Chapter 783: Chapter 488: One Person, One Sword, a Thousand Troops Routed (5k)_2
Li Yinglong has passed away!
Zhao Douan held the blood-stained flying dagger between his fingers, his expression indifferent and somewhat absent-minded:
The figure who a year ago I had to look up to and painstakingly plot against, can be dealt with in just one strike.
"Mr. Li!?"
The two rebel commanders couldn’t stop it in time, they witnessed Li Yinglong being killed in an instant, feeling a chill rising in their hearts.
A single thought emerged in their minds:
"Worldly Realm?!"
Has Yama Zhao indeed stepped into the Worldly Martial Artist realm?
Xu Zhenguan did not watch the death of Li Yinglong, from the moment she stepped into the palace gates, her Divine Sense of the Heavenly Human Realm had swept over most of the Imperial Palace.
She continued walking towards the distant great hall without stopping, golden Qi Mechanism flowing from her palm like mist to her sword’s edge, exuding a hazy halo of Sword Qi.
The Taia Sword hummed and trembled in excitement as if drinking sweet dew.
"Not good!" The two commanders were greatly alarmed, wanting to resist but only feeling their bodies dominated by fear.
In the next moment, an almost rainbow-like vast and boundless Sword Qi swept through.
The "steel wall" built with the flesh and blood of the rebels collapsed and crumbled under the sword light.
Zhao Douan raised his right hand to shield his eyes; Mr. Zhao was kind-hearted and couldn’t bear to see the dead.
In a daze, he reminisced about the day three years ago during the Xuanmen Coup when the Empress, too, with one person and one sword, routed a thousand armies.
Except that, at that time, he was standing amongst those in the imperial guard, extremely inconspicuous.
This time, he stood beside the Empress, second only to one, above all others.
...
...
Inside the great hall.
Four female officials attacked Li Yanfu simultaneously with their swords.
This sudden ambush was so unexpected that the ministers in the hall hadn’t anticipated it, and even Kong Wu, who was the closest, didn’t have time to assist due to being held back by Ma Yan.
However, there was no panic or fear in Li Yanfu’s eyes. To his left, another veiled guard suddenly took action.
This slender guard, with fair and delicate hands, seemed to be a woman. With a swift step, she stood in front of Li Yanfu, extending a short saber in her hand.
The sword sheath was ancient and square, golden in color, inlaid with several gem-sized pigeon eggs, held in the left hand of this female guard.
The exposed bright blade was swung down into the air by her right hand!
This sword didn’t belong to her but to Li Yanfu. It was the same weapon that had long sat on the desk in Li Yanfu’s study, seen by everyone as merely a decoration.
Yet at this moment, as Mana surged from the woman’s body, twisted array patterns suddenly lit up on the blade.
Suppressing Object!
This saber turned out to be a rather exceptional Suppressing Object!
At the moment the blade swung down, a circle of azure ripples spread out, causing the four female officials’ expressions to drastically change. Their formed Sword Array was forcefully torn apart.
The four figures, amidst gasps, were struck by an invisible Sword Energy, flying back into the air!
The four female officials staggered back in small steps, barely stabilizing themselves, but all of them simultaneously clutched their chests, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths!
Silence!
A moment of quiet.
The smile on Dong Xuan’s face froze, while the light in Yuann Li’s eyes dimmed once more.
Ma Yan paused, exclaiming in disbelief: "Worldly Magician?"
As soon as he spoke, he turned and corrected himself: "No, not a true Worldly Realm!"
Li Yanfu chuckled as his gaze swept over the expressions of the ministers, turning to look at the female guard, and laughing lightly:
"Indeed, Li Qing is not yet in the Worldly Realm. I must admit, for a magician to cross that threshold is no easy task.
Though the Li family can spend a fortune to recruit strong figures from the Martial World, when it comes to major events like today’s cleaning of the court, not just anyone can be trusted."
The female guard held the short saber in her right hand, removing her veil with her left, revealing a young woman’s face.
This face was extremely unfamiliar to the officials in the hall, even Ma Yan had never seen it before.
But upon hearing the name "Li Qing," he understood:
"The Li family by the Huai River, a longstanding literary family, many of whom enter civil service, yet each generation also has a few who become military officers, pursuing alternative paths of cultivation. According to the Imperial Court’s intelligence, it was recorded that among the younger Li generation, there is a woman practicing as a magician, and it must be her."
Li Yanfu nodded, his gaze filled with sentiment as he remarked:
"Li Qing has quite a talent, already at the Divine Chapter Realm. Most importantly, she is trustworthy. It’s just a pity that for today’s event, her martial power is somewhat lacking, but if she wields this Chasing Saber, within the time it takes to burn one incense stick, it should suffice for most of the world."
Having said this, Li Yanfu turned back, smiling at Dong Xuan:
"That the female officials in this hall were hidden Tributors indeed caught me by surprise. As you said, Your Majesty had indeed made some arrangements, but unfortunately, how many skilled practitioners are left in this court?
The Sealing task is monumental, far more significant than guarding an empty shell of an Imperial Palace.
If Hai Chunlin were still here or had rushed back to the Capital, I might not have dared to storm the palace today, but alas... there is no ’if.’
So, Dong Xuan, if you have any more guards, you had better call them out, as I have over a hundred retainers behind me. Let us take this place as our battlefield and have it out, but if you have no more cards to play... even if not for your own sake, you should consider your family."
Grandmaster Dong’s face changed:
"Family? What do you mean? Li Yanfu, you wouldn’t..."
Li Yanfu chuckled:
"At this moment, the people I arranged should have already reached the residences of the esteemed men. Rest assured, I only intended this to prevent any chaos in the city, so I sent people to protect your families in advance, with absolutely no intention of threat."
The officials stirred in a fluster, with Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Lu Zhi, suddenly standing out, the newly emerged power figure who rose due to Zhao Douan angrily reprimanding: