Chapter 8, The Descent of the Divine Weapon

Since Yang You believed in her relationship with Lu Wushuang, she wanted to keep her for a few days to extend her hospitality. However, Su Ye was eager to go to the capital and had to politely decline her kindness. Before leaving, she discussed various matters of the martial world with Yang You and discovered that they were not completely ignorant of the outside world, particularly concerned about the situations of the Wudang, Shaolin, Emei, and Beggar's Sect. It was just that their focus in life was not on the martial world, which resulted in their information being somewhat outdated.

Taking the current world as an example, the court route certainly refers to aligning with the Yuan court to obtain wealth and honor, assisting in dealing with righteous individuals in the jianghu who harbor dissenting intentions; the jianghu route, on the other hand, requires raising troops and recruiting those with dissenting intentions to oppose the court and profit from it. She can resort to corruption and bribery, or openly resist; in any case, the stronger her forces, the higher the level of completion.

From that moment on, she was deeply grateful that fate had treated her well, allowing her to become the legendary "transmigrator with a golden finger," sweeping away the tragic experiences of her past as a little beggar. Moreover, with such a significant advantage, if she could not achieve great success, it would truly be a disservice to this jade pendant.

She herself also needs extensive experience to deal with the numerous experts and sects emerging from the main plane. Therefore, as soon as she enters the dungeon world, barring any special circumstances, she skillfully makes her way to the south of the Yangtze River, using her martial arts and poison to control a small gang, thus beginning her journey from scratch.

This residence is approximately the same size as an ordinary garden. At a glance, one can only see the rocks and lakes within the garden, along with the distant lights. Su Ye, having experience in night-time thievery, did not hesitate, blending into the darkness like an invisible person, making his way towards the main hall of the residence. As long as he could identify the direction of the main hall and then proceed in a straight line towards the rear residence, he would be able to locate the study where the owner usually spent his time.

Even so, she spent a considerable amount of time and took many detours to study how to complete the routes in the replica world. In a smaller world, she could comfortably be a remarkable expert, relying on her martial arts to resolve everything. However, if she encounters a more troublesome world, like the one she is in now, it would be best for her to quickly establish a power and secure a place for herself in the martial arts community.

Su Ye's journey this time is both for the blade and for the person. She has already bribed officials in Jiangnan and learned the target's residence. If the opportunity arises, she would not mind assassinating Yan Tiemuer himself, to see if she could enhance her completion rate. She always feels that someone like him should possess the ability to influence the political situation; once he is dead, it might bring unexpected joy. Even if she cannot succeed, it does not matter, as the treasured blade is already enough to satisfy her. She always feels that someone like him should possess the ability to influence the political situation; once he is dead, it might bring unexpected joy. Even if she cannot succeed, it does not matter, as the treasured blade is already enough to satisfy her

It was only when the farewell was imminent that Su Ye realized that the ancient tomb had actually reopened a secret passage leading to the back mountain of Zhongnan. The secret passage remained very concealed, yet it was much more convenient than the underwater passage.

When she entered the copy world, she often encountered two types of route choices appearing on the bronze door, occasionally there were three, or even more, such as the "Court Route" and the "Jianghu Route", or the "Five Mountains Sword Sect Route", the "Sun Moon Holy Cult Route", and the "Neutral Jianghu Route". These are not mandatory choices, but in order to survive and exit, she must complete at least fifty percent of one of them.

Su Ye was greatly curious, so she simply abandoned her plan to scout the area and followed the person over the high wall, returning to the outer city. She carefully maintained her distance, trailing behind that person until they exited the imperial city, then followed him into a dark alley, heading towards the slums of the capital. That person was highly skilled in martial arts and was also bold and meticulous, yet throughout the entire time, he never realized that he was being followed.

This powerful minister, named Yan Tiemuer, served as the Grand Master of the Horse and concurrently held the position of a councilor in the Privy Council. He was highly influential and bore some resemblance to the future Prince of Ruyang, Chahan Tiemuer. Apart from him, few dared to hang a treasured sword in their study, unafraid of the heroes of the martial world coming to steal it

Su Ye felt grateful towards her. After explaining everything in detail, she finally spoke to take her leave. Yang You, seeing her firm attitude, no longer insisted on keeping her. She picked up the lantern again and personally escorted her out, even gifting her a bottle of jade bee syrup

Su Ye had a keen interest in swords, so after the stable development of the Twelve Linked Docks, before leaving, she hurried to the capital to seize this treasured sword. One advantage of the martial arts world is that the higher one's skills, the more one can accomplish, even to the point of looking down on kings and nobles, freely coming and going within the imperial palace. Moreover, the place she was heading to this time was not the inner palace, but the residence of a powerful minister located outside the imperial city.

Therefore, theoretically, she could pursue multiple paths simultaneously, working for the court to suppress the heroes of the Jianghu while also stirring up trouble in the Jianghu, holding a high position, and ultimately receiving double rewards for her tasks. However, this approach is too constraining, consumes a great deal of effort, and delays her martial arts training, which generally makes it not worth attempting

Before reaching halfway completion, the bronze door will still display task instructions, asking her to assassinate someone, seize something, or accomplish a certain task. She is not obligated to fulfill these requests, but once she does, she will find that her completion rate increases significantly. As long as there are no better options, she will still prioritize following the instructions in order to gain more time for martial arts practice

Each time she enters a dungeon world, she experiences at least several years, and at most over ten years. However, upon exiting, she finds that only three months have passed in the real world. If utilized properly, her three months can equate to several years or even over a decade for others, which is sufficient to ensure her early fame and to establish a foundation with her profound martial arts skills

She turned back several times, gazing at the clouds and rosy hues in the sky, then descended the mountain along the path she had come, returning north along the official road towards the northern capital of the Yuan Dynasty—Dadu

Yang You observed that she had just entered the ancient tomb from outside, appearing quite interested. After inquiring carefully about the situation of various factions, she nodded and smiled, saying: "Since they are safe and sound, I can also rest assured."

The Yuan Dynasty had been established for a long time, and Dadu had already become the most prosperous city. The atmosphere in the city was extraordinary, often filled with high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals riding on tall horses, accompanied by attendants, traversing the main roads. Su Ye had never been here before, and she found it quite novel. Noticing the imposing demeanor of the imperial city and its tight security, she patiently waited until the dead of night, before donning a set of night attire and boldly sneaking into the imperial city, searching for the grand mansion of Yantiemuer in the outer city.

The jade pendant has no name, as she felt that the patterns on the jade resembled a coiling dragon, thus she referred to it as the Dragon Pattern Jade Pendant. She infused her internal energy into the jade pendant, and once a certain level was reached, she could enter the space within it. That space does have a name, displayed by the stone platform as "Cave Heaven and Blessed Land"

Throughout this journey, she set aside her impressions of the Ancient Tomb Sect, focusing intently on the martial arts principles she had just encountered. She repeatedly contemplated and practiced them in her mind until she was certain she had fully grasped their essence, at which point she felt a sense of ease and was filled with confidence for this journey

Before she met them, she had considered whether to entrust the Heaven Sword to the descendants of the Ancient Tomb, but at this moment, she had changed her mind and would not mention the matter of the Heaven Sword and the Dragon-slaying Saber.

In the distance, the houses are exquisite and beautiful, stretching in a continuous expanse, and it is unknown how many families reside there. At this moment, illuminated by the light of the lanterns and torches in the courtyard, she clearly sees a figure darting out from that cluster of houses, heading straight for the back wall of the garden. It does not appear to be someone who lives here; it is likely that their purpose is the same as hers, also coming to commit theft

As Su Ye descended the mountain from the ancient tomb, he turned back for a glance and beheld the vast twilight, the distant mountains, and the birds rising and falling intermittently, evoking a sense of wistfulness. The ancient tomb was hidden within the dense forest; taking just a few more steps down the mountain would cause it to vanish from sight.

Not only is it located in a remote area, but its exterior is also eerie and terrifying, effectively deterring idle individuals from coming to disturb. Those outside believe that life in the ancient tomb is dull and boring, but for those within the tomb, this place is indeed a paradise far removed from turmoil and bloodshed

Su Ye looked at the old man and the young girl, feeling a deep sense of emotion, as if he were witnessing the passing of generations. Perhaps decades later, this girl in the yellow dress would have mastered her martial arts and would emerge at the right moment to resolve a crisis in the martial world. However, she might also choose to remain indifferent to worldly affairs, completely becoming a secluded beauty in an ancient tomb, continuing to vanish from the martial world.

The person's agility was remarkable, as he weaved effortlessly among the rocks and flowers of the artificial hill, skillfully maneuvering to avoid the guards' line of sight with each turn. However, his lightness of foot was not quite on par with Su Ye's. Eventually, perhaps growing somewhat impatient, he took the risk of sneaking up behind the guards. With both hands outstretched, he seized the necks of two individuals, applying force to silently eliminate them.

Yang You explained that this was because during the years of war, most of the women who came to seek refuge did not possess martial skills, which necessitated the reconstruction of the passage for their convenience in going out to handle affairs. Although the owner of the ancient tomb did not prohibit the disciples from going out, life in the tomb was increasingly peaceful and tranquil compared to the incessant warfare outside. Gradually, most of the women became homebodies, preferring not to venture out unless absolutely necessary.

She knew that there must be experts stationed at the residence of the powerful minister, but she did not take these individuals to heart. However, as soon as she took a step, her brows furrowed.

The so-called unparalleled treasure sword is not necessarily the Dragon-slaying Saber, which is renowned alongside the Heavenly Sword. However, it is said that this saber was obtained in Xiangyang. After that general's ancestors acquired it, they passed it down through generations, regarding it as a treasured heirloom. Therefore, the possibility of it being the Dragon-slaying Saber has significantly increased

After Su Ye found the right spot, he remained hidden until the early hours of the morning, and only when the guests began to gradually disperse did he smile faintly and leap over the wall.

At this time, there are only a little over 100 days left until the deadline, and she has just left the Twelve Linked Docks to carry out her planned scheme. If her thoughts are correct, then not only will there be benefits to gain, but the completion rate will also continue to rise

At this time, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, known as the "Emperor Taiding," was only in his thirties, making him a relatively young sovereign. Since this period was during the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the livelihood of the people was relatively stable, and there was no significant occurrence of large numbers of citizens being unable to survive.

Only after reaching a certain level of martial arts cultivation could one discover the unique qualities of the jade pendant. Therefore, she was initially unaware of the situation. Later, she was taken in by the Red Sleeve Divine Nun and practiced internal skills for two years. Suddenly, she was pulled into a space by the jade pendant, forcibly entering the first instance world.

Although this person does not hold overwhelming power, he is still considered to possess significant influence. His residence is grand and magnificent, covering a vast area, and it is bustling with traffic in front, making it easy to find. Ordinary officials secretly visit at night, attempting to bribe him when no one is around, in hopes of exchanging favors for opportunities to rise in rank and wealth

Her lightness in movement may not be considered peak perfection, but it surpasses that of the vast majority of people in the martial world. She moves swiftly and silently, like a ghost or a spirit. The guards of the imperial city patrol back and forth, full of energy. In the Yan Tiemuer residence, there are also bodyguards, servants, and martial arts experts hired independently for protection. However, they seemed as if they were deaf and blind, completely unaware that at the moment the two groups of guards were changing shifts, a figure in black quietly scaled the wall.

A few months ago, Su Ye learned that a certain close minister of the emperor had taken advantage of a colleague's conviction to obtain an extraordinary treasured sword from that colleague's home

She truly wanted to know his identity. After confirming that no one was around, she quickened her pace, caught up to him, and with a sinister smile behind him, said: "Brave man, how do you do"

If these sects encounter trouble, they will likely have to wait for others to come up the mountain for assistance before they can receive any news