The younger generation was formidable

Ye Jingtang sat beside the tea table, tapping his fingers lightly against the armrest as he waited for Shang Jianli to return.

He had only waited a moment when footsteps sounded outside, followed by a figure appearing in the doorway.

The figure was tall, her makeup as striking as it had been last time. Even without looking at her face, the "fat-headed dragons" threatening to burst free made her instantly recognizable.

"Prince Jing?!"

Ye Jingtang rose with a delighted expression to greet her, only for his face to freeze immediately as his peripheral vision swept toward the Purple Sandalwood Box in front of him...

(0_0)!

Ye Jingtang wanted to hide the Horned Gentleman at once, but that would be no different from covering his ears while stealing a bell. He could only steel himself and act natural.

Dongfang Liren raised a hand slightly, dismissing her attendants before entering the tea room alone.

"You handled matters so efficiently, Young Master Ye. You truly exceeded my expectations."

"You flatter me..."

Ye Jingtang's gaze was awkward as he used his body to block the Purple Sandalwood Box.

Dongfang Liren strode openly over and sat beside Ye Jingtang. Although she knew perfectly well what the Purple Sandalwood Box contained, she feigned surprise and asked curiously:

"What is this? A welcoming gift for me? How thoughtful of you, Young Master Ye..."

As she spoke, she reached for the Purple Sandalwood Box.

An outrageously disrespectful hand promptly pressed down on it.

Smack!

Ye Jingtang held the box down with one hand, his expression truly beyond description, and tried to explain calmly:

"You misunderstand, Your Highness. This is something I borrowed from Squad Leader Wang to catch a thief. Um... it isn't very clean..."

So you do know it's dirty?

That was what Dongfang Liren thought, though her expression remained quite serious.

"I command the Black Bureau. What filthy thing haven't I seen? Now I'm curious what marvelous object you used to capture the notorious Yanzhou thief, Wingless Owl..."

She tugged at it with both hands as she spoke.

Oh, damn...

Ye Jingtang could hardly wrestle Prince Jing for it, so he could only offer an explanation in advance:

"Squad Leader Wang was a move ahead and came up with the idea for me. Inside..."

Clatter-

The wooden box opened, revealing the Horned Gentleman in all its pointed glory.

Even though Dongfang Liren had prepared herself, the sight of that lifelike, thick, long club still froze her regal expression, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Click-

Dongfang Liren swiftly closed the box and looked at Ye Jingtang with a stern dignity that needed no anger. Her eyes seemed to say, "Who would have guessed? You look so respectable, but you're actually that sort of man!"

Ye Jingtang's scalp prickled. He felt that the image he had worked so hard to establish was utterly ruined. Taking a small booklet from his sleeve, he changed the subject:

"This is something I found on Wingless Owl when I caught him yesterday. It should be the 'lightness skill insights' spoken of in the martial world. I came here today specifically to present it to you, Prince Jing."

Dongfang Liren had only been putting on an act to tease Ye Jingtang. Hearing this, she paused in surprise.

"The Dragon Pool Tourmaline is valuable, but ultimately only a worldly possession. I can understand handing it over to the authorities. This, however, is a supreme treasure of the martial world. You're offering it to me so readily?"

"I made a copy last night. I only hope Your Highness won't notify the Cloud-Cutting Palace about this."

Understanding dawned on Dongfang Liren, and she did not take the booklet. "I like this disposition of yours. Honest enough. In the martial world, even ten thousand gold pieces might not buy this, but I have no use for it. If I truly wanted to learn Lu Jieyun's lightness skill, a letter to Prince Yan would have Lu Jieyun coming to the capital to teach me in person. Keep it without worry."

Ye Jingtang had generously offered Prince Jing the lightness skill insights partly to prevent any objections from the Black Bureau, and partly because he feared the Cloud-Cutting Palace would come knocking over his "stolen tutelage."

With that assurance from Prince Jing, Ye Jingtang naturally felt relieved.

Dongfang Liren took a jade pendant from her sleeve and placed it on the tea table.

"Take this as well. When we apprehend fugitive bandits, any stolen property the court has not specifically ordered recovered belongs to the constables involved. I don't interfere. That is the Black Bureau's rule."

Ye Jingtang accepted the jade pendant and saw that it was none other than the Dragon Pool Tourmaline obtained the previous night.

"This is the Watercloud Sword Pool's heirloom. Isn't it a little... for Prince Jing to reward me with it?"

"The Zhou Family lost something but chose not to report it, intending to settle a martial-world affair within the martial world. Why should I eagerly return it to curry favor? If you don't dare keep it, you can always return it to the Zhou Family. If they offer too little compensation, I'll help you obtain justice."

Ye Jingtang understood and gladly accepted the jade pendant.

"Thank you for the reward, Prince Jing. Shall I go see Qiu Tianhe now and discuss learning his saber technique?"

Dongfang Liren wanted to see just how good Ye Jingtang's comprehension was. After a little consideration, she added:

"You have considerable martial talent. Since you've obtained Lu Jieyun's lightness skill insights, go back and study them carefully. Once you've gained something, I'll spar with you and see how much of Lu Jieyun's mastery you've learned."

Ye Jingtang wanted to enter the imperial palace to dig for treasure, which would inevitably require Prince Jing's help. Naturally, he would not refuse anything that strengthened their relationship.

"All right. I'll visit you again in three days, Prince Jing, and we can compare our lightness skills..."

What?

Dongfang Liren's brows drew together slightly as she looked at Ye Jingtang.

"Three days?!"

Realizing the problem, Ye Jingtang corrected himself:

"Three days might be too short. How about seven?"

"..."

In all her life, this was the first time Dongfang Liren had heard of martial training progress being measured in days!

Although Ye Jingtang appeared to have a very solid foundation, Lu Jieyun's lightness skill insights began in a realm accessible only to Grandmasters. First gaining a grounding in lightness skills, then thoroughly digesting the insights and making them his own-seven years would already be fast. What could he possibly accomplish in seven days?

Dongfang Liren fell silent for a moment, but still nodded.

"Very well. In three days, we'll discuss our understanding of lightness skills. That will also benefit your study of these insights. Go see Qiu Tianhe. Discuss it with him and see whether he's willing to teach you his saber technique in exchange for the chance to live out his remaining years in peace."

Ye Jingtang rose to take his leave, but when he reached for the Purple Sandalwood Box, Prince Jing pressed a hand down on it.

"Let the servants return it. Just go."

Ye Jingtang knew Wang Chihu was Prince Jing's older cousin, so he naturally believed her without reservation. After a cupped-hand salute, he left the tea room on his own.

The drizzle outside had yet to stop.

Ye Jingtang followed Shang Jianli toward the dungeon to see Qiu Tianhe. But as they passed through a corridor near the Jade Resonance Tower, he suddenly sensed someone watching him.

Following that feeling, Ye Jingtang looked up toward the Jade Resonance Tower and saw a woman in a house dress at the top, just turning away.

He assumed she was a maid from the prince's residence secretly admiring his good looks and thought little of it...

The dim dungeon was thick with an eerie chill. From a distance, its few dull yellow oil lamps resembled ghost fires.

With his saber hanging behind his waist, Ye Jingtang walked slowly through the hushed underground passage and reached the shaft opening two levels belowground.

Inside the stone cell, Qiu Tianhe sat against the wall with his hair disheveled, still in the same position as last time, utterly silent.

Clatter-

The chain on the iron grate was unlocked. Shang Jianli waited at the shaft opening while Ye Jingtang vaulted down inside.

Qiu Tianhe opened his eyes. The sight of his old acquaintance's descendant stirred affection in his heart, though his expression remained rather impassive.

"Why are you here again? What do you want to ask this time?"

Ye Jingtang landed steadily, unfastened the Jade Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber from behind his waist, and laid it across his knees.

"I've trained with the saber since childhood and have always admired you, Hero Qiu. I came today hoping you would teach me your saber technique."

?

Qiu Tianhe raised his brows slightly and straightened a little, watching Ye Jingtang as though weighing his intentions.

Ye Jingtang did not conceal anything and said directly:

"If I learn your saber technique, Hero Qiu, I'll owe you a debt for your instruction. I couldn't possibly stand by and leave you imprisoned. So I discussed it with Prince Jing. I'll learn your technique, then teach it to her. In exchange, she'll release you and let you spend your remaining years in the capital."

"..."

Qiu Tianhe understood what he meant-he was trying to save him.

Yet Qiu Tianhe rejected this hard-won opportunity with a shake of his head, without even thinking.

"Prince Jing has calculated well. She covets my saber technique and would use me as leverage to make you run at her beck and call from now on. I would rather die in prison than let her succeed. Give up on this idea, boy."

"I'm a law-abiding man with no criminal record. Winning the court's appreciation is good fortune, and certainly better than licking blood off a blade's edge in the martial world. You needn't worry about my future, Hero Qiu."

Qiu Tianhe naturally knew that winning the court's appreciation and being entrusted with important duties was good fortune. But the moment he left the dungeon, it would be as though he had slipped a rope around Ye Jingtang's neck for no reason, leaving him constrained in whatever he did thereafter.

Ye Jingtang was exceptionally talented and the descendant of an old acquaintance. If he became subject to another's control to save an old fossil like him, how could Qiu Tianhe face that acquaintance after his death?

"If you want to serve the court, that's your business. You and I walk different paths. I don't want to owe you a favor. If I truly wanted to leave, I could simply teach Prince Jing my saber technique myself."

Ye Jingtang felt a headache coming on. After a brief silence, he noticed that Shang Jianli above was merely listening from outside, not looking down. He traced the three characters "Zhe Yunli" on the scabbard with his finger while saying:

"The Tianhe Blade is renowned, yet it has never ranked first among saber techniques. Your name resounds throughout the martial world, Hero Qiu, and you are already its most outstanding inheritor, yet a gap still remains between you and the Blade Overlord. Rather than let this technique languish in a dungeon, why not let me try and see whether I can raise the Tianhe Blade's standing in the martial world another half-step?"

These grand words, brimming with martial-world spirit, were meant for Shang Jianli's ears.

When Qiu Tianhe saw the name Ye Jingtang traced with his finger, his gaze visibly changed. He had taught Zhe Yunli saber techniques and knew her character: she deeply valued loyalty and affection. Since he had been captured while covering her escape, she would surely try every possible means to save him.

Although he did not know how Ye Jingtang had connected with Zhe Yunli, his ability to write that name showed that they were working together.

Zhe Yunli was the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master's disciple, and the Sky-Pacifying Sect was a band of rebels who maintained their own army and defied the court.

If Ye Jingtang was working with rebels, then he was naturally a rebel too!

At this thought, Qiu Tianhe suddenly "understood" Ye Jingtang's intentions. Ye Jingtang was a rebel from the Sky-Pacifying Sect who had secretly infiltrated the Black Bureau as a sleeper agent for the sect's grand plan to restore its nation. He needed Qiu Tianhe's saber technique to win Prince Jing's favor and penetrate Great Wei's upper ranks. Rescuing him from prison was merely something to do along the way!

In that case, stubbornly refusing to leave would not only prevent him from helping the younger generation, but also ruin the long-term plans of the Sky-Pacifying Sect and Ye Jingtang...

Thinking this, Qiu Tianhe looked again at the young Ye Jingtang before him and could not help marveling inwardly:

What a magnificent hidden move!

At such a young age, he had already ventured deep into the enemy's belly, secretly directing his plans from behind the curtain, waiting for the moment to contend for the realm. Such ambition, such daring-the younger generation was formidable indeed...