Green Mountain
Chapter 222 - 175, The Blood Must Be Cold_2

Chapter 222: 175, The Blood Must Be Cold_2

Jiao Tu widened her eyes and interrupted, "Fat Pig, are you threatening us? Be careful, or I might prick you. Do you remember back on Wunian Mountain, when others bullied you, I helped you."

Jin Zhu pouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Weren’t you the one who bullied me the most?!"

Jiao Tu cocked her head, her gaze drifting past Jin Zhu’s chubby head to Chen Ji standing behind him, "Young man, do you want to continue working with us? We had a good time cooperating before."

Yun Yang also chimed in, "In the Spy Department’s ’Top Three Zodiacs,’ Lord Binghu’s whereabouts are unknown, and Heavenly Horse likes to be alone. In terms of ability and authority, Lord Bai Long surely leads. Working with us is essentially working with Lord Bai Long, promising a great future."

Jin Zhu’s face changed, "Recruiting in front of me? Is there no law anymore?"

Jiao Tu smiled and said, "He was originally brought into the Spy Department by us."

Ignoring her, Jin Zhu turned and waved at Heavenly Horse, standing in white on a distant rooftop, "Heavenly Horse, look over here, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu want to chat with you!"

Yun Yang glanced at Heavenly Horse and, without waiting for him to approach, turned to Chen Ji with a meaningful look, "From now on, we will be colleagues; surely there will be opportunities to cooperate, let’s go, Jiao Tu."

With that, he pulled the reluctant Jiao Tu to stand behind Bai Long.

Jin Zhu lowered his voice and said to Chen Ji, "The factions within the Ritual Supervision are numerous, and these two have always been working for Bai Long, lawlessly! Follow me and Heavenly Horse in the future, and we can protect you thoroughly. Later, we will find an opportunity to kill one of them, and you will be the new Zodiac!"

Chen Ji looked perplexed, "Do we really need to kill one?"

Jin Zhu, matter-of-factly, retorted, "Otherwise, how will you become a Zodiac? Killing both is also an option!"

Chen Ji curiously asked, "Isn’t there any vacant position?"

Jin Zhu shook his head, "No."

Chen Ji pressed further, "Among the Top Three, there are Bai Long, Heavenly Horse, and Binghu. Bai Long has Jiao Tu and Yun Yang, who is under Heavenly Horse?"

Jin Zhu lowered his voice, "Currently, it’s just me in Heavenly Horse’s camp, but don’t worry. Once you become a Zodiac, our influence will increase."

Chen Ji looked puzzled, "So, are the rest all Binghu’s men?"

"Nono," Jin Zhu counted on his fingers, "Prisoner manages the inner prison, hiding inside the stinky place, disowning everyone; Corpse Dog wanders alone leading a group, specifically helping the Lord Prime Minister with grave digging; the mountain bull is the Lord Prime Minister’s personal guard, always sitting in the Jiefan Building without stepping out; Meng Ji is quite cunning, working for whoever pays; there are also Xuan Snake and Treasure Monkey, these two are Lord Wu Xiu’s men."

Chen Ji had heard the name ’Wu Xiu’ several times and questioned, "Who is Lord Wu Xiu?"

Jin Zhu reminded, "Lord Wu Xiu is the Chief Eunuch Bingbi, close to His Majesty. If you ever go to the Imperial Capital, don’t provoke him; he holds grudges."

After finishing, he added, "But remember, no matter whom we deal with in the end, we are all working for the Lord Prime Minister. Just remember this and you won’t make any grave mistakes."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Has Lord Bai Long always been beside the Lord Prime Minister in these years?"

Jin Zhu recalled, "About half the time. However, if the Prime Minister has extremely important matters, he will prioritize handing them over to him. You have to be cautious of him, he has a thick face and a black heart, extremely malicious, and half of the Spy Department’s atrocities over the years are his doing... Why do you ask this?"

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "Lord Jin Zhu, where is Mr. Feng currently?"

Jin Zhu, annoyed upon hearing ’Mr. Feng,’ said, "How would I know that? I only found out he was one of us in Dragon King Village. Clearly, he is one of our own, yet he beat me so harshly from some unknown grudge! If I encounter him in the department in the future, I must trip him up!"

Chen Ji lowered his head, silent.

Jin Zhu curiously asked, "What are you thinking?"

Chen Ji spoke softly, "Thank you, Lord Jin Zhu, for clearing things up."

"What’s there to thank," Jin Zhu laughed and patted his shoulder, "When that old man, Feng, dragged me away, you were willing to draw your sword for me, which makes you one of us."

Chen Ji shook his head, "In the end, I didn’t do anything."

Jin Zhu looked toward the deep and long trail of blood in the Liu Mansion, and mused, "In this corrupt world, everyone is impelled by circumstances beyond their control. Having that intention is enough."

He continued with a smile, "However, if next time it’s you being dragged behind a horse and I don’t draw my sword, consider that I’ve drawn it in my heart. Don’t blame me."

Chen Ji gave a wry smile, unable to determine whether Jin Zhu was telling the truth or lying, and simply agreed, "Okay."

Jin Zhu asked, "You’ve been running around these past few days, do you need to rest a bit?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "Lord, lend me a horse and a Spy Department waist tag. My master and two senior brothers are still in the city, I need to go find them."

...

...

At dawn, Chen Ji galloped on the official road, the bustling crowd and ox carts of the previous days nowhere to be seen.

The South Gate of Luocheng City was no longer tightly closed; the troops from the Military Department had vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar military banner at the city gate, and the bloodstains on the stone road inside the gate had not yet been cleaned up.

Along the way, the taverns, grain and oil shops, noodle stalls, and garment shops were all tightly shuttered—a scene of desolation, resembling an isolated military town beyond the desert.

When Chen Ji arrived in front of Prince Jing Mansion, there were more than ten Jiefan Guards guarding it.

He dismounted, lead the horse forward, and the Jiefan Guard unsheathed their waist knives, sternly shouting, "Stop!"