Chapter Nine, the Ming Sect in Beijing

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the room with a chill. This place is where high-ranking officials of the court conduct their business, devoid of any traps or mechanisms. Xie Xun turned around a screen and saw that in the main hall of the study, there hung a dark, heavy single saber in the center of the wall. The saber appeared unremarkable, approximately four feet long, slightly longer than the usual single sabers, but its solemn display here indicated that it must be of great value

Su Ye originally thought that if Yantiemuer really obtained some precious elixirs, then stealing one item would be the same as stealing two; it would be better to steal them all together.

Su Ye smiled and said, "I don't know as much as you do, so what can I do? Let's go back and take a look first. If there is an opportunity to act, we will act; if not, we will discuss it later"

Xie Xun is only a few years older than Yang Shao, possessing a more composed demeanor. He has a head of golden hair and serves as the King of the Ming Cult, earning the illustrious title of "Golden Mane Lion King." Therefore, he wears a complete black cloth hood that conceals his hair, leaving only his eyes exposed

Su Ye glided to their side, gently cradling the bodies of the two individuals and laying them down on the ground to avoid any attention-drawing sounds of falling. She cast a glance at Xie Xun, signaling that it was alright, then turned and pushed open the study door, stepping into the room

Su Ye saw that he was straightforward and decisive, so he said: "I have no other intentions, I just want to inquire about some information. That large residence belongs to the powerful court official Yan Tiemuer. It is said that in his study, there hangs an extraordinary treasured sword, which is why I have the thought of seizing the treasure. The Ming Sect has always opposed the court, so it is likely that the Lion King intends to steal something from the residence or perhaps kill a few people. Have you ever seen that sword?"

Su Ye thought for a long time but could not figure out who those two were. He wondered, "What Taoist priest and lama? What elixir is Yantiemuer trying to refine?"

Su Ye thought to himself, that is not necessarily the case, and said lightly: "Thank you, Lion King, I have long heard of your great name. Since we meet here tonight, it is indeed fate. I am now returning to the residence of Yan Tiemuer to kill and seize weapons. If there is an opportunity, I will also take the chance to eliminate those two monks who assist the tyrant. What do you think? Do you dare to accompany me?"

Xie Xun focused his gaze and saw the pine needles standing straight, their momentum swift as lightning, resembling concealed weapons forged from fine steel. Two segments of pine needles struck the throats of two warriors, their aim exceptionally precise. Before the two men could discern what was rushing towards them, they felt a chill in their throats as the pine needles severed the major blood vessels in their necks.

Su Ye was suddenly overcome with an impulse to ask whether the members of the Ming Sect often made grunting sounds while speaking. However, she certainly could not say that, so she merely nodded and said: "So it is the Lion King Xie of the Ming Sect. My surname is Su. I just sneaked into that residence to steal something, but I saw you slip out from there. Out of curiosity, I followed you. Please do not take offense."

When she asked him this, Xie Xun inevitably felt embarrassed, and his expression darkened immediately. Even so, he did not hide it and coldly said: "Indeed, I originally thought that place was not a royal palace and did not have any notable experts. But that scoundrel has recently invited a Taoist priest and a Lama to refine pills and medicines for him. The martial arts of those two are quite astonishing, and the alchemy room is not far from the study. I went there once and nearly got discovered by them. I realized that I was not their match when they teamed up, so I had to retreat first and plan again." But that scoundrel has recently invited a Taoist priest and a Lama to refine pills and medicines for him. The martial arts of those two are quite astonishing, and the alchemy room is not far from the study. I went there once and nearly got discovered by them. I realized that I was not their match when they teamed up, so I had to retreat first and plan again.

Since ancient times, emperors and high-ranking officials have often dreamed of immortality. They would ask others to refine a "golden elixir" containing heavy metal elements, consuming it incessantly, ultimately succumbing to chronic poisoning due to excessive intake. However, in the world of martial arts, such elixirs often genuinely possess the effects of prolonging life and enhancing internal energy

It was not until they entered the back garden that Xie Xun whispered, "Follow me. The master's daily living quarters are all in one place, making them easy to find. However, he has at least a dozen concubines, and I do not know where they rest at night."

He never liked to be secretive. When he saw Su Ye expose him with a single word, he simply pulled off his hood to prove that he was indeed the Golden Lion King. Then he coldly said: "I am flattered, Miss, your lightness skill is quite impressive. Now that you know my identity, what do you intend to do?"

After Su Ye left the Twelve Linked Rings Dock, he decided to avoid using full names to prevent implicating his gang, and smiled as he said: "Someone like you. From your skills, you must be no ordinary person. Why don't you tell me your name first, and then I will respond to you?"

The warrior was startled by a sudden sound from behind, his whole body trembled, and he did not turn to look at her; instead, he retaliated with a punch. The posture of the backhand punch was quite awkward, making it difficult to exert force. However, this punch was powerful and forceful, containing the sound of wind and thunder, as if it carried decades of skill, and the angle of the punch was extremely tricky, making it hard to defend against.

Xie Xun was overjoyed and transmitted a message to Su Ye, saying, "I did not expect the defenses to be so lax!" As he spoke, he leaped forward and reached out to take the knife from the wall

Su Ye smiled and said, "You return empty-handed, which signifies a lack of achievement. Did you not find an opportunity to take action?"

Xie Xun studied under "Hunyuan Pile Hand" Cheng Kun. From a young age, he practiced Hunyuan Yiqi Gong and Pile Fist, which are entirely hand techniques, rarely using weapons. At this moment, there was not a single item on his body that resembled a knife, no wonder Su Ye posed such a question

Su Ye suddenly realized and laughed, "So it turns out to be the medicinal pills used in the room for enhancing vitality and pleasure"

Xie Xun was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether to compliment her or to first express his indescribable feelings. Su Ye happened to urge him to lead the way, so he had no choice but to remain silent and walk towards the study.

That person had an exceptionally robust physique, even when performing lightness skills, he took large strides, which further accentuated his imposing and majestic presence, thus Su Ye referred to him as "the warrior"

The hour had passed midnight, and the moon was gradually moving eastward in the sky. This alley was already secluded, and with the bright moon moving away, it became even darker. Xie Xun felt increasingly awkward; he did not pick up on her words and simply said: "Those two monks engaging in such activities are clearly not good people. The lama naturally comes from the Tibetan border, while the Taoist might be from the Central Plains. I originally intended to visit a few more times to ascertain their daily routines, so as to plan a theft of the sword, but I did not expect to be discovered by you first"

When he grasped the single knife, it surprisingly weighed around one hundred pounds, causing his arm to sink slightly. At the same time, the two hinges holding the knife lost their weight and sprang upward, triggering the alarm mechanism. In an instant, the sound of bells echoed continuously in the study, resonating far into the night.

Xie Xun's expression changed slightly as he scrutinized her for a few moments before saying: "I have come for this very matter. Our sect's leader, Yang, will celebrate his birthday in three months. If I could present him with a precious sword as a birthday gift, he would surely be very pleased"

Su Ye had never seen a Taoist priest or a Lama, and did not dare to underestimate them. Thus, he whispered to Xie Xun: "It is not easy to discover your whereabouts. Are you peeking through the window of someone else's alchemy room?"

After thinking for a long time, she suddenly blurted out this sentence, which greatly surprised Xie Xun. He also lowered his head in contemplation and then said: "Naturally, it is the stolen blade; a treasured sword is merely an external object, and no one would regard it as more important than their own life"

The main door of the study is guarded in shifts by Mongolian warriors, further reflecting the owner's emphasis on this place. The two houses are in close proximity, and if one's lightness of step is not proficient, it is indeed easy to be detected by skilled individuals

This journey undoubtedly carries significant risks. She looks down upon the guards and warriors in the residence, yet these individuals are far from idle; they are all well-trained and skilled in besieging and capturing intruders. If Su Ye were to engage with the high-ranking individuals within the residence, it would inevitably cause chaos. This is a crucial area of the imperial city, incomparable to an ordinary household, and it is highly likely to trigger a citywide search. If they cannot leave the capital in a timely manner, they will be in considerable danger. This is a crucial area of the imperial city, incomparable to an ordinary household, and it is highly likely to trigger a citywide search. If they cannot leave the capital in a timely manner, they will be in considerable danger

Su Ye smiled silently, not retaliating, and floated straight back, allowing the wind from the punches to brush past her. The man missed his strike and suddenly turned around, his eyes like cold lightning, shining on her face. Upon seeing her graceful figure and long hair cascading over her shoulders, he finally remembered that the whisperer behind him was a woman. He was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Who are you?"

Xie Xun said: "He is a lecherous man, and it is said that he does not spare even the families of court officials. Asking the Taoist to refine elixirs is certainly for that... Why are you, a young woman, asking so many questions!"

Su Ye had no opportunity to come into contact with the hundreds of houses. He did not respond to the words, but after pondering for a moment, he said: "Do you think it is easier to kill the owner of the house or to steal the treasured sword?"

Xie Xun listened to her with full confidence, thinking she had some good idea, but the result was like this. In fact, Su Ye had been following him for a long time without him noticing, and her martial arts skills were likely higher than his. However, her voice was too young, which made Xie Xun suspicious, believing that her proficiency in lightness skill did not necessarily indicate strong martial arts skills. Who knew how much use it could actually have

Two figures, one in front of the other, floated back into the imperial city of the capital. As the saying goes, the first time is a birth, and the second time is familiarity. This time, their actions were even more proficient than the first, and they were able to easily seize the samurai's oversight without needing to stop and observe, returning to the grand mansion.

Xie Xun previously felt that he was looked down upon by her, and his expression was not pleasant. At this moment, however, he suddenly became awkward, stammering, "It's just that, that..."

However, since he has agreed, without asking any questions, he put the hood back on his head, nodded slightly, and said: "This is very good, Miss Su, let us go!"

Su Ye also said softly: "It doesn't matter, once we make our move and alert everyone in the mansion, he will wake from his slumber and step out to meet his demise"

The two of them had never met before, yet at this moment, they shared a tacit understanding, refraining from mentioning the matter of the sword's ownership. Su Ye's martial arts surpassed those of Xie Xun, naturally giving him the upper hand. Xie Xun, on the other hand, was exceptionally intelligent and knew how to assess the situation. Since the sword was not yet in hand, he would not act like those foolish individuals in the martial world who, in their eagerness to divide the spoils, would turn against each other.

Taoist alchemy emphasizes the importance of timing and favorable conditions, particularly the timing of the alchemical process. Su Ye followed behind Xie Xun and saw a row of brightly lit houses, with faint shadows moving inside, which must be the alchemical workshop. To the east of the workshop, there was another row of buildings, even more grand and imposing. However, the lights inside those houses had already been extinguished, indicating that it was the study where the owner usually read and conducted business.

Su Ye thought that if he were unfortunate enough to be killed by someone, it would be curiosity that killed the lion king. He shook his head, picked up two small pieces of pine needles he had plucked from the roadside with his right hand, and with a surge of strength, shot them out.

Su Ye continued to stand behind Xie Xun, coldly observing him, and said coldly: "I knew it."

... ...

Xie Xun did not expect her to be as accurate as if she had seen it with her own eyes, based solely on speculation. After feeling frustrated for half a day, he honestly replied: "Indeed."

That person seemed to have contracted the same symptoms as Yang Xiao, and after a cold snort, he said: "A true man does not change his name, nor does he change his surname. I am Xie Xun of the Ming Sect."

Xie Xun has never known fear since his birth. When he heard Su Ye ask him "Are you afraid?" without a moment's hesitation, he coldly laughed and replied, "What is there to be afraid of?"

Then, he suddenly remembered that this matter was of great importance, paused for a moment, and asked again: "What do you plan to do?"

Which one