An Unexpected Windfall

The dust settled, and the street fell quiet.

"Huff, huff..."

Ye Jingtang panted like an ox. After sheathing his saber, he turned toward Luo Ning and saw her clutching her left shoulder, her lips slightly parted as she stared at him, dumbstruck.

"How's your injury?"

Ye Jingtang hurried over and took hold of Luo Ning's left arm to examine it.

Luo Ning twisted her waist slightly to evade his touch. She had not even had time to attend to her own injury before asking in astonishment:

"What saber technique was that? Why was it so powerful?"

"Did I ever say I was weak?"

"Hadn't you never learned martial arts?"

"Didn't you see me practicing in the courtyard these past few days?"

"You only practiced for a few days..."

Luo Ning opened her mouth, then stopped short. Perhaps it really was possible for this shameless little thief to comprehend a peerless saber technique in a matter of days...

She put aside her shock and said evenly, clutching her left shoulder:

"It's Wingless Owl's proprietary poison, Sine-Piercing Powder. I sealed my acupoints myself. It's nothing serious."

Only then did Ye Jingtang quietly breathe a sigh of relief. He took out the Jade Dragon Balm he had filched from Sanniang last time and handed it to Luo Ning, then searched the headless corpse.

"Don't block hidden weapons for me again. You can't stop them anyway..."

?

At those heartless words, irritation naturally flashed in Luo Ning's eyes.

"I wanted to. What business is it of yours? Do you think everyone in the martial world is like you, watching coldly when they can't help and disregarding their companions' safety?"

Ye Jingtang simply did not want anyone close to him to get hurt on his behalf. He was still deeply touched, so he did not talk back and merely searched the corpse swiftly.

He failed to find a bottle of antidote, but instead discovered something gleaming gold against the corpse's chest.

Ye Jingtang took out the gold sheet and examined it on both sides. He knew it was some extraordinary treasure impervious to blades and spears, but did not know the specifics, so he set it beside him and continued searching.

Luo Ning came up behind him, intending to say something, but caught sight of the gold sheet lying beside him out of the corner of her eye. A slight tremor ran through her.

Ye Jingtang was searching with his head lowered when he noticed Luo Ning's breath catch. He turned back, then looked at the gold sheet.

"You recognize this?"

Luo Ning's pallor concealed the change in her expression, but inwardly, she was clearly a little panicked-she knew what this gold sheet was. The Sky-Pacifying Sect Master was also collecting the Dragon-Mingling Diagram and already possessed one sheet.

According to the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master, the Dragon-Mingling Diagram contained nine extraordinary secret arts. Mastering any one of them would place a person far above ordinary people. Luo Ning did not know whether learning them all would let someone ascend to immortality, but she was certain they could preserve one's beauty forever.

From the first time she had met the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master until now, aside from a more mature bearing, the sect master's appearance had not changed at all. She had also benefited from learning a little of the basics, and even now, her skin was as tender and dewy as Yunli's...

Even without the miraculous power to make someone an immortal, restoring youth and preserving it forever alone was enough to drive countless martial-world Grandmasters in their twilight years mad.

When the previous dynasty fell, Grandmasters from every quarter had taken advantage of the chaos to rush into the Capital City ahead of everyone else. Brothers stabbing one another in the back and masters and disciples killing each other over the Dragon-Mingling Diagram had been commonplace. The tragedies it had wrought between kin throughout history were beyond counting.

This thing could be called nothing but a curse. Whoever obtained it would generally have to silence everyone who knew, lest word spread and bring the martial world hunting them down.

If she told Ye Jingtang, what if this little thief coveted the supreme treasure and hardened his heart...

Given this little thief's character, he probably would not go that far...

Luo Ning hesitated, then said tactfully:

"Keep this safe. It's very important. Whatever you do, don't let outsiders see it... or it could cost you your life."

Ye Jingtang blinked and looked again at the illustration of Dragon Roars Across Three Mountains on the gold sheet. After a moment's thought, he asked:

"Could this be the Dragon-Mingling Diagram?"

"..."

Luo Ning said nothing. She stepped back several paces and watched Ye Jingtang warily.

Seeing that something was wrong with her expression, Ye Jingtang quietly guessed her concern. He shook his head and continued feeling around for medicine bottles.

"You risked your life to block hidden weapons for me just now, and now you're guarding against me. Do you have a split personality?"

Luo Ning also felt that her behavior was rather inconsistent. She said in a low voice:

"I told you because you don't seem like a treacherous person. If you truly had no sense of honor at all, you would have died the first day you met me."

Ye Jingtang ignored her stubborn words and kept searching. He discovered that this burglar had quite a collection of possessions. Besides the gold sheet, there was a jade pendant at his waist, as well as a small booklet.

The booklet was plain, even a little worn. He glanced at its contents-it resembled a diary, filled with casually jotted insights and reflections that jumped from one subject to another. Yet the brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of a master. Barring any surprises, this was Lu Jieyun's rumored Martial Arts Insights.

Luo Ning stood behind him, looking at a small wooden box tossed to one side.

The box was exquisite. It had been opened during the search for medicine, revealing an emerald-green jade pendant inside.

"The Dragon Pool Tourmaline, the Zhou Family's heirloom from the Watercloud Sword Pool... I heard Wingless Owl had been to the Watercloud Sword Pool, but the Zhou Family made no move. So this was what they lost."

Ye Jingtang wrapped up the priceless booklet to keep the rain from soaking it and asked:

"Is this jade pendant valuable?"

"It's just an ordinary jade pendant that a Zhou Family ancestor picked up. They enshrine it as a family heirloom. Losing it was no different from slapping the Watercloud Sword Pool in the face. No wonder the Zhou Family kept quiet."

Ye Jingtang had no interest in such messy affairs and did not respond. He spent a good while carefully searching around the corpse's waist, but found nothing else besides a few miscellaneous items.

"Looks like there's no antidote."

"To get away, most burglars keep their antidotes elsewhere. They send poisoned pursuers to fetch them, then seize the chance to escape with their lives. You killed him too quickly and forgot to ask."

"Uh..."

Ye Jingtang's expression stiffened. He stood and looked at Luo Ning, whose complexion was growing worse.

"What do we do, then?"

Luo Ning was not particularly worried. "It won't kill me. I've sealed my acupoints, so I just need to expel the poison. Hurry and clean up here, then take me back to Twin Osmanthus Alley."

Ye Jingtang was no ruthless bandit. He could hardly kill someone and leave the corpse in the street. After putting away his spoils, he was just about to hide the headless body when a flurry of hoofbeats sounded farther down the street.

Clop, clop, clop...

The commotion just now had been so loud that it was plainly bandits causing trouble in the heart of the capital. It was hardly surprising that officials would rush over.

Ye Jingtang quickly had Luo Ning hide, then waited in the street. A moment later, more than ten riders came galloping from afar. Wearing black-and-dark-green robes, they were constables from the Black Bureau.

Afraid of provoking a clash through misunderstanding, Ye Jingtang took out the wanted notice issued by the Black Bureau while they were still far away and called out:

"Ye Jingtang of Skywater Bridge, apprehending a criminal on the Black Bureau's orders!"

The approaching Black Bureau constables dismounted and came over. The company officer leading them took Ye Jingtang's wanted notice and examined it. Only after confirming the seal was genuine did they lower their powerful bows and crossbows. The officer cupped his hands.

"Fine work, Young Master Ye! Are you the young hero who sparred with Lord She a few days ago?"

"That's me."

Respect showed on the company officer's face at his reply, and he cupped his hands again.

"Thank you for lending a hand, Young Hero Ye. Are you certain this is Wingless Owl?"

By the rules, when a Bounty Hunter helped apprehend a vicious criminal, everything belonged to the Bounty Hunter except stolen goods the court had specifically ordered recovered.

Naturally, Ye Jingtang was not foolish enough to hand over the Martial Arts Insights and Dragon-Mingling Diagram for confiscation. He merely tossed the jade pendant to the constables.

"This seems to be the Dragon Pool Tourmaline. I'll trouble you gentlemen to take the body and the item back to headquarters and report. I've just finished a fight and need to rest a while, so I won't be coming along."

Seeing the shattered walls and ruins between the houses, the Black Bureau constables knew the fight had been fierce. Fortunately, Young Master Ye showed no obvious external injuries.

The company officer leading them ordered his men to carry away the body and head, then handed Ye Jingtang a token.

"Imperial Physician Wang at Wende Bridge is a renowned healer in the Capital City. Anyone injured on Black Bureau business can call on him. If you're hurt, Young Master Ye, just take this token straight there."

"Thank you."

Ye Jingtang told the constables where he had discovered Wingless Owl so they could investigate and handle the aftermath, then took his leave.

Once he was out of the Black Bureau constables' sight, Ye Jingtang doubled back and, guided by Niao Niao, came to a dark alley.

Luo Ning was waiting in the alley, her face slightly pale. Seeing Ye Jingtang return, she hurriedly said:

"Let's go... huh?"

Before she could finish, Ye Jingtang came up and hoisted her straight onto his back.

Luo Ning clutched her shoulder as she lay against his back. With his arms supporting her thighs, irritation flashed in her eyes.

"My arm's injured, not my legs. Why are you carrying me?"

"Enough nonsense. I just got a token. I'll take you to an imperial physician to treat your injury."

An imperial physician?

Having investigated the Black Bureau for a long time, Luo Ning knew whom he meant. She said helplessly:

"I'm a criminal. Imperial Physician Wang in the Capital City deals with the likes of the Six Fiends all day. His eyes must be razor-sharp. Wouldn't going there be walking straight into the net?"

Ye Jingtang paused, thought for a moment, then changed direction and ran toward the West Market.

His eagerness to help made Luo Ning feel a little uncomfortable. She had not particularly objected to being carried by the little thief, but soon realized he was going the wrong way.

"Where are you going? This isn't the way to Dyeing Street..."

"To the inn. Twin Osmanthus Alley is half a city away. You'll be cold by the time I run there. Can't you expel the poison at an inn?"

"...?"

For some reason, Luo Ning's stance was utterly firm.

"I'm not going to an inn! Put me down. I'll go back to Twin Osmanthus Alley myself. Little thief! Did you hear me?... Say something..."