The First Lackey Under The Empress

At the summit of Luo Mountain, the sky was gloomy, with dark clouds gathering, and faint flashes of lightning danced like serpents, as if brewing a storm of heavenly thunder.

Xu Zhenguan, adorned in a dragon robe and wielding the divine weapon of the Great Ancestor, gazed sternly at the figure of Wu Xiankui.

When this foremost martial artist of the era initially appeared, he was still distant, upon the river. Yet, with a single step, he traversed the space and stood ten zhang away from the Empress.

"Wu Xiankui! It is indeed you."

Xu Zhenguan's voice was sharp, her face as cold as frost, resembling that winter day three years ago during the Xuanmen coup.

Her tone lacked surprise, as if she had long suspected it.

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Wu Xiankui, a tall and sturdy figure who had come alone from the East Sea on a bamboo raft.

He wore coarse linen clothing, his disheveled hair streaked with black and white, tied back haphazardly with a ribbon.

His face, that of a man in his fifties, held nothing particularly remarkable, save for a fiery red mark, like a jujube, branded between his brows, blazing brightly.

Perhaps from sitting alone atop a cliff, facing the sea for too many years, his skin was exceptionally rough from the sea wind.

Wu Xiankui stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his coarse linen clothing unable to conceal his grandmasterly air. His heavy gaze met the angry Empress's evenly, his tone casual:

"Did Your Majesty know I would come?"

Xu Zhenguan gripped the sword hilt tightly, ignoring the dancing lightning overhead, and said coldly:

"I made a grand show of Fengshan, the whole world watching, and some people are unwilling to see me get my way. However, the dangers of Luo Mountain are such that even if ten thousand rebel troops were to attack, they could not reach the summit. And any martial arts master, sorcerer, or being below the Celestial Realm cannot threaten me in the slightest!

I trust Zhang Tianshi does not involve himself in mortal affairs. When all is said and done, within the Yu Kingdom, only Xuan Yin and you can threaten me."

Wu Xiankui nodded in understanding:

"Abbot Xuan Yin has confined himself in the capital, watched over by Zhang Yan Yi. Therefore, the only one who could come to stop you is me."

Xu Zhenguan suddenly sighed softly, her eyes filled with disdain and disappointment:

"I never imagined that the dignified Lord of Mount Qing would resort to such petty tricks. What benefits did the Eight Princes offer you? Enough to persuade you to hinder me?"

Wu Xiankui, in his coarse linen clothing and with the fiery red mark between his brows, was surprisingly candid:

"As long as I intervene, and the Yu Kingdom's royal family is replaced, they will allow my Qing Mountain to enter the imperial palace and view the tablet in the pagoda of Emperor Taizu of Yu."

The so-called pagoda was the structure that Zhao Du'an had visited twice, to comprehend the inheritance of the "Martial God."

The so-called viewing of the tablet was the promise to allow outsiders to see the records of the five murals.

In other words, Prince Jing and the others promised to allow Wu Xiankui to comprehend the imperial family's secret "Martial God" inheritance.

"Traitor!"

Even though she had anticipated it, Xu Zhenguan was still enraged to hear the answer with her own ears.

Indeed, what else in this world could move a powerhouse like Wu Xiankui, who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, other than this?

High office and generous pay?

Beautiful wives and concubines?

Or worldly power?

To Wu Xiankui, these were all fleeting clouds. Only the imperial family's inheritance could make him covetous.

And as long as Xu Zhenguan remained, Wu Xiankui would not be able to fulfill his wish.

Therefore, a group of people led by Prince Jing contacted him and, in exchange, requested him to take action once.

"Whether one is a traitor or not is a matter for your Xu family alone,"

Wu Xiankui said calmly:

"I will not deceive you. The century-long duel between Qing Mountain and the imperial family is not far off. Today, let's simply move it forward a few months. If you win, I will return to the East Sea and never interfere in your royal struggle again. If you lose, the imperial family's secret inheritance will be the prize for this battle."

A mocking expression appeared on Xu Zhenguan's pale face. She suddenly laughed:

"I understand. You are afraid. Afraid that after I complete Fengshan and advance, you will be unable to win next year's martial arts competition, so you came here to take advantage of the situation."

Wu Xiankui frowned for the first time since appearing, and said indifferently:

"I do not care what Your Majesty thinks. In my life, I only pursue martial arts. The Yu Kingdom's royal family is weaker with each generation. Unable to surpass Qing Mountain in martial arts, they rely on the so-called 'Dragon Qi' sorcery to win, which is hardly honorable."

After saying this, Wu Xiankui seemed to lose interest in further chatter. He said calmly:

"Further words are useless. If Your Majesty wants me to retreat, then draw your sword."

Xu Zhenguan's smile vanished, leaving only majesty in her eyes. She nodded slightly:

"Very well."

Whether it was an interception or a martial arts competition.

No amount of rhetoric could compare to a sword sealing the throat.

The other party's obstruction was, after all, within expectations, so there was indeed no point in further words.

Suddenly, on Xu Zhenguan's dragon robe, the embroidered golden dragon abruptly came to life, breaking free from the robe and circling the five-colored altar, emitting great light.

Could the magical artifacts left behind by the Great Ancestor be limited to just a Tai'a Sword?

Xu Zhenguan delivered a sword strike.

Wu Xiankui's coarse linen clothing and disheveled hair danced wildly in the wind. He took a step forward, and an aura of profoundness and stability soared straight into the sky, causing even the dark clouds to shatter.

The curse of the Lost God was suppressed by the martial arts intent that this foremost martial artist had cultivated for sixty years facing the sea.

A martial artist threw a punch.

Even the evil gods in the sky had to retreat.

"Wu will not take advantage of you. If it's a martial arts competition, then so be it. Dare mere evil spirits to spectate?"

Wu Xiankui's beard and hair trembled in the gale, the mark between his brows burning hotly like raging flames.

He had traveled westward from the East Sea, passing through the waterways of Jiangnan, nurturing a martial artist's indomitable momentum, like a great river, accompanied by a surging power like a waterfall hanging from the ninth heaven, pouring down.

When fist and sword clashed, above Luo Mountain, the clouds suddenly churned like an angry sea.

The winding rivers below the mountain exploded with earth-shattering roars, and all living beings within a thirty-mile radius turned their heads in awe.

… …

… …

Jiancheng Dao, military headquarters.

As the garrison where the imperial court stationed troops in Jiancheng Dao, the entire military headquarters was imposing and stern, appearing from the outside like an independent city.

Soldiers took turns guarding the city walls on all sides, and the various camps inside practiced daily in an orderly manner.

Ye Xin, as one of the three "Deputy Generals" of the Jiancheng Dao military headquarters, held authority within the headquarters second only to the military commander.

Today, the commander led a group of elite soldiers to Luo Mountain to protect the Empress's Fengshan ceremony, taking away one Deputy General. The remaining two Deputy Generals jointly managed the garrison.

"General Ye!"

The officer guarding the city gate saw Ye Xin returning from a patrol outside the city and hurriedly saluted respectfully.

Ye Xin, a handsome man with a short beard, was on horseback. He grunted, "En," and said:

"Open the gate."

The officer hurriedly opened the military headquarters gate, letting in the large team of patrolling cavalry led by Ye Xin returning to the camp.

"Huh, how do I remember that the people who went out this morning weren't this group?" A small soldier scratched his head and muttered softly.

The comrade beside him laughed and scolded:

"Are you still dreaming? Haven't woken up in broad daylight? If not this group, then which one?"

"I just think they look very unfamiliar." The small soldier mumbled, but he also began to doubt himself. Could it be that he had misremembered?

Ye Xin returned to the military headquarters and immediately summoned the generals of the camp to gather at the main camp.

"What happened? Why did you suddenly summon us?"

The generals arrived one after another, all feeling surprised.

The other Deputy General, equal in rank to Ye Xin, frowned. He saw Ye Xin sitting casually and unceremoniously in the commander's seat. Facing the arrival of everyone, he didn't even get up.

"Ye Xin! Is that a place for you to sit? Get up! Do you think you can be presumptuous just because the Commander is not here?" The Deputy General shouted loudly.

Only then did Ye Xin slowly look at everyone, but he didn't get up. Instead, he crossed his hands, leaned back in the large chair, and smiled slightly:

"Sit down and talk. We're comrades, and I don't want to make things too unpleasant. If you have anything to say, sit down and talk. Oh, I've even prepared paper and pens for you…"

The officers became even more confused, feeling strange and raising their guard. No one sat down.

The second Deputy General stepped forward and slammed his hand hard on the table, his tiger eyes wide open:

"Ye Xin! I'm talking to you, are you deaf? I'm telling you to get—"

Before he could finish speaking, a dagger coated with a strange-colored venom suddenly stabbed out, piercing the throat of the Deputy General who had slammed the table.

The latter's ox-like eyes widened, retreating in disbelief, his hands covering his neck—his martial strength was not much weaker than Ye Xin's, but without any preparation, ambushed suddenly, he didn't even have time to react before the poison took effect, and he fell limply to the ground with a thud.

"Ah!"

The crowd was in an uproar, and they all subconsciously went to draw their swords, but the rule for military meetings was that everyone entering the tent was forbidden from carrying weapons. Who would bring weapons when they were being plotted against?

"I wanted to give you a dignified end, but since it's come to this, I can only apologize."

Ye Xin threw the cup beside his hand to the ground, shattering it with a crack. A large number of elite private soldiers secretly trained by Prince Jing's mansion, ambushing outside, rushed into the military tent with sharp blades.

Although the generals were all martial arts experts, they were ultimately no match for the pack of wolves. Soon, the military tent was a river of blood, and a large number of corpses fell.

Ye Xin lifted the military tent and walked out, wiping his bloodstained hand with a white handkerchief. He instructed his confidants waiting outside, as well as Prince Jing's private soldiers disguised as military headquarters personnel, who had brought him in:

"According to the previous plan, kill all those on the list who are disobedient, then send word to our people that the King has ordered an immediate uprising to capture Jianning Prefecture and suppress all court forces, especially the transport troops!"

"Yes!"

One subordinate after another scattered like the wind.

Before long, many more corpses fell in the military compound, while the military officers who had secretly defected to the Jing King's mansion used their trusted aides to take control of the entire compound with utmost speed.

Ye Xin raised his head, seeing the imperial banner on the city wall fall, replaced by the Jing King's mansion military flag fluttering in the wind.

A look of excitement and fear intertwined on his face, and the words of the King's mansion secret agent to him yesterday echoed in his ears.

"Start the uprising now? His Majesty is at Luo Mountain..."

"The King said that Luo Mountain will be His Majesty's tomb. Now that court officials from the Jiancheng Road are gathered at Luo Mountain, and the cities are empty, it is the best time to start the uprising."

......

......

Below Luo Mountain.

The battle between the court's experts and the invading enemies continued.

In mid-air, Eunuch Hai and Duan Shuiliu were locked in fierce combat. The two pinnacle experts of the world went all out, and outsiders could not approach at all.

Just as those below the Celestial Human Realm cannot approach when Celestial Humans fight.

The imperial guards and military experts were almost overwhelming the sorcerers of the Divine Law Sect and the King's mansion private army. At least, in Zhao Du'an's perception, the two sides were not on the same level at all.

The court's foundation was, after all, solid. Even though the Empress had gone south this time, she had left many experts in the capital to ensure the court's stability.

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But those arranged at the foot of the mountain were strong enough. If there was a deficiency, it was only in the "high-end combat power," supported only by Eunuch Hai.

However, on the enemy's side, although there was more than one "worldly" expert, the strongest was only Duan Shuiliu.

If the court's main goal was not to protect the altar, and therefore only defended and did not attack, giving the invaders room to breathe and maneuver,

Zhao Du'an felt that if they really fought recklessly, they could leave these enemies behind in at most a quarter of an hour.

"Something's not right!"

Zhao Du'an did not look happy at all, guarding the altar tightly with a tense expression.

"What's wrong?" Lang Shibaba and Ji Yue stayed by his side, not leaving, and looked over in surprise.

Zhao Du'an gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield in front, and said:

"The leader of the Divine Law Sect has not appeared..."

"Perhaps he was seriously injured by His Majesty that day," Lang Shibaba offered a reasonable guess.

Zhao Du'an shook his head and said:

"Even if the Divine Law Sect leader is seriously injured and unable to participate in the battle, do you think the Eighth Prince would only send so few people? It can't pose a threat to the Feng Chan ceremony at all, what's the point?"

"This..." A group of people around looked at each other.

At this moment, a loud noise from the top of the mountain attracted everyone's attention.

Zhao Du'an suddenly raised his head, and found that the clouds on the mountain were rolling like an angry sea, the sky was also gathering dark clouds, accompanied by thunder, and within the Luo Mountain area, a strong wind was blowing, and the mountain was shaking slightly.

It was as if...

On the top of the mountain, gods were fighting, the world changed color, and the earth shook.

"It's the top of the mountain! A strong person is attacking His Majesty!" Court official Tang Jinzhong blurted out.

Immediately, some people wanted to rush up the mountain, but Eunuch Hai, who had repelled Duan Shuiliu with one blow, shouted loudly to stop them:

"His Majesty has ordered! We will only guard the foot of the mountain, do not fall for the trick of diverting the tiger away from the mountain! Besides, in a battle of Celestial Humans, even this old servant, if he gets too close and is swept by the aftermath, will be seriously injured! It's useless for you to go up!"

Immediately, everyone gathered their minds. Yes, they had no meaning in participating in this level of battle at all, it was purely adding to the chaos.

However, at this moment, no one noticed that Zhao Du'an suddenly lowered his head, his consciousness sinking into his mind.

Only because Pei Niannu's voice reappeared:

"The World Honored One of Buddhism! It is the aura of Buddha!"

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and hurriedly calmed down, and asked in his heart:

"Senior, what do you mean? Are you saying that the one who prevented you from descending that day was the power of the World Honored One Buddha god?"

"Yes."

Zhao Du'an was dumbfounded: "That's not right, Senior, are you mistaken? The one who stopped you that day was a sorcerer who cultivated the 'Heavenly Dao'. What you sensed should also be the aura of the 'Heavenly Dao' god."

He felt that Pei Niannu was confused.

The leader of the Divine Law Sect, whether in the information or repeatedly shot that day, clearly showed the typical "Taoist" characteristics.

Even the Empress believed that he was a sorcerer who cultivated the "Heavenly Dao" righteous god, how could it be the power of the "World Honored One"?

"Heavenly Dao is the surface... the World Honored One is the inside... Cultivating both Buddha and Tao... is a Human Immortal..."

Pei Niannu's intermittent, somewhat neurotic voice echoed.

Zhao Du'an was stunned: "Senior... are you saying that the leader of the Divine Law Sect is cultivating both Heavenly Dao and the World Honored One at the same time? No, or more accurately, he is mainly cultivating the World Honored Buddha, and secondarily cultivating the Heavenly Dao?"

That's right!

Sorcerers can cultivate multiple gods at the same time. Just like himself, he mainly cultivates the "Martial God", but by chance, he has now also mastered some of the spells of the "World Honored One" god.

It's just that in most cases, no one will cultivate two major righteous gods at the same time.

The reason why Buddhism and Taoism are so distinct and can become two major camps is to a certain extent that the two major righteous gods are too strong.

If you want to make progress, it is best to fully rely on one. Those who want to cultivate both are almost all mediocre.

Because of this, Zhao Du'an formed a mindset. In his opinion, a strong person like "Divine Law", who is half a Celestial Human, should mainly cultivate a powerful righteous god.

Even if he also secondarily cultivated other gods, he would definitely only use the strongest main god to fight when he confronted the Empress.

What's more, the founder of the Divine Law Sect was a divine official in the Tianshi Mansion.

And according to Pei Niannu's meaning, "Divine Law" mainly cultivates the "World Honored One of Buddhism", and secondarily cultivates the "Heavenly Dao of Taoism".

It's reversed!

Completely reversed!

"But... how is this possible? Divine Law is a half-step Celestial Human. If he can be so strong even in the secondarily cultivated Heavenly Dao, able to withstand Zhenbao's sword and retreat unscathed, then how strong is his mainly cultivated World Honored One?

Isn't that higher than half a Celestial Human? It's ridiculous... Under the heavens, who can..."

Zhao Du'an subconsciously retorted, but suddenly, his whole body stiffened, and the fog in his mind was suddenly split open by a thought!

"No! There is one person in the world who may be able to do it... The mainly cultivated World Honored One can reach above half a Celestial Human..."

Zhao Du'an suddenly turned his head and looked towards the northern capital!

His pupils suddenly contracted!

"Could it be..."

He thought of an extremely crazy possibility. If... the true identity of "Divine Law" is Monk Xuanyin?

Xuanyin has been hiding in Shenlong Temple for many years, closing his doors and not going out...

This second generation "Divine Law" suddenly appeared, suppressing the entire Divine Law Sect, and his actions are also very rare.

Moreover, one of his abilities is to travel outside with "incarnations".

There is a gap between Shenlong Temple and the court, especially after the "Banning Buddhism", Xuanyin has the motive of abolishing the Empress and supporting a new emperor...

That's right.

Zhao Du'an suddenly recalled that when "Divine Law" intercepted him in the suburbs that day, he said a very strange sentence.

"We meet again..."

If "Divine Law" and Xuanyin are the same person, or if there is some connection between the two, then this sentence has a reasonable explanation.

At the Buddhist debate in the capital, Zhao Du'an had met Abbot Xuanyin.

"Impossible..."

Zhao Du'an's face turned pale. This guess was too absurd and too terrible.

If Divine Law is indeed Xuanyin, doesn't that mean that the one who is fighting Zhenbao today is this Buddhist Celestial Human?

Zhao Du'an raised his head and looked at the top of Luo Mountain, which was obscured by clouds.

"Is Xuanyin fighting with Zhenbao up there right now? But if it's him, why can't I feel the slightest aura of Buddhist magic power? My green lotus is completely unaware?"

"If the one above is not Xuanyin, then 'Divine Law' has not shown up yet..."

Zhao Du'an's face changed uncertainly. He suddenly turned around and ran wildly towards the top of the mountain!

"Lord Zhao?!"

The people around protecting the altar were shocked.

Zhao Du'an only left a sentence: "You guard the altar well. His Majesty has given me another task, don't worry about me!"

In order to prevent Eunuch Hai and others from stopping him, or distracting them from leaving, Zhao Du'an told a lie.

He decided to go up the mountain immediately and deliver this key information to the Empress.

"With my cultivation, I can't participate in the battle of Celestial Humans at all, but hiding outside the aftermath of the battle and delivering a message should still be no problem."

Zhao Du'an ran wildly, his eyes anxious:

"Hopefully... it's not too late!"

......

Please help catch any typos.