The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 139 - 124, Eight years later, unsheathing the sword once more, to send Lord Zhao off to the heavens

On the silent long street, there was a breeze.

It made the banner hanging from the tea stall’s awning flutter, a huge "Tea" character, as elegant as a battle flag.

Zhao Douan’s muscles were tensed all over as he stared at the swordsman blocking his way and said with a sneer,

"Ghost Festival isn’t here yet, so why are there little ghosts running around in the mortal world? Could it be that my renown has already spread to the Earthly Realm?"

The ghost-faced swordsman didn’t mind his sarcasm and replied with a calm and collected smile,

"Indeed, you have a sharp tongue, which is no wonder you managed to win the Fake Emperor’s favor. But today, this ’ghost’ indeed plans to send you on your way to the Yellow Springs."

Fake Emperor... Zhao Douan caught the keyword and raised an eyebrow,

"Are you a rebel from the Kuangfu Society?"

The ghost-faced swordsman did not deny it but nodded with satisfaction and sighed,

"Since Grandmaster Zhuang left the Capital, there has been no leader amongst the dragons here, and it gave you an opportunity to slip in. You surviving was unexpected, and the fact that Iron Ruler Pass fell into your hands was even more so.

As much as I am loath to admit it, we have underestimated you. Who could have thought that a dog raised by the Fake Emperor actually had the fangs of a wolf?"

Zhao Douan let out a "Heh" and commented,

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

The ghost-faced swordsman responded indifferently,

"Of course, it is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have personally come to take your life. You should feel honored."

You’re trying to act so cool... no, who are you even... Zhao Douan mocked in his mind as a way to alleviate the tension.

He also realized that the street beneath his feet might be some sort of "Barrier" or maze, built over the original map of the Capital, through a certain method.

His heart sank.

With such a setup, the enemy must be extremely confident.

And rather than remain on the defensive, it was better to go on the offensive.

Zhao Douan clenched the knife in his hand and suddenly said,

"Have you ever heard the saying, ’Villains die of talking too much’?"

Upon uttering these words, his legs suddenly pushed off the ground forcefully, his trouser legs tightening like an arrow released from the bow, his unsheathed long knife pointing straight at the formidable enemy.

The ghost-faced swordsman was momentarily stunned but shook his head calmly and said,

"No, villains only die because they are not strong enough."

As he spoke the first word, the rough ceramic tea bowl he was holding spun into the air, hurtling towards Zhao Douan’s head.

The high-speed spinning tea bowl collided with the knife tip, and a spark was struck, followed by an explosion into fragments.

The bright knife blade trembled as it cut through droplets of brown tea, pressing into the tea stall.

"Ding!"

The next moment, it was blocked by a sword scabbard wrapped in hemp rope.

The ghost-faced swordsman still maintained his seated position, holding the sword scabbard with his left hand, blocking Zhao Douan’s long-prepared strike in the blink of an eye.

The robust force erupted with the sound of the collision.

The turbulent airflow, like countless sharp blades, tore the sunshade apart, turning it into a ragged mess.

"Ssst ssst..."

The layers of hemp rope coiled around the sword scabbard snapped one after another.

Revealing the body of the scabbard that was half red and half black—with extraordinary quality, at first glance, it was no common article.

Zhao Douan put all his force into his strike only for it to be blocked with ease by the opponent; although he was prepared for it, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

Without hesitation, he retreated after the strike, kicking at the table with his feet in an attempt to withdraw forcefully.

"Crack!"

The decaying wooden table instantly split into pieces, but the ghost-faced swordsman had already grasped the sword handle in his right hand.

Drawing it out slowly.

"Clang—"

The pleasant sound of the sword’s ringing echoed through the long street, and Zhao Douan clearly saw the mirror-like smooth sword blade slide out from the scabbard.

The sword’s edge reflected half a ghost-face on one side, and on the other side, Zhao Douan’s serious eyes.

An overwhelming Sword Dao spread out.

On the long street, the temperature suddenly dropped; it was the peak of summer, yet Zhao Douan felt an extreme chill at that moment.

As if he were in a night’s meditation, trekking through the snowy plains with Great Yu Grand Ancestor, facing an enormous cold stream storm rising into the clouds.

"What sword is this?"

Zhao Douan glanced in surprise as he saw a layer of mist appear on the blade’s edge first, then it was covered with a thin layer of frost.

…

…

"Cold Frost Sword?"

Earlier, at the Imperial Court, within Peony Hall.

With her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking heroic and vigorous, with flying knives filling her waist, the female detective Haitang from Lihua Hall asked in surprise,

"Are you saying, the genius swordsman who made a great name for himself in the Capital years ago?"

The person sitting in the main seat across from her was none other than the Peony Hall Arresting Officer.

Zhang Han had a pale complexion and his expressionless face showed a trace of solemnity:

"Yes. According to the intelligence we’ve obtained, the new Branch Leader of the Kuangfu Society in the Capital is indeed him. And he has arrived in the Capital to replace Zhuang Xiaocheng a few days ago."

Haitang’s expression looked slightly uneasy.

Upon arriving at the government office that morning, she had received an invitation from Peony Hall.

But she didn’t expect that upon her arrival, she would hear such news.

She lowered her gaze and read again the name written prominently at the top of the document in her hand: Gao Li.

Haitang spoke as if she were recounting a memory:

"I’ve never met this person, but I’ve heard his story, too. They say he was born into the Jianghu and experienced wealth and prosperity in his early years.

But then he faced great calamity and was taken in by a swordsman of the Jianghu as a disciple, inheriting the mantle of that school, known as the ’Cold Frost Sword.’

His talent for the Sword Dao was quite exceptional; even starting his cultivation at a later age, he entered the Divine Chapter Realm before the age of twenty.

It was also then that he stepped into the Capital, rose to fame in one fell swoop, full of youthful vigor, and caught the eye of the Second Prince, who admired his talent and sought to take him on as a retainer, only to be gracefully refused.

The Second Prince wasn’t angered, but instead grew to admire him even more. And because of this, Gao Li was fortunate enough to enter the Imperial Palace and perform sword dances before the late Emperor."

Zhang Han nodded lightly and added:

"Sadly, he was too headstrong in his youth, dizzy with the fame of being a genius, to the point of challenging the Tributors of the Imperial Palace to spar in front of the late Emperor.

The late Emperor graciously agreed, and Eunuch Hai couldn’t be bothered to deal with it, perhaps unwilling to stunt his eagerness to pursue the martial arts.

At first, they sent two cultivators with lesser skills to deal with him, but they were both consecutively defeated by Gao Li.

Gao Li, ignorant of his position and full of arrogance, bragged boastfully, prompting Eunuch Hai to dispatch a Tributor of equal Divine Chapter Realm to confront him.

Using the martial prowess of the Imperial Family, he was soundly defeated, unable to fight back in a pitiful loss."

Pausing for a moment, he elaborated:

"If I’m not mistaken, the one who defeated him was Lord Ma."

Haitang sighed as well:

"It’s said that after his defeat, his cultivation heart realm shattered, and he never recovered. Though the Second Prince tried hard to keep him, he turned his back and returned to the Jianghu... and has since vanished without a trace...

Unexpectedly, after the Second Prince suffered defeat, Gao Li reappeared and joined the Kuangfu Society."

As fellow Martial Arts Practitioners, although their stances opposed each other, it was hard not to feel some sorrow.

"This man has lain dormant for years, and although his martial progress has been halted, he is still a genius Sword Master honed through years of bitter training; I fear he might be much stronger than either of us."

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Haitang expressed her concern:

"Now, after years, he’s returned to the Capital, and I fear his arrival is menacing. As the newly appointed Branch Leader, the saying goes ’a new official sets fire three times.’ He must stir up trouble to establish his foothold within the Kuangfu Society, to command the respect of the rebels in the Capital."

This was a rational inference and an inevitability.

What would the New Leader do to establish his prestige?

One only needed to consider what the biggest blow to the Kuangfu Society was recently to guess the answer.

Haitang analyzed with a furrowed brow:

"When Gao Li entered the Capital, it coincided with the time the two from Iron Ruler Pass were rooted out. Our recent extensive manhunts have put the Kuangfu Society People on edge. Therefore, for Gao Li to quickly establish authority, the best choice would be to retaliate against us."

Zhang Han shook his head and corrected:

"More accurately, taking action against Lihua Hall would be considered revenge."

In the case of the mole, the ones who contributed the most were Lord Zhao’s Lihua Hall and Ma Yan.

But with Ma Yan’s formidable martial arts, if Gao Li had any common sense at all, he wouldn’t choose to bash an egg against a rock.

So, there was only one option left...

"You mean... Zhao Douan?" Haitang’s face shifted slightly.

Zhang Han nodded and said:

"After I received the news this morning, I thought of this, and had intended to call Master Zhao here to remind him in person.

But after inquiring, I found he was not present. His subordinate, Qian Kerou, informed me that Master Zhao was to enter the palace this morning.

So, I sent someone to deliver a message to his home. I called you here to discuss this matter. Gao Li is not a simple character; he’s not someone my Peony Hall alone can handle..."

While they were speaking, suddenly, a Jinyi rushed in hurriedly from outside the hall:

"My lord..."

Zhang Han and Haitang turned to look at him, the former asking:

"Did you see Master Zhao?"

The Jinyi, catching his breath, finally spoke hastily:

"I first went to Zhao Residence and only after asking did I find out that Master Zhao had already left for the palace early. Thinking that I, on horseback, might be faster than Master Zhao travelling by carriage and considering the matter concerned his safety, I took the same route towards the palace. But then..."

"What happened then?" Zhang Han sensed something was amiss.

The Jinyi, with nervous tension, said:

"After chasing him for a while, I barely caught a glimpse of Master Zhao’s carriage when I saw the carriage disappear into thin air!"

Disappear into thin air!

At this moment, both Zhang Han and Haitang stood up, their faces revealing shock.

They looked at each other, each reading the other’s thoughts from their eyes.

"This is bad..."

Haitang asked loudly, "Where did they vanish?"

The Jinyi, trembling with fear, named the street.

Without hesitation, the two grabbed their weapons and leapt outside.

They sent orders to inform the others, and each mounted their horses, whipping them fiercely towards the destination.

"Giddy up!"

Haitang spurred her horse with force, though in her heart, she held little hope.

The time taken for the Jinyi to report back and forth had already caused a delay.

And with Lord Ma not in the government office, she and Zhang Han would probably arrive too late, and Zhao Douan’s body would likely be cold.

As she contemplated the detestable fellow meeting his end at the hands of Gao Li, the female detective felt not a shred of satisfaction, only a sorrow as profound as if a rabbit mourns the death of a fox.

...

Silent, desolate street.

"What is this sword?"

While Zhao Douan was retreating in mid-leap, he was shocked to discover that frost was beginning to cover the blade of his knife.

Under the tea pavilion.

Gao Li, wearing a dark blue ghost-faced mask, slowly stood up and sent a calm thrust of his sword, sighing gently:

"After eight years, Gao returns to the Capital, yet things have changed. This first sword, I present to Lord Zhao to send him on his way to heaven."