Xiao Ning used the Lingbo Weibu technique, moving as fast as lightning. With one step, he covered dozens of feet in an instant, and soon a spacious and luxurious mansion appeared before him.
He found a place to land and with a light leap, he landed in the luxurious mansion.
The scale of the Prince's Mansion was naturally incomparable to that of an ordinary residence. Xiao Ning quickly found his destination among the many buildings.
He moved through the palace like a ghost, silently, without the passing guards discovering a single clue.
We walked through long corridors and passed through grand halls.
After a while, Xiao Ning arrived at a beautiful courtyard. In his spiritual perception, he sensed that more than ten martial arts masters were secretly hiding near the courtyard.
Although they were very well hidden, in Xiao Ning's perception, they shone as brightly as fireflies in the night.
The one with the highest cultivation level was no less than Lu Zhangke, one of the Xuanming Elders. Xiao Ning thought that he must be the other one of the Xuanming Elders. The rest were all second-rate experts at the sixth level of the Acquired Realm.
Such a formidable force would be difficult for even masters of the caliber of Abbot Kongwen of Shaolin and Master Miejue of Emei to breach.
However, for Xiao Ning, who had broken through to the Innate Realm, it was nothing special.
Xiao Ning quietly slipped behind the powerful figure who resembled Hebi Weng and subdued him with a single finger before he could react.
Subsequently, in accordance with the law, all the overt and covert guards around the courtyard were brought under control.
After doing all this, Xiao Ning swaggered open the courtyard gate, walked in, and went into the inner room.
"Who goes there!"
A loud shout rang out from the darkness.
Hearing the question, Xiao Ning did not answer, but calmly took out a tinderbox and lit the oil lamp in the room.
At that moment, the owner of the voice in the darkness saw that it was a young man who had barged in.
Xiao Ning looked around and saw a man and a woman lying on a large bed with carved beams and painted rafters. Because of his arrival, the woman had already hidden under the covers, while the man leaned out and looked over with an angry expression.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Prince's residence and act so presumptuously?"
The man spoke in broken Mandarin.
Xiao Ning leisurely walked to the table, sat down with an air of authority, looked at the man, and asked, "You must be Chahantemur, the Prince of Ruyang?"
Seeing that he was not being unreasonable, the man calmed himself down and replied, "That's right, I am the Prince of Ruyang, personally appointed by His Majesty. What do you wish for, brave warrior? Please tell me in detail, and I will certainly do as you ask!"
Prince Ruyang thought Xiao Ning was just an ordinary江湖客 (jianghu kuo, a term referring to people who travel the martial arts world), and that all he wanted was fame and fortune. He believed that such people were the easiest to deal with, so he unconsciously put on airs as a prince.
Xiao Ning saw through his little trick at a glance. It was nothing more than stalling for time so that the guards outside would notice something was wrong and rush in to arrest him.
He smiled and said, "That's right, I've come here specifically to borrow a treasure from Your Highness, but I don't know if Your Highness will be willing to part with it!"
"Oh? Gold and silver treasures, antiques and curios, martial arts manuals—my manor has everything. What treasure does this brave man desire?"
The Prince of Ruyang was secretly pleased; he was indeed a greedy little thief.
Xiao Ning raised an eyebrow and casually said, "I only want the Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment! I wonder what Your Highness thinks?"
Prince Ruyang replied, "Of course not... Wait, Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment? You're a Wudang disciple? So young, yet so skilled in martial arts... Are you Xiao Ning of Wudang?"
Soon, the Prince of Ruyang realized what was happening, and his expression changed drastically.
"Help! Help!"
He looked slightly flustered and started shouting.
Prince Ruyang was not stupid; on the contrary, he was very shrewd.
He only needed a moment to think before he understood: the Wudang Sect had found the Prince's Mansion, kidnapped him, and were demanding the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment from him.
It is obvious that the Wudang sect already knows about the plot by the Prince of Ruyang's mansion to assassinate Yu San of Wudang.
This isn't someone coming to ask for treasure.
This is the worst thing that's happening!
"Stop shouting, I've subdued the guards outside!"
Xiao Ning flicked her nails and laughed, "Speaking of which, it seems you're not stupid after all! You know who I am!"
"I have heard of Xiao Ning of Wudang for a long time, but I never expected him to be such a callow youth!"
The Prince of Ruyang shifted slightly, but forced himself to remain calm. He chuckled and said, "I have fought on the battlefield for decades and have never been defeated. I never imagined that I would fall into the hands of a mere brat. What bad luck!"
"Alright, I'm not going to waste any more words with you. Hurry up and hand over the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment, or you'll suffer some physical pain!"
Xiao Ning ignored his words and instead pressed him for an answer.
The Prince of Ruyang chuckled: "Aren't you known as a martial arts legend? How come you can't heal Yu San's injuries? Why do you still have to come to me for help?"
Xiao Ning frowned, his face turning cold: "Don't be stubborn! I may not like trouble, but I'm not afraid of it! Be honest and hand over the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment!"
Seeing Xiao Ning's unfriendly tone, the Prince of Ruyang's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm and fearless: "Do you think you'll let me go if I hand it over? Since I'll die whether I hand it over or not, why should I bother?"
"Now that I'm in your hands, you can do whatever you want with me, kill me or torture me. But if you want me to hand over the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment, you're dreaming!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ning's expression changed. Then, he raised an eyebrow and said with a wicked smile, "What, you think death will bring you relief?"
"I heard you have a daughter, she's 12 years old this year, right?"
"Tell me, if I sold your daughter to a brothel, would she become a famous courtesan and go down in history like Su Xiaoxiao? Thinking about it, I'm actually a little excited!"