The storm had begun

After going to the Western Depot to deal with some miscellaneous duties, Chen Yi sought out Zeng Chief Constable, whom he knew well, and gave him instructions on a few minor matters.

After that, Chen Yi walked home.

It was nearly dusk.

A heavy, dusky yellow stretched across the sky, obscured by dark clouds. It looked as though it might rain tonight.

Chen Yi stepped into the inner courtyard and abruptly stopped.

The door lock lay on the ground, broken in two.

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes, strode forward, and pushed open the door.

The room was empty. Yin Tingxue was nowhere to be seen.

Turning his head, Chen Yi saw a note pinned with a silver needle in a conspicuous spot.

[If you don't want anyone to find out you're hiding the Holy Maiden, leave my elder sister alone!]

The handwriting was scrawled.

He shifted his gaze and saw a sash lying on the ground, with the character for "Xiang" embroidered along its side.

A few words were written on it in blood: Donghua Gate, save...

Clearly, the message was unfinished.

"Just right."

Chen Yi put the sash away.

He had only intended to bring along some random outer garment, but unexpectedly, he had found a "Belt Edict."

In a residence near the Eastern Depot.

Min Ning's grandfather, Min He, had once served as a Pacification Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Min Household had once been among the Capital City's newly risen elite, enjoying great prominence for a time. But shortly after Min Ning was born, the Eastern Depot was established, and the late emperor soon sidelined the Embroidered Uniform Guard. On top of that, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had colluded with the chancellor, and when the Chancellor Case erupted, many people were implicated. For the newly prominent Min Household, glory had departed as swiftly as it had arrived.

Many more things had happened afterward, including difficulties that could not be spoken of, ultimately leading to Min Ning disguising herself as a man to enter the Eastern Depot, while her elder sister worked as a non-prostitute courtesan and spy for the Do Not Use Tower.

In the modestly sized residence, Min Ning was restless, her two slender fingers flicking her saber from time to time, producing clear, ringing hums.

After Chen Yi had let her go, she had begun turning certain things over in her mind.

Naturally, she wanted to eliminate the Demonic Cult, but at the same time... she did not want Chen Yi extending his wicked claws toward her and her sister...

So Min Ning had thought of the maid who had been taken away and grown suspicious of her identity.

Yin Tingxue sat in the hall, just to Min Ning's left. From time to time, she turned to look at Min Ning, thinking, Is this the person that man fancies?

Looking at her, she certainly had a heroic air, yet beneath her dashing bearing lay a fragility and sorrow like brittle wheat stalks, merely kept out of sight.

Having been abducted here by Min Ning, Yin Tingxue was not particularly panicked.

She had wanted to escape anyway, to flee far away from that enemy. Besides, after bringing her here, Min Ning had not only refrained from making things difficult for her but had looked after her in many ways, seemingly terrified that anything might happen to her.

Yin Tingxue felt that although she had technically been kidnapped, this was still better than staying there.

Noticing Yin Tingxue's gaze, Min Ning kept glancing sideways at her. She had seen her from a distance a few times at the Xiang Prince's Residence and knew she was the Xiang Prince's Daughter, but she could never have imagined that she was the Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden.

It was truly difficult to connect such a soft, delicate girl with the murderous Holy Maidens of the Demonic Cult in her mind.

Especially after hearing her describe Chen Yi's bullying and humiliation of her.

Already displeased with Chen Yi, Min Ning now hated him so much her teeth itched.

If she could, Min Ning really wanted to cut out Chen Yi's heart and toss it into the river, letting the rushing water wash away every last trace of filth inside.

Outside, the sky was dark, and a faint dampness spread through the air.

As Chen Yi still failed to arrive for a confrontation, Min Ning could not help flicking her saber more frequently.

"Could it be... the message I left wasn't obvious enough?"

Min Ning muttered.

Something occurred to her.

Min Ning sprang to her feet.

"Could he... have gone to my sister instead?!"

But after a long while, she slowly sat back down. She believed that if anything happened to her sister, she would certainly send word by carrier pigeon.

Clang.

The rattling of armor and weapons in motion sounded outside, followed by faint sounds of fighting and killing.

Min Ning knitted her brows and walked toward the door.

Suddenly, a cold gleam flashed outside. The wooden door shattered in an instant, and a sharp sword stabbed through, nearly striking Min Ning.

Min Ning retreated repeatedly and drew her saber. Then a tremendous force struck from outside, smashing the entire wooden door apart.

"It's the Holy Maiden!

The Eastern Depot really did abduct the Holy Maiden!"

Xue Youge sprang to his feet, shocked and furious as he looked at the densely packed Demonic Cult followers swarming like ants from a nest.

"What is going on? What happened?"

"The Demonic Cult is attacking! They suddenly turned on us!"

"Hold the drill ground! Hold the drill ground!"

Shouts, sounds of slaughter, and the noise of people fleeing in panic mingled together. For some unknown reason, the Demonic Cult had suddenly turned hostile and was now laying siege to the Eastern Depot. Had he not seen it himself, Xue Youge would truly have found it hard to imagine that so many Demonic Cult followers were hidden in the Capital City.

"How did they organize themselves?"

A trace of surprise flashed in Xue Youge's eyes. Then, amid the fighting, he saw a white-bearded martial artist moving as though no one could stop him, each punch and palm strike sending several Eastern Depot Agents to the ground, unable to rise.

"The Demonic Cult's Li Chief Punisher?!"

Despite his startled exclamation, Xue Youge, who had weathered many storms, regained his composure. He drew breath into his chest and shouted orders, then stepped through the window and leaped out, his red python robe dropping into the crowd.

Xue Youge raised a hand and clamped it over a Demonic Cult member's head. Tightening his five fingers, he crushed it through sheer strength, sending blood splattering.

"Eastern Depot, heed my command! Here beneath the emperor's feet, we purge the cult today!"

"If you encounter the Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden, kill her without exception!"

The storm had begun, and torrential rain poured down.

The clash of metal never ceased, nor did the rain pause for even a moment.

Panting heavily, Min Ning pulled her bloodstained Embroidered Spring Saber from a Demonic Cult member's chest.

"Damn it, damn it!"

Min Ning hastily wiped the blood from her blade, took Yin Tingxue's hand, and charged outside.

Ever since that cry of "It's the Holy Maiden," an endless stream of Demonic Cult members had come charging over to attack. They could no longer stay here.

Looking at the corpses on the ground, Yin Tingxue's little hands went weak, and her face was frightfully pale.

Several black-clad figures surged out of the alley one after another, attacking Min Ning.

A sword struck. Min Ning twisted aside, her arm guard breaking. Holding her saber in one hand, she flicked it upward, circulated true qi throughout her body, and stepped straight forward before slashing across the Demonic Cult member's neck. Blood spurted out, staining clothing red.

A fierce gust came from behind as a staff smashed toward the back of Min Ning's head. The Demonic Cult member in front had merely been a feint; the true killing blow came from behind.

Min Ning hurriedly twisted aside, but was still a little too slow to evade it. Concerned about the Holy Maiden, the Demonic Cult member kept pulling back his strength. In the end, the blow landed on her left shoulder. The bones did not instantly shatter, but the impact still sent half her body numb.

Gritting her teeth, she twisted and unleashed the Jiao-Slaying Saber Technique, chopping down viciously. Her attacker's features were instantly smashed apart, half his face gone, and he toppled over.

"The Holy Maiden is in that Eastern Depot agent's hands! Save the Holy Maiden!"

"Quick, follow me!"

More Demonic Cult members poured toward the alley. Despair rose in Min Ning's heart, and her saber hand could not help trembling. She was already having trouble exerting strength through the left half of her body.

Yin Tingxue was also frighteningly pale.

Another Demonic Cult member attacked, wielding throwing needles that gleamed silver in the rainy night as they shot toward them. Min Ning raised her saber to block, and metallic clashes rang through the alley.

"Ah!"

Yin Tingxue cried out in pain. After ricocheting, a silver needle had struck her squarely in the shoulder. Blood welled up, staining the clothing over her shoulder red. Seeing that he had injured the Holy Maiden, the Demonic Cult member was instantly startled and froze in place.

Min Ning seized the opportunity and finished him with one slash.

"Those Demonic Cult members went over there!"

"Follow me! Fight our way over! Their Holy Maiden is there!"

Suddenly, Min Ning heard the urgent cries of several Eastern Depot Chief Constables, and a little hope rose in her heart.

After the initial panic caused by the Demonic Cult's surprise attack, the Eastern Depot had recovered under Xue Youge's leadership. They were, after all, well equipped, and every one of them was trained in martial arts. Although the situation remained chaotic, the Eastern Depot was no longer passively taking blows.

A group of Eastern Depot Agents fought the Demonic Cult members outside the alley. Blades flew, blood splattered, and rain hammered down.

The Demonic Cult members outside the alley were fewer in number, after all, with their main force still attacking the Eastern Depot compound. They were soon driven back step by step, fleeing repeatedly.

Min Ning breathed a sigh of relief. She sheathed her saber and watched the other Eastern Depot Chief Constables lead their agents into the alley.

"Thousand Household Min, who is this?"

An Eastern Depot Chief Constable looked at Yin Tingxue and narrowed his eyes.

"The Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden!"

As those words fell, the back of Min Ning's hand suddenly went cold.

The fighting cries and shouts of the Demonic Cult followers earlier had exposed Yin Tingxue's identity.

"Director Xue has ordered that if we encounter the Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden, we are to kill her without exception."