The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Zhao Douan!" Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyelids twitched violently as he uttered the name that had haunted him for the past half year.

"Zhuang Xiaocheng!" Zhao Douan, after nearly a year, once again laid eyes on the former Grand Tutor, mentor to the Second Prince Jian Wen, and leader of the Kuangfu Society.

He was also the true culprit behind the owner's murder.

"Zhao Douan? He's Zhao Douan!?"

"How could he be here? Shouldn't he be at the Feng City execution ground? Did the assassination fail?"

In the pavilion, the young men and women were shocked, quickly reacting: "Protect the Grand Tutor!"

However, Ji Yue in midair had already wielded the long whip, fiercely lashing it over, aiming to coil Zhuang Xiaocheng over.

"Bang!"

The whip struck the air at the edge of the pavilion, producing a metallic clashing sound.

Everyone was taken aback, only then realizing that, at some point, a faint array shield had appeared around the pavilion.

"No need to panic." Zhuang Xiaocheng raised his right hand, revealing a shattered Green Jade Fish Token in his palm:

"Though I'm just an ordinary person, I have a few life-saving methods, as long as you don't step out of this pavilion, holding on for a while shouldn't be a problem."

Zhao Douan had by then reached outside the pavilion, stopping, frowning as he looked at Ji Yue, who was controlling the whip, repeatedly striking the barrier:

"What's going on?"

The introverted magician said blankly, "It's an array that blocks my power."

Zhang Han squinted, his seven-foot sword in hand brimming with Qi Mechanism, harshly cleaving at the semi-transparent barrier, but it bounced off softly.

"This thing, swords and sabers can't harm it, but logically magic should be able to break it." Haitang said in a deep voice.

Ji Yue whispered, "I can break it, but it will take some time."

As she spoke, she fully unleashed her firepower, the whip like dragon whiskers fiercely lashing the barrier, depleting the array's power.

Zhao Douan squinted his eyes, pondered briefly, then smiled and said:

"Then let's wait; time is one thing I'm not short of."

In the pavilion, Zhuang Xiaocheng stepped out, meeting his eyes, saying:

"The cannon fire reverberates on the mountain path, if I am not mistaken, Qi Yuchun and Ren Kun should have returned as well; have you sent people to stop them? The Northern Blood Saber by your side, along with the two high disciples of the Heavenly Master Mansion?"

Zhao Douan said: "You know me well."

After the initial shock, Zhuang Xiaocheng regained his calm demeanor of a National Scholar, and said indifferently:

"Though the high disciples of the Heavenly Master Mansion have remarkable potential, they have not been in the world for long and can only delay for a while, but cannot contend with Qi and Ren's combined force. As long as I hold on until they arrive, the perilous situation can be easily resolved."

These words were for Yun Xi and the others to hear, to stabilize the morale.

Zhao Douan laughed.

His laughter was sincere, crow's feet appearing at the corners of his eyes:

"Grand Tutor, you have quite the demeanor, worthy of being the leader of the Kuangfu Society. Then perhaps we should gamble on whether Qi and Ren will arrive first, or if we break your array first."

Zhuang Xiaocheng stared at him: "Do you think you can win?"

Zhao Douan sighed:

"I've always had decent luck, just like back then, in the Southern Suburb Bamboo Forest of the Capital."

After a pause, he suddenly glanced around, this desolate mountain in winter, with pavilion and terraces, and said with a smile:

"Grandmaster Zhuang, don't you think this scene is familiar? I remember, back then in the bamboo forest, it was the same.

You were cornered with my men in the Earth God Temple, only, unfortunately, it's not summer now, and there is no bamboo scenery in the barren mountain.

Oh, and your female disciple is here too, ha, how coincidental, it seems even the heavens are helping me, wanting me to exact my revenge personally."

Yun Xi looked furious, staring at him silently.

Zhuang Xiaocheng was silent for a moment; his hair was frost white, wearing a Confucian robe, just standing there exuded an air of a National Scholar, something seemed stirred within him, deeply staring at the young man outside the pavilion:

"I am very surprised."

He said seriously:

"Since that day of parting at the Earth God Temple, you've really given me too many surprises. The things you did in the Capital, each and every one surprised me, and were so different from your arrogant and domineering manner back then in front of me.

To the extent, that I often wonder if your snatching of Ma Yan's credit and capturing me in advance was truly coincidental?"

No, you are overthinking, that was purely the owner's foolishness... Zhao Douan smiled.

Zhuang Xiaocheng stood with hands behind his back, seemingly in contemplation:

"But it doesn't matter, whether you conspired with the Fake Emperor, or feigned ignorance for whatever else, it doesn't matter; what matters is that after you inflicted brutal killings on the benevolent and righteous in my Kuangfu Society within the Capital, I knew that I must kill you no matter the cost."

Still pretending at this time? So righteous, even deceiving yourself... Zhao Douan gently clapped:

"Clap clap clap..."

In the crisp applause, he smiled and praised:

"Truly worthy of being the Grand Tutor, never forgets to win people's hearts, it's such a pity Yu Country doesn't award you an Oscar statuette; I feel injustice for you."

Oscar? Statuette?

Zhuang Xiaocheng frowned, unfamiliar with these terms he'd never heard before.

"Enough, if you want to set up this persona, I won't stop you."

Zhao Douan stopped clapping, and said calmly:

"I'm curious, once you're brought back to the Capital, facing a public trial by the entire world, can you still, with all justification, slander His Majesty and the history of time?"

Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyes were deep: "You finding this place indeed surprises me. Was it Lu Zhengchun who told you?"

The greatest possibility he could think of, was that the assassination had failed, and Lu Zhengchun, in order to save his life, spilled the location of the Forbidden Mountain Villa... this is the most reasonable hypothesis.

Zhao Douan did not deny it, smiling:

"I must admit, your arrangement today was impressive, real and false intertwined; to make me divide my forces, not hesitating to throw out many members as bait, even stuffing in those prisoners I exchanged back...