Chapter 121: Burglary Turns to Robbery

The night had grown deep, and within the vast mansion, not a sound stirred.

Xie Jinhuan bypassed the few guards and slipped into Ye Shirong's private residence. Through the Ghost Wife's reconnaissance, he discovered the place was lax on the outside but tight within; it appeared unremarkable, yet the inner courtyard held numerous warning traps, even more secure than Li Gongpu's mansion.

Ye Hongshang, clad in red, floated beside him. After a brief survey, she warned:

"This place has a formation masking its aura, likely to prevent anyone from probing. It will be difficult to ascertain the exact number of personnel; be careful."

Xie Jinhuan had actually guessed, merely by the mansion's location, that Ye Shirong's background was not entirely clean.

The house lay in a remote part of the outer city, with very few patrols nearby and Immortal Officials rarely visiting. It was close to the city wall; once outside the city, one reached the Luohe River, making escape convenient if trouble arose.

If he were a demon bandit, he would certainly choose such a place to settle, rather than Qingquan Alley where experts gathered.

However, to confirm, he proceeded cautiously along the wall, reaching the courtyard where the master resided. A slight probe revealed no movement or disturbance within.

No one...

The carriages and horses were all present; Ye Shirong couldn't possibly have gone out on foot...

Or perhaps he was disguised, gone to meet the Mingshen Sect's high command...

Xie Jinhuan felt slightly puzzled. Peeking silently from the roof ridge, he confirmed no light shone inside the room, then landed soundlessly outside the main hall and pushed the door open a crack to look.

Inside was a study, empty of people. Famous calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls; the multi-treasure shelf held mostly jade vases; the bookshelves displayed common classics. Overall, it was unremarkable. The most special item was a precious sword displayed on a sword stand: its scabbard was black, inlaid with red jade, and the hilt was woven from gold thread. Unsurprisingly, it was a gift from the Emperor for meritorious service in protecting the royal carriage.

Ye Hongshang glanced around, seeing the man possessed considerable wealth, and teased:

"Seems he's not home. Does the hero never leave empty-handed?"

Xie Jinhuan's main purpose this trip was to seek clues regarding the Mingshen Sect; for now, he must prioritize the matter at hand. He slipped silently into the room, sniffed the air, and detected a faint fragrance. The scent was quite peculiar:

"What is this smell?"

Ye Hongshang's gaze locked onto a sachet hanging beside the desk:

"It seems derived from some rare beast. The fragrance neutralizes blood and killing qi, removing residual odors in the room. Undoubtedly, he is a demon Daoist."

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly. After confirming no traps or mechanisms were set in the room, he approached the bookshelves and desk to inspect. He saw some Gongwenjuan Sect documents on the shelves; the most recent one detailed various arrangements for Empress He's return to her hometown for ancestral worship...

Empress He was a native of Jingcheng, with her hometown in Hongzhang County. She had married the Qian Emperor when he was still an unfavored Imperial Prince. Because her family home was nearby, she returned annually with her father, the Duke He, to pay respects.

Since his father was a Commandant responsible for security during the Empress's procession leaving the city, Xie Jinhuan knew these details, and the timeline roughly matched; this intelligence was not particularly suspicious.

However, Hongzhang County did indeed have a state-run quarry; the stone used in Jingcheng was mostly transported from there...

Xie Jinhuan silently examined the documents, analyzing various possibilities. Before reaching a definite conclusion, a faint sound suddenly came from outside the room:

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

The soft sound of a stone door sliding open.

Xie Jinhuan's gaze sharpened slightly. He immediately suppressed all sound and turned to look at the window.

Ye Hongshang first looked outward, then down at the ground, raising an eyebrow slightly:

"There is a secret passage at the bottom of the well. Ye Shirong has returned. Time to kill for profit."

?

Xie Jinhuan felt the Ghost Wife's words somewhat undermined her persona, but the current situation was indeed much the same...

——

Outside the main hall, broken clouds obscured the moon.

Ye Shirong silently leaped out from the well opening, first scanning left and right. Confirming nothing was amiss, he carried a food box toward the main hall.

On the surface, this was his private residence, but in reality, it was a safe house for the Mingshen Sect. During the city lockdown, personnel entering and exiting, or emergency evacuations due to changes within the city, all used this route. Zhang Chu was responsible for secret contact, while he handled the public cover.

To prevent detection by experts within the city or magical artifacts, the entire mansion was secretly rigged with formations and warning mechanisms. The outer servants were all his trusted Retainers; without permission, none could enter the inner courtyard. Normally, it would be impossible for anyone to sneak here silently.

For this reason, Ye Shirong was not overly vigilant. Along the way, he was still pondering He Can's earlier nonsense, but as he approached the window of the main hall, his footsteps suddenly halted mid-air, and he sniffed slightly.

The scent of a human...

Demon Daoist body cultivators, while consolidating their half-demon physiques, naturally experience enhanced senses. A nose like a dog, ears like a cat, and eyes like an eagle are basic; as long as a human does not possess a flawless Golden Body, they inevitably emit a faint scent.

Not to mention someone had just been drinking small wine and rubbing a large white cat, carrying a body full of rouge and feminine fragrance...

The scent was too faint for Ye Shirong to immediately determine if it drifted from outside or if someone had just entered the courtyard. Suddenly, a heart-racing dread arose in his heart, and his right hand almost instinctively rose!

At that very same moment, the entire wall on the right suddenly bulged and burst!

Boom—

Then, the thirty-six-section Great Heaven Mace, glowing with a ghostly silver light under the moon, wrapped in endless gravel and wood chips, struck straight for the crown of his head!

Bang—

Crack—

The heavy mace struck his raised right arm. Amidst the ear-grating sound of bones cracking and shattering, Ye Shirong's forearm was instantly split into two pieces!

The Great Heaven Mace's momentum did not wane; the mace head still landed on his skull. In an instant, a mist of blood exploded outward. His entire body, battered by the fierce qi and flying debris, was immediately flung horizontally into the courtyard outside the steps!

Boom, boom, boom—

The shockwave and dust swept across the entire courtyard, hitting the wall before shooting skyward!

Rising simultaneously was a terrifying, hair-raising aura of blood and killing intent!

Ye Shirong, struck by the mace and flung away, did not die on the spot. Instead, halfway through his flight, his left hand dug into the Bai Shi pathway, his fingers dragging four long grooves in the ground!

Clatter, clatter...

As his form halted, Ye Shirong shifted to supporting himself on one hand in a half-crouch, his posture resembling a leopard poised to spring.

His original aged face transformed into a blood-stained Asura ghost visage. His eyes were blood-red, veins bulged densely, and his muscles surged violently throughout his body, causing his robes to tear with a 'crack, crack' sound. His back gradually arched, and even his arms and legs visibly thickened. His entire body seemed to instantly expand by a size.

"Haa—

Coarse and heavy breathing rose from the flying sand, like an enraged ox or fierce tiger!

At the same time, from the darkness behind the broken wall, a clear voice rang out:

"One strike brought out the second stage. Lord Ye seems not as formidable as Tai Shu Dan."

Ye Shirong's crimson eyes locked onto the shattered wall of the study, brimming with furious rage and murderous intent—but upon hearing that unforgettable voice, his wild gaze froze.

Tap-tap-tap…

Faint footsteps echoed from the breach in the main house.

Soon, the hem of a white robe appeared in the darkness, followed by a tall figure shouldering the Tian Tian Gang Jian Club, and a face of extraordinary beauty that now looked no less terrifying than the Reaper of Souls!

Gulp-gulp-gulp…

Ye Shirong was jolted into a state of shock by the blow; his chest visibly heaved, as if his killing engine had instantly overloaded—but the madness and brutality in his eyes were suppressed, replaced by a bone-deep confusion and bewilderment:

"Xie Jinhuan?! How did you get into my study?"

Thud~

Xie Jinhuan stepped out of the breach, leaning on the Tian Tian Gang Jian Club as he studied Ye Shirong, whose half-demon body was slowly revealing itself.

"Where do you think I should be, Lord Ye?"

Ye Shirong could not fathom how Xie Jinhuan had slipped in here; despite the murderous urge surging in his heart, he could not help but rasp back:

"You should be killing Li Gongpu! He set the trap to kill you—haven't you realized?"

"I realized. But vengeance has its order. Li Gongpu merely got my father demoted; it was your Mingshen Sect that sent men to hunt us down to the last breath."

Xie Jinhuan stared straight into those crimson eyes:

"No more lies. Tell me everything about my father's case—and who your master is. In return, I'll let you die with dignity. Otherwise, if the Imperial Astronomical Bureau gets you, you'll beg for death and never get it."

"Hah…"

Ye Shirong's lips curled into a grotesque smile; he lowered his stance slightly, like a beast panting with malice:

"The mansion is guarded by an array—the Eight Directions Illuminating Pagoda cannot detect the blood curse here. By the time the Immortal Official hears the commotion and arrives, I'll have already torn out your soul, shattered your bones, and fled far away. I'll trade one public identity for your life as a prodigy—no loss."

Xie Jinhuan turned his gaze toward the night sky over the inner city—indeed, no high cultivator had broken through the heavens.

Fortunately, he never expected the imperial court to come to his aid; capturing Ye Shirong alive and interrogating him for information would do just as well!

"A Demon Daoist body cultivator—said to have trained his mind into muscle. Coincidentally, I possess the Silver Dragon Eight Forms, specifically designed to slay all martial sects. Let's see which is stronger."

Xie Jinhuan raised the Tian Tian Gang Jian Club, pointing it at the blood-drenched, towering half-demon in the courtyard:

"Since Lord Ye wishes to show off your skills, come."

Hoo~

As his words ended, the dust settled.

The courtyard fell into a taut, deathly silence—only the pale, icy moonlight illuminated the two figures before it!

And at the same time, far in the distance, atop a house.

Nangong, the sect leader who had persistently trailed the young hero, hid in the shadows, her eyes fixed on the monstrous, deformed demon bandit in the courtyard, filled with astonishment.

She had known from the start that Xie Jinhuan, a righteous young hero, wouldn't waste time on a woman's lap.

As expected, Xie Jinhuan finished in under two quarters of an hour and slipped out again, stealthily.

True, the time was short—but to swiftly slay demons and complete the mission, isn't it normal to let the girl wash up herself?

Now that she'd actually caught a demon bandit, her impression of him had improved considerably; she now thought he was perfect in every way—except he was a bit lecherous.

Even while slaying demons, he still finds time to visit his beauty's home for a romp—doesn't your leg go weak?

Such a formidable aura—what if you're too drained to fight later? How will you handle it?

(End of Chapter)