Chapter 369: One Arrow Shoots Down the Python Dragon Flag
Chapter 369: One Arrow Shoots Down the Python Dragon Flag
Those who pass the liberal arts examination are called the civil examination, and those who pass the military examination are called the military examination.
Zhao Duan didn't know the origin of the name "Wu Ju Yi Zhan", but it didn't stop him from witnessing with his own eyes the sword with a murderous aura covering the surface of the river.
When Eunuch Hai drew out the Frost Sword, there was already a thin layer of frost on the blade.
When he flicked the sword with his fingers, the cold air that came out from the sword tip was three feet long.
The temperature on the river surface dropped suddenly, and the water droplets floating in the sky due to the rolling water snakes crystallized, shattered, and turned into grains of snow.
The fight was in full swing, and Lang Shiba, who was gradually running out of energy, heard the name of a move being called out intentionally from behind, and he suddenly drew up a breath of rich Qi in his Dantian.
With a loud shout, he used his broken tiger's mouth to tear the scimitar into a half-moon-shaped dazzling blade!
This sudden and unrelenting blow tore Duan Shuiliu's sleeves into shreds, and also forced Senior Brother Qingshan to interrupt his attack rhythm.
Lang Shiba took the opportunity to tiptoe and retreated violently in the air, moving to one side. He hit the water surface and stepped on the water with his feet, drawing a straight, thin line.
Take the opportunity to leave the battlefield.
Ji Yue who was underwater also felt the towering sword energy and the bone-chilling coldness on the thick river surface. He pulled hard with both hands, and the water snakes on the river surface collapsed and scattered.
Duan Shuiliu's pupils suddenly narrowed and he felt the threat in an instant.
He stepped into the air, and his grey robe lifted up behind him, revealing a body as solid as a rock. On his square face, his grey pupils reflected the cold air that was spewing out from the tip of the sword on the official ship.
The sword energy was very thin, but once it was released, it attracted the water droplets in the sky to condense.
With the sound of "crackling", it froze into an ice bridge.
One end was stuck on the deck of the official ship, with the sword in Eunuch Hai's hand raised towards the sky, and the other end was faintly condensed into an illusory dragon head, stabbing straight towards Duan Shuiliu.
Duan Shuiliu was suspended in the air, his feet still in the posture of walking on stakes, but he did not dare to be careless at all.
At this moment, he had no time to think, as his well-tempered body had already reacted a step ahead of time.
He put the five fingers of his right hand together to form a palm blade. Wisps of illusory "qi" that were almost like fireworks burned on the outside of the palm blade, causing the air around his palm to distort.
Duan Shuiliu slowly raised his knife. His movements were slow and clear. The two large ships and even the King of Huai'an who was watching the battle farther away could clearly see his movements.
But even with such a slow speed, it somehow managed to keep up with the rhythm of the sword energy.
Duan Shuiliu formed his right hand into a knife and chopped down solemnly.
"Ding!"
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the palm blade and the thin line of sword energy collided with each other, making a crisp and pleasant sound.
Silently, the space became quiet.
Then, Zhao Duan and Xu Jinglong saw at the same time that, with the point where the two men had fought as the center, the rolling river surface below had been covered with a thin layer of ice at some point.
At this moment, there was a "bang" sound on the thin ice, and cracks appeared, spreading wildly to both sides.
In the blink of an eye, the thin layer of ice was cut in half. It was not over yet, as the unfrozen river water was also split open.
Lang Shiba retreated in horror, unwilling to get closer to the cracks under his feet.
From the perspective of the sorceress with white eyes and red clothes who was looking up from beneath the water, the river water sprinkled with sky light was separated by an invisible force.
"Boom boom boom!!!"
The next moment, the separated river water healed again, colliding with a series of loud noises, and exploding fountain-like waves in front of everyone's eyes.
Duan Shuiliu's palms were covered with frost, his face suddenly changed and his body shook, shattering the ice and he quickly retreated.
Eunuch Hai had a blank expression on his face and twisted his wrist slightly.
"Ping ping pong pong..."
The thin line of sword energy that connected the two sides like an ice bridge suddenly broke into pieces.
Countless marrow-washing ice chips bombarded the iron-clad warship on the opposite side like bullets.
A series of loud noises finally awakened the people who had been stunned and speechless from watching the battle.
"what--"
The screams broke the silence. The private soldiers of Prince Jing's Mansion raised their shields, and Xu Jinglong also retreated hastily to avoid the sword energy that was flying at him.
Duan Shuiliu retreated back to the deck, stepped backward with his feet, took two steps back and suddenly lowered his waist, directing the tremendous force into the deck below.
The huge warship actually retreated several feet under the residual power of this sword.
Appalling.
"The Imperial Palace Worshiper, Hai Chunlin!" Duan Shuiliu's gray eyes showed surprise, and he blurted out the name of the unprepossessing old man opposite him.
Sea offering?
How could Xu Jinglong not know about this eunuch who was hiding in the palace and had been in charge of the internal guards during the previous emperor's time?
His cheeks twitched immediately. He didn't expect that when Zhao Duan went south this time, the empress would send such a legendary master to protect him.
Even though the current Eunuch Hai has long passed his prime and is no longer in his heyday, his solid foundation alone makes him incomparable to ordinary strong men in the world.
"Haha, you, the younger generation, can actually recognize our family?" Eunuch Hai smiled.
Duan Shuiliu's expression was heavy, but also mixed with a hint of excitement. He said in a cold voice:
"Although Hai Gongfeng has retired from the martial arts world for sixty years, I wonder how many people still remember the story of the senior who left the palace and swept the martial arts world and ventured into the mountains alone."
Eunuch Hai was quite pleased with the photo and said with a smile:
"How has Wu Xiankui been these years?"
Duan Shuiliu said calmly:
"If the worshiper wants to know, he can go to Qingshan and find out."
Eunuch Hai looked melancholy. He threw the sword in his hand back into the sheath with a dull look on his face. He sighed:
"I'm old now, not as good as I used to be. I'm no longer a match for Wu Xiankui. But it's not difficult to teach his disciples a lesson."
Duan Shuiliu remained silent.
In the fight just now, although the two sides were far from fighting to the death, the strength of each other could be seen.
Duan Shuiliu thought to himself that if it was a one-on-one fight, with his current strength at the peak of his powers, he would not be afraid of the old priest who had already gone downhill.
But if we add Lang Shiba and Ji Yue who are watching closely from the side, if we are not careful, we might really end up in disaster.
Naturally, the attempt to get the armor back also became a pipe dream.
"Senior Duan..."
Xu Jinglong looked at him anxiously, his heart sinking slightly. Then he saw this martial arts expert who had a close relationship with his father shook his head, then clasped his hands together and said,
"I'll come back someday."
Then, this notorious ruthless man sank his knees and fled away like a cannonball.
The person casually plucked a wooden hairpin from his hair crown in mid-air and threw it into the water. He stepped on the wooden hairpin, which looked like a bamboo chopstick, with his cloth boots and used it as a boat to escape into the distance.
Ran……
"Are all the masters of Donghai Qingshan so free from baggage?" Zhao Duan exclaimed in amazement.
Previously, there was Chai Keqiao, who was captured for challenging the emperor and hid in the imperial prison to avoid the enemy and refused to leave.
Later, when he couldn't win, he turned around and ran away, cutting off the water flow without any nonsense.
"Aren't you afraid of being embarrassed if it gets out?" Zhao Duan wondered.
Eunuch Hai glanced at him and said indifferently:
"Otherwise, how do you think that there is a legend that this man has never been defeated since he came down the mountain? Don't listen to the stories made up by the storytellers in the teahouse. The real people in the martial arts world are very shrewd. After decades of hard work and cultivation, how could they be so stupid as to risk their lives for a few words of reputation?"
"……Fine."
At this time, as the water flow receded, the heavy atmosphere of confrontation between the two sides began to ease.
Everyone understood that the fight was over.
"Your Highness..." The commander of the private army couldn't help but speak.
Xu Jinglong's face looked grim, but the scene before him was not completely beyond his expectations. He said coldly:
"Give the order to sail back."
"Yes!"
However, as the warship was about to leave, Zhao Duan's voice came over again, and he said with a smile:
"His Royal Highness is leaving now?"
The first sentence was still smiling, but the second sentence turned cold:
"Xu Jinglong, did I let you go?" On the third floor of the warship, the prince, who was about to turn around and go back to the cabin, froze and slowly turned around. The face on his neck wrapped in fox fur was slightly red, perhaps from anger or the cold wind:
"Zhao Duan! Don't push your luck!"
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Xu Jinglong, I don't want to argue with you. You can blame Duan Shuiliu for today's incident. I don't want to argue with you. But you come and go as you please. You don't take His Majesty seriously."
Xu Jinglong suppressed his anger and said sternly, "What do you want to do?"
"Nothing to do," Zhao Duan said quietly, "It's rude not to reciprocate."
He suddenly opened his right hand and said, "Bring me the bow."
Before everyone could react, the quick-witted Shen Juan had already stepped forward and presented the yellow pear wood bow in his hand.
This bow is not so good... Zhao Duan took it with some regret, bent the bow and put the arrow on it skillfully, raised it, and aimed at the third deck of the huge warship amid exclamations.
Then, without giving the other party time to react, the bowstring vibrated with a "whoosh" sound!
At the top of the warship, the yellow and black python dragon flag of Prince Jing's private army that was fluttering in the wind suddenly broke!
The flag fell and landed in the river in full view of everyone, creating a cluster of waves.
Zhao Duan dropped the wooden bow, laughed heartily, and was in high spirits:
"Go away, go back and say hello to the prince on my behalf, and tell him that you will visit him in person later!"
Xu Jinglong's face looked extremely ugly, and all the private soldiers of Prince Jing's Mansion changed color!
The general was beheaded and the flag was broken. They lost all face in this show of force.
"Return!" Xu Jinglong bit out these two words from between his teeth and immediately walked back to the cabin.
Soon, the huge ironclad warship broke through the waves and sailed away. It was majestic and towering when it came, and it was in a panic when it left.
……
……
The mountainside in the distance.
On that towering "observation deck".
The wealthy Prince Huai'an, known as the "foodie prince", slowly took off the lens in his hand and exclaimed in amazement:
"This time the lake pavilion is starting to get lively."
Xu Qian, who was also a "prince", but had a very different personality from Xu Zudi and Xu Jinglong, frowned and said:
"Is Zhao Duan really that arrogant? Shooting down the python dragon flag with one arrow is already an insult."
Xu Junling walked gracefully to his father and brother, feeling a little proud:
"I've said it before, if Xu Jinglong insists on staging this, he will only bring humiliation upon himself."
"Not necessarily," Huai'an King Xu An rubbed his face, which was stiffened by the river wind, with a thoughtful look in his eyes:
"Let's go, we've finished watching the first half of the show, it's time to go back and rest and wait for the second half."
Xu Junling looked at his father and asked tentatively:
“You mean Prince Jing’s reaction?
Xu Jinglong was defeated, but the matter was not over yet. When Zhao Duan came ashore, he would inevitably have a confrontation with Prince Jing.
Well, today, Xu Jinglong invited many guests on his ship, all of whom were children of local nobles who stood in opposition to Prince Jing’s Mansion or the imperial court.
He brought this boat with him, not only to find an excuse for a chance encounter during an outing, but also to show it to Zhao Duan and to the various forces in Huting City that had not yet expressed their stance and were hesitant...
Therefore, every move of Zhao Duan and Prince Jing will affect the success or failure of the court's opening of the market."
Xu Qian stared blankly at his sister who was talking freely, with a confused look on his face:
"Ah? Is it that complicated?"
Xu Junling was too lazy to pay attention to him. The elegant princess looked at her father quietly and said:
“How should we express our stance?”
The pot-bellied Prince Huai'an put away his lens. His small eyes on his slightly fat face were shrewd:
"If I do nothing, people will say that my father is a fence-sitter, that people like my father are most likely to get into trouble, and that no matter which side wins, they will have to settle accounts...
Haha, these people who only read books verbally are unwilling to use their brains to think about why among the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures of Dayu, either the local royal palaces suppress the noble families, or vice versa, the noble families suppress the royal palaces so much that they lose their temper...
Only in the Huai River Road, your father and the noble families are at peace?"
King Huai'an said this without explaining. Instead, he turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked down the stairs slowly:
"Let's go. Jun Ling, prepare yourself and bring a small gift. You can meet Zhao Duan in a private capacity later."
"My daughter understands." Xu Junling nodded slightly.
next to.
Xu Qian continued to be confused, stretched out his hand to grab his sister's sleeve, and said hesitantly:
"What did you two just say? The wind was too strong, I couldn't hear clearly."
Hehe...Okay, the wind is too strong...
Xu Junling looked at his silly brother with a doting look:
"Go downstairs and talk slowly when you get home."
"profound."
……
……
On the official ship.
Zhao Duan watched the warships leave, waved his hand, and ordered the ships to continue moving forward.
He turned around and walked back to the cabin. The moment he entered the cabin, all the disguised expressions on his face disappeared, and he looked at the old priest seriously:
"Eunuch, I noticed someone snooping just now."
Haitang looked surprised: "Really?"
She didn't sense it at all.
Eunuch Hai nodded and said, "On the hillside on the shore."
Zhao Duan asked: "Do you know who it is?"
Eunuch Hai glared at him unhappily: "Do you think I am a clairvoyant? Or a sorcerer who is proficient in exploration?"
I'm just asking... why are you so anxious... Zhao Duan complained in his heart and asked:
"What is the strength of Duan Shuiliu? Why didn't he stay just now, or why couldn't he stay?"
Eunuch Hai wanted to show off and say it was the former, but in the end he just sighed:
"I'm old. Warriors are different from sorcerers. Sorcerers get stronger as they get older, but warriors are going downhill after they reach their peak."
The tone was dull.
Haitang was not surprised. It was the law of nature that people would become weaker as they aged. Eunuch Hai had lived for more than a hundred years and still had the strength of a great perfection in the secular realm. This was enough for him to be proud of.
She said seriously: "If you humiliate Xu Jinglong like this, I'm afraid Prince Jing will not let it go after you come ashore."
Zhao Duan just chuckled, revealing his sinister nature:
"Would you like to make a bet?"
"What are you gambling?"
"I bet Prince Jing won't dare to do anything, well, at least in the next few days. I can't guarantee more. I bet I'll wash his underwear for a month."
"Okay... Hey, wait,"
Haitang immediately realized something was wrong and said unhappily:
"Can't you be more serious? Aren't you afraid that this will reach His Majesty's ears?"
Zhao Duan laughed, glanced at the old priest who pretended to be hard of hearing and was too lazy to pay attention to the younger generation's bickering, and said with a smile:
"Then it depends on whether the eunuch will tell on you. But considering the love the eunuch has for you, he certainly doesn't want you to be remembered by His Majesty for this kind of thing, right?"
The old eunuch in a dragon robe sat in the cabin, looking at the busy Huting Wharf on the river outside, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
It's great to be young.
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Next chapter will be updated before midnight
(End of this chapter)