Wei Xiaobao believed he was doomed, constantly lamenting in his heart, "Damn it, joining a gang is truly the least promising path. In my next life, even if I’m beaten to death, I won’t be an undercover anymore!"
After waiting for a while, he still didn’t see Ao Bai's large hand come down. He secretly opened his eyes and saw a young man dressed as a guard, holding a folding fan and pressing it against Ao Bai's palm, turning around with a teasing look at him. His heart filled with joy, and he quickly scrambled up from the ground, saying, "Master Uncle, you really came! I knew you were the most loyal and wouldn’t just watch me die!"
“You should go back and learn more martial arts from your master,” Hua Wuqing shook his head. This Wei Xiaobao still had great use, and temporarily boosting his favorability wouldn’t hurt.
Little did he know, Wei Xiaobao didn’t appreciate his words, thinking to himself, “This pretty boy must have arrived long ago, but he waited until the last moment to show himself, definitely just to see me make a fool of myself. Just wait, I’ll find a chance to get back at you!” However, he smiled charmingly and nodded, “Whatever Master Uncle says goes. I’ll definitely practice hard in summer and winter to learn the ultimate martial arts!”
Ao Bai saw that the two were ignoring him and felt furious, but Hua Wuqing's movements were too swift. He couldn’t quite grasp his strength. Seeing him dressed as a guard, he said in a deep voice, “You’re this brat’s master uncle? I’ve never seen you in the guard camp!”
Hua Wuqing didn’t answer but instead asked, “You’re the first warrior of Manchuria, Ao Bai? Let me ask you, during the ten days in Yangzhou and the three massacres in Jiading, were you there?” Although he usually didn’t care about the lives and deaths of others, the heinous crimes committed against the Han people by the Qing dynasty upon entering the pass still weighed heavily on his heart. He vowed to eliminate those generals from back then one by one!
Upon hearing this, Ao Bai suddenly realized, “Hahaha, so you’re actually a Han dog!” After laughing for a while, he sneered, “Unfortunately, I wasn’t present during those two battles. Otherwise, with my temperament, how could I have only slaughtered for a few days?! You Han dogs just can’t be treated kindly. When I take power, I’ll definitely reduce you all to slaves, equal to livestock!”
“There’s no need to worry about such long-term matters,” Hua Wuqing put away his folding fan, becoming unusually serious. He drew a slender, soft sword from his waist, gently caressing the blade, and said lightly, “Because you won’t have a tomorrow!”
Ao Bai found his arrogance absurd, laughing loudly, “Hahaha, my martial arts are perfected, and I’m invulnerable to blades and spears. You think you can hurt me with a broken sword? That’s just ridiculous!” With that, he roared and charged forward, “Since you’re so eager to seek death, I’ll grant you that, and you won’t even be able to become livestock!”
The fake Empress Dowager, hearing their conversation, felt a stir in her heart. Seeing the handsome young man not dodging or avoiding, she hurriedly called out, “Young man, Ao Bai the dog thief has astonishing talent. He has perfected the Thirteen Protectors’ Golden Bell Shield to the extreme, invulnerable to blades and spears. Only the three inches below his abdomen is his weak point, so be careful!” She had a deep-seated grudge against Ao Bai, and one of her goals in entering the palace was to eliminate him. Seeing Hua Wuqing seemingly unguarded against Ao Bai, she warned him.
Hua Wuqing sidestepped Ao Bai's incoming large hand, smiling as he nodded at her. With a flick of his sword, he declared, “My sword, Hua Wuqing, cannot be tarnished by such barbarian scum! Today, I’ll let you know that no martial arts can truly make one invulnerable to blades and spears!”
He lightly swung the sword, which flowed like rushing water, the blade trembling like waves. With a quick step, he lunged at Ao Bai. Ao Bai, confident in his deep skills, did not dodge the incoming long sword and clawed at Hua Wuqing’s heart.
The two brushed past each other, and Hua Wuqing gently flicked the blood droplets from his sword. In the astonished gaze of the fake Empress Dowager, he turned around, grabbed Ao Bai's braid on top of his head, and with a forceful pull, he used his internal energy to repel the spraying blood, softly saying, “If you can’t break someone else’s true energy, it only means you’re not strong enough!”
Inside the Cining Palace, there was a profound silence. The fake Empress Dowager never expected that the domineering and unrestrained Ao Bai would die so easily before her eyes. For a moment, her emotions surged, and she looked gratefully at Hua Wuqing, just about to speak when suddenly shouts came from afar, “There are assassins! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Empress!”
Someone else shouted, “Not good, there’s an ambush! The leader and brothers retreat first, I’ll hold them off!” In an instant, cries of battle erupted, and screams echoed through the air.
Hua Wuqing realized that this operation had gone awry. He quickly signaled to the fake Empress Dowager, grabbed Wei Xiaobao, and dashed out, urgently saying, “Quick, take me to the dungeon!”
Wei Xiaobao thought to himself, this pretty boy has such high skills, and he killed Ao Bai with a single sword. If he encounters Xiao Xuanzai, how could Xiao Xuanzai withstand him? He dared not hesitate any longer, pointed out the direction, and thought that the dungeon was still far from the battlefield. Saving those fools was better than letting Xiao Xuanzai lose his head. I’m really clever!