He was about to leave when he saw a guard holding a short sword with a peculiar shape. It was a bit longer than a dagger, the tip was bent slightly inward, creating a beautiful curve, quite different to the short swords from the Central Plains. Gu Yun felt that it appeared familiar. He reached out to receive it.

"Marshal, this was found on the bandits leader's body."

Gu Yun took the short sword and touched the blade with his fingers. He squinted and whispered: "This is from the barbarians?"

"It is the short sword of the Eighteen Tribes." Chen Qing Xu came over and said, "Marquis, have your iron plates loosened?"

"No, I am sorry for troubling Miss Chen to run around with us in the middle of the night." Gu Yun shook his head and held the handle of the blade for a moment. "Tch, with a handle this short, would it not get in the way?"

"It is not short, this is a blade for women," Chen Qing Xu took the curved short sword and measured it with her hand. "The Man of Eighteen tribes dined on wind and drank dew, fighting for food against the beasts of the grassland, thus there is often such a groove at the handle. In case of clashing with a powerful beast, it can prevent the sword from falling during the fight. The steel material of this short sword is of high quality, the original owner must have been one of high status. And the handle is mostly tailor-made, the hands of the person must have been very small, similar to mine, it should be a woman - Marquis sir, look here."

She flipped the handle around for Gu Yun, there was a complex pattern on the underside, like a totem entwined by numerous flowers and vines, wrapped in the middle was a flame.

Chen Qing Xu said, "I saw this pattern of flowers and vines in an abandoned ruin of the Eighteen Tribes. I heard the slaves of the Central Plains people who were captured say that it was the symbol of Eighteen Tribes' goddess."

"I know," Gu Yun's face suddenly turned grave. "I also know who the symbol in the middle stands for."

There was no telling when Shen Yi had come closer. As he caught sight of the pattern, he let out a heavy breath: "The heart of the earth?"

Chen Qing Xu asked in confusion: "Who?"

Shen Yi: "Hu Ge Er... Xiu Niang, she... Hasn't she been dead for years? How could it be..."

Gu Yun waved at him, took the knife, and turned to the place where the bandit leader Huo Long was being imprisoned. He signaled with his hand to dismiss all the guards.