The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1266 - 674: Night Assault on the Imperial Camp

On the same night. Just as Zhao Douan and his party were opening the pavilion in the Northern Mausoleum.

Far away in the court’s central army camp on Xiping Road, the lights were blazing. The true form of the Yu Country Empress, in her dragon robe, was sitting solemnly at the desk, poring over the thick military reports sent from all sides and the detailed situation on Xiping Road.

Inside the great tent, only the Empress was present. On one corner of the desk, the sheathed Taia Sword lay horizontally, with the flames of the goblet lamp flickering brightly.

Xu Zhenguan was intently staring at the documents, her gaze intense and spirited. After using the Soul Splitting Skill, she had divided herself into two, allowing her to operate simultaneously in two places.

"Your Majesty." At that moment, the shadow of a person was reflected outside the tent.

Without lifting her head, the Empress said, "Enter."

Then, the curtain was lifted, and a female attendant entered, carrying a prepared supper. Placing the food lightly beside the Empress, she couldn’t help but say, "Your Majesty, your health is paramount; these documents seem endless."

Xu Zhenguan looked up, smiled, and casually asked, "How is the army?"

With a smile, the female attendant reported, "All is well. News of Your Majesty arriving at the frontline has already spread through Xiping. The court’s army is in high spirits, sweeping away the previous decline. Even those bandits from the Western Regions have retreated upon hearing the news, switching to defense. Now, Duke Duan and Minister Xue are discussing plans to take advantage of the soldiers’ high morale for a decisive victory."

Listening, Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly, about to speak, when suddenly the Empress’s expression changed slightly. She sharply looked outside the tent, her eyes shooting out brilliant golden light.

Within the army.

It was already deep in the night, and most soldiers were asleep, but many were still on patrol duty.

Just then, the soldiers on guard were shocked to find that above the vast camp, in the pitch-black night, the air suddenly rippled in golden waves, and then a vague shadow of a divine apparition slowly emerged. It seemed to be a Buddha statue, sitting cross-legged, with the space behind it unfolding as if a Buddha Country was faintly appearing and disappearing, the Buddha Light illuminating the earth, waking countless people.

"Ah... enemy attack!" someone instinctively shouted.

The whole camp became chaotic, and many soldiers, still drowsy, ran out of their tents in disarray, unable to understand how enemies could silently breach the front lines and reach this place.

"It’s you, Xuan Yin Monk!" In the crowd, a pitch-black halberd tore through the night wind, whistling out. Xue Shence, still wearing his soft armor and yet to sleep, looked up and was shocked.

How could he not recognize that the center of the divine image was a sitting old monk in a brown robe?

Xuan Yin launching a surprise attack on the camp? How dare he? Filled with anger and shock, Xue Shence was about to thrust his halberd into the air.

But at this moment, from within the Buddha Light, a loud chanting began, thunderously rolling over the earth for miles around.

Xuan Yin Monk, with a solemn appearance and hands clasped together: "Amitabha."

With a compassionate look, he gazed down as if the divine was showing mercy. Without any apparent movement, a prayer wheel suddenly appeared in front of him, spinning madly. The cloth filled with scriptures spread in the sky, and instantly, a captivating Buddhist chant echoed in everyone’s ears for miles, inciting a temptation to convert. Except for the generals with cultivation, the ordinary soldiers, under this Buddhist hymn, could only resist for a breath or two before they seemed ready to kneel and kowtow to the divine.

"Damn monk courting death!"

At this critical moment, a clear dragon roar echoed through the night sky, and simultaneously, the Taia Sword unsheathed, shooting up like a meteor.

Xu Zhenguan, clad in her dragon robe, held the Taia Sword, standing in mid-air, shielding the army below from the chaotic Buddhist hymns.

The jade seal mark on the Empress’s brow flashed like starlight. Brows furrowed, her face sternly cold, she glared at Xuan Yin: "Dare to use magic to disrupt the army’s morale, deserving of death!"

With fingers pointed like a sword, she pointed to the sky. The Taia Sword in her hand burst forth with brilliant golden light, slashing towards Xuan Yin in mid-air!

As this sword emerged, the pitch-black night was suddenly lit up, and the immeasurable massive sword light tore the night sky apart.

Engulfed everything.

That Buddha Country was instantly shattered like a bubble, the divine shadow split at the center, scattering into countless starlight.

And Xuan Yin Monk let out a painful grunt, forcefully holding the prayer wheel against the Taia strike, then decisively retreated: "Your Majesty, we shall meet again."

The voice was ethereal and quickly disappeared; Xuan Yin’s figure also vanished in the broken Buddha Country, leaving no trace, beyond even the Empress’s search.

The Taia Sword circled twice in the air and returned without success.

The Empress furrowed her brows, slowly descending.

Xue Shence walked over quickly, his expression grim: "Your Majesty, that monk wasn’t here to start a war."

Xu Zhenguan nodded, calmly saying, "Indeed, he knew of my arrival, so he staged this attack tonight, not seeking to battle me, but to break our army’s morale."

Xue Shence started, looking around, and indeed saw that although the surrounding soldiers were unharmed, they seemed somewhat disheartened by the commotion.

The Empress said calmly, "In the eyes of the soldiers, a Buddhist master could surprise attack our camp, but I failed to capture him. Naturally, the morale that had been raised would drop significantly."

Xue Shence hastily said, "But that monk is of the Heavenly Human Realm, deliberately showing only a face, with no intent for a prolonged fight; no one could keep him back. It’s not that Your Majesty’s swordsmanship is lacking."

The Empress glanced at him, calmly said, "Unfortunately, morale is not something that reasons. Enough, disperse it. Xuan Yin’s commotion wasn’t without a price. Ha, he took a hit from my sword, surely suffered, and won’t return."