Chapter 127

"Commander, you are old, and your blade is slow."

Bu Lei said.

At this moment, Zhu Zai and Bu Lei were fighting while running, having already covered about a mile.

The loud noises could still be heard from far away.

But both were veteran Embroidered Uniform Guards, lacking no experience in life-and-death combat, and both knew that given the other's tenacity, if they were distracted, they would likely die at the other's hands.

Bu Lei spoke while his hands never stopped, fiercely slashing a blade toward Zhu Zai's shoulder.

Zhu Zai blocked with his blade, and he was not one to lose out in words either.

"I am old, but you are too green; you wouldn't take much effort to chew."

In an instant, the two raised their blades to attack each other.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

In the dark night, sparks suddenly lit up, dimly illuminating their grim expressions.

Both were from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, learned the same martial arts, and performed similar duties. Even their realms were equally peak-level.

The difference was that Zhu Zai was older, with deep true energy and mature moves.

Bu Lei, however, was young, full of vigor, and more fierce and progressive in his state of mind.

Coupled with the fact that they knew each other's moves inside and out, for a time, they were evenly matched.

The outcome of this struggle depended on who showed a flaw first.

Therefore, both were attacking frantically with their hands while never stopping their mouths, constantly engaging in psychological warfare.

"Commander, you are a member of the Imperial Clan and hold a high position; how could you commit such a rebellious act!?"

Bu Lei rotated his arm, striking the hilt of his blade directly against Zhu Zai's blade, intending to break it.

"You still know I am of the Imperial Clan? I, a member of the Imperial Clan, killing two servants of my Zhu family—what is rebellious about that!?"

Zhu Zai rotated his long blade, gripped it in reverse, pressed his elbow against the back of the blade, and slashed fiercely at Bu Lei, attacking where he must defend.

"What kind of soul-stealing soup did Li Miao feed you to make you protect him like this!?"

"Protecting him is better than protecting a wolf cub like you who can never be tamed!"

"If you didn't protect him, I wouldn't be like this!"

"Do I owe you something? What business is it of yours who I find pleasing to the eye!"

The two clashed fiercely, each flashing away to retreat and regulate their breathing to recover true energy.

"The Emperor is already dissatisfied with the Embroidered Uniform Guard; if you kill me and kill Elder Gongfeng Wan, you won't be able to explain it."

Bu Lei stared fixedly into Zhu Zai's eyes.

Zhu Zai sneered.

"If I have to explain, I'll explain to the Emperor; you two dead men won't be able to hear it anyway."

"Besides, the Emperor has had this idea for several months, and I am still perfectly fine."

"Do you think this old man has been Commander for these decades for nothing?"

"You!?" Bu Lei shouted angrily.

"Don't think you will definitely live; you and I are dueling, and it is not yet known who will emerge victorious."

"Li Miao and I joined at the same time; you and I both know what his aptitude was like before."

"Although I don't know what evil path he took to reach this point today, his age is there. He definitely cannot defeat Elder Gongfeng Wan!"

Bu Lei sneered.

"If you lose, I will kill you. If you win, Elder Gongfeng Wan will kill you."

"Even if you two can escape with your lives, the Emperor will kill you too."

"Old man, you are finished."

Since the mask had fallen, Bu Lei also dropped his pretense, showing no more respect for Zhu Zai.

"The Emperor doesn't need an Embroidered Uniform Guard that belongs to Zhu Zai, but he will need one that belongs to me."

"If you and Li Miao die, Liu Zhe is a piece of trash, and the two Vice Prefects are both people from the Ministry of War."

"This position of Commander belongs to me."

Bu Lei smiled coldly, tucked his long blade into the crook of his arm, and pulled, wiping away the blood on it.

Both he and Zhu Zai were injured; he was young and full of vitality, so it didn't affect him much. But Zhu Zai was old, his vitality was failing, and he would eventually be unable to hold on.

Zhu Zai had actually foreseen Bu Lei's choice today long ago.

He was very much like Zuo Lishan.

Equally arrogant, equally ruthless, equally talented, and equally viewing others as nothing.

The difference was that when Zuo Lishan was learning martial arts, there was no Li Miao by his side.

If Zuo Lishan had had an opponent by his side since childhood like Li Miao—who had a poisonous tongue, a ruthless heart, and always beat him like a son—then perhaps he wouldn't have died so carelessly, but would have become—much smarter.

Once smart, one learns to follow the rules, learns to endure, and learns respect.

Zhu Zai had long seen through Bu Lei; if he could always suppress Bu Lei, then Bu Lei would be his loyal dog.

If Zhu Zai showed a flaw, the first one to pounce and bite his neck would also be Bu Lei.

Zhu Zai said coldly: "You think quite well of yourself."

"But you have to survive under this old man's hands first."

Before the words were finished, he immediately flashed forward, his long blade slashing down!

To be honest, Zhu Zai could not be sure if Li Miao could win.

After all, the information he had was only Wang Hai's retelling and Li Miao's few words tonight.

Zhu Zai couldn't even be sure if what he was doing was right.

Even though Li Miao always angered him, always went against his wishes, and always looked at him with a half-dead expression, as if he would resign and retire if given one more task.

Always disrespectful to him, always taking money from his treasury without even saying a word.

He was a dignified Grade Three official, a member of the Great Ming Imperial Clan, and a high-ranking minister of the court; none of the gifts sent for his birthday were worth less than a hundred taels.

Only Li Miao, walking with a swagger, would walk straight into the back hall, take a pancake out of his bosom, and say it was a small stall he found while wandering around today, that it tasted very good, and he brought it for him to try.

Damn it, that day wasn't even a day off!

You skip work to wander around and still want to show off to this old man!?

Zhu Zai was so angry he scolded Li Miao again, and that pancake was also thrown at Li Miao like a hidden weapon.

But perhaps precisely because of this, after scolding and scolding, he couldn't bear the thought of not having this person to scold in the future.

Bu Lei was right, Zhu Zai was old.

When people get old, they have more thoughts.

Their hearts soften.

When the heart softens, the blade slows down.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The long blades collided incessantly, and the edges were already shattered.

Fragments flew everywhere, leaving bloody marks on both their faces. But neither dared to close their eyes to dodge, only focusing their full attention on attacking the other's vital points.

Zhu Zai was gradually falling into a disadvantage.

In an instant, the long blades clashed, emitting a resounding boom.

Clang—

Both Embroidered Uniform Guard blades snapped at the same time!

The broken blades flew toward the two; Bu Lei ignored them, letting the broken blade pierce his shoulder.

Zhu Zai, however, could only tilt his head, dodging the broken blade aimed at his face.

This dodge revealed a flaw.

Bu Lei grinned hideously, the half-blade in his hand drilling into the gap, aiming straight for Zhu Zai's heart!

"Old man, die!"

Zhu Zai could only raise his palms, wanting to clamp the blade.

But he knew clearly that their martial arts were evenly matched. He didn't practice hard-body techniques, and this move of catching a blade with bare hands had little hope.

Just as Zhu Zai's palms were about to clamp the blade.

Boom.

A soft sound.

Bu Lei's head tilted to the side, and blood sprayed out.

The broken blade lost its force and fell limply.

Zhu Zai clamped onto nothing.

"Commander, is this what you meant by 'not having absolute certainty'?"

"I only spent half an hour on my side, how come you were about to lose?"

Li Miao walked over, clamped onto Zhu Zai's pulse, and operated the "Wedding Dress Divine Art" to heal Zhu Zai.

Zhu Zai suddenly lost his strength, supported his knees with both hands, and gasped for air.

While gasping, he said coldly.

"I, I was just showing a flaw... to him—huff."

"If you had come a moment later, this old man would have won—"

(End of chapter)