Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 145 Moonlit Night, Moonwalk, Battle of the Sui Palace
"Longevity and lasting vision."

Yang Guang read these four characters twice, first with fervor, then with a low, muffled tone, giving one a sense of despondency, like an old goose crying in the cold.

Those stern dragon eyes melted away.

It's like an old dragon shedding its skin in search of new life, only to find that it can no longer shed its old body, and in its despair, all its hopes are shattered.

Zhou Yi had a guess when she saw his appearance.

"It seems that His Majesty has found the book of immortality."

Yang Guang chuckled, opened the brocade box beside him, took out the contents, and casually tossed it in front of Zhou Yi, his tone full of mockery:

"You neither understand the true meaning of being the ruler of all under heaven, nor are you caught up in a pipe dream. Immortality and longevity are nothing but a deception. You are so self-righteous, yet you have never been ahead of me?"

He took another sip of wine, admiring the expression on the face of the great traitor before him.

Zhou Yi picked up Yang Guang's Longevity Book and examined it; it was indeed related to the training diagrams in the Longevity Manual.

However, it has been modified in many ways, resulting in a strange appearance.

In some places, they have been completely changed.

Seeing his silence, Yang Guang's smile widened: "How is it?"

"Has His Majesty practiced this technique?"

"It's just an ordinary martial arts manual, what's so special about it? I've seen thousands of manuals, but even the most powerful masters are still under my control. The Buddhist, demonic, and Taoist traditions are no different. So why practice it? Do you still think you're very clever?"

Zhou Yi returned the "Book of Immortality" to Yang Guang:

"Firstly, Your Majesty's precious book is derived from the Taoist secret manual of longevity, but it has traces of the records of the evil cult in the northern desert. It is clear that it has been tampered with. Fortunately, you did not practice it deeply, otherwise you would have been plotted against."

Yang Guang glanced at the precious book, his expression unchanged.

"Secondly, the Longevity Manual is indeed as you said. It is one of the Four Great Books, but it is still a martial arts classic. This skill is extremely difficult to master, but once mastered, one can reach a transcendent realm like Guang Chengzi and break through the Vajra."

"Thirdly, immortality is not a hoax. I know of one person who lived from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, with a lifespan of over two hundred years, still retaining his youth and roaming freely in the world. He then shattered the void in pursuit of eternity. The Jianghu's Ning Sanren and the Demonic Sect's Yin Hou both know of this person, but Your Majesty has not heard of him, has he?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Guang's expression finally changed, and he clutched the precious book in his hand as if grasping a lifeline.

Zhou Yi was quite ruthless: "Your Majesty should stop dreaming. You are getting old, and your vitality has long been depleted. Even if the secret to immortality were placed before you, you would have no chance whatsoever."

Sometimes I think, if His Majesty had sought out these immortality scriptures from the very beginning after becoming emperor, hidden away in the palace practicing tortoise and crane cultivation, and entrusted the affairs of the empire to capable ministers, only occasionally intervening, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Upon hearing these scathing words, Yang Guang, panting heavily, glared at him angrily: "You rebellious traitor, I wouldn't be too much to cut off your head a thousand times over."

"Don't be angry. I'm different from those palace eunuchs and censors. I just like to tell the truth."

Just now, Yang Guang poured him a cup of wine, and Zhou Yi poured Yang Guang a cup in return.

Guang was very pleased with himself and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Yi was prepared for Yang Guang to summon his men, but to his surprise, he suppressed his anger, which was clearly not in line with Yang Guang's temperament.

He said meaningfully, "It seems that His Majesty doesn't have many people he can trust around him."

Yang Guang seemed not to understand him and ignored him completely, only asking, "What brings you here, you traitor?"

Zhou Yi reminded him, "I came here to follow the followers of the Great Ming Zunjiao. Even if Your Majesty is incompetent and fails, you should not associate with the evil cult in the northern desert. Such behavior will surely make the Turks in the north laugh at you."

"Testing me?"

Yang Guang said with disdain, "What right do these bandits from the northern deserts have to meet the Emperor?"

Zhou Yi, seeing that he didn't seem to be faking it, said, "Unfortunately, your subordinates have other ideas."

"who is it?"

"Yu Wenzhi."

Yang Guang was not angry: "Minister Yuwen is well-liked by me, how can I allow you to stir up trouble?"

Zhou Yi said indifferently, "The Northern Desert Cult has a master of poison named Sao Niangzi at Yinma Post Station in Yuguan. She is in Jiangdu. She once had contact with two people by relying on her beauty. One was the dead General Lai Huer, and the other was Dugu Ba."

After that woman killed Lai Huer, I killed her too. Before she died, she used information about Dugu Ba to lure me into the palace. Now it seems His Majesty has nothing to do with the Great Ming Revered Sect.”

He subtly probed to gauge Yang Guang's reaction.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the name "Dugu Ba," Yang Guang, without needing further questioning, simply stated, "Dugu Ba is dead."

"Was he also killed by the cult in the northern desert?"

Yang Guang's gaze was fixed on Zhou Yi's face: "I found him in the harem. At that time, he was on the bed of a concubine."

Upon hearing this, both Zhou Yi and Dugu Feng were startled.

Even if Dugu Ba were a complete scoundrel, he probably wouldn't have the guts to do such a thing.

"His Majesty killed him?"

"His death is not a pity, but before I could cut off his head, he had already stopped breathing."

Under normal circumstances, Yang Guang would never have brought up this matter.

However, one can imagine the series of changes happening in the palace, with fighting raging outside the water palace and a major thief inside.

He reaped what he sowed, and indeed became a lonely figure.

Hearing footsteps approaching outside the water palace, Zhou Yi said to Yang Guang:

"Your Majesty, you actually have one last chance."

"what chance?"

“Recall Zhang Xutuo from Yangzi County and let his army fight against the forces in the city. In this way, they will both be severely injured. You can live, and I can also be the one to benefit.”

"Hmph, you're dreaming."

"This is reality. The world is in chaos because of you. How many loyal ministers are left?"

Zhou Yi stood up, covered himself with a black cloth, and Yang Guang, knowing he was leaving, angrily smashed his cup.

shouted:
"Guards, seize the assassin!"

His roar exhausted all his strength. With a loud bang, the nanmu table in front of Yang Guang was split in two by the sword energy. Although no sword struck him, the strong wind pushed him backward, his nine-dragon robe stained with wine, making him look extremely disheveled.

Several eunuchs, displaying their light-footed skills, rushed forward, shouting in alarm, "Protect His Majesty!"

Several sharp shouts rang out from the surroundings: "How dare you!"

The Imperial Guards' experts attacked in unison, and whistling arrows were fired from the left and right of the archers in charge of the bows, the sound of the bowstrings snapping echoing through the night.

"Get out of here!"

With a wave of his hand, Yang Guang dismissed the eunuchs from blocking his way.

They stood around Yang Guang, overlooking the chaotic scene below.

The two men in black were incredibly skilled in light footwork, and in a short time, they passed through a hail of arrows from more than a hundred imperial guards.

As soon as Zhou Yi stepped out of the water palace, he heard a violent whooshing sound.

It was precisely the expert who had been drawn away by another group of people earlier; if these people had stayed around Yang Guang, he wouldn't have been able to get close enough.

"Where to go?"

Delayed by the rain of arrows, the Sui Emperor's personal guards and the troops of the Left and Right Bodyguards arrived in an instant.

The Zhechong Lang general at the head of the group, dressed in light armor, displayed a strength that was far superior to that of Dugu Sheng, one of Yang Guang's five bodyguards, even with just a wisp of energy peeking out from between his fingers.

Zhou Yi's heart tightened; he knew this general was definitely not a member of the Imperial Guard.

The martial arts used by the soldiers wielding the Thousand Ox Blades around him all felt familiar.

They're from the Demonic Sect!

At this thought, the general who had been sent to attack had already arrived.

He used an ancient bronze halberd, which was quite old in design.

When the man approached within three zhang, Zhou Yi's longsword suddenly became covered with a layer of fire color. With a flick of his wrist, the fire color intensified. Before the sword even arrived, the fiery sword energy had already poured out!

Upon seeing this, Na Lang's face turned slightly purple, and his body erupted with a surge of innate true energy filled with a chilling aura.

As he thrust the bronze halberd forward, the spearhead and its cross blade spun violently. The chilling true energy instantly created a domain, drawing in the fiery sword energy. Then, as if piercing through a piece of silk, the spearhead tore through the energy and stabbed straight at Zhou Yi!
The glazed tiles on the roof shattered to both sides, and everything around had to avoid this extremely powerful blow.

To his surprise, Zhou Yi met the halberd with his sword without flinching.

The sword thrust forward carried a subtle, natural quality.

Only when masters clash can the ingenuity of this sword strike be truly appreciated.

The general's eyes were like those of a hawk, as if he could see through the black-clad man's every move, even the slightest muscle movement beneath his clothes.

Based on his understanding of various martial arts, upon seeing this sword technique, the first thing that came to mind was the Yi Sword Technique of Master Fu Cailin!
Before their swords and halberds had even clashed, the two men's mindset and aura had already shifted.

Zhou Yi charged forward relentlessly, seemingly determined to annihilate his enemy with a single sword strike, his momentum steadily rising.

The general who was about to charge forward slightly twisted his wrist, revealing his horizontal blade and sweeping it left and right, adopting a defensive stance.

However, his timing for the sweeping strike was superb. If Zhou Yi didn't change his move, he would definitely be hit squarely. Unless there was a significant difference in their skill levels, he would be able to deflect the longsword.

At that time, his bronze halberd could hook, peck, and stab, leaving the opponent wide open and killing them in the blink of an eye.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi's moves remained unchanged. Just as he was about to be struck by the ancient halberd, the space suddenly contracted, violently pulling away the chilling true energy surrounding the halberd. This force generated a sound in the void like a shattering mirror.

Na Lang's expression changed slightly as he recognized the move.

How could this be the Demonic Art of the Queen of the Underworld?!

His doubts grew, but the compression of his true energy had already caused his ancient halberd to shift off course.

The longsword dodged the horizontal blade, and Zhou Yi moved with the sword, his movements so fast that the eyes could hardly follow.

This general was a master; upon observing his movements, he knew he couldn't pursue him with his halberd, so he quickly withdrew and retreated.

His single move of withdrawing was enough for an ordinary martial arts practitioner to learn for a lifetime.

His footwork was fluid and precise, while his hands conjured countless illusory and real halberd shadows, much like the charge of a halberd-wielding soldier in the Spring and Autumn period's chariot warfare, flashing hundreds and thousands of cold lights, making it difficult for his opponents to predict and deter them from pursuing him.

Zhou Yi's longsword moved forward without hesitation, cutting straight through the shadows of the halberds.

"Ding~!"

A deafening, crisp sound rang out.

The ordinary longsword, bathed in moonlight, seemed to transform into a divine weapon, and the shadow of the general's halberd vanished, becoming a tangible object.

The longsword was stuck on the horizontal blade, and Zhou Yi pressed down with his right hand.

Na Lang felt a tremendous force rising upwards, and his face turned purple again. Suddenly, he saw that the man in black opposite him was moving even faster, pressing his left hand against his right, causing the space to shake, and a feeling of immense force and spatial contraction spread out.

This Heavenly Demon Technique is a bit different; the Yin technique causes collapse, while this one causes contraction, which makes him extremely uncomfortable.

The next moment, the ancient halberd was pressed down.

He sensed something was wrong and quickly ducked down, using his feet to smash through the palace below. In an instant, a sword aura slashed past his head.

With a cracking sound, a beam supporting the corridor below toppled and crashed onto the floor tiles.

What's going on? Where did this top-tier expert who knows the Heavenly Demon Technique suddenly appear from?!

Was it taught by the Queen of the Underworld?
But what he used was clearly not the Mind Searching Sword Technique.

As the general dodged the sword, he racked his brains, and all the soldiers who had come with him were astonished.

They had never seen anyone put their partner in such a sorry state.

Just as he was deep in thought, the sword energy suddenly struck, and several screams rang out in succession.

Dugu Feng killed several people and was about to retreat with Zhou Yi.

With a loud "boom!"

Na Lang burst out of the house and charged forward again. This time, his momentum was even more terrifying; he had used all his strength.

The powerful, chilling true energy spread out in all directions, creating vortexes that cut into the body with excruciating pain. He charged towards Zhou Yi with his yin energy domain, initially surrounded by shadows of ancient halberds.

Suddenly, in an instant, all the shadows were captured by the tip of the bronze halberd.

That bit of chilling aura, like a thousand-year-old ice, seemed capable of freezing one's spirit, and stabbed straight towards Zhou Yi's throat.

As they approached three zhang, under the influence of the cold and gloomy field...

That chilling point, so deadly, was flickering.

The illusory becomes the real, and the real becomes the illusory.

This person possesses formidable demonic skills and is a top-tier master of halberd techniques.

However, no matter how he tried to make it ethereal, not a single trace of it could escape Zhou Yi's notice.

His sword light also transformed into a single point, piercing through the surrounding chilling aura and reaching the spear tip.

The entire palace trembled violently in an instant. The eight supporting beams turned to dust and broke into pieces. The entire palace sank downwards, followed by a violent gust of wind that exploded outwards in concentric circles around the two people, sending glazed tiles flying out like hidden weapons.

It seemed like they were evenly matched, but the warrior knew he had already lost in a contest of strength.

His halberd technique was seen through.

Furthermore, the opponent blocked his bronze halberd with his sword.

It's a pity he didn't understand the true method of transforming true qi into qi, which is subtle but not dense. Otherwise, if the qi clashed with the sword, the sword would surely break when the power levels were similar.

Zhou Yi blocked the attack, and as he closed in, he changed his sword technique, using the nimble and fast sword "Wind God Without Shadow" to strike the opponent's vitals.

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged more than twenty blows with their swords and halberds.

Zhou Yi had the upper hand, cutting through the opponent's armor and killing four of his men who came to help. When he slashed at the opponent's neck, the opponent turned his head to dodge.

But a sword wound was left on his shoulder.

By the light of the palace lanterns and the moon, Zhou Yi saw a few drops of pale purple blood.

This isn't the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, could it be the Purple Blood Great Art?

Just then, a high-pitched voice spoke in a calm tone:
"General Lin, this assassin is incredibly ruthless. I'll lend you a hand."

Before the old eunuch with a white face and no beard could finish speaking, he had already drawn his whisk and unleashed a powerful gust of wind.

Countless white threads shimmered with silver light as true energy gathered, but before the whisk threads reached Zhou Yi, a sword light flashed from Wei Gonggong's side, forcing him to retract his attack.

He swept the whisk in front of him to dissipate the sword energy.

Seeing that another man in black had turned his back on his men, General Lin dared not entangle with Zhou Yi. His desire to retreat grew stronger. He took a step back and leaped up, and the roof below was swept by two sword energies.

Zhou Yi slammed his palm onto the overturned roof, smashing more than a dozen soldiers who rushed up into the chaos.

The army gathered, and footsteps echoed from all directions.

"go!"

Zhou Yi and Dugu Feng retreated together.

But then a hail of arrows came from behind, dense and numerous, as the Imperial Guards' archers arrived from the left and right.

Nearly two thousand men fired in unison, cutting off their retreat!
No matter how skilled the two were, they were still mortals. General Lin and Eunuch Wei, fearing they would be accidentally injured, also jumped down from the palace like Zhou Yi.

"Kill them! Leave them behind!"

The imperial city was a strategically important location, and the army arrived very quickly, already surrounding it.

According to the rules of military formations, at this point, as long as dozens or even hundreds of lives are sacrificed, and the attackers who have invaded the palace are dragged forward, they can be killed.

But Zhou Yi killed people too quickly; he killed more than a dozen people with his swift sword as soon as he landed.

Dugu Feng unleashed a sword strike, turning the blue bricks to dust and creating a cloud of smoke.

General Lin and Eunuch Wei, two top experts, rushed over, trying to cut off their retreat. Zhou Yi stepped on the collapsed beam, and his inner energy transformed into his longsword. With a tremor, the longsword shattered into hundreds of pieces.

He swung his sword, unleashing a shower of shattered silver light that forced General Lin and Eunuch Wei to defend themselves.

In a split second, Zhou Yi had already picked up the beam and hurled it into the air.

He pulled the little phoenix, who was recovering from forcing back the imperial guards, into his arms, stepped onto the house, then stepped on the collapsed corridor, and his figure flashed as he caught up with the flying beam.

They stepped on the pillars and broke through the heavy guards.

Although the archers below were surprised, they maintained a high level of composure, their eyes slightly narrowed, as they ran after him, waiting for the moment he fell.

However, just as the beam began to fall, Zhou Yi kicked it and used the momentum to leap up again!

"shoot!!"

Thousands of arrows shot into the sky.

Unexpectedly, the spatial force beneath Zhou Yi's feet contracted, gathering the incoming arrows into a stepping stone. He used the arrows as a springboard to leap again and dodge the remaining arrows.

Under the light of a huge crescent moon, he took another step in mid-air with a spinning motion, giving people a terrifying feeling that he was walking towards the moon.

The thousands of imperial guards were dumbfounded. Seeing such incredible lightness skill, most of them forgot to fire an arrow. Even General Lin and Eunuch Wei, two top experts, showed expressions of astonishment.

Equally surprised was a psychic, hairy beast that was circling in the air.

It was conducting aerial reconnaissance, but it never expected this.

Instead of flying beneath the high cliff where Yun Shuai practiced his skills, it was actually stepped on by someone over the Sui Dynasty imperial city.

"Hey~!"

In pain, it let out a mournful cry, its feathers instantly ripped apart by the strong wind, and it fell from the sky in circles.

But the culprit used its body to leap to an even farther distance.

Dugu Sheng, who was leading another troop of imperial guards, was struck by a strange bird three hundred feet away from the water palace.

He cursed and snapped the strange bird's neck.

At this moment, atop the Water Palace, two people were staring blankly into the distance.

"Your Majesty, will you still be able to see them?"

Empress Xiao stood beside Yang Guang, asking questions with a dazed look.

"Can't see."

Yang Guang was deeply shaken and began to believe that Zhou Yi's words were true.

Indeed, one can go anywhere in the world.

This is what someone who seeks longevity should look like.

He even had the illusion that the other person had already ascended to heaven.

"Are they going to the moon?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Guang looked at Empress Xiao, who was dignified, graceful, and charming, beside him.

He had four sons and two daughters. One of his sons died young, and of his remaining five children, two sons and one daughter were born to Empress Xiao.

Their relationship needs no further explanation.

"This doesn't sound like something you would say."

"I heard that Your Majesty has recently been studying the science of immortality, so I just mentioned it casually."

When the topic of "immortality" came up, and considering what had just happened, Yang Guang felt a surge of excitement. But when he recalled Zhou Yi's words, he felt as if he had been dealt a huge blow and was very dejected.

Looking down at the lake below the water palace, one can see one's own reflection in the water under the illumination of the palace lanterns.

Yang Guang was momentarily stunned, and murmured, "What a fine head! Who will behead it?"

"Your Majesty~!"

Empress Xiao looked sorrowful, as if she had become an ordinary wife.

The sorrow she felt at this moment was entirely created by her husband.

She looked out at the commotion and said with concern, "These people..."

You don't need to pay attention to it.

Yang Guang interrupted her.

Empress Xiao swallowed her sighs. The emperors of the Eastern Capital and the emperors of the Jiangdu were completely different in personality.

Lately, it has become even more difficult to figure out.

She was aware of the palace upheaval, but even the emperor could do nothing about it, let alone her.

"Empress, would the Dugu family betray me?"

Empress Xiao thought he was referring to the matter in the harem, so she comforted him, saying, "Dugu Ba has been dead for a long time; it was just that the villains were deliberately trying to anger Your Majesty."

"Don't mention Dugu Ba, just talk about the Dugu family."

Empress Xiao replied, "Among His Majesty's guards in Jiangdu, Dugu Sheng is the most trustworthy. In addition, given the Empress Dowager's relationship with him, the Dugu family is the least likely to betray His Majesty."

Yang Guang snorted, his face showing anger: "The Dugu family is really capable."

Empress Xiao did not understand why he was angry again.

Before long, Dugu Sheng, the expert bodyguard on duty, came to see him from outside.

Yang Guang dismissed everyone else and spoke privately with Dugu Sheng.

The old man's face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground in fright.

When he left the water palace, his old face was pale and his palms were sweaty.

After Eunuch Wei finished reporting on the chaos in the capital, Yang Guang summoned the palace maids and performing artists.

Then the music started, and then the dancing began.

The song "Jiangdu Palace Moon" was sung once again in Linjiang Palace.

Listening to this little tune, General Lin was pacing back and forth outside the water palace with his hands behind his back.

Soon after, Eunuch Wei came looking for him.

"Has the King of Chu figured out who it is?"

Lin Shihong snorted coldly: "The only person with such lightness skill is probably that guy from the Jianghuai Army. But I didn't expect him to be so difficult to deal with. He seems to be different from what Wen Caiting said."

Lin Shihong put on a sour face, but Eunuch Wei wasn't surprised.

Bi Shouxuan was the Yin Empress's uncle-master, and as his disciple, he was naturally of the same generation as the Yin Empress.

His skill level was already superior to Bi Shouxuan's, and he has recently made further progress.

Unexpectedly, he suffered a great loss at the hands of a junior as soon as he left the mountain.

"This person's arrival in Jiangdu is likely to ruin my plans."

"King of Chu, do not worry."

Eunuch Wei said, "Besides us, His Majesty is only surrounded by the Dugu and Yuwen clans. We just need to wait for these two families to fight each other, and then we can seize the opportunity to take the spoils. The Prince of Chu will then be able to obtain Jiangdu. At that time, the overall situation in Jiangnan will be in the hands of my Yin Gui faction."

He added, "There are no Jianghuai Army forces in the city. What use is Grand Commander Zhou, no matter how powerful he is?"

"I'm afraid the Dugu clan isn't powerful enough, and the Yuwen clan also has the Great Ming Cult behind them."

"Otherwise, these two families are already at odds, and with the Western Turks and Tuyuhuns also joining in, chaos is bound to ensue."

Lin Shihong nodded slightly, then frowned: "How does this kid know about the Heavenly Demon Art? What is the Empress Yin doing? He can't even keep the Heavenly Demon Strategy safe?"

Eunuch Wei, however, said:
"Don't be hasty. This person's martial arts look like the Heavenly Demon Art, but that may not be it. Empress Yin's skills are different from his. Furthermore, his method of channeling energy is somewhat similar to Shi Zhixuan's Undying Seal Technique. Could it be that Empress Yin and the Evil King were passing on their skills to him together?"

How can this be?

Lin Shih-hung crossed his arms and sneered.

Eunuch Wei then reminded him, "Empress Yin is currently in seclusion. After she emerges, even though King Chu is in a period of increasing power, he should be more restrained in her presence."

"Could it be that she really can?"

"It's already eight or nine out of ten. If Empress Yin breaks through again with her power, Shi Zhixuan will have nowhere to hide. Once she's dealt with Shi Zhixuan, it will be the turn of the two sects and the six paths."

"If that's really the case, then I admire him very much."

Lin Shihong turned and said, "Tell the people in the sect to keep an eye on that man from Jianghuai. I'm going to find Dou Xian."

Eunuch Wei nodded, naturally knowing what he was going to do.

Dou Xian was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Guards and a man with a strong rebellious streak in the Xiaoguo Army.

He didn't have the courage of Pei Qiantong or Linghu Xingda, but his homesickness was too strong.

They secretly discussed escaping Yangzhou with some fellow villagers from Guanzhong and returning to Guanzhong to reunite with their families.

The Yin Gui School had already taken root in Jiangdu, so how could they miss out on these people who could be of use?

As Yuwen Vale quickened its pace, so did theirs.

Even if Yang Guang were slow-witted, he would have noticed, but now that the wheels were turning, how could his weakened and depleted body possibly stop them?
……

Under the moonlight, a dark figure did not stop after running out of the Sui Palace.

Stepping onto the ground did not slow him down; instead, it pushed his internal energy to its limit.

True energy swirled beneath his feet, as if he were walking on the wind.

It moved at top speed, creating a whooshing sound as it passed through the alleys and buildings.

"Xiao Feng, have you got it yet?"

Zhou Yi asked with difficulty.

The girl urged in a sweet voice, "Faster!"

"No, that's the fastest we can go."

Zhou Yi stopped at the top of a large willow tree and took a deep breath.

"I can now ride strange birds, and my lightness skill is no less than that of Commander Yun."

Dugu Feng touched his back and immediately realized: "It's because of the wrong clothes. Commander Yun's white robe passed through the wind and tore it apart, which is why there is the song of the wind. You need to change your clothes."

"Next time, next time."

Zhou Yi looked back towards the palace:

"Tonight was extremely dangerous. The Imperial Guards assembled faster than I expected, and I never imagined there would be such a master. If I'm not mistaken, that person's martial arts should be the Purple Blood Technique."

Seeing her curiosity, Zhou Yi briefly explained this nearly lost method.

For example, blood turns purple, tapping into the potential of the microcosm within the human body, greatly enhancing bodily functions, and the creation of a yin-cold innate true qi field, etc.

Little Phoenix said seriously, "I think the Celestial Master's Random Thoughts is more powerful. If that person has no help, he is no match for you."

She was extremely enthusiastic when it came to martial arts.

Zhou Yi put her down from his arms, and the two walked towards the Dugu residence.

Along the way, they talked about swordsmanship again.

Zhou Yi used the halberd technique of that demonic sect master as an example to illustrate how to counter it.

This naturally utilizes the "one that has been hidden" passed down by Lu Miaozi, which gives Lin Shihong the illusion of a chess-like sword technique.

Actually, the two are not the same.

Zhou Yi did not preemptively block his opponent's next move, but rather saw through the opponent's deadly spear tip that he wanted to escape from amidst the shadows of the halberd, and countered it with extremely fast swordsmanship.

This feeling of being seen through can easily make people think it's a martial art, as if they've lost the entire game of chess.

In reality, each has its own tricks.

Zhou Yi and Lu Miaozi talked for a long time, witnessing "all things" and learning about "the one that has vanished".

In addition to the various scriptures he studied and the Celestial Master's Reflections, his martial arts skills were already extremely rare in the martial arts world.

Even establishing a sect, setting up a dojo to preach martial arts scriptures, would be a piece of cake.

Dugu Feng was deeply moved after hearing his story:

“A few years ago, you only had a superficial understanding of martial arts, but now, in terms of your martial arts skills, you have surpassed my grandmother.”

Zhou Yi laughed and said, "My grandmother lives a secluded life, while I travel all over the world. We just have different perspectives."

Little Phoenix had grown accustomed to his talent and changed the subject:

"You're looking for Yang Guang today because of Zhang Xutuo's matter?"

"Yes, and your third uncle too."

Zhou Yi pondered:
"Without Lai Huer, your second uncle alone cannot accomplish anything. He is probably too cowardly to face Yang Guang and dare not say anything clearly. The Ming Dynasty has taken action against Lai Huer, so this matter can no longer be delayed. We have no choice but to go and meet with Yang Guang."

“If he wants to live a little longer, he should listen to me.”

As if struck by a thought, Dugu Feng asked with a look of surprise, "Zhang Xutuo wouldn't happen to be one of your people, would he?"

"That's not the case, it's just that there are some people in his camp who are old acquaintances of mine."

"but."

Zhou Yi changed the subject, looking at her expression: "Your third uncle's matter is already settled."

Dugu Feng's brows darkened slightly: "I'm not really sad, I'm just worried that my grandmother will be heartbroken if she finds out about this."

"Don't think of your grandmother as fragile."

Zhou Yi comforted him, saying, "In the world of martial arts, even the most powerful person cannot guarantee that they will always escape unscathed. Life and death are inevitable."

Zhou Yi then changed the subject, telling her his speculations and Yang Guang's predicament.

When they returned home, they ran into Mrs. Zhang again.

Practice makes perfect, and this time Mrs. Zhang no longer asked questions like "Is it Mr. Zhou?"

After Zhou Yi left, she pulled Dugu Feng aside for a private conversation.

The seductive woman died on the eighth day at the Pei residence.

"Mr. Zhou, something has happened in the palace."

Dugu Sheng relayed the events in the palace to Zhou Yi.

"Those northerners who entered the palace may have some skills, but they are nothing special. However, those two men in black were able to break through the encirclement of the imperial guards, which is truly remarkable. With such experts appearing, the left and right guards around the imperial city have been greatly strengthened. If they want to make a move against His Majesty again, they will probably not be able to escape."

"However, my third brother..."

Seeing the troubled look on his face, Zhou Yi asked, "What did His Majesty say to you?"

Dugu Sheng then told Zhou Yi about Dugu Ba's appearance in the harem, his face filled with anger and panic.

This was clearly a setup.

"It's alright. The fact that Dugu Xiong can still serve in the Imperial Guard shows that His Majesty is aware of the inside story and has not blamed him."

Dugu Xiong was the son of Dugu Ba.

Compared to his lecherous father, he had always worked for the Imperial Guard and was considered honest.

Dugu Sheng took a breath: "Then why did His Majesty reprimand me so harshly, saying that my Dugu family was in league with rebels and that my family had betrayed our kinship?"

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "That is naturally the matter of Young Master Ce colluding with the Bamboo Flower Gang."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Sheng recalled the several times he had been mistreated in the palace and how Pei Qiantong had made veiled insults at him, and his anger immediately flared.

"Damn it! I'll definitely teach this brat a lesson later!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yi's expression turned serious:
"Second Master, you need to be more aware. The palace was recently attacked by assassins, and His Majesty summoned you for questioning. Although it was a reprimand, he wanted you to do something."

"Oh?"

Dugu Sheng stared at the external brain: "Mr. Zhou, what are your thoughts?"

"You must go to the palace and, in front of the Imperial Censor, speak again to persuade Zhang Xutuo's army to enter the city."

Zhou Yi added, "If anyone mentions the Jianghuai Army, just say that defending Yangzi County was the responsibility of the Yangzhou Governor, and that Yuchi Sheng's abandonment of the city should not have been handed over to Zhang Xutuo."

"Add another clause: say that there are many assassins in the palace and that experts from Zhang Xutuo's Golden Purple Camp are needed to defend the area around the palace."

Dugu Sheng nodded: "When will this old man enter the palace?"

Zhou Yi pointed towards the door: "The horses have already been prepared for Second Master."

Dugu Sheng glanced at him, and finally walked towards the door.

However, he first went to Dugu Ce's courtyard and gave his nephew a good scolding.

Then they rushed to the palace without stopping.

This time, Yang Guang's attitude was completely different from before, and he patiently listened to Dugu Sheng recount the truth about Zhang Xutuo's army.

Although Yuchi Sheng objected, Yang Guang finally agreed after Dugu Sheng's strong remonstrance.

Just three days later
General Zhang and General Zhenkou finally stepped into the gates of Jiangdu City together, crossing the magnificent wall that seemed like an insurmountable barrier.

The Xiaoguo army inside the wall wanted to get out, while Zhang Xutuo's army outside the wall wanted to get in.

Looking at the street scene of Jiangdu, Zhang Xutuo had a sudden realization.

This was where he finally gave his all.
……

(End of this chapter)