Chapter 447 The Dust Settles
Chapter 447 The Dust Settles (5k)
"In the second match, Zhao Shaobao wins!"
The spring breeze swept across the entire peach blossom forest, and the peach blossoms that were spinning and dancing in the air fell down one after another.
After a long silence, the commander of the Jinwu Guard who was standing on the sidelines and acting as the "referee" came to his senses, stepped forward and announced loudly.
While speaking, the look he gave Zhao Duan was filled with amazement and complicated emotions.
Yes, wow!
After the Buddhist-Taoist competition last year, Zhao Duan became famous by stepping on the young monk Tianhai. In the past six months, his reputation in martial arts has spread far and wide.
Just because of the existence of the "Tai'a Sword", almost everyone in the world believed that he was seeking fame and was a pawn sent by the empress, and they spoke up for Tianhai.
Of course, this view is not wrong. Zhao Duan's martial arts at that time were indeed not high enough, and using the Tai'a Sword was indeed a trick to a large extent.
——Even if he gains the recognition of the divine weapon, it is also a reflection of his own ability.
In fact, not only the people in the martial arts world, but also the warriors in the capital city privately think so.
Including many military warriors in the Imperial Guards, such as the commander of the Jinwu Guards in front of him, before this, they only admired Zhao Duan's skills in the court and his way of doing things.
But when it comes to martial arts...cultivation...
How could he be convinced in his heart? He just didn't dare to say it publicly.
however……
Today, just half a year has passed since the battle between Buddhism and Taoism.
However, Zhao Duan defeated Qingshan's top disciple Xiao Ran using only a peach wood branch...Once the news of today's battle spreads, it is conceivable that it will cause a huge sensation.
"Zhao Duan..." Chai Keqiao narrowed his eyes, feeling extremely complicated, while Qi Ye beside him had a face as red as liver.
The joy of victory just now is gone.
He "watched" the whole process, thinking that even if he played, he would hardly perform better than Xiao Ran.
Thinking back to his provocation half a month ago, and the injustice I felt on behalf of my good friend “Little Monk Tianhai” before coming to Beijing... my face suddenly felt a little painful.
"Concession!"
Zhao Duan smiled and clasped his hands together, then bent down and extended his right hand towards Xiao Ran who was lying on the ground.
Xiao Ran remained silent, refusing his "kind help", supporting his still aching body and standing up little by little.
Her injury was not serious, it was just that her energy was interrupted for a moment. That moment was enough for Zhao Duan, who was approaching her, to seriously injure her or even kill her.
"No need to pretend. If you lose, you lose. You can't bear the word 'acceptance'." Xiao Ran said coldly.
He picked up the soft sword on the ground, with his messy black hair, and walked back to the team silently.
Tsk... this little girl has quite a temper. She talks as if I'm happy to help you. There are risks in being a gentleman, okay? Zhenbao is watching you... Zhao Duan curled his lips and walked towards the empress.
He clasped his fists and saluted: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and won the battle."
Xu Zhenguan had a smile on his face, but he had to maintain his dignity in front of outsiders, so he just said "yes" softly and said:
"Thank you, Zhao Qing, for your hard work."
It’s not hard to share the worries of the leader… Zhao Duan almost blurted out a flattering word subconsciously, but he held it back.
When he walked back to the team, Eunuch Hai smiled at him:
"You use the Peach Blossom Sword well."
"It's all thanks to your Majesty's cultivation and my father-in-law's daily care. My colleagues in the Martial Arts Hall are united in purpose, and the palace maids are also very helpful." Zhao Duan said modestly.
Eunuch Hai was stunned after hearing this. He felt that although this set of words was not very sincere, it was inexplicably comfortable to listen to.
"Congratulations, Young Protector." A worshiper named Tang Jinzhong said seriously.
Zhao Duan patted his shoulder and said with a smile:
“Just do your best, no need to feel pressured.”
Tang Jinzhong, who was cold and silent, and best fit the stereotype of a "palace guard", nodded, held the scabbard, and stepped out of the line.
The referee shouted:
"The third match, Qingshan Chai Keqiao versus Wugong Hall's Tang Jinzhong!"
The people around finally came to their senses and remembered that there was one last game, which would also be the decisive game.
Chai Keqiao, wearing a linen shirt and straw sandals, stepped out and greeted Tang Jinzhong, who was dressed meticulously opposite him:
"Last time I came to the capital, I wanted to learn the martial arts of the royal family, but unfortunately I was unable to do so. Today, please teach me again."
Tang Jinzhong remained silent. He was under pressure to win the game. One could imagine the burden on his shoulders. He just said calmly:
"please."
……
In the crowd, Zhao Duan stood beside Eunuch Hai. The old eunuch in the dragon robe gathered his sleeves and looked straight ahead, but his voice rang in his mind:
"Watch out, fighting in the secular realm may help you break through in the future."
Zhao Duan held his breath and said:
"What do you think the chances of winning are, sir?"
Eunuch Hai was silent for a moment, then said:
"If Qingshan sends Duan Shuiliu, we will definitely lose."
Hey, you mean... have a chance of winning? Did Old Tang also hide his weakness before? Zhao Duan was surprised and wanted to ask again, but he saw that both sides had already moved!
Chai Keqiao was the first to move. He did not draw the axe from his waist, but a light green cloud flowed around his body and he rushed forward.
When he took the first step, green energy covered his entire body.
When he took the second step, the green energy almost condensed into plate armor.
When he took the third step, his complexion turned indigo, like a ghost or Asura.
Tang Jinzhong snorted coldly and hung his sword on his waist. He sank his knees, and with a "bang", a flame sprang up between his eyebrows.
Then, a two-meter-tall, translucent, armor-covered Buddha general suddenly condensed on his body.
"Remember that in the Six Chapters Sutra, you can learn from the ancients in the scroll? This Buddhist general is Tang Jinzhong's 'master' in the Six Chapters Sutra, and also his enemy. When he entered the world, he refined this ancient man into his own 'life god'...
You can roughly understand it as a weakened god, or the prototype of the God of War…” Eunuch Hai explained in a low voice.
Ah? It can be like this? So this is how we upgrade to the "Martial God" path? No... Then when I step into the world, can I also refine Pei Niannu into a "Destiny God"?
That's not right. Pei Niannu is obviously not a simple "painting"... She is more like a spirit of an instrument... And I can summon her now, without having to wait until the world... Well, every time I ask her to take action, the price is to copy ten chapters of a novel...
Zhao Duan hesitated to speak.
Moreover, if we talk about the "birth god", there is also a "dragon soul" sleeping in his qi sea.
Well, so, what will happen when I enter the world? I feel like it will be very different from you... Wait, stop imagining, focus...
Zhao Duan gathered his thoughts and watched the battle attentively.
"boom!"
After the phantom of Tang Jinzhong's natal god merged with it, it immediately condensed on the surface of the body into armor condensed by qi that covered the entire body.
The two men did not dodge or evade, but ran towards each other and punched.
As the four fists collided, violent air waves spread in all directions with the two of them as the center.
The empress raised her eyebrows slightly, stretched out a slender white finger and lightly tapped, and the battle wave disappeared in front of everyone.
"Boom boom boom..."
The two men fought each other frantically, with a constant roar. They even jumped up from the ground, flew into the air, and then fell down again.
After dozens of rounds, Tang Jinzhong punched out with a cannon punch, and Chai Keqiao flew backwards into the air like an autumn leaf. He took a few steps in the air, grabbed the axe and threw it downwards!
The axe suddenly became red hot, as if it had been forged in a thousand-degree furnace not long ago. It whistled and slashed towards Tang Jinzhong, but was suddenly pulled out by the high-quality long sword and knocked away.
Chai Keqiao was in mid-air, grabbed the axe that flew back and chopped it down again. With one blow of the axe, a hideous scar of more than ten feet long was torn on the ground of the peach forest.
Tang Jinzhong dodged sideways and then suddenly rushed in front of him. The two sides engaged in close combat, and the sound of weapons colliding was as dense as drumbeats.
"So strong... Whether it's the strength of his internal energy or his control over martial arts, they are incomparable to me who is in the Divine Chapter Realm."
Zhao Duan was concentrating, and the more he watched, the more frightened he became. His joy after breaking through and advancing was gradually replaced by awe.
In the past, he had witnessed the Secular Realm taking action several times, but he just watched for fun. Now that his cultivation has improved, he can see the tricks behind it.
Xue Shence, Master Dong and others were also concentrating intently. The former looked serious, and although the latter could not understand, they could roughly judge that the two sides were actually evenly matched.
The entire peach blossom forest was affected by the attack of two brutal warriors and suffered an unexpected disaster.
Despite all efforts to control the situation, more than one peach tree still fell down.
Finally, after hundreds of rounds, the armor around Tang Jinzhong suddenly expanded, and his natal god emerged again. This time, the natal god's eyes seemed to have some life in them.
The illusory Buddhist general from six hundred years ago glanced at Chai Keqiao coldly, grabbed a huge sword out of thin air and raised it high.
Tang Jinzhong also moved forward synchronously, holding up his long sword.
A scarlet murderous aura emanated from his surroundings, and vaguely the shadow of an ancient battlefield seemed to emerge.
Chai Keqiao frowned, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, but in the end he sighed and defended himself with his internal energy.
"boom!"
Tang Jinzhong swung his blood-red sword like a streak of chain and smashed down Chai Keqiao, not surprisingly, he was knocked down on the spot. He fell to the ground, dropped his weapon, coughed up blood, and raised his hand to admit defeat.
The referee commander stepped forward and said excitedly:
"Mr. Tang wins!"
wow——
It was not until this moment that the people around who had been holding their breath woke up from their dream and took a breath almost at the same time - they had been so engrossed in watching the battle that they had forgotten to breathe.
Win! Win!
Everyone could not hide their surprise, and Xue Shence was even stunned for a moment. He then looked at Tang Jinzhong deeply and sighed softly.
"what happened?"
Qiye and Xiao Ran brought back the nearly exhausted Chai Keqiao, fed him healing pills, and asked him about his injuries with concern.
They all saw that Chai Keqiao stopped at the last moment.
"This madman wants to gamble his life with me." Chai Keqiao's face turned pale and his eyes looked helpless.
The two of them were stunned for a moment and fell silent. Betting on life!
After a cultivator enters the worldly realm, his vitality is extremely strong unless he is surrounded and unable to escape.
Similarly, once the cultivators in the world have no way to retreat and fight to the death in an overdraft manner, they will become extremely ferocious.
Tang Jinzhong shouldered the honor and disgrace of the entire Wugong Hall and would rather risk internal injuries and choose to gamble with his life.
But Chai Keqiao was unwilling to risk his life for a mere duel.
"This group of priests are different from us. For us, this is just a competition, but for them, it is a fight for their lives." Chai Keqiao shook his head.
It's not that he can't win, he just doesn't want to gamble.
"Wow!" On the other side, Tang Jinzhong fell from mid-air, his knees softened, and he knelt on the ground, trying his best to support his body with the handle of the knife, spitting out a large pool of blood.
The priests in the Martial Arts Hall immediately rushed forward and fed him the prepared pills.
Eunuch Hai sighed softly, his python robe swaying, and walked to his side, pressed his shoulders, and transferred his inner strength, saying with both relief and bitterness:
"No need to talk, go back and rest first."
He immediately ordered someone to take Tang Jinzhong away.
Zhao Duan felt the mixed emotions of joy and sadness among the worshippers around him, and suddenly understood the weight of the four words "gap between the old and the new".
During the past six hundred years, the "Martial God" lineage has finally withered away. Tang Jinzhong is going to risk his life to force Chai Keqiao to stop. What are the chances of Zhen Bao winning when he competes with Wu Xiankui, the number one martial artist in the world who is almost able to break through the void with his martial arts?
"Today's competition ends here," Xu Zhenguan stood up and said calmly:
"Mochou, order someone to send top-grade medicine to both sides so that they can recover. When they are all well, send Qingshan's disciple away from the capital for me."
Everyone obeyed.
Xu Zhenguan looked at Zhao Duan, who seemed to be distracted, with her beautiful eyes flashing:
"Qing Zhao, please follow me."
Zhao Duan collected his thoughts and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I obey your order."
……
……
The martial arts test in Taoyuan was over, and as everyone dispersed, the details of the competition spread like a whirlwind to many people in the capital who were paying attention to the competition.
The imperial yamen, the governor's hall.
Today, except for Zhao Duan, the other eight gangs’ detectives gathered here. In the Lihua Hall, Qian Kerou, Zhao Duan’s confidential secretary, also came over.
They were not discussing any official business, but everyone was sitting around the round table in the inner hall, waiting for news from the palace.
"Governor, this meeting should be almost over. I wonder what the outcome will be." Haitang hugged her shoulders and leaned back in the high-backed chair.
Ma Yan, who was sitting at the head, glanced at the sky and nodded:
"It's time for the news to come."
A police officer lamented:
"It's a pity that the Governor left the palace a long time ago and is no longer considered a Martial Arts Hall tribute. I have something else to do today and can't go and see it in person. Otherwise, we could have gone with him to watch the fun."
Haitang rolled her eyes and said:
"Do you think that all the excitement is just for casual viewing?"
She was a relative of Eunuch Hai, but she didn't have the nerve to ask to go watch the fight. The main reason was not that she was too lazy to go, but that she didn't dare to go.
Just like, Ma Yan’s so-called “official business” was just an excuse, in fact, he did not dare to do it.
He didn't dare to witness the failure of the Martial Arts Hall's worshiper.
As for why Ma Yan did not participate, it was because he had been busy with official duties in recent years and had slacked off in his martial arts practice. He knew that he did not have as good a grasp of the situation as Tang Jinzhong.
And with his "worldly" state, he was unable to bully Xiao Ran and Qi Ye.
Similar to Xue Shence's judgment, Ma Yan also lacks confidence in this once-in-a-century competition.
"Tang Jinzhong has always kept his cultivation hidden, and he is willing to fight to the death. He has a good chance of winning against Chai Keqiao, who has just been promoted. But Song Jinxi is good at assassination. It will be difficult for him to exert his full strength against Qi Ye or Xiao Ran, and he will probably lose. As for the rest of the Divine Chapter Realm in the Martial Arts Hall, no one can stand out."
Ma Yan sighed, his face looking sad:
"It's a pity that they came too early. If it were a year... no, half a year, maybe Zhao Duan would be able to fight one of them."
One year? Half a year?
I’m afraid that by that time, that guy will have already entered the “worldly realm” and will also be unable to fight... Haitang sighed.
The air was dull and depressing. Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried horse hooves outside the hall, followed by the sound of horses being reined in.
Soon, a man in brocade clothes who had been waiting at the entrance of the imperial city came running in breathlessly, with a happy look on his face, and announced the good news loudly:
"Reporting to the Governor! We won! The Martial Arts Hall won! Best of three!"
Win?
Ma Dugong, who had a long face and a gloomy expression, stood up suddenly. Haitang, Zhang Han, Qian Kerou and others could not hide their surprise.
"Did Song Jinxi win the fight?" Ma Yan was surprised.
In his opinion, the two wins out of three games could only be won by the two most outstanding players, Tang Jinzhong and Song Jinxi.
The messenger Jinyi rushed to the front of the hall, shook his head and said:
"No...Mr. Song lost to Qingshan Qiye. Mr. Tang won against Chai Keqiao."
Everyone was startled, and Haitang couldn't help but ask:
"So, who won Xiao Ran?"
Bao Xin Jin Yi said:
"It's Zhao Jisi. Zhao Jisi has been promoted to a high-level divine level and will fight in person."
Zhao Duan? Is he on the court?
"My Lord has taken action?" The round-faced secretary Qian Kerou's eyes lit up.
Zhang Han, the king of facial paralysis, was surprised and said hesitantly:
"Did Zhao Jisi use the Tai'a Sword?"
The messenger Jinyi shook his head, his eyebrows and eyes were lively, and he said excitedly:
"No. Zhao Jisi didn't use a sword at all. He only used a peach branch."
Peach blossom branch? What kind of magical weapon is this? Everyone was stunned.
The man in brocade clothes raised his hand and pointed at the tree in the yard:
"It's just a branch from an ordinary peach tree..."
Then, he vividly recounted the story told by the priest of the Martial Arts Hall about how Zhao Duan used a peach blossom branch to perform his famous sword technique "Kai Tian" to defeat Xiao Ran, and how he worked together with Tang Jinzhong to win the small competition in the past century.
He only used the branches of the peach tree... He didn't even use any magic, and only relied on martial arts to defeat Xiao Ran head-on... Ma Yan was stunned.
It just seems unbelievable.
The other police officers also looked at each other in bewilderment. Haitang rubbed her face and said in a daze:
"Last time, when he fought Tang Zhao, he seemed to have used Buddhist techniques, right?"
No one responded.
Only Qian Kerou had a happy look on her face. She didn't hesitate at all and ran outside quickly, ready to return to Lihua Hall to announce the good news.
In her mind, any miracle performed by her master was perfectly normal.
……
……
Metropolitan Procuratorate.
In the rear yamen.
Imperial Censor Yuan Li sat in his "office", reviewing the thick documents sent by his subordinates. When he casually picked up a document concerning the appointment and dismissal of new local officials in Jiancheng Dao and opened it.
The handsome man with clear eyebrows, eyes full of vicissitudes, and slightly gray temples suddenly frowned and said to the clerk standing guard outside the door:
"Call Chen Hong."
"Yes."
The clerk left immediately.
Russian qing.
Chen Hong, a mature and experienced censor with a silver tooth inlaid on his face, walked over and bowed:
"I am honored to meet you, Lord Yuan. What instructions do you have?"
Yuan Li waved his hand with a serious expression and pushed a document across the table:
"You handed this to me?"
Chen Hong took a glance and said with a sophisticated look, "That's right."
Yuan Li leaned forward, looking serious:
"Are you sure? You must know that this matter involves the appointment and dismissal of new government officials, and also involves a nobleman, so you can't talk nonsense."
Chen Hong seemed to have expected this, and said calmly:
"Since I have presented this to Lord Yuan, it is not groundless."
"it is good!"
Yuan Li suddenly stood up, stuffed the document into his sleeve, and said:
"You will come with me to the palace to see the emperor."
Chen Hong glanced at the sun and said, "I'm afraid it's not convenient for Your Majesty to have a martial arts competition in the palace right now."
Yuan Li said calmly: "Just go into the palace and wait."
"Yes."
The two walked out of the backyard one after the other, and saw an imperial censor coming in from the gate. When he saw Yuan Li, his eyes lit up:
"Lord Yuan, the competition in the palace has come to an end!"
……
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of this chapter)