No one mentioned the "Empress," and in the official propaganda, Zhao Douan's strange disappearance that day was defined as "colluding with demons to assassinate the Empress."
Therefore, Ouyang Ye and others are under the banner of capturing "the Zhao thief."
"Baihua Village? He hasn't left?" Ouyang Ye's eyes lit up, "That's quite surprising, is he too tired to run?"
Beside him, Yao Shiniang suddenly said sinisterly: "He is probably still healing."
The last time she burned her lifespan to prompt the lamp god, her hatred towards the court and Zhao Douan had reached the extreme.
"Ha, no surprise, but even if that Fake Emperor's injuries are healed, he'll at most be in the Worldly Realm, and we are well-prepared this time, enough to counter it."
Ouyang Ye sneered, stood up, and walked out of the county government, looking at the elite rebel forces lined up in the courtyard.
There, soldiers donned in armored gear and equipped with magic artifact armor, wielding long magic artifact blades, and Forbidden Magic Crossbow Arrows hanging from their waists were seen, with some carrying golden nets at their waists.
Aligning with the military formation, they were sufficient to deal with worldly martial artists head-on.
"Move out, to Baihua Village, and capture those adulterers!" Ouyang Ye's eyes were cold.
In the courtyard, the private army of Prince Jing Mansion responded in unison:
"Yes, sir!"
...
Afternoon.
Xu Zhenguan, wearing a kerchief, was cutting grass in the flower fields, as the Emperor dealing in agriculture has always been part of ancient rites.
Aside from teaching successive emperors about cultivation, doing these things as an Emperor could subtly stabilize the Dragon Qi.
The sun was scorching, Xu Zhenguan raised her head from the flower bushes, wiped the fragrant sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief, and looked towards the mountain peaks behind the village.
She knew Zhao Douan was in the temple on the mountain, and after several days, Zhao Douan was only a breath away from ascending, according to her estimation, perhaps in a day or two, he could break through.
"When the time comes, heaven and earth will assist, could it be the luck I accumulated is taking effect here, allowing him this opportunity?"
"Waiting for him to step into the world..."
Xu Zhenguan's mind once again recalled the matter of "Dual Cultivation," causing a moment of distraction, with a chaotic mind, she both hoped for and feared his breakthrough.
And just then, the Empress's crystalline earlobe moved slightly, she suddenly snapped back to reality, and looked into the distance.
Down the dirt road leading to the village, from afar, a large group of cavalry wrapped in killing aura was approaching, like an enraged wave.
Xu Zhenguan's pupils suddenly narrowed!
Cavalry?
Even though these forces weren't carrying banners, their identities unknown, why would such a small Baihua Village attract cavalry?
The answer seemed to be solely one.
Xu Zhenguan's heart sank instantly, at this moment, her thoughts weren't on escaping, but rather the citizens of Yu Country here suffering because of her.
She looked around, the endless sea of flowers, where flower farmers were straightening up, looking at those cavalry with reverence and curiosity.
Unaware of the imminent disaster about to befall them.
Xu Zhenguan's heart tightened, she knew she should take advantage of the chaos to escape, no rebel would guess that the dignified Empress would disguise herself as a farmer, laboring in the fields.
Therefore, she had a slim chance to escape amidst this chaos.
But...
Xu Zhenguan pursed her lips, looked at the villagers oblivious to the situation, then glanced at the rear mountain, and suddenly resolutely removed her kerchief, raised a hand to her face, and peeled off the mask.
"I am the Emperor, how could I let the people be dragged into peril because of me?"
Xu Zhenguan's dress fluttered, tendrils of Qi mechanism shredded the surrounding flower bushes, momentarily centering on her, causing petals of various colors to dance in the air.
"There she is! Capture her!"
Ouyang Ye, who brought troops into the village, noticed this scene, his eyes shone brightly, he shouted loudly, then flung the whip and charged into the flower sea on horseback!
The cavalry formed a charging formation, attacking the Yu Country Empress!
Xu Zhenguan surrounded by Qingfeng didn't fight back, instead she rode the wind to escape from the village!
Escaping in the opposite direction of Zhao Douan's cultivation mountain!
She wants to lead these pursuers away as much as possible!
Just like...
Back then, Zhao Douan led away enemies for her.
"Ah—"
The villagers of Baihua Village realized what was happening belatedly and exclaimed.
Somewhere in the flower bushes, the phony girl who was napping with her hair braided into pigtails rose, looking blankly at Sister Xu flying away and the trampling horse hooves in the flower sea.
...
On the mountain, within the ruinous temple.
Zhao Douan sat cross-legged in the spring water, suddenly opened his eyes, and furrowed his brows:
"Why is it still missing a little bit?"
In his perception, his cultivation was like the last 99% of downloading resources from the past, stuck without moving.
"What is still lacking? Could it be the remaining power of the Yin Yang Tree is insufficient to help me break through? Or is it something else lacking?"
Zhao Douan stepped out of the spring, activated his Qi mechanism, evaporated the water from his body, donned his clothes, and frowned at the Black and White Double Trees that were already about to dim due to continuous extraction.
Back then, a fiery red small tree now only had a few fiery red leaves left.
"I have a hunch, as if with just one thought, I can breakthrough, it's just shy of the last tiniest bit."
Zhao Douan shook his head, glanced at the sky, the setting sun was blocked by the mountain peak beneath his feet, he should return to the village.
"Once I return, I'll ask Zhenbao, she should be able to solve my confusion."
Zhao Douan quickened his pace down the mountain, but as he stepped out of the ruined temple, he was stunned.
Looking towards the mountain village, the setting sun had been obscured by the mountain, leaving Baihua Village in shadow.
And at this moment, those scattered houses had been ignited, burning into clusters of fire, like piles of bonfires standing on the ground.
"It's bad..."
Zhao Douan's face turned pale instantly, his whole figure stretched into an afterimage, rapidly approaching the village at an alarming speed.
...
At this moment, the once peaceful and serene Baihua Village had been trampled by the rebels' iron hooves.