The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 472 - 381, Zhao Douan: Princess Lu, we meet again (combined in one) _3

However, just at that moment, Eunuch Hai suddenly seemed to sense something, his complexion dramatically changing.

Not just him, including Duan Shuiliu and Qi Yuchun, they all simultaneously revealed expressions of shock, looking towards the pleasure boat in the center of the lake.

Zhao Douan had just strained to deliver a slash, at the very moment when his nerves were relaxed, when suddenly he saw beneath the boat, the bottom of the lake began rippling with strange, concentric ripples.

It was a huge, primitive Array, hidden in some unknown way until now, slowly surfacing and enveloping the entire boat within it.

Speckled dots of light within the Array rose up and suddenly coalesced into a feminine figure.

She was dressed in Green Robe, her face veiled, her features indiscernible.

No sooner had she appeared than she detected the gazes of mighty figures scanning her from all around.

Princess Jing, Lu Yaner acted without hesitation, flickering to appear atop the shattered cabin.

Her soft right hand grabbed Zhao Douan's shoulder, fingertips piercing into it, forcibly dragged Zhao Douan down, both of them plummeting into the Array, vanishing from sight!

With their departure, the strange, circular Array on the surface of the lake also dimmed and disappeared.

Only leaving behind Xu Junling and the maids, standing dumbfounded on the deck.

Teleportation!?

Was there another Assassin?

"Damn it!" Eunuch Hai, Ji Yue, Lang Shiba, and the others paled drastically.

...

...

Pain!

Utter pain!

Zhao Douan had his eyes tightly shut, feeling his entire body restrained by some invisible force, unable to move.

Only the sharp pain spreading from his shoulder, he knew it was that suddenly appeared female sorcerer's fingers that had pierced through his shoulder.

In the midst of his tremendous shock, he was not too panicked.

In his expectation, if Prince Jing were to take action, no amount of theatrics would be surprising.

If the assassination at Hu Ting failed, it would mean that Prince Jing would be at a disadvantage in this struggle and might cause Prince Huaian to turn against him.

He just wondered, who was this female sorcerer who appeared so abruptly, and to where would that mysterious Array take him.

Approximately ten heartbeats later,

Zhao Douan felt the restraining force suddenly loosen, and he was finally able to open his eyes, only to find himself appearing out of thin air above a forest, then tumbling down into the woods!

"Thud!"

As his body hit the ground, he rolled using his Martial Artist's strength, his sleeve's Flying Knife swiftly flinging towards the space above.

But it was effortlessly caught by Lu Yaner, the Princess Lu in a green long dress, lightly lifting her veil. She cast a glance at the struggling Flying Knife in her palm, scoffed, chanted a spell, and the knife's golden light instantly dispersed, carelessly thrown to the ground.

Looking at Zhao Douan who was half-kneeling on the ground, steadying his body and looking up at her, Princess Lu's hand seized, and suddenly a sword appeared.

She pressed down with the sword, and Zhao Douan felt his body sink, the ethereal shadow of the Six Talismans Treasure Armor around him collapsing, his whole body's strength seemed to be "sealed", pressed down firmly.

Lifted by the sword's Qi, he hovered several feet in the air, then fiercely fell to the ground with his head back, uttering a muffled groan.

Fortunately, the ground was covered in years of fallen leaves, which splashed around him like water as he fell.

Lying on the ground, gasping heavily, Zhao Douan saw blood seeping out from his shoulder, he could clearly make out the surroundings—a clearly desolate and remote forest far from human habitation.

Around him were only barren trees, dense and sharp like spears pointing to the heavens.

The woman in the green dress held a long sword, drifting down from the air, her veil gently trembling, lifting to reveal a silver, ancient faceplate covering her face.

A faceplate?

Zhao Douan's mind buzzed, countless thoughts flashing through his head in an instant. Seeing the woman's sword thrusting towards his chest, Zhao Douan unexpectedly blurted out the woman's name:

"Lu Yaner!? You are Princess Jing!"

The long sword abruptly stopped, Princess Lu's warm and elegant eyes narrowing into a thin line.

...

...

Inside Hu Ting City,

In a large residence, the atmosphere was quiet and tense.

Under the eaves was a chair.

Prince Jing Xu Wen, dignified and refined, holding a Peaceful Nothingness Plate, sat in the chair, quietly looking in the direction of Yansuo Lake.

But due to the great distance, even when Worldly Realm experts clashed on the river, the people in the city still couldn't sense it.

"Father," suddenly, Xu Jinglong stepped forward slowly, asking softly,

"Did Aunt Lu go out?"

Lu Yaner, as his stepmother, was addressed as Aunt Lu by him, rather than Mother.

In the lounge chair, Prince Jing's expression was indifferent, as if he were merely a spectator watching a play, gently uttering a soft "Hmm".

Xu Jinglong stood by his side, seeing no one around, cautiously glanced at his father, then ventured to ask,

"Where did Aunt Lu go?"

As the Princely Heir, Xu Jinglong was privy to many affairs of the Royal Mansion, such as the Prince Jing Mansion's secret agents; he had already been able to intervene.

But there were still some secrets he was vaguely aware of, yet didn't know the details.

Such as the true depth of the Royal Mansion's resources or how his father had managed to persuade Duan Shuiliu to lend a hand... To him, they were all enigmas.

This included the Princess as well.

Xu Jinglong didn't know the exact nature of the relationship between his father and Lu Yaner but he was aware that Lu Yaner was no ordinary person and apparently another expert within the Mansion.

Prince Jing opened his eyes, turned his head to glance gently at his son standing respectfully at his side, and after a moment of silence, smiled:

"Never mind, it won't hurt to tell you. Your efforts on the river in probing Zhao Douan were successful, and you should be informed. Yes, your Aunt Lu is a Jianghu Magician and is also a Worldly Realm expert. This time, she has gone to Yansuo Lake to personally execute that Zhao scoundrel."

Xu Jinglong feigned surprise:

"Aunt Lu turns out to be such a revered figure? Yet I've never heard of such a powerful individual in the Jianghu."

Prince Jing said indifferently:

"The Jianghu is deep, and are those listed on the so-called martial arts gold list all there is? How many masters are hidden beneath the surface, unknown to the world."