179: After defeating the enemy and regaining his leave, Jianning fell deeply in love with him.

Long'er's sword came whistling through the air, its cold gleam aimed directly at Xie Hui's face. Xie Hui remained calm, utilizing the “Spiral Nine Shadows” Lightness Skill from the Nine Yin Manual under his feet. His body flickered, leaving a faint afterimage where he stood, and the sword tip missed, merely brushing against his clothes.

“How is that possible?” Long'er's pupils contracted. She had practiced this sword technique in the Divine Dragon Cult for ten years and had never failed. How could this man in front of her dodge it so easily? Gritting her teeth, she swung her sword again, the moves faster and denser, enveloping Xie Hui like a net, trying to force him to reveal a flaw.

Xie Hui curled his lips, raised his hand into a palm, and gently pressed against the sword blade—it seemed effortless, yet Long'er felt a profound surge of Internal Energy transmit through the blade, making her wrist numb and causing her to nearly drop the sword. She quickly retracted her sword and retreated, staring warily at Xie Hui: “What martial art do you practice?”

“The Nine Yin Manual,” Xie Hui said plainly, “It's a bit stronger than the Divine Dragon Cult's amateurish skills.”

This remark completely enraged Long'er. She let out a roar and charged forward with her sword again. This time, Xie Hui didn't dodge. The moment he sidestepped the sword tip, he grabbed her wrist. With a slight exertion of force, Long'er groaned in pain, and the sword clattered onto the ground. Xie Hui followed through, twisting her arm behind her back, placing his other hand on her back, and gently releasing a burst of Internal Energy: “Do you submit? Move again, and I'll make sure you can't lift your arm for half a month.”

Long'er's body was taut, but she stopped struggling—she could feel the Internal Energy on her back; if Xie Hui exerted any more force, her internal organs would shatter. But as the Saintess of the Divine Dragon Cult, she wouldn't easily yield. Gritting her teeth, she said, “If you have the guts, kill me! It's impossible for me to surrender!”

“Killing you is boring,” Xie Hui released her and stepped back two paces. “If you are willing to follow me, I can make you a hundred times more comfortable than you were in the Divine Dragon Cult, and you won't have to worry about your Cult Master's mood. If you refuse, that's fine too. I'll hand you over to the Kangxi Emperor and say you're a Divine Dragon Cult assassin. How long do you think you'd survive then?”

Long'er's face went pale—she had forgotten that this was the Imperial Palace, and the Kangxi Emperor hated the Divine Dragon Cult members the most. If she were labeled an assassin, it would definitely be a dead end. She clenched her fists, her eyes full of struggle, but she remained silent.

On the other side, Hai Dafu and the Fake Empress Dowager were fighting fiercely. Hai Dafu's martial arts were already inferior to the Fake Empress Dowager's, and coupled with his old age, he was quickly forced to retreat step by step. He took a palm strike to the chest, coughing up blood as he backed away: “Fake Empress Dowager, you collude with the Divine Dragon Cult and betray the court! You will face divine retribution sooner or later!”

“Divine retribution?” The Fake Empress Dowager sneered, raising her dagger and stabbing toward Hai Dafu. “Today, I'll let you taste death first!”

Xie Hui was quick-witted and quick-handed. He casually picked up the sword from the ground and threw it at the Fake Empress Dowager's wrist. The sword flew out with a 'swoosh,' grazing her wrist and leaving a bloody mark. Startled, the Fake Empress Dowager quickly pulled back her hand and turned to glare at Xie Hui: “You dare injure me?!”

“What about injuring you?” Xie Hui walked over to Hai Dafu and helped him regulate his Qi. “You colluded with the Divine Dragon Cult to steal the forty-two chapter sutra. If the Kangxi Emperor finds out, not only will you die, but your relatives outside the palace will have to be buried with you, right?”

The Fake Empress Dowager's face suddenly changed—what she cared about most was her son outside the palace. She had kept this matter extremely secret. How could Xie Hui know? She stared at Xie Hui, her voice trembling: “H-How do you know?”

“I know more than you think,” Xie Hui's tone was flat, yet carried a sense of pressure. “You now have two paths: one is to cooperate with me, and I will protect your life and your status as Empress Dowager, and help you fend off accountability from the Divine Dragon Cult; the second is to continue opposing me, and I will hand you over to the Kangxi Emperor right now and let your whole family be buried with you. Which do you choose?”

The Fake Empress Dowager stared at Xie Hui for a long time, quickly calculating in her mind—she knew how formidable Xie Hui was, and that she was no match for him. If she cooperated with him, she could at least survive and protect her son; if she resisted, it would be a dead end. She gritted her teeth and threw the dagger on the ground: “I choose cooperation! But you must keep your word and guarantee the safety of me and my son!”

“Don't worry, I keep my promises,” Xie Hui nodded. “Report any developments in the palace to me promptly; if the Divine Dragon Cult sends anyone again, tell me immediately. As long as you are obedient, I guarantee your safety.”

The Fake Empress Dowager sighed in relief, bent down, and picked up the brocade box—it contained the forty-two chapter sutra. She handed it to Xie Hui: “I give you this sutra as a token of my sincerity for cooperation.”

Xie Hui took the brocade box, opened it, and glanced inside. It was a yellow-covered sutra with the characters “forty-two chapter sutra” written on it. He nodded in satisfaction and stored the brocade box in his inner universe: “Very good. You go back to your sleeping quarters first. Act as if nothing happened, and don't let anyone become suspicious.”

The Fake Empress Dowager responded with an “Alright,” and turned to return to her sleeping quarters. Before leaving, she glanced at Long'er with a complex look—she hadn't expected the Saintess of the Divine Dragon Cult to also fall into Xie Hui's hands.

Long'er watched the Fake Empress Dowager leave, then looked at Xie Hui, feeling even more panicked. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Jianning's shout from afar: “Xie Hui! Where are you? Did something happen?”

Xie Hui's heart tightened—why did this girl run over here? He quickly told Long'er, “Follow me first. Don't let Jianning see you, or your trouble will be even greater.”

Long'er didn't argue and silently followed behind Xie Hui. Just as they reached the corner of the corridor, they saw Jianning running over, holding up her skirt, followed by several Palace Maids. When she saw Xie Hui, her eyes lit up. She quickly ran over, grabbed his hand, and checked him up and down: “Xie Hui! Are you okay? I heard fighting inside just now; it scared me to death!”

“I'm fine, just handling a small matter with Eunuch Hai,” Xie Hui smiled reassuringly, pulling her aside slightly to block her view and prevent her from seeing Long'er. “Why did you run over? Didn't I tell you to wait in the sleeping quarters?”

“I was worried about you,” Jianning pouted and said plaintively. “I heard the noise from the sleeping quarters and couldn't help but run over. By the way, where are the people who were fighting you just now? Were they bad guys? I'll tell Imperial Brother to arrest them!”

“They've already left. They were just petty thieves, no need to trouble the Emperor,” Xie Hui quickly smoothed things over. “See? I'm fine. Come on, I'll take you back and give you the new candy I found.”

As soon as Jianning heard about the candy, she stopped fussing immediately and pulled Xie Hui's hand to walk out, completely failing to notice Long'er hiding behind the pillar. Wei Xiaobao and Hai Dafu also hurried to follow. Wei Xiaobao leaned close to Xie Hui and whispered, “Brother Hui, you are truly amazing. Not only did you subdue the Fake Empress Dowager, but you also managed to control the Saintess of the Divine Dragon Cult!”

Xie Hui glared at him: “Don't talk too much. Let's get her back to the residence first.”

The group returned to Jianning's sleeping quarters. Xie Hui arranged for Long'er to stay in the adjacent side room, and then instructed Hai Dafu: “Don't tell the Emperor too much about today's events. Just say the sutra wasn't found. I will keep an eye on the Fake Empress Dowager; you don't need to worry about it.”

Hai Dafu nodded: “I understand, Young Master Xie. I trust you to handle things.” He then left.

Wei Xiaobao crept to the side room door and peeked inside, but Xie Hui yanked him back: “What are you looking at? Hurry back to your room. You have duty at the Imperial Study tomorrow!”

Wei Xiaobao pouted and reluctantly returned to his room. Xie Hui entered the side room. Long'er was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor. He walked over and tossed her a fruit candy: “Eat something sweet. Don't look so tense.”

Long'er looked up, took the candy, but didn't eat it: “What exactly do you want? Did you keep me here just to torment me?”

“What's the point of tormenting you?” Xie Hui sat across from her. “I'm serious when I say that following me is better than being in the Divine Dragon Cult. Your Cult Master is just using you, and he will definitely kill you when you are no longer useful. I can guarantee your safety and let you learn more powerful martial arts, like the Nine Yin Manual that I practice. Don't you want to learn it?”

Long'er's eyes flickered—she had been in the Divine Dragon Cult since childhood, practicing the martial arts taught by the Cult Master, and she always wanted to become stronger. She had just witnessed the power of Xie Hui's Nine Yin Manual; it was indeed much stronger than her own martial arts. If she could learn such a martial art, she wouldn't have to fear anyone anymore.

“I can follow you, but I have conditions,” Long'er looked up, her eyes firm. “You cannot force me to do anything I don't want to do, and you must teach me the Nine Yin Manual. If you can't do that, I won't obey you, even if it means death.”

“No problem,” Xie Hui readily agreed. “As long as you are obedient, I won't force you to do anything, and I can teach you the Nine Yin Manual. But not now. We have to wait until things in the palace stabilize.”

Long'er nodded, accepting the terms. Xie Hui stood up: “You stay here for now, don't wander around. The Palace Maids will bring you food. I'm going to check on Jianning, lest she causes a fuss again.”

Walking out of the side room, he saw Jianning sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard, holding a piece of candy but not eating it, her eyes full of worry. Xie Hui walked over and sat beside her: “Why aren't you eating it? Isn't this your favorite?”

“Xie Hui,” Jianning looked up, staring at him seriously. “Were the people who fought you just now very powerful? Can you try not to go to such dangerous places anymore? I'm afraid something might happen to you.”

Xie Hui felt a warmth in his heart and stroked her head: “Don't worry, I'm very strong. No one can hurt me. I will try to go to dangerous places less often in the future, but if any bad guys bully you, I will definitely go deal with them.”

Jianning smiled and held the candy up to Xie Hui's mouth: “Then you eat it. After you finish, I'll play a tune for you. I just learned a new one; it's really beautiful.”

Xie Hui opened his mouth and took a bite. The sweet flavor spread in his mouth. Watching Jianning look so happy, he mused internally—Jianning and the Fake Empress Dowager were settled, and Long'er was initially subdued. Next, he needed to use the Fake Empress Dowager to gather information in the palace, look for the remaining forty-two chapter sutra volumes, and then figure out how to completely win over Long'er.

He pulled out his walkie-talkie, walked to a corner of the courtyard, and pressed the talk button: “Shuanger, I'm fine here. I just resolved a small issue, don't worry.”

Shuanger's gentle voice quickly came through the walkie-talkie: “Brother Hui, I'm glad you're okay. I made you a new undergarment today and put it in the small universe. Remember to wear it.”

“Okay, I know,” Xie Hui said with a smile. “Get some rest early. Don't tire yourself out.”

Hanging up the walkie-talkie, Xie Hui felt completely at ease—with Shuanger waiting at the Zhuang Family residence, Jianning accompanying him in the palace, and the Fake Empress Dowager and Long'er helping out, things would definitely proceed more smoothly from now on.

Returning to the stone stool, Jianning had already taken out a Pipa and gently plucked the strings. The crisp sound of the zither echoed in the courtyard. Xie Hui leaned back on the stone stool, closed his eyes, and listened to the music, enjoying the tranquility around him, but mentally planning for tomorrow—having the Fake Empress Dowager inquire whether the Kangxi Emperor had the forty-two chapter sutra, having Wei Xiaobao monitor Hai Dafu's movements, and talking to Long'er about the Divine Dragon Cult to see if he could find more clues.

The music gradually stopped. Jianning leaned against Xie Hui and whispered, “Xie Hui, I really wish it could always be like this, being with you every day, without having to worry about palace rules or anyone else.”

Xie Hui tightly grasped her hand: “It will happen. Once I finish dealing with matters in the palace, I'll take you to a wonderful place. There are no rules there, no bad people, just us and our friends. We can play however we want.”

Jianning's eyes lit up: “Really? Then you must keep your word!”

“Of course,” Xie Hui smiled and nodded, but thought to himself—once he subdued all the Female Protagonists and acquired all the treasures, he would take them back to the small universe, let them meet Huang Rong and Su Mingyu, and it would definitely be lively then.

As night deepened, Jianning returned to her room to sleep, and Xie Hui also returned to his room. He opened his inner universe, took out the undergarment made by Shuanger, felt the fabric, and then looked at the forty-two chapter sutra placed inside. He was filled with motivation. Whether it was the Divine Dragon Cult or the Kangxi Emperor, the remaining volumes of the forty-two chapter sutra or the unsubdued Female Protagonists, he was confident he could handle them all.

Early the next morning, just as Xie Hui woke up, he saw that the Fake Empress Dowager had sent someone to deliver a message: the Kangxi Emperor was going to summon Wei Xiaobao to the Imperial Study today, seemingly to discuss an important matter. Xie Hui's heart stirred—could it be about the forty-two chapter sutra? He quickly woke up Wei Xiaobao, instructing him to pay close attention when he went to the Imperial Study and to contact him immediately via walkie-talkie if he learned anything.

Wei Xiaobao nodded, tucked the walkie-talkie away, and ran toward the Imperial Study. Xie Hui walked to the side room and knocked on the door: “Long'er, are you awake? I have something to tell you.”

The door opened quickly. Long'er was dressed in a Palace Maid outfit, and her complexion looked much better than yesterday. She looked at Xie Hui: “What is it?”

“Tell me about the Divine Dragon Cult,” Xie Hui entered the room. “Your Cult Master sent you to find the Fake Empress Dowager for the forty-two chapter sutra. Besides this, were there any other objectives?”

Long'er hesitated, then spoke: “The Cult Master also told me to inquire about the Kangxi Emperor's movements, saying they were looking for an opportunity to assassinate the Kangxi Emperor and overthrow the Qing Dynasty...”

Xie Hui's eyes lit up—this was crucial information! If he could stop the Divine Dragon Cult's assassination plot beforehand, he could not only earn a great merit in front of the Kangxi Emperor but also completely win over Long'er in the process. He quickly asked: “Do you know when they plan to act? How many people are involved?”

“I don't know,” Long'er shook her head. “The Cult Master didn't specify a time, just told me to wait for news. But I heard that the Divine Dragon Cult sent many experts to the capital this time, and they are all hiding in the Ruined Temple outside the city.”

Xie Hui nodded, a plan forming in his mind—once Wei Xiaobao returned from the Imperial Study, he would discuss it with him and Hai Dafu, go check out the Ruined Temple outside the city first, and capture all the Divine Dragon Cult members in one swoop, preventing them from causing any more trouble.

Just then, the walkie-talkie suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Wei Xiaobao: “Brother Hui! The Emperor wants me and Hai Dafu to go outside the city to investigate a Divine Dragon Cult stronghold! Someone reported suspicious people in the Ruined Temple outside the city!”

Xie Hui was delighted—speak of the devil! He quickly replied: “Got it. I'll go with you. Meet me at the city gate!”

Hanging up the walkie-talkie, Xie Hui told Long'er: “Come with me. We're going to the Ruined Temple outside the city to see what exactly your Divine Dragon Cult members are up to.”

Long'er was stunned for a moment, then nodded: “Alright, I'll go with you.”

The two walked out of the sleeping quarters and happened to run into Jianning. Jianning looked at Long'er and asked curiously: “Xie Hui, who is this? Why is she wearing a Palace Maid outfit? I've never seen her before.”

“This is a new Palace Maid I found, named Long'er. She's quick and capable. I'll have her follow you from now on to help you with chores,” Xie Hui quickly fabricated an excuse. “I'm going outside the city with her to handle something. We'll be back soon. You wait obediently in the palace.”

Although Jianning was a little puzzled, she didn't ask further. She nodded: “Then come back early. I'll wait for you to bring me delicious food.”

Xie Hui smiled and nodded, leading Long'er toward the outside of the city. He knew there would definitely be a major battle at the Ruined Temple this time, but he wasn't worried at all—with the Nine Yin Manual in hand, and Long'er as an “Inside Contact,” no matter how many experts the Divine Dragon Cult had, they wouldn't be his match!