Several of them slipped into the courtyard. The entire place seemed abandoned, with no servants or maids in sight, so they went in without being discovered. Reaching a corner by the wall, they held their breath and peered inside.
Xue Yiren released Yelü Yixin and said coldly, "We've found the place you mentioned. Where is the Mandarin Duck Saber? If you can't produce it, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
"I'll get it for you right away." Yelü Yixin sounded somewhat dejected. Not long ago, he had been the foremost man in the imperial court, only to become a prisoner the next moment. Anyone would have been in a foul mood.
As he spoke, he began fiddling with the bedboards. There was a hidden compartment beneath them. Xue Yiren was not worried that the other man might try anything; at such close range, he was fully confident he could seal his throat with a single sword strike.
After fumbling about for a while, Yelü Yixin finally pulled a long box from the hidden compartment. As he spoke, he handed it toward Xue Yiren. "This is the Mandarin Duck Saber..."
But Xue Yiren took a step back and raised the sword in his hand. "Stay where you are. Open the box first." Though he was obsessed with swordsmanship, he was no fool. He knew there were mechanisms in the martial world capable of ambushing even martial arts masters, such as the Pear Blossom Rain Needle. He feared the box might contain something similar. At such close range, he truly was not certain he could evade it.
Yelü Yixin obediently did not seize the chance to rush him. Instead, he honestly opened the box, revealing two gleaming sabers within.
"The Mandarin Duck Saber!" A trace of delight appeared in Xue Yiren's