The First Lackey Under The Empress

The next day dawned.

Xu Zhenguan, draped in her inner robe, pushed open the window, letting the air, slightly musty with the scent of damp earth after the rain, flood the room, stirring her disheveled hair and dispersing the heavy odor inside.

Outside, the clouds had long since dispersed, the grayness carried away by the wind, and a red sun rose in the east, the sky bright and serene.

She stared blankly at the sparrows perched on the branches of the trees in the courtyard, preening their feathers, recalling everything that had happened last night, as if it were a dream.

The novelty and pleasure of experiencing intimacy for the first time; the drastic transformation of her status from maiden to woman; the sense of security brought by the restoration of her cultivation to the half-step Celestial Realm… all of this filled her heart with a thousand flavors and myriad thoughts.

Things not to be shared with others.

However… although there was too much coercion from the situation, after truly taking this step, she did not regret it.

She even felt the sweet bliss of a newlywed, something only common women experienced.

Recalling a year ago, when she only regarded Zhao Du'an as a useful shield, a discarded chess piece, who would have thought that a year later, the former fake gigolo would become the true Imperial Husband?

But she was not disgusted; though she wouldn't say it, she knew clearly in her heart that the urgent situation was only a catalyst for her agreeing to dual cultivation.

What truly made her decide was the affection that had slowly taken root over the past year, blossoming and bearing fruit.

If it were someone else, she would have simply killed and seized the Dragon Soul to devour it alone, but she would never have yielded herself to another simply for the sake of the throne or survival.

“How far is Your Majesty from the Celestial Realm?”

Suddenly, Zhao Du'an's voice came from beside her.

Having put on silk trousers and draped a silk robe over his bare chest, Zhao Du'an held two glasses of water, handing one over and asking softly.

Xu Zhenguan subconsciously reached out and took it, taking a small sip before saying, “I've vaguely touched it. I have a premonition that dual cultivation with the Dragon Soul can indeed break through the barrier.”

Facts proved that the increase in cultivation did not strictly follow the rule of one realm per attempt.

The further one progressed, the more attempts were needed to advance further.

Therefore, although Zhao Du'an had toiled tirelessly all night, he had only barely restored the Empress's cultivation to the half-step Celestial Realm.

Due to the dissipation of Dragon Qi, her actual combat power was roughly equivalent to the 'Law God' in his prime.

“Is that so… If quality isn't enough, quantity will do. As the saying goes, miracles happen with enough effort. As long as it works, I will die without regret,” Zhao Du'an said with a serious face, putting on an appearance of sacrificing himself.

This was the confidence given to him by the World Honored One's blessing, the 'Azure Lotus'.

Last night, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the true use of the Azure Lotus in his sea of consciousness was not to heal injuries or to refresh him when staying up late, but to rapidly restore his energy.

Therefore, thanks to the Azure Lotus sent by the World Honored One, although he worked hard overtime until dawn, he did not feel drained.

Even now, looking at the Empress by the window, he felt restless once more.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, not responding, having gained a deeper understanding of this guy's shamelessness.

Her slender fingers pinched the glass, her gaze shifting as she changed the subject:

“It's rare that you know I'm thirsty.”

Replenishing moisture… Zhao Du'an drank the water in his glass in one gulp, his tone as usual:

“Since we're still a bit short of breaking through, then… shall we continue?”

His seemingly serious tone made it sound like he was discussing an important matter of the court.

“…” Xu Zhenguan's fingers trembled subconsciously, taking a deep breath to suppress her body's conditioned reflex, and said lightly:

“Enough is enough.”

After a pause, before Zhao Du'an could speak, she added:

“I'm going out later to see if the villagers of Hundred Flowers Village have left safely, and whether any rebels have come nearby.”

If the villagers hadn't escaped and were intercepted by rebels nearby, Xu Zhenguan would feel uneasy.

If you want to rest, just say so… But the Worldly Realm doesn't seem that powerful… You still need to rest… Zhao Du'an said earnestly, “Shall I accompany Your Majesty?”

Xu Zhenguan shook her head, leaving a sentence: “No need.”

She rolled up her skirt, pretending to be calm as she fled the courtyard. Zhao Du'an smiled wryly. With Zhenbao's current strength, he wasn't worried about her being in danger alone.

Slowly finishing a pot of water, he turned back to the bed, wanting to recuperate. Although the Azure Lotus was equivalent to a great tonic, he was still a little tired after continuous labor.

However, when he found that the entire bedding was soaked, he had to give up on resting. After thinking for a while, he simply carried the bedding to the courtyard and hung it on the clothesline.

He rummaged through the cabinets, found dry bedding from other rooms.

Halfway through, hunger belatedly surged up. He slapped his head, then turned and plunged into the kitchen. Before long, wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of the quiet house.

“Speaking of which, won't this lead to pregnancy…”

While stoking the fire and cooking, Zhao Du'an suddenly thought, stunned for a moment, then felt that Zhenbao, as a woman, must have thought about this problem earlier and probably had a solution.

… …

On the other side.

Xu Zhenguan walked out of the house, feeling a sense of relief all over her body. Confirming that the guy hadn't followed, she suddenly took off the jade bracelet from her wrist.

Pouring her Qi into it, this time, the sealed storage jade bracelet successfully opened. Her divine sense drilled into it, sweeping over the bottles and jars in the space.

In the end, the Empress took out a porcelain bottle that had been forgotten in the corner, never opened.

Pulling out the cork, she poured out three small pills. After thinking about it, fearing it wouldn't be safe enough, she poured out three more, poured them into her mouth, and swallowed them hard.

After taking the medicine, she finally showed a relieved expression on her face, rubbed her lower abdomen with her right hand, and turned her head to stare at the house behind her with resentment.

With a light hum, she then moved lightly and went straight to Hundred Flowers Village, seeing that the entire village was already empty.

The villagers seemed to have been frightened, and even though it rained last night, they did not dare to stay any longer, leaving in the rain overnight.

She expanded the search range and arrived at the official road where Zhao Du'an had killed the rebel team yesterday. Her pupils narrowed slightly, and she found that Ouyang Ye's body was gone, and some horseshoe prints remained nearby.

“Someone has been here…”

Xu Zhenguan's eyes turned cold, but she was not surprised. She drew out the Tai'a Sword, ignited the sword fire, and burned the remaining bodies on the ground to ashes.

After doing this, she expanded the search again, confirmed that no rebels appeared, and then returned home.

From afar, she saw the smoke that had almost dissipated.

Stepping into the house and entering the courtyard, she was greeted by the bedding hanging on the clothesline, with a patch of bright red particularly glaring.

The Empress's cheeks suddenly flushed red, as if she had just thought of something, and she walked towards the bedroom gnashing her teeth: “You…”

Just as she was about to question him, she saw that four dishes and a soup had already been placed on the table in the house. Zhao Du'an took off his apron and said with a smile:

“Your Majesty is back just in time. Try my cooking? It mainly took time to cook the chicken soup, otherwise there would have been more.”

The feeling of being a husband was full.

Xu Zhenguan's stomach, which had been hungry all day, rang unconvincingly. Raising her eyebrows, she sat down half-heartedly and began to eat. During the meal, she told him about her discoveries outside.

“Ouyang Ye's body was taken away? It seems he left behind spies outside,” Zhao Du'an frowned, but he was not surprised. This news could not be concealed:

“Today, the news that Ouyang Ye and others were killed, and that I seem to have advanced, may be sent to Prince Jing. Now that the villagers are gone, should we change places?”

Xu Zhenguan tore at the chicken bones with both hands, shaking her head as she ate: “No change.”

In her eyes, there was a hint of murderous intent.

If it had been in the past, the wisest move would undoubtedly have been to escape and continue north.

But seeing that stepping into the Celestial Realm was just around the corner, she naturally changed her mind and was no longer afraid.

Even if she failed to enter the Celestial Realm before the enemy arrived, her current half-step Celestial Realm strength would be enough to deal with most enemies.

“What if the Xuan Yin Monk… or the Law God comes? And we must also guard against the Martial Immortal Kui.”

Zhao Du'an asked.

Xu Zhenguan was not flustered, and analyzed seriously:

“I'm just missing. If Zhang Tianshi is entrusted to keep an eye on Xuan Yin, it will still count. As for the Law God… after the backlash, it's hard to say whether he can bear the power of the Celestial Realm again. It must be extremely difficult…

As for the Martial Immortal Kui… If this person had intended to continue chasing us that day, we would have died long ago, and would not have lived to this day.”

This surnamed Wu is also acting… Perhaps for the sake of the dignity of the Martial Arts Supreme, he took action, but he was unwilling to kill us, following some self-imposed rules…

Well, fortunately, otherwise being chased by a Celestial Realm… Zhao Du'an couldn't help but shudder.

Xu Zhenguan added confidently:

“Therefore, I judge that we can deliberately wait for them to come here, catching this group of people off guard… At most, they will guess that you or I alone have arrived in the world, but they will not know that I have recovered to the half-step Celestial Realm, and that you have also gained a foothold in the Worldly Realm.”

Zhao Du'an nodded and said:

“But if it is the most secure, we should seize the time and help Your Majesty enter the Celestial Realm before the enemy arrives.”

“Yes.” Xu Zhenguan nodded subconsciously, and then realized the maliciousness in the other guy's tone.

Raising her head, looking at each other, Zhao Du'an wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and stood up:

“Your Majesty, you've eaten almost enough, it's time to hurry.”

“…” Xu Zhenguan was still a little unaccustomed, hesitating and fidgeting:

“It's still daytime…”

Tsk, it was the same even with the lights on last night… We're already an old couple, why do you have to play hard to get… Zhao Du'an directly reached out, gave her a princess carry, and walked towards the bed.

He mainly played the domineering president role.

“I haven't bathed yet…”

“It doesn't matter, neither have I. Also, it feels better if Your Majesty calls yourself 'We'.”

“Huh?”

Xu Zhenguan didn't react a little, and was confusedly lying on the dry bed, feeling Zhao Du'an's skilled peeling bamboo shoots technique, she was stunned, suddenly felt something, and hurriedly said:

“Wait…”

It was too late… Zhao Du'an chiseled the formation alone.

“Boom!”

The bed that was on the verge of collapsing could not bear the weight, cracked all at once, and collapsed in the middle, the monarch and his subject fell down, embarrassed.

Zhao Du'an's expression was stiff, and he met the Empress's murderous cold eyes:

“When you changed the bedding, didn't you see that it was about to collapse…”

Oops, I was careless… Zhao Du'an pondered:

“Your Majesty, shall I report to you after changing the house?”

A long white leg kicked him away: “Get out!”

Zhao Du'an decisively rolled up the bedding and walked out of the house, and behind him came the Empress's tearful voice: “Come back to We!”

“Ah?”

“Take We… to the next room.” A gnashing voice.

Zhao Du'an showed a flattering smile.

After a while, the sparrows combing their feathers on the treetops in the backyard were startled, and dark clouds gathered again from all directions in the clear sky, with lightning and thunder.

There was no talk for a day.

There was no talk for two days.

There was no talk for three days.

In ancient times, Han E sang loudly, the aftersound lingered, and did not stop for three days.

Now there is a female emperor singing loudly, but for the sake of the ruler, she has been pondering until now.

...

...

Outside Hundred Flowers Village, along a mountain path.

A black carriage pulled by strange horses slowly came to a stop.

See the perfect version!

Four figures emerged one after another, standing side by side in the middle of the road, looking towards Hundred Flowers Village with tightly furrowed brows.

It was none other than the "Little Celestial Master" Zhong Pan, Second Senior Sister Yu Xiu, Gongshu Tianyuan, and Jin Jian.

"Something's not right, very not right,"

Zhong Pan's ugly face was extremely solemn, his pupils reflecting a sky where dark clouds gathered in front:

"For a hundred miles around, we haven't seen half a cloud, only this ten-mile radius, with dark clouds gathering and wind and rain intermingling... This is definitely no ordinary celestial phenomenon."

Wearing a simple and elegant gray Taoist robe, with pure white cuffs and a gold-threaded jade sword hanging from her waist, the graceful and intelligent "Second Senior Sister" also had a serious expression.

Her slender jade fingers quickly calculated, green light flowing in her pupils, and faint black and white Yin-Yang energy swirling around her. She murmured:

"The feng shui of this place is excellent, the Yuan Qi is rich, and there are also great variables within it. With my cultivation, I can't even calculate good or bad fortune. The trigram image is magnificent and empty, strange, strange, is a sage about to be born here? But why is the Yin-Yang energy so violent?"

The little fatty Gongshu Tianyuan took off the large bamboo tube behind him, placed it on the ground, and patted it hard, marveling:

"The wild god I raised is shivering with fear, afraid to come out. Gods are far more sensitive to danger and heavenly secrets than humans. Even the fox fairy doesn't dare to show its face, which means there's something ahead that even gods fear..."

"However, gods are immortal. Even someone as strong as a Celestial Being would find it difficult to make a god afraid... Unless, there is also a god ahead!"

Jin Jian, wearing crystal glasses, with a delicate face and petite figure, holding a one-person-tall cyclops warlock staff, glanced at the clouds covering the entire sea of flowers in the distance.

Then, with a wooden face, she glanced at the three senior brothers and sisters next to her, who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, and said quietly:

"Can't you guys use your eyes? Can't you see the huge dragon in the clouds?"

Following the direction of her finger, in the high-altitude clouds, a phantom dragon appeared and disappeared, tumbling and coiling in the sky.

Within ten miles, wild beasts were terrified and dormant.

The three warlocks were stunned at the same time, raised their heads, shifted their gazes upwards, and looked at the illusory dragon energy drilling in and out of the gray clouds above the Ninth Heaven, unable to speak!

A burst of embarrassment.

They didn't raise their heads at all, and didn't notice that thing in the high sky...

"This kind of dragon energy can only be possessed by the current female emperor... But wasn't she seriously injured and her realm plummeted after the failed Feng Chan, and being hunted down? This kind of aura, how does it look like she's injured? It was like this during the Feng Chan, right?"

"No... The anomalies here seem to be isolated. Only by getting close to a certain distance near Hundred Flowers Village, and being a warlock, can one open their heavenly eyes to witness it. It can't be detected from a distance."

Zhong Pan, with his fierce and ugly appearance and carrying a scarlet greatsword on his back, was taken aback.

Yu Xiu, dressed as a female Taoist, had a strange look in her eyes:

"So, the female emperor's injuries have recovered? Not only that, but she can create such a celestial phenomenon, is she still planning to attack the Celestial Being realm? Here?"

Gongshu Tianyuan and Jin Jian gasped at the same time: "Master's letter didn't say this."

According to the four's plan, they were to find Zhao Duan in advance, and then forcibly take him away. As for the female emperor and the imperial infighting between the eight kings, they would not participate.

But the current situation made them a little confused.

"Should we still go over... I feel like Brother Zhao may not need our rescue."

Gongshu Tianyuan scratched his head.

The three were silent.

Zhong Pan suddenly shook his head and said:

"Right now, it's not whether we should go, but if this phenomenon is really caused by the female emperor's attack on the Celestial Being realm, we may inadvertently disrupt this ceremony if we rashly intrude."

With the four's cultivation, they feared no enemies below the Celestial Being realm. Even a half-step Celestial Being was not to be feared.

However, disrupting the female emperor's advancement ceremony was tantamount to the Heavenly Master Mansion intervening and interfering in the imperial power struggle.

"Perhaps we can wait a while, and go after it's over. Master only wants us to save Zhao Duan, but didn't say we had to forcibly snatch him away."

Second Senior Sister Yu Xiu calmly suggested.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, the fingers pinching the诀 changed, and the Yin-Yang energy around her rapidly swirled:

"Not good, evil aura rushes the dragon... I'm afraid there are many powerful people approaching this place! It shouldn't be a coincidence, I'm afraid the abnormal gathering of dark clouds here has attracted those pursuers!"

From receiving the news to experts from all walks of life entering Huai Shui, the time was almost the same.

Logically speaking, the pursuers from all sides wouldn't happen to meet at the same time, but if it were like the female emperor, blatantly shaking the celestial phenomena within a ten-mile radius, it would be another matter.

Just like the Heavenly Master Mansion's team of four, they arrived so quickly by following the celestial phenomena.

"There's no time to hesitate any longer. Since we have to wait, then try our best to block the pursuers for a while."

Zhong Pan, as the eldest senior brother, decisively made a decision.

They had no intention of interfering in the dynasty's struggle, but since they couldn't avoid it, they could only adapt to the situation.

Immediately, the four divided into three teams, heading towards the three forces that Yu Xiu sensed.

...

...

On the official road.

A team was rapidly heading towards Hundred Flowers Village.

Leading the way was the Dragon Tree Bodhisattva, carrying a crescent shovel-style Zen staff, accompanied by the Discipline Hall's Chief Monk, and the young Tianhai, carrying the Six Paths Staff.

Behind them, there was also a team of about twenty "monk soldiers," all elites of the Divine Dragon Temple's warrior monks.

They initially arrived at a nearby county town and learned about the situation from the county magistrate.

After that, the Dragon Tree Bodhisattva sensed the abnormal celestial phenomena and led the team without hesitation.

When they were still far away, they didn't feel anything, but as the crowd approached the house where Zhao Duan and the female emperor were located, the monks also saw the dragon energy that appeared and disappeared in the clouds.

"Not good!"

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva's expression changed almost instantly, and the burly old monk rarely lost his composure in public, staring at the celestial phenomena in front of him:

"Could it be that her injuries have healed and she has fully recovered?"

The Discipline Hall's Chief also changed his expression:

"Wasn't it said in the intelligence that Zhao Duan seemed to have broken through? The female emperor's injuries were extremely serious? Not worth worrying about?"

The Dragon Tree gritted his teeth, his gaze gloomy:

"The news is wrong! It must be wrong! The one who truly killed the experts of the Jing Prince's Mansion was not Zhao Duan, but the female emperor!"

The monks suddenly became uneasy. As candidates secretly executing the abbot's mission, they knew that the Divine Dragon Temple had participated in the assassination of the female emperor.

They understood even more that if the female emperor did not die, the Divine Dragon Temple would inevitably suffer backlash.

Only the little monk Tianhai showed disappointment. His target was Zhao Duan, not the female emperor.

If Zhao Duan was still in the Divine Manifestation Realm, what would be the point of him fighting with him?

"Quick! No matter what happened, we have no way out. Even if she has recovered, with the eight kings raising troops and the dynasty's Qi movement turbulent, she is at most a half-step Celestial Being. With our manpower, we can still kill her if we join forces!"

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva said in a deep voice, as long as the female emperor did not enter the Celestial Being realm, their team would be enough to deal with her.

The only worry was that the female emperor would leave without a fight, and it would be much more difficult to stop her.

The monks responded and quickened their pace.

However, before they could go far, they suddenly saw a carriage, pulled by a horse with a unicorn, traveling like a ghost in the forest ahead.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Zhong Pan, wearing a warlock robe with the scarlet "Red Tide" broadsword across his knees and a fierce appearance, looked at this group of monks with some surprise.

Immediately, he revealed a look of realization, and his eyes suddenly became cold and complicated:

"This poor Taoist was wondering why the female emperor's Feng Chan failed so strangely, but now I understand that the Buddhist sect secretly took action. What a Divine Dragon Temple, have you forgotten that you once made an oath not to interfere in the dynasty's struggle?"

Zhong Pan!?

The Dragon Tree old monk plunged his heavy Zen staff into the soil and stopped. His expression changed again, and the Buddhist beads hanging on his neck lit up. He was also surprised by the appearance of the Little Celestial Master.

"Heh, what? Your Heavenly Master Mansion says nice things, but you appeared here. Don't say it's just a coincidence, so, didn't Celestial Master Zhang also interfere in the mortal world?"

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva sneered.

Zhong Pan shook his head:

"If it were just the female emperor, this poor Taoist wouldn't care, but the ones you want to kill aren't just her, right? It should also include Zhao Duan. The Celestial Master has ordered that Zhao Duan is indebted to my Heavenly Master Mansion, so you can't touch him."

"Indebted? Haha,"

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva laughed in anger:

"How could a figure like Celestial Master Zhang not even want a bit of face? If you want to interfere in the dynasty's struggle, then just interfere.

You even fabricate such laughable lies.

A male favorite, wielding power in the court, would be fine if he had some ability, but how could he be indebted to the Heavenly Master Mansion?

Could it be that he has a little favor to this generation's Vermilion Dot Boy, or earned a lot of silver with the Heavenly Master Mansion, and that counts as a favor?"

Zhong Pan didn't bother to explain.

He didn't know what the "favor" that the master mentioned was referring to. He only knew that since the master had said so, it wouldn't be false.

So, he just stepped off the carriage, calmly stabbed the scarlet greatsword into the soil, and stood in front of the monks, resting his hands on the hilt.

At the same time, with the point where the greatsword was stabbed as the center, a scarlet thin line spread to both sides.

"Those who cross this red line are enemies with this poor Taoist and enemies with the Heavenly Master Mansion."

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva's aura was not inferior, he took a step forward, and at the end of the Zen staff in his hand, ripples of Buddha's light rippled. Strands of Buddha's light gathered behind him, condensing a divine Dharma form.

Staring at Zhong Pan, he said:

"I'll hold this person back, Discipline, Tianhai, you enter the village to kill people."

"Okay."

The Discipline Hall's Chief Monk and the little monk Tianhai responded, leading the monks behind them, bypassing the area where the two were confronting each other, and continued to advance towards the center where the dark clouds gathered.

Zhong Pan frowned, drew out the greatsword in his hand, and was about to stop them, but was locked on by a heavy Zen staff.

The Dragon Tree old monk smiled:

"You and I didn't fight in the Lake Pavilion that day, today we can have a showdown. Don't think about stopping them, your opponent is me."

...

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