The First Lackey Under The Empress

“Kneel!”

Iron Manor, front courtyard.

Accompanying Ma Yan's forceful strike, a surge of energy from his palm traveled backward along the tens of pounds of the "Drum Hammer's" weapon, delivering force into the arms of its wielder.

Battlefield General Tie Chi Guan felt as if struck by lightning.

The pores on the arm gripping the hammer's handle oozed crimson blood droplets; it was as if he was electrocuted, forcing him to abandon his weapon.

His entire person was like a cannonball, whistling as he flew backward, smashing heavily into a flowerbed in the courtyard.

“Bang!”

The flowerbed shattered, mud and bricks flying everywhere, several servants inadvertently struck and collapsing to the ground with cries of pain.

The entire scene fell silent.

Zhao Du'an, who had taken a step back to protect Ma Yan in front of him, twitched his eyelids.

He truly felt the difference in strength between martial artists.

When Tie Chi Guan hammered at him, Zhao Du'an, although he had flying knives ready but unreleased, still sensed a great threat from his martial instinct.

He knew:

With his own combat strength, he was definitely no match for the opponent.

At most, he could withstand a few rounds before being hammered off his "horse."

But this fierce general, who was enough to overwhelmingly defeat him, was easily blasted back by Ma Yan as if lifting a chicken, without any effort.

The other Pear Blossom Hall constables also quieted down, a strong sense of security welling up in their hearts as they watched the show from the sidelines.

“Director…?”

Tie Chi Guan crawled out from the rubble, spitting out a mouthful of stagnant blood.

This fierce man with knotted muscles had several scarlet cuts on his face from the broken tiles, but the ferocity in his eyes had vanished, replaced only by bitterness:

“Yes, I should have known long ago that if Director Ma was not here, this insidious little brat would not dare provoke me.”

Ma Yan's expression was stern, his eyes hiding regret.

Looking down from above at his subordinate, whom he had personally promoted from the army and who had been by his side for two years, he said:

“This Director can give you a chance to explain yourself.”

Tie Chi Guan was silent for a moment, but shook his head, squeezing out a complex and difficult smile with his bloodied teeth:

“Since the matter has been exposed, Tie has nothing to say.”

Ma Yan sighed deeply, but then he heard Tie Chi Guan continue:

“This subordinate knows that with Director Ma's martial arts, I cannot escape my fate today, but I have one wish.

Tie joined the military at the age of seventeen, and the army values the strong. After entering the Imperial Prison, I often heard of Director Ma's profound martial arts realm, but never had the opportunity to fight Director Ma.

After today, I fear there will be no more chances in this life.

Today I have no other wishes, only hoping to lose fairly, to lose at Director Ma's hands, and I will be convinced. It's better than being captured by some treacherous villain, some gigolo selling his body!”

Zhao Du'an, who was watching the battle from the rear, was caught off guard and felt unhappy.

Why is this guy still cursing people when he's about to die?

Ma Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his leg and kicked the eighty-pound hammer on the ground over:

“As you wish.”

“Thank you, Director, for granting my wish!” Tie Chi Guan raised his hand, caught the Drum Hammer, and took a deep breath. In his Qi Sea Dan Tian, there was a faint glimmer of light.

Accompanied by the sound of surging tides.

Zhao Du'an suddenly heard Ma Yan say:

“Watch carefully. When you step into the Divine Chapter Realm, you will also have waves surging in your Qi Sea.

The so-called martial artist's accumulation of power is the number of times the inner Qi rotates in this Dan Tian. Each wave that passes, each cycle that turns, the power accumulates to a higher level. The more times you accumulate power, the more fierce the killing power you can unleash.

However, martial artists fighting emphasize efficiency. Most of the time, opponents will not allow you to accumulate power to the limit.”

Why is he giving a live lesson… I'm only a Mortal Embryo of middle grade… Zhao Du'an listened attentively.

Ma Yan seemed completely unconcerned, still explaining the details of power accumulation:

“Don't think that only those in the Mortal Embryo realm need to master these things.

The method of accumulating power has nothing to do with realm. Even martial artists who have never cultivated can accumulate the power of Qi, blood, muscles, and bones. Drawing a bow, chopping with a steel saber, how to accumulate power most skillfully, these are all key points.”

Zhao Du'an's heart stirred, silently memorizing his explanation.

On the other side.

In Tie Chi Guan's Dan Tian, the Qi Sea tide had stacked up to thirteen layers, reaching its limit. His entire aura also climbed to its peak.

The overflowing aura made many constables moved and fearful.

“Director, take my Breaking Pass Hammer!!!”

Suddenly, Tie Chi Guan roared, his feet spread apart on the ground, the thin ropes inside his boots snapping, revealing his thick toes.

Holding the hammer with both hands, he raised it high, the sound of the tide forming continuous waves, as if a wave tens of meters high was accumulating behind him.

The next second, the eighty-pound Drum Hammer slammed down, flying out of his hands, circles of white, turbulent Qi waves coiling and chasing after the hammer handle.

“Ka, ka, ka—”

Beneath Tie Chi Guan's feet, the courtyard ground paved with blue bricks instantly cracked.

The gale swept through, lifting pieces of blue brick, like sun-baked tiles in the fields during a year of drought.

Zhao Du'an narrowed his eyes, a little horrified in his heart.

Is this the strike that a Divine Chapter martial artist can unleash when fully charged?

Looking at the Drum Hammer, which roared like a derailed train, Zhao Du'an had no doubt:

Even if there was a small city gate in front of him, it would be breached by this hammer.

Just as Tie Chi Guan unleashed the strongest strike of his life.

This martial artist, who had boldly declared that he would lose fairly, actually ran towards the courtyard wall like an arrow from a bow!

Before anyone could react, he had already bent his knees and stepped on the ground.

Like a springboard, he jumped onto the courtyard wall and fled outwards!

He ran!

Zhao Du'an's pupils shrank sharply, but he forcibly stopped the flying knife in his sleeve.

He looked at Ma Yan immediately.

But he saw this "King Yama" snort coldly, as if he had expected it, taking a step with his left leg, his left hand opening his five fingers, actually still using his physical body to directly receive the Drum Hammer.

“Clang—”

In the sound of metal clashing, half of his body was covered in golden light, as hard as iron, colliding head-on with the Drum Hammer.

A force then entered the earth from his left leg.

Instantly, the ground tiles within a ten-foot radius of his feet cracked and collapsed, turning into a shallow pit.

His right fist pulled back, accumulating power several times in an instant.

He punched towards Tie Chi Guan, who had just jumped onto the courtyard wall in the distance and was in mid-air.

This punch actually created a sonic boom.

Zhao Du'an witnessed the air rippling out a straight line of "ripples," the end being Tie Chi Guan.

“Puff!”

Tie Chi Guan spurted blood, falling down like a broken-winged bird, dropping at the foot of the courtyard wall.

He was only half a step away from escaping the courtyard.

“Clang!”

The Drum Hammer fell to the ground almost at the same time, the head of the eighty-pound giant hammer actually denting inward with the imprint of half a fist.

The golden light on his body dissipated, Ma Yan exhaled lightly, and said calmly:

“In a life-and-death struggle, life and death are not necessarily determined by the level of cultivation or the strength of martial arts. Experience can also play a role in reversing the situation.

Like him, those who come down from the battlefield know very well to use any means possible. The so-called battlefield generals, fair one-on-one fights, that's the stories in the storybooks, the performances in the teahouses by the craftsmen, not to be taken as truth.

Unless they are figures of high enough status, appreciating each other, they may only uphold righteousness and not resort to trickery in a fight.”

Zhao Du'an was stunned for a moment.

He thought to himself, it's already gotten to this point, and you're still teaching?

Ma Yan glanced at him, slightly smug.

In the carriage, he was "educated" by this kid for a long time, how could he not "educate" him back at this time?

If he didn't show his hand, he would really think that he, this "Director," was eating for free.

“Sir, the man is still alive, but he can't move anymore.”

At this time, a constable dragged Tie Chi Guan back.

He lay on the ground, covered in blood, motionless, only his chest rising and falling, his eyes wide open.

He looked at the two of them, sighed, closed his eyes, and said no more.

Zhao Du'an frowned: “Isn't he about to die?”

Ma Yan said lightly: “He's fine, he can think, he can talk, I just cut off his meridians.”

After a pause, he looked at Zhao Du'an and said quietly:

“If he died in my hands, wouldn't that be troublesome?”

There was a hidden meaning… Zhao Du'an laughed awkwardly.

If Tie Chi Guan died, then Ma Yan's suspicion would be great.

There were three reasons for bringing Ma Yan to deceive people.

First, to sit in town, second, to test him. He didn't say it, but Ma Yan had obviously guessed it.

As for the third, if Ma Yan had a problem, then tying him to his side could prevent him from having the opportunity to make additional arrangements to respond.

“You did the right thing. Before the dust settles, everyone, including me, is worth suspecting,” Ma Yan said lightly.

Zhao Du'an smiled ingratiatingly: “I have never suspected you, sir.”

Well, after all, according to my guess, Zhuang Xiaocheng's original design was to kill you… However, guesses are just guesses after all.

While the two were talking, the other constables also reacted.

They swarmed up and tied up the rest of the Iron family.

“Qian K柔, Zheng Lao Jiu,” Zhao Du'an called two of his subordinates:

“Take a few people and carefully search this house for suspicious objects.”

There must be a way to contact the upper and lower lines between the rebel parties. Tie Chi Guan stubbornly refuses to cooperate, so he will let this house speak.

“Yes!” The two responded.

Zhao Du'an waved his hand and ordered the others to evacuate:

“Go to the third venue.”

Ma Yan personally picked up "Tie Chi Guan", gagged his mouth, and prepared to watch over him closely. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment.

Zhao Du'an explained with a smile:

“We can't relax, Senior Brother. What if there's more than one mole?”

…

…

The third suspect is Haitang, the Water Immortal Hall constable.

Haitang was not married, and her house was the smallest of the three.

When a group of people marched in mightily and skillfully completed the encirclement.

When they tried to break down the door, they were surprised to find that the gate of the Hai family's courtyard was wide open.

This made Hou Renmeng, who was addicted to splitting doors, a little disappointed.

And when Zhao Du'an led the crowd into the front courtyard.

They were even more surprised to find that the maids and servants in the courtyard seemed to be unsurprised, quietly waiting under the eaves, in a posture of welcoming them.

In the courtyard, next to a stone table.

The heroic and valiant female constable with long legs, a high ponytail, and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, was wearing casual clothes and drinking wine.

The cloth bag casually thrown on the table, filled with flying knives, turned a blind eye to the crossbows and murderous Pear Blossom Hall officials on the courtyard wall.

Raising her head, her clear eyes looked at Zhao Du'an, seemingly smiling, and said:

“Constable Zhao has finally arrived. This official has been waiting for a long time and has prepared fine wine. You must be tired from the journey. Would you like a drink?”

This…

The Pear Blossom Hall officials were stunned, thinking that this was a bit different from the previous two venues.

Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan looked at each other, and at the same time looked at Zhao Du'an.

Zhao Du'an also narrowed his eyes, examining the beautiful female colleague, and suddenly smiled:

“A beauty and fine wine, a warm invitation, who can refuse?”

Saying this, his footsteps did not move, and the conversation turned:

“It's just that, Miss, would you please throw away the knives first?”

Thank you to the Tang Empire for the 100 coin reward~