wearing clothes that didn't fit her... I just pretended to be a passerby. You must be careful."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen," Chen Ji said with emotion, "I really wish I could have a brain like Miss Zhang Er."

Zhang Xia smiled and said, "I wish I had a male body."

Chen Ji opened the door and Xiao Man quickly picked up two steamed buns, wrapped them in a clean white handkerchief, walked to the door, and stuffed them into his arms: "Sir, you haven't eaten for a day, take two steamed buns with you to eat on the way!"

Chen Ji picked up the steamed bun and went out. He didn't ride a horse. He took big bites of the steamed bun and strode towards Taohuaifang.

Along the way, there were no vendors and no one set up stalls. Neighbors stood in groups outside their houses, complaining loudly about the porridge cooked by the border troops and counting how much food had been requisitioned from their homes.

Chen Ji walked through the crowd and heard someone say loudly: "More than ten kilograms of millet, five kilograms of corn, and a jar of pickled cabbage were taken away from my house, and in the end they gave us such watery porridge?"

"Yes, the border troops also took away a bunch of sausages from my house. I just made them before the New Year!"

"Let's go and talk to the border troops. Will the imperial court give the common people a way out?"

"Old Li, do you have any food hidden at home? I just heard a nice smell coming from your house, can you lend me a pound?"

Old Li quickly waved his hands: "No, no, I don't have any food stored at home, don't slander me!"

Chen Ji walked through the hustle and bustle, lowered his head and finished the steamed bun in his hand.

When we arrived at Taohuaifang, we could smell sulfur from afar. Sulfur itself is odorless, but it will produce hydrogen sulfide gas after combining with organic matter, and the sour smell of rotten eggs will linger.

When Chen Ji walked into Taohuaifang Quli Street, the street was calm, as if nothing had happened.

The owner of Baofengzhai and the proprietress of the tailor shop just glanced at him and then looked away, then went on with their own things as if nothing had happened.

The next moment, when Chen Ji swaggered towards Mr. Li's door.

The owner of Baofengzhai, the proprietress of the tailor shop, and the old night watchman who was sleeping against the wall suddenly looked at him again.

Those gazes were like a net, covering him completely. With every step he took, the other party's gazes turned a little.

The owner of Baofengzhai slowly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, and the proprietress of the tailor shop pulled out a soft sword from her belt.

dong dong dong.

Chen Ji knocked on the gate as if no one was around.

The door creaked open, revealing a gap the size of a palm.

A middle-aged man looked in coldly from the crack of the door: "Young man, have you come to the wrong place?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "I'm here to find someone."

The middle-aged man said expressionlessly: "I think you are not here to find someone, but to die..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Ji took out his Saker Falcon ivory token from his sleeve and held it in front of the crack in the door.

The middle-aged man's eyes widened little by little: "Sir?"

Sure enough, this is someone from the Secret Service!

Chen Ji put away the ivory cards, stared at the middle-aged man and asked, "Why, you won't let me in?"

The middle-aged man hesitated. He couldn't make up his mind for a moment and could only look back.

Chen Ji was immediately certain that there must be a spy in this courtyard who was equal to him, or even higher in rank than him. He asked calmly, "Who is in charge here?"

The middle-aged man did not answer, looking hesitant.

After a while, someone in the yard chuckled: "Forget it, let him in. You know you can't hide it from him."

As soon as these words were spoken, the owner of Baofengzhai and the proprietress of the tailor shop put away their weapons. The old night watchman curled up on the ground again, hugged his arms and continued to take a nap.

The man slowly opened the door, revealing more than a dozen spies holding knives and axes behind him, with murderous intent surging.

Behind the spies, a middle-aged scholar in a blue shirt was holding a book in his right hand and a slice of freshly peeled orange in his left hand. He was looking at Chen Ji with a half-smile.

Mr. Feng, White Dragon!

It turned out that Bailong came to Guyuan in person!
Chen Ji's pupils shrank slightly, and he bowed and saluted: "Mr. Feng, how are you?"

Mr. Feng laughed: "You are so brave to just barge in like this. Aren't you afraid that you might guess the wrong place and lose your life?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "If you dare to break in here, you must be fully confident."

Mr. Feng waved to the spies and said, "Go out. I want to talk to Mr. Chen alone."

The spies clasped their fists and said, "Yes."

Someone blew a copper whistle, and three clear magpie calls were heard. The spies filed out of the courtyard gate, and the sound of their departing footsteps could be heard on the roof.

After the gate closed, Bai Long put down the book in his hand, smiled and sat on the stone bench in the yard: "I am really worried that you will call me Lord Bai Long. Then I am afraid that I will kill all the spies who hear it. It would be a pity to kill these capable subordinates."

He examined the traces and said, "How did you find this place? Old Wu doesn't know what happened in Taohuaifang."

After that, he lowered his head and thought: "Could it be that the smell of sulfur gathered in this workshop attracted you? So, you know that the firearm formula requires sulfur... How did you know?"

Chen Ji's heart trembled. Bai Long was too clever.

He quickly explained: "It was the owner of Baofengzhai and the owner of the tailor shop on this street who were exposed."

Bai Long sighed, "A bunch of idiots, they can't even hide properly. After we finish the matter in Guyuan, send them all back to Wunian Mountain to train for a few more years, and then come out to work after you're trained well."

Chen Ji said calmly, "Why did you change back to Mr. Feng's identity and come to Guyuan?"

Bai Long smiled and said, "When is it your turn to ask me about my plans? When I saw you a few days ago, I was wondering why you came to Guyuan."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "Didn't you try to transfer the prince's staff to persuade him to summon the Chen family?"

Bai Long said calmly, "It is true that I transferred away his staff. Two of them were transferred away before he left Beijing, and two were killed after he left Beijing. I haven't found the other one yet, and I don't know where he is hiding. But this is not for you. I have other purposes."

At this point, Bai Long's voice gradually turned cold: "I only told you to lurk in the Chen family before, but I didn't tell you to approach the prince. Why did you take the initiative?"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Bai Long sneered, "Do you think I can't help you save the princess, so you just want to find someone better? I advise you to forget it. The prince is only thinking about how to inherit the country and will never disobey Your Majesty for you. Remember, I am the only one who dares to help you, and I am the only one who is willing to help you."

Chen Ji bowed and said, "I'll remember this."

Bai Long looked at his expression and immediately laughed in anger: "You are the first one who dares to play double game with me. If I didn't value your talent, you would be a corpse by now."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Thank you for not killing me, sir."

Bai Long put down the scroll in his hand and said lightly: "However, since you are already valued by the prince, you should continue to stay by his side. I just happen to be useful."

Chen Ji bowed and asked, "What does your Excellency need me to do?"

Bai Long thought for a moment and said, "Keep a close eye on the prince. Report to me every day who he meets and where he goes."

Chen Ji carefully probed: "What do you want to do, sir?"

Bai Long smiled and said, "If I say that I intend to get rid of the crown prince for Prince Fu, would you believe it?"

Chen Ji didn't believe it.

(End of this chapter)