The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 645 Escaping Xinjiang, Seeing the Light Again (5k)

"Yes, Master."

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Weizhi immediately stood up, respectfully clasped his hands, as if awaiting Zhao Du'an's inspection.

Don't call me that, it feels really awkward... As a public servant raised under the red flag, Zhao Du'an instinctively felt uncomfortable with this title. Well, the last time he heard the word "master" was in certain special contexts...

"Well, since that person asked you to wait for me, did they tell you anything?"

Zhao Du'an composed himself, his gaze sharp as he asked in a deep voice.

The idea of ​​a man transforming into a woman is certainly intriguing.

But that's not what he's most concerned about right now. Zhang Yanyi is still struggling to hold on outside, and he doesn't have much time left.

The priestess nodded and said:
"Yes. He said the owner might be looking for a key when he comes here."

key!

Zhao Du'an and the three women's eyes lit up, and they were overjoyed.

Therefore, they became even more convinced of what Tuoba Wei had said. If it weren't true, they would never have guessed the purpose of the group's trip.

"Where is the key?" Zhao Du'an asked, sounding somewhat anxious.

His gaze lingered on the priestess, then, he saw the long-haired, dark-skinned, expressionless Tuoba Weizhi straighten his not-so-plump figure beneath his magnificent exotic robes, and calmly say:

“Reporting to my master, the key is mine.”

kindness? !

The group of people were stunned and didn't react.

Seeing this, Tuoba Weizhi patiently explained:

"To be precise, the key is not the discardable and replaceable physical body of this servant, but her soul."

The soul is the key... Yes, who says the "key" has to be in the form we remember?
Zhao Du'an recalled that the groove on the golden gate under the Imperial Ancestral Temple was indeed not the shape of a traditional keyhole.

But the answer that the soul is the key is still surprising, yet upon reflection, it makes perfect sense.

If there really is a physical key, how can we ensure that it won't be taken away by someone over hundreds of years?

Old Xu carefully trained Tuoba Weizhi and asked her to wait for the person who brought the Dragon Soul in the La Garden. Doesn't this also fulfill the arrangement of hiding the key in DJI?
How so? It sounds a bit strange, but upon closer inspection, it makes quite a bit of sense...

“I came here to take the key with me.” Zhao Du’an frowned and said, “You…”

Tuoba Weizhi's gaze was calm, as if she understood his concerns, and she said calmly:
“Although I am a priestess of the Liao people, I will follow my master wherever he needs me.”

Wow... well, well-trained people are just different...

Zhao Du'an has won over many subordinates in the past two years, but this is the first one who is so cooperative and proactive.

"I have a question." Suddenly, Yu Xiu couldn't help but ask:
"Have you lived here for hundreds of years? Without ever leaving?"

Tuoba Weizhi turned to look at "the master's friend," but did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Zhao Du'an first.

"Answer her," Zhao Du'an ordered.

Tuoba Weizhi then said:

"In fact, I am not often awake. Most of the time, when the Great Laba is asleep, I also fall into a deep sleep, and when the Great Laba is awake, I am awake."

Therefore, perhaps in your eyes I have lived for hundreds of years, but for me, it has been far shorter; many years have passed in the intervals between waking up.

She paused, then explained:
"As for going out, I did leave Layuan when I was sober, and I also learned about the general situation outside by inquiring among the Liao people. However, I have never left Dajiang."

Zhao Du'an asked curiously, "So what is your relationship with Da Laba?"

He was very curious about this.

Tuoba Weizhi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said:

“This servant is not entirely sure either. Da Laba will not harm me. I can communicate with Da Laba in a simple way and sense His emotions, but I cannot directly obtain His power or control Him.”

Yu Xiu frowned and pressed on, asking:

"As far as I know, the chieftain of the Fang people can control the evil god to a certain extent."

Tuoba Weizhi nodded, then shook his head:

"The clan leaders of each generation could indeed do it, but not perfectly. They could only influence it to a certain extent. More often than not, the clan leaders were merely servants of the gods."

"Yes, for the vast majority of years, the chieftains of the Liao people have not been chosen from within the Liao people themselves, but rather from outside."

"From outside? What do you mean?" Zhao Du'an asked.

Tuoba Weizhi dropped another bombshell:

“Every few decades, the royal family of Yu Kingdom would secretly send someone to take over the position of clan chief and use a secret technique to gain the power to influence the Great Laba Festival.”

Is there such a thing? !

Zhenbao didn't say that... Oh right, she ascended the throne hastily and didn't even know the secret technique to suppress offerings, so she didn't receive the complete royal inheritance at all... Zhao Du'an was taken aback.

Then, recalling how Old Xu came to Layuan and studied the research notes he had taken from the Qi Kingdom's royal family... everything became clear:
The royal family of Qi Kingdom meticulously nurtured an evil god and implanted a "secret technique" within it, allowing people to control the evil god. Unfortunately, it was not perfect.

After the fall of the Qi Kingdom, Old Xu obtained this "legacy." As an emperor, he had no reason to hand it over to others, so he not only carefully taught the priestess.

They also secretly followed the methods of the Qi Kingdom, arranging for a reliable person to come to Dajiang in each generation to take over the position of clan leader.

In this way, they could control the Liao people.

"No wonder, in the last few hundred years, there has been no major conflict between the Liao people and the Yu Kingdom. And Zhao Shixiong's border troops are usually only dealing with bandits in Yunfu, not fighting against the Liao people."

"Zhenbao failed to inherit this line of work, but Xu Jianwen somehow learned this great secret and used it to control the Liao people..."

This also explains why he was able to order the Liao people to send troops… As a prince of the Yu Kingdom, the Liao people had always been a secret force of emperors throughout history.”

This is not wild speculation. If Xu Jianwen could obtain the secret technique to suppress offerings, then it is not surprising that he could also acquire the power of the Liao people chieftain.

Yu Xiu paused for a moment, then murmured:
"No wonder the clan chiefs of all generations have been so mysterious, never showing themselves in public, even during sacrificial ceremonies, they always wore thick sacrificial robes to cover their bodies. And their physiques were far less imposing than those of the Liao people..."

I thought it was because the chieftain was old... But, could the Liao people accept rule by a different race?

Tuoba Weizhi said calmly:
"For nearly a thousand years, the chieftain of the Liao people has always been an outsider. They are used to it. Besides, they only recognize gods, and the chieftain is the one who can gain the gods' approval."

Okay, so this is the result of thousands of years of brainwashing...

Yes, it can be understood as a unique custom or culture...

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath, his gaze fixed intently on the priestess:
"What is the name of the current clan leader? And do you know someone named Xu Jianwen?"

The Way of Tuoba Wei:
"The current clan leader is named Song Zhi. He arrived more than ten years ago. As for Xu Jianwen, I've heard of this name before. He seems to be a prince of the Yu Kingdom who launched a rebellion? But I don't know anything else about him."

Song Zhi... Song Zhi...

Zhao Du'an felt the name sounded familiar, and after thinking carefully, his eyes widened suddenly!

Back at the lakeside pavilion, Mochou had told him the story of Xu Jianwen, mentioning that Xu Jianwen had a very good relationship with Song Zhi, the tutor of the crown prince.

Later, Song Zhi resigned from his official post and wandered the world, never to be seen again...

"Could it be... that Song Zhi came to the Liao people at that time? And became one of Xu Jianwen's surprise troops?"

"Yes, that explains why Xu Jianwen and the Gu Huo Zhenren's treasure vault contain many treasures from the Qi Kingdom era... They may very well have originated from the Liao people..."

Zhao Du'an suddenly felt enlightened!
Many questions have been answered.

At the same time, a new mystery has emerged: how could Song Zhi, a mere tutor to the crown prince, be appointed by the late emperor to sit in such an important position?
Or is it that he didn't obtain his position as clan leader "rightly"?
Zhao Du'an couldn't help but sigh, realizing that so many secrets were hidden behind the "Xuanmen Coup" three years ago.

However, these mysteries obviously cannot be solved by Tuoba Wei.

Furthermore, it is not an urgent matter at present.

After gathering his thoughts, Zhao Du'an looked at the priestess again and asked a crucial question:
"Have you revealed to anyone that you are the key, and that you are waiting for me?"

Tuoba Weizhi, being exceptionally intelligent, understood his meaning and respectfully replied:
“This servant has never revealed this. The clan chiefs of all generations only know that this servant is a priestess of the La Garden, who is in charge of the altar on behalf of the gods.”

Zhao Du'an silently breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying:
"Very well. I don't have much time left. You can ask the rest of your questions later. I'll just ask you one last thing: have you seen the images recorded inside the temple?"

Tuoba Weizhi nodded: "I've seen it."

Zhao Du'an: "Then what about your identity...?"

Tuoba Weizhi raised his head, met his gaze calmly, and said earnestly:
"No matter who I was originally, hundreds of years have passed, and everything has vanished. All I know is that when I opened my eyes, I saw my first master, and now I am the second."

"Tsk... Old Xu, you really know how to train people..." Zhao Du'an exclaimed in amazement.

At this moment, Yu Xiu suddenly said anxiously:

"Oh no, it looks like Da Laba is coming back! We have to leave!"

Zhao Du'an quickly looked up!

In the distance, rolling red clouds surged toward this side at an incredible speed!

A terrifying aura gradually approached, enough to make one's heart pound just by looking at it.

"Tuoba, can you put this thing to sleep?" Zhao Du'an hurriedly looked at the priestess.

The latter said with shame:
“This servant is useless. If the clan leader is not here, I can still try, but when the clan leader is here, this servant has little influence on the gods.”

That's right... I suppose Old Xu couldn't have trusted you to control the Laba God back then... Instead, he trained you as the guardian of the Laba Garden on one hand, and appointed generation after generation of clan chiefs on the other... Damn it, Old Xu, you really mastered the separation of religion and politics...

Zhao Du'an inwardly complained, and said in a deep voice:
"Jin Jian! Open the door!"

"Oh!"

The young priestess holding the staff was startled and struggled to draw a circle in the air with the staff.

A phantom moon appeared... The teleportation gate opened... "Let's go! Let's get out of here first!"

Zhao Du'an decisively said, before entering the gate, he thought for a moment, raised his hand and took the two jade balls into his hand, and with his other hand he grasped Tuoba Weizhi.

Jin Jian stared longingly at the temple and said:
"The treasures of the previous dynasty..."

Yu Xiu's head was throbbing. They were facing a life-or-death crisis, and you were still thinking about this?
Tuoba Weizhi glanced at her and said:
"Many of them were moved away hundreds of years ago, and the remaining ones were gradually hollowed out."

Jin Jian was struck dumb, her face turned pale, and she stepped dejectedly into the illusory moon.

Pei Niannu also disappeared inch by inch, returning to Zhao Du'an's body.

In the blink of an eye, they all disappeared, and the moon collapsed into a small dot.

The moment everyone disappeared, the thousands of servants of the gods in the La Garden seemed to have lost their target and raised their heads in confusion.

I saw a surging red cloud that instantly swallowed the entire sky.

……

"boom!"

Earlier, just as Song Zhi had once again thrown a punch, using divine power to repel the old Celestial Master, a strong sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart.

Suddenly turning my head, I looked towards the direction of Layuan Garden, my heart aching as if I were about to lose something precious.

Song Zhi was stunned.

I immediately realized that this feeling came from the Laba Festival.

"They really raided our home... How could that be? The guards at Layuan Garden are still there... Under heaven, it's impossible for them to breach Layuan Garden..."

Song Zhi was both shocked and bewildered.

A surge of azure light enveloped Zhang Yan, one hand behind his back and the other holding a jade slip of the Heavenly Book horizontally in front of him. He appeared calm, but in reality, the azure light around him had dimmed considerably, and the text on the Heavenly Book had lost most of its luster.

They fought against the gods in a weakened state, and have now truly reached their limit.

If the fighting continues, it may shake the foundation of our Dao.

Just as the old Celestial Master was filled with anxiety, he keenly noticed Song Zhi's change, and with a delighted expression, he smiled:

"It seems I have won this round."

Song Zhi was filled with shock and anger, and had no intention of arguing with him. He almost went mad and transformed into thick smoke, rushing towards the Wax Garden.

This time, Zhang Yan only tentatively tried to stop him, then let him tear through the defenses and escape far away, while the Old Celestial Master stayed close behind.

Above the wax garden.

Song Zhi fell from the red clouds with a loud "boom" like a meteorite, crashing near the altar and shattering a piece of hard blue stone with his bare feet.

"Priest Tuoba!"

he yelled.

No one answered!

Inside the temple, flames blazed brightly, yet all was silent. A violent surge of divine power swept through the entire La Garden and spread outwards, yet Tuoba Weizhi's figure remained undetected.

Song Zhi's heart sank suddenly. He rushed into the temple, only to find that the two jade balls had also vanished!

"not good……"

Song Zhi was greatly alarmed. Although he couldn't understand what Zhang Yanyi and his group's purpose was, it was definitely not a good thing.

He turned and ran out, coldly surveying the thousands of divine servants below, and roared:
"Where is everyone?! Answer me!"

The servants ignored him, staring at him blankly with their red eyes, motionless.

These servants of the gods could only live in the wax garden and were controlled solely by the priestesses.

Song Zhi felt like a deflated balloon, with nowhere to vent his anger.

"Hahaha..." High in the sky, the old Celestial Master laughed heartily:
"Impotent rage, how tragic!"

Song Zhi's vision went black, and he was filled with rage. He stomped his feet on the ground and suddenly rose up, attacking the old Celestial Master again.

Zhang Yanyi refused to fight, turned and left, sneering:

"You evil spirit have nothing but brute strength. I am old and frail and cannot fight you. But to think you can capture me is wishful thinking."

The old master said this, but he didn't create much distance between them. He knew that Zhao Du'an hadn't escaped too far and he had to continue to buy time.

Well, with such a huge commotion, it's probably unrealistic to expect to return to the palace through the "gate" in the southwest.

He couldn't immediately go and meet up with him, lest Song Zhi track him down.

"Then we'll just have to deal with this evil spirit for a while longer, and once we shake it off, we can reunite with it. I hope Zhao is safe."

Zhang Yan fled into the distance, lost in thought.

As Song Zhi pursued, he roared towards the distant stronghold:
"By divine decree, all clansmen must dig three feet into the ground to find the traitors of the Yu Kingdom!"

The sound was like thunder.

Inside Dazhai.

The spirits of the countless Liao people who were on high alert were lifted. In an instant, the gate of the stronghold was opened, and warriors rode out on horseback, weapons in hand, spreading out in all directions like a tide.

……

……

Somewhere in the forest.

An illusory full moon appeared.

As Zhao Du'an and his companions stepped out, their feet touching the soft, damp earth of the woodland, their hearts pounded like drums.

Adrenaline surge!

They were just a hair's breadth away from being intercepted by Da Laba.

Fortunately... they managed to escape.

Before they could even catch their breath, an angry shout came from the sky:

"By divine decree, all clansmen must dig three feet into the ground to find the traitors of the Yu Kingdom!"

Zhao Du'an's expression changed:
"What are they saying in all that gibberish?"

He couldn't understand the language of the Liao people!

Yu Xiu hurriedly translated and said anxiously:
"We are not far enough from Layuan, and we are not out of danger yet. As long as we are still in Xinjiang and within the range of the evil god, we could be discovered at any time!"

The Way of Tuoba Wei:
“I can reduce the chances of us being discovered by Him. However, the farther I am from the god, the weaker my magical power will be. My physical strength will also be slightly weakened.”

Jin Jian took a breath, swallowed a pill, and activated another full moon:
"go!"

The four entered again and were teleported a considerable distance.

Next, Jin Jian completely disregarded the energy consumption and repeatedly activated the teleportation, fleeing all the way north.

When Jin Jian was exhausted, the group ran through the forest, occasionally encountering barbarians, which they either avoided or killed.

Several times they were unlucky and almost collided with the giant Laba flying overhead. Tuoba Weizhi then used his hand to wipe away the power fluctuations on the bodies of the group.

They hid in the forest to avoid it.

Thus they continued their relentless escape, fighting and fleeing, from day to night, frantically fleeing for nearly a day.

Finally, at dawn on the second day, as the sky brightened.

The disheveled group of four emerged from the forest, and suddenly their view opened up to a vast expanse of hills and plains.

As the first rays of dawn rise in the east, dispelling the darkness, day breaks!

Exhausted and disregarding her appearance, she plopped down on the ground, glanced at the compass in her hand, let out a breath, looking as if she had just escaped a disaster, and laughed:
"We've left DJI's territory; we're now in Yunfu Dao area."

Jin Jian, panting and clutching his staff, exclaimed with delight:
"The magical suppression I was under has disappeared."

Having left the territory of Da La Ba, she, as a believer of the true god, once again received the favor of the stars and moon.

"Ah, so sleepy..."

Immediately, Jin Jian, who had been basking in the sunlight, wilted again.

The sun rises, and the stars and moon's favor is gone again...

"Haha..." Zhao Du'an gasped for breath, his hair soaked with sweat, feeling the cool morning air, and couldn't help but chuckle.

The last time I fled in such a panic, it was because I was being chased by the God of Death.

Fortunately, despite several setbacks along the way, they managed to return to the State of Yu and bring back a crucial "key".

Thinking of this, Zhao Du'an turned to look at his side and then froze.

The mysterious young priestess sat quietly on the ground, her gorgeous robes filthy. She wrapped her arms around her knees, gazing intently at the rising sun.

Sunlight shone on Tuoba Weizhi's dark tan face, and his deep eyes were filled with curiosity and longing for the new world.

Six hundred years have passed, and it seems as if she is seeing this world for the first time.

-

Update is here!
(End of this chapter)