novelapdf 99. Undercover Agent
99. Undercover Agent
The morning mist had not yet dissipated when Hong Jiu stepped through the south gate of the capital. He disguised himself as an ordinary traveling merchant, his coarse clothes damp with dew, and a load of mountain goods and medicinal herbs slung over his shoulder. The guards gave him a cursory inspection and then waved him through.
The capital city was as bustling and prosperous as ever, with people coming and going in the streets and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filling the air. Hong Jiu, however, had no time to appreciate this prosperous scene. He lowered his straw hat and followed the route he remembered, winding his way through the streets until he entered a somewhat dilapidated neighborhood in the west of the city. The houses here were low and crowded, the streets were narrow, and the air was filled with a mixture of various smells.
Finally, he stopped in front of an inconspicuous black lacquered wooden door and knocked five times rhythmically, three long and two short.
The door creaked open a crack, revealing a pair of wary eyes. Only after recognizing Hong Jiu did the door open fully, and a lean man stepped aside to let him in.
"Ninth Master, why did you come in person?" The man asked in a low voice after closing the door. He was the head of the Seven Absolutes Manor's secret agents in the capital, codenamed "Grey Rat".
"The Master has urgent business to attend to." Hong Jiu put down his burden, his expression serious. "We need to establish a solid intelligence base in the dark market as soon as possible, specifically to collect information about the Royal Guards."
Upon hearing this, Gray Rat frowned slightly: "The Internal Security? That's a tough nut to crack. They operate covertly and are tightly organized, making it very difficult for outsiders to infiltrate."
Hong Jiu took out the two tokens with flame symbols from his pocket and handed them to Gray Rat: "Take a look at this."
Gray Rat took the token and examined it carefully. When his fingertips touched the tiny flame mark, his expression changed slightly: "This mark... is a bit strange. I feel like I've seen a similar pattern somewhere before, but I can't remember where."
"The Master suspects that the inner guards holding this kind of token may not be true royal inner guards, or that the inner guards have been infiltrated by some unknown force," Hong Jiu said in a deep voice. "We need to know the origin of this token and the force it represents. The Master specifically asked 'Old Ghost' to help with the identification."
"Old Ghost?" Gray Rat pondered. "He is indeed the person who knows the most about all kinds of hidden symbols and markings, but he has an eccentric temper and seems to have gotten into some trouble recently, so he has gone even deeper into hiding."
"We must find him no matter what," Hong Jiu said firmly. "This is the Master's order. At the same time, activate all our covert networks. Under the guise of procuring special supplies, inquiring about rare medicinal herbs, or searching for lost techniques, operate in the black market, paying close attention to any clues related to the Inner Guard. But remember, never inquire directly, lest you arouse suspicion."
"Understood." Gray Rat nodded. "I'll arrange manpower immediately. The dark market is a melting pot of all sorts of people, a good place to gather information, but also fraught with danger. We need to find a suitable shop as a cover."
"You handle this matter. Be quick and discreet," Hong Jiu instructed. "The manor lord will provide full support in terms of funding and manpower. I'll stay here for now and wait for Lao Gui's news."
Gray Rat accepted the order and sprang into action. His undercover agents, like drops of water merging into the ocean, began operating silently throughout the capital. Some scouted for suitable shops, some made contact with brokers and informants in the black market, and others were responsible for monitoring several known locations around the inner guards.
Hong Jiu remained patiently in the secret hideout arranged by Gray Rat. He knew the capital was a dangerous place, especially since it involved the Imperial Guard; a single misstep could lead to utter ruin. Lin Mo had entrusted him with such an important mission, and he absolutely could not betray that trust.
Three days later, in the evening, the gray rat brought news.
"Ninth Master, we've found Old Ghost," Gray Rat whispered. "He's agreed to meet, but he'll choose the location, and you're the only one allowed to go."
"Where?" Hong Jiu asked.
"Outside the city, at a mass grave, at midnight."
Hong Jiu's eyes narrowed. The mass grave, midnight—the old ghost's choice of location and time was eerie.
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. Hong Jiu left the city alone and came to the desolate mass grave in the west of the city. The mournful cries of owls rang out from time to time, and phosphorescent lights flickered among the graves.
At midnight, a hunched figure emerged like a ghost from behind a dilapidated tombstone. He wore a large black cloak with the brim pulled low, obscuring his face; it was Old Ghost.
"Did you bring the things?" Old Ghost's voice was hoarse and dry, like two stones rubbing against each other.
Hong Jiu took out the two tokens and handed them over.
Old Ghost reached out his withered hand and took the token; his fingers were icy cold. Unlike Hong Jiu, he didn't use a microscope to observe it. Instead, he pressed the token directly against his forehead, closed his eyes, and muttered incantations, seemingly sensing something.
A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of fear flashing in them. He quickly stuffed the token back into Hong Jiu's hand, as if it were a hot potato.
"This mark... I've seen it before." Old Ghost's voice trembled slightly. "About half a year ago, at an underground auction in the 'Ghost Market' in the south of the city, a batch of antiques of unknown origin appeared. They had similar flame patterns on them, and tiny runes were embedded in the center, but they were more complex than this one."
"A ghost market? An auction?" Hong Jiu pressed. "Do you know who the sellers are? Who ultimately bought those antiques?"
Old Ghost shook his head: "You know the rules of the Ghost Market. Sellers are anonymous, and buyers mostly hide their identities. I only remember that the auction was presided over by 'Viper' Qiao San, one of the local bigwigs in the Ghost Market. As for the buyers... they were very mysterious and spent lavishly, but no one could see what they looked like. They were all wrapped in black robes, and they left quickly after the transaction was completed."
He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Moreover, I sensed a trace of... extremely cold and sinister aura remaining on this mark, definitely not from the righteous path. Hong Jiu, the trouble your Seven Absolutes Manor has gotten into this time is probably no ordinary matter. I advise you to know when to stop."
Hong Jiu felt a chill run down his spine; the old ghost's feeling coincided with the manor lord's suspicions. He asked in a deep voice, "Is there any more information about this mark, or that batch of antiques?"
Old Gui thought for a moment and said, "I remember among those antiques, there was a broken bronze mirror. The pattern on the back of the mirror is somewhat similar to this flame symbol. At the time, Qiao San boasted that the bronze mirror was a secret treasure of the previous dynasty's palace, capable of reflecting the netherworld... Hmph, most likely a lie. However, that mirror seems to have failed to sell at auction several times, and was eventually bought by someone at a low price. You can start your investigation by looking at Qiao San or that mirror, but be careful. Qiao San is ruthless, and he seems to have some unclear connections with some low-ranking members of the Inner Guard."
Having said all that, the old ghost said no more. With a flicker, he disappeared once again into the shadows of the mass grave, as if he had never been there.
Hong Jiu gripped the token tightly, feeling its icy touch become even more piercing. The ghost market, Qiao San, the mysterious buyer, the eerie aura, the possibly lost bronze mirror… Although the clues were fragmented, the direction of the investigation was beginning to emerge.
He dared not delay and immediately returned to the city to inform Gray Rat of the situation in detail.
"Qiao San..." Gray Rat pondered, "This guy is indeed not easy to deal with. He's a local tyrant in the Ghost Market, with a group of desperados under his command, and it's said that he has powerful backers. If Old Ghost is right, and he's involved with the Inner Guard, then we need to be even more careful."
"The lord said we must gnaw down even the toughest bones." Hong Jiu's eyes sharpened. "Find out Qiao San's background and activity patterns, and also, locate that bronze mirror. How's our base doing?"
"We've found a suitable place," Gray Rat replied. "There's a medicine shop near the docks in the East Market that's about to go out of business. The owner is eager to sell. It's in a good location, with lots of people coming and going, making it easy to stay hidden. It's also convenient for us to operate as medicine merchants, gathering information and exchanging intelligence—it all goes very smoothly."
"Alright, take it over as soon as possible and arrange reliable people to take over." Hong Jiu nodded. "From now on, that place will be the eyes and ears of our capital. All news about the Inner Guard, about this flame symbol, about Qiao San and that batch of antiques must be gathered here immediately."
"yes!"
As night deepened, the network of spies that Seven Absolutes Manor had laid in the capital was silently unfolding. Hong Jiu stood at the window of his secret outpost, gazing at the blurred outline of the imperial city in the distance. He knew in his heart that the real contest had only just begun. The waters of the capital were destined to be stirred.