Catching Monsters

Chapter 539 Is this item truly a fake?
In the Imperial Study late at night.

Ye Xiuyuan was sitting inside, drinking tea with Xiao Yuzheng.

Ye Xiuyuan helped Xu Xiaogang defeat the rebels on the front lines, which can be considered a great achievement.

Xiao Yuzheng smiled and said with emotion, "Mr. Ye, you've been back in the capital for quite some time now. I've invited you several times, but you've stayed in your own little courtyard and are unwilling to leave."

Ye Xiuyuan remained calm and slowly said, "Your Majesty, I have said before that I have no interest in fame and fortune. I came here today because I heard some rumors and felt that something big was about to happen, so I came to sit down."

"Something has happened," Xiao Yuzheng said slowly. "The Holy Tomb is about to open, and I have some concerns in my heart."

It should be noted that in the two previous openings of the Holy Tomb, some of the people who emerged from it ultimately became saints.

Furthermore, two dynasties were established.

How could Xiao Yuzheng not worry? What if there really was an ambitious person who entered the Holy Tomb, had a fortuitous encounter, and after some time, became a saint and took away the Xiao family's world?
Even if you send your trusted confidants or experts, what if they become ambitious after such a miraculous encounter?
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiuyuan smiled, as if he could guess Xiao Yuzheng's thoughts, and simply said, "Your Majesty's concern is understandable."

"Does the sir have a solution?"

How can this knot in your heart be untied?

As the two were talking, Qin Hong knocked on the door and walked in.

"His Majesty."

Xiao Yuzheng looked at him and asked, "How did things go?"

Qin Hong glanced at Ye Xiuyuan subconsciously, seemingly wary.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ye is no outsider, please speak freely," Xiao Yuzheng said.

Qin Hong nodded and said in a deep voice, "I have already given the half of the map of the Holy Tomb that I copied to Jiang Yun. Then I sent someone to follow Jiang Yun. As expected, Hong Guang took the bait and took the half of the map of the Holy Tomb."

"I've already started spreading the word in the capital..."

It is obvious that the capital is now teeming with hidden talents and undercurrents, with countless masters secretly coming to the capital.

Those experts will surely be unable to contain themselves upon hearing the news of the Sacred Tomb map.

After listening, Xiao Yuzheng nodded in satisfaction: "This strategy of using one tiger to devour another is indeed a good one."

What is Mr. Ye's opinion?

Ye Xiuyuan sipped his tea and waved his hand, saying, "What opinion could a simple country bumpkin like me possibly have?"

Then, Ye Xiuyuan changed the subject and slowly said, "However, Your Majesty, I wonder if there is any news about the meteorite?"

Ye Xiuyuan wasn't very interested in the so-called Holy Tomb; his only concern was the meteorite.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuzheng chuckled and said, "Mr. Ye, rest assured. You have made such a great contribution on the front lines. If there is any news about the meteorite, I will definitely find a way to get it to you as soon as possible."

"Yes." Ye Xiuyuan nodded.

Meanwhile, a message was gradually spreading throughout the capital.

Inside a luxurious inn, a man with disheveled hair and dressed in a gray robe sat. He was none other than Shan Tiangang, the leader of the Demon Spirit Cult.

Dan Tiangang's face was gloomy. Since the complete defeat of the rebels, the Demon Spirit Sect had no choice but to follow the rebels and move to the three southwestern provinces.

The Demon Spirit Cult's hundreds of years of accumulation were completely wiped out overnight.

Now, if the Demon Spirit Cult wants to restore its glory, it can only rely on the Holy Tomb.

Fortunately, the Holy Tomb is about to open, and Shan Tiangang believes that if he can obtain enough opportunities within the Holy Tomb and eventually become a saint, the Demon Spirit Sect can still be revitalized.

Just then, Jin Yiping, a protector of the Demon Spirit Sect, strode in from outside. He quickly approached Shan Tiangang and whispered, "Sect Leader, I've heard some news. It's said that the monk Hongguang has obtained half of the Sacred Tomb map." "Half of the Sacred Tomb map? Is this news true?" Shan Tiangang took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Jin Yiping.

Jin Yiping gave a wry smile and said helplessly, "Master, you're putting me in a difficult position. Right now, the capital of Zhou Kingdom is a mixed bag, with countless secret messages circulating. I can't tell what's true and what's false."

Upon hearing this, Shan Tiangang's eyes flickered slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly asked, "Where does Monk Hongguang live again?"

"Hakuryu-ji Temple".

Dan Tiangang slowly stood up, glanced at the moonlight outside, and said, "I've been in the capital for quite some time now and I'm getting bored. I'll go to Bailong Temple to sit for a while and ask Master Hongguang for advice on the authenticity of this Sacred Tomb map."

Soon, Shan Tiangang slipped out of the window and left.

……

In a small tavern, Sword God Qi Xin was sitting at a wooden table. He was dressed very plainly, with a simple longsword and a bamboo hat beside him.

In front of him was a bowl of scallion noodles.

He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and ate heartily, quickly finishing the bowl of scallion noodles. After wiping his mouth, he called out, "Waiter, the bill."

After leaving two copper coins, Qi Xinyi prepared to leave. Outside, a merchant dressed as a foreigner quickly ran in and whispered something in Qi Xinyi's ear.

After hearing this, Qi Xin's expression changed slightly, and she asked, "Is this news confirmed?"

The person who brought the message shook his head.

Qi Xin narrowed his eyes, put on a bamboo hat, and walked out, disappearing into the night streets of the capital.

Such scenes continue to occur throughout Beijing.

There are undercurrents swirling in the capital right now.

Meanwhile, Master Hongguang, caught in the vortex, was in his meditation room at Bailong Temple, lighting a candle and carefully studying the map he had obtained from Jiang Yun.

Although his intuition told him that something was wrong with the map, its ingenious and complex design made it seem unlikely to be a random forgery.

"Could it be that some key details have been modified?" Master Hongguang frowned slightly, studying the map with great interest.

Soon, Master Hongguang seemed to sense something. His expression changed slightly, and he put away the copied map and placed it in his pocket.

He then pushed open the door to the meditation room, and on the eaves of the house opposite the courtyard, a man wearing a straw hat and with a sword beside him was sitting.

"Amitabha Buddha, may I ask which benefactor has come to visit?" Master Hongguang said slowly with a smile on his face, "Your demeanor is quite remarkable..."

“Qi Xinyi.” The man wearing a bamboo hat slowly stood up. Despite the darkness, his eyes were incredibly sharp. He said, “I heard that the master has obtained something, so I came to take a look.”

"Is this why you came?" Upon hearing this, Master Hongguang quickly took out the half-map he had copied from his robes.

"I obtained this item from Jiang Yun of the Eastern Garrison Command. It is riddled with errors and is nothing but a fake."

Qi Xin flipped and leaped, quickly landing in Master Hongguang's courtyard: "Since it's a fake and the master doesn't like it, then give it to me."

Upon hearing Qi Xinyi's words, Master Hongguang's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, "You are, after all, the Snow Mountain Sword God, one of the Four Great Sword Gods. Why do you have to compete with an old monk like me for something?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Xin narrowed his eyes: "A monk does not lie. Master, you say it is a fake, yet you are reluctant to give it to me."

"Is this item truly a fake?"

Upon hearing this, Master Hongguang's expression darkened...

(End of this chapter)