Reward: Full Moon Scimitar, Divine Blade Slash!

Niu Ren asked Xiao Qiuyue, "Why were you poisoned?"

Xiao Qiuyue recounted what had happened during her battle with Leng Ningxiang.

Niu Ren could not help showing a look of astonishment. "I never expected a courtesan queen from a brothel to possess such martial arts. It seems this Leng Ningxiang must belong to a Japanese family of swordsmanship."

Huang Shaojie said, "That madam possessed formidable martial arts, so her status should not be low. If we can pry open her mouth, perhaps we can sweep up every Japanese pirate in Suzhou City in one net."

Niu Ren took a sip of tea and slowly shook his head. "Japanese spies are exceedingly cunning. This time, we raided the Dongsheng Merchant Association and Fountain Pavilion, two intelligence strongholds. Those Japanese spies will surely hide themselves even more deeply now. Catching them will probably not be so easy."

Huang Shaojie clasped his hands and asked, "My lord, how have Commander Li and Commander Zhao's operations gone?"

Niu Ren said, "Commander Zhao has already captured Cao Renqi and brought him back. Commander Li has yet to return from surrounding the Dongsheng Merchant Association. I do not know how things have gone there."

As he spoke, Niu Ren could not help furrowing his brow. The Dongsheng Merchant Association might well be the Japanese headquarters in Suzhou. There were surely many experts there. Could Commander Li and the others truly handle them?

Seeing the concern on Niu Ren's face, Huang Shaojie clasped his hands. "My lord, why not let this subordinate go take a look now? I may be able to lend some help."

Xiao Qiuyue also clasped her hands. "This subordinate is willing to go with Battalion Commander Huang."

Niu Ren nodded. "Very well. Take some men and go."

Just as they were speaking, someone strode in from outside the hall. It was Commander Li.

Commander Li entered the main hall and bowed with clasped hands to Niu Ren. "Reporting to you, my lord, we have captured thirty-six Japanese spies from the Dongsheng Merchant Association. They have now been locked in the dungeon."

Niu Ren asked, "Did you capture the president of the Dongsheng Merchant Association?"

Commander Li said, "This subordinate is incompetent. I failed to capture the association president. In fact, I did not capture a single core member of the association. The several dozen Eastern Ocean Samurai we caught were all mere small fry of the association."

Niu Ren shouted angrily, "You led three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred, four battalion commanders, and two hundred guardsmen, yet you only captured a few dozen lackeys? Are all of you useless?"

With such a force, even if they had gone to suppress several hundred mountain bandits, it would have been more than enough, let alone arresting a merchant association.

Yet unexpectedly, they had not captured even one core member of the association. No wonder Niu Ren was enraged.

Commander Li lowered his head and bowed. "Reporting to you, my lord, we surrounded the Dongsheng Merchant Association and searched every corner of it. Aside from these several dozen Eastern Ocean Samurai dressed as servants, we did not see a single core member of the association."

After hearing Commander Li's explanation, Niu Ren's anger eased somewhat. He said in a deep voice, "Where did the Dongsheng Merchant Association's core members go? Could they have received word in advance and fled?"

Xiao Qiuyue frowned slightly. "Today's arrest operation was swift. How could the Dongsheng Merchant Association have learned of it beforehand? Unless there is a traitor within our Imperial Guard."

Huang Shaojie clasped his hands. "My lord, this subordinate believes there may be a secret passage within the Dongsheng Merchant Association. The association's core members may have escaped through it at the last moment."

Niu Ren stroked the short beard on his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "Your guess is very possible. If the Dongsheng Merchant Association had received word in advance, they would surely have all withdrawn. These several dozen Eastern Ocean Samurai had no time to retreat. That shows the association's core members escaped through a secret passage at the last moment."

Commander Li said helplessly, "This subordinate ordered more than two hundred Imperial Guards to search every corner of the Dongsheng Merchant Association, but we never discovered any secret passage."

Niu Ren snorted coldly. "Your failure to find it does not mean it is not there. It can only mean you are incompetent!"

Commander Li respectfully replied, "My lord's rebuke is justified. This subordinate is willing to accept punishment."

Seeing his attitude, Niu Ren's expression softened slightly. He waved a hand. "Forget it. The Dongsheng Merchant Association's secret passage must be extremely well concealed. It is normal that you failed to find it for the moment."

Huang Shaojie clasped his hands. "My lord, this subordinate wishes to go to the Dongsheng Merchant Association and search for that secret passage."

Xiao Qiuyue also clasped her hands. "This subordinate is willing to go with Battalion Commander Huang to search for the secret passage."

Niu Ren nodded. "Very well. Commander Li, take the two of them to the Dongsheng Merchant Association."

Commander Li clasped his hands. "Yes, my lord."

The three left the Imperial Guard and rode to the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue began searching throughout the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

At that moment, a system reward notification rang out in Huang Shaojie's mind.

Congratulations to the host for uncovering Cao Renqi's collusion with the Japanese, thereby destroying two Japanese intelligence strongholds and capturing several dozen Japanese pirates.

Rewarding the host with the peerless weapon Full Moon Scimitar, as well as the Divine Blade Slash blade technique.

Huang Shaojie suddenly felt an extra scimitar at his waist, hanging beside his Embroidered Spring Blade.

At the same time, the blade technique of Divine Blade Slash flooded into Huang Shaojie's mind, allowing him to understand every exquisite transformation of Divine Blade Slash as clearly as if he had practiced it tens of millions of times.

"Full Moon Scimitar?"

Huang Shaojie could not help drawing the scimitar from his waist curiously.

The entire blade was shaped like a crescent moon, yet its surface was pitch-black throughout, revealing not the slightest hint of sharpness.

But the moment Huang Shaojie drew the Full Moon Scimitar, he immediately sensed the bloodthirsty demonic nature emanating from it. It actually gave him the urge to kill someone at once.

"It truly is a peerless weapon!"

Huang Shaojie drew a deep breath and suppressed the killing intent in his heart.

He looked at the blade and saw a line of small regular script carved upon it:

In a little tower, I listen to the spring rain through the night.

These were words carved by Bai Xiaolou, the former leader of the Demonic Cult. Behind them lay a tragic and beautiful love story.

Divine Blade Slash had likewise been created by Bai Xiaolou, the leader of the Demonic Cult.

Divine Blade Slash had only one move.

Yet it could almost be called the most exquisite and domineering blade technique in the world.

Legend had it that once this blade was unleashed, no one under heaven could withstand it!

Huang Shaojie was incomparably excited. He could barely resist using Divine Blade Slash right then to see how powerful it was!

But he still held himself back and sheathed the Full Moon Scimitar.

Then he continued searching for the secret passage.

After searching the main hall, they arrived at the rear courtyard.

When Huang Shaojie saw the well, he could not help stopping.

"Could it be that you suspect this well is a secret passage?" Xiao Qiuyue walked to the edge of the well and looked down into it. Shaking her head, she said, "The water in this well is so deep. It should be impossible for it to be a secret passage."

Huang Shaojie stroked his chin and said meaningfully, "It is precisely because there is water in the well that no one would suspect it."

Commander Li walked over and said, "A squad leader previously dove down to inspect this well. He said there was no secret passage below."

Since a squad leader had already gone down to inspect it, there should not have been a secret passage.

Yet Huang Shaojie stared at the chaotic footprints left by the well. Most of them had not been left by Imperial Guard boots.

He became even more suspicious that there was something wrong with this well.

"Lord Li, since we have not found a secret passage anywhere else, I will still go down and inspect this well."

With that, Huang Shaojie removed his outer robe, leaving only his undergarment on, then jumped into the well with the Full Moon Scimitar in hand.