Another Expert?

Hoof clatter...

In the stillness of the night, several fine horses roamed near Azure Dragon Ward.

The person in charge was Tian Guangyi from the Ceremonial Phoenix Bureau, who was generally known as Eunuch Tian by outsiders. At this moment, he was aimlessly searching the streets.

Just now, the Ceremonial Phoenix Bureau received news that a thief had infiltrated the Prince's Mansion. Murong Xie went to investigate. Shortly afterward, Prince Xiao Bieli, the old man, said that there was a slight imbalance of yin and yang in the east of the city and ordered him to come and check the situation.

Xiao Bieli was skilled in the art of observing yin and yang, and he also taught the disciple "Yin-Yang Scholar" Murong Xie. It is normal for him to be able to see things that ordinary people cannot see.

But Tian Guangyi was just a Second Rank- ranking eunuch, barely even genitally male; what kind of nonsense could he possibly know?

After searching for an hour or two, Tian Guangyi still didn't know what he was looking for. Just as he was wondering how to get back and report, a voice came from not far away:

"How is the situation?"

Looking over, one could see Murong Xie standing on the street, gazing at the sky above Azure Dragon Ward.

Murong Xie ranked Second Rank. It is said that he was born with the ability to see yin and yang, and was highly valued by the Emperor of Yan. At this moment, he was carrying a long, dark box on his back, which looked like a small coffin lid. It seemed that he had brought all his equipment with him.

Tian Guangyi wasn't sure what Murong Xie's abilities were, but his ranking on the Gold List was enough to make him bow down, so he quickly dismounted.

"We've searched the entire surrounding area and found nothing unusual. May I ask what exactly is wrong in the eastern part of the city?"

When Murong Xie learned that the Prince's mansion had been infiltrated, he rushed to investigate, but found nothing. Upon returning, he heard from his master that the eastern part of the city seemed to be unbalanced in terms of the five elements and had an excessively cold and yin energy.

Different martial arts techniques result in different internal energy patterns. For example, the Great Nine Yang technique possesses an extremely strong and yang energy pattern.

A predominance of yin and coldness often originates from the qi of metal and water, or from special unorthodox methods.

But Yong Capital had too many people, and the diverse atmosphere created a chaotic sea of people.

The resulting fluctuations in the flow of energy were so subtle that even Master Xiao Bieli couldn't pinpoint their source.

Meanwhile, Murong Xie surveyed the vast complex of buildings but noticed nothing unusual. After studying it for a moment, his gaze settled on the rooftop of an inn on the main street of Azure Dragon Ward:

Have you searched that area?

"..."

Tian Guangyi followed the gaze and saw that it was the 'Wujian Inn'. His expression stiffened slightly, and he thought to himself:

Would I dare search for that?

Who in the capital doesn't know that the Wujian Inn is owned by Ye Grand Duke Jupiter's family?

Someone had just performed a divine act before the emperor, and was entrusted with high hopes by the sages and dignitaries. He then turned around and led his troops to annihilate that person's territory. Wasn't he just asking for trouble?

Moreover, the inn was already on the verge of bankruptcy because of Ye Grand Duke Jupiter's fear. If the emperor's henchmen were to sweep through again, then even if the Ye family paid for people to stay there in the future, probably no one would dare to come.

Why is Ye Grand Duke Jupiter afraid to reflect on his own mistakes, and even afraid to help Tian Guangyi reflect on his mistakes?

If we were to pin the blame for the inn's lack of business on him...

Tian Guangyi paused for a moment, then responded awkwardly:

"I asked the neighbors, and no guests are checking in today..."

The reason Murong Xie set his sights on the Wujian Inn was because Tian Guangyi dared to search everywhere, but not this place.

Seeing Ye Xingge's performance today, Murong Xie didn't actually want to risk offending people and incurring the displeasure of the sages and officials by disrupting their plans.

But the matter concerning the Prince's residence was indeed significant. After a moment's thought, Murong Xie replied:

"If the thief is after Ye Xingge's reputation and deliberately hides in the inn, it could easily cause trouble for the Ye family. I'm coming in person, so please be polite and refrain from any offensive words."

Tian Guangyi really didn't want to go, but since his superior had given the order, he had no choice but to call his subordinates to follow, giving them countless instructions along the way.

For example, don't kick the door, handle things gently, provide smiling service, etc.

However, before the group even reached the inn, they heard a hoarse voice coming from the street:

"Oh, Lord Murong, Eunuch Tian."

Tian Guangyi looked up and saw a horse-drawn carriage appear on the street.

The carriage bore the nameplate of the Chen family, and was followed by more than ten riders in embroidered robes. The carriage windows were open, and the interior was brightly lit.

Wearing a black brocade robe, Ruan Jinyu leaned out of the car window, looking this way. Chen Xiaobao leaned out and blocked her view, but Ruan Jinyu pushed him away.

Tian Guangyi felt truly displeased upon seeing the dead eunuch.

After all, the two were old acquaintances, having studied together in the palace as children, and were among the many adopted sons of Li Guiyong.

After the change of dynasties, Tian Guangyi entered the Ceremonial Phoenix Bureau and served in the palace for twenty years, remaining only as a deputy commander. He had to be extremely careful when accepting bribes.

Ruan Jinyu, however, was different. He was appreciated by his adoptive father from a young age. Later, when Li Guiyong fled south with the prince, this grandson not only refused to go with him, but also went to inform Zhang Zhiqing.

Although they ultimately failed to stop him, Ruan Jinyu gained prominence for this achievement and quickly rose to the position of Grand Inspector of the Inspection Bureau.

What is the position of the head of the Inspection Bureau?

Externally, they oversee the major sects of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion; and they can even intervene in major murder cases in the government. Their power is so great that they can be called "two good dogs" alongside Murong Xie. No eunuch wouldn't envy such a position.

Although he had some reservations, Tian Guangyi didn't say anything at the moment.

Murong Xie stopped in his tracks and asked:

"Lord Ruan, you're not busy at the Ministry of Punishments, what brings you to Azure Dragon Ward?"

Ruan Jinyu stepped out of the carriage, her toes barely touching the ground as she landed like a rootless leaf, and bowed respectfully.

"I just heard the report from the people below that Eunuch Tian and his troops were searching the city for a long time. No results were found for a long time, so I came over to take a look at the situation. Is there a gangster who is causing trouble here?"

It is the duty of the Inspection Department to monitor the movements of gangsters.

Although Murong Xie also disliked the Ruan Jinyu, he still responded after some thought:

"I just observed the qi and noticed that the eastern part of the city is slightly colder, which may be due to the thieves using their internal energy. Commander Ruan is in charge of this matter. Do you have any relevant intelligence?"

Ruan Jinyu pondered for a moment:

"For Lord Murong to notice this person, they must be at least a Second Rank. However, their cold and sinister aura is quite strong, possibly indicating they've been poisoned by a cold and sinister toxin, making it difficult to determine their identity..."

As they were talking, Ruan Jinyu realized they were heading towards the 'Wujian Inn', and her eyes lit up:

"Huh? Is there something wrong with this inn?"

Chen Xiaobao followed behind, and upon realizing that the target was his godfather's territory, he immediately stepped forward:

"Lord Murong, this might not be appropriate. Lord Ye has a fiery temper. Last time Commander Ruan tried to investigate, he was slapped three times that very day..."

"Presumptuous."

Ruan Jinyu glanced at Chen Xiaobao and continued:

"The yamen must act impartially; how can it show favoritism? Guards! Seal off the inn for me..."

"Hey hey!"

Although the embroidered-clothes men following behind didn't dare obey orders at all, Tian Guangyi still quickly stopped them and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Ruan, we were just on a routine patrol. We didn't say there were thieves inside; we were just taking a look..."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Jinyu frowned again:

"Without any evidence, if nothing is found, Lord Luo and Duke Zhang might..."

After being tormented by Ruan Jinyu, Murong Xie actually hesitated.

But the more inconvenient the location for investigation, the higher the likelihood of thieves hiding there. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"All of you, step back. Lord Ruan and I will observe from the shadows."

Tian Guangyi and the other young men in embroidered robes had no desire to cause trouble. Upon hearing the commotion, they felt as if they had been granted a pardon and retreated a great distance.

Murong Xie didn't say much. After arriving near the inn, he flashed and appeared in the corridor on the second floor.

Ruan Jinyu landed beside him like a ghost, looking him up and down.

Murong Xie closed his eyes and focused his senses, but found nothing amiss in the building. He then turned his gaze upstairs and could sense that someone was there, but it wasn't very obvious. Just as he was about to go upstairs, he paused.

Upstairs.

Ye Xingge held the beautiful woman in his arms and listened carefully. Apart from the faint sound of horses' hooves in the distance, he heard nothing else unusual.

Cloud and Rain Tower could tell that the two had already sneaked into the inn.

She was careful to avoid being detected when she was practicing her internal energy. Now that the Yin energy had almost dissipated, she could not be detected unless the door was pushed open.

However, Murong Xie's search in the dark was indeed a bit tricky. Cloud and Rain Tower pondered for a moment and then gripped the 'Flower and Moon Pendant' at his waist.

The Flower and Moon Pendant's function is "Flowers in a Mirror, Moon in Water," meaning it can mimic sounds.

Ye Xingge was observing when he suddenly heard a seductive fox-like voice in his ear:

Has someone come up?

Ye Xingge was startled and shuddered, thinking that the Great Beauty Luo had arrived. But when he realized it was Great Beauty speaking, he immediately understood. His hand slipped onto the Great Longevity Peach and gave it a firm squeeze.

"How is that possible? There are no guests in the entire building, Laifu is sleeping in the lobby..."

Cloud and Rain Tower shuddered slightly, realizing this brat was truly clever, but how could an act be done completely? He immediately retorted:

"How dare you!"

Her seductive, high-pitched voice and her eyes filled with shame and indignation were so convincingly realistic!

Ye Xingge thought Great Beauty's acting was really good, so he leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"You scold me in the government office, so what's wrong with me being a little unruly in private...?"

"Ouch~ If you keep doing that, I'll beat you up..."

At the staircase.

Upon hearing Flower Judge's voice, Murong Xie's expression immediately turned strange.

Ruan Jinyu also frowned, glancing at Murong Xie, as if to say—if this were discovered, given Flower Judge's fiery temper, he'd probably kill us both...

Murong Xie thought of Flower Judge's temper and felt it was possible. Moreover, the other party was backed by Perfected Jiuhua, so he really couldn't afford to offend him. He originally wanted to leave quietly.

But before they could even set off, a voice came from outside the building:

"Having traveled thousands of miles on the wind, we are not alone in this meeting. Now that you two are here, why not show yourselves and have a chat?"

His voice was quite magnetic, carrying a sense of vastness and remoteness, as well as a loneliness that even strong liquor and harsh knives could not dispel.

Just hearing the voice evokes the image of a peerless swordswoman, as white as snow, embracing her sword under the silver moon.

There are more experts?!

Ruan Jinyu and Murong Xie both changed color and turned around at the same time.

Soon after, the voices of Chen Xiaobao and his henchman Xiao Si could be heard outside the building:

"I just came to see who you are, sir?"

Ye Gucheng.

"Oh, Lord Ye, it's you..."

"Nephew, the inn just opened recently, everything's 30% off..."

Ruan Jinyu wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, her eyes filled with a sense of speechlessness.

Murong Xie was equally startled, feeling that Ruan Jinyu was a jinx. Ye Xingge had already heard that Chen Xiaobao was coming, so why bother investigating? This would only offend people, so he immediately left with his coffin lid on his back.

Meanwhile, in the guest rooms upstairs.

Ye Xingge pressed the beautiful woman in his arms against the wall and rubbed her cheeks, kissing her on the cheek. Since he couldn't hear any noise downstairs, he could only ask with his eyes whether she had left.

Cloud and Rain Tower's cheeks had already turned bright red. After the two left, his face turned ashen, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent. He pushed the person in front of him away.

But it didn't get off the ground.

?

Cloud and Rain Tower's eyes cleared again.

Ye Xingge was pushed by Great Beauty, and knew that the person had left. He separated himself a little and smoothed out his disheveled clothes.

"Just putting on an act? Was it Ruan Jinyu was here just now?"

Snap--

Cloud and Rain Tower slapped the thief's hand away. Although he was furious, he remained rational in the face of the man's absolute strength and calmly said:

"The person is already gone. I'll take care of Master. You should go back to Luo Xuanqing as soon as possible to avoid being exposed."

Ye Xingge knew that the deception he had just used had many flaws and that he had to get back as soon as possible. He nodded.

"Okay, you eat first, I'll go back and check on things as soon as possible."

Smack

After saying that, he kissed her cheek again and quickly went downstairs.

"..."

Cloud and Rain Tower leaned against the wall, his clothes billowing, his eyes filled with a sharp, piercing gaze.

But further arguing would only lead to further losses, so Cloud and Rain Tower didn't say anything. Only after the rebellious son left did she let out a soft sigh, turn her head to look at the table full of dishes, and she had no appetite at all!

She came three times, and each time she was bullied like a wronged wife because the protectors were powerless to resist.

This time, he only ate one bite of food before being groped and kissed for quite a while. Playing like this in a brothel would probably make the girls think he's a lecher...

She didn't dare to think about what she might encounter next...

This Great Yu'er...

Cloud and Rain Tower took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart, but then realized something was wrong and turned to look at the corner of the room.

Fat Snow was crouching in the corner, her head against the wall, silently chanting, "Can't see the bird, can't see the bird." Sensing the murderous aura, she timidly turned her head.

"Gurgle?"

"You didn't see anything just now, did you hear me?"

"Gurgle!"

Fat Snow immediately stood at attention!

After a moment of silence, Cloud and Rain Tower could no longer bear it and, with a frosty expression, went to the next room...