The First Lackey Under The Empress

On the wide, gentle platform of the mountainside, the crimson glow of the setting sun shone through the pines and cypresses lining the mountain path, illuminating everyone's faces.

On one side was the虞(Yu) Kingdom's iron cavalry, a steel torrent led by Zhao Du'an, dressed as a noble young master.

On the other side, the disciples of the Purple Cloud Palace, led by a Taoist in white and purple robes, were arrayed in a solemn formation, ready for battle.

The winter wind swept through the mountain path, and the atmosphere gradually turned grim.

"The Purple Cloud Palace has closed its doors to guests. If you wish to ascend the mountain, please return tomorrow," the Taoist said calmly, holding a horsetail whisk.

Zhao Du'an, still on his horse, asked with interest, "Do you know my identity?"

The leading Taoist held a significant position in the Purple Cloud Palace, appearing to be the head disciple of the "Palace Master" Lu Zhengchun, and had seen countless dignitaries over the years at the Purple Cloud Temple.

For decades, countless important figures had traveled between滨海(Binhai) and 临封(Linfeng), and a constant stream of people came to burn incense.

Furthermore, due to the natural awe and respect that secular forces held for "cultivators," even princes and nobles treated them with courtesy on the mountain, and few would recklessly intrude upon the mountain gate without reason.

The leading Taoist did not know the identity of the person who had arrived, but he had come to block them on the orders of his master after receiving the news.

He glanced at Zhao Du'an and the cavalry behind him, and said:

"This is a place beyond the mundane world, where secular status and power hold no sway.

Whether this young master is the son of a general or a descendant of nobility, you must understand that the Purple Cloud Palace was bestowed by the late emperor, and the status of our Taoist temple's Palace Master is extraordinary.

The Prefect and Governor treat our Palace Master with respect, and the three schools of Buddhism, Taoism, and青山(Qingshan), and cultivators regard our Palace as fellow Daoists… If you wish to ascend the mountain, you should explain your intentions, follow the rules, and leave your men and horses at the foot of the mountain. Only then will it be in accordance with the rules."

He spoke with an arrogant demeanor.

The hundred or so Taoists also had a haughty look, as if "this was only to be expected."

Zhao Du'an watched and couldn't help but sigh. It was clear that Lu Zhengchun had grown accustomed to being a local deity in the Fengcheng area.

Moreover, the other party's undisguised obstruction was quite unusual, which made him think of the Duke of Cao in Jubei City—were all these powerful figures who held exclusive power and dominated their territories so arrogant?

Coincidentally, he specialized in curing all kinds of arrogance.

"Hehe, I heard that the evening glow of the Purple Cloud Palace is exceptionally beautiful, and that the purple-robed Taoists are skilled at refining flying swords in their alchemical furnaces. I made a special trip to see this rare sight. Since it's getting late, quickly go back and tell Lu Zhengchun to welcome me with open arms. I may overlook your petty discourtesy in blocking my way."

Zhao Du'an's tone was condescending, as if a person on a throne was looking down on ants.

He became even more convinced that there was something wrong with this Purple Cloud Palace.

As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of the hundred or so Taoists turned angry, and the head disciple's expression turned cold. He flicked his sleeves and snorted:

"The Taoist temple is closed. Do you not understand, young master? Or do you want us to send you down the mountain?"

Zhao Du'an was too lazy to waste any more words with this small fry, and narrowed his eyes, saying calmly:

"Yuanji, attack the mountain."

"Yes!"

At the rear of the formation, the mountain of flesh-like Deputy General holding a war hammer had learned of the Empress's decree some days earlier and would follow Zhao Du'an's lead without question.

He had always disliked the ox-nosed Taoists of the Purple Cloud Palace, and today, with the opportunity to fight, his expression was excited.

With a wave of his hand, the dark mass of cavalry dismounted in perfect unison and switched to foot combat, simultaneously removing lances and shields from the side of their saddles.

Like black water, they bypassed Zhao Du'an, Gongshu Tianyuan, and the small group of experts and accompanying Embroidered Uniform Guards. Amidst the clanging of armor, they raised their shields in front of them, forming a black, cold wall of steel, with sharp lances protruding from the gaps.

Then, this dark humanoid war fortress advanced step by step in a triangular attack formation, with the intention of leveling the mountain with their troops.

The leading Taoist's expression changed, and he shouted in a low voice:

"Form the array!"

In an instant, the hundred or so Taoists who had been waiting in formation stood in a square formation, each simultaneously making hand seals and chanting in unison.

Magical power swirled around them, and within the sword sheaths on their backs, the hilts of their swords vibrated with a "clatter."

Then, with a "swish, swish, swish" sound, nearly a hundred long swords were unsheathed on their own, as if guided by an invisible hand, suspended above the heads of the Taoists, their tips pointing directly at the infantry formation.

"Is that a flying sword?" Zhao Du'an watched from behind, quite surprised.

Gongshu Tianyuan's face showed disdain. This fifth disciple of Zhang Tianshi, although on the path of the Artisan God and not skilled in this way, had insight beyond ninety percent of the Taoist cultivators in the world. He curled his lip and said:

"What kind of flying sword is that? It's just sword manipulation.

A true Taoist flying sword is as thin as a cicada's wing, flies without a shadow, and is extremely dangerous. It is extremely difficult to refine or control, so it is rare. It is a killing move unique to our Taoist school, different from the inheritance of the gods, almost like a swordsman's attack.

In earlier years, when many paths to godhood were not yet clear, the earliest Taoists also learned martial arts for self-defense, especially swordsmanship, which gradually developed into flying swords…

Every divine official of my Celestial Master Palace can practice sword control, regardless of which deity they primarily cultivate…

However, because it is too difficult and not as self-contained as divine magic, fewer people practice this method now. Only these wild Taoists treasure it."

After a pause, the little chubby divine official reluctantly added:

"However, the Taoists' formation is clearly a sword array, just like deploying troops on the battlefield. Although it is sword manipulation and far inferior to a true flying sword, this sword array is indeed remarkable. An ordinary Spiritual Illumination Realm cultivator would surely die. Even a Worldly Realm cultivator would have to avoid its edge if they encountered it alone."

So powerful? No wonder these ox-nosed Taoists were so confident, unafraid of even the government soldiers.

Listening, Zhao Du'an roughly understood that what these Taoists held in their hands were not true flying swords, but ordinary swords, just manipulated with術法(shufa, magical arts).

Hmph, that made sense. If these hundred or so people were all powerful figures who could control flying swords, Lu Zhengchun would have already established his own sect and stood as an equal to Martial Emperor City and Qingshan… Zhao Du'an looked on like he was watching a play.

At this time, seeing that the infantry formation did not stop and continued to approach, the leading Taoist's face hardened, and he said:

"Fellow disciples, join forces to repel the enemy!"

"Yes!"

The Taoists shouted in unison, their momentum impressive. The densely packed swords above their heads suddenly shot out like locusts crossing the border.

Like raindrops falling in a storm, the mountain path was swept by a gale, the pines and cypresses on both sides swaying, and the swords gathered like a tornado of swords, crashing fiercely into the shield wall of the Great Yu infantry.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

In an instant, sparks flew at the point of contact between the weapons, and the tips of the swords collided with the shields, emitting a crisp sound of metal.

Accompanied by sparks, the swords, like siege arrows, were deflected by the shields, but did not fall. Instead, under the control of the Taoists behind them, they drew a trajectory in the air, returning to the sword array to launch a second charge.

"Advance!"

The infantry soldiers roared, enduring the storm of attacks, and continued to push the steel wall forward.

Unfortunately, the mountain path sloped upwards, and it was not wide enough. The elite infantry could not mount their horses to launch their strongest cavalry charge.

In this terrible terrain, they could only transform into infantry and advance with their flesh, their combat power reduced by seventy or eighty percent. Zhang Han, who was also from the military, frowned and said to Zhao Du'an in a low voice:

"This place is too unfavorable for the soldiers. If it were flat ground, a single fearless charge would be enough to break this so-called sword array, but now they can barely exert twenty percent of their strength."

Zhao Du'an's expression remained calm, and he said:

"But that's enough, isn't it?"

Indeed, even with the limitations on the soldiers' formation, their excellent shields were enough to withstand the swarm-like sword array.

"Battle-hardened soldiers differ from cultivators and martial artists; the latter focus more on techniques, often reducing armor for greater agility. This sword array is designed for cultivators, but when it clashes against an iron wall, its power is greatly diminished," Deputy General Yuan Ji calmly stated.

Up ahead, the Taoists quickly realized this and their expressions changed slightly.

Their previously unstoppable longswords were repeatedly deflected by the iron wall, making them feel as if they were witnessing a slow but steady surge of dark water.

The leading senior apprentice snorted and said,

"Mere iron shields, watch this Taoist shatter them."

As he spoke, he abruptly swept his horsetail whisk forward, and in that instant, Zhao Du'an heard a sharp, piercing whistle.

He was very familiar with this sound, as it was the same aura that accompanied the Golden Crow Flying Daggers.

At this moment, as the leading Taoist swept his horsetail whisk, a section of hiltless sword blade emerged from an unknown location, splitting into three in mid-air, transforming into gray afterimages, and instantly slamming into the shield formation.

The unbreakable shield wall was instantly torn apart. A foot soldier grunted, his body flying backward, crashing into those behind him, the shield in his hand cracking and shattering.

A gap was torn in the shield wall, and it immediately showed signs of collapsing. The remaining swords in the air swarmed towards the breach, avoiding the soldiers' necks, and instead piercing their shoulders and ribs. In the blink of an eye, blood splattered, and a row of foot soldiers fell like harvested wheat.

"Not good…"

Yuan Ji's eyelids twitched. Once the battle formation was dismantled, the foot soldiers, unable to maneuver, would face a rout.

Of course, if they were ruthless enough to fill the gap with lives, they could break the formation, but the losses would be too great.

"Lang Shisan, Ji Yue, go and break the formation."

Zhao Du'an calmly ordered.

In an instant, the drunken swordsman and the red-clad, ghost-like female sorcerer darted out.

Lang Shisan, like a meteor, tore through the air and crashed down at the breach in the shield wall, his curved blade drawing a flash of snow-white light in the setting sun.

With a "clang," he knocked away a flying sword. The face of the Purple Cloud Palace's senior apprentice, whose spirit was connected to the flying sword, turned pale, and his pupils constricted:

"A warrior from the Western Regions?"

He tried to determine Lang Shisan's origins from the curved blade.

Meanwhile, Ji Yue, clad in red, with her hair disheveled and revealing a pair of white pupils without irises, spread her arms. She floated into the air above the mountain path, bathing in the gradually darkening sky, and with the dying twilight, her pale index finger grasped.

"Crack, crack…"

The moisture in the air was frantically drawn out, attaching itself to the dozens of longswords in the air.

In an instant, the longswords, wrapped in suddenly appearing water membranes, seemed to have minds of their own, halting in mid-air, defying the Taoists' attempts to control them.

Ji Yue, with her own strength, forcibly restrained hundreds of longswords:

"Move… hand…"

"Break the formation!" General Yuan Ji roared, wielding two war hammers, crouching low, and leaping up, crashing into the sword array like a meteor.

A sweeping blow from the heavy hammer sent several dazed Taoists flying out, spitting blood.

Seeing this, the other brave soldiers also abandoned their shields and, like wolves and tigers, charged into the sword array, scattering the group of Taoists.

"Attacking court officials is tantamount to rebellion. Yuan Ji, you know how to handle this, right?"

A light, airy voice came from behind.

Standing in the sword array, Yuan Ji, a man weighing several hundred pounds with a face full of橫肉 (héng ròu - excessive flesh), felt a chill in his heart. He suddenly swept his hammer horizontally, and several corpses instantly fell around him.

Seeing their commander's actions, the remaining soldiers no longer held back. In an instant, the light of blades flashed, and clusters of blood bloomed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Killing people…

The leading Taoist's pupils suddenly constricted. Seeing the situation was bad, his face turned pale. He flicked his horsetail whisk, recalled the flying swords into his sleeves, and turned to leave. But as soon as he turned around, a curved blade was pressed against his neck:

"Don't move."

The Purple Cloud Palace's senior apprentice was considered quite skilled in the Divine Chapter realm, but facing Lang Shisan's blade, he didn't dare to move at all.

Especially when Ji Yue appeared in front of him, floating like a ghost, he finally gave up all hope.

Behind them,

Haitang and the others watched this scene without expression.

If it were just normal arrogance, they would have retreated in the face of the government troops' forceful entry. But these Taoists chose to attack the soldiers.

This action itself indicated that Lu Zhengchun indeed had a big problem, it was just that no one had suspected him before.

Zhao Du'an gently shook the reins, took the lead, stepped over the corpses scattered on the ground, and continued to walk towards the higher ground, coldly saying:

"Yuan Ji, you stay here with the men and handle the aftermath. The rest of you, follow me up the mountain. We'll have a meeting with that Lu Zhengchun. This place is too confined; there's no need to waste soldiers here for nothing."

……

……

The Purple Cloud Palace Taoist temple occupied a large area and was extraordinarily grand.

In front of the Taoist temple, there was a huge, towering paifang (牌樓 - ornamental archway).

Inside, there were palaces and pavilions.

At this moment, Lu Zhengchun, the palace master, wearing a deep purple, luxurious Taoist robe, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and appearing to be a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, sat in an unusually large chair in the tallest pavilion, expressionlessly looking down at the slaughter on the platform at the mountainside.

From this viewing angle, he could perfectly take in the slaughter between the two sides below.

At this moment, Lu Zhengchun also had a scantily clad female Taoist in his arms. The female Taoist was young and beautiful, with a graceful figure. Beneath her loosened belt and fallen skirt were glimpses of white flesh.

But witnessing the scene of the slaughter below, the delicate female Taoist's face was as pale as gold paper, shivering, her hands and feet ice-cold, and she had no reaction to Lu Zhengchun's large hands moving about.

And on the other side, a plump female Taoist, holding a golden goblet filled with emerald green grapes, was serving Lu Zhengchun, feeding him the grapes, equally petrified.

Not only them, but also a large group of beautiful female Taoists behind them, aged between their teens and thirties, were all shivering like quails, frightened into stopping their singing and dancing.

"A bunch of trash."

Lu Zhengchun uttered these four words expressionlessly, not knowing if he was referring to the disciples below or the surrounding female Taoists.

Only the female Taoist in his arms suddenly cried out in pain, as Lu Zhengchun's large hand, which was stuffed in her robe, suddenly used force, pinching a large patch of purple on her fair skin.

Lu Zhengchun turned his head, looked at the trembling concubine, who was biting her lip tightly, forcibly holding back her painful cry, and whose eyes were filled with tears, gently stroked her hair with a gentle expression, and said:

"Did I hurt you? It's okay, it won't hurt later."

Originally a good family woman who came to offer incense, she was targeted by Lu Zhengchun, who used some means to bring her into the palace as a furnace for cultivation. The pitiable female Taoist nodded lightly, her eyes revealing fear and dependence.

However, in the next second, Lu Zhengchun casually snapped her delicate, white neck.

"Zhao Du'an… what a Zhao Du'an…"

Lu Zhengchun murmured, his eyes roaring with anger. His figure blurred, and when it became clear again, he had already appeared under the ancient and majestic paifang in front of the Taoist temple.

Looking at Zhao Du'an, who was leading a group of his men, walking up the steps.

Their eyes met.

The corners of Zhao Du'an's mouth turned up slightly: "Lu Zhengchun? This official suspects that the Purple Cloud Palace is colluding with rebels. Come with this official for a trip."