9: Chapter 9 The Problems of the Duke of Jingguo's Mansion, Treasure Hunt in the Treasury

In the side hall, breakfast was already prepared.

As soon as Xia Jin sat down, two palace maids immediately served some of his favorite dishes into his bowl.

He glanced at Eunuch Wei standing nearby and pointed to the chair next to him. "Sit down and have some."

Eunuch Wei acknowledged and sat down naturally to the side, but he didn't pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Master, guess where I ended up after following that rat last night?"

Xia Jin put down his bowl and waved his hand to dismiss the attendants. Only when he and Eunuch Wei were the only ones left in the hall did he speak. "Don't keep me in suspense, speak plainly."

Eunuch Wei's voice was very low. "Duke Jing's Mansion."

The relaxation on Xia Jin's face vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Duke Jing's Mansion? How could they be involved with the remnants of the Demonic Cult?"

Eunuch Wei shook his head, a hint of confusion on his face. "Master, that figure last night had impressive Qinggong and was extremely familiar with the streets of the capital. I followed behind and found that he eventually flipped into the study of the Young Duke of Duke Jing's Mansion."

"I watched all night and didn't see that person come out. However, at dawn, I saw the Young Duke himself push open the door and come out of the study."

"After he left, I specifically sneaked in to search and found this."

As Eunuch Wei spoke, he took a piece of cloth from his sleeve and handed it to Xia Jin.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a corner of the night-traveling clothes accidentally torn from the rat I was following."

Xia Jin rubbed the cloth between his fingers, his gaze gradually turning cold.

"Regardless, Duke Jing's Mansion must have a connection with those Demonic Cult remnants! Better to kill by mistake than to let them go. Emperor Xia Yu, the Son of Heaven of Great Xia, might find it difficult to move against these old officials, but this Prince has no such qualms!"

"Go inform Commander Qin Hu to keep Duke Jing's Mansion under secret surveillance. No action is allowed without my order. Later, I will personally pay a visit to Duke Jing's Mansion."

"Yes, Prince," Eunuch Wei nodded.

Xia Jin continued to instruct, "Additionally, have Commander Qin Hu review all the dossiers of personnel interactions and financial transactions of Duke Jing's Mansion in recent years, especially the parts related to their Young Duke. Check them carefully for any abnormalities."

"Yes." Eunuch Wei was about to stand up when he suddenly remembered something. "Master, I heard that one of His Majesty's most favored Noble Consorts seems to be the Second Young Miss of Duke Jing's Mansion. If we take action against them, should we inform His Majesty in advance?"

Xia Jin only sneered, his gaze already like ice. "What Noble Consort? Just an outsider. If she has no involvement with the Demonic Cult remnants, I might spare her life; if she does..." He looked up at Eunuch Wei, "Then kill her. Do you think Emperor Xia Yu, the Son of Heaven of Great Xia, truly cares about a woman who might harm the Great Xia Dynasty?"

After speaking, Xia Jin waved his hand. Eunuch Wei bowed and withdrew, disappearing outside the side hall in the blink of an eye.

"While there's still some time, I need to find a few suitable flying daggers to unleash the full power of the Little Li's Flying Dagger technique!" Xia Jin leisurely finished his breakfast, stretched his arms, and gave a lazy yawn.

Then, he casually picked up the Purple Clay Teapot from the table with his left hand and walked out of the hall.

Soon, Xia Jin arrived in front of a Royal Treasury.

The guards on both sides saw him coming and immediately placed their hands on their sabers in salute. "Greetings, Prince!"

Xia Jin nodded slightly and pointed to the vault door. "Open it."

A young guard on the right hesitated, stepped forward half a step, and whispered, "Prince, this vault requires His Majesty's verbal decree to..."

Before he could finish, the older guard next to him suddenly kicked him, sending him stumbling aside. He then bowed hurriedly and said, "Forgive him, Prince! This kid is new and doesn't know the rules! I'll open the door right away!" As he spoke, he had already pulled out the keys and stepped forward to unlock it deftly.

"This fellow is quite clever!" Xia Jin glanced at the guard with some surprise and handed over the teapot. The guard took it with both hands and held it respectfully.

"You are quite sensible." The corners of Xia Jin's mouth curled slightly. "What's your name?"

Excitement flooded the guard's face. He lowered his voice but couldn't hide his thrill. "To answer the Prince, this lowly one is called Mu Qing!"

Xia Jin nodded. "Mu Qing? Hmm, I'll remember. If you want a different assignment in the future, you can go to Little Wei and say I sent you."

"Thank you, Prince! Thank you, Prince!" Mu Qing hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed respectfully several times.

Xia Jin shook his head and walked straight in.

This Royal Treasury housed many rare treasures, but after Xia Jin took a look around, he was somewhat disappointed.

"It seems there are few people who use hidden weapons, and those who use flying daggers are likely even scarcer. In this entire Royal Treasury, I haven't even seen the likeness of a single flying dagger!"

"Forget it, I'll just have some flying daggers forged. I probably won't find any here."

Xia Jin couldn't help but frown. Just as he was about to turn and leave, his eye caught a glimpse of a wooden shelf in the corner, where a few inconspicuous purplish-copper glints seemed to flash.

"Hmm? What's that?"

Xia Jin walked closer out of curiosity and found that they were three palm-sized metal fragments, casually stacked on the shelf and covered in a thin layer of dust. Xia Jin picked one up and casually swiped it against the stone brick wall beside him.

With a very faint "chi" sound, the fragment cut through the hard wall like a knife through tofu, leaving a gash an inch deep. It was smooth and even, with stone dust falling silently.

"Such sharpness!" Xia Jin was also quite surprised. He hadn't used any True Qi in his body; it was just a casual swipe with his physical strength.

Soon, a hint of a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.

"This is it."

Xia Jin put the three metal fragments into his robe and, without staying any longer, turned and left the vault.

Mu Qing was still standing respectfully outside the door. Seeing him come out, he hurriedly offered the warm teapot with both hands.

"Fine, send it back to my residence in a while. I still have things to do!" Xia Jin didn't take it, but turned and walked directly towards the exit of the palace.

Meanwhile,

On the second floor of a teahouse not far from the main entrance of Duke Jing's Mansion.

Commander Qin Hu sat by the window, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the gate of Duke Jing's Mansion, while Eunuch Wei continued to leisurely fiddle with the teacup in front of him.

The surroundings of Duke Jing's Mansion seemed normal, but in reality, Commander Qin Hu had already laid out an inescapable net. Hundreds of Imperial Guards, disguised as various overt and covert sentries, were keeping a close eye on everyone entering or leaving the mansion.

"Eunuch Wei," Commander Qin Hu lowered his voice, "when do you think the Prince will arrive?"

Eunuch Wei shook his head and took a shallow sip of the freshly brewed tea. "Commander Qin, what's the rush? With you personally watching, could the people of Duke Jing's Mansion possibly escape?"

"That's true!" Commander Qin Hu chuckled.

However, at this moment, a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes. "This Duke Jing's Mansion, relying on their ancestral shadow and the one in the palace this past year, has become so arrogant. Sometimes they don't even show respect to me, the Commander of the Imperial Guard."

"If it weren't for the fact that His Majesty's newly favored Noble Consort is the Second Young Miss of their household, I would have found an excuse to tear them down long ago, given their secret dealings over the years! This time is perfect; let that Master take action. It would be best if he could kill them all."

Just as his hostility hadn't dissipated, a voice reached both of their ears.

"Come down and follow me in!"