Chapter 5, The Malevolent Heart of the Dragon King

I said with a strange smile: "Ning Wang has been assassinated; Mr. Liu must have heard about it."

Liu Xiexin shook his head vigorously: "I didn't hear anything. We are merely a gang organization; we neither want to nor dare to entangle ourselves with the authority of the court. The Light Wheel Hall has vanished into thin air, while the Heavy Wheel has faced extermination and destruction. We are just trying to make a living and truly do not dare to accept this meager gift of meeting."

Liu Xie smiled gently: "Will Leader Yang speak of this? However, the old gentleman will be the chief steward of the secret camp in the future. I wonder what my identity will be then. For now, I am merely a small figure in charge of intelligence."

Suddenly, an elderly man emerged, slender and short, with fair skin, wearing a loose white robe and dragging a pair of wooden shoes. He gave the impression of a dried chestnut, clean and vigorous

I smiled wickedly and said: "If there is a request, there should be a reward; this is not considered a heavy gift, merely a token of our meeting." Liu Xiexin suddenly shook his head and said: "Do not continue; I dare not listen. If I do, it will lead to trouble, so it is better not to hear it at all. Someone, see off Captain Yang." Immediately, four young men in white attire and fitted clothing arrived, each with a physique like a sword, their presence also akin to that of a sword, standing before me like four sharp blades.

Li Can was somewhat surprised: "The leader of the secret camp? His Royal Highness Prince Ning is quite generous with his resources." I smiled and said: "To achieve great things, one must certainly be bold in employing talent. Given Mr. Li's capabilities, it might be a bit of an understatement to say he is underutilized."

Li Can nodded proudly

I nodded: "The Eight Great Guards of the Holy Capital, among them, thirty thousand are trained by Tianmen. Are they loyal to Your Majesty or to Tianmen?"

Li Can nodded slightly. I continued, "Next, we need to subdue the other major factions. If there are any colluding with the other princes, we should take action to eliminate them. With the strength of Tianmen, this shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Walking along the snow-covered path, I slowly ascended Tianquan Mountain. Upon reaching the summit, I passed by two hundred seventy-two springs, finally arriving at the Everlasting Pool. The water in the pool was a deep green, reminiscent of ink, with wisps of white mist floating above and small bubbles rising from below, creating an extraordinarily eerie atmosphere

After a long while, a middle-aged scholar, slightly over a hundred years old, with three strands of willow-like whiskers and a gaunt face, slowly walked out and said in a gentle voice: "Chief Yang, what a rare visitor, a rare visitor."

People in the martial world say that only true friends of Tianmen, those who are willing to lend their heads to Tianmen, can enter the core of Tianmen. As for ordinary individuals, even if you are the King of Heaven, or the current head of the Feng family, one of the four great families of the martial world, you would only be received in this small courtyard for a day.

Liu Xie looked with a flash of light in his eyes, a gaze filled with ambition and greed, and suddenly said nonchalantly: "Of course, of course, it's cold and the road is slippery, I won't see you off any further, pardon me, pardon me." I nodded...

I gaze with fierce intent: "Because of me, because I desire power, because I seek wealth and glory, because I wish to become a person who stands above all others. Therefore, even if Prince Ning does not change his ways due to that assassination attempt, I will compel him to do so. Once I achieve success, hm."

Almost overnight, I became the absolute confidant of Prince Ning and one of the most powerful individuals in the entire Prince Ning's residence. My current identity is the personal bodyguard of Prince Ning, the leader of the guards in Prince Ning's residence, and the commander of the two thousand ceremonial soldiers under Prince Ning himself.

I stood up, and my figure suddenly flickered, as if gliding just above the ground, swiftly moving in front of Liu Xiexin. I circled around him twice and quickly returned to my seat. The four young men in white, along with Liu Xiexin himself, were completely unable to react.

I said without changing my expression: "It is simple. Your Highness, by associating with the powerful, Mr. Li has gradually infiltrated various sectors of the Holy Capital, especially gaining control over the Imperial Guards. With Your Highness creating conditions for the Heavenly Gate, this matter is not difficult, is it?"

I smiled and said: "Though I am inexperienced and this is my first venture into the world, I am not so foolish as to belittle myself. Considering the capabilities of those present, if I were to leave, what could Mr. Liu do about it?"

Polite, polite, I have come this time with certain requests in mind

I smiled faintly; with the hundreds of thousands of followers near the Heavenly Gate in the Holy Capital, if they still do not know my background, the leader of the Heavenly Gate might as well crash his head against a wall.

I nodded slightly, took out the banknote, and slid it across the table. With a flip of my hand, I simultaneously tossed thirty-six fire diamonds onto the table, causing them to spin chaotically.

The old man sat down on the chair next to me, squinting as he picked up a few fire diamonds, weighing them slightly in his hand, and said nonchalantly: "Good stuff, the market price is at least 100,000 taels of silver per piece. Hmm, how is His Highness Prince Ning?"

I suddenly said in a fierce voice: "So, forming connections with the Minister of Justice, the Deputy Minister of War, the Special Grade General of the Heavenly Dynasty, the Governor of the Three Rivers, and so on, is that the sincerity of Tianmen in not daring to engage with the big shots of the court? Purchasing 30% of the weapons for the Imperial Army from your workshops every year is merely what you call making a living, isn't it?"

Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, two young maids in blue attire greeted me with charming smiles, ushering me into the main hall and serving me tea before quietly withdrawing.

Well, there is such a person beside Li Can, who is surprisingly able to live well. Is it because he is too formidable, or because Liu Xie is too timid?

The hall of Tianmen is a small courtyard, not large, accommodating only about three to four hundred people, guarding the entrance to the steep cliff behind. Tianmen has almost hollowed out the entire cliff, and the stone chambers excavated within are the true core of Tianmen.

The sword worn at the waist is a top-quality sword named 'Hanguang,' obtained by Prince Ning from the imperial treasury; the robe worn is made of genuine silk, layered with a brocade mink cloak; tucked in the arms is a banknote worth one million taels of silver, issued by the royal silver house of the Celestial Empire, which is more authentic than real gold and silver. Banknotes from https://www.hetushu.com can be counterfeited, but this type of banknote cannot be forged.

Liu Xiexin glanced at the banknote, gently pushed it back with a delicate white finger, and smiled as she said, "Although our Tianmen is a gang organization, we can still be self-sufficient and manage to make ends meet. We cannot accept such a generous gift."

Liu Xiexin was slowly walking along the mountain path, with experts sent by Tianmen about 20 zhang behind. Liu Xiexin suddenly whispered, "If it weren't for Captain Yang pinning a huge blame on us, and the current emperor being a bit soft-hearted, I fear the old gentleman wouldn't even come out to meet us."

The absolute leader of Tianmen, the Great Dragon King Li Can nodded slightly and coldly said: "If the plan succeeds, my position cannot be lower than the second rank. I must have real power. Is that achievable?"

I nodded slightly, indicating that I had finished speaking. Liu Xiexin suddenly asked, "Why has King Ning suddenly changed his approach, making such a grand show of recruiting troops? What is the reason behind it?"

I said with a cold smile: "Your second sentence just now could lead to the annihilation of your entire clan and the slaughter of your friends and family"

I heard that assassins are experts from the Ghost Temple, and the big boss behind the Ghost Temple is Tianmen. This memorial has already been prepared by Prince Ning and can be presented to the Emperor at any time

As I walked on the snow-covered ground, I made my way towards Tianquan Mountain, which is located 10 li outside the city. The mountain is home to over a thousand springs, with water of unparalleled clarity, one of which has always been a designated water source for the imperial palace. The main entrance of the Heavenly Gate is situated beside the Everlasting Pool at Tianquan Mountain.

On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, I am in a very good mood

I nodded in satisfaction; conversing with intelligent people is just this effortless

At the same time, I also obtained the golden badge of a first-class imperial guard. With this badge alone, I could exercise life and death authority over the officials of the 784 counties in the empire. If the fabricated charges were severe enough, that unfortunate county magistrate would at least face the annihilation of his clan. However, first-class imperial guards are strictly prohibited from leaving the capital for more than 300 miles without imperial command, which is why this power and authority has not been utilized by anyone for thousands of years. Beyond 300 miles from the Holy Capital, all lands belong to the nobility, and showing off one's power there would be tantamount to seeking death. However, first-class imperial guards are strictly prohibited from leaving the capital for more than 300 miles without imperial command, which is why this power and authority has not been utilized by anyone for thousands of years. Beyond 300 miles from the Holy Capital, all lands belong to the nobility, and showing off one's power there would be tantamount to seeking death

Liu Xie nodded slightly: "I apologize for the delay. Our leader is occupied with important matters and cannot attend, so I am here to receive Leader Yang. May I inquire about your esteemed purpose?"

Along the way, the sound of small birds brushing past the treetops is constant; it is either the skilled sentinels at Tianmen passing on information or perhaps they are tracking and monitoring me.

Naked and unrestrained ambition, I revealed it without the slightest hesitation. Liu Xiexin slightly furrowed his brows, while Li Can nodded in appreciation, slowly tidying up the banknotes and the fire diamond, and then slowly stood up: "The sky is darkening quickly, Xiexin, see the guests out." Nodding, he slowly walked inside.

The monster within began to roar again, slowly waiting for the group of experts behind to catch up, suppressing the anger in my heart and engaging in pleasantries with them. That Fairy Yunhe truly lives up to her name; the monster within her seems ready to break free and tear her to shreds. A wave of scorching heat surged from my dantian, starting to circulate throughout my body, and the killing intent in my heart grew even heavier.

Li Can nodded slightly: "Originally, there were other requests, but since it is this way, there are no more requests." Indeed, the chief of the secret camp holds clandestine discussions across the realm, with numerous experts under his command, wielding immense power. Apart from the three regents, who would dare to disregard their authority?

The mutant softly said: "Your Majesty is currently in a furious rage over this matter. With a single command, 240,000 Imperial Guards and 100,000 Forbidden Army troops are surrounding the vicinity of the Holy Capital. What will happen to the Heavenly Gate? I fear that even the Minister of Justice and others will be implicated and face the execution of their entire family"

I called out to him: "There is one more thing." Li Can did not turn back, walking slowly as he commanded: "Evil Heart, please have the Elder Qingmei, the Scholar Qingzhu, the Scholar Qingsong, Daoist Bing, Master Huo, Fairy Yunhe, as well as the Seven Swords of Lingfeng and the Three Palms of Potian return with Leader Yang. Leader Yang, from now on, they will have no further relations with Tianmen; consider hetushu.com as your direct subordinates."

Li Can's eyes sparkled with a cunning glint: "What are your plans, Your Highness, Prince Ning?"

I nodded and smiled: "First-Class Offering of the Celestial Empire, Leader of the Secret Camp, Master of the World's Spies"

Yet my appearance is more gentle and courteous, engaging in casual conversation with them in a refined manner

Liu Xie stared at me with fierce, menacing eyes, radiating a sinister light

Liu Xiexin's expression changed slightly as he looked at me for a long time. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly smiled and said, "It is merely that we possess a bit of meager martial power, training the Imperial Guard for the Heavenly Dynasty, which is also out of a loyal and patriotic heart. Leader Yang must not misunderstand this."

Liu Xiexin slightly bowed and said: "The bandits are audacious and reckless. If we receive any information, we will definitely apprehend the criminals on the spot and ensure they do not escape justice."

The old man nodded slightly, and the four young men immediately withdrew. Liu Xiexin stood respectfully to the side.

I did not rise, gently sipped a mouthful of tea, and said softly: "A thousand years of wealth and honor, ten thousand years of fame, is it possible that the Heavenly Gate is not interested?"

Liu Xiexin's expression was extremely grim as he said resentfully, "If I could have stopped you thirty years ago, I would have smashed you to death with a single blow." I nodded and replied, "Indeed, spending all day dealing with intelligence and holding great power, you probably didn't have time to hone your martial skills. If you don't advance, you will retreat; that's all there is to it.

I nodded: "If the Great Dragon King, Mr. Li, is willing to lend His Highness a helping hand, His Highness will certainly be even better off"

This scholar, likely the 'Tianxin Xiushi' Liu Xiexin, who oversees all information and intelligence organizations related to the Heavenly Gate, appears delicate and weak, yet is renowned in the martial world for wielding a 108-pound Vajra pestle using 'Huntian Yuanqi'.

I smiled and said: "I see, however, I believe there will surely be a position that satisfies you. If Your Highness were in power, wouldn't you want to change some personnel in the court?"

Liu Xiexin said with a relaxed smile: "It's just that we look out for each other and become familiar faces. How can this be considered making friends? We are engaged in legitimate business, providing high-quality weapons for the Imperial Guard, and there is no fault in doing so"