Chapter 155 The Great Ming Dynasty's National Protector, the Embroidered-Clad General

"The Great Ming Dynasty's National Protector General, Princess Yongle."

These words shocked everyone in the room.

Lin Zhennan and his wife were dumbfounded. They only knew that Long Kui had a noble status, but they never expected that she was actually a princess of the current dynasty!

Qu Feiyan was even more dumbfounded. Why would a princess go to such a filthy place as Qunyu Courtyard? And why was her martial arts so high? Shouldn't a princess be high above, living a life of luxury and just waiting to die?

The prefect only knew that Longkui was an envoy, not a princess. Upon seeing Hong Tai's treacherous intentions, he was terrified. He immediately went out to summon his servants to find help, but Hong Tai paid no attention and let him go.

"A princess?" Madam Wang murmured. "Is Miss Long a princess?"

Longkui did not deny it, but looked coldly at Hong Tai and said indifferently, "You've investigated very thoroughly."

Hong Tai laughed heartily: "I have been preparing for this day for three whole years. Princess Yongle, Zhu Kui, you used the alias Long Kui, hiding in the martial world, secretly commanding the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and monitoring the world. Unfortunately, your skills have not yet recovered, and you just love to meddle in other people's business. You personally went to Nanjing to deal with the Japanese pirates, and you also sought medical treatment for the young镖头 (bodyguard/escort), thus exposing your whereabouts. This is a golden opportunity, how could I, Hong Tai, miss it?"

He turned to look at Shi Potian, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. "This young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) Lin's martial arts skills are truly exceptional. If he were unharmed, I, Hong, would not have dared to act rashly. What a pity, Zhu Kui, if you hadn't sought medical help yourself, how would I, Hong, have had the chance to deal with Young镖头 Lin? You personally sent him on his way, hahaha."

Qu Feiyan asked anxiously, "What did you give the little brother to eat?"

Hong Tai laughed smugly, "It's naturally an elixir of immortality. Ordinary people who take it will ascend to heaven. This elixir is called the 'Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill,' a closely guarded secret of my Divine Dragon Sect. It's not poison, but it's more terrifying than poison because it's extremely nourishing. After a person takes it, the medicinal effects lie dormant in their body for three to six months before taking effect. At that time, the body will become twisted and deformed; the short will become tall, the tall will become short, the fat will become thin, and the thin will become fat, their faces will be unrecognizable, and they will suffer unbearable pain. Without my unique antidote, they will suffer endless torment, a fate worse than death."

"Then why is the young man having an attack now?"

"Of course, I deliberately added some ingredients to Young Escort to make it take effect earlier; otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to come and kill Lord Embroidered Robe."

He looked at Shi Potian, his eyes full of pride, "Young Master Lin, you have profound inner strength and can even control your body without deforming. That day in the palace, that little eunuch was lifted up inside, hahaha, the tyrant was overjoyed and thought I was a terrestrial immortal."

"Young镖头, if you want the antidote, you'd better behave and stop meddling in the affairs of my Divine Dragon Sect. Once I've taken down the Embroidered-Clad Marshal, I'll invite you to join my Divine Dragon Sect. Then, the world of the Ming Dynasty will be within our grasp."

Lin Zhennan's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he roared, "You heretic! Bring me the antidote at once!"

Madam Wang trembled all over, drew her golden knife, and was about to rush forward to fight to the death.

Sarutobi Higetsu drew his katana, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent: "My lord is invincible. Your poison won't work on him. Get lost, or I'll let you test the sharpness of my blade!"

Hong Tai scoffed, "You think you can take me?" He stood with his hands behind his back, calm and collected. "I'm here today for nothing other than to take Princess Yongle's life. If the rest of you know what's good for you, kneel down to the side, and I might spare your lives."

Longkui coldly replied, "You want to rebel?"

Hong Tai calmly replied, "Rebellion? Hahaha! My Divine Dragon Sect reigns supreme overseas, with thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands all under my jurisdiction. The Ming Emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, favoring eunuchs, and the people are suffering. What's wrong with me, Hong, acting on behalf of Heaven? If I kill you, the patron general of the nation, the court will lose a pillar of strength. When the world is in chaos, my Divine Dragon Sect army will rise up and contend for the throne. Why not sit on the dragon throne myself!"

A cold glint flashed in Longkui's eyes: "You really are a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Without further ado, Hong Tai raised his right palm, and with a whooshing sound, aimed straight at Long Kui!

"Protect the princess!" Sarutobi Hiugetsu shouted, drawing his katana and slashing through the wind!

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, aimed straight at Hong Tai's face. Hong Tai didn't even look, and with a wave of his left hand, a powerful palm strike dispersed the blade's light. Yuan Fei Riyue felt as if he was about to suffocate in his chest and staggered back several steps.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot." Hong Tai snorted coldly, his palm strike unchanged, continuing to strike Long Kui.

Lin Zhennan and Madam Wang attacked simultaneously. Lin Zhennan drew his longsword, unleashing the Snow Mountain Sword Technique "Ming Tuo Xi Lai" (The Camel Comes from the West), its steady and powerful strike blocking Hong Tai's palm path. Madam Wang flipped her golden saber, unleashing the Golden Crow Saber Technique "Qian Jun Ya Tuo" (A Thousand Pounds Pressing Down on the Camel), a fierce downward slash aimed directly at Hong Tai's wrist.

"The Evil-Repelling Sword Technique is nothing special." Hong Tai saw only flaws in the Snow Mountain Sword Technique. He reached out with one hand, like breaking off a plum blossom, to snatch the long sword from Lin Zhennan's hand.

Just as he was about to slip his hand through the opening, Madam Wang's golden knife slashed down as if his own hand had just been cut off.

Hong Tai was taken aback and exclaimed, "Huh?" He quickly withdrew his hand.

The combined power of the sword and saber was amplified. Hong Tai felt a sword and a saber attacking at the same time, one sword blocking his palm strike and the other slashing at his wrist, the coordination was seamless.

He paused slightly, then changed his palm technique, transforming a grab into a slap, and a powerful palm wind forced the two men's weapons away.

"Interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in Hong Tai's eyes, and then he struck out with another palm, this time using half of his strength.

Lin Zhennan and Madam Wang combined their swords, unleashing "Hidden Fragrance and Sparse Shadows" and "Abalone Market" simultaneously. The flashing blades formed a large net, which neutralized most of Hong Tai's palm strike. Sarutobi Nichigetsu delivered a slash from the side, forcing Hong Tai to take a half-step back, his expression slightly changing.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this, or saber technique?" He stared at the golden saber in Madam Wang's hand, then looked at Lin Zhennan's longsword. "Does the Lin family also have a martial art that combines swordsmanship and saber techniques?"

Madam Wang gritted her teeth and said, "My son taught me this! It's specifically for beating up wicked people like you!"

Hong Tai sneered, "A mere trick." He unleashed a palm strike, his inner force surging like a tide. Lin Zhennan and Madam Wang were shaken, their blood churning, and they staggered back several steps. However, their combined swordplay did not falter; instead, they fought with increasing ferocity. Their move, "Six Snowflakes in One Step," combined with "Plum Blossom in Summer," produced a dazzling display of sword light and shadow, swift as the wind. Combined with the Sarutobi Sun and Moon Japanese sword, they forced Hong Tai to retreat another step.

Hong Tai's expression finally turned serious. He hadn't expected that these three seemingly insignificant characters could hold their own against him for several moves with their combined sword and saber techniques. If their skills were any deeper, they would truly be a formidable opponent today.

"Unfortunately, your internal strength is too weak." Hong Tai sneered, and struck out with both palms. The force of his palms was as strong as a mountain. Lin Zhennan and his wife could not withstand it and were forced to retreat repeatedly, feeling chest tightness and as if they were about to vomit blood.

Sarutobi Hiugeki lunged forward again, slashing repeatedly with his katana, but Hong Tai reached out and somehow the katana ended up in his hand. He then slapped it down on Sarutobi Hiugeki's head with a palm strike.

When Hong Tai was fighting, Hong Antong noticed that Shi Potian didn't have many experts around him. He rolled his eyes and quickly walked towards Shi Potian.

Qu Feiyan blocked her way with both hands, "Little demon, what are you doing!"

Hong Antong sneered: "Little girl, get out of my way!"

"I'm determined to have what he has."

Ping Yizhi also stepped in front of Shi Potian and said in a deep voice, "Little Taoist, do you want to make an enemy of the Sun Moon Sect?"

Hong Antong scoffed, "The Sun Moon Sect? My Divine Dragon Sect will destroy it sooner or later. You, a mere quack doctor, dare to block my path? Surrender now, and I can introduce you to someone within the Divine Dragon Sect."

He flicked his whisk, and a gust of wind swept towards Ping Yizhi.

Ping Yizhi dodged the attack, grabbed a handful of powder from the medicine box, and scattered it out.

Hong Antong hurriedly held his breath, waved his sleeve to disperse the medicinal powder, and roared, "You're asking for death!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qu Feiyan pulled out the Black Blood Divine Needle from her sleeve, and with a flick of her wrist, three thin needles silently shot towards Hong Antong's face.

Hong Antong had just dodged the medicinal powder when he was forced to make poison needles. He was forced to roll away in a sorry state. When he stood up, his face was red and he glared angrily at the two men.

"An old man and a young girl, both so shameless. Little girl, your hidden weapon skills are still a bit green." Hong Antong sneered, and was about to step forward again when a muffled groan came from behind him.

He turned around and saw Lin Zhennan and his wife, Sarutobi Nichigetsu, retreating one after another, and his master was about to kill Sarutobi Nichigetsu with a single palm strike.

Hong Tai had taken control of the situation, while Shi Potian's eyes remained closed and his face flushed, as if the drug was taking effect. No one on the scene could stop Hong Tai.

Hong Antong looked at Qu Feiyan arrogantly: "You brat, you have no one to rely on anymore."

It looked like Sarutobi Higetsu was about to be killed by Hong Tai.

At the critical moment, a cold light silently pierced through the air, as fast as a shooting star, aiming straight for Hong Tai's brow!

A sudden sense of alarm rose in Hong Tai's heart. He disregarded the hand he was about to strike at Yuan Fei Riyue and swiftly turned to avoid the cold light. With a soft "ding," a needle as thin as a cow's hair was driven into the pillar and disappeared.

Hong Tai's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the person who had thrown the needles—Long Kui. She leaned back in her chair, holding several embroidery needles in her hand, her expression indifferent, as if the needle she had just thrown was nothing more than a casual flick of the wrist.

"You..." Hong Tai's expression changed slightly, "Your martial arts have recovered?"

Longkui said calmly, "Guess."

Hong Tai stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "If you had recovered your strength, I wouldn't have been able to completely dodge that sneak attack with a needle just now, and I would definitely have been injured. Zhu Kui, your strength hasn't recovered, and forcing yourself to use your inner energy to launch the needle will only aggravate your internal injuries. Do you think a few embroidery needles can stop me?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than three women in purple robes leaped into the room, their figures swift and agile, instantly blocking Long Kui's path. Each of them had a long sword hanging at their waist, their faces were cold and stern, and their auras were sharp and imposing; they were clearly all experts.

Closely following behind them, a group of Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists surrounded the living room. The embroidered spring knives were drawn, their cold light gleaming.

Upon seeing this, Imperial Physician Wang turned pale and turned to run away, but was grabbed by two Imperial Guards and forced to kneel down.

"Spare me! Spare me! I didn't know anything! I was deceived!" He kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

Hong Tai didn't even glance at him, his gaze sweeping over the three women in purple, and he sneered, "Embroidered Purple Envoys? You three think you can stop me?"

The woman in purple at the head of the group said coldly, "Hong Tai, you have committed treason and rebellion, a crime deserving of death. Surrender and perhaps you can have your body intact."

Hong Tai laughed loudly: "You think you can compete with me, all you delicate flowers and tender grass?"

Before his laughter had even faded, he had already moved, striking the woman in purple with a palm.

Hong Tai laughed loudly: "You think you can compete with me, all you delicate flowers and tender grass?"

Before his laughter had even faded, he had already moved, striking the woman in purple with a palm.

The woman in purple drew her sword, its blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Hong Tai's palm. Two other women in purple simultaneously attacked, their three longswords thrusting towards Hong Tai's vitals from three directions. Their swordsmanship was perfectly coordinated, their swordplay fierce, subtly displaying the power of a formation.

Hong Tai snorted coldly, his palm strike changing from a slap to a grab, actually disarming the white blade with his bare hands and seizing the sword of the leading woman in purple. The woman tried to pull back, but it didn't budge. Hong Tai flipped his wrist, and the longsword snapped in two with a "crack." He struck out with his palm, and the woman groaned, flying backward and crashing into the wall, spitting out blood.

The other two women in purple were shocked and their swordsmanship became even more rapid, but they could not block Hong Tai's exquisite palm techniques. After a few moves, the two women were also forced back, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

The Imperial Guards roared in unison and swarmed forward. Swords flashed, and they surrounded Hong Tai. Hong Tai sneered, unleashing both palms simultaneously. The force of his palm strikes was like a raging storm, sending the Imperial Guards flying backward, crashing to the ground, their swords falling from their hands, groaning in pain. Within moments, more than ten Imperial Guards were all unable to stand.

Lin Zhennan and his wife, along with Sarutobi Hiyori, exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and charged again. Lin Zhennan drew his longsword, unleashing the "Snowy Mud and Wild Goose Claws" move, its swordplay elusive and unpredictable; Madam Wang flipped her golden saber, unleashing the "Blazing Sun" move, its blade flashing like fire; Sarutobi Hiyori pounced from the side, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks. The three of them joined forces, their swords and sabers working in perfect harmony, displaying an even greater level of coordination than before.

The three purple-clad envoys pounced again, and the six of them surrounded Hong Tai, with flashing swords and shadows enveloping him.

Hong Tai scoffed, "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot." He unleashed both palms simultaneously, their power as strong as a mountain. His movements were as graceful as a butterfly flitting among flowers, allowing him to advance and retreat freely amidst the six men's attacks. The six men, however, were shaken by the force of his palms, their blood surging and their lives hanging by a thread.

However, whenever he was about to kill someone with one palm strike, Long Kui would continuously release needles from the chair, each needle precisely aimed at Hong Tai's vital points, forcing him to be distracted and dodge, allowing the six people to escape a calamity.

After several rounds, the situation became a stalemate. Several times, Hong Tai tried to rush over and deal with Long Kui first, but Lin Zhennan and the other six fought desperately to hold him back.

"Annoying!" Hong Tai roared, then suddenly turned around, abandoning the six men, and charged straight at Shi Potian!

Everyone was shocked. Lin Zhennan and his wife were terrified and chased after them with all their might; Yuan Fei Riyue's eyes were bloodshot as he leaped forward; Long Kui suddenly stood up, her embroidery needles flashing, three cold lights aimed straight for Empress Dowager Hong's heart. Even the three women in purple endured their injuries and swung their swords at Empress Dowager Hong.

All six people went out together to do their best to save the person.

Hong Tai smirked, his body suddenly twisting and turning in mid-air in an impossible move, striking at the pursuing Sarutobi Riyue with a palm! This palm strike was long planned, and it was the "Yangchun Baixue" that he had fought against Shi Potian before. Sarutobi Riyue was caught off guard, his eyes filled with palm shadows, and he had no way to dodge. He slashed out with all his might, intending to take them down with him.

With a "bang," Sarutobi Higetsu was struck on the shoulder with a palm, screamed in pain, and flew backward, knocking over the tables and chairs behind him.

Without pausing, Hong Tai swung his left palm, striking two women in purple who fell to the ground with screams. His right hand reached out, grabbing Lin Zhennan's longsword. With a twist and a flick, Lin Zhennan's hand split open, and the sword slipped from his grasp. Madam Wang's golden dagger struck, but Hong Tai dodged to the side, tapping her wrist with a finger, sending the dagger clattering to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the six-man siege was completely broken.

Without further hesitation, Hong Tai lunged at Zhu Kui. The figure in the middle split into three, each unleashing a palm strike with all their might. The palm wind howled as it aimed directly at Long Kui!

He used "Yangguan Sandie" again!

"Princess Yongle, you can't withstand this blow!" Hong Tai shouted.

This time, he was determined to win.