Mu Chen and Su He left the Su Family estate.

Su He trotted beside him excitedly, making Mu Chen doubt whether bringing him along was the right decision. Mu Chen couldn't hold it. "What are you so excited about?"

"Hehe, Brother Chen, you don't know this, but Father had strictly prohibited me from leaving the household these days," Su He said. "It was so stifling. But thanks to you, I can get a breath of fresh air."

Mu Chen almost stumbled. If he wasn't worried about Xiao Xue, he would've liked to skin this leopard and see how deep its spots were. He glared at Su He. "Xiao Xue's matter is no joke. If you're going to be flippant, you might as well go back."

Seeing Mu Chen's stern look, Su He coughed and put away his casual attitude. "Brother Chen, rest assured, I won't be careless."

"That's better." Mu Chen shook his head and put away the distracting thoughts.

The two of them came to the square. It was night and there were very few people walking around, most of them guards.

Mu Chen took out the reed pipe and blew it. He stood silently for a while then shook his head.

"Maybe that thing is not working," Su He said.

"Don't worry about that," Mu Chen said. "The issue is I am not sure of the range of this thing. And we don't know which direction Xiao Xue went."

Mu Chen and Su He circled the entire Su Family residence, with Mu Chen stopping now and then to play the tune. Their weird actions drew the attention of several people, but noticing Su He's clothing that had the Su Family insignia, nobody dared to question them.

"Or should I call some men to help with the search?" Su He said.

"Not yet," Mu Chen said. If someone had indeed kidnapped Xiao Xue, wouldn't that just alert them? If they decided to move Xiao Xue somewhere else, it would only make it harder to find her.

"Let's increase the search radius and search once again," Mu Chen said.

An hour later, Mu Chen was starting to get frustrated, while Su He was getting bored.

"Wait!" Mu Chen raised his hand and stopped Su He. "I think I hear something."

Mu Chen strained his ears. Just now he heard a cry. It was faint, but he was sure it was Xiao Xue's voice. He played the tune again and listened. A while later, he heard the sound again. It was similar to the low hum he had heard the beasts in the forests make.

Mu Chen looked in a certain direction. "It's coming from there." He didn't wait for Su He's response and began to run towards the source of the sound.

"Brother Chen, wait for me." Su He chased from behind. He didn't expect Mu Chen to be so fast and had to use his movement technique to catch up to Mu Chen. Fortunately, he didn't have to chase for too long, because Mu Chen had stopped.

"Ha..ha…Brother Chen," Su He panted and stood next to Mu Chen, "Why can you run so fast? Just how did you train?" Mu Chen hadn't used any spiritual qi and movement technique, but he wasn't even breathing hard. Su He couldn't help but become curious.

But Mu Chen stood like a rock staring in front of him. The cool hair ruffled his hair but instead of finding it pleasant, he had a frown on his forehead.

"Where are we, by the way?" Su He looked around to see where they had arrived and he also froze.

Before them, was a beautiful valley. Clean and crystalline water flowed through the valley, glittering under the starlight. Flowers were in full bloom and covered both sides of the valley. At the end of the valley, nestled between the arms of the mountains and surrounded by walls, stood a golden palace.

"T-the Ming Dynasty Palace," Su He cried out. "Brother Chen, let's go back. It's not good to linger around here too much."

"What are you so scared of? We aren't even close." Mu Chen glared at Su He. Was he the same guy who was impatient to stir up trouble? How come he became a scaredy-cat at just the sight of the palace?

"Haha, Brother Chen, I like to cause trouble, not court death," Su He said. "Let's head back before the patrols come."

"I can't." Mu Chen looked at the golden palace and the frown on his forehead became deeper. "Xiao Xue, she is in there."

"H-how can that be?" Su He's eyes widened and he couldn't speak for a while. "Could it be...you made a mistake?"

Mu Chen shook his head. "I'm sure."

"B-but that's the Ming Dynasty's palace," Su He said. "How could she end up there?"

Mu Chen shrugged. "Maybe she came out to explore, but was spotted by someone from the palace?" He thought for a bit, then gave up. "It doesn't matter how she ended up inside the palace. What matters is how do we get inside the palace?"

Su He took a step back and looked at him as if he was looking at a madman. "Brother Chen, are you insane? If we break into the palace, we will be killed on the spot."

"But Xiao Xue is inside," Mu Chen said.

"How about this? Let's go back for now," Su He said, "I will inform Elder Sis and she can ask for Father's help. The Su Family is one of the biggest noble families, there won't be any trouble to get an entry."

Mu Chen frowned. "And how long will it take?"

Su He thought for a while. "We need to send a notice for an appointment, and it needs to be approved before we can enter..." But the more he said, the less confident he sounded. "Usually it takes a day, but due to the opening of the secret realm, there have been more checks...maybe a week?"

"That's too slow!" Mu Chen shook his head. "The secret realm will open in a few days." If he waited for the official way, he would have to choose between Xiao Xue or the secret realm. Moreover, could Xiao Xue wait that long?

"T-then…" Su He was at a loss.

Mu Chen held Su He's shoulder and smiled. "Hey, aren't you the number one troublemaker in the city?"

"B-brother Chen?" Su He was puzzled. Usually, he would feel a sense of pride when someone complimented him for his talent at trouble-making. But looking at Mu Chen's smile, he found it a bit creepy.

"Think about it. This could be the highlight of your profession. Other troublemakers will have to call you Big Brother in the future. Once you clear this hurdle, your name will be passed down in the annals of history…"

"Brother Chen." Su He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Isn't it only the dead whose name is passed down in the annals of history?"

"Cough! That was a mistake," Mu Chen said. "Your name will spread to every corner of the continent. Thieves, crooks, and vandals will revel in your glory for years to come. Even after you retire, they will continue to worship you as their ancestor, as the symbol of courage and defiance…" Mu Chen went on and on, trying to stir Su He.

"Brother Chen, I get it, I get it," Su He cried out. Mu Chen's drivel had driven him to breaking point.

"How about it?" Mu Chen said. "Are you up to the task?"

Su He's eyes twitched back and forth between Mu Chen and the palace. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, Brother Chen, let's do it."

"Good." Mu Chen sighed in relief and patted Su He's shoulder. He noticed Su He's body was trembling a bit. But whether it was from excitement or fear, he had no idea.

The two of them sneaked a bit further and found a tree to hide.

"Brother Chen, what's the plan?" Su He asked.

"First, tell me everything you know about the palace," Mu Chen said as he looked at the glittering golden-colored palace. Even in the dim starlight, it was still a magnificent view.

Su He racked his brains and spat out every little detail he knew about the palace.

The palace was divided in two. The outer residence and the main palace itself. The outer residence was where the staff and the guards lived. It also had nominal residences for nobles and other guests. The real golden palace was where the Ming Family lived.

There was only one known entrance, the front entrance, and it was heavily guarded. The main door was the one with huge doors, but it was rarely open and most of the time the side door was used. The palace and its surrounding were covered by an invisible formation. You couldn't fly into the palace. And once inside the palace grounds, your cultivation would be suppressed. Only the guards and those from the Ming Royal Family could use their cultivation inside.

"What about the river?" Mu Chen asked. The palace's formation was a nightmare for any cultivator, but for him, it was of least concern.

"The river?" Su He thought for a bit. "When I once accompanied my Father into the palace, I happened to see some artificial lakes and ponds. Maybe the river is used to water them?"

"So there must be an underground canal," Mu Chen said. "Is it protected?"

"It...should be?" Su He said.

Mu Chen frowned. What Su He told him hardly inspired him, but he had little choice. "The underground canal it is," Mu Chen sighed. If he wanted to sneak inside, the water canal was still the best bet. "Alright, let's do it. You go that way. Stay far away from the river."

"Are you planning to sneak in alone?" Su He asked.

Mu Chen raised a brow. "What? Do you want to come in with me?"

"N-no, that's not what I meant," Su He said, looking relieved. "Then what should I do?"

Mu Chen gave Su He a look. This guy was really a paper tiger. He shook his head. "You go create a disturbance. That will distract the guards and I will use that opportunity to sneak in."

"Create a disturbance?" Su He's bloomed with confidence. "Haha. Leave it to me, that's my specialty."

"Just make sure it's something big and flashy," Mu Chen said. "Go."

Su He ran in the direction Mu Chen had pointed. A while later, a ball of yellow light flashed high up in the air and the sound of explosion shocked throughout the valley. Su He had detonated an explosive talisman.

"Intruder!"

"Alert! There is an intruder!"

An alarm bell began ringing. Dozens of guards flew out from the castle towards the source of the disturbance.

Under the cover of darkness, Mu Chen took a deep breath and slipped into the water without a noise.

The river was deep and dark. Even with Mu Chen's eyesight, it was hard to see. But Mu Chen was able to use his sword sense and navigate without any obstacle.

As he neared the cave's entrance, invisible pressure engulfed him. Mu Chen knew this was the formation Su He had talked about. If not for his sword sense, he wouldn't have been able to detect it.

Mu Chen reached the entrance of the canal. A metal gate blocked the access to the tunnel. Mu Chen tugged at the bars, but they didn't budge. Whatever material they had used, it was very tough. It was impossible to twist it with just his physical strength. The gaps between the bars were too narrow and only water and small fish could slip through the gaps. The people responsible for the safety of the place had already thought of this. With the formation suppressing the cultivation base, even if a cultivator reached the canal entrance, they wouldn't be able to do anything. On its own, this design was good, but it didn't account for an irregular such as Mu Chen.

Mu Chen first examined the surroundings with his sword sense. After he couldn't detect anything suspicious, he raised his finger and swiped at one of the bars, cutting through it. A few more swipes and Mu Chen had created a hole big enough for him to squeeze through. Mu Chen continued to swim forward through the canal and detected several more underground waterways. There was no way to tell which canal led where, so he just picked one based on the general direction.

By now, Mu Chen had been underwater for dozens of minutes. He couldn't help but start feeling a bit desperate when he couldn't find a way to surface. His lungs were burning for air, and he was starting to feel dizzy. A few more minutes, and he would run out of breath.

Fortunately, luck was on his side and the canal soon opened into a wide clearance. Mu Chen swam upwards and after several meters he broke through the water surface.

"Ha...ha..." Mu Chen gasped for breath. The feeling of fresh air touching his lungs was soothing. He trudged through the water and came to the bank and flopped over on his back, enjoying the feeling of having survived a disaster. But his moment of relief was short-lived.

"Y-you...are who?" A shocked voice sounded beside Mu Chen.