Third Master Hu stood at the kitchen door, with boiling mutton soup in the pot behind him and firewood crackling in the hearth.

He carefully scrutinized Chen Ji, who stood calmly in the courtyard, as if nothing was amiss.

But Third Master Hu wasn’t dealing with Chen Ji for the first time; he knew the calmer Chen Ji appeared, the bigger the matter: "I haven’t heard of any major incident in the Imperial Capital, so why are you making arrangements for what comes after... Is it because of the Qi family? I’ve heard about them slandering you too, but a little slander won’t hurt, everyone will forget in a few years."

Chen Ji smiled: "Stop guessing, Third Master, we planned to leave long ago, just got delayed by some things."

Third Master Hu pondered for a moment: "The sooner, the better?"

Chen Ji nodded.

Third Master Hu stopped asking questions, went inside to put on a fur coat, and slung his Nine-Ring Saber at his waist: "Then let’s go now, I’ll personally take you out of the city."

This time Chen Ji was surprised: "So soon?"

Third Master Hu sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, bending over to tie his leggings: "There was originally a shipment to be sent out; sending it a day early doesn’t matter. However, you can’t go south as you said, you’ll have to go north to Changping. The credentials and Little Nine are there, even if something happens, they can take care."

Chen Ji thought about it, it was indeed more comprehensive this way: "Alright... thank you."

Third Master Hu grinned, stood up, stamped his foot to make sure the leggings were secure, and then said: "I know you never owe favors, but you and my lamp are life-and-death friendships, saying thanks is too polite. You go pack your luggage, at noon, a caravan of mules will pass outside Shaojiu Alley, the convoy won’t stop. The last vehicle will be empty for you, just get on the vehicle, don’t say anything."

Chen Ji nodded: "Alright."

He was about to leave when Third Master Hu grabbed his wrist.

Chen Ji turned his head: "What’s the matter?"

Third Master Hu stared at him with that cloudy white of his eyes: "Don’t handle everything by yourself, rely on parents at home, rely on friends outside, today you owe me a favor, tomorrow you repay one, that’s how everyone has walked the Jianghu night road."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then smiled and said: "Got it."

...

...

Chen Ji didn’t return to Shaojiu Alley, instead, he found a teahouse on Chessboard Street and sat in a corner.

The teahouse wasn’t big, with seventeen or eighteen tables, all packed full.

There was a coal furnace at the entrance, filled with honeycomb briquettes. The iron kettle used for boiling water was bubbling with white steam, and the staff dashed about with a tea tray, shouting "Excuse me, excuse me."

Chen Ji ordered a pot of fine-end tea and a plate of sunflower seeds. The waiter came over with a large bronze kettle, poured boiling water into a bowl, and a scent of jasmine flower spread.

He brought the tea bowl to his mouth but didn’t drink, just listened to the movement around through the steaming water vapor.

"Let me tell you, the Liang family’s Saber Technique, that’s truly amazing," said a middle-aged man in a grey cotton robe, tapping the table with saliva flying everywhere: "My uncle once saw Old Sir Liang in action firsthand in Luocheng City. His Sword Gang could kill people from a distance; the head of the bandit intercepting the dart flew, and his body ran two more steps before falling."

The young man at the same table was captivated, leaning forward: "So incredible?"

The middle-aged man took a sip of tea, wiped his mouth with his sleeve: "Could it be fake? The Liang Family’s Saber Technique has been passed down through so many generations, each one a master, but alas..."

At this point, he deliberately elongated his voice, teasingly withholding the punchline.

The young man became anxious: "Alas, what? Tell us!"

The middle-aged man lowered his voice mysteriously: "Alas, Liang Gou’er, Liang Mao’er, they ran away with the Princely Heir of Prince Jing’s Mansion, I’ve also heard an old imperial physician from Prince Jing Mansion was with them."

"Ran away? Where did they go?"

The middle-aged man shrugged: "How should I know? Anyhow, they went with Chen Ji to break into the inner prison, and since then there’s been no news."

Chen Ji sipped the tea lightly.

He was now certain the information must have leaked out from She Dengke.

After they broke into the inner prison back then, the Spy Department did not issue a wanted poster, outsiders shouldn’t have known Liang Gou’er and Liang Mao’er were involved, and no one should have known Old Yao was with them.

But Chen Ji couldn’t figure out how this information got out, and how it spread to the Imperial Capital?

At this moment, a young man beside him helped voice his inner doubts: "Where did you hear all this information from?"

The middle-aged man picked up his tea bowl to moisten his throat: "It’s said that after She Dengke broke into the inner prison last year, he brought hundreds of taels of silver, and took a maiden to seek refuge with relatives."

Chen Ji’s hand, holding the tea bowl, slightly paused.

The middle-aged man continued: "That She Dengke went to his relatives with the silver, and in the end, the wealth was exposed. His relative conspired with the villagers, on New Year’s Eve last year, they set a trap to first invite him for drinks, then gambled with him. That foolish lad, She Dengke, had never seen such a situation? A few rounds in, hundreds of taels of silver were all lost."

The teahouse was filled with sighs: "Hundreds of taels of silver, lost just like that?"

The middle-aged man sighed, "Lost all the silver, and the girl argued with him, said he was useless. Originally, the silver was going to be used to buy more than ten acres of land, but it all went to gambling. Later, they lived in hardship, quarreling every day until the girl finally left."

Chen Ji bowed his head, gazing at the tea leaves floating in his bowl, uncertain whether this news was true or not.

Someone leaned closer to ask, "Where did the girl go?"

The middle-aged man shook his head, "Who knows? Anyway, She Dengke searched for her a long time without success, then returned to Luocheng City to assist his father and brother in running gatherings. Once, after drinking too much, someone at the gathering mentioned Chen Ji in the Imperial Capital. He then boasted about how formidable he was once, broke people out of prison with Chen Ji, rescued people, saw big scenes."

The young man curious, "So the story of the prison break came out just like that?"

The middle-aged man glanced around, lowered his voice, "The way he described those events, it seemed so detailed, like how Chen Ji tricked open the inner prison’s gate and took people out... Well, he made it sound real. Unless he’s experienced it firsthand, how could he fabricate it in such detail?"

The young man asked, "If Chen Ji’s prison break story is true, what would be the crime?"

The middle-aged man thought for a moment, "According to Daning Law, anyone involved in a prison break faces execution regardless of their role. But Chen Ji’s crime isn’t simply a prison break; he’s involved in Prince Jing’s rebellion. That would mean extermination of the nine tribes, implicating the entire Chen family. This also involves many others, as it’s said Prince Jing’s heir fled Luocheng City with help from nobles... I’ve heard it was the Zhang family, Zhang Zhuo was serving as the Magistrate in Luocheng City then."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji drained his cup of tea, tossed a piece of broken silver on the table, and got up to leave.

He returned to Shaojiu Alley, the aroma of meals wafting from inside, Brother Pao and Er Dao had also returned, packing tents in the courtyard.

Xiao Man was in the kitchen, humming a tune while cooking, hearing the door open, she popped out with a spatula in hand: "Master, wash up, Zhang Zheng and Sister Axia are packing their things and will come soon, they’re going with us to Luocheng City. Zhang Zheng said there are still many places we haven’t explored in Luocheng City, he’ll take us to have fun then."

Xiao Man chattered, "Once we arrive in Luocheng City, we can stay at the Zhang family’s residence, no need to stay at an inn. The Zhang family has assets in Jinling too, heard there’s a big garden by the Qinhuai River..."

Listening for a while, Chen Ji suddenly interrupted, "We’re not waiting for them, let’s leave now, Lamp’s mule cart will arrive soon."

Xiao Man froze, spatula halted mid-air, "Weren’t we supposed to leave by evening?"

She hurriedly added, "I’ve already told Sister Axia, we’re going to Luocheng City together, how could we not wait for them? They’re coming soon, waiting a little shouldn’t matter, right? Master, since the Commandery Princess left, you’ve already married Sister Axia at Chongli Pass, maybe..."

At that moment, the sound of hooves echoed through Shaojiu Alley, Wu Yun meowed on the roof edge.

Chen Ji lowered his eyelids, calmly said, "Xiao Man, at Chongli Pass, Zhang Xia and I only acted for appearances, there wasn’t any affection between a man and woman. She didn’t fancy me initially, it was only after I saved her twice did her feelings change, but gratitude isn’t love. Now I owe her nothing, and vice versa, don’t randomly matchmake."

Chen Ji looked at Xiao Man, "Did you forget? We are sworn siblings."

Outside, the hoofbeats stopped, Zhang Xia and Zhang Zheng stood side by side with their horses.

Though separated by a gray tile white wall, it felt like a chasm.

Zhang Zheng wanted to rush into the courtyard to reason with Chen Ji, but Zhang Xia gripped his wrist firmly, holding him in place. In the next moment, Zhang Xia led Zaozao, turned abruptly, mounted her horse in Shaojiu Alley, and galloped away.

Hearing the hoofbeats, Xiao Man hurried out of the courtyard, shouting, "Sister Axia!"

In the courtyard, the little monk looked at Chen Ji and pressed his palms together in prayer, "Amitabha Buddha."

Chen Ji regarded him, "Don’t say anything, pack your things."

With that, he entered the main room alone, shutting the door tightly. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The little monk seeking help glanced at Brother Pao, "Benefactor Chen Chong, please advise Benefactor Chen Ji."

Brother Pao paused from his work, dusting his hands with contemplation, "This master here never likes to owe anyone, needs someone who won’t be pushed away or scattered, others can’t persuade him."

At that moment, the sound of armor and chaotic footsteps approached, encircling nearby Shaojiu Alley.

Before Brother Pao and the rest could react, the Five Cities Military Department charged into Shaojiu Alley, an Inspector General from the Imperial Inspection Office holding a driving letter, leading a group of Five Cities Military Department infantrymen, pushed Xiao Man into the yard.

The Inspector General announced loudly, "By order of the Imperial Inspection Office, apprehend the wanted criminal Chen Ji, no one is to act rashly."

More than twenty soldiers surrounded Brother Pao and others tightly, Xiao Man said profoundly, "This is the Marquis Wu Xiang’s residence, on what basis are you trespassing?"

The Inspector General didn’t even glance at her, his gaze fixed on the tightly closed door of the main room, "Marquis Wu Xiang, there’s witness testimony about the Luocheng City prison break case. The Right Imperial Censor of the Imperial Inspection Office has reported to Your Majesty, I’ve been ordered by the Imperial Inspection Office to arrest you and bring you to trial by the Three Judicial Departments."

No sound emerged from the main room.

The courtyard fell silent, only the breathing of the Five Cities Military Department soldiers, the Inspector General growing impatient signaled with a hand, "Break the door!"

Just as two soldiers were about to move forward, the door of the main room abruptly opened.

Chen Ji stood at the doorway, still dressed in simple attire.

He scanned the congested infantrymen in the courtyard, glanced at the Inspector General’s driving letter, finally focusing his gaze on the Inspector General, "Let’s go."

The Inspector General was momentarily stunned, he hadn’t expected Chen Ji to be so forthright.

Chen Ji walked away without looking back, stepping out of Shaojiu Alley, he saw Qi Zhenzhuo outside the alley sitting on horseback, clad in the armor of the Five Cities Military Department Commander, looking at him with a complex expression.

In a neglected corner, Wu Yun carried a newly written letter, leapt onto the roof, stepping across tiles heading westward.