bookbashuk Chapter 170 Zhao Yu being chased by Shi Zhixuan
Chapter 170 Zhao Yu being chased by Shi Zhixuan
Wang Chongyang remained silent, his fingers tightening slightly.
He knew his own body well; he had been holding on by sheer willpower all these years. If it weren't for Zhao Yu giving him hope for a successful Northern Expedition, he would probably have already died long ago.
Even so, years of hard work in the military caused his old injuries to flare up repeatedly, but he never showed it to anyone.
Zhao Yu said solemnly, "Now you are no longer a lone leader of the rebel army, but a general of our Great Song Dynasty. In the future, we will still need your help to recover the old capital and pacify the Central Plains. If you fall, it will be a loss for the Great Song Dynasty."
"This Lesser Formless Skill also originates from Taoism and shares the same source as the Innate Skill, but with different paths. By drawing parallels, it might be able to help you heal your old injuries and strengthen your foundation. I do not understand medicine, and ordinary doctors would likely be unable to cure your ailment. This is all I can do for you."
His words were sincere and heartfelt, full of genuine concern.
Wang Chongyang looked at the secret manual on the table, remained silent for a long time, and finally bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your generous gift."
He wasn't one to be sentimental, and he knew perfectly well that Zhao Yu was right.
With the Northern Expedition unfinished and the people of the Central Plains still under the iron heel of the Jurchens, he truly could not afford to fall.
Zhao Yu helped him up, then said solemnly, "Before I leave, I have another decree to announce."
He paused, then announced loudly, "I hereby appoint Wang Chongyang as the Pacification Commissioner of Shandong East Circuit, concurrently serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Cavalry and Infantry, overseeing all military and political affairs of Shandong East Circuit and controlling the troops within its borders. I entrust the northern border gateway to you, Master. Defending this land for me is the best way to repay your kindness."
The Shandong East Circuit Pacification Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief of the Cavalry and Infantry was the highest-ranking military and political official in the circuit, wielding immense power.
Upon hearing this, Wang Chongyang bowed again, his voice tinged with emotion: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust and vow to defend Shandong!"
Zhao Yu nodded and did not linger any longer. That afternoon, he led his light cavalry southward.
Wang Chongyang stood atop the city wall, watching the departing troops, clutching the Lesser Formless Skill manual tightly in his hand, muttering to himself, "Heaven blesses the Great Song, for such a sage ruler has emerged..."
The team headed south, and Lin'an was already in sight.
That afternoon, as the entourage was traveling on the official road, Zhao Yu stopped the carriages: "Pass down the order to set up camp on the spot."
"The Emperor?"
Xia Zhen was taken aback: "We're only a short distance from Lin'an, why did we suddenly stop?"
"I will be in seclusion for two days. After setting up camp, guard the main tent well, and no one is allowed to approach."
Although Xia Zhen was full of doubts, he dared not ask any more questions and quickly bowed to accept the order.
The three thousand light cavalry immediately sprang into action, choosing a sheltered high ground to set up camp.
Once he was alone in the tent, Zhao Yu sat cross-legged and a thought struck him.
The surrounding scenery suddenly changed, and the next moment, he was standing in a hazy, chaotic space.
The grain piles remained as high as ever, but this time, a person sat in the shadows beside them.
The man's coarse cloth clothes were already worn out and tattered, his trousers were torn, his face was covered in dust, and his hair was somewhat disheveled, making him look quite pathetic.
But those eyes were surprisingly bright, and they were looking over warily.
It was another Zhao Yu.
"You are... me?"
The man stood up, his figure identical to Zhao Yu's.
Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty nodded slightly and countered, "Besides ourselves, who else do you think could know our ID numbers?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu, sitting opposite him, relaxed his tense shoulders and let out a long sigh: "That's true."
He looked around at the mountain of grain sacks and gave a wry smile: "At first, I thought this portable storage space was my cheat code, just a perk of being a transmigrator. But then I noticed that things would occasionally appear in it, and sometimes some grain would disappear, and that's when I realized something was wrong."
"Out of caution, I always concealed my presence when I came in, and I was very careful when I came and went. Now it seems I was overthinking it. If I had known this beforehand, would I have been afraid of him?"
When the other Zhao Yu spoke of "him," he gritted his teeth, clearly deeply hating this person.
Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty understood, and then asked curiously, "Which world did you travel to? What kind of cultivation technique did you practice? I couldn't sense your presence several times. What kind of concealment technique is so exquisite?"
"You're very familiar with the world of The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty." The other Zhao Yu waved his hand, walked to the grain pile and sat down. "The technique I cultivate is called Bird Crossing Technique. It's best at concealing my aura and moving stealthily. Every time I come in, I suppress my aura to the lowest level. Perhaps that's why you didn't notice me."
"Bird Crossing Technique?" Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty recalled for a moment, "I remember the original text mentioning that it was a family martial art of the Li clan, right?"
Another Zhao Yu explained, "The Li family is a powerful clan. Martial arts are just a tool for self-defense for them and are not particularly rare. They are also known in the martial arts world. I joined the Giant Kun Gang in my early years and spent some money to bribe my way into learning this martial art. It's not exactly a secret."
"So that's how it is." Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty suddenly realized.
Another Zhao Yu paced around the space, looking at the full granary, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Don't talk about me, I'd like to ask you, why are you hoarding so much grain? If I hadn't been busy lately, you probably wouldn't have a single grain left."
Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty smiled and briefly recounted his journey through time to the Southern Song Dynasty, his seizure of power and northern expedition, and how he tricked the Ming Dynasty into providing him with grain supplies.
Upon hearing this, the other Zhao Yu couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Your situation is much more comfortable, with such smooth progress in seizing power and conquering the world. My situation is much more troublesome, with powerful families everywhere and demonic sects running rampant. A slight misstep could mean certain death."
Looking at his disheveled appearance, Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty asked curiously, "From what you're saying, you're also vying for the throne? And judging from your appearance, have you been defeated and are being hunted down?"
"It's not a complete defeat." The other Zhao Yu shook his head, his eyes darkening. "But I am indeed being hunted. If it weren't for this space allowing me to hide, you probably wouldn't be seeing me now."
"Oh?" Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty became interested. "With your concealment skills, you've been forced into this situation? Who could possibly be hunting you down?"
His martial arts skills have long surpassed the Five Greats realm, and his spiritual senses are extremely sharp, yet he cannot even detect another version of himself entering the space.
This demonstrates just how exquisite the bird-crossing technique is in terms of its ability to conceal itself.
To be able to chase someone like me so relentlessly, one can only imagine the strength of the opponent. Could it be a grandmaster-level figure?
The other Zhao Yu didn't elaborate, but simply extended his palm: "Alright, I don't have the energy to explain anymore. A cheat ability from the Ninety-Nine Schools must have shared memories, right? You'll know once you touch it."
Zhao Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty did not hesitate and extended his palm as well.
The moment their palms touched, a gentle suction force emanated from their palms.
The two figures gradually became illusory, overlapping like ripples on water. In just a moment, only Zhao Yu remained in the chaotic space.
Zhao Yu stood quietly in place, his eyes slightly closed, as a flood of memories rushed into his mind.
The confusion of his first time in another world, the power struggles in the Jianghuai region, the bizarre methods of the Demonic Sect, and the terrifying opponent who had been hunting him down for months...
Countless images flashed by rapidly before finally settling down.
At the same time, a pure and gentle internal force flowed through the meridians, merging with the original internal force of the Free and Unfettered Sect.
The ingenious methods of the Bird Crossing Technique were deeply imprinted in his mind, and his skills in stealth and concealment were now far superior to what they had been before.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Yu slowly opened his eyes.
A glint of light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Yu slowly uttered three words in a low voice: "Shi Zhixuan..."