The First Lackey Under The Empress

The Imperial Office.

Inside the Water Lily Hall, Haitang, with her high ponytail and a tear mole at the corner of her eye, exuding heroic spirit, moved a chair and sat under the eaves.

She listened to the raindrops trickling down from the roof tiles, tinkling as they hit the blue brick steps.

In her hand, she flipped through a file.

At the top of the file, the three words "Chai Keqiao" were prominently written.

That morning, after the meeting, she had mentioned this name to Zhao Du'an.

He was also the target she was focusing on, someone likely to cause a stir in the capital recently.

"A personal disciple of Wu Xiankui… If he's just here for the Buddhist-Taoist debate, that's fine, but the problem is… will this guy really be that honest?"

Haitang whispered softly, anxiety hidden between her brows.

Chai Keqiao, a martial artist from the Martial Emperor City lineage in the East Sea, suspected to be at the peak of the Divine Manifestation Realm.

He was one of the personal disciples of Wu Xiankui, one of the four "Celestial Humans" in the world today.

Legend has it that Wu Xiankui has three thousand disciples traveling the world.

But this is both a hyperbole and refers only to the outer disciples who accept students on behalf of their master.

Only the rare "personal disciples" had received personal instruction from Wu Xiankui.

Chai Keqiao was one of the personal disciples of Martial Emperor City.

His experience can be described as legendary. It is said that he was originally from the local prominent family, the "Chai Clan," and was the young master of the eldest son's lineage.

He could have lived a life of luxury, but in his youth, he was influenced by a Martial Emperor City disciple who served as a teacher in the Chai family and became determined to pursue the martial path.

He abandoned his status and ran away from home.

He went straight to Martial Emperor City to seek apprenticeship, but he didn't even see Wu Xiankui himself and was rejected.

The young Chai Keqiao had a stubborn temperament.

After being turned away, he didn't leave.

He actually built a wooden hut at the foot of the Green Mountain where Martial Emperor City was located, and chopped wood for a living every day.

He became a real woodcutter, saying he wanted to show his perseverance.

During this time, people from the Chai family came to try to persuade the young master to return home, but they were all rejected.

Gradually, even the head of the family gave up on this son.

Chai Keqiao stayed in the mountains for several years, without anyone paying attention. Those who initially ridiculed him gradually turned to admiration.

But seeing that he had passed the best age for martial arts training, everyone thought that this young master with a not-so-good head would become one of the countless failures who went to Martial Emperor City to seek apprenticeship over the millennia.

However, one day.

Chai Keqiao, who was chopping wood in the mountains, unexpectedly encountered the contemporary Lord of Martial Emperor City, the "Celestial Human" Wu Xiankui, who had disguised himself as a hunter and was traveling outside.

A woodcutter, a hunter.

The two occasionally chatted and gradually became familiar.

Wu Xiankui, impressed by the young man's perseverance, began to teach him martial arts in disguise.

Years passed without notice in the mountains.

In the blink of an eye, several years had passed again.

Chai Keqiao finally walked down the Green Mountain.

Wearing a linen shirt, straw sandals, and carrying an axe, he defeated countless martial artists at the foot of the mountain.

… …

"Pa."

Haitang closed the file in her hand and muttered to herself:

"The visitor is not friendly, not friendly at all."

According to reports from the Water Lily Hall's informants, Chai Keqiao entered the city alone a few days ago, slightly later than the arrival of the Princess.

At first, he just idly admired the scenery of the capital all day long.

After that, he began to look for some martial arts gyms in the capital, seeking instruction.

In the capital, the Divine Dragon Temple and the Celestial Master's Mansion are the holy lands of术士 (magic practitioners).

And in the streets and alleys, there are also countless hidden martial arts gyms, as well as gun and stick instructors teaching the children of powerful figures.

Among them, there are also some masters, but unsurprisingly, they were all defeated by Chai Keqiao.

Only because he acted in a low-key manner, and neither side deliberately publicized it, did it not cause too much waves and attention.

"The Director wants us to strictly guard and ensure that there are no disturbances in the capital during this period, but how should we monitor this kind of person?"

Haitang sighed, looking distressed.

She got up to go to the Grand Director's Hall, preparing to talk to Ma Yan about this matter.

However, after arriving at the Grand Director's Hall, she learned that the Director was not there.

Haitang thought for a moment and decided to go find Zhang Han and a few other arresting officers to discuss and prepare.

As for Zhao Du'an…

"He's always away from home, can't be counted on at all."

However, just at this moment, outside the main entrance of the Grand Director's Hall.

Suddenly, a clerk rushed in, his eyes lighting up when he saw her:

"Officer Hai, it's good you're here. There's a strange person outside the office, saying he wants to come and seek guidance."

"Strange person?" Haitang's heart skipped a beat.

The clerk nodded: "That person is wearing a tattered raincoat, straw sandals, and has an axe hanging from his waist, claiming to be called Chai Keqiao."

Haitang's pupils widened sharply.

… …

… …

On the long street.

The fine autumn rain was continuous.

Sprinkling down from the high sky, like thousands of needle tips, falling towards the earth.

"Pa!"

The sound of the Qinghua teacup shattering and exploding beside Zhao Du'an's ear had not yet dissipated.

Eunuch Hai flicked a drop of water from the teahouse, which had already merged into the boundless autumn rain.

Buzz——

There was no sound, but for no reason, a ringing sound seemed to reverberate in Zhao Du'an's mind.

His soul swayed, and his ears seemed to be blocked with cotton, weakening countless tiny sounds countless times.

And in his pupils, the raindrops reflected seemed to suddenly stop falling, suspended in the air.

As if time had been paused, but in fact, his senses were distorted.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down countless times, and he clearly saw the subtle changes in the faces of everyone on the street.

He saw the swaying, vibrating drop of water, still stained with the light green of tea, rolling into the sky and earth.

In an instant, countless raindrops seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, gathering towards that drop of water.

One drop.

Five drops.

Ten drops.

A hundred drops.

Thousands.

Tens of millions.

Boom… …

Zhao Du'an suddenly felt that the time in front of him suddenly accelerated and returned to its normal flow.

Outside the window, half a street of autumn rain was drawn over, forming a huge water sword.

"Ah!"

Someone exclaimed, both because of the sudden appearance of the water sword and the sudden emptiness of rain overhead.

On the periphery of the crowd, the sword-wielding female knight's pupils trembled violently, and her sharp voice pierced through the dull long street:

"Be careful!"

The burly man with the crimson-flamed long knife was tense all over, and a strong fear arose in his heart.

He only felt a tightness in his chest, as if every part of his body's aura was locked, unable to move!

The old man in the plain robe, who was waving his sleeves to shake away the remaining Imperial Guards in front of him with a palm wind, had felt a huge danger the moment the water drop flew out of the teahouse.

Without time to think, Lü Qingfeng instinctively took a deep breath, gathered all his aura, and circulated it around his body, instantly stirring up all his cultivation.

The long robe on his body instantly expanded like a ball, and his body rotated in place with the square-mouthed boots on his feet as the center.

His left hand scooped up the wide sleeve of his right hand, and his right hand formed a palm, pressing towards the approaching huge water sword.

Two strands of abundant blue energy along the bulging robe rotated a week, all poured into the palm wind.

"Boom——"

A rolling thunder exploded in response in the cloudy high sky.

Then, Lü Qingfeng, who was once famous in the Jianghu and is now a master of the Prince's Mansion, spat out a mouthful of blood.

His whole person was like a kite with a broken string, slammed out hard.

Amidst the exclamations of the people, he crashed into half the eaves of the teahouse opposite.

Whirr!

Shattered tiles fell.

And the water sword also collapsed into rolling cold water, pouring onto the ground.

Drenching the knife-wielding man to the bone, the red flame flowing on the blade also hissed and extinguished, leaving only a lingering white mist.

Silence!

The long street suddenly fell into extreme silence.

Even if the fine rain in the air fell again, falling on everyone's faces, they all seemed to not have recovered.

On the periphery of the crowd, the sword-wielding female knight was stunned on the spot, her whole body trembling, as if she herself was facing that sword.

The two clumsy martial artists, who had recently fought to the death here, were taken away by the county yamen officials, and had not yet left, covered their wounds, and stared blankly at the rolling cold water on the ground, forgetting the pain all over their bodies.

Surroundings.

Those armored Imperial Guards who were forced back, knocked down, and not seriously injured, all helped each other up.

I don't know who gently inhaled, and then caused a chain reaction, looking at the location where Zhao Du'an was, their eyes full of deep awe, and…

Fortunately!

Fortunately, they firmly obeyed the orders of Lord Zhao, and executed them without discount, otherwise… it would be unimaginable.

Yes, how could General Zhao, who is as cruel as winter to the enemy and as warm as spring to his own people, really let them fight to the death and stand by?

Inside the room with the half-opened window in the opposite teahouse.

Xu Junling had already stood up, her sweet and elegant face with widened eyes.

Her eyes were both astonished, shocked, and full of deep worry and anxiety.

This was completely different from the many possibilities she had envisioned.

Didn't Master Lü say… that no one on this long street could be an enemy to him?

What is the identity of the ordinary old man beside Zhao Du'an?

This well-known talented woman from the Huaishui Road, the巾帼 (female hero) who entered the capital for the King of Huai'an, could hardly restrain the anxiety that the situation was out of control.

"Princess… …"

Beside her, the maid Lvshui was also anxious, "What to do?"

… …

Upstairs in the teahouse.

Zhao Du'an turned his head in a daze, looking at Eunuch Hai with suspicion.

He saw the latter with a leisurely and smug look, not even lifting his butt, his hoarse voice passed outside the building:

"The martial arts inheritance of the Lü family is not easy, it should not be lost here. Today, a slight punishment is given, you must know that the capital is under the feet of the Son of Heaven, and no one is allowed to be presumptuous."

Damn… Old Hai, you are really good at pretending…

Zhao Du'an marveled and said that he had learned something.

Outside the building.

Although he spat out a mouthful of blood, Lü Qingfeng, whose injuries were not serious because Eunuch Hai held back, raised his head in horror.

The whole person got up from a pile of rubble, his eyes full of suspicion.

Immediately, as if thinking of something, he hurriedly clasped his fists respectfully:

"In the building, could it be… …"

"Don't ask too much." Zhao Du'an said faintly, interrupting the other party's words.

Immediately, he laughed with bluster, using the tiger's name to frighten others:

"Ask nonsense and I'll cut your tongue off."