Chapter 102

Ji Tianrui.

The former leader of the Ming Cult, before being killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was recognized as the most powerful and mysterious person in the entire Jianghu.

Thirty years ago, the five major sects—Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, and Kongtong—besieged the Ming Cult headquarters. The leader died, the Ming Cult suffered heavy casualties, and was almost on the verge of annihilation.

At this time, Ji Tianrui appeared.

No one knew who he was, no one knew where he came from, and no one even knew what he looked like.

Because he always wore a bronze mask on his face, which he never took off.

Using the authentic Ming Cult techniques he had learned from unknown sources, he defeated the experts of the five major sects and preserved the Ming Cult's heritage. Afterward, he was revered as the leader by the Ming Cult.

In the following fifteen years, he trained many disciples. Lan Lechuan and Mao Yingxia, who died at Li Miao's hands, were his direct disciples and held high positions in the Ming Cult. He rarely appeared, but through these disciples, he held the Ming Cult firmly in his grasp.

During these fifteen years, the Ming Cult grew stronger and its actions were less extreme than before, becoming more and more like a righteous sect. In the Jianghu, there gradually arose the saying: "Outside the Jianghu belongs to the Imperial Court, within the Jianghu belongs to the Ming Cult."

Then came his extermination by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Miao territory, and the Ming Cult went underground.

Li Miao had checked the Embroidered Uniform Guard's internal files on Ji Tianrui; the content was very sparse, basically just the above. The record of his killing only contained the sentence, "The bandit leader Ji Tianrui is dead," and nothing else.

Li Miao had once tried to probe Zhu Zai for details about that year in the Miao territory, but all he got in return was Zhu Zai's silence.

Li Miao's investigation ended there, with no further progress.

As for why Li Miao was so concerned about Ji Tianrui.

It was simple: this person was the reason Li Miao had not left the capital for twenty years—from the moment Li Miao began practicing martial arts, he had always used him as his imaginary enemy.

To walk the Jianghu, one must at least ensure they can beat the strongest person, right?

After all, there are many experts in this Jianghu who die inexplicably. Poisoning, backstabbing, and ambushes—Li Miao could not avoid these things.

At the very least, one must ensure that in a one-on-one fight, one will not lose; then one's life can be considered somewhat guaranteed.

After learning from Yun Zelin that Ji Tianrui was still alive, Li Miao naturally paid even more attention to news of him.

Returning to the present, Li Miao lowered his head, silent, twisting his fingers in thought.

"Ji Tianrui, the surname 'Ji'... Miao territory... poison soldiers..."

He faintly felt that a thread was connecting his several questions together.

The crowd was stunned by his actions. After a long while, Yin Minjun approached: "Brother Li, this is?"

Li Miao raised his head, smiled, and waved his hand.

"Nothing, nothing. I had some guesses and verified them, but didn't get a chance to inform you all."

"These coffins should all contain the remains of the ancestors of the twelve Miao clans. They contain poison insects, but after years of decay, they are already fragile and pose no threat."

"Everyone, rest assured."

Hearing him say this, the crowd let out a long breath.

If these coffins were filled with the kind of "Pupa Girls" from the Miao King's tomb, they might as well not bother living.

After some conversation, led by Lao Qifeng, the group set off again toward the depths of the cave.

Li Miao fell to the back this time, walking while twisting his fingers in thought.

Yin Minjun did not disturb him, just followed by his side.

After thinking for a while, Li Miao turned to look at Yin Minjun: "Elder Yin, do you know the origin of the surname 'Ji'?"

He didn't really think that Yin Minjun, a Jianghu person, could answer such an obscure question; he just asked casually.

Yin Minjun replied: "Ji Tianrui's 'Ji'? There is much speculation in the Jianghu about his background. I have also checked ancient books and happen to remember."

"Tell me."

"Yes, the ancient books say this surname has four origins, which are..."

Yin Minjun explained it thus and so, and Li Miao's twisting fingers stopped.

"In that case, perhaps it matches up."

Li Miao had a rough guess in his heart; perhaps he could verify it here in the Miao territory.

And this matter of the Miao King's tomb should also be coming to an end.

Because during the time Li Miao was thinking, the group had followed the sound of water to a small stream; judging by the direction of the flow, it was flowing in from outside the cave.

Following this stream, the group would soon be able to walk out of this cave.

And those people from the Qingcheng Sect would definitely not wait until the group walked out of the cave to strike.

Sure enough, just as the group reached a fork in the road, a Qingcheng Sect disciple exclaimed.

"There are footprints here!"

The group stopped. Lao Qifeng turned back and indeed saw several chaotic footprints on the ground, extending toward this fork.

He pondered for a moment, raised his head, and scanned the crowd: "Everyone, what do you think?"

The Kongtong Sect Leader stroked his beard and said: "Looking at the traces of these footprints, they should have been left over a month ago."

"It must be those mountain-moving grave robbers who discovered the 'Wedding Dress Divine Art'."

Lao Qifeng waved his hand: "Sect Leader Liu knows I am not talking about that."

"We are only one step away from getting out. What I want to ask is, do you all want to go straight out, or do you want to explore the truth of this 'Wedding Dress Divine Art'?"

Lao Qifeng said solemnly: "The situation is unclear, and the person who harmed the Qingcheng disciples in the Miao King's tomb is still among us, and we don't know how many there are... we must not split up."

"What are your plans?"

The Qingcheng Sect Leader gritted his teeth and said: "My Qingcheng Sect wants to go and see."

"You all can leave easily, but I have lost two disciples. If I go out empty-handed, their lives were given in vain!"

Saying this on the surface, his heart was also bleeding.

He had colluded with the Miao people to trap everyone present, but he hadn't expected a Li Miao to appear. As a result, everyone else was fine, but he had lost two capable disciples!

They were not Miao and did not know witchcraft. The Miao had planted poison insects in them beforehand; as long as they used their Qi to stimulate them, they could avoid being harmed by the insects.

But he hadn't expected that the moment the door opened, a poison insect crawling out of a Pupa Girl's body would kill one of his disciples. The event happened too fast to even stimulate the poison insects in their bodies.

In the Miao King's tomb, he had instructed his disciple to step on the platform, but he hadn't expected to be beheaded by Yin Minjun, who had been prepared.

Now that two disciples were dead, if he couldn't achieve his goal, he would have lost everything.

So he used the lives of his disciples as an excuse, and the others found it hard to refute.

Moreover, everyone actually harbored the same thought: having experienced such danger and having found the exit, they couldn't just give up on seeing the truth of the "Wedding Dress Divine Art," could they?

Lao Qifeng sighed inwardly and looked at Li Miao: "Hero Li, what are your plans?"

Li Miao spread his hands: "I was brought in by Elder Yin; I'm just here to watch the excitement, I have no interest in the divine art."

"If you all want to go, I'll just follow along."

Lao Qifeng looked at the crowd's expressions and nodded helplessly: "In that case, let's go and explore."