Chapter 619 Zhao Duan: Old man, are you qualified to talk about face with me?

Chapter 619 Zhao Duan: Old man, are you qualified to talk about face with me?

Chapter 619 Zhao Duan: Old man, are you… qualified to talk about face with me? (6k)

on the deck.

Zhao Duan slowly put his right hand back into his sleeve and stared at the fish floating in the river, as if thinking about something.

Counting on his fingers, it has only been a month or so since he was promoted to the highest level in the world. Logically speaking, it is impossible for his cultivation to improve in such a short time.

However, two unexpected factors greatly accelerated the process of cultivation.

"When Guhuo Zhenren died last time, his soul was shattered. His pure soul power filled my sea of ​​consciousness, which made my soul strength leap forward... Tsk, he's such a good person. Every time he comes to see me, he brings gifts..."

"As for the physical body..."

Zhao Duan lowered his head and looked at his belly... His belly was slightly bulging, which was a change caused by practicing "Dragon Controlling Technique" in recent days.

Well, as his understanding and mastery of Dragon Soul increased, every time he practiced breathing exercises, the flow of Qi in his meridians seemed to be enhanced...

In addition, worldly perfection is not a clear state, which is why there is such rapid progress in cultivation.

"But I always feel like there's still something missing. Sigh, perfection in this world is so hard to come by. When can I enter the realm of heaven?"

Zhao Duan sighed softly, but he didn't know that if such Versailles words were spread, it would be enough to anger all the monks in the world.

Turning back, his eyes swept across the deck. In addition to the soldiers operating the ship, at the other end of the deck, three graceful figures gathered together, lined up in a row, sitting on small stools fishing.

Yuxiu, Jinjian and Jiyue each held a fishing rod in their hands, which was stretched out high up, and the fishing line slanted down and dived into the turbulent water.

From time to time, a fish was caught and Jin Jian's loud shouts could be heard.

This girl might have been the reincarnation of a fisherman in her previous life. She recently developed a love for fishing and doesn’t even sleep in broad daylight.

However, given the speed of the boat, it should be difficult for any fish to be caught. Zhao Duan guessed that Xiao Jiyue secretly cast a spell to hook the fish onto the two priests' hooks...

Social phobia and people-pleasing personality are highly overlapped...

The "young master" Tang Ping, wearing white armor and a white helmet, is patrolling the river with a "thousand-mile tube" in his hand.

Looking further back, behind the ship under your feet, there are two warships following on the left and right, all of which are staffed by officers and soldiers of the Shenji Camp.

This is not the main force of the Shenji Camp. The real large-scale warship team is still far behind, led by Shi Meng himself.

In a sense, Zhao Duan personally served as the "advance team".

It was a sunny day at the moment, and the fleet had already penetrated deep into the coastal area. Along the way, they ran into several patrol teams of sailors belonging to King Chen.

But they were all easily defeated, and the large groups of enemies were not encountered yet.

However, Zhao Duan estimated that with such a massive march, Prince Chen and Prince Jing would have known about it if they were not blind or deaf.

"Where are we now?"

Zhao Duan asked casually when he saw Tang Ping put down the telescope.

Tang Ping hurried over and said:
"Further ahead, we will reach Yutou Mountain. With Yutou Mountain as the boundary, if we go further east, we will enter the core sphere of influence of King Chen. My lord, as expected, King Chen will not allow us to go deeper easily."

Zhao Duan sneered and said, "I didn't come here to ask for his permission this time."

Tang Ping was filled with admiration. This son of a general who had once provoked Zhao Duan in the Shenji Camp had already been deeply impressed and turned into a fanboy.

He nodded first, then hesitated and said:
"Although King Chen lacks experts, Binhaidao is within Qingshan's sphere of influence. The atmosphere there is very strong underworld spirit. It is said that King Chen has spent a lot of money to make friends with local underworld forces since he rebelled. If those underworld men join the war, it will be a big trouble."

Zhao Duan asked, "Are there any noteworthy figures among the bandits?"

Tang Ping hesitated and said:
"I don't know much about it. I only know that the contemporary martial arts master Zuo Tang has been living in seclusion on the coast for many years. He is also a descendant of the Qingshan lineage. In terms of seniority, he is the junior brother of Wu Xiankui. His nickname is 'Drunken Sword Immortal'. He is a ruthless character who reached the pinnacle of the world many years ago. However, he has been secluded for many years, so few people mention him.

As for the masters of other sects in the martial arts world, they can also gather a few of them to reach the worldly realm. "

The underworld forces in Dayu are roughly divided into two branches, the East and the West.

The branch in the west was relatively unruly and relied on aristocratic families, and many of them were recruited by the King of Hejian.

The eastern branch is mostly an extension of the "Qingshan" lineage, occupying Binhai, Jiancheng and Qingzhou.

After the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, these martial arts masters tacitly did not get involved in the dispute, but instead hid in the Binhai Road, which was in a state of "closed-door policy".

"Drunken Sword Immortal? He has a great reputation. But I wonder if he can withstand my gunfire."

Zhao Duan looked calm:
"As for the rest of the gangsters, they are nothing to worry about."

As he was speaking, Zhao Duan's ears suddenly moved slightly, and his mind spread silently into the cabin. A hint of joy appeared on his eyebrows, and he said calmly:
"I will go to the cabin to rest."

After saying that, he turned around and stepped into the cabin.

……

When I pushed open the door of my own luxurious supreme cabin, I saw that the window on the side of the cabin facing the ship's side had been opened at some point.

The river breeze blew in, and outside was the surging river surface.

A woman dressed in white, with her black hair tied up in a high ponytail and a dazzling red silk around her waist, was sitting cross-legged at the tea table in the cabin, eating cakes on a plate.

The woman was wearing a "fox" mask with a white base and red patterns on her face, and a long sword with a black scabbard was casually thrown on the brown table.

"Are you the Governor Zhao?" The fox-faced woman turned her head and asked in a low voice.

Zhao Duan took a deep breath, closed the hatch with his backhand, and said with a smile:

"My lord, see your majesty."

"Tsk, boring." The fox-faced woman casually took off her mask, revealing her stunningly beautiful face. Xu Zhenguan curled his lips, shook his head and asked:
"Zhao Qing, how did you recognize me?"

No, you didn’t change your clothes at all except for an extra mask… Zhao Duan complained in his heart, but his face was serious:
"Your Majesty's voice, appearance and smile have long been engraved in my heart. Even if it is reincarnation, three lives and three worlds, I can still detect the inexplicable marriage between Your Majesty and me in the crowd at a glance..."

The empress spat, her cheeks slightly red, and slapped the table lightly like a female knight wandering the rivers and lakes:
"Be more serious."

Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows: "Your Majesty knows me. I have always been a serious person."

brazen……

Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes, and the two looked at each other, but the king and his subject smiled at each other.

Zhao Duan walked over with his sleeves rolled up, sat down opposite the empress, and said with a smile:

"I was counting the days, wondering why Your Majesty hadn't come yet, but I didn't expect that you would break in through the boat window."

With the Empress's level of cultivation, if she traveled at full speed, she could reach Binhai in one day and one night, but in fact it took quite a few days.

Xu Zhenguan sighed softly upon hearing this, and said with some emotion:
"After I came out, I slowed down my pace and walked along the way. It was a rare trip for me to come out and observe the people's sentiments with my own eyes. I also had to return to the capital from time to time to handle government affairs, so I was delayed for some time. It has been a long time since I went out to travel."

Putting aside the last time when the empress performed the Fengshan ceremony, the emperor and his ministers were chased all the way back.

The empress seldom left the capital.

At first, because she was a princess, she could not leave without permission. Later, after she ascended the throne, she was busy with official duties all day long, and her every move would cause an uproar.

Therefore, you should not act rashly.

Obviously, this rare opportunity to go out for a walk is also a novel experience for her. The empress who travels around the world has changed her temperament from the majestic and graceful one in the past. She was even joking with Zhao Duan just now, which shows what kind of female hero she is playing.

Zhao Duan has lived two lifetimes as a human being, so he has a clearer understanding of this.

Looking at the charm and expression between the empress's eyebrows, which were completely different from those in the imperial palace, he couldn't help but be dazed for a moment, then he remembered that although the woman in front of him was not a girl, she was still young after all.

In the world before the time travel, I should be traveling around during holidays and checking in, and I would be forced to enter the blind date market...

Well, she endured something that she shouldn't have to endure at her age...

Although it was not quite appropriate, the woman in front of him gave him the feeling of a bird out of a cage.

It's like being in a cage for a long time and finally getting some fresh air.

"What's that look in your eyes?"

Xu Zhenguan was a perceptive woman. She sensed Zhao Duan's gaze and asked suspiciously.

"Ahem, it's just that I haven't seen Your Majesty in my true form for a long time, and I can't help feeling a little emotional." Zhao Duan habitually spoke in a glib way.

Can't control your emotions? The empress glanced suspiciously at a certain part of his body.

Zhao Duan coughed repeatedly and changed the subject:

"I have just been reporting what I have seen and heard since I entered Binhai."

Seeing that he was talking about serious matters, Xu Zhenguan also became serious. After listening to his brief report, he thought for a moment and said:
"So, you haven't encountered any decent resistance along the way?"

Zhao Duan nodded:
"Yes. But if we go further, to the border of Yutou Mountain, I guess even if King Chen is very patient, he will show up. Otherwise, once our fleet opens a gap, it will really threaten his core territory."

Uncle Chen... Xu Zhenguan recalled his memories of this prince, shook his head slightly, and said:

"I just hope he can understand the current situation. However, the decision of Chen Wangfu may not be made by him."

Zhao Duan's heart moved.

He had also inquired and learned that Prince Chen seemed to be a man with little opinion of his own and that the real owner of Prince Chen's Mansion was the "Princess".

It’s just that Binhai is not close to the capital, and he has never seen the couple.

"What are your plans for Xuwen?" Xu Zhenguan asked again.

Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"If my guess is correct, once Prince Chen shows up, Prince Jing won't be far behind."

Entering Binhai with such high fanfare, their whereabouts would certainly not be hidden from Prince Jing.

Then how can I force Prince Jing to come and meet me instead of taking another route and escaping back to the Huai River?

The method is very simple, which is to go straight to King Chen.

“Prince Jing wants to wrestle with the imperial court, and he won’t be willing to give up his ally, Prince Chen.

Therefore, no matter what they discussed, whether it was successful or not, as long as we contacted Prince Chen, Prince Jing would definitely not stand by and watch, but would definitely come out to disrupt the situation.

Otherwise, if we wait until we have dealt with him, or even win over King Chen, the Jiancheng rebels will be in real danger. "Zhao Duan said.

Xu Zhenguan's eyes lit up:
"So, this is another conspiracy. Xu Wen must show up."

"Yes," Zhao Duan nodded:

“I don’t know if he showed up, but just as I wanted to hunt him, he must have wanted to take advantage of me being in King Chen’s territory to get rid of me.

In this way, we can not only eliminate the great enemy, but also force King Chen to take sides, leaving him with no room for vacillation. "

Hunter and prey.

It is not a one-way relationship, it can also be mutual prey.

Zhao Duan smiled, his eyes seemed to penetrate the planks of the boat and saw Xuwen in the distance:

"He will guess that I have a trump card, but he will not think that my trump card is His Majesty."

Xu Zhenguan stared at this man who was plotting to conquer the world, and was a little dazed for a moment.

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard suddenly, and a shout came from outside the cabin:
"Commander-in-chief, General Tang, please get out quickly! Something is happening!"

……

Zhao Duan carried the empress out of the cabin and arrived on the deck.

Seeing that the deck was full of people, the three women who were fishing all stood on the deck, mixed in with a group of soldiers. Even a small number of palace servants who were resting in the cabin came out.

The young master was wearing bright silver armor and holding a teleporting tube in his hand. When he saw Zhao Duan approaching, his eyes fell on the female warrior in white wearing a fox mask beside him, and he was stunned:
"Who is this……"

He didn't remember there was such a person on the boat.

Facing everyone's suspicious gazes, Zhao Duan explained calmly:
"The palace maid, the helper I have mobilized."

He immediately pushed aside the crowd and asked: "What happened? What's the fuss?"

A female servant of the palace? When did she board the ship?

Tang Ping and others were confused, but they were sensible enough not to ask any more questions.

The three Yuxiu women frowned at the same time, feeling a faint sense of threat from this mysterious woman in white.

This shocked the female Taoist nun, and she was wondering where this master came from.
Or is he a powerful person secretly hidden in the court?
Just like Lang Shiba and Ji Yue?
But the threat was fleeting, as if it was an illusion. The empress restrained all her energy, making herself look very ordinary. She just followed behind Zhao Duan.

Tang Ping hurriedly said, "Sir! Look ahead!"

Zhao Duan walked out of the crowd and saw a mountain in the river ahead. At the corner of the mountain, a fleet of boats was slowly moving out.

This fleet was quite strange. It was not warships but mostly small boats. They were scattered here and there, but they came in swarms like a group of locusts.

Zhao Duan moved his eyesight, his pupils flashing with golden light, and he could see clearly that there were people from the martial arts world standing on those small boats, dressed in different styles.

"It's Binhai Wulin!" Tang Ping said solemnly:

"If I'm not mistaken, these people are local martial arts masters, and several of the leaders are the leaders of martial arts sects."

Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.

Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, glanced at the empress beside him, and explained:

"It seems that some decent people have finally come to intercept us. I wonder if these people represent Qingshan, King Chen, or both."

The empress was dressed in fluttering white clothes, and the red silk around her waist danced in the river breeze.

His eyes swept across most of the wanderers and only fell on a ship that was obviously much larger at the back of the center of the fleet.

Faintly visible, a white-haired old man stood with his hands behind his back, his loose clothes fluttering.

"Zuo Tang." Xu Zhenguan thought about it and recalled the name.

……

……

now.

On the other side of the river, local martial arts masters in the fleet were also looking at the official ship in the distance.

Everyone subconsciously held the weapons at their waists, with solemn expressions. A few people were eager to try and rubbed their hands.

"The ship ahead is the ship of the Grand Commander who is suppressing the rebellion, the Empress' husband."

At this moment, on the deck of a ship in the center of the fleet, a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt with a green stubble on his chin and two knives slanted behind his back spoke in a deep voice.

"Tsk, such a large and ostentatious flag can be seen from a long distance away. Apart from the man surnamed Zhao, who else could it be?"

The person who spoke was actually a woman.

She looked to be about thirty years old, quite pretty, wearing a well-cut cloth skirt, looking seductively, with a whip hanging from her waist, curled up like a snake.

At this moment, she chuckled:

"I heard that Zhao Duan has a very good appearance. Today I can feast my eyes on him."

Next to the woman, a warrior who was skinny and as strong as a big monkey stole a glance at the woman's swollen chest and smacked his lips when he heard her words:
"Auntie Gu, stop being so naughty. This Zhao Duan is not a little bastard from the underworld. Be careful if you get close to him, or he will cut off two pounds of meat from your chest to eat with wine."

The woman glared at him angrily at first, then smiled and glanced back:

"We are just a foil today. How can we be in the limelight later? Whether we can repel Zhao Duan or not, it is useless for us and these hundreds of people. The key is to rely on Alliance Leader Zuo. Right?"

All the masters from various sects on the boat looked at the white-haired old man in awe at the same time.

Zuo Tang had white hair and beard, and wore only a plain, loose robe.

At this moment, the river breeze blew in, and the robe swelled up like a balloon.

The old man had a hemp rope tied around his waist, with an apricot-yellow wine gourd hanging on his left side and a half-broken sword crookedly hanging on his right side.

When you get a little closer, you can smell the strong smell of alcohol. Combined with his red nose and blemish-prone face, he really doesn't look like a master.

However, in this world, the three people who should be most guarded against are: the elderly, women, and children.

It must be very difficult for someone to roam freely in the world with a weak body.

"Haha, Madam Gu, please don't flatter me too much," the white-haired old man grinned.
"I have been retired for many years. I am old and weak. I cannot compare with you young people. The rest are nothing more than a little qualification. As for the leader of the alliance, don't even mention it."

The old man spoke in a calm tone.

But when he opened his mouth, hundreds of warriors on both sides fell silent and looked at him respectfully.

It seems like "If I don't speak first in spring, no insect will dare to make a sound."

"but……"

The old man named Zuo Tang changed the subject and walked towards the bow step by step. With every step he took, the entire ship under his feet accelerated.

After taking ten steps, he had reached the bow, and the dock, which had been slightly behind, had already stood out like an arrow from a bow:

"When we face the enemy later, you don't have to be aggressive. If there is an enemy you can't defeat, I will take care of him."

On the galloping fleet, hundreds of warriors clasped their fists and said in unison:

"Long live the old leader!"

……

"Zuo Tang?"

Zhao Duan thought it sounded familiar, and after thinking for a while, he said:
"That 'Drunken Sword Immortal'? Your Majesty... you also know about that?"

Tang Ping mentioned this name not long ago.

Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly, and a faint voice came from under the fox mask:

"When Eunuch Hai left the palace and entered the martial arts world, Zuo Tang was still young and was the leader of the martial arts world.

The two sides had fought a battle, and Eunuch Hai was seriously injured. This was one of the reasons why he gradually retired and gave up the position of leader.

This matter has been circulated in the martial arts world for a long time, and I have also heard about it. In terms of seniority, this Zuo Tang is Wu Xiankui's junior brother, and Duan Shuiliu has to call him uncle."

Oh no, Lao Hai’s defeated general... Zhao Duan suddenly realized.

At this time, the other people on the deck also recognized Zuo Tang one after another.

Tang Ping's face slightly changed: "This person has long retired and no longer cares about worldly affairs, yet he shows up again."

The Jade Sleeve Priest concentrated on the question and said:
“I have also heard many stories about this person. It is said that his martial arts skills were only slightly inferior to Wu Xiankui in Daqing Mountain.

He calls himself the Drunken Sword Immortal, and his swordsmanship is superb. In terms of his attainments in swordsmanship alone, even if Wu Xiankui has been promoted to the celestial being for many years, he may not be much better than him. "

Oh no, what a coincidence, there is a celestial being with a sword standing next to me... Zhao Duan glanced at the empress, not panicking at all.

I even felt the pleasure of taking advantage of others...

But the others did not dare to be careless, even Jin Jian's face was tense:
"So powerful? Senior sister, can you beat him?"

The always proud Yuxiu was silent. After a moment, she shook her head and said, "It's hard to say."

After all, she hasn't been in the industry long enough, so she can't be careless when facing this old monster.

Yuxiu looked at Zhao Duan and reminded him:
"You have to be careful. It's not easy to deal with the Drunken Sword Immortal alone, and there are hundreds of martial arts masters. Don't underestimate the enemy. If you really fight, you may not get the upper hand."

When there is no big gap in top combat power, the number of people can determine the outcome.

Tang Ping waved the flag silently, and the three warships slowly stopped, supporting each other, and all the soldiers were on full alert.

At this time, the two sides were approaching each other on the vast lake.

And they stopped tacitly at a dangerous distance.

Zhao Duan stood at the end of the bridge and gave Tang Ping a look. The young master understood and shouted loudly with a sullen face:
"The imperial army is passing through, get out of the way!"

The energy wrapped around the sound and rolled across the surface of the river.

The white-haired old man looked over with a smile and said, "Is this Governor Zhao?"

Zhao Duan smiled and asked knowingly, "It is me. Who are you?"

The old man introduced himself:
"I am a wandering man in the martial arts world, nicknamed the Drunken Swordsman. Today I have the audacity to lead the Binhai martial arts world here, because I am entrusted by King Chen to ask Governor Zhao to withdraw his troops."

So direct? Zhao Duan said with interest:
"Are you the rebel King Chen's men?"

Zuo Tang shook his head:
"We are not subordinates of the king, but we were entrusted to come here because we couldn't bear the war affecting the people of Binhai Road. Now the world is full of smoke, and King Chen doesn't want the people under his jurisdiction to be involved in the war, so he has blocked Binhai Road for a long time.

Now, the governor is coming with powerful ships and cannons, which is something that even warriors like us don’t want to see.”

He has the air of a great hero, serving his country and his people.

Zhao Duan listened quietly and nodded in agreement: "That makes sense."

Huh? Zuo Tang, Aunt Gu and other people in the martial arts world behind him were stunned. This was different from what they expected.

Zhao Duan looked down at the crowd and said with a serious face:

"I now know that King Chen was forced to cede territory and govern himself in order to maintain peace under his rule. He really has good intentions.

However, the current situation has changed. I have already repelled the Jiancheng rebels in the Huai River, and Binhai no longer needs to block the river.

It's just right, all the knights follow me to see King Chen and ask him to return the military power. Isn't that the best of both worlds? What do you think? "

Zuo Tang and the others' faces changed slightly, and they said nothing.

Zhao Duan stared at him suspiciously, and his smile gradually disappeared:
"Why? You don't want to?"

Zuo Tang was silent for a moment, then pointed to the officers, soldiers, and ships behind Zhao Duan:

"The governor is not in a negotiating posture. How about this, the governor, please give me some face and withdraw your troops for now, and then we can negotiate."

Zhao Duan leaned forward, holding the railing with both hands, staring at him with a strange look, his face gradually getting colder:

"You want this governor to give you face?"

He looked at me with disdain and said in a mocking tone, "Old man, you are... worthy of talking to me about face?"

"What the hell, you're just making such a fuss," Zhao Duan turned his head and said, "Pah!"

There was a great uproar on the river.

-

Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of this chapter)