Guards barely made their presence felt throughout Prince Nan’s Mansion.
Only a few servants and attendants shuffled back and forth, which seemed less secure than even an ordinary merchant’s household.
Because at least merchants would hire some strong men to protect their property.
Yet, Prince Nan’s Mansion seemed to need no protection whatsoever.
Ordinary people might find this quite normal, for no protection was more esteemed and gave a greater sense of safety than the reputation of Prince Nan.
However, both Jiang Dali and Xiao Feng knew that Prince Nan’s Mansion was anything but simple.
The meat of the bun is not in the folds.
If there were guards every three steps and soldiers every five at Prince Nan’s Mansion, they would have looked down on Prince Nan.
It was the unseen uncertainties that were the most dangerous. It was best to make the enemy underestimate one’s strength, or else it was best to have no enemies at all.
"Right now, we are the King of Joy and Miao Guangzong. Let’s break in together. If there’s danger later, I will cover our retreat, and you get out first,"
Jiang Dali whispered to Xiao Feng, arranging their plan.
Xiao Feng had no objection to this.
For Jiang Dali was indeed the best choice to cover their retreat. Even if they were to break into the Ming Country Palace, the only one likely to hold him back was perhaps an old eunuch.
Both men employed their movement techniques, sticking to the shadowy and solemn dead angles, and finally flipped over into the confines of Prince Nan’s Mansion.
They proceeded swiftly, traversing the red corridors until they gradually reached the living quarters at the back.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a grand and classically elegant courtyard.
For both could already sense the faint aura of murderous intent.
With Martial Arts like that of Jiang Dali and Xiao Feng, they could sense the Yin God and resonate with heaven and earth, transcending common understanding to reach a mystical and profound Realm, occasionally sensing hidden enemies through the resonance with the cosmos.
They could even get a sense of the enemy’s spirit.
Unless it was someone in the Heavenly Human Realm who was more powerful than they, it would be difficult for anyone to remain hidden from them.
Jiang Dali now saw a faint red glow emitting from beneath the pond in front of the courtyard.
The concealed guards of the South King Mansion were indeed partly hidden within underwater mechanisms.
Xiao Feng looked at Jiang Dali, his eyes flitting beneath his fighting hat, silently asking how to proceed.
Jiang Dali raised his hand, pointed at himself, and then made a sweeping gesture.
As Xiao Feng nodded solemnly,
Jiang Dali’s figure had already charged out.
Almost at the moment he charged out, dark shadows shot out abruptly from the bottom of the lake.
Those ever-vigilant hidden sentries had identified the intruders and launched their attack in an instant.
However, Jiang Dali was a step faster, his ten fingers flicked out, like playing a pipa, his nails twanging sharply, ten streams of Finger Wind shot out with electricity.
With Spirit Rhinoceros’ Finger combined with One Yang Finger and the Vigorous Vajra Palm creating the Vigorous God Finger—unstoppable, capable within fifteen meters of piercing metal and splitting stone, and striking various vital points.
The lake surface hissed continuously.
Several spots underneath that were emitting red lights all suddenly trembled and ceased to move.
The four shooting crossbow arrows were caught between two fingers by Jiang Dali with such ease, much like a Martial Arts expert picking flies with chopsticks.
Xiao Feng had already leaped into the courtyard ahead.
Jiang Dali closely followed after.
The two continued to move through the living quarters of South King Mansion.
Using their sense of danger and Jiang Dali’s ability to identify characters with his panel, they swiftly searched inside Prince Nan’s Mansion.
Deep within South King Mansion,
Inside an antique tower filled with intricate rosewood furniture,
A handsome, captivating young man, his face ruddy with the vigor of recovery, sat meditating in the tower, as if his injuries were healing.
Beside him, seated to the side, a man dressed in white, his face masked, cradling a Longsword coldly said in an accent that seemed alien to the Ming Country,
"Once you’ve recovered sufficiently, we must move. You failed to capture Wang Yuyan, who is close to Black Wind Village Chief. If the King of Joy and his group also fail, Black Wind Village Chief might return, which could affect our plans."
The handsome young man exhaled a turbid breath, his soul-stealing eyes emitting a sharp light as he smiled faintly, "White-clothed Man, aren’t you just concerned with the sword in your hands? Whether our mission fails or not, will it really affect the sword you hold?"
The White-clothed Man replied coldly, "I am only afraid that your folly will prevent Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng from fighting at all, and I will lose this excellent opportunity to challenge them with my sword. I just wonder if that Swordsman named Xue Yiren will appear this time."
The handsome young man chuckled, "While Xue Yiren’s Swordsmanship is formidable, he should not be at your level at this stage."
"Then all the more he should come," responded the White-clothed Man.
As soon as the words fell, the Longsword in the White-clothed Man’s embrace trembled slightly.
Instantly, his eyes beneath the mask lit up like lightning, sharp as chilling swords.
He suddenly drew his sword.
An intensely powerful Sword Qi erupted the moment the snowy sword light appeared, piercing through the tower wall in an instant and breaking through, the formidable Sword Intent seeming to puncture the heavens and earth.
Jiang Dali and Xiao Feng’s faces shifted almost simultaneously.
Jiang Dali uttered a quiet "huh" and was about to unleash his Vigorous God Finger when he suddenly remembered that he was now Miao Guangzong; encountering an expert, he could no longer use his own Martial Arts.
His entire body surged with Inner Strength, and he let out a whale-like call.