Chapter 57 Choice
On a rainy night, Chen Ji took off his heavy raincoat and ran wildly wearing only a bamboo hat.

He looked down and saw a wound half the depth of a little finger nail, running from the collarbone to the chest.

The wound was still bleeding, and the blood mixed with rain water soaked the clothes.

Chen Ji could even feel that as the blood flowed out, his life was also slipping away bit by bit.

"What bad luck."

His original plan was to just take a light blow and then use the self-torture tactic to pretend to escape.

However, he was not a person who practiced cultivation all year round, and he lacked control over his body, causing the knife to hit him a bit too deeply.

At this moment, the wound was so painful that even the cold rain could not alleviate the burning sensation at all.

But now is not the time to think about the wound. Chen Ji tore off the hem of his clothes to make a simple bandage and turned back: "Hurry up and catch up. If we can't catch the renegade spy, Lord Si Cao will blame us, and neither you nor I can bear it!"

Jingchao spy: "..."

The two of them, one in front and one behind, broke through layers of rain and were getting farther and farther away from Red Lane.

When they ran far away, the spy from Jing Dynasty suddenly said breathlessly: "Sir, sir, don't run away, you have to tell me what's going on first!"

Chen Ji ran into an alley, and after making sure that no one was there, he said solemnly: "Asakura Casino is a trap. The Secret Service didn't catch anyone at all. Jin Zhu announced that he had caught someone because he wanted to lure you there."

The Jingchao spy was skeptical: "But we got the information..."

"An undercover spy, huh? Jin Zhu has already discovered his identity. He let you guys go on purpose!"

The spy still couldn't believe it. He tightened his grip on the knife handle and approached Chen Ji step by step: "Sir, do you have anything else that can prove your identity?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Bailu Pavilion, is this enough? You received a batch of goods at the 'Golden Square' in Hongyi Lane last night, right? The code is 'Luotian'!"

The spy didn't know the existence of Bailu Pavilion, so he didn't understand the first half of the sentence.

But he was one of the participants in the operation to receive the goods last night.

The spy knew very well that based on Chen Ji's understanding of this operation, if Chen Ji was a member of the Ning Dynasty's Secret Service, then they must have been surrounded and wiped out last night.

Therefore, Chen Ji could not be a member of the Secret Service Department, but could only be an undercover agent of the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department.

The spy looked at Chen Ji with awe and said, "Thank you for your hard work, brother. It's not easy to be an undercover agent. I just accidentally cut you."

Chen Ji pressed his hand and said, "We all work for Jing Dynasty. You didn't know my identity just now. I don't blame you."

The spy asked, "What do we do now?"

Chen Ji replied: "I already know where the defector is. Come with me to capture him."

However, the spy hesitated for a moment, and finally said firmly: "No, the police are still besieging the gambling house. I must go and tell them that it is a trap. So, tell me where the defecting spy is. After I report to the police, I will immediately lead people to meet you... Wait!"

The next second, Chen Ji suddenly pounced at the spy. The spy was terrified and wanted to raise his knife to resist, but Chen Ji hit him on the back of his hand with a thunderous punch.

With a clang, the knife fell onto the stone road.

"You?!" The spy's pupils shrank as the two men fought each other, punches colliding.

But Chen Ji at this moment was not as weak as he was in the gambling house. His every move was extremely fast, and he was simply unable to resist.

Clearly both of them were punching at the same time, but his fist was only halfway through when Chen Ji's fist hit him in the face.

The spy then realized that the other party was acting at the Asakura Casino!

Suddenly, Chen Ji had crouched down and used his shoulder and elbow to rush into the spy's arms.

The spy stepped back as if he was hit by a war horse and fell against the wall of the alley!

The Jingchao spy was already seriously injured from falling from the second floor. After this severe injury, he was almost out of breath and could only slowly kneel on the ground.

Chen Ji approached little by little, and the spy summoned up his last bit of strength, pulled out a dagger from his boot and stabbed him.

But Chen Ji kicked the dagger away, pulled the scabbard from the spy's waist, went around the back, and placed the scabbard across the spy's neck, strangling it tightly.

The two men fell backwards together. They lay on the bluestone road, looking up at the raindrops falling from the sky into the narrow alley.

It's like lying in a patio, with only a small corner of the world left in your view.

Chen Ji used both hands to crush the spy's Adam's apple with the scabbard, blocking his trachea.

The spy fell silent completely. Until his death, he could not understand why a secret agent from the Ning Dynasty knew so much about their Military Intelligence Department.

After a moment, Chen Ji stood up weakly and hid the spy among a pile of debris in the alley.

He stood in the rain for a moment, then finally picked up the spy's knife and walked out of the alley.

He's on a tight schedule tonight.

……

……

There are many shops on Anxi Street. Some shops will move away due to poor business, and new businessmen will move in.

The cloth shop closed down half a month ago, and the store has not been sold yet.

At this time, Chen Ji slowly climbed onto the roof next to the cloth shop, crouched down and walked carefully on the roof, overlooking the backyard of the cloth shop.

I went through so much trouble that night just to protect myself and not have my identity betrayed.

And now, the goal is right in front of us.

Chen Ji whispered to Wu Yun beside him: "Are you sure it's here?"

Wuyun nodded and meowed, "The tabby cat I asked about originally brought his younger brother here to stay, but was disturbed by that person and had to run to the street to avoid the rain."

Chen Ji looked strange: "How did you say that the tabby cat showed you the way? Didn't you say that it had a bad temper?"

Wuyun raised his head and waved his claws, "Hit hard! But I promised it that next time they fight with the cats on Anton Street, I will help them."

Chen Ji: “…” Are cats’ social relationships so complicated?

Wuyun looked at Chen Ji worriedly: "You look so bad, is your wound okay?"

"Something happened," Chen Ji said frankly, "but now there are more important things than the wound. Let's go and end this."

He clung to the eaves and gently landed in the backyard of the cloth shop, squatting on the ground like a cat and quietly looking around.

The main door of the house was wide open, and there was a bloody handprint on the open door.

Chen Ji pointed to the window to Wuyun, and the man and the cat went towards the main house from two directions.

The raindrops fall on the gray tile roof, making a pattering sound. If there were no fighting, it would definitely be a good day to wrap yourself in a quilt and take a nap.

Chen Ji came to the door of the main house with a long knife in hand... There was no ambush inside the house.

In the dim light, a dishevelled figure was lying flat on the ground, breathing weakly. The floor of the house was covered in blood, and the person lying on the ground had at least a dozen wounds on his body.

When Chen Ji approached, he saw the man on the ground turned over and took out a dagger from his hand, which cut towards Chen Ji's neck like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue!

Chen Ji raised his hand and used his long knife to block the dagger, but the opponent was like a leech, attacking viciously and continuously!
This person was obviously not an official, but his murderous aura far exceeded that of all the spies and secret agents Chen Ji had ever seen!

Chen Ji could only retreat step by step, waiting for the dark cloud to attack from behind.

At this time, the two sides, one chasing and the other retreating, came to the door of the main house.

But when the defecting spy saw the face under Chen Ji's hat with the help of the light outside, he cried out in surprise and retracted the dagger in an instant.

While Chen Ji was shocked, the other party fell to the ground without any preparation, and said weakly as if he had run out of energy: "Chen Ji, your uncle failed in the political struggle in Jing Dynasty, and someone is secretly eliminating all his followers! Si Cao is Lu Guanwu's man, they have already started, you have to be careful!"

After saying this, the other party seemed to have used up all his strength and lay down again.

Chen Ji: "..."

He imagined that there would be a fight after entering the house, and also imagined that the other party might have been seriously injured and died.

He originally came here to kill and silence the witness, but he didn't expect that the development of the story would completely subvert his imagination.

No wonder this person didn't flee outside the city, nor did he flee to a crowded place with good and bad people, but came to Anxi Street as if he was going to die. It turned out that he wanted to inform me...

But is what the other party said the truth, or is it a lie made up to survive? Chen Ji couldn't be sure.

He looked over and saw that the injured person was about 27 years old, pale and breathing weakly, dressed simply, like an ordinary sedan bearer or coolie.

Chen Ji felt dizzy due to blood loss. He leaned against the door frame with his knife and asked calmly, "How did you get yourself into this state? Why did Si Cao send people to hunt you down?"

The injured man lay on his back and laughed miserably: "I was trained by your uncle and sent to Ning Dynasty. Of course, Si Cao wanted to send someone to kill me the first time. Unfortunately, those scumbags can't stand a beating."

As he spoke, he raised his hand with great effort and spread out his five fingers: "I killed five of them. All five of them wanted to kill me but failed. Isn't that amazing?"

Chen Ji was unmoved: "How can I trust you?"

The injured man was silent for a moment, then he smiled and panted, "Not bad. I have taught you all these years and always told you not to listen to anyone. You finally listened to me."

Chen Ji was silent.

This person was actually my teaching teacher after I joined the Military Intelligence Department?

Judging from the current clues, the other party seems to be the person sent to Ning Dynasty by his uncle to lead him into the Military Intelligence Department.

But Chen Ji is no longer the same Chen Ji as before. He can't even call out the other person's name, and he can't believe what the other person says.

He had never met his uncle.

Moreover, there were many illogical inconsistencies in what the other party said: If Sicao really wanted to kill him, why didn't he kill him tonight at Taiping Medical Clinic?

Wait, if as I judged before, there is more than one person playing the role of Sicao, then is it possible that some people want to kill me and some don’t?

Uncertainty, too much uncertainty. Chen Ji felt as if his brain had been turned into turbid mud.

Chen Ji asked, "You were about to die, why did you risk your life to inform me?"

The injured man was obviously stunned for a moment. He slowly looked at Chen Ji and said in disbelief: "You and I have been partners for several years and brothers. Do you still need to ask this? Who do you think I, Wu Hongbiao, am?!"

Chen Ji: "..."

I really can't accept this.

He didn't even know what kind of friendship he had with Wu Hongbiao.

At this time, Wu Hongbiao slowly said: "I may not be able to return to Jing Dynasty, can I ask you for a favor?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "You say."

"The sister I mentioned to you is still in Jing Dynasty. If you have the chance to go back to Jing Dynasty one day, please be sure to ask your uncle to save her. Although he has resigned, he can still do this little thing, okay?!"

Chen Ji was silent. He couldn't agree.

When Wu Hongbiao saw that he didn't answer, he immediately became emotional, affecting his wound and making it difficult for him to breathe.

He paused for a long time, waiting for Chen Ji with angry eyes: "Chen Ji, why have you changed?! I was joking before that I would match you two up when I return to Jing Dynasty. Chen Ji, please, the Military Intelligence Department will not let her go after I defect. If your uncle doesn't save her, her life will be over."

Chen Ji still didn't answer. He picked up the knife, slowly walked to Wu Hongbiao, and put the blade against the other's carotid artery.

Wu Hongbiao widened his eyes and looked at him in disbelief.

In the dim room, all of Chen Ji's expressions were hidden under the shadow of his hat.

The rain outside suddenly stopped and the world became silent.

It seemed as if even fate was waiting for him to make a choice, whether to kill a person who 'might' risk his life to tip him off, but 'might' lead to his exposure.

Finally, Chen Ji put away the knife and slowly walked out of the house.

He stood in the yard, took a long breath, and said softly, "Wuyun, help me keep an eye on him."

(End of this chapter)