81, lingering spirit

Tongji Street was pitch-black.

If it were a normal day, Tongji Street would be bustling around this time.

Various merchants would have troupes perform at their homes for the entertainment of their guests, with long lines of carriages and horses in front of their doors, while coachmen squatted in corners gambling and boasting.

But today, Tongji Street was eerily quiet, with many merchants having left overnight, fearing that the Spy Department might arrest them as Jing Dynasty spies trying to claim merit.

In an abandoned mansion, seven people dressed in black and wearing hats stood solemnly around the body of Manager Yuan, resembling seven statues.

Chen Ji pondered, and the others didn't dare utter a word, fearing they might interrupt his thoughts.

What happened just earlier at Yingke Restaurant was still vividly in everyone's mind. With a new superior of remarkable perspicacity, the spies didn't even dare to breathe heavily, as though a boulder were pressing down upon them.