Chapter 161 Battle (3)
As someone from the apocalypse, Li Xiaoxiao has been in this world for five years, but the sense of crisis in her bones is only latent and has not disappeared.
Her intuition was always the most accurate when it came to danger and murderous intent.
Lu Ke wanted to kill her.
His entire aura conveyed this message to her, forcing her to be on guard.
He challenged her to a duel from the very first day she became a guard of the Eastern Palace; it was clearly intentional. Did he want to use this opportunity to get rid of her? But she and Lu Ke had never had any interaction.
Her gaze involuntarily fell on Emperor Jian'an and Li Chengyao, who had appeared with him today.
Perhaps, the ones who truly wanted to kill her were these two people, or more accurately, Li Chengyao.
She was the Crown Prince's biggest trump card. Li Chengyao suffered the greatest loss of his life because of her, and the first thing he did after his death was to get rid of her. She was not surprised.
But Emperor Jian'an tacitly approved of his actions, and perhaps even provided assistance, allowing Lu Ke to kill her on the stage under the guise of a martial arts contest.
The pledge has been made; if she truly dies here, under the watchful eyes of everyone, even the Crown Prince will be unable to avenge her.
Realizing this, she insisted that Lu Ke also sign the pledge, and the outcome remained uncertain.
Is she someone you can bully so easily?
Now that the pledge has been made, she has no more worries.
She parted her legs slightly, closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her entire aura had completely changed. A strong killing intent emanated from her, so intense that Lu Ke couldn't help but take a step back.
Having risen to the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards, Lu Ke had taken many lives, but he had never seen anyone with such a strong, chilling aura of killing intent that even he couldn't help but feel terrified.
The calm and collected demeanor on Li Xiaoxiao's face was gone; instead, it resembled an arrow poised to be released. Her gaze fixed on him was as if she were looking at a prey she was determined to capture.
Lu Ke suppressed the barely perceptible unease and panic in his heart and forced himself to assume a fighting stance.
Li Xiaoxiao launched the first attack, her long whip lashing out at him.
Upon seeing this, Lu Ke immediately drew his broadsword from his waist and slashed at her.
The sword was excellent, wielding a powerful blade. In terms of both strength and speed, it was the most formidable opponent Li Xiaoxiao had ever encountered in the Great Wu Dynasty.
The long whip wrapped around Lu Ke's body, and with a single pull, Lu Ke was sent flying into the air. But even in mid-air, he showed no panic; he simply swung his sword downwards, severing the whip wrapped around his waist in one stroke. The leather whip instantly broke in two.
The combat-experienced Lu Ke slashed at the unarmed Li Xiaoxiao before she even landed.
A commotion erupted in the audience. Meng Guanqi's heart was in his throat. His weapon had been destroyed in the very first exchange. What would Xiaoxiao do? Could Xiaoxiao possibly be a match for such a formidable opponent? Should he concede defeat?
Anyway, losing to him wouldn't be surprising. It's better to lose face than to lose your life, right?
Meng Guanqi decided that if Li Xiaoxiao really couldn't hold on any longer, and she refused to admit defeat, he would step in and make her admit defeat.
With the knife almost in front of her, Li Xiaoxiao threw away the whip in her right hand, grabbed the short sword at her waist with her left hand, and charged forward to meet it.
The short sword and the long saber clashed fiercely. Lu Ke rose up, looking down from a superior position, while Li Xiaoxiao, knowing the strength of the opponent, stood up and forcefully blocked from below. Neither of them retreated an inch.
Lu Ke believed that although his knife could not cut through iron like mud, few weapons dared to clash with it head-on. However, he did not expect that Li Xiaoxiao would block it with a short sword less than two feet long. When the two weapons clashed, he felt a huge force coming from the other party. The inconspicuous short sword pushed him away in an instant.
Lu Ke staggered back two steps, unable to remain calm any longer. This woman was incredibly strong, and she gave him no chance to react before charging forward again with her sword.
Her moves were completely haphazard, yet each strike aimed directly at his vital points. Lu Ke had intended to strike first and end the battle quickly, but each clash of his longsword required several times the effort to barely block her attacks. After more than ten exchanges, he was already showing signs of exhaustion, but her strength remained as unfathomable as a vast, boundless lake, showing no sign of slowing down her attacks.
Lu Ke had no choice but to fight her head-on for more than twenty rounds, and in the end even dodging became difficult.
The more he fought, the more alarmed he became. Any lingering hope he had had vanished without a trace. His secret orders were to kill her in public on the stage so that the Crown Prince would have no way to investigate. But now it seemed the order had been reversed; she was the one who had to kill him. Every move she made was aimed at his vital points, with no intention of hiding anything.
Lu Ke instantly understood why she was so insistent on him signing a death waiver; she was determined to kill him on the arena!
Now, let alone completing the mission, his most pressing concern is how to save his own life while she is completely innocent!
Thinking of this, he broke out in a cold sweat. The knife in his hand trembled slightly, which Li Xiaoxiao noticed. In an instant, the sword in her hand stabbed towards his throat. Lu Ke was startled and hurriedly raised his knife to block, but his lower body was left open. Li Xiaoxiao immediately kicked him hard in the chest.
Lu Ke felt a sharp pain in his chest. Before he could react, his body flew up and crashed through a pillar on the arena, flying out of the ring.
Emperor Jian'an gripped his wheelchair tightly, startled so much that he stood up on one leg. Those sitting beside him also rose to their feet, watching in shock as Lu Ke flew out and collapsed to the ground. The Imperial Guards rushed towards Lu Ke, shouting, "General!" "Commander!"
Someone lifted Lu Ke's body up. Lu Ke coughed and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, then immediately lost consciousness.
"Imperial physician! Quickly, call the imperial physician!" The imperial guards were in chaos, shouting all at once, and a young eunuch immediately rushed towards the Imperial Hospital.
Li Xiaoxiao slowly put away her short sword and picked up the whip that had broken in two, watching the scene with a leisurely air.
Some of the imperial guards turned around and glared at her, but she remained unfazed, patted her armor, and stared straight ahead.
How about that? Angry? Furious? Come on, bite me!
Li Xiaoxiao gave a cold smile, stood proudly in the center of the arena, and waited for the referee to announce the result.
But the referee had no time to care about this. Everyone was focused on Lu Ke, whose fate was unknown, and even the victorious Eastern Palace Guards dared not make a sound.
That's incredible! She actually kicked a third-rank Imperial Guard commander so hard that he was seriously injured. Was she hiding her strength all along?
Lu Biao broke out in a cold sweat. He remembered how he had boasted just half an hour earlier, telling her to jump off the stage and admit defeat. When they fought, she had let him off easily. If she had really used the same intensity she had shown when fighting Lu Ke, it wouldn't just be Lu Ke lying there now.
The imperial physician quickly arrived with his medicine box. Hearing that Lu Ke had been kicked in the chest and vomited blood, and that Emperor Jian'an was present, Physician Xiao and the renowned surgeon Physician Liu came together. The imperial guards surrounding Lu Ke quickly made way. Physician Xiao grasped Lu Ke's hand, and upon taking his pulse, his expression became extremely grave.
He released Lu Ke's hand and gave it to Physician Liu.
Doctor Liu first took Lu Ke's pulse, then removed Lu Ke's armor and clothes, and carefully examined him inside. His complexion was not much better than Doctor Xiao's.
Emperor Jian'an's face was expressionless: "Imperial Physician, how is Lu Ke's injury?"
Physician Liu said, "Your Majesty, General Lu's sternum is shattered, and eight ribs on both sides are broken. Moreover, his heart and lungs are injured. He needs to be taken to the Imperial Hospital for emergency treatment immediately, otherwise his life may be in danger."
Emperor Jian'an said, "He was only kicked, yet he's so badly injured?"
Physician Liu lowered his head: "Yes."
Emperor Jian'an turned to Physician Xiao: "Is this how you make the diagnosis too?"
Physician Xiao replied, “Your Majesty, Physician Liu is a master of orthopedics. Although my orthopedic skills cannot compare with Physician Liu's, my diagnosis is similar to that of Physician Liu.”
Emperor Jian'an asked blankly, "Can the person be saved?"
Physician Xiao and Physician Liu exchanged a glance, and Xiao cautiously replied, "Your subject will certainly do his best."
Emperor Jian'an was furious and slammed his hand on the armrest: "I want to hear the truth! What do you mean by 'doing our best'? I'm asking you, can Lu Ke be saved? Don't try to fool me!"
Physician Xiao hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "General Lu's life should be safe; we can save him."
Emperor Jian'an breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that he could be saved. But seeing that the two imperial physicians' complexions were not good, he couldn't help but ask again, "Is there anything else you haven't finished saying? Speak clearly all at once, lest a new situation arises. Is there anything I can't hear?"
Physician Xiao and Physician Liu exchanged another glance. Physician Liu stepped forward and had no choice but to reply truthfully: "We have done our best to save General Lu's life, but his bone injury is too severe. Even after he recovers, he can only walk upright like a normal person. He will never be able to lift heavy objects or engage in combat again."
If a third-rank military officer, the commander of the Imperial Guard, cannot be used in combat after being rescued, what is the point of rescuing him?
The entire scene was completely silent.
Li Xiaoxiao crippled a third-rank military officer with a single kick.
Emperor Jian'an turned around and looked coldly at Li Xiaoxiao, who was standing alone on the arena. His eyes flashed with an ambiguous light: "You are very good."
The Crown Prince stepped forward, subtly blocking Emperor Jian'an's gaze from falling on Li Xiaoxiao: "Thank you for your praise, Father. Li Xiaoxiao was challenged to a duel on her very first day at the Eastern Palace. It seems someone disliked her and wanted to take this opportunity to suppress her. I simply let her go all out and show outsiders on the stage that she was not just a name without substance, so that she could establish herself in the Eastern Palace in the future. As it turns out, she has not disappointed me. She has the strength to stand in this position."
He took all the blame for Li Xiaoxiao's actions.
Emperor Jian'an's expression changed slightly: "Did you tell her to do this?"
The Crown Prince remained calm and composed: "She didn't start this competition; she was just accepting the challenge. Moreover, everyone signed a waiver of life and death before stepping onto the stage. Given the life-or-death situation, it's understandable that she used a little more force."
So what if Lu Ke plays? This match was proposed by the Imperial Guards. Now that she has crippled him, with all the civil and military officials present as witnesses, those who are dissatisfied can only suppress their anger.
The Crown Prince smiled slightly: "The imperial physician should take Commander Lu away for treatment immediately to avoid wasting time... It was just a small competition between the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Palace Guards. I don't know who suggested that Commander Lu go on stage, which has caused him to end up in this state. It's truly heartbreaking."
The sixth prince, standing to the side, was pale-faced and his expression was vacant, his hands clenched into fists beneath his wide sleeves.
Lu Ke was crippled, a result he never expected.
It was he who persuaded Emperor Jian'an to agree to let Lu Ke take the stage, which was the best opportunity to get rid of Li Xiaoxiao openly and legitimately.
But he never expected that Lu Ke would be no match for Li Xiaoxiao and would be crippled by her.
This puts him in a more passive position than killing him.
Lu Ke did not volunteer for the battle. As the Crown Prince had said before, this was originally a war between guards. As the commander of the Imperial Guards, he insisted on getting involved. Winning would be dishonorable, and losing would be even more humiliating. It was Lu Ke who persuaded him by using the Jian'an Emperor as a pretext, making him believe that eliminating Li Xiaoxiao was a secret order given to him by the Jian'an Emperor.
Once he wakes up and realizes he's been tricked, how could he possibly let him off the hook?
Moreover, the Crown Prince's words immediately drew the approval of the high-ranking officials present. Minister of War Wu Xiuwen frowned and said bluntly, "This is outrageous. A dignified third-rank military officer should not have fallen on the battlefield to defend his country, but instead fell in a contest between guards. It is truly speechless."
The Sixth Prince immediately said, "Indeed, this was originally a friendly sparring match. Who would have thought that Li Xiaoxiao would be so brutal, crippling Commander Lu with a single kick? She was gentle and mild-mannered in her first match against Lu Biao, so why did she go all out against Commander Lu in the second match? Could it be that she did it on purpose?"
The Crown Prince's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to retort when Wu Xiuwen said without any politeness, "Is Lu Ke a three-year-old child? Doesn't he take the life-or-death contract he signed before the match seriously? He was clearly inferior in skill, so how can he blame the other for being more skilled? Besides, we all saw it with our own eyes. Lu Ke didn't hold back a single move. He lost because he was clearly weaker. What's going on now? He's blaming the other for winning too fiercely?"
The Sixth Prince did not expect Wu Xiuwen to directly refute him. His attempt to sow discord failed, and his face turned ashen.
Wu Xiuwen said solemnly, "Your Majesty, Lu Ke is no longer of any use. The Imperial Guards cannot be without a leader. Your Majesty should make a decision as soon as possible and select a successor. The safety of the capital depends entirely on the Imperial Guards, and we cannot be careless in the slightest."
As for the selection, it would certainly require the approval of the cabinet. Although the Imperial Guards were directly under the command of Emperor Jian'an, the Ministry of War also had the right to recommend suitable candidates.
The attention of everyone present immediately turned to who the new commander was. Lu Ke had already been taken away by the imperial physician for treatment. No one paid any attention to the sixth prince who had just spoken. Everyone secretly wanted to watch the show. Officials who had candidates in mind also began to consider how to push their people up.
After all, he was a third-rank military officer, and it was extremely difficult for him to be promoted under normal circumstances. Now that the position was vacant, who wouldn't want their own person to take it?
Emperor Jian'an's face was also very ugly, and he did not say a word. Liang Qisheng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the sun is getting stronger now. If you have something to discuss, why don't you all go back to the Taiji Hall to discuss it? You might as well get sunburned."
Everyone then realized that it was indeed too sunny, and they all used their sleeves to shield themselves from the sun. Emperor Jian'an felt his headache, which had not flared up for a long time, return, and said in a deep voice, "Return to the palace. Everyone else, disperse."
Liang Qisheng immediately arranged for the sedan chair that was already waiting to be brought forward, and helped Emperor Jian'an into it. A large group of people then returned to the palace in a grand procession.
Only the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Palace Guards remained on the arena.
Li Xiaoxiao jumped off the stage, slightly regretful, and said, "They didn't even wave the flag to announce my victory. This referee is completely incompetent."
The adjutant hadn't left yet when he heard this, and his lips twitched.
Lady, you've beaten him up so badly that the Minister of War is so eager to appoint a new commander of the Imperial Guards on the spot. Doesn't that count as a victory?
Seeing the Imperial Guards glaring at her, Li Xiaoxiao put her hands on her hips, striking a pose like a shrew: "What are you looking at? You have a problem with me? What's wrong? Can't I beat your commander?"
One of the Imperial Guards couldn't help but say, "Who said we couldn't let you win? But did you have to beat our commander like this?"
"that is!"
One kick was enough to cripple him; it must have taken immense force to cause such severe consequences.
Li Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows: "Wow, this is truly eye-opening. Are you Imperial Guards all from the Lai family? So sore losers? Didn't you see how he was trying to kill me with every slash? If I hadn't gone all out, I'd be the one being carried away by the Imperial Hospital right now. If he hadn't intended to kill me, would I have fought so desperately? When you're risking your life, what's the point of being cautious? Otherwise, ask Lu Biao if I ever thought of killing him when I was fighting him?"
The Imperial Guards all looked at Lu Biao, who shook his head blankly.
The two exchanged blows in a normal sparring match. Li Xiaoxiao clearly had his weak points but did not hurt him. Instead, she made him admit defeat and leave the stage.
But Lu Ke had gone all out against Li Xiaoxiao and had murderous intent, which Lu Ke felt. Not only him, but anyone who watched the match carefully must have felt it too.
Both sides are giving it their all, so why should they expect others to go easy on them? One wrong move and they might be the ones who die or get hurt, so they have no right to blame Li Xiaoxiao.
Li Xiaoxiao sneered, "Instead of glaring at me here, why don't you go to the Imperial Hospital and ask your Commander Lu who instigated him to compete with me? If it weren't for this person's meddling, this competition would have been just a small contest between a few guards. How could it have attracted so many spectators? He wouldn't be in this predicament. If anyone is to blame, it's the person who insisted on making him compete. This person owes Commander Lu a huge favor, ruining his entire future..."
She wouldn't admit that it was her fault for beating Lu Ke like that; she'd blame the person who insisted on putting him on the field.
Can't she kill the person who tried to kill her?
The Imperial Guards immediately disagreed. Logically, Commander Lu shouldn't have been required to participate in the competition. Now that his future had been ruined, shouldn't he be going after that person? Why were they surrounding Li Xiaoxiao?
The Imperial Guards scattered in all directions; those who had come to watch the spectacle returned to their camps, while those who were on good terms with Lu Ke went to the Imperial Hospital.
Lu Biao stood in front of Li Xiaoxiao with a complicated expression: "Your fifth uncle even asked me to go easy on you. He probably didn't know you had this kind of strength, right?"
Li Xiaoxiao patted the dust off her armor again: "Actually, besides being a little strong, I don't have much strength..."
Lu Biao's lips twitched, and Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "See, you don't believe me when I tell the truth. Our General Pang always says that I'm not ambitious and that my martial arts skills are a mess, without any method whatsoever."
So, does that mean "a novice can defeat a master with a flurry of punches"?
Lu Biao gave a bitter smile, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed, lowered his head and walked away.
If Zhu Sijie hadn't been holding Meng Guanqi back, he wouldn't have wanted to leave at all. He just wanted to leave with Li Xiaoxiao, but with so many people from the Eastern Palace Guard watching, it wasn't the place to talk.
He could only ask him the details when he got home that evening.
Only after leaving the training ground and losing sight of Li Xiaoxiao did Zhu Sijie exclaim in surprise, "Brother Meng, I never knew your wife was so skilled! May I ask who her teacher is?"
Meng Guanqi vehemently denied it: "She's just a bit stronger. She never uses weapons or swords, let alone studies under any famous master."
Zhu Sijie gave him a "you're kidding me" look: "Brother Meng is too modest. Your wife crippled a third-rank military officer with a single kick. In less than two days, no, less than a day, her legend will be all over the capital. Do you believe it?"
Meng Guanqi's heart sank. After news of Li Xiaoxiao's victory spread, it would be impossible for her to keep a low profile any longer.
After the Imperial Guards left, Li Xiaoxiao jumped down. Apart from Pang Shi, the other guards of the Eastern Palace Guard Camp couldn't help but take a step back, their faces showing more fear than excitement.
Pang Shi shouted, "What are you afraid of? Our Eastern Palace guards have won this battle. Cheer up! When you see the Imperial Guards in the future, stand tall and don't act like you owe them something. You all signed a pledge before the battle. Do you think they would dare to seek revenge after we lost?"
The guards of the Eastern Palace were relieved and replied in unison, "Yes!"
Pang Shi stepped forward and patted Li Xiaoxiao on the shoulder: "Well done! I thought you'd have a tough time. I've sparred with Lu Ke twice, and I was no match for his big sword both times..."
He sighed, "Strength can overcome any technique. Today, seeing your power overwhelm Lu Ke, I realized that in the face of sufficient strength, no technique or skill is useful. Just thinking about how to neutralize your power has already exhausted all my energy, and I simply don't have the strength to fight back."
Li Xiaoxiao remained noncommittal. Pang Shi looked around, pulled her a few steps away, and whispered, "Tell me the truth, could you kill him on the spot?"
Li Xiaoxiao gave him a wary look.
Pang Shi said, "It's alright if you don't tell me. His Highness will ask you anyway when he comes back. Have you thought about how to answer?"
Li Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "He wanted to kill me first. I sensed his murderous intent first... I asked myself if I had any dealings with Lu Ke. Why did he want to kill me right away? There must be someone behind this, trying to use this arena to let Lu Ke kill me openly and without taking responsibility. So why can't I turn the tables and make him suffer the consequences?"
At this point, she snorted coldly: "But then I thought, if Lu Ke died so easily, wouldn't the people who instigated him have no worries at all? And he was able to reach the rank of a third-grade military officer, so his family background must be quite impressive, right? That's why I didn't kill him, but crippled him, ending his career. If he survives, wouldn't he hate the person who put him in power? This person is so eager to kill me, he must be the Crown Prince's enemy. Letting them fight like dogs will only benefit us."
In such a tense situation, she still managed to think of this. Pang Shi couldn't help but give her a thumbs up. According to her, crippling Lu Ke was much more effective than killing him directly.
Li Xiaoxiao whispered to Pang Shi, "Now that Lu Ke has gone to the Imperial Hospital for emergency treatment, you have to send someone to keep an eye on him. Make sure no one finds an opportunity to kill him and frame me. Both imperial physicians said they could save his life. If he dies in the palace, it will be as if I killed him."
Pang Shi's heart skipped a beat, but his eyes remained firm: "Don't worry, I'll have people keep a close eye on the Imperial Hospital and also inform His Highness."
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