The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 528 Reveal Your Face

Above the dark clouds, there were lightning and thunder.

Zhao Duan stood in the air, holding the Black Turtle Seal in his hand, his eyes surveying everywhere he passed, with the huge god behind him commanding him as if by his arm.

Under the heavy rain, the fire in the city gradually began to weaken and go out.

Yet it's not enough.

The scope of the burning was not only the city, but also the many scattered fields outside the city. Su Dan had obviously made preparations in advance and sent soldiers to various farmlands. Only a small number of soldiers were needed to set the entire field on fire.

"It's not enough!" Zhao Duan raised his hand and punched into the air, and a hole suddenly collapsed in the dark clouds.

Thick rain clouds rolled in all directions, the rain in the city began to weaken, and the water stored in the Black Turtle Seal began to spread evenly to the surrounding area of ​​dozens of miles.

This action consumes surprisingly little mana, because when cumulonimbus clouds are formed, it will naturally rain as long as you push the clouds over.

"Once the farmland is covered with a layer of rain, it can no longer be ignited." Zhao Duan silently thinned the clouds to prevent heavy rain.

If the rain is too heavy, it will also damage the rice fields that are about to mature.

"Pay attention... experience... yourself..." Suddenly, Zhao Duan heard Pei Niannu's stuttering voice in his mind.

Experience yourself? Zhao Duan's heart moved:
"You mean, let me experience the feeling of being in the heavenly realm?"

At this moment, although he is not a true celestial being, he has already touched that threshold.

For him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the true meaning of heaven and man in advance, which will help him in future promotions.

"I remember that when I was chatting with Zhenbao in the capital, I mentioned the realm of heaven and man. Zhenbao said that it was a state of resonance with heaven and earth, and a state of sympathy between heaven and man. Therefore, one's every move could affect the celestial phenomena...

The way sorcerers and warriors communicate is different. The former's soul leaves the body, similar to out-of-body experience...

The latter believes that there is a small world hidden inside the human body, or that humans are part of the world..."

Many thoughts flashed through Zhao Duan's mind, and he handed over the control of the clouds and rain to Pei Niannu, concentrating on sensing the mysterious charm.

At this moment, Sun Xiaozheng, the prefect who was far away in Taicang City, also hurriedly stepped onto the top of the city wall and looked in surprise at the large dark clouds stretching across the distant horizon.

There was lightning in the clouds, and it could be seen clearly from a long distance away.

"Was it Governor Zhao who did it?" Sun Xiaozhun guessed almost instinctively.

Time passes little by little.

Finally, Zhao Duan opened his eyes, feeling the control of his body begin to be transferred back to him, and heard Pei Niannu's voice in his ears:
"There's just one last bit left."

The Scarlet Flame Holy Armor on his body had returned to its red color, and the Black Turtle Seal had dried up and no longer rotated.

Zhao Duan did not fall. He immediately realized that the little magic power he had left could at most allow him to maintain the status of "Half-Step Heavenly Man" for a few dozen breaths before all his strength would be exhausted.

"The last bit of time cannot be wasted."

Zhao Duan glanced around, locked his sight in the direction of the South City Gate, took a step forward, and disappeared on the spot.

……

A chaotic battle was breaking out below the city gate.

When the heavy rain fell, Xue Shence immediately led the main force to chase and kill the rebels. Along the way, the soldiers who were sent out to "put out the fire" returned one by one, and they gathered into a considerable force.

And successfully bit the enemy.

Su Dan was extremely decisive. He left a team behind to rely on the South Gate to block the Beijing camp. He himself led the defenders in the city to evacuate first, while the military masters led the soldiers to cover their retreat.

They soon came into close combat with Xue Shence and others, which was almost a continuation of the siege not long ago.

Lang Shiba found the rebel general.

Tang Jinzhong was stopped by the monk Fanlong.

Xue Shence brandished the halberd in his hand, led the charge and charged towards Lu Tong.

But this time, after entering the infantry combat, Lu Tong was quickly defeated and was beaten back by Xue Shence.

However, the combat power of both sides was not much different, and the rebels who were left behind were fighting a desperate battle. They had no way to retreat, and for a short time, the situation was deadlocked.

"Fanlong! As a martial monk of the Shenlong Temple, you actually interfere in worldly disputes. I should enforce justice on behalf of heaven."

Suddenly, a cold voice sounded.

On the lighted street, ripples appeared in the air and an illusory moon appeared.

Then, two figures slowly walked out from the moon. One of them was wearing a Taoist robe with white sleeves, his eyes were full of spiritual energy, and a green jade flying sword was circling beside him.

The other one had long hair that fell past his waist, with tiny stardust flowing through his hair. In his hand he held a staff with a golden eye. He had a slender figure and his legs were suspended in the air. He was the "transformed" Jin Jian!

"The Priest of the Heavenly Master's Mansion!?"

Fan Long's pupils contracted, and without any hesitation, he swept the iron stick in his hand fiercely, and golden swastikas lit up on the stick.

Brahma Long, no longer concealing his Buddhist teachings, forced Tang Jinzhong to retreat, then turned around and ran madly out of the city.

He escaped!

"Chase!" The flying sword flew out from Yuxiu's hand.

After the "transformation", Jin Jian raised her hand, grabbed her senior sister's arm, and used magic to transform into starlight and head out of the city. The girl seemed to have matured a lot, and her tone was confident:
"Don't worry, he can't escape."

Fan Long's departure immediately tipped the balance. The sword-wielding rebel general was besieged by Lang Shiba and Tang Jinzhong. He immediately fell down, stabbed by swords and knives, and blood spurted out of his mouth.

Lu Tong's pupils narrowed and he said angrily: "Retreat!"

At the same time, he suddenly turned around and shot an arrow towards the sky outside the city.

This arrow was extremely special. It actually pulled out an illusory "rope" that pulled Lu Tong's body out of the city wall and headed towards the southern sky.

He actually shot himself out!
"Not good--" Xue Shence's face darkened. He was a pure warrior, and his martial arts were only suitable for the battlefield. It would be difficult for him to stop Lu Tong.

Once such an opponent escapes, it is almost impossible to capture him.

"He can't leave." Suddenly, a voice suddenly appeared in my ears.

Zhao Duan appeared out of nowhere, as if teleporting. He wasted no time and took a step in the direction Lu Tong escaped.

In full view of everyone, he flashed to the top of the city wall and drew his sword with his right hand.

"Qiang!"

Zhen Dao suddenly drew his sword, and a bright blade light illuminated the dark sky.

Lu Tong, who was almost flying away in the distance, suddenly screamed, and the layer of energy around him was broken like window paper, and the person was broken into two pieces in mid-air!
With an expression of astonishment, he tried his best to "turn his head" and looked back, meeting Zhao Duan who was standing on the wall. The light in his eyes quickly went out.

A knife.

Only one knife was used.

Zhao Duan used up the last bit of time and cut off Yunfudao, the number one arrow master in the Mu Palace and the highest-quality arrow in the world, Lu Tong, in half with one sword, killing him on the spot.

All that was left was the corpse and the bow and arrows on his body, which fell on the wet ground outside the city.

The next second, Zhao Duan's clothes were restored, the silver color in his pupils disappeared, and his magic power and energy were almost exhausted.

He also fell back to the middle level of the world.

……

Quiet.

The world seemed to be quiet.

Only the rustling of light rain fell.

Zhao Duan shook off the rain on the blade, put the sword back into the sheath, stood on the top of the city wall alone and looked down.

Xue Shence and his men quickly killed all the remaining rebels, and then led the high-spirited Beijing army to chase them out of the city.

In the distance, the five military camps led by Yuan Feng were also approaching.

Further south is Shi Meng’s Shenjiying.

"You can't escape even if you have wings." Zhao Duan looked at the rebels fleeing in the distance and whispered softly:
"We have already seen the outcome of this battle."

He sat on the top of the city wall somewhat tiredly, quietly enjoying the wind. It was only at this moment that he felt weak.

After an unknown amount of time, the drizzle gradually stopped, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the dark clouds, illuminating Zhao Duan on the top of the city wall.

Yuxiu and Jinjian carried a bloody corpse to the top of the city wall, threw it on the ground, and said calmly:

"Fanlong from Shenlong Temple, a monk with solid martial arts skills." Zhao Duan looked at the two women. They were not injured, but their sleeves were pale, as if they had consumed a lot of magic power.

As for the golden sword... well, the girl has returned to her "original form", with a listless look, huge dark circles under her eyes, and yawning while holding her staff.

"I haven't heard of it, but it doesn't matter. Xuan Yin's tricks are expected."

Zhao Duan said calmly, staring at the golden tablet, speechless:

"You haven't lacked sleep during this period, are you really that sleepy?"

Jin Jian's palm-sized face still had delicate features, except that his eyelids were drooping and his eye bags were heavy.

Hearing this, he glanced at him warily, adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and said seriously:

"I was on patrol at night. Sun Xiaozhun told me that patrolling at night costs 100 taels. This is considered protecting the territory and the people, and it does not count as violating the rules and interfering in the war."

Zhao Duan:?

Yuxiu:? ?

The money-grubber Jin Jian looked at the two of them innocently, mustered up his courage, stretched out his right hand towards Zhao Duan, and said confidently:
"Give me money!"

"...When you go back, go and ask Sun Xiaozhun for the debt. This is not my business!" Zhao Duansheng sighed helplessly.

After sending away Jin Jian, who was about to die and beg for money, he asked people to deal with the bodies on the ground and pack up the spoils.

Xue Shence couldn't come back for a while, but there were still a considerable number of defenders left in the city, and Mo Chou also stayed in the city.

Zhao Duan simply took over the command temporarily, summoned military officers, ordered them to withdraw the soldiers in the city, and sent people to Taicang Prefecture to convey a message, asking them to relocate the "refugees" who had been driven away.

"Fortunately, the fire was put out in time and the damage in the city was minimal, but it still needs some time to recuperate. This can be done by Sun Xiaozhun's group of civil servants."

"There are still some small rebel groups nearby that need to be cleared out, but there is no rush. Besides, they should have fled to the Huai River by now."

After arranging some people to maintain order and clean up the mess, Zhao Duan went into the county government office to rest, temporarily using this place as a "temporary post-war command center."

Mo Chou was left to worry about trivial matters. He slapped his head and suddenly called someone:

"Go to the north of the city and call these two people over."

……

……

Soon, they arrived at the back hall of the county government office.

Zhao Duan, who was sitting down eating fruits, caught a glimpse of two people walking in from outside the hall.

"Congratulations, sir, we have captured Ning'an and won a great victory!" Song Jinxi smiled and was the first to salute.

Nie Yurong followed beside him with her head down, also busy congratulating him, but a little absent-minded.

Zhao Duan looked at this "Shadow Guard White Falcon" with a smile on his face.

I have to admit that this guy's acting is really good.

He stayed in the government office for many days without revealing any flaws.

"Your Excellency has any instructions?"

Nie Yurong felt the scrutiny of the treacherous minister Zhao Gou and gradually became uneasy, but her face showed no sign of it.

"Please sit down. I suddenly remembered that I have something to ask you." Zhao Duan raised his hand lazily and pointed to the chair next to him.

Nie Yurong's eyes flickered and she sat down respectfully. The two of them were separated by a narrow coffee table.

At this moment, Zhao Duan had just finished casting a spell and was in an extremely weak state. Although he had the realm, there was not much Qi in his Dantian that he could mobilize.

There were only three people here and the distance was very close. The masters beside Zhao Duan were also chasing and killing the rebels and most of them were not in the city.

Nie Yurong suddenly became restless, realizing that this might be the best opportunity for assassination that she had been waiting for these days.

Once you miss it, it will be hard to get it again.

But she always had a hint of hesitation, and her instinct as an assassin was subtly giving her a sense of uneasiness.

The hall was very quiet. Zhao Duan didn't seem to be in a hurry to speak. He just chewed the yellow pear in his hand seriously.

No one spoke, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.

Finally, Zhao Duan placed the pear core on the fruit plate and said calmly:

"Why don't you make a move? If you miss this opportunity, it may be difficult for you to make a move again."

Nie Yurong's pupils trembled and suddenly shrank into two small dots!

Identity exposed!? Or... are you trying to trick me?

But the next second, she suddenly groaned, and felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck! A severe numbness swept through her body! It made it difficult for her to move!

Do not!
Not an illusion!

There really was a thin needle inserted into the acupuncture point on the back of her neck!

Song Jinxi slowly withdrew his hand from the acupuncture needle and smiled at Nie Yurong's incredulous look:

"You want to ask, with your alertness, why didn't you notice our attack? Oh, didn't you notice that you smelled a faint scent of flowers from the moment you stepped into this yard?"

Nie Yurong reacted suddenly:
"It's the incense! When did you plot against me?!"

Song Jinxi rolled up his sleeves, with an arrogant and cold smile on his face:

"The name of Xiu Yi Zhi Zhi sounds intimidating, but after all, he is just a third-rate assassin secretly raised by Prince Mu's Mansion. He didn't even notice our methods. That's all."

Nie Yurong was silent.

She is certainly not a third-rate killer. As an embroidered uniform envoy, her assassination ability is among the best in the world.

However, Song Jinxi was secretly trained by the Dayu royal family and was the most skilled assassin among the priests in the Martial Arts Hall.

There is already a gap between the two.

Zhao Duan smiled and explained:
"You didn't deserve to lose to the Imperial Court priest."

She looked calm from beginning to end, as if everything was under her control.

Nie Yurong's body was paralyzed and she could hardly move, but she could still turn her head. Although her tongue was slightly numb, she could still speak.

Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and looked at Zhao Duan calmly:
"Did you realize from the beginning that I was not the White Falcon?"

Zhao Duan picked up a fruit knife and slowly peeled the apple. The apple peels were connected into strings bit by bit, and he said casually:
"No, I didn't notice it before today. Your disguise is flawless.

I was just being cautious and keeping a little wary of you, and then I left you in the government office for a few days to test you, to see if you would be able to resist taking action when faced with the military intelligence that was within your reach."

Nie Yurong stared at him with a defiant look and said coldly:
"Aren't you afraid that I will assassinate those ministers? For example, Sun Xiaojun?"

Zhao Duan shook his head:

"Since you came here for me in the first place, you will naturally not be so impatient. I am more worried about Mochou, so I arranged for Jiyue to guard her."

Nie Yurong had no expression on her face: "Then?"

Zhao Duan said calmly:

“I sent someone to contact the local Shadow Guard to check, that’s all.

The situation was chaotic during the war, and the Shadow Guard system was severely damaged. Perhaps because of this, you had the confidence to take advantage of the "information gap", disguise yourself as a Shadow Guard, approach me, deceive me, and try to assassinate me.

However, you are too greedy and have not left yet."

He placed the long apple peel on the plate, and with a smile, handed the peeled apple to the female killer:
"have a bite?"

"Oh, forget you can't move now, then just watch me eat."

Nie Yurong took a deep breath, straightened her fair neck, and said very calmly:

"Kill me, please. I have received the most brutal training in the palace. Punishment is meaningless to me. You can't get any information from me."

She accepted her fate, this was the killer's destiny, but unfortunately, she didn't have time to find her sister who disappeared when she was young.

Zhao Duan ate his apple and nodded:
"Okay, but before that, I want to see what you really look like."

Song Jinxi stood up and quickly removed Nie Yurong's disguise, and her true face was revealed before the two of them.

Zhao Duan was stunned.

(End of this chapter)