Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

As soon as Xia Jin returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she saw Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei pacing back and forth in front of her, their expressions hesitant to speak.

Xia Jin sat on the rosewood chair, looked up at the two of them, and said with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "What are you two doing, putting on an act in front of me? Speak your mind."

Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei exchanged a glance, and in the end, Qin Hu couldn't help but take a step forward first, clasped his hands and bowed: "Your Highness, there is something I don't understand."

"speak."

"That Lady Lan of the Hehuan Sect... do you really intend to spare her life, and even... cooperate with the entire Hehuan Sect?" Qin Hu raised his head, his eyes filled with genuine confusion. "In my past experience, Your Highness has always been ruthless in eradicating the remnants of the demonic sect, showing absolutely no leniency. How could this be..."

Eunuch Wei nodded cautiously from the side, "My lord, this old servant also thinks that the vixen is cunning and treacherous, and may harbor evil intentions. Keeping her by our side is like raising a tiger to cause trouble later."

Xia Jin listened quietly, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"You two," he shook his head, "Qin Hu is one thing, but Little Wei, you've been with me for many years, how come you still see things with such a narrow perspective."

Xia Jin picked up the teacup beside him, gently blew on the hot tea inside, and his gaze became somewhat profound: "First of all, I never said I wanted to cooperate with the Hehuan Sect, but rather to bring them under my command and make them work for me!"

"Furthermore, the Hehuan Sect is indeed classified as a demonic sect. But if you think about it carefully, over the years, have they ever slaughtered villages and towns or looted government treasuries like the Ming Cult? In the end, they have not truly touched the fundamental interests of our Great Xia, nor have they caused any calamities that shake the foundation of the nation."

Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei were taken aback upon hearing this, for the truth was indeed as Xia Jin had said.

Xia Jin continued, "This sect's methods are extraordinary. Its disciples are skilled in seduction and intelligence gathering, and since most members are women, their actions often go unnoticed. If such a force could be completely subdued and controlled, wouldn't its value be ten times greater than utterly destroying them?"

Xia Jin took a small sip of tea, her gaze fixed on the vast sky outside the hall. "Never forget," she said, "the goal of my Great Xia Dynasty has never been to remain confined to this corner of the Eastern Xuan Continent. It is to expand beyond the Eastern Region, to plant the 'Xia' banner across every inch of Eastern Xuan land, and to become the undisputed supreme dynasty of the entire continent!"

"Supreme Dynasty!!" Qin Hu shuddered, looked up at Xia Jin with a surge of almost fanatical excitement.

His chest heaved, and his clenched fists tightened unconsciously until his knuckles turned white.

Eunuch Wei also gasped, then a blush of excitement appeared on his face.

"To achieve such dominance, the existing resources of Great Xia are far from sufficient." Xia Jin withdrew her gaze, her tone returning to calm. "We need more helpers. The Hehuan Sect can be one of them."

"I see!" Qin Hu took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a heavy fist salute. "This humble servant... understands! It was my shortsightedness that prevented me from appreciating Your Highness's profound wisdom!!"

Xia Jin waved her hand, "It's too early to talk about these things now. We have to take things one step at a time. The most urgent task is to eliminate the remnants of evil cults like the Ming Cult!"

"One of the conditions on which I am willing to accept the Joyful Union Sect is that they will provide us with intelligence on other remnants of demonic sects! This is what we need most right now!"

"Go down and keep a close watch on the imperial prison, and also keep an eye on the movements inside and outside the capital. Tomorrow, I will be leaving the palace again."

"Yes!" Qin Hu and Eunuch Wei replied in unison.

The next morning, a green-canopied carriage quietly stopped outside the palace, and Eunuch Wei sat quietly in the carriage's tracks, waiting.

Soon, Xia Jin boarded the carriage.

Inside the car, Mrs. Lan was already waiting.

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

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

"Tell me, where are you going?"

"South of the city, Lanyue Tower," Madam Lan replied softly.

"Hmm!?" Xia Jin was suddenly taken aback, then raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Madam Lan with a half-smile: "Lan Yue Lou? One of the famous pleasure quarters in the capital. Your Hehuan Sect has set up its base in a brothel? That's quite... fitting the name."

Whether his words were praise or sarcasm was unclear, but they made Madam Lan's ears burn slightly. She whispered, "Your Highness, as the saying goes, the greatest hermit lives in the city. The noisiest place is often the easiest place to hide."

Xia Jin remained noncommittal, only saying calmly to the outside of the carriage curtain, "Little Wei, go to Lan Yue Tower."

"Yes, sir," Wei Gonggong, who was in charge of driving, replied in a low voice, and the carriage quickly and smoothly headed south of the city.

The streets of Kyoto were still quiet in the early morning, and brothels like Lan Yue Lou were even more closed, showing no trace of the boisterous revelry of the night.

The carriage stopped in a back alley of Lanyue Tower. Madam Lan led Xia Jin out of the carriage and walked to the vermilion door.

She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door a few times in a specific rhythm—three long knocks followed by one short knock, then three short knocks followed by one long knock.

"You guys are quite cautious!" Xia Jin carefully looked around, then shook her head with a smile.

A short while later, the door opened a crack, revealing a sleepy face—a young woman with an ordinary appearance.

Upon seeing Madam Lan, she instantly woke up from her sleepiness and exclaimed, "Madam Lan! Why are you back?!"

As she spoke, her gaze swept curiously over Xia Jin behind Madam Lan, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in her eyes.

"Master Orchid, who is this person behind you...?" the woman asked, frowning.

"Why are you asking so many questions! Open the door right now!" A cold glint flashed in Madam Lan's eyes.

"Oh, I'll open the door right away!" The woman didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly opened the door, making way for her.

"Where is the leader now?" Madam Lan asked as she led Xia Jin inside.

"Master Orchid, the leader is practicing martial arts in the backyard," the woman replied softly, carefully closing the door again.

"The backyard? It seems the leader is as diligent as ever!" A figure flashed through Madam Lan's mind, and a touch of warmth appeared on her face.

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

A woman was seen practicing swordplay under a plum tree.

Dressed in a tight-fitting red outfit, her swordsmanship exuded a murderous aura, but what was most striking was the small cinnabar mole on the corner of her lip.

Madam Lan pointed at the figure and whispered, "Your Highness, that is Su Xuanji, the leader of my Hehuan Sect."

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

Her gaze first fell on Madam Lan, a hint of surprise and joy flashing in her eyes, but when she saw Xia Jin behind her, that warmth quickly cooled, and her brows furrowed deeply.

"Orchid Master," Su Xuanji said coldly, "you actually brought a strange man to my Joyful Union Sect's stronghold? Have you... forgotten the rules of our Joyful Union Sect?"