The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 449 - 368, Wu Ju’s single strike

Booming...

The "city wall" that suddenly rose up from the river surface deflected the dense rain of arrows, scattering them everywhere.

This spectacular scene immediately drew gasps of shock and admiration, which soon turned into exclamations of amazement.

Zhao Douan leaned against the railing, standing on the deck, as he witnessed the rolling water wall churning endlessly. Even after a continuous three-round volley, not a single arrow could penetrate the "shield" formed by the waters.

"Quite a Tributor from the Capital, 'Yama Zhao,' indeed as rumored."

On the third floor of the warship, a middle-aged martial artist who stood beside Xu Jinglong with hands behind his back coldly spoke,

"I don't care whose armor it is, since it's on you, hand it over nicely."

After a pause, the tone turned threatening and the grey pupils revealed a fierce intent,

"That official robe might fool others, but I couldn't care less."

Zhao Douan finally turned to look at Duan Lishui, the Senior Brother from green mountain who was short in stature but highly skilled in martial arts. Zhao Douan smiled faintly and shook his head,

"I'm usually very aware of the way things are, but unfortunately, this time I am here on behalf of His Majesty. You may challenge me all you want, but you shouldn't have challenged the court."

Having said this, he gestured for the soldiers, who were still ready to continue drawing their bows, to stop, then glanced towards a corner of the deck and said,

"Aren't you going to make a move? What more are you waiting for?"

Along the way, he had taken this opportunity to evaluate the mettle of the two guards.

As soon as his voice fell, Lang Shiba, whose black hair covered one eye and sat cross-legged in a cyan robe, suddenly tilted his head back and poured the bowl of strong alcohol known as "burning knife" down his throat.

Then, with a "snap," the ceramic bowl he was pinching shattered, and he suddenly stood up, his movement causing the large green calabash wine gourd beside him to wobble like a tumbler. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Lang Shiba's right hand also quietly gripped the handle of his blade.

The sword laying across the lap of this blade man was not long—in fact, quite short.

Its design was not that of the Central Plains but the type of "curved blade" that came from the Western Regions.

Wrapped in a brown leather sheath, Zhao Douan had never seen it drawn since leaving the Capital.

"Yes!"

Lang Shiba spat out a short word, then bent his knees and the deck creaked under the strain.

Next, the Alcoholic Blade Man, like a cannonball, fearlessly flew towards the towering "city wall" on the river surface with a thunderous roar.

At the same time, the red-dressed female ghost Ji Yue also silently stepped out onto the deck.

As her calves touched down, the wind blew her red skirt upward against the current, spreading out like a scattering red flower, revealing her pale bloodless skin.

The water beneath her spread out into a vortex, and in the blink of an eye, she had submerged into the river, with only a mass of seaweed-like black hair drifting underwater.

"Kid, weren't you just asking about the origins of these two?"

Eunuch Hai's voice suddenly entered Zhao Douan's mind.

He looked in surprise at the old Tributor beside him, who wasn't wearing a python robe, and had gone unnoticed by Duan Lishui due to his disappearance from the Jianghu for many years, his appearance no longer known.

He noticed the old man looking forward with a pensive expression, lips unmoving.

It was clearly a "Secret Transmission," leveraging Divine Thought to speak to him.

A way to convey many words in a brief instant.

Eunuch Hai recollected,

"This Lang Shiba, just as you suspected, indeed served in the military, where he was already exceptional in martial arts, serving as an Assistant General in the Jubei City Army. He was particularly adept in Sword Skill, having studied under an old blade man from the Western Regions but merged it with Central Plains martial arts to create his own style, once known by the nickname 'Northern Blood Saber' and held some status in the army.

During one leave, due to another officer violating his wife in a drunken stupor and fearing discovery after sobering up, he threw his own wife into a well.

When this man returned to Jubei City and learned of the news, he was overcome with rage, stormed the camp, killed his comrade with his own hands, and slaughtered any officer who tried to stop him. He even killed many in the military who tried to hide the incident..."

"After the killings, knowing he had broken military laws and that there was no way out for him, he fled. Along the way, he killed several troops sent to capture him, finally falling down severely wounded, only to be unexpectedly captured by the Shadow Guard in secret.

By then, the Crown Prince had gradually taken over the Shadow Guard's operations and, upon learning his story, secretly had him saved.

As he had killed too many to re-emerge under his real identity, he was secretly kept in the rear lake, becoming a dead soldier of the Crown Prince. He even benefited from the disaster, achieved a Breakthrough, and climbed higher in the realms... After the Crown Prince died, he pledged loyalty to Your Majesty."

Zhao Douan was taken aback, not expecting there to be such a story. He curiously asked,

"And what about Ji Yue? Was she also saved? It doesn't seem like it; I see shackles on her body..."

Eunuch Hai said leisurely,

"That young woman is a traitor from a sect in the Eastern Sea Thousand Islands. Ha, back when the late Emperor was old, he sent people everywhere in search of treasures that could extend his life, one fleet went to the East Sea, encountering this woman. At that time, after a skirmish, where the court lost some men, they caught her alive.

Initially intending to use her life as a bargaining chip, coercing the extraordinary people on the island to give up their valuables, but they didn't expect such a fierce counterattack, only then realizing this woman was a traitor...

Later, they simply brought her back to the Capital for processing, imprisoning her in the rear lake. With nowhere to go, she also served the court."

So, that was it...

Zhao Douan muttered, listening to these stories of people with backgrounds.

...

"Northern Blood Saber? He's actually not dead?"

On the warship, the commander of the Royal Mansion's private troops behind Xu Jinglong was surprised, recognizing the identity of the blade man fighting against the tide.

Xu Jinglong, however, did not care about the Blood Saber; he gripped the railing tightly with both hands, intently watching the battlefield.