A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 84 One Finger Annihilates the Enemy

imperial study room

"Duan Tianya has some nerve!" the emperor roared, throwing the inkstone at the door and leaving ink stains on the floor.

“Your Majesty, Duan Tianya is a member of the Dragon Guard Manor. He may have been instructed by someone to do these things, otherwise he would not be so bold.”

The emperor glanced at Cao Zhengchun, whose words were practically a direct accusation that the order came from the Iron-Blooded Marquis. After a moment of contemplation, the emperor sent someone to fetch the Iron-Blooded Marquis.

Cao Zhengchun watched the emperor's actions with secret satisfaction. No matter what, this was the best opportunity to suppress the Dragon Guard Manor.

Inside the Dragon Guardian Manor, Zhu Wushi had already sensed that something was wrong. After Guihai Yidao reported back last night, he knew that the other party would definitely have a backup plan. Now it seemed that he had been too careless.

"Lord Divine Marquis, Eunuch Wang has come to deliver an imperial decree," the head guard announced as Zhu Wushi pondered his next move.

Zhu Wushi dared not be negligent. This Eunuch Wang was a trusted confidant of the emperor, no less than Cao Zhengchun. When he entered the hall, he saw Eunuch Wang standing with his back to him. After hearing footsteps, Eunuch Wang turned around, saw Zhu Wushi kneeling down, and then delivered the decree.

"His Majesty has decreed that Iron-Blooded Marquis be summoned to the palace immediately, without delay," said Eunuch Wang, leaving Zhu Wushi without giving him a chance to speak, and then led his men away from him.

“Godfather, Cao Zhengchun must be behind this,” Shangguan Haitang said worriedly.

"That older brother..."

"I will go into the palace first. Before I return, do not make any rash moves, understand?" Zhu Wushi sternly instructed, especially glancing at Guihai Yidao.

“Yes, Godfather,” Shangguan Haitang nodded, while Guihai Yidao remained silent.

After tidying his appearance and putting on his uniform, Zhu Wushi hurriedly headed to the palace, constantly pondering how to break the deadlock along the way.

"Cao Zhengchun will definitely hold this matter firmly. The worst thing that could happen is that Tianya will be imprisoned in the Eastern Depot's cell. Cao Zhengchun has always wanted to obtain the intelligence network of the Dragon Guard Manor, and he will definitely try his best to pry Tianya's mouth open."

Zhu Wushi had great confidence in Duan Tianya, believing that he would not betray the Dragon Guard Manor and himself. However, during this period, Tianya would definitely suffer various tortures from the Eastern Depot. If anything happened to him, it would be bad news for both himself and the court.

In no time, Zhu Wushi arrived at the Imperial Study under the guidance of a eunuch. After announcing his arrival, he saw the ink stains and broken inkstone on the floor and felt a sinking feeling in his heart. It seemed that the emperor was truly angry.

"Your humble servant Zhu Wushi greets Your Majesty."

"Uncle, rise," the emperor said in a very calm tone, but it made Zhu Wushi feel even more uneasy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"The reason I summoned you to the palace this time is because of an incident involving the Dragon Guard Manor. The Imperial Guard's secret agent, Duan Tianya, inexplicably went to the State Guest House and attempted to take advantage of Princess Lixiu. He has been apprehended on the spot, and there is ample evidence. Does Your Highness have anything to say?"

"Your Majesty, Duan Tianya was sent on my behalf to investigate the affairs of the Yun Kingdom. The reason is that Princess Lixiu's identity is suspicious, which is why I resorted to this desperate measure. I never expected to be outmaneuvered."

"So, it seems that the Imperial Uncle really did instruct Duan Tianya to do this. But why didn't the Imperial Uncle inform me beforehand? If we had prepared in advance, our dynasty wouldn't be in such a passive position."

The emperor's words startled Cao Zhengchun for a moment, and Zhu Wushi paused slightly, noticing their puzzled expressions. The emperor continued, "The whole court and the public are in an uproar, far more serious than the previous assassination attempt. Uncle, you have handled this matter poorly."

"Your Majesty, I am guilty and beg for punishment." Zhu Wushi's mind was in chaos, and he hurriedly bowed to beg for forgiveness. Cao Zhengchun was somewhat anxious and wanted to say something, but he was stopped by a look from the emperor.

"Ultimately, it was Duan Tianya who caused this trouble. The Dragon Guard Manor should not get involved in this matter. Eunuch Cao, Duan Tianya is your responsibility, but you must not harm him."

"This servant obeys the decree."

The situation took an unexpected turn. Cao Zhengchun was overjoyed, but he kept a straight face. He immediately accepted the imperial decree. As a secret agent of the Imperial Palace, Duan Tianya must know a lot of secrets about the Dragon Guard Manor. Now that he was in Duan Tianya's hands, he could get even a little bit of information by interrogating him under torture.

Seeing the emperor's unquestionable tone, Zhu Wushi dared not say anything more. It seemed that the emperor still trusted the Dragon Guard Manor and had already shown leniency by not getting involved further.

"Uncle, you shouldn't interfere in this matter. Leave everything to Eunuch Cao."

"Yes," Cao Zhengchun glanced at Zhu Wushi and accepted the order.

"To quell the turmoil, it seems I must personally visit the State Guest House. If you have nothing else to do, Imperial Uncle, you should return to the Dragon Guard Manor."

After the two left the imperial study, the emperor began to calculate his next move.

State Guest Villa, Residence in Izumo Province
Duan Tianya was given "muscle-softening powder" by Wuwan and tied to a pillar.

“Princess, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Cao Zhengchun of the Eastern Depot will be the one to take over next.”

Wu Huan looked at the half-dead Duan Tianya and smiled mockingly. No matter how high your martial arts skills are, in the end you will still be defeated by your schemes.

"Cao Zhengchun and the Dragon Guard Manor have always been at odds. They will definitely not let this opportunity slip by. Taking advantage of this great opportunity, we can proceed with our next plan."

"Everything is ready. Here's how to deal with the person the princess captured the other day."

Princess Lixiu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know which force sent this person. It would be better to send him on his way as soon as possible, so as not to ruin our important matter."

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away," came a voice from outside as Karasuma turned to leave.

"Princess, Chief Supervisor Cao of the Eastern Depot has arrived with his men."

Upon hearing this, Princess Lixiu immediately feigned illness and lay down on the bed. She gave a signal to Wuwan, who understood and went to greet her personally.

"Lord Cao, you've finally arrived! The thief is already bound in the inner room. You'd better take him away quickly. The princess has been attacked one after another, and her health is not what it used to be."

Wu Huan kept complaining to Cao Zhengchun, who outwardly responded but inwardly remained vigilant. Upon entering the inner room and seeing the unconscious Duan Tianya, Cao Zhengchun stepped forward, looked at him, and waved his hand behind him, untying Duan Tianya and having him personally escorted back to the Eastern Depot by Iron Claw Flying Eagle.

"Envoy, Princess Lixiu is unwell, and the Emperor is deeply saddened. Therefore, he has sent me with some precious medicinal herbs to treat her. As for this traitor, please rest assured, Your Highness, he will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."

"Princess Lixiu, His Majesty is preparing to visit you tonight to express his condolences."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," came Princess Lixiu's weak voice.

Cao Zhengchun glanced at Wuwan's expressionless face, then walked away.

"Let's take action tonight."

"Yes"

Inside the pharmacy in the detached courtyard, Cheng Shifei had already woken up. Through conversation, Cheng Shifei learned that the large urn beside him contained the Empress Dowager, and he was overjoyed.

"Two hundred thousand taels of silver were obtained so easily."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I am Princess Yunluo's senior brother, Cheng Shifei. She sent me to rescue you. Please wait a moment, let me get out of this large urn first."

As Cheng Shifei pondered how to break the spell, the Demonic Cult's Bone-Changing Technique suddenly came to mind. He then moved the remaining true energy, temporarily shifting several bones. The acupoints were broken, and true energy spontaneously surged from his dantian. With a forceful effort, the entire large urn shattered.

Fortunately, everyone around the pharmacy was reassigned by Karasuma, otherwise they would definitely have been discovered.

The Empress Dowager smiled as she watched Cheng Shifei escape.

"Yunluo, that girl, it wasn't for nothing that I doted on her. This young man seems quite reliable."

The Empress Dowager became more and more satisfied with Cheng Fei. He was handsome, of average height and build, upright, and highly skilled in martial arts. He was a perfect match for Yunluo.

"Empress Dowager, I will rescue you right away. Please close your eyes first."

Cheng Shifei noticed that no one was outside. He came to the Empress Dowager's side and struck her with his palm. The large urn shattered into four pieces. The Empress Dowager swayed and almost fell, but Cheng Shifei caught her.

"Your Majesty, I will take you away right away," Cheng Shifei said, carrying the Empress Dowager on his back and using his lightness skill to rush out of the courtyard.

Suddenly, a blade of energy slashed towards him. Cheng Shifei dodged to the side in mid-air and looked back to see that it was Wuwan.

After making his arrangements, Karasuma prepared to come and resolve the conflict, but he arrived too late and almost let Cheng escape.

Just as Cheng Shifei clashed with Wuhuan, Duan Tianya was being tortured by Iron Claw Flying Eagle in the middle of the Eastern Depot's prison cell. His body was covered in wounds, and blood was dripping down his body.

"Duan Tianya, why are you so persistent? Just obediently tell us about the Dragon Guard Manor, and you'll avoid this physical suffering."

Duan Tianya stared at the flying eagle with his eyes wide open, without saying a word.

"Good, you have guts. Let's see if your bones are harder or my torture instruments are more powerful. Come on, bring on the torture."

With two loud bangs, Flying Eagle hurriedly dodged, only to see a masked man in black wielding a knife burst in, and several guards were already cut down to the ground.

The newcomer, unwilling to entangle with him, flicked his hand, scattering a cloud of powder at the flying eagle. The eagle, fearing poison, dodged away. When the dust settled, Duan Tianya had vanished. "Boss, this…!" The guard was terrified. If Duan Tianya had escaped, they would all be in deep trouble.

"No problem, Chief Supervisor. The one who came must be Guihai Yidao. Two top secret agents from heaven and earth have challenged the imperial authority one after another. Let's see how Iron-Blooded Marquis explains himself now. Go and report back to Chief Supervisor."

Gui Haiyi led Duan Tianya out of the Eastern Depot and arrived at a secluded place.

"Ichido, Toshihide and Karasuma are plotting against the Emperor. It's too late to inform our godfather now. We must hurry to the State Guest House."

Duan Tianya used his internal energy to heal his injuries and barely regained some strength. While he was unconscious, he vaguely heard some words.

"This is medicine that Haitang specially prepared for you. Take it," Guihai Yidao said reluctantly, handing a porcelain bottle to Duan Tianya.

Duan Tianya was taken aback, reached out and took it, poured out three luminous white pills, swallowed them with a gulp, and they melted instantly in his mouth. The medicinal power spread throughout his body, and the true qi in his dantian began to gather. After a moment, Duan Tianya felt that he had recovered 70%.

"There's no time to lose, let's hurry to the State Guest House. The Emperor is probably already on his way to visit Li Xiu."

Seeing Guihai Yidao's anxiety, he nodded, and the two flew away.

Cheng Shifei put the Empress Dowager aside and whispered, "Empress Dowager, please stay here and do not move. I will take you away as soon as I have dealt with this troublesome person."

“Go away, you won’t have that chance,” Karasuma mocked.

Immediately, the three forms of Fiery Cloud Blade Qi slashed down from the sky. Upon seeing this, Cheng Shifei gathered power in both palms, and two streams of blazing palm energy, like two fire dragons, swirled and danced. With a raise of the dragon's head and a flick of its tail, the dragons devoured the Fiery Cloud Blade Qi. The blazing palm power became even stronger and attacked Wuwan.

Wu Wan's expression changed, and his body suddenly disappeared. Two palm strikes shattered a stone wall. Cheng Shifei saw Wu Wan disappear and became wary. He twitched his ear and dodged to the side, his sword energy striking the spot where he had been standing.

Looking again, Cheng Shifei still couldn't see Karasuma's figure. Karasuma, relying on Japanese ninjutsu, launched two consecutive attacks, but Cheng Shifei dodged them both. After becoming familiar with Karasuma's martial arts, the moment Karasuma attacked again, Cheng Shifei struck out with a palm towards an empty spot.

Just as a mirror shattered and the invisibility spell was broken, Wu Wan was forced out by a palm strike and was hit by a powerful Vajra Palm. Wu Wan's face turned pale.

"Good lad, you do have some skill. Let's see how you handle this move."

Before he finished speaking, Wu Huan drew a soft knife. With a cold glint in his eyes, several sharp lights flashed, and more than a dozen phantoms attacked at the same time. Cheng Shifei casually picked up a tree branch and used the Emei sword technique. The light of the blade shattered, and several branches were also cut down to only a small piece in his hand.

Cheng Shifei looked at the grinning Wuwan and was filled with anger. He moved so fast that Wuwan couldn't react in time. His palm struck the soft sword. Wuwan's blood and qi were disrupted by the strong wind. He managed to gather a Fire Cloud Palm in his hand.

Cheng Shifei used the Demonic Sect's Dissolving Power Technique with his left hand to firmly hold Wuwan's right palm. Wuwan's face showed a look of terror, and his body trembled incessantly. After a moment, he let out a miserable howl and his body collapsed to the ground. Then, in the Empress Dowager's horrified gaze, his corpse skeleton scattered.

"Empress Dowager, let's go," Cheng Shifei said, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the Empress Dowager's frightened expression. It was extremely impolite for the elderly woman to witness such a cruel scene.

"Young hero, don't worry too much. Such a villain deserves to die," the Empress Dowager said, being wise and experienced. She knew exactly what Cheng Shifei was thinking, so she offered words of comfort.

Hearing the Empress Dowager say this, Cheng Shifei breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully he hadn't left a bad impression.

Just as the two were about to leave, a voice suddenly came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived."

"My son!" the Empress Dowager exclaimed excitedly and was about to go over, but Cheng Shifei stopped her.

"Your Majesty, something is wrong. That villain must have accomplices. His Majesty is in great danger. You should not go out for now."

Looking around, Cheng Shifei tugged at the Empress Dowager's sleeve and led her to a small hut. He said to her, "You stay here for now. I'll go see the Emperor and expose their conspiracy. After we've resolved this, I'll come back to fetch you. What do you say?"

The Empress Dowager was initially agitated, but upon hearing Cheng Shifei's words, she quickly calmed down. She knew nothing of martial arts, and following Cheng Shifei would inevitably become a burden. If she were captured by the villains again, that would be disastrous.

"Alright, young hero, go quickly. It's very safe here. Don't worry about me. Go now," the Empress Dowager said, anxious for the Emperor's safety, and hurriedly told Cheng Shifei to leave.

After confirming that there was no danger in the surroundings, Cheng Shifei settled the Empress Dowager in and immediately went to the front courtyard. At this time, the Emperor had already gone to the inner room and saw Princess Lixiu taking a bath.

The emperor's heart stirred, and he chuckled a few times. He slowly approached Princess Lixiu, and just as he was about to kiss her, the sound of fighting suddenly came from outside.

The emperor turned slightly to see what was happening when a figure suddenly rushed out of the bath, holding a dagger that gleamed with blue light, clearly poisoned.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!" the eunuch beside her shouted in fright, but no one came in from outside. After dealing with the eunuchs, Li Xiu slowly walked towards the terrified Emperor.

"You dog emperor, prepare to die!" Li Xiu flicked her wrist, sending a poisoned blade flying towards the emperor. Just as the flying knife was about to hit him, a long sword blocked it and knocked it away. At the same time, a sword aura struck Li Xiu.

The newcomers were Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao, who rushed over and thankfully arrived in time.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Duan Tianya asked, looking at the still-shaken emperor.

"It's alright, quick, seize this traitor for me!" The emperor, seeing that his helpers had arrived, no longer showed any courtesy to Li Xiu and said through gritted teeth.

Princess Lixiu frowned slightly, wondering why the Wuhuan hadn't arrived yet.

Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi exchanged a glance, then charged forward with their swords drawn. As Princess Lixiu leaped up and down, several red ribbons flew out and wrapped around the two of them. With a ripping sound, the red ribbons were cut into pieces by the sword energy. Princess Lixiu took the opportunity to escape to the backyard, and Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi hurriedly gave chase.

When Cheng Shifei arrived, there were already more than a dozen Imperial Guards and agents from the Eastern Depot by the emperor's side. Seeing that the emperor was unharmed, Cheng Shifei was relieved.

"Who goes there?" the leader of the Imperial Guards shouted, and the others all looked over.

"Don't make a move, we're all on the same side, Your Majesty, it's me," Cheng Shifei said obsequiously to the emperor as he emerged from the corner.

"So you're Yunluo's senior brother. What brings you here?" The emperor recognized Cheng Shifei, but he didn't let his guard down.

"I have just rescued the Empress Dowager, and she is in the backyard now. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can send someone to see her."

Cheng Shifei didn't want to be mistaken for an accomplice of a villain for no reason. The emperor glanced at him, gave an order to his men, and several Imperial Guards left. They returned shortly afterward with the Empress Dowager.

"See? I wasn't lying."

When the emperor saw the empress dowager appear, he hurriedly pushed aside the people around him and immediately knelt down, saying, "Mother, your son is unfilial and has caused you suffering."

The Empress Dowager quickly helped him up, saying, "I'm alright. It's all thanks to this young hero that I escaped death. My son, you mustn't mistreat him."

Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded and was about to say something when a series of drumbeats suddenly came from the backyard. Cheng Shifei cried out in alarm and, without bothering to speak to the empress dowager and the emperor, he was already in the backyard in a flash.

Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi chased Li Xiu to the backyard. The two of them worked together to push her into a disadvantageous position, but she took advantage of the terrain to fight her. Later, she even set up a drum formation that she had prepared in advance. The two of them were caught off guard and fell into the formation. Dozens of red ribbons fluttered up and down, blocking their way out.

"If only Haitang were here," Duan Tianya thought upon seeing this situation, "Haitang is an expert in formations and would surely have a way to counter it."

Li Xiu looked at the two trapped in the formation, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes. Her hands moved like plucking strings, and red silk fluttered within the drum formation, trying to entangle the two.

Despite Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyi's slashing and cutting, their own space continued to shrink. Duan Tianya nodded to Gui Haiyi, who understood and leaped into the air to slash at the dozen or so drums. However, before the blade energy could reach them, it was all dispersed by the sound waves of the drum array.

"Foolish," Li Xiu sneered, looking at Gui Haiyidao who had landed again.

"The more they try to break the formation, the stronger the drum formation becomes. It seems that the two of them have lost their minds and made this foolish move."

Li Xiu intensified her efforts to close the spatial range, and with the help of the drum formation, Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao gradually lost their strength and knelt on the ground, leaning on their swords.

With two clanging sounds, Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyidao were tightly wrapped in red silk and unable to move.

Seeing that the two were trapped, Li Xiu flicked her hand to stop the drum formation. It also required a lot of internal energy to activate the drum formation. If the two had not been tricked beforehand and she had not taken the secret medicine in advance, she would not have been able to last for so long.

As soon as the drumming stopped, Li Xiu leaped down, picked up a long sword, and prepared to kill the two men with one strike. However, four hands emerged from the red silk and locked her tightly. A continuous stream of internal energy poured into her body. Li Xiu's expression changed drastically, realizing that she had fallen into a trap. She desperately tried to use her internal energy to resist, but her lower abdomen continued to swell at a visible rate.

Just as the three were entangled, Cheng Shifei finally arrived. Seeing Li Xiu holding a knife, he was about to step forward when a deep male voice rang in his ear.

"Go away"

Cheng Shifei was stunned for a moment, and then he heard another sentence, "Get out of here if you don't want to die."

This time, Cheng clearly saw right from wrong. The voice belonged to Li Xiu, and he couldn't help but get goosebumps. Such a beautiful woman, yet she had such a rough voice…

The more Li Xiu tried to keep him away, the more curious Cheng Shifei became. When he got closer, he noticed that Li Xiu's belly was swollen, and he felt a chill. At that moment, Duan Tianya's voice came from within the red silk.

"Young man, take this opportunity to slap her."

Before Cheng Shifei could make a move, Li Xiu's expression changed, and she desperately tried to force out Duan Tianya and Cheng Shifei's inner strength. Cheng Shifei watched like a curious child as Princess Li Xiu's abdomen grew larger and smaller, which was quite amazing.

He extended a finger and pointed it at Princess Lixiu's navel. Princess Lixiu's face showed astonishment, and she let out a miserable scream, which startled Cheng Shifei. Under Cheng Shifei's gaze, Lixiu seemed to deflate, and her body began to shrink until she turned into a pile of rotten flesh.

(End of this chapter)