That Goes Without Saying

Liang Yue immediately understood why the old man's expression had turned so grave. He quietly took two steps back and pretended he had seen nothing.

The Imperial Treasury was, in essence, the emperor's private treasury.

It was not something outsiders were allowed to see lightly.

Though the emperor of the Yin Dynasty nominally ruled all under heaven, the money in the National Treasury came from the taxes of the nine provinces—the lifeblood and fat of the people. It had to be taken from the people and used for the people. Though the emperor could use it as well, every payment in and out had to be approved by the Ministry of Revenue. For any larger expenditure, the civil and military officials all had to raise no objection.

If the emperor could freely decide how the National Treasury's money was used, a Heaven-Piercing Tower would not have been dragged out for years before its project was approved.

The emperor's own little vault, which he could draw from as he pleased, was known as the "Imperial Treasury."

Its funds came from allocations to the imperial clan, regular disbursements from the National Treasury, and the royal family's own businesses. Even counting only the Imperial Treasury, the emperor was one of the richest men under heaven.

The current Yin Emperor, Mu Bei, had reigned for thirty years and had never indulged in extravagance or excess. The Imperial Treasury basically covered only the daily expenses of the imperial palace's inner quarters. There was no way such a massive batch of stored silver could have flowed out from it.

Yet in this underground bank, most of the hidden silver was actually Imperial Treasury ingots. It looked to be worth several million taels. It was truly inconceivable.

"Alas." Eagle Elder pondered solemnly for a moment, then sighed. "Notify everyone present: today's matter must absolutely not be leaked. Divide up this silver, conceal and seal it in boxes, then escort it back to the capital. No one is to touch it without authorization."

Yang He returned with his men after searching the area and saw the elder's expression. He hurriedly asked, "Eagle Elder, this is...?"

"We may have stumbled into disaster." Eagle Elder rubbed his head. "What rotten luck. Why did it have to be me wading into this muddy water?"

Hearing him make it sound so serious, Liang Yue felt somewhat puzzled as well.

Even if the Imperial Treasury had been robbed, they only needed to hunt down the thieves. It was not as though their Ministry of Justice had done it. Why did he look as if disaster had fallen from the sky?

Could there be some other hidden truth behind this?

Still, though Liang Yue was curious, he knew there were things he should hear and things he should not. He had no desire to get tangled up in a matter that even the higher-ups of the Ministry of Justice found headache-inducing.

Liang Yue turned and went to find Wen Yifan and Shang Yunhai, joining them where they stood.

No matter what happened, as long as he stood with the Evil Extermination Division, he probably would not end up being purged.

Only now that things had calmed down did Wen Yifan ask, "Not only did you master the Sword Domain Swimming Dragon Movement Technique, you also comprehended the method of releasing Sword Qi externally from it?"

Liang Yue smiled. "Yes. My luck was fairly good."

Shang Yunhai was also somewhat astonished. "Brother Liang, you mastered that movement technique in the Second Realm? Even within the Mystic Sect, that counts as a top-tier cultivation art! How long did you practice it for?"

Embarrassed by the praise, Liang Yue held up three fingers.

"Three months?" Shang Yunhai said. "Then your talent is no worse than that of our Mystic Sect Disciples. Eh? No, that cannot be right. Three months ago, it would have been impossible for you to come into contact with Mystic Sect secret manuals."

He looked at Wen Yifan, and she nodded lightly.

Shang Yunhai's astonishment rose another level. "You mastered it in three days?"

Only then did Liang Yue answer, "Three times."

Shang Yunhai and Wen Yifan both fell silent.

They cultivated the Qi Refiner lineage and had never practiced that movement technique, but the Dao resonance contained in any top-tier Mystic Sect cultivation art was unimaginably intricate.

Very few people could grasp a cultivation art after only a few rounds of contemplation.

Liang Yue had not only mastered the Sword Domain Swimming Dragon Movement Technique after contemplating it three times, he had even learned a move for releasing Sword Qi externally along the way.

What kind of comprehension was that?

After a long while, Shang Yunhai sighed softly. "If you were not cultivating as a martial artist, I would have wanted to take you as a disciple on my master's behalf and make you my junior brother outright."

Wen Yifan said, "Martial Uncle Wang happens to be looking for a final disciple. I intend to recommend him."

"Ah?" A worried look appeared on Shang Yunhai's face. "To enter Martial Uncle Wang's sect..."

He stopped himself halfway through.

Sensing something off in his tone, Liang Yue asked, "What is wrong with this senior?"

"Nothing." Wen Yifan shook her head. "It is only that Martial Uncle Wang is rather unconventional within our Mystic Sect. But his cultivation is beyond question. Having a master like him is still better than your current state of having no master and no sect."

Liang Yue vaguely felt that things might not be so simple.

Shang Yunhai was a gentle gentleman who would not lie. Anyone who could make him feel so troubled was probably unreliable in some way.

But Miss Wen was right as well. Even if that man had a few flaws, he was still a true Mystic Sect great power and senior. That was better than being alone and helpless.

Thinking so, he set his mind at ease once more.

Seeing the three of them gathered together talking, Ling Yuanbao immediately recalled how she had been abandoned earlier. She called out from behind them, "Liang Yue!"

"Hm?"

Liang Yue turned around and saw Ling Yuanbao's puffed-up expression. His heart sank. This female constable had finally realized something was wrong.

He quickly pulled Ling Yuanbao aside and lowered his voice. "Constable Ling, we gained quite a lot this time, and you rendered great merit again. Why do you look so unhappy?"

"I am asking you, what did you mean just now?" Ling Yuanbao frowned. "Why did you have me lure away the men in black while you three stayed behind to investigate? We were the ones who came together!"

"Well..." Liang Yue glanced back at the two from the Evil Extermination Division, then at Ling Yuanbao. "Constable Ling, do you think the two of them can fight as well as you?"

"Mm..." Ling Yuanbao thought it over. "Mystic Sect Disciples must be highly skilled. They should only be a little weaker than me."

"Then do you think they are as smart as you?" Liang Yue asked again.

"This..." Ling Yuanbao hesitated again before saying, "The people of the Evil Extermination Division should all possess extraordinary intelligence. They are probably evenly matched with me."

"Then do you think they are as loyal as you?" Liang Yue asked at last.

"Of course not!" Ling Yuanbao glared. "I put every ounce of my strength into rushing back to call for help."

"Exactly!" Liang Yue struck his fist into his palm. "They cannot fight as well as you, they are not as clever as you, and they are not as loyal as you. Of course the most crucial task—going out to find reinforcements—had to be entrusted to you. If it had been anyone else, they might not have been able to carve a path through the encirclement, nor could they have brought back reinforcements as quickly as you did. That is why I thought of entrusting this vital responsibility to you first thing!"

As she listened to his stream of praise, Ling Yuanbao gradually revealed a floating, delighted smile. Yet she still asked suspiciously, "You are not lying to me, are you?"

"With your intelligence and wisdom, how could I possibly fool you?" Liang Yue said with a face full of sincerity.

"That goes without saying." Ling Yuanbao nodded in satisfaction.

More personnel from the Ministry of Justice arrived one after another. They packed the small mountain of silver into boxes and hauled it back to Dragon Abyss City cart by cart. A haul of stolen silver on this scale was likely something not seen in decades. It would certainly shake the court.

The Demon Tamer's remains were also carefully collected and transported back to the Ministry of Justice for closer examination.

The reappearance of the Zhu Rong Seed in the martial world would likely cause no small stir as well. With such a great killer weapon in hand, anyone with lower cultivation would be instantly slain without distinction. It was truly terrifying.

That poor Demon Tamer. The Imperial Court had not even intended to kill him, yet he had died miserably at the hands of his own people.

Cultivating their lineage was exceedingly difficult.

If martial artist talent appeared in one out of a hundred, and Qi Refiner talent in one out of ten thousand, then Mystic Art Masters appeared only once in a million. Mystic Art Masters capable of becoming Demon Tamers were rarer still.

From childhood, they had to travel to the four demon lands overseas, grow up among demonic beasts, endure countless hardships and dangers while refining those beasts, and only then could they cultivate step by step until they achieved success.

Strength far beyond others of the same realm always came at a price.

For him to die like this was truly somewhat regrettable.

But from the moment he began helping a tiger commit evil, he should have known that sooner or later, he would pay the price.

While the Ministry of Justice was still handling the aftermath, the two from the Evil Extermination Bureau prepared to leave first.

They had to deal with the Silver Guardian Beast and transport it elsewhere for confinement. Shang Yunhai sat astride the listless creature's enormous head and waved goodbye to everyone.

Wen Yifan, meanwhile, said to Liang Yue, "Take a day off tomorrow. I will bring you to meet your master."

Hearing this, Liang Yue immediately beamed with joy. "All right! Thank you, Miss Wen."

Wen Yifan smiled. "If all goes smoothly, you will have to call me Senior Sister from now on."

Liang Yue smiled as well.

Though they had not found any new clues regarding Zhen Changzhi's case at Longsheng Cloth Shop, uncovering an underground bank still counted as a major accomplishment.

If he successfully became a disciple tomorrow as well, then everything would truly be going smoothly.

His assessment for becoming a full member was only a few days away. If a Mystic Sect master casually gave him a few pointers, would passing an assessment not be as steady as an old dog?

When that time came, everything would get better!