Chapter 133: You Will Surely Save Me

Jiang Chen wore his dissatisfaction on his sleeve. After a heated argument with Shen Xueying, he managed to enter the cell and see Geng Ji, who was now marked with dozens of fresh wounds.

"Let me explain first. The situation with Lan Hui has nothing to do with me; that was the work of the Night Justice Division. I have always opposed their use of her to blackmail you." Jiang Chen got straight to the point, hoping to rebuild trust with Geng Ji.

Unfortunately, after the scene caused by Shen Xueying, Geng Ji had made up his mind to give up entirely, no longer holding any hope for survival. As a man living on the edge, he had long prepared for such a fate. Even with his thoughts lingering on his wife and child, he could see no possible turning point in his current predicament.

"Jiang Chen, the fact that you can appear before me again proves you didn't lie to me. But the Night Justice Division will not let me go, nor will they spare my child, and I will not yield to them."

"What about Lan Hui and the child? They are innocent. If they die because they were implicated by you, can your conscience bear it?" Jiang Chen’s words struck deep, but the desperate man seemed to see things clearly: even if he were to talk now and betray the Xuan Yan Mansion in exchange for freedom, the Night Justice Division would never keep their word. Moreover, betraying the Xuan Yan Mansion was a death sentence in itself; even if the division spared them, they would never know a day of peace.

"Hmph. I am involved in a plot of rebellion. There is no possibility of survival once captured. The condition the Night Justice Division gave me was to reveal everything regarding the Xuan Yan Mansion in exchange for letting Lan Hui leave Jinyang City safely." Geng Ji sneered. "But I don't trust them. Lan Hui is carrying my child. Do you really think they would let that child grow up safely, only to come for revenge later?"

Geng Ji’s insight was sharp; the Night Justice Division would never let a child survive.

Jiang Chen sighed gloomily, "So, I suppose I cannot persuade you."

"That Lan Hui ended up with a wretch like me is her misfortune. I have failed her in this life; I will pay my debts to her in the next!"

Geng Ji’s resolve to die was obvious, but Jiang Chen countered, "Stop talking about the next life. You can't even protect her in this one, so what right do you have to say such things? Do you think that by simply saying you'll make it up in the next life, you can wash your hands of your responsibilities? I don't consider that the act of a man."

"Perhaps there is another path you can take, but you must trust me, just as you did last time."

Jiang Chen and Geng Ji spoke for a long time in the cell, but their final exchange was unheard by anyone outside, as Jiang Chen had leaned in close to whisper in Geng Ji’s ear. When Jiang Chen eventually left, Geng Ji began demanding food, wine, and a hot bath.

A corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth curled upward. Would a man truly resolved to die care about taking a bath?

As he walked through the dim corridor to face Shen Xueying’s interrogation, a familiar voice drifted from one of the cells.

"Have you considered it carefully?"

Jiang Chen stopped. The person speaking was the prisoner named Ji Bei from his last visit—the man who claimed Jiang Chen would eventually rescue him from the dungeon. His penchant for mystery had left a deep impression on Jiang Chen.

"Do you still think I will help you escape?" Jiang Chen asked with interest.

Ji Bei laughed three times. "Of course. You will certainly do it, because there is a name you will surely be interested in."

"Give me your hand."

Though unsure of Ji Bei's intentions, Jiang Chen complied. He held much curiosity regarding the man, especially his rumored background from Qi Mountain. Neither Han Yuyang nor Duanmu Qing had heard of a man named Ji Bei from Qi Mountain, and Jiang Chen wanted to get to the bottom of whether the man was a liar or hiding a deeper truth.

"Spread your palm," Ji Bei commanded. With Jiang Chen’s cooperation, he used his rough fingers to swiftly trace two characters into Jiang Chen’s palm: "Shan He."

Jiang Chen’s expression darkened. "Zhao Shanhe!"

"From your reaction, it is clear that the man inside has revealed everything about me. He just doesn't know that Zhao Shanhe was merely my alias, and my true name is Ji Bei."

Jiang Chen replied, "From the first time I came here, you guessed that Geng Ji would betray you, and that once I knew your true identity, I would find a way to save you?"

"Why are you so confident?"

"I am merely taking a gamble. Man proposes, God disposes, yet Heaven has not yet abandoned me. I shall prepare to leave this place. As for your reason for having to save me, it lies at Qiwu Mountain."

Jiang Chen cast one last glance at Ji Bei and walked toward the exit without another word. Behind him, Ji Bei’s brazen laughter echoed for a long time. Being led by the nose was an unpleasant feeling, but Jiang Chen knew he had no other choice.

During his final conversation with Geng Ji, because Jiang Chen had honored their agreement, Geng Ji had revealed the name of the mole hidden in Qi Mountain.

"Zhao Shanhe!"

Geng Ji told him that Zhao Shanhe had lurked in Qi Mountain for years, secretly feeding information to the Xuan Yan Mansion. When they had planned the assassination of Duanmu Hongtu, Zhao Shanhe was the true mastermind behind the scenes. Without his status, it would have been impossible to get close to Duanmu Hongtu, let alone succeed in the assassination while the latter was off-guard. After killing Duanmu Hongtu, Zhao Shanhe had deliberately framed Han Yuyang. Everything had proceeded smoothly; without Geng Ji’s tip, it would have been impossible to trace the truth back to Zhao Shanhe.

Yet, Zhao Shanhe had confessed his identity to Jiang Chen’s face, which Jiang Chen had not expected. Now, the situation was clear: Zhao Shanhe was the culprit, and Jiang Chen could not ignore him. However, if this scoundrel refused to speak, the truth would remain buried, even if he were imprisoned for decades.

Time was what Jiang Chen lacked most. To force Ji Bei to confess his crimes, he would first have to rescue him from this death row. It sounded like an absurd choice—to force someone to follow your will, you should keep them under your control. Once outside, he would have the chance to escape and vanish forever.

But this was the cunning nature of Zhao Shanhe. By mentioning Qiwu Mountain, he had added a heavy stake to his own life.