The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1241 - 661: A Letter to the Empress

"What female antagonist? Speak clearly." Mr. Zhao stared at the native female sorceress prostrated before him, attempting to press for more information.

Shui Bei dared not meet his gaze and hastily replied, "I don’t know very much myself. I only know that a few months ago, a female antagonist emerged from the East Sea. She’s said to be a land green guest of unknown name, who wanders across various islands, abducting many young and beautiful women, and demanding treasures from the Thousand Islands to ransom them. The Thousand-Island Elders refused to be threatened and joined forces to capture that female antagonist. They were just about to succeed when the Sea God suddenly became angry earlier than expected, disrupting the elders’ siege plans... Therefore, some speculate that the Sea God’s change is related to that female antagonist."

"Green guests" are what people of the sea call cultivators from the martial world on land... Could she be a powerful figure from the martial world of Yu Country? To cause a stir in the East Sea, she must at least be at the Worldly Realm, right? Such people are rare... Mr. Zhao was pondering this when he noticed a change in Jin Jian’s small face beside him.

His heart was stirred, and he left Shui Bei, taking a few others towards the direction of the cabin, and looked at Jin Jian, "What have you guessed?"

Jin Jian adjusted his glasses hesitantly and said, "I’m not sure either, but the female antagonist she’s talking about seems kind of like Third Sister?"

Hmm? Mr. Zhao turned his head abruptly, staring at Zhang Yan Yi, thinking, "Old Zhang, old Zhang, is your female disciple a sensual outlaw? So she’s here in the East Sea to rob wealth and beauty, huh?"

The Old Heavenly Master kept a straight face, nose viewing the heart, eyes staring straight ahead, as if he hadn’t heard the conversation among the people.

Feeling Mr. Zhao’s gaze, Zhang Yan Yi’s face turned hot, and he said unhappily, "It’s too premature to determine who it is with a few words. Even if, by extreme hypothesis, it is that rebellious disciple. As a priest of the Heavenly Master Mansion, how could she possibly do such things? It must be the local natives slandering."

That makes sense... Mr. Zhao nodded and said, "It seems that the action plan needs adjusting. With the current situation, the closer we get to the Silent Sea, the tighter the blockade will surely be. We can certainly push through, but even with our strength, directly confronting all the Thousand-Island Cultivators would be unwise."

Zhang Yan Yi slightly nodded, "What do you plan to do?"

Mr. Zhao suddenly looked at Ji Yue beside him and asked, "How far is Red Coral Island from here?"

Ji Yue had just returned to her senses from the joy of avenging a great grudge, and nodded when she heard him, "Very close."

Soon, she seemed to understand Mr. Zhao’s intention and tentatively asked, "Do you mean to go to Red Coral Island first to further explore the situation?"

Mr. Zhao nodded and said, "That’s right. The information this Shui Bei knows is limited, I need to learn more. Also, I assume the Eastern Sea Thousand Islands aren’t monolithic? What is your Red Coral Island’s relationship with the other islands?"

As a master of political maneuvering, Mr. Zhao instinctively seeks a breakthrough.

To recruit and divide the enemy.

Ji Yue’s eyes lit up, and she said, "Among the islands, Red Coral Island is one of the smallest and weakest. In my memory, it’s often exploited by other islands, like Golden Wheel Island governed by Elder Qingmu. When I escaped back then, some of my relatives on Red Coral Island wanted to help, but they weren’t strong enough to influence the decisions of the other elders."

Mr. Zhao smiled slightly, "If that’s the case, then let’s head to Red Coral Island first."

The others had no objections.

Mr. Zhao walked back to the deck, looking down at Shui Bei kneeling on the ground, and revealed a devilish smile, "Get up, we should set off."

...

...

The Capital, Imperial Palace!

On the fourth floor of the old building deep within the Martial Arts Hall, where murals were displayed.

The lines on the stone wall suddenly brightened, and a faint light leaped from within the stone wall and settled into the puppet sitting cross-legged on the cushion, looking identical to the Empress.

In an instant, the originally lifeless and stiff puppet’s eyes brightened!

Xu Zhenguan slowly stood up, stretched his limbs, and pushed the door open to exit the silent courtyard.

The Empress descended the steps and walked out of the Martial Arts Hall. At this moment, she had detached herself from Xu Jianwen and Yunyang’s emotions, regaining her calm and rationality.

And today, she once again used "visualization" to return to the capital during the westward journey of the army.

Preparing to consult Mr. Zhao about plans for the next action.

"Your Majesty."

When the Empress reached the front courtyard, Eunuch Hai’s figure slowly appeared and saluted her.

"Hmm, has Mr. Zhao come today?" inquired Xu Zhenguan.

Eunuch Hai nodded, "He came once yesterday afternoon and again in the evening. He left a letter with me to pass on to Your Majesty."

He sought me out twice in a row? Xu Zhenguan paused for a moment, not daring to be negligent, quickly reaching out to take hold of the wax-sealed letter handed over by Eunuch Hai.

And impatiently tore it open!

Given her understanding of Mr. Zhao, unless something urgent was at hand, he wouldn’t seek her out repeatedly or leave a letter behind.

But what unusual matter could arise in just one day?

There were two sheets of paper in the envelope, and soon, the words on the first sheet came into view, detailing the return of Princess Wen Zhu.

Wen Zhu has returned? Saved by her Red Sect Master? The Empress was shocked by the first half, and upon seeing the latter half, "Xuan Yin and the Dharma King are one," her exquisite face suddenly changed color.

She clutched the letter paper tightly, began to drift off, and only regained consciousness moments later, exhaling deeply, "So that’s how it is..."

At this moment, many doubts in her heart were answered.

Xu Zhenguan then looked at the second sheet of paper, the first half contained the news that half of the banyan tree at the Heavenly Master Mansion had withered, the latter half contained only a few lines.

The gist was: She, along with Zhang Yan Yi and others, had set off again.

"Your Majesty?" Eunuch Hai kept his sleeves together, quietly standing for a while before cautiously calling when the Empress remained silent.

Xu Zhenguan snapped back to reality, folded the letter, placed it inside her clothing, and said calmly, "Anything else happening in the city?"

Engaging in a brief conversation with Eunuch Hai.

Xu Zhenguan did not leave the Martial Arts Hall but returned to the old building.

Her Divine Soul ended the visualization, returning to her original body far away on Xiping Road.

...

Within the realm of Xiping Road, on the official road, an entire imperial convoy advanced majestically.

Inside the royal carriage of the convoy, Xu Zhenguan, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, suddenly opened her eyes.

At this moment, she sensed the convoy slowing down, and outside the carriage, the sound of hooves approached. An imperial guard officer said, "Report to Your Majesty, Duke Tang is personally leading troops to greet the convoy ahead!"

"Understood, halt the carriage and horses." The Empress’s cold and magnetic voice echoed.

Xu Zhenguan adjusted her bright yellow dragon robe, straightened her attire, and when the carriage halted, she stood up, lifted the carriage curtain, walked a few steps, and stood firmly on the massive royal carriage. Around her, thousands of imperial guards were arrayed, while ahead, the limping Duke Tang, accompanied by his daughter Tang Zhao, led the armored troops to welcome the convoy.

Old Duke Tang Daren respectfully said, "Old minister, entrusted by Lord Xue, came to receive the convoy!"

Xu Zhenguan nodded, her majestic voice resonating across the entire land: "Thank you, Duke. Now proceed at full speed, join forces with the central army, and drive off the invaders, today!"

Around them, over ten thousand soldiers shouted in unison: "Long live Your Majesty! Unyielding in attack! Invincible in battle!"

On the land of Xiping, the spirit of battle was at an unprecedented high.

...

...

East Sea.

The ship swelled its sails, moving like an arrow towards Red Coral Island.

As for the corpses of Qingmu and others, along with the massive carcass of the Bone Whale, they slowly sank to the seabed.

Another two hours later, the ship docked at the harbor of an island.

"This is Red Coral Island." On the deck, Ji Yue looked at the land that nurtured her with complex emotions.

On the dock, several youths responsible for guarding the area saw a ship approaching like an imminent threat.

Because during the "Anger Moon," navigating the sea itself was extremely dangerous, especially since the ship’s appearance differed significantly from local vessels, which revealed its clear peculiarity.

"Waterbei Commander?" A youth saw a plump, round-faced female sorceress disembark from the ship, showing a surprised expression: "Weren’t you out with the patrol team? Who are they?"

Seeing her tribesmen, Waterbei first breathed a sigh of relief, but then she thought of the terrifying strength of those behind on the ship, and her heart grew uneasy. She forced a smile and seriously instructed, "On the ship are friends from afar, coming to see the Island Master. I will report this right away, please don’t move here, and avoid disturbing the esteemed guests on board, understood?"

The youths froze, but evidently, Waterbei, with her Divine Chapter Realm cultivation, was a prominent "strong figure" on the island, so they hurriedly cupped their hands in agreement.

Waterbei breathed a sigh of relief, turned, glanced again at the tall ship railing, then quickly ran toward the island’s center.

Zhao Douan chose not to force their way onto the island but allowed her to report first, which was a gesture of "respect" for Red Coral Island.

Moreover, it also conveyed another signal: indifference.

As if regardless of what Waterbei might plan, even if all the island’s strong figures united, it wouldn’t matter in the eyes of Captain Zhao.

Waterbei didn’t know if bringing them was right or wrong, but she knew that with Ji Yue present, whether she led the way made no difference.

Under the robe of the female sorceress, her sturdy, slender legs ran swiftly, quickly reaching a cluster of buildings in the island’s center.

Most of the houses here were constructed with white stone complemented by wood, and to better resist typhoons, the walls weren’t square but resembled low columns, with sharp-roofed eaves on top of the columns.

The people on the island lived in these oddly styled houses.

"Eh?" Waterbei quickly noticed the houses on the island were incredibly quiet, with the inhabitants indeed not at home. Far away, outside the Island Master’s residence, the largest and most luxurious house, the square was full of people.

At this moment, the island’s residents were fiercely discussing something, seeming very angry, with an atmosphere tinged with despair and powerlessness.

"What happened? Why are they all gathered here? Where’s the Island Master?" Waterbei exclaimed in surprise, asking familiar friends.

"Waterbei? You’re back?"

"Ah, you don’t know yet?"

Several familiar faces looked over.

An older elder shook his head bitterly: "It’s the sacrificial ritual. The Elder Council recently sent an order stating the Sea God is angry early this year, there’s fear of something bad happening, and they are preparing for an early sacrifice."

Waterbei froze, instinctively saying: "I remember this year’s sacrificial candidate should be provided by Elder Qingmu as Island Master from Golden Wheel Island."

A young man angrily said: "That is reasonable, but the Elder Council also said the sea is restless this year, fearing one sacrifice isn’t enough. They temporarily added another candidate, and it’s said Elder Qingmu proposed, coercing us to provide someone from Red Coral Island to feed the Sea God!"

Waterbei froze once more. Previously, while traveling with Qingmu outside, she was unaware of this. She instinctively protested, "Why? Why is it us again? Clearly, it wouldn’t be our turn no matter what!"

A woman with a worried face: "It’s said Elder Qingmu claimed, back then, Ji Yue didn’t comply with the Elder Council’s decision and fled the island. This responsibility must be borne by all of Red Coral Island’s people, thus we must provide another person. Now, the Island Master is in the house discussing the matter, everyone is in fear, Waterbei, your age is within the sacrificial range, you should hide quickly, tell them you went out patrolling sea boundaries..."

Waterbei listened to all this in a trance, seeing everyone on the island in expressions of sorrow, sadness, anger, or powerlessness.

This is the plight of the weak.

In the East Sea, where the culture of strong rule reigns, the islanders, like food chains within the sea, have clear hierarchical distinctions.

And the weak Red Coral Island, facing oppression, no matter how angry, cannot resist the will of the entire Elder Council.

Even Elder Qingmu alone could defeat them.

"Everyone need not worry, nobody can force us anymore," Waterbei suddenly coldly said: "Qingmu is already dead."

——

Correction of typos first, amendments later.