Zhu Shoujing was startled.
He knew the other party must be a Celestial, and by no means simple. So, while he appeared confident, he was secretly on high alert; otherwise, how could he have allowed the other party to approach within ten zhang of him?
How could the other party suddenly appear behind him?!
Were his two Celestial paths fake?!
But no matter how the other party appeared behind him, it was the most foolish choice! Behind him were all Xiaoling Guard Celestials; he was practically walking into an encirclement, throwing himself into a trap!
Even if the other party was a three-path fusion, he would still leave his life behind!
"Surround and kill!"
He roared, without a trace of hesitation, turning around and bringing down a One Slash in the direction of the sound!
Clang! A thud.
"Commander! You?!"
A Xiaoling Guard Celestial raised his weapon and parried Zhu Shoujing's blade. Because he was completely unprepared, the blade had already cut an inch into his shoulder, and blood immediately gushed out.
He looked at Zhu Shoujing with a face full of terror.
Zhu Shoujing's pupils constricted abruptly. He released his grip on the hilt and suddenly turned his head to look behind him.
Inside the main gate of Xiaoling Mausoleum, that figure in dragon robes stood quietly within the gate.
The cold wind stirred the corners of his robes, slowly swirling.
The other party seemed as if he had never stepped outside the door.
"Commander!"
His trusted subordinate whispered, pulling Zhu Shoujing back from his hesitation and fear.
"What's wrong with you?"
The trusted subordinate first ordered someone to treat the injured Celestial, then looked at Zhu Shoujing, his eyes full of confusion.
Just now, they had surrounded Xiaoling Mausoleum and saw the figure in dragon robes standing at the main gate. They were secretly on guard, waiting only for Zhu Shoujing's command to act together and capture the opponent.
But Zhu Shoujing said nothing.
From the moment he saw the dragon robes, Zhu Shoujing had not made any sound or movement. He just stood there quietly, looking at the dragon robes.
And then, he suddenly turned and lashed out, striking one of his own men with a One Slash.
The Xiaoling Guard followed a father-to-son succession system, with almost no recruitment from outside. All the Xiaoling Guard present were comrades who had known each other since childhood and grown up together, trusting each other implicitly, and even more so trusting Zhu Shoujing.
They would absolutely not suspect Zhu Shoujing of colluding with the other party—that meant the other party must have used some unknown means to bewilder Zhu Shoujing's mind.
"Poison? Miasma?"
The trusted subordinate thought to himself, quickly reaching into his In arms and pulling out a pill to swallow. The other Xiaoling Guard also followed suit.
Zhu Shoujing also reacted quickly, doing the same and taking a pill. Then, he quickly calmed his mind and inspected himself, but found nothing unusual.
"Not poisoned?"
"Commander, you—"
The trusted subordinate beside him spoke again, seemingly wanting to inquire about Zhu Shoujing's condition.
But, in Zhu Shoujing's ears, the word "you" was suddenly elongated the moment it was uttered, slowly echoing in the silent air.
It appeared both ridiculous... and terrifying.
"!!!"
Zhu Shoujing's true qi surged, wanting to change his stance to protect himself.
But suddenly, he found that his true qi was not as responsive as usual, but instead became sluggish and slow. It flowed slowly through his meridians, like viscous resin.
And his movements were also locked by the air. No matter how he struggled, he could only move at a terrifyingly slow speed. Just moving a finger a tiny bit took a full ten breaths of time.
Only his eyes could still move freely.
He looked towards the Xiaoling Mausoleum gate in terror.
At that moment, his pupils constricted sharply.
That figure in dragon robes moved.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Under the moonlight, that face like a dried corpse reappeared in his line of sight. He slowly walked towards him.
"Move! Move quickly!"
It wasn't that Zhu Shoujing hadn't fought with Celestials before; he had experienced countless life-and-death situations, and he thought he would no longer fear anything.
But that long-lost cold emotion was like a claw, first caressing his legs, then spiraling up his waist and abdomen, and finally, slowly gripping his heart.
He glared with wide eyes, desperately urging his true qi, completely disregarding the direction of its circulation, and even the risk of qi deviation and inner demon possession, just wanting to break free from this strange situation.
His hands tried to clench into fists, at the very least, to protect his vital chest and abdomen.
But he was powerless.
His true qi took a long time to leave his dantian, and his fingers only slightly bent. At this speed, he might not even be able to prepare his defense in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
And the other party was only thirty zhang away from him.
He could only watch helplessly as that decaying dragon robe came closer and closer to him.
Finally, it stood before him.
That thin, dark face approached his, first sniffing up and down, as if confirming the scent of its prey.
Then, it slowly opened its mouth, revealing incomplete teeth, and moved closer and closer to his neck.
"It's over."
Zhu Shoujing lost the strength to resist.
"Emperor Taizu—your subject has failed—"
This was his last thought.
The Xiaoling Guard did not participate in political affairs, nor were they responsible for besieging cities, defending the imperial city, or apprehending criminals. Their sole mission was to guard the imperial mausoleum according to the decree of Emperor Taizu.
Father-to-son succession, unchanging for ten thousand generations. This mission was deeply etched into the hearts of the Xiaoling Guard, and it was also the fundamental reason they believed themselves superior to the other twelve guards.
If not for this, Zhu Shoujing would not have disregarded the current emperor's decree and insisted on leading the Xiaoling Guard to Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Because they only pledged allegiance to Emperor Taizu, and only existed for Emperor Taizu.
Just as he had his last thought, filled with regret and despair, and closed his eyes, waiting for death.
The person opposite him stopped.
He slowly closed his mouth, raised his head, took two steps back, and then quietly looked at Zhu Shoujing.
He said hoarsely and with difficulty.
"My lord, you are a loyal subject."
Suddenly, Zhu Shoujing's vision blurred.
The surrounding scene suddenly changed; his Xiaoling Guard subordinates reappeared beside him, and his trusted subordinate's voice continued.
—
"Are you alright?"
"Pfft—"
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Just now, he had tried to break free from the restraints, desperately urging his true qi, which had already deviated from its normal circulation and gone astray in his meridians. He showed signs of qi deviation and had sustained a serious internal injury.
Zhu Shoujing's body went limp, and he suddenly fell backward.
"Commander!"
His trusted subordinate caught him, gripped his pulse, and transferred true qi to him to regulate his meridians. At the same time, he looked at Zhu Shoujing with a face full of anxiety and concern.
Zhu Shoujing struggled to lift his head from his trusted subordinate's embrace and looked towards the entrance of Xiaoling Mausoleum.
That figure in dragon robes had disappeared.
It was as if everything that had happened before was just his hallucination.
But that hoarse voice still echoed in his ears, speaking the last sentence.
"My dear subject."
"Take good care of yourself."