Chapter 25: The Annihilation of the Golden Blade Sect

It seems this outing was not entirely without gain. Although the famous courtesan remained unseen, the relationship between Si Nan and Shi Sheng had improved significantly. It is no wonder people say that a man’s camaraderie is forged in wine.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ye Liuyun parted ways with them. Upon returning to his residence, the first to greet him was his maid, Xing’er.

"Master, have you been drinking today?"

As she helped Ye Liuyun change his clothes, she caught the scent of alcohol and asked curiously. It had been quite a long time since Ye Liuyun had gone out to drink.

"Some subordinates hosted a gathering, so I had a few small cups," Ye Liuyun explained casually.

Hearing this, Xing’er smiled gently. "Then I shall go and brew a cup of sobering tea for you, Master."

"No need. It is late; you should go and rest as well."

"It is quite alright; I am not tired." Hanging his clothes aside, Xing’er shook her head with a smile. "This is my duty. Once you have finished the tea, I will bring you some hot water to soak your feet, so you may sleep warmly."

With that, she left the room. Even though he had grown accustomed to this era, Ye Liuyun could not help but sigh. In his previous life, finding a woman of Xing’er’s beauty would have required a dowry of hundreds of thousands, and even then, she would have been treated like a treasure on a pedestal. Expecting someone to bring you water to wash your feet? That would be nothing but a pipe dream.

***

The next day, Ye Liuyun stretched his limbs and headed to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters to sign in. He spent the morning reviewing case files. Just as he was preparing to leave in the afternoon, Si Nan and Shi Sheng found him.

"My Lord!"

Seeing the joy on Si Nan’s face, it seemed something good had happened.

"What has occurred?"

"The entire Golden Blade Sect in the north of the city has been wiped out. I managed to seize the case for us."

"???"

Why are you so happy that an entire sect was massacred? Ye Liuyun suddenly realized: when a sect is wiped out, the gold and treasures left behind belong to whoever finds them first. This was indeed a highly lucrative assignment.

"The Golden Blade Sect?" Ye Liuyun’s attention, however, was elsewhere. He had heard of the name. It was a moderately famous small-to-medium sect; there were many such groups in the imperial capital. It was said that the sect leader’s blade technique was formidable, leaving him with few rivals among those of the first-rate realm.

Since a massacre had occurred within the capital, it was naturally the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Let’s go take a look."

He had nothing better to do, and this was his first case since joining the guard, so he was somewhat curious. He told Si Nan and Shi Sheng to assemble their men, and they immediately set off for the north of the city.

***

Upon arrival, they found the courtyard of the Golden Blade Sect littered with corpses.

"All killed with a single strike!" Shi Sheng, having more experience in such matters, examined a few bodies and concluded that the culprit was a master of the blade, and a powerful one at that.

"Did the Golden Blade Sect have any enemies?" A total massacre was not something committed out of simple grievances.

"I haven't heard of any!" Si Nan scratched his head. He usually loved gossiping and was familiar with many strange happenings in the capital, but he truly had no knowledge of this regarding the Golden Blade Sect. "The leader, Jin Yuanba, was known for his generosity and was well-liked in the city. I’ve never heard of any life-or-death enemies. However..."

Si Nan paused before continuing, "The sect wasn't very prominent until three years ago, when Jin Yuanba’s strength suddenly surged, allowing him to carve out his current reputation."

It seemed something unknown had happened three years ago. Ye Liuyun nodded and led the others deeper into the sect. It was clear a fierce battle had taken place recently; the walls and stone pillars were covered in blade marks.

Ye Liuyun reached out and touched one of the marks. "Post-natal!"

Ye Liuyun was currently at the post-natal realm, and through these traces, he could roughly gauge the assailant's cultivation. To produce blade energy of this intensity, the attacker's cultivation had to be beyond the post-natal realm.

"My Lord!" Just then, an officer found something and hurried over.

Ye Liuyun and the others followed him to the backyard. In the center of the yard, a corpse was kneeling.

"Jin Yuanba!" Si Nan gasped. This was the sect leader himself.

"These wounds... this is torture!" Shi Sheng noted that Jin Yuanba’s body was covered in a dense network of wounds. They did not look like marks from a battle, but rather from cruel torment. The culprit clearly held deep hatred for Jin Yuanba, choosing not to kill him outright but to torture him first.

Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun’s gaze remained fixed on several glowing points on Jin Yuanba’s body.

"Lootable traits detected: Blade Mastery (Blue), Extraordinary Strength (Blue), Hypocritical (Cyan)."

"Extraordinary Strength (Blue): Possesses strength beyond the average person."

"Hypocritical (Cyan): Appears righteous, easily gaining the trust of others."

An unexpected gain? Ye Liuyun raised an eyebrow and quietly looted the Blade Mastery and Extraordinary Strength traits. As for the "Hypocritical" trait, it seemed Jin Yuanba was not such a good person after all.

"It seems we arrived too late; the killer has fled," Shi Sheng said with a look of regret after scanning the area. Regardless of the reason, he had hoped to capture the perpetrator.

"After committing such a crime, of course they would run immediately," Si Nan said, finding nothing strange about it. It was impossible for someone to stay behind to admire their work after a massacre.

"No," Ye Liuyun suddenly interjected, cutting off their speculation. "The killer is still here."

He was certain because of the traits on Jin Yuanba’s body. Normally, after a person dies, the light of these traits would slowly fade and eventually vanish. The light on Jin Yuanba’s body had barely dimmed, meaning he had died only a short time ago. Since they hadn't seen anyone leaving the sect, the killer was clearly still hiding inside.

Moreover, in Ye Liuyun’s view, there were truly twisted individuals who, after finishing off an opponent, would linger to admire their masterpiece.

"This!" Though Si Nan and Shi Sheng were stunned, they did not doubt Ye Liuyun. They immediately organized their men to conduct a thorough search of every corner of the Golden Blade Sect.