Chapter 620 The Empress Draws Her Sword
"Pooh!"
Zhao Duan held onto the railing and cursed with disdain. On the other side of the broad river, in the aggressive fleet, the faces of hundreds of people in the martial arts world changed drastically.
Many people showed anger.
You must know that Zuo Tang’s appearance here today represents not only this old man, but also the face of the entire southern martial arts world.
In other words, Zhao Duan's slap was equivalent to a slap in the face to all of them.
How could a warrior, who is naturally brave and aggressive, not be angry?
"You thief!" the skinny man said coldly:
"I've heard about this man's arrogance and domineering behavior. The rumors are indeed true. However, he didn't even give Alliance Leader Zuo the slightest bit of respect. Does he really think he can defeat us? Does he look down on us, the people of Jianghu?"
Aunt Gu, with her bulging breasts and quite attractive appearance, was staring at Zhao Duan's face with a greedy look. She glanced at him sourly and said:
"If you want to curse, then do it louder. Who are you whispering to?"
"you……"
The skinny man was annoyed, but he held the shoulders of the weathered man next to him who was carrying two swords.
Unlike the three men who were relatively restrained, many warriors farther away actually started cursing at the top of their lungs.
I can only say that some people really don't know their place.
On the warship, although Yuxiu and others knew Zhao Duan's character and style very well, they still looked worried.
In their opinion, the Shenjiying army was still behind them, and with only the current manpower, there was no need to take the risk of a head-on fight with the other side.
With Zhao Duan's wisdom, he could have solved the problem in a better way, but he chose to directly anger all parties.
"Tsk tsk, Zuo Tang, do you know how to control your men's mouths?"
Zhao Duan seemed completely oblivious to the murderous gazes, and raised his hand with a smile, pointing at a warrior who was cursing at him:
"You, that's right. What did you say just now? Speak louder. I didn't hear you clearly."
When the warrior was called, his heart suddenly tightened. He took two steps back and didn't dare to answer.
Since ancient times, the people have not fought with the officials. Even the warriors who broke the law with force were not stupid. They dared to shout because they were mixed in the crowd. However, not everyone had the courage to fight with Zhao Yanwang alone.
Zhao Duan pointed at a few more people, and everyone he pointed at shut up.
Zhao Duan couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw this, and his contempt grew stronger:
"What Binhai Wulin? Just a bunch of cowards."
Hundreds of people were enraged.
Zuo Tang had no expression on his face:
"Why must Commander Zhao humiliate me like this? If you have any anger, just vent it on me alone."
"Good! You are responsible!" Zhao Duan sighed, flicked his sleeves and said coldly:
“Old man, you pretend to be a hypocrite who serves the country and the people, but unfortunately, there are no people on both sides of the strait to support you.
Why don't you put aside your pretense? Prince Chen has rebelled, ceding territory to form his own kingdom. You are being manipulated by him, trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm to oppose me. Then show your true strength. You think you can retreat with just a few words? I won't have such a thing happen to you.
After a pause, he said with a dull look:
"I'm not interested in wasting time with you. Get out of the way immediately. Where are the musketeers from the Divine Machine Battalion?!"
At the command.
Clatter... On the three warships, soldiers took out their muskets from the cabin.
After peeling off the paper that was wrapped on the surface to protect it from moisture, in an instant, the black muzzles of guns locked onto the hundreds of warriors.
When the firearms were pointed at them, many people showed shock and drew their swords. Although they had not seen them before, they had heard about the power of the Shenjiying's new firearms.
Zuo Tang's heart sank, realizing that his words were useless. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Wait a minute..."
Unexpectedly, Zhao Duan didn't give him any time at all, and shouted angrily without any sense of martial ethics:
"Tang Ping, what are you still standing there for? Get moving!"
Tang Ping had been ready to make a move, and the scarlet flag he had raised suddenly fell down when he heard the words.
On the three warships, more than 200 musketeers pulled the trigger at the same time.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
A series of flames exploded, and bullets were ejected from the barrel at a speed far exceeding that of arrows, leaving a cloud of green smoke and shooting evenly towards the warriors on the small boats!
The speed of the firearms far exceeded the expectations of the people in the martial arts world. The warriors were on the boat and had difficulty moving, so they subconsciously wanted to draw their swords and chop.
But how can ammunition be deflected like arrows?
There was no time to react, and a sense of fear struck everyone's heart.
"How dare you!"
When Zhao Duan gave the order, Zuo Tang felt a chill in his heart, and his right hand instantly pulled out the unremarkable broken sword tied with a hemp rope at his waist.
The white-haired old man swung his sword diagonally, but it was aimed at the water surface.
The calm river water suddenly exploded into huge waves, like a wall of water rising up, intercepting the lead bullets one by one.
How horrifying is this scene?
The Nujiang River was swirling wildly, and bullets fell like locusts crashing into flames. What could intercept the bullets was definitely not just the cold water, but also the sword energy that rolled up the waves.
Countless sword energies were like tens of millions of steel needles, accurately knocking down the locust-like shallow bullets.
Withstanding hundreds of gunshots with the body of an old warrior, this skill is clearly at the level of a martial arts master.
Zhao Duan grinned and covered his ears.
I saw cannon shots blasting from the two warships on the left and right at the back almost at the same time!
Those were two ship-borne Shenwei-class cannons, which opened fire at this moment, bombarding both sides of the fleet.
Bombardment!
The Drunken Sword Immortal's pupils contracted, and he stomped his feet hard, causing the ship to retreat diagonally to the rear under the huge force.
The white-haired old man flew up, and gently rolled the broken sword in his hand. The raised water waves moved away, and the high water wall cracked in the middle, converging to both sides and condensing into two water mountains.
Zuo Tang held the sword in both hands, suddenly knelt on one knee on the water, and stabbed the sword into the water.
The two "water mountains" on the left and right spun like a storm, heading towards the two shells.
"boom!!!"
Accompanied by two explosions, the surface of the river exploded with huge waves. Hundreds of warriors scattered in fear, maneuvering their boats to keep their distance.
Zhao Duan looked down at the scene in amazement, and exclaimed in amazement:
"You can even intercept artillery shells. No wonder you have the guts to cause trouble for me."
However, he also knew that as the people in the martial arts world dispersed, it would be difficult for artillery to lock onto large groups of enemies.
The power of muskets also weakens as the distance increases.
The Drunken Sword Immortal had stood up by now, stepping on a small black-sailed boat. He raised his neck and put the yellow-skinned wine gourd at his waist to his mouth. Crystal clear liquid gurgled out and the rich aroma of wine filled the air.
The energy that was originally consumed by intercepting the artillery quickly recovered to normal.
Zuo Tang threw down the wine gourd, wiped the corner of his mouth, his face flushed, his eyes blurred, his aura increased instead of decreased, as if he had the momentum to block the river by himself.
"Be careful, sir." Tang Ping said vigilantly.
Jade Sleeves' expression was solemn as a jade flying sword slipped out of her sleeves and was grasped between her white fingers.
Ji Yue also secretly made some hand gestures and looked at Zhao Duan at the same time.
But Zhao Duan smiled and looked at the woman in white clothes and the fox demon mask beside him:
"It's a bit difficult."
Xu Zhenguan looked at it coldly and said calmly:
"Can't the governor deal with this man?"
The Empress was just there to watch the fun, and from the moment she appeared on the ship, there was no suspense in the fight.
Zhao Duan chuckled, suddenly rolled up his sleeves and said:
“Jin Jian is not good at facing the enemy head-on, especially in broad daylight.
Although the Jade Sleeve Priest's flying sword was fast, he did not seem to be as good as the old man in swordsmanship.
Ji Yue... Although this water is your home turf, you are not a warlock who is good at attacking. This can be seen from the two battles with Qi Yuchun in Yansuo Lake.
This Zuo Tang seems quite capable, definitely not inferior to Qi Yuchun. After counting on my fingers, I think I am the only one suitable on the boat who can also wield a sword."
As he spoke, he took off his outer robe under the nervous gaze of the soldiers and walked out onto the deck.
He suddenly grabbed the air with his right hand, and as the air rippled, a heavy knife appeared in his hand.
Zhao Duan leaped up and swooped down towards the lake like a giant bird, laughing and shouting:
"Just focus on those other petty thieves and warriors, don't let them interfere!
"Old Zuo Tang, I heard that you were once defeated by Eunuch Hai. I'd like to test you. How much more capable are you now than Eunuch Hai?"
One on one?
There was a look of surprise in Zuo Tang's sleepy eyes. He was surprised by Zhao Duan's boldness, and thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind.
His gaze lingered on the woman wearing a fox demon mask at the bow, feeling something was amiss. However, Zhao Duan had already leaped down from the air, leaving him no time to think. He simply laughed out loud:
"It is impolite not to reciprocate, so please, Commander-in-Chief, learn from my swordsmanship."
At this moment, the Drunken Sword Immortal thrust out his sword.
The two water mountains that were almost collapsed by the artillery shells gathered and moved together. With them as the core, thick water columns rolled up on the surface of the river, and the wind on the river became fierce.
"The old leader is serious. This guy surnamed Zhao is in trouble. He really thinks that he can compete with the old leader just because he is young and has had some opportunities? He is overestimating himself."
Aunt Gu stayed away from him, her whole body soaked by the cold rain, her clothes sticking to her body, outlining her seductive figure. She said this anxiously.
"Be a little more aggressive, and it would be best if we could teach the old leader to kill him right here. That way everyone in the world will know how powerful Binhaidao's martial arts world is."
The skinny man was holding a long oar, his eyes full of jealousy.
"Something's wrong. Those waterspouts are avoiding him."
The man with two swords on his back spoke with a sharp look in his eyes.
That's right.
If an ordinary cultivator suddenly encountered this waterspout, he would inevitably be in a panic.
However, Zhao Duan stepped into the air step by step, and the "Black Turtle Seal" held in his left hand in his sleeve was shining. Under the influence of the invisible water god's water-avoiding magic, the waterspout was like a servant, humbly making way for it.
Zuo Tang exclaimed in surprise, but was not too surprised.
His loose gown trembled, and with a hard step of his cloth shoes, one end of the bamboo raft under his feet suddenly plunged into the river, while the other end rose high.
The white-haired old swordsman smiled casually, floated up into the wind, put his left hand behind his back, stretched out his hand, and slashed towards Zhao Duan with the sword in one hand.
Zhao Duan followed suit, using the sword in his hand as a machete, and performed the Peach Blossom Sword Technique learned from the empress smoothly.
“Ding-ding-dang-dang…”
There were circles of sweeping waterspouts all around, and an old man and a young man were suspended in the air above the water in the center, with swords in their hands intertwined, and the light and shadow changed, making it very lively.
For a moment, it seemed as if they were evenly matched.
…
"When did the commander-in-chief's swordsmanship become so powerful? He was able to hold his own against Zuo Tang?"
On the warship, Tang Ping murmured in disbelief.
Although he was a military commander and skilled in the use of spears, he also had some knowledge of the way of the sword, but he was not very energetic.
Even Yuxiu and the other three women, while watching those martial artists vigilantly, couldn't help but feel surprised.
Only the Empress shook her head and explained softly:
"He's at a disadvantage. The reason it looks like a stalemate is because Zuo Tang is controlling the rhythm of the fight, slowly draining away his internal energy. Over time, he'll naturally show signs of defeat."
Several people looked at the mysterious "female priest" coldly, and inexplicably, they felt a strong sense of conviction.
It was as if every word and action of this female worshipper would make people subconsciously feel awe and faith.
This is indeed the case.
Sweat gradually seeped out of Zhao Duan's forehead. He felt that the energy in his body was constantly being drawn away by the opponent and consumed in repeated sword clashes.
It looked like a sea of flowers outside, but he, the person involved, could clearly sense that Zuo Tang's timing of each sword strike was extremely clever, and the energy consumption was kept to a minimum.
In comparison, the reason why I can bear it is because I am young and strong, with abundant energy and blood.
"Don't be blindly led by his rhythm. There are moves in the Peach Blossom Sword Technique to counter his moves.
In sword fighting, and indeed in all other worldly confrontations, the true mastery of the art is not about finding the opponent's weakness and then attacking, but about first putting oneself in an invincible position, waiting for the opponent to make the first mistake, and then winning without fighting.
Suddenly, the empress's voice reached Zhao Duan's ears.
He was shocked and began to adjust his moves.
Gradually, the offensive position turned into a defensive position.
In the eyes of many warriors, this scene was a sign that Zhao Duan was no longer able to fight, but Zuo Tang became more and more surprised as the fight went on.
Because in his eyes, Zhao Duan's fighting style was clearly fierce but full of flaws, but for some reason, he suddenly seemed to have come to his senses.
The sword in his hand gradually became integrated into one, like the heaven and earth, forming its own rules.
The empress continued to transmit messages non-stop, teaching Zhao Duan remotely about Zuo Tang's sword techniques.
In Zuo Tang's eyes, Zhao Duan became stronger and stronger as the fight went on, and he himself became more and more exhausted from being at ease at the beginning.
But how can this be done?
Is it that this guy surnamed Zhao’s talent in swordsmanship is so terrifying that it is beyond description?
Just by fighting, he could overcome the bottleneck that countless ordinary sword cultivators would take ten or twenty years to break through?
still……
In a trance, Zuo Tang felt that the figure of Zhao Duan in front of him was becoming more and more blurred.
Instead, there was the figure of a middle-aged man with a fair face and no beard, wearing rich clothes embroidered with money patterns, a melon-shaped hat, and a braid.
Zuo Tang seemed to have returned to decades ago, when he was at the peak of his career. As the leader of the martial arts world, on that rainy day, he met the palace priest with an unknown origin who smiled and threatened to destroy the martial arts world.
"I am the heir of Qingshan. How could I allow a eunuch like you to act so recklessly in the martial arts world? Want to challenge my senior brother on Qingshan? Fight me first."
Zuo Tang remembered that he was full of vigor and anger and used the sword that he was most proud of.
However, the old priest named Hai Chunlin simply picked up a branch and used it as a sword, breaking his Qi Hai Dantian.
A surge of anger rose in Zuo Tang's heart. He no longer cared about Zhao Duan's identity. He fiercely thrust out the long sword that Hai Chunlin had broken years ago, muttering in a low voice:
"Eunuch, why don't you die?"
Is this old man crazy?
Zhao Duan hurriedly stepped back and saw the Drunken Sword Immortal's scarlet eyes.
On the boat, the Queen of Yu sighed softly, shook her head and said:
"This guy is drunk."
Then she turned her head, glanced at Tang Ping's waist beside her and said:
"Lend me a sword."
Don't you have a sword in your hand?
Tang Ping was stunned for a moment, but subconsciously drew out the ordinary military iron sword and handed it over.
Xu Zhenguan sighed lightly. The royal family had been competing for six hundred years. What was the winner?
The empress thrust out a sword.
At first, no one noticed the charm of this sword, and they just thought it was boring.
But the next second, the river was split open by a brilliant sword energy, leaving a ravine hundreds of feet high.
(End of this chapter)
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