Chapter 721: 469. If the sky falls, I’ll bear it (5k)
Is it possible to return to the Capital, crossing millions of miles without relying on, or even needing to avoid, any assistance from others?
Zhao Douan also turned his head, looking towards the direction of the Capital, but he could only see the pale cold rain outside through the gaps of the dilapidated temple.
Amidst the background of rising war smoke everywhere, how easy is it to accomplish this? Especially with Zhenbao being gravely injured.
"Alright. We will set off tomorrow." He did not hesitate, nodding calmly. Since it’s the only correct path, no matter how many hardships and obstacles there are, he can only face them.
The eyes of the woman emperor sitting cross-legged on the altar showed a hint of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected Zhao Douan to agree so readily.
However, Zhao Douan had already started speaking to himself:
"The priority is to help Your Majesty stabilize the injuries within your body, then wait for this rain to pass, and when the weather clears a bit, I will locate approximately where we are heading, well, in general, heading north shouldn’t be too far off.
If we encounter people along the way, we can determine our exact location. However, we need to avoid major cities along the road. I still have a mask to change appearance here, unfortunately, it cannot be used by two people.
The rebels will surely step up their search for Your Majesty, so you urgently need to change your appearance. I can use some disguise makeup methods...
However, it is almost impossible to evade the rebels’ pursuit solely by disguise... Your Majesty will have to endure hardships on this journey."
In the face of calamity, ordinary people would have been anxious and preoccupied, yet after the Empress made a decision, he immediately began calmly analyzing the next action plan.
However, Zhao Douan did not feel anything was amiss.
He had already died once. A year ago today, he possessed nothing, so it’s just returning to that time when he was surrounded on all sides.
At that time, he could find a lifeline in the face of the clan annihilation crime of "letting the rebels go", let alone now when he is completely different than before?
Xu Zhenguan bit her lip, listening to the words of the subject behind her in the firelight, an inexplicable sense of reassurance emerged.
Indeed, if this guy’s hands were a bit more restrained, these words would be even more convincing.
"Have you reached the bottleneck of the Worldly Realm?" the Empress suddenly asked seemingly out of nowhere.
"A bit short, Eunuch Hai said that a martial artist must undergo the tempering of life and death to advance." Zhao Douan replied.
He was thinking in his heart whether after this journey, he could cross into the Worldly Realm, or even break through midway?
Xu Zhenguan did not speak again, the weary her closed her eyes, Zhao Douan did the same.
The topic of dual cultivation was not mentioned by either, and the urgent matter before them was to survive.
...
The night passed without words, and the rain stopped in the second half of the night.
The next morning, as pale daylight filtered in through the door seam, the master and servant, who had stayed awake almost all night, roasted and ate the two rabbits and a few birds they had caught. Zhao Douan gave the disguise mask named "Nine Changes" to the Empress, and opened the door himself, climbing to a high place to find a way out of the woods.
Though the day had broken, it was still overcast. After a night of rain, the entire bamboo forest was damp. Zhao Douan dared not go far and climbed a big tree, looking around, only to find that there seemed to be villages and towns in the northeast direction.
After returning to the Earth God Temple, he discovered that the Empress had already changed her appearance, transforming into the guise of a relatively plain palace maiden, coupled with a simple-colored men’s long robe, her three thousand strands of black hair were covered with a hat, resembling a demure maiden. However, the aura and dignity long cultivated in her were hard to erase for the moment.
After a night of breath regulation, though still gravely injured, she could barely stand. At this moment, she bit her finger, writing words on a piece of cloth, and using a bit of mana, consolidated a phantom jade seal, stamping it on the cloth.
"Your Majesty? What are you doing?" Zhao Douan was stunned for a moment.
With a pale face and an exceptionally gentle air, the Empress of Yu Country forced a smile, calmly folding the scroll of "Blood Book" and handing it to him:
"I am severely injured now. If the two of us encounter formidable enemies on the way back to the Capital, protecting me would only lead to both being captured. This is a draft of my ’posthumous edict’, carry it with you, and if it becomes critical, return to the Capital alone with the edict. It is better than having both of us captured by the rebels."
Posthumous edict!
After regaining her strength, the first thing she did was to draft a "posthumous edict" for herself!
Is it because she lacks confidence in being able to break through the siege alive?
Zhao Douan pursed his lips, his gaze not dodging, looking directly at the Empress who smiled and handed him the posthumous edict.
The next moment, he stretched out his hand to take the edict, throwing it into the extinguishing campfire charcoal, letting it ignite.
"Please forgive this minister for defying the imperial edict!"
In the Empress’s surprised gaze, Zhao Douan said seriously:
"I will never abandon Your Majesty to escape alone. Please retract your order."
Xu Zhenguan’s eyes showed a complex look, wanting to say something but instead let out a soft cry, as Zhao Douan carried her on his back, striding out:
"Your Majesty is weak and heavily injured, finding walking difficult. I have found the route, and we will depart now."
Xu Zhenguan dumbfoundedly, her mind somewhat blank, allowed him to carry her out of the temple.
Feeling the warmth beneath her, the sense of security from the broad back, she hesitated for a moment, not struggling free, and let him carry her northward.
Suddenly, Zhao Douan heard a gentle and indifferent voice from his back: "Can I trust you?"
"Yes." Zhao Douan responded without hesitation.
"Can I really trust you?"
Zhao Douan paused, lifting the Empress with one hand, using a strip of cloth to make a rope with the other hand, tying both the Empress on his back and himself tightly together, using much force, as if trying to merge her into his body, also conveying some kind of determination: