The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 638 Cleaning up the portal
Mei Qinghe on his back had fallen silent.

You Zi'ang also bit his lip and silently rushed forward.

Meaningless.

He knew that Mei Qinghe was dead.

The essence of 【E'gu】 is quite simple—to completely and actively dissipate one's "life," and then pour all of one's pure "nature" into a single sword strike. After this strike, both life and nature will be exhausted, and since neither of them currently possesses any means to prolong their lives, Mei Qinghe's death is already predetermined.

His stubbornness and foolishness are meaningless.

It could even cost you your life.

But for some reason, he just couldn't let go.

This wasn't because of a personal relationship with Mei Qinghe. In fact, given Mei Qinghe's personality, there were only three or four people in the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard who were truly close to her. It was just that he felt it wasn't worth it... he didn't deserve the chance to escape that Mei Qinghe had risked her life for.

As the one with the worst talent and skill level among Li Miao's subordinates, and who was always doing errands and delivering messages, he was always insecure. The person who made him feel the most insecure was Mei Qinghe, who also entered the Embroidered Uniform Guard because of the Plum Blossom Thief and whose seniority was only a few days different.

Feeling inferior leads to feeling ashamed.

Shame is the foundation of courage.

If it were someone else, he might have made a rational choice.

But after Mei Qinghe traded her life for his, he could no longer shake off this inferiority complex.

Even if he survives, he cannot wash away this shame, having been traded his life for Mei Qinghe's.

Therefore, he cannot let go.

It's better to die here than to live a shameful life.

However, reality will not change based on the state of mind of the person involved.

The old Wudang Taoist priest pursued closely, continuously unleashing his pure Tai Chi energy to entangle You Ziang's legs and feet. In just a few breaths, he had halved the distance again, which was enough for him to make a move.

He suddenly waved his sleeve!
Tai Chi Cloud Hands!

The Tai Chi force was unleashed, striking You Zi'ang from behind.

People in the martial arts world often think that Tai Chi is a slow and gentle style of martial arts, but this is actually a misconception. Tai Chi is about the balance of softness and hardness, and the harmony of Yin and Yang. It's just that Wudang practitioners often avoid using too much force when sparring, so they always use soft energy to fight... But this doesn't mean that Tai Chi can only be soft and can't be hard!
When it comes to power and strength, Tai Chi Chuan stands at the pinnacle of many martial arts!

This Tai Chi Cloud Hand strike produced a piercing sound as it cut through the air. The solidity of the true energy was so great that it even faintly outlined a physical shape under the moonlight. It slammed into the two people in front of it like a boulder!
"To suffer!"

You Zi'ang's ears twitched, and he instinctively dodged to the side.

But there's no escaping it now.

With Mei Qinghe on his back, he couldn't dodge an opponent whose cultivation level was more than two levels higher... unless he was willing to abandon Mei Qinghe and watch her be smashed into a pool of blood in mid-air.

If I can't dodge it, then I won't dodge it.

Despite his desperate attempt to dodge to the side, You Zi'ang was still unable to escape the attack range of Tai Chi Cloud Hands.

In that instant, he felt Mei Qinghe, who had been like a corpse, suddenly move, raise her only remaining right hand, draw the Xu Furen sword from her waist, and slash at the Tai Chi Cloud Hand.

Mei Qinghe is not completely dead yet.

This did not bring You Zi'ang joy; instead, he gave a bitter smile.

Because Mei Qinghe had already exhausted her life force and could no longer wield her sword, and her mind might not even be clear, this move was likely just an instinctive action in her dazed state before death... It couldn't stop the old Wudang Taoist.

clang!
Madam Xu's sword was swept away in mid-air.

The Tai Chi Cloud Hands technique crashed down with a whooshing sound.

clang! ! !
What followed was the sound of metal clashing!

Just before Tai Chi Cloud Hands was about to kill You Zi'ang and Mei Qinghe, a figure darted out from the dense forest, blocking their path. A powerful Tai Chi Cloud Hands strike suddenly clashed with the Tai Chi Cloud Hands strike from the Wudang Taoist!
Dust and smoke suddenly rose!

"You two go first!"

"Head south, the Pacification Commissioner of Anzhen is waiting for you!"

"I'll leave this place to you!"

Amidst the dust and smoke, the newcomer shouted urgently.

You Zi'ang's expression changed, and he immediately recognized the person who had come.

Wu Tianren, a sleeping old Taoist priest who came to support the Embroidered Uniform Guard during the Yingzhou Rebellion!

How did he get here!
But You Zi'ang knew that now was not the time to talk, so he shouted "Taoist Master, be careful!" and then he and Mei Qinghe disappeared in a flash.

So only the two old Taoists remained, staring at each other. "Uncle-Master."

The old Taoist priest later said in a low voice.

"Moonlight".

The old Taoist priest who was chasing You Zi'ang had a stern face.

"You're still here."

"I had no choice but to come."

"Have you read my letters?"

“I have seen it… My martial uncle told me that the Wudang Sect should stay out of it and preserve its heritage.”

"Then why did you come?"

"I had no choice but to come."

"Ha...you also want me to abandon the revenge against my master and your grandmaster?"

"Do not."

The old Wudang Taoist priest shook his head later.

“In my uncle’s eyes, clan feuds are no match for blood feuds, so you can help the Tatars. But in my eyes, blood feuds are no match for human lives. If we allow the Tatars to enter the pass and take control of the world, countless people will suffer as a result… Our ancestor slew the demons on the Jiazi anniversary, and we, the younger generation, cannot sit idly by and watch the people be slaughtered. Therefore, my Wudang sect cannot stand idly by.”

“My uncle’s reasoning is reasonable, and so is mine.”

“My uncle has fallen into the demonic path.”

Therefore, those who walk different paths cannot work together.

He raised his hand, moved his feet, and assumed a pure and authentic Tai Chi stance.

"So, I had no choice but to come—"

"Clean, organize, gates, households".

The old Taoist priest who was helping the Tatars remained silent for a few moments, then also adopted a Tai Chi stance.

"Since that's the case, I have no choice but to take the lives of my fellow disciples on my shoulders."

"Afterwards, I will commit suicide in front of Wudang Mountain to atone for my sins."

The two men were in identical stances, both radiating pure Tai Chi energy that slowly spread from their bodies. The fallen leaves were swirled up and then fell back down, outlining a clear Tai Chi diagram on the ground.

The next instant, the two Taoists collided with a loud crash.

Meanwhile, inside the Forbidden City.

Tang Lanzhou, dressed in eunuch's attire, walked slowly along the base of the wall.

His hair and beard were disheveled, and his face was covered in blood and dust.

"Lord Zhu and His Majesty have been surrounded by the enemy."

"The capital has also fallen."

"But the enemy quickly breached the city of Juyong Pass and entered the pass; the garrison in the capital simply couldn't react in time. I'm going to the main camp with the Tiger Tally and the Imperial Seal to mobilize troops; there might still be a chance to turn the tide!"

Tang Lanzhou felt a sharp pain in his heart, and his vision went black.

He pounded his chest, but it didn't help. So he punched the wound on his forehead, and the sharp pain brought him back to his senses.

The tiger tally and the jade seal must not be lost.

Although the Tatars were terrifying, they were ultimately not as numerous as the Yuan Dynasty of yesteryear. As long as the Tiger Tally and the Imperial Seal did not fall into their hands, even if the capital fell, they would not be able to obtain the legal basis to rule the world, nor would they be able to control the military forces scattered throughout the country.

So even if he died on the way, he was determined to send the tiger tally and the imperial seal out of the capital.

Just as he was about to reach the gate of the Forbidden City, a soft laugh suddenly came from behind him.

"Where is Master Tang going?"

"How could we possibly let you go, a cabinet minister?"

"The Great Khan will need your cooperation to establish his rule over the Central Plains."

(End of this chapter)