Chapter 447 The Dust Settles (5k)
"In the second match, Zhao Shaobao wins!"
The spring breeze swept across the entire peach blossom forest, and the peach blossoms that were spinning and dancing in the air fell down one after another.
After a long silence, the Jinwu Guard commander who was standing on the sidelines and acting as the "referee" came to his senses, stepped forward and announced loudly.
While speaking, the look he gave Zhao Duan was filled with amazement and complicated emotions.
Yes, wow!
After the Buddhist-Taoist competition last year, Zhao Duan became famous by stepping on the young monk Tianhai. In the past six months, his reputation in martial arts has spread far and wide.
Just because of the existence of the "Tai'a Sword", almost everyone in the world believed that he was seeking fame and was a pawn sent by the empress, and they spoke up for Tianhai.
Of course, this view is not wrong. Zhao Duan's martial arts strength at that time was indeed not high enough, and using the Taia Sword was indeed a trick to a great extent.
——Even if he gains the recognition of the divine weapon, it is still a reflection of his own ability.
In fact, not only the people in the martial arts world, but also the warriors in the capital city privately think so.
Including many military warriors in the Imperial Guard, such as the commander of the Jinwu Guard in front of him, before this, they only admired Zhao Duan's skills in the court and his way of doing things.
But speaking of martial arts...cultivation...
How could he be convinced in his heart? He just didn't dare to express it publicly.
However……
Just today, it has been only half a year since the battle between Buddhism and Taoism.
However, Zhao Duan defeated Qingshan's top disciple Xiao Ran with just a peach wood branch... Once the news of today's battle spreads, it is conceivable that it will cause a huge sensation.
"Zhao Duan..." Chai Keqiao narrowed his eyes, feeling extremely complicated, while Qi Ye beside him had a face as red as liver.
The joy of victory just now is gone.
He "watched" the whole time, thinking that even if he played, he would hardly perform better than Xiao Ran.
Thinking back to his provocation half a month ago, and the injustice he felt for his good friend "Little Monk Tianhai" before coming to Beijing... his face suddenly felt a little painful.
"Thank you!"
Zhao Duan smiled and clasped his hands together, then bent down and extended his right hand towards Xiao Ran who was lying on the ground.
Xiao Ran remained silent, refusing his "kind help", and stood up little by little with her still aching body.
Her injury was not serious, her energy was just interrupted for a moment. That moment was enough for Zhao Duan, who was approaching her, to seriously injure her or even kill her.
"No need to be hypocritical. If you lose, you lose. You can't bear the word 'acceptance'." Xiao Ran said indifferently.
He picked up the soft sword on the ground, with his messy black hair, and walked back to the team silently.
Tsk... This little girl has quite a temper. She talks as if I'm happy to help you. Being a gentleman is risky, okay? Zhenbao is watching you... Zhao Duan curled his lips and walked towards the empress.
He clasped his fists and saluted: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and will win the battle."
Xu Zhenguan had a smile on his face, but in front of outsiders, he had to maintain his dignity and demeanor, so he just said "yes" softly and said:
"Thank you, Zhao Qing, for your hard work."
It’s not hard to share the leader’s worries… Zhao Duan almost blurted out a flattering remark subconsciously, but he held it back.
When he walked back to the team, Eunuch Hai smiled at him:
"You use the Peach Blossom Sword well."
"It's all thanks to your Majesty's cultivation and my father-in-law's care. My colleagues in the Martial Arts Hall are united, and the palace maids are also very helpful." Zhao Duan said modestly.
Eunuch Hai was stunned after hearing this. He felt that although this set of words was not very sincere, it was inexplicably comfortable to listen to.
"Congratulations, Young Protector." A worshipper named Tang Jinzhong said seriously.
Zhao Duan patted his shoulder and said with a smile:
“Just do your best, no need to feel pressured.”
Tang Jinzhong, who was cold and silent, and best fit the stereotype of a "palace guard", nodded, held the scabbard, and stepped out of the line.
The referee loudly said:
"The third match, Qingshan Chai Keqiao versus Wugong Hall's Tang Jinzhong!"
The people around finally came to their senses and remembered that there was one last game, which was also the decisive game.
Chai Keqiao, wearing a linen shirt and straw sandals, stepped out and greeted Tang Jinzhong, who was dressed meticulously across from him.
"The last time I came to the capital, I wanted to learn the martial arts of the royal family, but unfortunately I was unable to do so. Today, I would like to ask for your guidance."
Tang Jinzhong remained silent. He was burdened with the pressure of victory, and the weight on his shoulders was obvious. He simply said calmly:
"please."
…
In the crowd, Zhao Duan stood beside Eunuch Hai. The old eunuch in the python robe gathered his sleeves, looking straight ahead, but a voice echoed in his mind:
"Watch out, the battles in the worldly realm may help you achieve a breakthrough in the future."
Zhao Duan held his breath and said:
"What do you think the chances of winning are, sir?"
Eunuch Hai was silent for a moment and said:
"If Qingshan sends Duan Shuiliu, we will definitely lose."
Hey, you mean... there's a chance of winning? Did Old Tang also hide his weakness before? Zhao Duan was surprised and wanted to ask again, but he saw that both sides had already started to move!
Chai Keqiao was the first to move. He did not draw the axe from his waist, but a light green cloud of energy flowed around his body and he rushed forward.
When he took the first step, green energy covered his entire body.
When he took the second step, the green energy almost condensed into plate armor.
When he took the third step, his complexion turned indigo, like a ghost or Asura.
Tang Jinzhong snorted coldly and hung his sword on his waist. He sank his knees, and with a "boom", a flame shot up between his eyebrows.
Then, a two-meter-tall, translucent, armor-covered Buddha general suddenly condensed on his body.
"Remember the Six Chapters Sutra, where you can learn from the ancients in the scroll? This Buddha General is Tang Jinzhong's 'master' in the Six Chapters Sutra, but also his enemy. After he entered the secular realm, he refined this ancient being into his own 'birth god'...
You can roughly understand it as a weakened god, or the prototype of the God of War…” Eunuch Hai explained in a low voice.
Huh? It's possible this way? So this is how we upgrade to the "Martial God" path? No... then when I enter the human world, will I also be able to refine Pei Niannu into a "Destiny God"?
That's not right. Pei Niannu is obviously not a simple "painting"... She's more like a spirit... And I can summon her now, without having to wait until the secular realm... Well, every time I ask her to take action, the price is to copy ten chapters of a novel...
Zhao Duan hesitated to speak.
Moreover, if we talk about the "birth god", there is also a "dragon soul" sleeping in his sea of qi.
Well, so, what will it be like when I enter the secular realm? I have a feeling it will be very different from you... Wait, stop overthinking and focus...
Zhao Duan gathered his thoughts and focused on watching the battle.
"Bang!"
After Tang Jinzhong's natal god's phantom merged with it, it immediately condensed on the surface of the body into armor condensed by qi, covering the entire body.
The two men did not dodge or evade, but ran towards each other at the same time, punching each other.
As the four fists collided, violent air waves spread in all directions with the two of them as the center.
The empress raised her eyebrows slightly, stretched out a slender white finger and lightly tapped, and the battle energy disappeared in front of everyone.
“Boom boom boom…”
The two men fought each other fiercely, the roar was endless, and they jumped from the ground, flew into the air, and then fell down again.
After dozens of rounds, Tang Jinzhong punched out with a cannon punch, and Chai Keqiao flew backwards into the air like an autumn leaf. He took a few steps in the air, grabbed the axe and threw it downwards!
The axe suddenly became red hot, as if it had been forged in a thousand-degree furnace not long ago. It whistled and slashed towards Tang Jinzhong, but was suddenly pulled out by the high-quality long sword and knocked away.
Chai Keqiao was in mid-air, grabbed the axe that flew back, and chopped it down again. With one axe, a hideous scar of more than ten feet long was torn on the ground of the peach forest.
Tang Jinzhong dodged sideways, then suddenly rushed in front of him. The two sides engaged in close combat, and the sound of weapons colliding was as dense as drumbeats.
"So strong... Whether it's the strength of his internal energy or his mastery of martial arts, they are far beyond the reach of even someone like me in the Divine Chapter Realm."
Zhao Duan was concentrating, and the more he watched, the more frightened he became. His joy after breaking through and advancing was gradually replaced by awe.
In the past, he had witnessed the Secular Realm taking action several times, but he just watched for fun. Now that his cultivation has improved, he can see the tricks behind it.
Xue Shence, Grand Tutor Dong and the others were also concentrating intently. The former looked serious, and although the latter could not understand, they could roughly judge that the two sides were actually evenly matched.
The entire peach blossom forest was affected by the attack of two brutal warriors and suffered an unexpected disaster.
Despite trying their best to control it, more than one peach tree still fell down.
Finally, after hundreds of rounds, the armor around Tang Jinzhong suddenly expanded, and his natal god emerged again. This time, the natal god's eyes seemed to have some life in them.
The illusory Buddha General from six hundred years ago glanced at Chai Keqiao indifferently, grabbed a huge sword out of thin air and raised it high.
Tang Jinzhong also moved forward synchronously, holding up his long sword.
A scarlet murderous aura emanated from him, and the shadow of an ancient battlefield seemed to vaguely emerge.
Chai Keqiao frowned, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, but in the end he sighed and defended himself with his internal energy.
"boom!"
Tang Jinzhong swung a blood-red blade like a streak of silk, and Chai Keqiao was not surprised at all. He was knocked down on the spot, fell to the ground, dropped his weapon, coughed up blood, and raised his hand to admit defeat.
The referee leader stepped forward and said excitedly:
"Tang Gongfeng wins!"
Wow——
It was not until this moment that the people around who had been holding their breath woke up from their dream and took a breath almost at the same time - they were so engrossed in watching the battle that they forgot to breathe.
Victory! Victory!
Everyone could not hide their surprise, and Xue Shence was even stunned for a moment. Then he looked at Tang Jinzhong deeply and sighed softly.
"What's going on?"
Qiye and Xiao Ran brought back the nearly exhausted Chai Keqiao, fed him healing pills, and asked him about his injuries with concern.
They all saw that Chai Keqiao stopped at the last moment.
"This madman wants to gamble his life with me." Chai Keqiao's face turned pale and his eyes looked helpless.
The two were stunned and fell silent.
Gamble your life!
After a cultivator enters the worldly realm, his vitality is extremely strong unless he is surrounded and unable to escape.
Similarly, once the cultivators in the world leave no way to retreat and fight for their lives by overdrawing, they will become extremely ferocious.
Tang Jinzhong shoulders the honor and disgrace of the entire Wugong Hall, and would rather risk internal injuries and choose to gamble with his life.
But Chai Keqiao was unwilling to risk his life for a mere duel.
"This group of worshippers are different from us. For us, this is just a competition, but for them, it is a fight for their lives." Chai Keqiao shook his head.
It's not that he can't win, he just doesn't want to gamble.
"Wow!" On the other side, Tang Jinzhong fell from mid-air, his knees softened, and he knelt on the ground, trying his best to support his body with the handle of the knife, spitting out a large pool of blood.
The priests from the Martial Arts Hall immediately rushed forward and fed him the prepared pills.
Eunuch Hai sighed softly, his python robe swaying as he walked to his side, pressed his shoulders, and channeled his inner strength. He said with both relief and bitterness:
"No need to talk, go back and rest first."
He immediately ordered someone to take Tang Jinzhong away.
Zhao Duan felt the mixed emotions of joy and sadness among the worshippers around him, and suddenly understood the weight of the four words "intergenerational gap".
During the past six hundred years, the lineage of the "God of War" has finally withered away. Tang Jinzhong is willing to risk his life to force Chai Keqiao to stop. What are the chances of Zhenbao winning against Wu Xiankui, the world's number one martial artist who is almost able to break through the void with his martial arts?
"Today's competition ends here," Xu Zhenguan stood up and said calmly:
"Mochou, have someone send high-quality medicine to both sides so they can recover. Once they are all well, send Qingshan's disciple away from the capital for me."
Everyone obeyed.
Xu Zhenguan looked at Zhao Duan, who was a little distracted, and her beautiful eyes flashed:
"Qing Zhao, please come with me."
Zhao Duan collected his thoughts and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I obey your command."
…
…
The martial arts test in Taoyuan was over. As everyone dispersed, the details of the competition spread like a whirlwind to many people in the capital who were paying attention to the competition.
Imperial Court, Governor's Hall.
Today, except for Zhao Duan, the other eight branches’ detectives gathered here. In the Lihua Hall, Qian Kerou, Zhao Duan’s confidential secretary, also came over.
They were not discussing any official business, but everyone was sitting around the round table in the inner hall, waiting for news from the palace.
"Governor, this meeting should be almost over. I wonder what the outcome will be." Haitang hugged her shoulders and leaned back in the high-back chair.
Ma Yan, who was sitting at the head, glanced at the sky and nodded.
"It's time for the news to come."
A police officer lamented:
"It's a pity that the Governor left the palace long ago and is no longer considered a Martial Arts Hall tribute. I have something else to do today and can't go there in person. Otherwise, we could have gone along to watch the fun."
Haitang rolled her eyes and said:
"Do you think that all the excitement is just for casual viewing?"
She was a relative of Eunuch Hai, but she didn't have the nerve to ask to watch the fight. The real reason was not that she was too lazy to go, but that she didn't dare.
Just like, Ma Yan’s so-called “official business” was just an excuse. In fact, he did not dare to do it.
He didn't dare to witness the failure of the Martial Arts Hall.
As for Ma Yan's failure to participate, it was because he had been busy with official duties in recent years and had slacked off in his martial arts practice. He knew that he was not as good as Tang Jinzhong in grasping the situation.
Even with his "worldly" state, he was unable to bully Xiao Ran and Qi Ye.
Similar to Xue Shence's judgment, Ma Yan also lacks confidence in this once-in-a-century competition.
"Tang Jinzhong has always kept his cultivation hidden, and with his willingness to fight to the death, he has a good chance of winning against the recently promoted Chai Keqiao. However, Song Jinxi excels at assassination, and he will struggle to unleash his full potential against either Qi Ye or Xiao Ran, and will likely lose. As for the rest of the Divine Chapter Realm within the Martial Arts Hall, no one is a match for them."
Ma Yan sighed, his brows grimacing:
"It's a pity that they arrived too early. If they had waited a year... no, half a year, perhaps Zhao Duan would have been able to fight one of them."
One year? Half a year?
I’m afraid that by then, that guy will have already entered the “worldly realm” and will not be able to fight either... Haitang sighed.
The air was dull and depressing. Suddenly, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the hall, followed by the sound of horses being reined in.
Immediately, a man in brocade clothes who had been waiting at the entrance of the imperial city came running in breathlessly, with a happy look on his face, and announced the good news loudly:
"Reporting to the Governor! We won! The Martial Arts Hall won! Best of three!"
Win?
Ma Dugong, with a thin face and a cold expression, suddenly stood up. Haitang, Zhang Han, Qian Kerou and others could not hide their surprise.
"Did Song Jinxi win?" Ma Yan was surprised.
In his opinion, the two best in three games could only be won by the two most outstanding players, Tang Jinzhong and Song Jinxi.
The messenger Jinyi rushed to the front of the hall, shook his head and said:
"No...Mr. Song lost to Qingshan Qiye. Mr. Tang won against Chai Keqiao."
Everyone was startled, and Haitang couldn't help but ask:
"So, who won against Xiao Ran?"
Baoxin Jinyi said:
"It's Zhao Jisi. Zhao Jisi has been promoted to the high level of the Divine Chapter and will personally fight."
Zhao Duan? He's on the court?
"The Lord has taken action?" The round-faced secretary Qian Kerou's eyes lit up.
Zhang Han, the king of facial paralysis, was surprised and said hesitantly:
"Could it be that Zhao Jisi used the Tai'a Sword?"
The messenger Jinyi shook his head, his eyebrows and eyes lively, and said excitedly:
"No. Zhao Jisi didn't use a sword at all. He only used a peach blossom branch."
Peach blossom branch? What kind of magical weapon is this? Everyone was stunned.
The man in brocade clothes raised his hand and pointed at the tree in the yard:
"It's just a branch from an ordinary peach tree..."
Then, he vividly recounted the story told by the worshiper of the Martial Arts Hall, how Zhao Duan used the peach blossom branch to perform the famous sword technique "Kai Tian", defeated Xiao Ran, and worked together with Tang Jinzhong to win the small competition in the past century.
He only used the branches of the peach tree... He didn't even use any magic, and only relied on martial arts to defeat Xiao Ran head-on... Ma Yan was stunned.
It just seems unbelievable.
The other police officers also looked at each other in confusion. Haitang rubbed her face and said in a daze:
"Last time, when he fought Tang Zhao, he seemed to have used Buddhist techniques, right?"
No one responded.
Only Qian Kerou had a happy look on her face, without any hesitation at all. She ran outside quickly, ready to return to Lihua Hall to announce the good news.
In her mind, any miracle performed by her master was perfectly normal.
…
…
Censorate.
In the rear yamen.
Imperial Censor Yuan Li sat in his "office", reviewing the thick documents brought by his subordinates. When he casually picked up a document concerning the appointment and dismissal of new local officials in Jiancheng Dao and opened it.
The handsome man with clear eyebrows, eyes full of vicissitudes of life, and slightly graying temples suddenly frowned and said to the clerk standing guard outside the door:
"Call Chen Hong."
"yes."
The clerk left immediately.
A moment later.
Chen Hong, a mature and experienced censor with a silver tooth inlaid on his face, walked over and said with a bow:
"I greet Lord Yuan. What are your instructions?"
Yuan Li waved his hand seriously and pushed a document across the table.
"You handed this to me?"
Chen Hong took a quick glance and said with a sophisticated look, "Exactly."
Yuan Li leaned forward, looking serious:
"Are you sure? You must know that this matter involves the appointment and dismissal of officials under the New Deal, and also involves a nobleman. You cannot speak nonsense."
Chen Hong seemed to have anticipated this and said calmly:
"Since I have presented this to Lord Yuan, it is certainly not groundless."
"good!"
Yuan Li suddenly stood up, stuffed the document into his sleeve, and said:
"You will come with me to the palace to see the emperor."
Chen Hong glanced at the sun and said, "I'm afraid it's inconvenient for Your Majesty to have a martial arts competition in the palace right now."
Yuan Li said calmly, "Just go into the palace and wait."
"yes."
The two walked out of the backyard one after the other when they saw an imperial censor coming in from the gate. When he saw Yuan Li, his eyes lit up:
"Lord Yuan, the palace competition is over!"
…
Typos should be corrected first and then replaced
(End of this chapter)
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