The real Izumo delegation had already been wiped out by the fake Karasuma and the fake Toshihide.
Moreover, the Empress Dowager was abducted to the state guesthouse by the fake Karasuma and the fake Toshihide.
Therefore, after leaving the palace, Li Yao went straight to the state guesthouse.
Unlike other guesthouses, the state guesthouse was for foreign envoys.
Therefore, the security here is very tight.
However, for Li Yao, no matter how heavily guarded a place was, the guards were practically useless.
He flashed and leaped into the state guesthouse like a ghost.
The guards at the gate only felt a gust of wind pass by, but found nothing unusual, so they breathed a sigh of relief.
After sneaking into the state guesthouse, Li Yao discovered that the security there was just as tight as that of the imperial palace.
A guard every five steps, a sentry every ten steps!
He also discovered that the guards and servants here were dressed very differently from those in the Ming Dynasty.
Clearly, they were not guards or servants of the Ming Dynasty.
Indeed, after the fake Karasuma abducted the Empress Dowager, he hid her in the state guesthouse.
If there are Ming Dynasty guards and servants here, wouldn't that leak the news?
Just then, the sounds of fighting came from not far away.
"It seems that someone else got here first!"
"Could it be Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang?"
Li Yao still remembered that in the original plot, Zhu Wushi deliberately sent Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang to the State Guesthouse to investigate its situation.
So he followed the sound and ran towards it.
Soon, he arrived at a courtyard.
In the courtyard, two men dressed in black were locked in combat with a middle-aged man wearing a tall hat.
Li Yao only glanced at them a few times before guessing the identity of one of the men in black.
This person uses Japanese martial arts.
So, this person is Duan Tianya.
Therefore, the other man in black should be Shangguan Haitang.
The person wearing the tall hat must be the fake Karasumaru.
The fake Karasuma spotted Li Yao and sneered, "Hmph, another one. Although Izumo is a small country, no one can bully us."
This person was highly skilled in martial arts; even when surrounded by Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang, he was still able to handle the situation with ease.
However, another person suddenly appeared, and he dared not be careless.
So, he rolled his eyes and deliberately created an opening to lure Shangguan Haitang into attacking, intending to take down the weaker Shangguan Haitang first.
As expected, Shangguan Haitang, unaware of the opening, attacked that weakness.
Chapter 151 Hand over the Empress Dowager, and I'll spare your life.
"Are you really from Izumo Province?"
Just as the fake Wuwan unleashed his Fire Cloud Blade to attack Shangguan Haitang, Li Yao suddenly spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, the fake Karasuma's mind went blank, and his movements slowed down slightly.
"Watch out, Begonia!"
Duan Tianya was shocked and immediately shouted a warning.
Despite the fact that the fake Wuwan was a bit slower, and despite Duan Tianya's loud reminder.
However, Shangguan Haitang was still injured in the shoulder by the scorching fire cloud blade energy.
The powerful impact sent Shangguan Haitang flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
Fortunately, she only injured her shoulder and was otherwise fine.
Duan Tianya quickly dropped the fake Wuwan and rushed towards the injured Shangguan Haitang.
He helped Shangguan Haitang up and asked with concern, "Haitang, are you alright?"
Shangguan Haitang shook her head slightly, her gaze fixed on Li Yao, and couldn't help but ask, "Who is this person?"
Duan Tianya said in a deep voice, "He is Li Yao."
"That's Li Yao?!"
Shangguan Haitang was taken aback.
The name Li Yao has been mentioned most frequently at Hulong Mountain Villa recently.
Not long ago in the desert, Li Yao snatched away Yang Yuxuan's two children and defeated Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyidao, leaving them empty-handed.
Later, Li Yao suddenly appeared in the palace and fought a great battle with Cao Zhengchun.
Then, Li Yao suddenly became the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and poached Guo Juxia and Bai Sanniang from the Six Doors.
Furthermore, their adoptive father sent experts to secretly follow Li Yao, but Li Yao easily discovered them.
...
In short, for Shangguan Haitang, the name Li Yao was extremely well-known.
However, she had only heard of him by name and had never met him in person.
I finally got to see him today.
Li Yao glanced at Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang, but ignored them. Instead, he walked straight up to the fake Wuwan and said bluntly, "Hand over the Empress Dowager."
"Empress Dowager?"
"Is the Empress Dowager here?"
"Why is the Empress Dowager here?"
Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang were startled and exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
"The Empress Dowager? How could the Empress Dowager be here?"
The fake Karasumaru immediately looked extremely surprised.
However, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
Li Yao stared at the fake Wuwan and said coldly, "Don't play dumb with me. Hand over the Empress Dowager now, and I might spare your life."
Stared at by Li Yao, the fake Wuwan felt as if his hair had stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine.
However, having spent many years navigating the world of martial arts, he still possessed a degree of composure.
He shook his head blankly and said, "I don't know what you're talking about?"
Li Yao said, "I'm afraid you know very well what's going on in your heart."
As soon as he finished speaking, a large group of guards rushed over and surrounded Li Yao, Duan Tianya, and Shangguan Haitang.
The fake Karasumaru sneered, "Even if Izumo is a small country, we cannot be bullied like this by you."
After saying that, he roared and swung his palm at Li Yao.
A burst of fiery sword energy emanated from his palm.
The sword energy was like fire and clouds, burning fiercely as if the surrounding air itself was being burned apart.
This is his most famous and signature move: the Fiery Cloud Blade.
Although this skill is named after a knife, it is actually a type of qigong knife, an internal energy method that uses qi to wield the knife. It emphasizes that the mind follows the qi, the qi follows the heart, and the qi is concentrated in the object. Practitioners must have profound skill.
The fake Karasumaru's Fire Cloud Blade is pure scorching palm force, although it is far different from the invisible blade energy of Kumārajīva's Flame Blade.
However, with the aid of Japanese ninjutsu and the poisonous arts of the Demonic Sect, he was able to barely make it into the ranks of first-class martial artists in this world.
"So this is the Fiery Cloud Blade, it's quite interesting!"
Li Yao nodded with interest, circulated his Great Dao True Qi, and with a flick of his hand, met the attack.
His palm strike was also incredibly hot, carrying waves of heat, and it overlapped heavily with the fake Karasumaru's Fire Cloud Blade.
In an instant, the sky was filled with fiery palm shadows, like raging waves of fire, sweeping and colliding with each other.
"Kunlun Blazing Palm!"
Fake Karasuma exclaimed in surprise. He was well-informed and, being a member of the Giant Whale Gang, he was naturally very familiar with the origins of the most famous martial arts in the world.
He snorted coldly, knowing that his opponent was no easy opponent, so he pushed his internal energy to its limit.
In an instant, the palm strike swept across the sky, flames erupted, and a series of fiery and cloud-like sword energies shot towards Li Yao like sharp arrows.
Wherever the blade's energy passed, it swept by a scorching current, making the guards who had just arrived feel as if they were standing under the blazing sun.
Li Yao, however, did not take this seriously and increased his internal energy output.
A palm shadow, as fierce as flames, rose into the air like a fiery dragon with bared fangs and claws, devouring one blade of energy after another, which then vanished without a trace.
At the same time, screams of agony could be heard as the surrounding guards were pierced through the chest and abdomen by the scattered palm strikes and died instantly.
The fake Karasumaru began to panic; he hadn't expected to encounter such a tough opponent.
His eyes darted around, and he suddenly changed his palm strike, flipping his hand and striking Li Yao with another palm. His palm was slightly green and faintly smelled of fishy odor.
"Demonic Poison Heart Palm!"
Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang exclaimed in unison.
This Demonic Cult's Poison Heart Palm technique is incredibly poisonous; anyone struck by it will die instantly.
This time, Li Yao is likely to perish here.
"Kid, die!"
The fake Wuwan revealed his true colors, letting out a ferocious growl as an evil black mist spewed from his palm, enveloping Li Yao entirely.