The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Such an opponent, once escaped, would be nearly impossible to capture again.

"He won't get away." Suddenly, a voice appeared abruptly by the ear; Zhao Douan appeared out of nowhere, as if teleporting. Without wasting time, he stepped in the direction Lu Tong was fleeing.

In the blink of an eye, under everyone's gaze, he flashed onto the city wall and drew his saber with his right hand.

"Clang!"

The Chasing Saber suddenly slashed, a dazzling saber light illuminating the dark sky.

In the distance, the nearly flying Lu Tong let out a sudden scream, the Gang Qi around him breaking like window paper, and in mid-air, his body was directly severed in half!

His expression was startled, desperately "turning his head" to look back, making eye contact with Zhao Douan standing on the wall. The light in his eyes quickly dimmed.

One saber.

Only one saber was used.

Zhao Douan exhausted his last bit of time, slicing the world-renowned high-grade Divine Arrow of Yunfu Road, Mu Prince Manor, Lu Tong, in half on the spot.

Leaving only the corpse and the bow and arrows on his body falling on the wet ground outside the city.

The next second, Zhao Douan's clothes restored, the silver in his eye sockets disappeared, and both mana and Qi Mechanism were nearly depleted.

He also fell back to the world's middle grade.

Silence.

The world seemed to be quiet.

Only the gentle rain was falling softly.

Zhao Douan shook off the rainwater from the saber blade, sheathed the saber, and stood alone at the top of the wall looking down.

Xue Shence and others quickly killed the retreating rebel army and immediately led the Capital Camp army, full of morale, to chase outside the city.

In the distance, Yuan Feng led the Five Army Camp approaching.

Further south was Shi Meng's Divine Mechanism Camp.

"Impossible to escape." Zhao Douan looked at the distant fleeing rebel army and murmured softly:

"I've already seen the outcome of this battle."

He sat somewhat exhausted at the top of the wall, quietly letting the wind blow, only now feeling waves of weakness.

After some time, the drizzle gradually stopped, and the sunlight shone through the cracks of the splitting black clouds, illuminating Zhao Douan at the top of the wall.

Yu Xiu and Jin Jian dragged a corpse full of blood onto the wall, throwing it on the ground, and calmly said:

"The Fan Long from the Divine Dragon Temple, a monk with solid martial arts."

Zhao Douan looked at the two women; they were uninjured, but Yu Xiu's face was pale as if she had consumed quite a bit of mana.

As for Jin Jian... Well, the girl had already returned to her "original form," her expression languid with large dark circles under her eyes, yawning while holding her Magic Wand.

"Never heard of them, but it's not important. Xuan Yin's little tricks were already expected." Zhao Douan said lightly, looking at Jin Jian, grumbling:

"You haven't been short of sleep lately, yet you're this tired?"

On Jin Jian's palm-sized face, her features were still delicate, but her eyelids drooped heavily under her eyes.

Upon hearing this, she glanced at him warily, adjusting the glasses on her nose, and said seriously:

"I've been patrolling at night. Sun Xiaozhun told me, during patrols, one night is worth a hundred silver taels. This counts as maintaining security, not a violation of rules by interfering in the war."

Zhao Douan: ?

Yu Xiu: ??

The little money-lover Jin Jian looked innocently at the two, bravely opened her right hand towards Zhao Douan, and righteously said: "Pay up!"

"...Go ask Sun Xiaozhun for the bill when we return, it's not my business venture!" Zhao Douan sighed lightly in resignation.

After sending off Jin Jian, who was asking for money at death's door, he called for people to deal with the corpse on the ground and pack up the spoils of war.

Xue Shence couldn't return immediately, but a considerable part of the defense force remained in the city, and Mo Chou also stayed inside.

Zhao Douan simply temporarily took command, gathered the military officers, ordered the soldiers to be rallied in the city, and sent messages to the Taicang Prefecture City, migrating back the "refugees" that had been driven away.

"Thankfully, the fire was put out in time, so the losses in the city were minimal, but it still requires a period for recuperation, which can be arranged for Sun Xiaozhun and his group of civil officials to handle."

"There are still some remnants of small rebel factions nearby that need cleaning up, but it's not urgent. Moreover, they should have fled to Huai River by now."

After appointing some people to maintain order and tidy up the aftermath, Zhao Douan entered the county government office to rest, temporarily using this place as the "post-war temporary command center."

The details were left to Mo Chou to worry about. He shook his head, suddenly calling someone:

"Go to the north of the city and call two people over."

...

...

After a short while, in the back hall of the county government office.

Zhao Douan glanced at the two walking in from outside the hall while eating melons and fruit.

"Congratulations, sir, on capturing Ning'an and achieving a great victory!" Song Jinxi smiled obsequiously, bowing first.

Nie Yurong followed, her head lowered, hurriedly congratulating too, although somewhat absent-minded.

Zhao Douan smiled as he assessed the "Shadow Guard Bai Sun," having to admit that this person's acting was really commendable.

After staying in the government office for several days, no flaw was revealed.

"Is there any instruction from the sir?" Nie Yurong felt uneasy under the traitor Zhao Gou's scrutiny, but her face showed not a hint.

"Sit down. Suddenly thought of something to ask you." Zhao Douan lazily raised his hand, pointing to the seat next to him.

Nie Yurong's eyes flickered, sitting down respectfully, with just a narrow little tea table between them.

At this moment, Zhao Douan had just cast a spell and was in a state of extreme weakness, with only the realm but little Qi Mechanism available in his Qi Sea.

There were only three people here, and they were in very close proximity. The masters beside Zhao Douan had gone to chase the rebel army, with most not in the city.

Nie Yurong was tempted for a moment, realizing this might be her best chance for assassination after days of waiting.

Miss it, and there might never be another chance.

Yet she still hesitated; her instincts as an assassin subtly transmitted uneasy emotions to her.