15: Chapter 15 Su Xuanji, Leader of the Hehuan Sect

As soon as Xia Jin returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he saw Commander Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei pacing back and forth in front of him, looking as if they had something to say but were hesitating.

Xia Jin sat on a red sandalwood chair and looked up at the two of them, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "You two, why are you playing a silent drama in front of this Prince? If you have something to say, speak up."

Commander Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei exchanged a glance. Finally, Commander Qin Hu couldn't help but take a step forward, cupping his hands and bowing. "Your Highness, this subordinate has a matter he does not understand."

"Speak."

"That Lady Lan of the Hehuan Sect... are we truly going to spare her life, and even... cooperate with the entire Hehuan Sect?" Commander Qin Hu looked up, genuine confusion in his eyes. "In my past understanding, Your Highness has always pulled out the weeds by the roots when dealing with the remnants of demonic cults, never showing any leniency. Why this time..."

Eunuch Wei also nodded cautiously from the side. "Master, this old servant also feels that the enchantress is full of schemes and likely harbors ill intentions. Keeping her by your side is like raising a tiger and inviting trouble."

Xia Jin listened quietly and then suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

"You two," he shook his head. "Qin Hu is one thing, but Little Wei, you've been with this Prince for many years. How is your perspective still so narrow?"

Xia Jin picked up the teacup beside him, gently blew on the hot tea, and his gaze grew profound. "First of all, this Prince never said I would cooperate with the Hehuan Sect. Rather, I intend to bring them under my banner to serve me!"

"Furthermore, the Hehuan Sect is indeed classified as a demonic cult. But if you think about it carefully, have they ever slaughtered villages or plundered granaries like the Ming Cult over the years? In the end, they haven't truly touched the fundamental interests of my Great Xia, nor have they caused any chaos that would shake the foundations of the state."

Hearing this, Commander Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei were stunned; the facts were indeed as Xia Jin described.

Xia Jin continued, "The methods of this sect are extraordinary. Their Disciples are mostly skilled in Charm Techniques and intelligence gathering, and since the sect is primarily composed of women, their actions often go unnoticed. If such a force can be completely subdued and held in the palm of one's hand, wouldn't its value be ten times greater than if they were completely destroyed?"

Xia Jin took a shallow sip of tea and cast his gaze toward the vast sky outside the hall. "Lest you forget, the goal of my Great Xia Dynasty has never been to merely settle in a corner of this Dongxuan Continent. It is to step out of the Eastern Region, to let the 'Xia' flag be planted on every inch of Dongxuan's soil, and to become the undisputed Supreme Dynasty of the entire continent!"

"Supreme Dynasty!!" Commander Qin Hu's body shuddered, and he suddenly looked up at Xia Jin, his eyes instantly filling with a near-fanatical excitement.

His chest heaved, and his cupped hands unconsciously tightened until his knuckles turned white.

Eunuch Wei also sucked in a breath of cold air, a flush of excitement appearing on his face.

"To achieve such a grand ambition, the current foundation of Great Xia is far from enough." Xia Jin withdrew his gaze, his tone returning to calm. "We need more helpers. The Hehuan Sect can be one of them."

"So that's how it is!" Commander Qin Hu took a deep breath and cupped his hands heavily. "This subordinate... understands! It was my shallow vision that failed to grasp Your Highness's far-reaching foresight!!"

Xia Jin waved his hand. "It's too early to speak of these things. The road must be walked step by step. The current priority is still to eradicate the remnants of demonic cults like the Ming Cult!"

"And one of the conditions for this Prince's willingness to accept the Hehuan Sect is that they will provide us with intelligence on other demonic cult remnants! This is what we need most right now!"

"Go now. Keep a good watch on the Heavenly Prison and also pay attention to the movements inside and outside the capital. Tomorrow, this Prince needs to leave the palace."

"Yes!" Commander Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei responded in unison.

Early the next morning, a green-canopied carriage stopped silently outside the palace, while Eunuch Wei sat on the carriage's footboard, waiting quietly.

Soon, Xia Jin boarded the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Lady Lan was already waiting as well.

Today, she had shed her prison clothes and changed into a plain robe. Upon seeing Xia Jin, she immediately lowered her head and gave a graceful bow. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Xia Jin sat directly opposite her, and the carriage then began to move slowly.

"Speak. Where to?"

"South of the city, Lanyue Pavilion," Lady Lan answered in a low voice.

"Hmm!?" Xia Jin was suddenly taken aback, then his eyebrows quirked up slightly as he looked at Lady Lan with a half-smile. "Lanyue Pavilion? One of the famous pleasure quarters in the capital. Your Hehuan Sect has established its base in a brothel? I suppose that counts as... living up to your name."

It was hard to tell if there was praise or mockery in his words, but it made Lady Lan's ears turn slightly hot. She whispered, "Your Highness, as the saying goes, a great hermit hides in the city. The noisiest places are often the easiest to hide in."

Xia Jin remained noncommittal, only saying indifferently toward the carriage curtain, "Little Wei, to Lanyue Pavilion."

"Yes, Master," Eunuch Wei, who was driving the carriage, responded softly. The carriage soon traveled steadily toward the southern part of the city.

The streets of the capital were still quiet in the early morning, and a brothel like Lanyue Pavilion had its doors tightly shut, showing no trace of the bustling music and singing from the night before.

The carriage stopped in a back alley of Lanyue Pavilion. Lady Lan led Xia Jin out of the carriage and walked to a vermilion-painted door.

She raised her hand and tapped lightly on the door in a specific rhythm—three long and one short, then three short and one long.

"You certainly are cautious!" Xia Jin scrutinized the surroundings and shook his head with a smile.

Before long, the door opened a crack, revealing a face with sleepy eyes. It was a young woman with ordinary features.

Seeing Lady Lan, her sleepiness vanished instantly, and she exclaimed, "Floral Lord Lan! How did you return!?"

As she spoke, her gaze curiously swept over Xia Jin behind Lady Lan, a flash of surprise and suspicion in her eyes.

"Floral Lord Lan, this person behind you is..." the woman asked with a frown.

"Why are you asking so much! Open the door for me immediately!" A cold light flashed in Lady Lan's eyes.

"Oh, I'll open it right away!" The woman didn't dare ask more and hurriedly opened the door, stepping aside.

"Where is the Sect Leader now?" Lady Lan asked as she led Xia Jin inside.

"Floral Lord Lan, the Sect Leader is practicing in the backyard," the woman replied softly, carefully closing the door again.

"The backyard? It seems the Sect Leader is as hardworking as ever!" A figure flashed through Lady Lan's mind, and a hint of warmth appeared on her face.

She led Xia Jin through the front hall and soon arrived at a secluded backyard.

There, a woman was seen practicing her swordplay under a plum tree.

She was dressed in tight-fitting red martial arts attire, and the sword technique she performed overflowed with Killing Intent. Most striking of all was a small cinnabar mole at the corner of her lips.

Lady Lan pointed at the figure and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, that is the leader of my Hehuan Sect, Su Xuanji."

Su Xuanji's longsword suddenly paused; she had clearly sensed Xia Jin's unfamiliar presence.

Her gaze first fell on Lady Lan, a hint of surprise and joy flashing in her eyes. But upon seeing Xia Jin behind her, that warmth quickly cooled, and her brow furrowed deeply.

"Floral Lord Lan," Su Xuanji said coldly, "you actually brought a strange man to a stronghold of our Hehuan Sect? Have you... forgotten the rules of our Hehuan Sect?"