Chapter 479: But for your sake, I have been pondering until now (double monthly ticket request)
The next day dawned.
Xu Zhenguan put on her inner clothes, opened the window, and let the slightly earthy air after the rain fill the room, blowing up her messy hair and dispelling the strong odor in the house.
The clouds and rain outside had already cleared, and the gray clouds were blown away by the wind. A red sun rose in the east, and the sky was bright and peaceful.
She stared blankly at the sparrows squatting on the branches of the trees in the yard, preening their feathers, and recalled everything that happened last night, which seemed like a dream.
The novelty and pleasure of experiencing human nature for the first time; the drastic change in identity from a girl to a married woman; the sense of security brought by her cultivation level recovering to the level of a half-step celestial being...all of these made her feel a thousand different emotions and a myriad of fantasies.
It is not worth telling others.
However... although there are too many situations that force me to do so, I don't regret it after taking this step.
It even gave rise to the sweet feeling of a newlywed couple that only ordinary women have.
Looking back to a year ago, I only regarded Zhao Duan as a useful shield and a chess piece. Who could have thought that a year later, the fake lover would become the real emperor's husband?
But she didn't object, and although she refused to say it, she knew clearly in her heart that she was willing to agree to dual cultivation, and the critical situation was just a catalyst.
What really made her make up her mind was the blossoming and bearing of the affection that had been planted slowly over the past year.
If it were someone else, she would at most kill and snatch the dragon soul and swallow it all by herself, but she would never give herself to anyone just for the throne or life and death.
"How far is your majesty from becoming a celestial being?"
Suddenly, Zhao Duan's voice came from beside him.
Zhao Duan, wearing silk trousers and a silk shirt with his chest exposed, held two glasses of water in his hands. He handed one over and asked softly.
Xu Zhenguan subconsciously reached out to take it, gently drank half of the cup, and then said: "I have already vaguely touched it. I have a hunch that by practicing dual cultivation with Dragon Soul, I can indeed break through the barrier."
Facts have proved that the growth and frequency of cultivation do not strictly follow the rule of one level at a time.
The further you go, the more times you need to make further progress.
Therefore, although Zhao Duan worked tirelessly all night, he was only able to restore the empress's cultivation to the level of a half-step celestial being.
Due to the dissipation of dragon energy, its actual combat power is roughly equivalent to that of the "God of Magic" in his prime.
"Is that so... if quality isn't enough, we have to make up for it with quantity. As the saying goes, great effort can make miracles happen. As long as it can be accomplished, I will not hesitate to die for it." Zhao Duan had a serious face, as if he was ready to sacrifice his own life.
This is the confidence given to him by the "Blue Lotus" blessed by the Buddha.
Last night, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the real use of the Green Lotus in his sea of consciousness was not to recover from injuries or to refresh himself when staying up late, but to quickly restore energy.
Therefore, relying on the Qinglian sent by the Buddha, although he worked hard overtime until all night, he did not feel drained.
Even at this moment, looking at the empress leaning against the window, he was ready to make a move again.
Xu Zhenguan glanced at him with her beautiful eyes and did not respond. She had a deeper understanding of this guy's shamelessness.
She held the cup with her slender fingers, her eyes wandering, changing the subject:
"It's rare that you know I'm thirsty."
It's about hydrating and moisturizing... Zhao Duan drank the water in the cup in his hand and said in a normal tone:
"Since we're still a little short of breaking through, then... continue?"
The tone was hypocritical, as if he was discussing an important political event.
"..." Xu Zhenguan's fingers trembled subconsciously, he took a deep breath, suppressed his body's conditioned reflex, and said lightly:
“Enough is enough.”
After a pause, before Zhao Duan spoke, he added:
"I'm going to go out and see if the villagers of Baihua Village have left safely, and if there are any rebels nearby."
If the villagers did not escape, they would be intercepted by the rebels nearby, and Xu Zhenguan would feel uneasy.
If you want to rest, just say so... But the world realm doesn't seem that powerful... It's the same whether you should have the malarial fever or not... Zhao Duan said seriously: "Is your Majesty accompanying you?"
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said, "No need."
She rolled up her skirt and pretended to be calm as she ran out of the yard. Zhao Duan laughed in silence. With Zhenbao's current strength, he was not worried about the danger of going out alone.
After slowly finishing a pot of water, he turned back to bed, wanting to recharge his energy. Although Qinglian was a tonic, he was still a little tired after all the hard work.
However, when he found that the entire bedding was wet, he had to give up resting. After thinking about it, he simply carried the bedding to the yard and hung it on the clothesline.
He rummaged through the drawers and found dry bedding from other rooms.
Halfway through the work, he felt hungry belatedly. He slapped his head and turned back to the kitchen. Soon, wisps of smoke came out of the chimney of the quiet house.
"Come to think of it, I won't get pregnant this way..."
While making a fire and cooking, Zhao Duan suddenly thought of something. He was stunned for a moment, and then he thought that as a woman, Zhenbao might have thought about this problem earlier and might have a solution.
…
The other side.
Xu Zhenguan walked out of the house and felt relieved. After confirming that the guy did not follow her, she suddenly took off the jade bracelet from her wrist.
The Qi flowed in, and this time, the blocked storage jade bracelet was successfully opened. His spiritual consciousness penetrated into it and swept over the bottles and jars in the space.
Finally, the empress took out a porcelain bottle that had been thrown in a corner, almost forgotten, and had never been opened.
He pulled out the cork and poured out three small pills. After thinking for a while, he felt that it was not safe, so he poured three more pills into his mouth. He swallowed them down with a roll in his throat.
After taking the medicine, she showed a relieved expression on her face. She rubbed her belly with her right hand, turned her head and stared at the house behind her with resentful eyes.
With a light snort, she moved lightly and headed straight for Baihua Village, only to find that the entire village was deserted.
The villagers seemed to be frightened. Even though it rained last night, they did not dare to stay any longer and left in the rain overnight.
She expanded her search range and when she arrived at the official road where Zhao Duan had killed the rebels yesterday, her pupils narrowed slightly as she discovered that Ouyang Ye's body had disappeared, with only some horseshoe prints remaining nearby.
"Has anyone been here..."
Xu Zhenguan's eyes turned cold, but he was not surprised. He drew out the Taia sword, ignited the sword fire, and burned the remaining corpses on the ground to ashes.
After doing this, she expanded the search again and confirmed that no rebels appeared before returning home.
From a distance, you can see the smoke from the cooking fire that has almost dissipated.
Stepping into the house and into the courtyard, I was greeted by bedding hanging on a clothesline, with a bright red spot on one of them being particularly eye-catching.
The empress's cheeks suddenly flushed, as if she had just thought of something. She walked towards the bedroom with gritted teeth: "You..."
Just as he was about to start questioning, he saw four dishes and a soup already laid out on the table. Zhao Duan took off his apron and said with a smile:
"Your Majesty, you're back just in time. Would you like to try my cooking? Cooking chicken soup takes time, otherwise I could make more."
The feeling of being a husband is full.
Xu Zhenguan's stomach, which had been hungry all day, began to growl. He raised his eyebrows and sat down reluctantly. During the meal, he told about his discoveries when he went out.
"Ouyang Ye's body was taken away? It seems he left a spy outside." Zhao Duan frowned, but he was not surprised. This news could not be concealed.
"Within today, the news that Ouyang Ye and others were killed and I am suspected of advancing may be delivered to Prince Jing. Now that the villagers have left, do you want to move to another place?"
Xu Zhenguan tore the chicken bones with his hands, eating and shaking his head: "No change."
There was a hint of murderous intent in her eyes.
In the past, the wisest move would undoubtedly have been to escape and continue north.
But seeing that she was about to enter the celestial realm, she naturally changed her mind and was no longer afraid.
Even if she failed to reach the celestial realm before the enemy arrived, her current strength of half a step into the celestial realm was enough to deal with most enemies.
"What if Monk Xuanyin...the God of Law comes? And Wuxiankui, we have to be on guard as well."
Zhao Duan raised questions.
Xu Zhenguan was calm and analyzed seriously:
"I'm just missing. My request to Zhang Tianshi to keep an eye on the Xuanyin still holds true. As for the God of Law... after the backlash, it's hard to say whether he can withstand the power of the celestial being again. It must be extremely difficult...
And Wu Xiankui...if he had wanted to continue hunting us, we would have died long ago and wouldn't be alive today."
This Wu guy is also a bit of a double-edged sword... Perhaps it's for the dignity of the supreme leader of the martial arts world. He has already attacked, but still refuses to kill, following some self-imposed rules...
Well, it’s a good thing that it is so, otherwise he would be hunted down by a celestial being... Zhao Duan shuddered at the mere thought of it.
Xu Zhenguan added confidently:
"Therefore, I decided to deliberately wait for them here, catching them off guard... At most, they would guess that you or I had arrived in the human world, but they wouldn't know that I had recovered to the level of a half-step celestial being, and that you had also established yourself in the secular realm."
Zhao Duan nodded and said:
"But if the safest option is to hurry up and help His Majesty enter the Heavenly Realm before the enemy arrives."
"Yeah." Xu Zhenguan nodded subconsciously, and then he felt the ill intention in the tone of the guy opposite him.
Looking up, their eyes met, Zhao Duan wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and stood up:
"Your Majesty, we've almost finished eating. It's time to hurry up."
"..." Xu Zhenguan was still a little uncomfortable, hesitant and embarrassed:
"It's still daytime..."
Tsk, wasn’t it the same last night with the lights on… They’re already an old couple, but they still have to play it safe… Zhao Duan went straight to it, gave her a princess carry, and walked towards the bed.
The main feature is the domineering CEO style.
"I haven't showered yet..."
"It's alright, I feel the same way. Besides, Your Majesty, it feels better to call yourself 'I'."
"kindness?"
Xu Zhenguan was a little slow to react. She had already laid on the dry bed in a daze, feeling Zhao Duan's skillful technique of peeling bamboo shoots. She was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt something, and hurriedly said:
"etc……"
It’s too late… Zhao Duan is the only one who can break through the formation.
"boom!"
The bed, which was on the verge of collapse, could not bear the weight and suddenly cracked and collapsed in the middle. The king and his minister fell down, looking very miserable.
Zhao Duan's expression was stiff as he met the empress's murderous cold eyes:
"When you changed the bedding, didn't you see it was almost collapsed..."
Oops, I was careless... Zhao Duan pondered:
"Your Majesty, shall I report to you in a new room?"
A white python kicked with its long legs: "Get out!"
Zhao Duan decisively rolled up his blankets and walked out of the room. Behind him, he heard the empress's tearful voice: "Come back to me!"
"ah?"
"Take me... to the next door." A voice gritting teeth.
Zhao Duan gave a flattering smile.
After a while, the sparrows that were combing their feathers on the treetops in the backyard were startled and flew away. Dark clouds gathered again from all directions in the clear sky, and lightning and thunder flashed.
No words for a day.
No words were spoken for two days.
No words were spoken for three days.
In ancient times, there was a story about Han E who sang loudly, and the lingering sound lasted for three days.
Today, the empress has spoken, but for your sake, she has remained silent until now.
…
…
Outside Baihua Village, on a mountain path.
A pitch-black carriage pulled by strange horses slowly stopped.
Four figures filed out and stood side by side in the middle of the road, looking towards the direction of Baihua Village with frowns on their faces.
It was the four-member group consisting of "Little Heavenly Master" Zhong Pan, second senior sister Yuxiu, Gongshu Tianyuan, and Jin Jian.
"Something's wrong, very wrong,"
Zhong Pan's ugly face was filled with an extremely solemn expression, and his eyes reflected the sky ahead, filled with dark clouds.
"For a hundred miles, we haven't seen a single cloud. But within this ten-mile radius, dark clouds have gathered, bringing wind and rain... This is definitely not an ordinary astronomical phenomenon."
Changing into a plain grey Taoist robe with pure white cuffs and a jade sword with gold thread hanging from her waist, the "Second Senior Sister" with a graceful and elegant temperament also had a serious expression.
Her delicate hands calculated quickly, a green light shone in her eye sockets, and around her body, there was a faint flow of black and white yin and yang energy. She murmured:
"The terrain here is extremely favorable, with rich vitality and a great deal of uncertainty. Even with my level of cultivation, I can't predict whether it will be good or bad. The hexagrams are magnificent, yet empty. Strange, strange! Could a saint be born here? But why are the yin and yang energies so violent?"
The fat boy Gongshu Tianyuan took off the big bamboo tube behind him, put it on the ground, and slapped it with his big hands, saying in surprise:
"This wild god I raised is trembling with fear, afraid to come out. Gods are much more sensitive to danger and secrets than humans. Even the fox fairy dares not show its head, which means there is something ahead that even gods fear...
However, gods are immortal, and even those as powerful as celestial beings cannot frighten them... unless there is another god ahead!"
Jin Jian, who wore crystal glasses, had a delicate face and a petite figure, and was holding a one-eyed warlock's staff as tall as a person, looked at the clouds in the distance that covered the entire sea of flowers.
With a wooden face, he glanced at the three senior brothers and sisters beside him who were looking at each other as if they were facing a great enemy, and said quietly:
"Can't you just use your eyes? Can't you see a dragon that big in the clouds?"
Following the direction of her finger, an illusory dragon appeared and disappeared in the high clouds, rolling and circling in the sky.
Within a ten-mile radius, wild beasts lay dormant in fear.
The three sorcerers were stunned at the same time. They raised their heads and looked upwards to see the illusory dragon energy that was coming in and out of the gray clouds above the sky. They were speechless!
A feeling of shame.
They didn't even look up, didn't notice the thing in the sky...
"This kind of dragon energy can only be possessed by the current female emperor... But didn't she fail in her Fengshan ceremony, suffer a serious injury and fall into a lower realm, and be hunted down? This aura doesn't look like she's injured at all. Is this how she's supposed to be during Fengshan?
No... the strange phenomena here seem to be isolated. Only those who are close enough to Baihua Village and who are sorcerers can see them with their clairvoyant eyes. They cannot be detected from a distance."
Zhong Pan, who had a ferocious and ugly appearance and carried a scarlet sword on his back, was startled.
The female Taoist priest dressed in jade sleeves has a strange look in her eyes:
"So, the empress has recovered from her injuries? Not only that, but she was able to create such a celestial phenomenon. Could it be that she is still planning to attack the celestial beings? Here?"
Gongshu Tianyuan and Jin Jian both gasped, "Master didn't mention this in his letter."
According to the four people's plan, they would find Zhao Duan in advance and take him away forcibly. As for the royal infighting between the empress and the eight kings, they would not get involved.
But the current situation is a bit confusing for them.
"Do we still need to go over there... I have a feeling that Brother Zhao may not need our rescue." Gongshu Tianyuan scratched his hair.
The three of them were silent.
Judge Zhong suddenly shook his head and said:
"Right now, the question isn't whether we should go or not. If this situation is truly caused by the Empress's attack on the Heavenly Beings, then if we rush in, we might ruin the ceremony."
With the cultivation level of the four of them, they are not afraid of any enemy below the level of a celestial being, not even a half-step celestial being.
However, disrupting the empress's promotion ceremony is tantamount to the fate of the Tianshi Mansion and intervening in the struggle for imperial power.
"Maybe we can wait a while and go after it's over. Master only wants us to rescue Zhao Duan, but he didn't say to rob him." Second Senior Sister Yuxiu suggested calmly.
However, just as she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed, her fingers shifted, and the yin and yang energies around her rapidly swirled.
"Oh no! Evil spirits are rushing towards us... I'm afraid many powerful individuals are approaching this place! This can't be a coincidence. I'm afraid the unusual dark clouds gathering here have attracted those pursuers!"
The time from receiving the news to the various masters entering the Huai River was almost the same.
Logically speaking, it would be a coincidence that the pursuers from all sides would meet at the same time, but if the Empress did so, openly shaking the celestial phenomena within a ten-mile radius, that would be a different matter.
Just like the four-member group from Tianshi Mansion, they arrived so quickly by following the celestial phenomena.
"There is no time to hesitate. Since we have to wait, we must do our best to stop the pursuers." As the eldest brother, Zhong Pan made a decisive decision.
They had no intention of interfering in the dynastic struggle, but since they could not avoid it, they could only adapt to the situation.
Immediately, the four of them split into three teams and headed towards the three forces that Yuxiu sensed.
…
…
On the official road.
A team was marching rapidly towards Baihua Village.
Leading the group was Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, who was holding a crescent-shaped Zen staff. Beside him was the head monk of the Discipline Hall and the young man Tianhai, who was carrying a six-path staff on his back.
Behind him, there was a team of about twenty "monk soldiers", all of whom were the best martial monks in the Shenlong Temple.
They first arrived at a nearby county town and learned the situation from the county magistrate.
Then, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna sensed something unusual in the sky and led his team there without hesitation.
When they were still far away, they didn't feel anything, but as they got closer to the house where Zhao Duan and the empress were, the monks also saw the dragon energy appearing and disappearing in the clouds.
"not good!"
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's face changed almost instantly. The burly old monk rarely lost his composure in public and stared at the scene ahead. "Could it be that her injuries have healed and she has fully recovered?"
The head of the Discipline Hall next to him was also moved:
"Didn't the intelligence report say that Zhao Duan was suspected of having made a breakthrough? The Empress was seriously injured? Isn't that a cause for concern?"
Nagarjuna gnashed his teeth, his eyes dark:
"The news is wrong! It must be wrong! The one who actually killed the master of Prince Jing's Mansion was not Zhao Duan, but the Empress!"
The monks suddenly became uneasy. As the candidates who secretly carried out the task of abbot, they knew that Shenlong Temple was involved in the assassination of the empress.
It is even more clear that if the empress does not die, Shenlong Temple will suffer backlash.
Only the young monk Tianhai looked disappointed. His target was Zhao Duan, not the empress.
If Zhao Duan is still in the Divine Chapter Realm, what is the point of him fighting with him?
"Hurry! No matter what happens, we have no way to retreat. Even if we recover, the Eight Princes have risen up and the dynasty is in turmoil. She is at most a half-step celestial being. With our manpower, we can still kill her together!"
Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said in a deep voice that as long as the empress did not enter the heaven, their team would be enough to deal with her.
The only worry is that the empress will escape without a fight, and it will be too difficult to stop her.
The monks responded and quickened their pace.
However, before they had gone far, they suddenly saw a carriage pulled by a horse with a single horn passing through the forest ahead like a ghost.
The curtain of the carriage was opened, revealing Zhong Pan, wearing a sorcerer's robe and holding a scarlet "Red Tide" broadsword across his knees. He looked at the group of monks with some astonishment and a ferocious look.
Immediately, he showed a look of sudden realization, and his eyes suddenly became cold and complicated:
"I originally thought there was something strange about the empress's failure in the Fengshan ceremony, but now I understand it was the Buddhist sect's covert intervention. What a Shenlong Temple! Have they forgotten the oath they swore not to interfere in dynastic struggles?"
Zhong Pan! ?
The old monk Nagarjuna dug his heavy staff into the soil and stopped walking. His expression changed again, and the Buddhist beads hanging around his neck lit up. He was also surprised by the appearance of the little Taoist priest.
"Oh, what's the matter? You said something nice in the Tianshi Mansion, but you appeared here. Don't say it's just a coincidence, so, didn't Zhang Tianshi also interfere in the mortal world?"
Nagarjuna sneered.
Zhong Pan shook his head:
"If it was just the empress, I wouldn't care, but you don't just want to kill her, you also want Zhao Duan. The Heavenly Master has ordered that Zhao Duan has done a favor to our Heavenly Master's family, so you can't touch him."
"A favor? Haha," Nagarjuna laughed angrily.
"When did a figure like Zhang Tianshi lose his dignity? If he wants to interfere in the dynastic struggle, then so be it.
And they made up such ridiculous lies.
A concubine who wields power in the imperial court may have some abilities, but how could he be kind to the Tianshi Mansion?
It's not like he did a little favor to this generation of Zhudian Tongzi, or made a lot of money with the Tianshi Mansion, so that counts as a favor, right?"
Zhong Pan was too lazy to explain.
He didn't know what the "en" that Master mentioned meant. He only knew that since Master said so, it couldn't be false.
So, he just stepped down from the carriage, calmly thrust the scarlet sword into the soil, and with both hands on the hilt, stood in front of the monks.
At the same time, a thin scarlet line spread to both sides from the point where the greatsword stabbed.
"Anyone who crosses this red line will become an enemy of me and the Tianshi Mansion."
Bodhisattva Nagarjuna was no less imposing. He took a step forward, and circles of Buddha's light rippled out from the end of the Zen staff in his hand. Behind him, the wisps of Buddha's light gathered together, condensing into a divine image.
He stared at Zhong Pan with his eyes fixed on him and said:
"I'll hold this man back. Jie Lu, Tian Hai, you go into the village and kill people."
"Okay." The head monk of the Discipline Hall responded with the young monk Tianhai, leading the monks behind them, bypassing the area where the two men were confronting each other, and continued to move towards the center where the dark clouds gathered.
Zhong Pan frowned, drew out the sword in his hand, and was about to stop him, but was locked by a heavy Zen staff.
The old monk Longshu smiled:
"We never fought at the lake pavilion that day, but today we can decide who's better. Don't even think about stopping them, your opponent is me."
…
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(End of this chapter)
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