Chapter 528 Reveal Your Face
Above the dark clouds, lightning and thunder flashed.
Zhao Duan stood in the air, holding the Black Turtle Seal in his hand, his eyes scanning everywhere he passed, with the huge god behind him commanding him like an arm.
Under the heavy rain, the fire in the city gradually began to weaken and go out.
But it’s not enough.
The burning area was not only within the city, but also included the many scattered fields outside the city. Su Dan had obviously made preparations in advance and sent soldiers to various farmlands. Only a small number of soldiers were needed to set the entire field on fire.
"It's not enough!" Zhao Duan raised his hand and punched the air, and the dark clouds suddenly collapsed into a hole.
Thick rain clouds rolled in all directions, the rain in the city began to weaken, and the water stored in the Black Turtle Seal began to spread evenly to the surrounding area of dozens of miles.
This action consumes surprisingly little mana, because when cumulonimbus clouds are formed, it will rain naturally as long as you push the clouds over.
"Once the farmland is covered with a layer of rain, it can no longer be ignited." Zhao Duan silently thinned the clouds to prevent heavy rain.
If the rain is too heavy, it will also damage the rice fields that are about to mature.
"Pay attention...experience...yourself..." Suddenly, Zhao Duan heard Pei Niannu's stuttering voice in his mind.
Understanding oneself? Zhao Duan's heart moved:
"You mean, let me experience the feeling of the heavenly realm?"
At this moment, although he is not a true celestial being, he has already touched that threshold.
For him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the true meaning of heaven and man in advance, which will help him in future promotions.
"I remember when I was chatting with Zhenbao in the capital, we mentioned the Heavenly Man Realm. Zhenbao explained that it was a state of resonance with heaven and earth, a state of sympathy between heaven and man. Therefore, every move could affect the celestial phenomena...
The sorcerer and the warrior have different ways of communicating. The former's spirit leaves the body, similar to out-of-body experience...
The latter believes that there is a small world hidden within the human body, or that humans are part of the world..."
Many thoughts flashed through Zhao Duan's mind, and he handed over the control of clouds and rain to Pei Niannu, concentrating on sensing the mysterious charm.
At this moment, Sun Xiaozheng, the prefect who was far away in Taicang City, also hurriedly stepped onto the top of the city wall and looked in surprise at the large dark clouds stretching across the distant horizon.
There were flashes of lightning in the clouds, and they could be seen clearly from a long distance away.
"Was it Governor Zhao who did it?" Sun Xiaozhun guessed almost instinctively.
Time passes by little by little.
Finally, Zhao Duan opened his eyes, feeling the control of his body begin to transfer back to him, and heard Pei Niannu's voice in his ears:
"There's just one last bit left."
The Scarlet Flame Sacred Armor on his body had returned to its red color, and the Black Turtle Seal had dried up and no longer rotated.
Zhao Duan did not fall. He immediately realized that the little magic power he had left could only allow him to maintain the status of "Half-Step Heavenly Man" for a few dozen breaths at most, and then all his strength would be exhausted.
"The last bit of time cannot be wasted."
Zhao Duan glanced around, his eyes locked on the direction of the south city gate, took a step forward, and disappeared on the spot.
…
A chaotic battle was breaking out below the city gate.
When the heavy rain fell, Xue Shence immediately led the main force to chase and kill the rebels. Along the way, the soldiers who were sent out to "put out the fire" returned one by one, and they gathered into a considerable force.
And successfully bit the enemy.
Su Dan was extremely decisive. He left a team behind to rely on the South Gate to block the Beijing Camp, and he himself led the defenders in the city to evacuate first, while the military masters led the soldiers to cover their retreat.
They soon engaged in close combat with Xue Shence and others, which was almost a continuation of the siege not long ago.
Lang Shiba found the rebel general.
Tang Jinzhong was stopped by the monk Fanlong.
Xue Shence brandished the halberd in his hand, led the charge, and charged towards Lu Tong.
But this time, after entering the infantry combat, Lu Tong was quickly defeated and was beaten back step by step by Xue Shence.
However, the combat power of both sides was not much different, and the remaining rebels were fighting like trapped beasts, with no way to retreat, and for a short time, they were in a stalemate.
"Fanlong! As a warrior monk of the Shenlong Temple, you actually interfere in worldly disputes. I should enforce justice on behalf of heaven."
Suddenly, a cold voice sounded.
On the darkened streets, ripples spread across the air, and an illusory moon appeared.
Then, two figures slowly walked out from the moon. One of them was wearing a Taoist robe with white sleeves, his eyes were full of spiritual energy, and a green jade flying sword was coiled beside him.
The other one has long hair that falls past the waist, with tiny stardust flowing through the hair. In his hand he holds a staff with a golden eye. He has a slender figure and his legs are suspended in the air. He is the "transformed" Golden Tablet!
"The Heavenly Master's Priest!?"
Fanlong's pupils contracted, and without any hesitation, he swept the iron stick in his hand fiercely, and golden swastikas lit up on the stick.
Brahma Long, no longer concealing his Buddhist teachings, forced Tang Jinzhong to retreat, turned around and ran madly out of the city.
He ran away!
"Chase!" The flying sword flew out from Yuxiu's hand.
After the "transformation", Jin Jian raised his hand, grabbed the arm of his senior sister, and used magic to transform into starlight and head out of the city. The girl seemed to have matured a lot, and her tone was confident:
"Don't worry, he can't escape."
Fan Long's departure immediately tilted the balance. The sword-wielding rebel general was besieged by Lang Shiba and Tang Jinzhong. He immediately fell down, stabbed by swords and knives, and blood spurted from his mouth.
Lu Tong's pupils narrowed and he shouted angrily, "Retreat!"
At the same time, he suddenly turned around and shot an arrow into the sky outside the city.
This arrow was extremely special. It actually pulled out an illusory "rope" that pulled Lu Tong's body out of the city wall and headed towards the southern sky.
He actually shot himself out!
"Not good--" Xue Shence's face darkened. He was a pure warrior, and his martial arts were only suitable for the battlefield. It would be difficult for him to stop Lu Tong.
Once such an opponent escapes, it is almost impossible to capture him.
"He can't leave." Suddenly, a voice suddenly appeared in my ears.
Zhao Duan appeared out of nowhere, as if teleporting. He wasted no time and took a step towards the direction Lu Tong escaped.
In full view of everyone, he flashed to the top of the city wall and drew his sword with his right hand.
“clang!”
Zhen Dao suddenly drew his sword, and a bright blade light illuminated the dark sky.
Lu Tong, who was almost flying away in the distance, suddenly screamed, and the layer of energy around him was broken like window paper, and the person was broken into two pieces in mid-air!
With an expression of astonishment, he tried his best to "turn his head" and look back, and his eyes met Zhao Duan who was standing on the wall. The light in his eyes quickly went out.
One knife.
Only one knife was used.
Zhao Duan used up the last bit of time and cut off Lu Tong, the number one arrow master in the Yunfu Dao Palace and the highest-quality arrow in the world, in half with one sword, killing him on the spot.
Only the corpse and the bow and arrows on his body fell on the wet ground outside the city.
The next second, Zhao Duan's clothes were restored, the silver in his pupils disappeared, and his magic power and energy were almost exhausted.
He also fell back to the middle level of the world.
…
quiet.
The world seemed to be quiet.
Only the rustling of drizzle fell.
Zhao Duan shook the rain off the blade, sheathed the sword, and stood alone on the top of the city wall, overlooking the area below.
Xue Shence and others quickly killed all the remaining rebels, and then led the high-spirited army of the Beijing camp to chase them out of the city.
In the distance, the five military camps led by Yuan Feng were also approaching.
Further south is Shi Meng's Shenjiying.
"Escape is impossible." Zhao Duan looked at the rebels fleeing in the distance and murmured softly:
"We have already seen the outcome of this battle."
He sat on the top of the city wall feeling a little tired, quietly feeling the wind. It was only at this moment that he felt weak.
After an unknown amount of time, the drizzle gradually stopped, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the dark clouds, illuminating Zhao Duan on the top of the city wall.
Yuxiu and Jinjian carried a bloody corpse to the top of the city wall, threw it on the ground, and said calmly:
"Fanlong of Shenlong Temple, a monk with solid martial arts skills."
Zhao Duan looked at the two women. They were not injured, but their jade sleeves were pale, as if they had consumed a lot of magic power.
As for the golden tablet... well, the girl has returned to her "original form", with a listless look, huge dark circles under her eyes, and yawning while holding her staff.
"I haven't heard of it, but it doesn't matter. Xuan Yin's tricks are to be expected."
Zhao Duan said indifferently, staring at the golden slip, speechless:
"You haven't been lacking sleep during this period, are you really that sleepy?"
Jin Jian's palm-sized face still had delicate features, but his eyelids were droopy and his eye bags were heavy.
Hearing this, he glanced at him warily, adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and said seriously:
"I was on patrol at night. Sun Xiaozhun told me that patrolling for one hundred taels a night is considered protecting the territory and the people, and it doesn't count as violating the rules and interfering in the war."
Zhao Duan:?
Yuxiu:? ?
The money-grubber Jin Jian looked at the two of them innocently, mustered up his courage, stretched out his right hand towards Zhao Duan, and said confidently:
“Give me money!”
"...When you go back, go ask Sun Xiaozhun for the debt. It's not my business!" Zhao Duansheng sighed helplessly.
After sending away Jin Jian, who was about to die and beg for money, he asked people to deal with the corpses on the ground and pack up the spoils.
Xue Shence couldn't come back for a while, but there were still a considerable number of defenders left in the city, and Mo Chou also stayed in the city.
Zhao Duan simply took over the command temporarily, summoned military officers, ordered the soldiers in the city to withdraw, and sent people to Taicang Prefecture to convey a message, asking the "refugees" who had been driven away to move back.
"Fortunately, the fire was put out in time, and the damage in the city was minimal. However, it will take some time to recuperate, and that can be done by Sun Xiaozhun's group of civil servants."
"There are still some small, insignificant rebel groups nearby that need to be eliminated, but there's no rush. Besides, they should have fled to the Huai River by now."
After arranging some people to maintain order and clean up the mess, Zhao Duan went into the county government office to rest, temporarily using this place as a "temporary post-war command center."
He left the trivial matters to Mo Chou to worry about. He slapped his head and suddenly called someone:
"Go to the north of the city and call these two people over."
…
…
Soon, they arrived at the back hall of the county government office.
Zhao Duan, who was sitting down eating fruits, caught a glimpse of two people walking outside the hall.
"Congratulations, sir, for taking Ning'an and achieving a great victory!" Song Jinxi smiled and was the first to salute.
Nie Yurong followed beside him, with her head down, also busy congratulating him, but a little absent-minded.
Zhao Duan looked at the "Shadow Guard White Falcon" with a smile on his face.
I have to admit that this person's acting is really good.
He stayed in the government office for many days without revealing any flaws.
"Your Excellency has any instructions?"
Nie Yurong felt the scrutiny of the treacherous minister Zhao Gou and gradually became uneasy, but her face showed no sign of it.
"Please sit down. I suddenly remembered that I have something to ask you." Zhao Duan raised his hand lazily and pointed to the chair next to him.
Nie Yurong's eyes flickered, and she sat down respectfully. The two of them were separated by a narrow coffee table.
At this moment, Zhao Duan had just finished casting a spell and was in an extremely weak state. Although he had the realm, there was not much Qi in his Qi sea that he could mobilize.
There were only three people here, and the distance was very close. The masters beside Zhao Duan were also chasing the rebels, and most of them were not in the city.
Nie Yurong was eager to take action, realizing that this might be the best opportunity for assassination that she had been waiting for in the past few days.
Once you miss it, it will be hard to get it again.
But she always had a hint of hesitation, and her instinct as an assassin was subtly conveying a sense of unease to her.
The hall was very quiet. Zhao Duan didn't seem to be in a hurry to speak. He just chewed the bright yellow pear in his hand seriously.
No one spoke, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Finally, Zhao Duan placed the pear core on the fruit plate and said calmly:
"Are you still not going to make a move? If you miss this opportunity, it might be difficult for you to make a move again."
Nie Yurong's pupils trembled and suddenly shrank into two small dots!
Identity exposed!? Or... are you trying to trick me?
But the next second, she suddenly groaned, feeling a sharp, needle-like pain in the back of her neck! A sharp numbness swept through her body, making it difficult for her to move!
No!
Not an illusion!
There really was a thin needle inserted into the acupuncture point on the back of her neck!
Song Jinxi slowly withdrew his hand from the acupuncture point and smiled at Nie Yurong's incredulous look.
"You want to ask, with your alertness, why didn't you notice our attack? Oh, didn't you notice that from the moment you stepped into this yard, you could smell a faint floral fragrance?"
Nie Yurong suddenly reacted:
"It's the incense! When did you plot against me?!"
Song Jinxi rolled up his sleeves, with an arrogant and indifferent smile on his face:
"The name of Xiu Yi Zhi Zhi sounds intimidating, but after all, he is just a third-rate assassin secretly raised by Prince Mu's Mansion. He didn't even notice our methods. That's all."
Nie Yurong was silent.
She is certainly not a third-rate killer. As an embroidered uniform envoy, her assassination ability is among the best in the world.
However, Song Jinxi was secretly trained by the royal family of Dayu and was the most proficient assassin among the priests in the Martial Arts Hall.
There is already a gap between the two.
Zhao Duan smiled and explained:
"You didn't deserve to lose to the Imperial Court official."
She looked calm from beginning to end, as if everything was under her control.
Nie Yurong's body was paralyzed and she could hardly move, but she could still turn her head. Although her tongue was slightly numb, she could still speak.
Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and looked at Zhao Duan calmly:
"Did you realize from the beginning that I wasn't the White Falcon?"
Zhao Duan picked up the fruit knife and slowly peeled the apple. The apple peels were connected into strings bit by bit, and he said casually:
"No, I didn't notice it before today. Your disguise is flawless.
I was simply being cautious and wary of you out of due caution. I left you at the government office for a few days to test your will, to see if you would be tempted to take action when faced with readily available military intelligence."
Nie Yurong stared at him with a defiant look and said coldly:
"Aren't you afraid that I'll assassinate those ministers? For example, Sun Xiaojun?"
Zhao Duan shook his head:
"Since you came here for me in the first place, you naturally won't be so impatient. I'm more worried about Mo Chou, so I arranged for Ji Yue to guard her."
Nie Yurong expressionless: "Then?"
Zhao Duan said calmly:
“I sent someone to contact the local Shadow Guard to check, that’s all.
The situation was chaotic during the war, and the Shadow Guard system was severely damaged. Perhaps because of this, you had the confidence to take advantage of the 'information gap', disguise yourself as a Shadow Guard, approach me, deceive me, and try to assassinate me.
However, you are too greedy and haven't left yet."
He placed the long apple peel on the plate, smiled, and handed the peeled apple to the female killer's mouth:
"Have a bite?"
"Oh, I forgot you can't move now, so just watch me eat."
Nie Yurong took a deep breath, straightened her fair neck, and said with unusual calmness:
"Kill me if you can. I've received the most brutal training in the palace. Punishment is meaningless to me. You won't be able to get any information out of me."
She accepted her fate as a killer, but unfortunately, she never found her sister who disappeared when she was young.
Zhao Duan ate his apple and nodded:
"Okay, but before that, I want to see what you really look like."
Song Jinxi stood up and quickly removed Nie Yurong's disguise, and her true face was revealed before the two of them.
Zhao Duan was stunned.
(End of this chapter)
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