Chapter 338

The twenty-fourth year of Jiajing, the fourteenth day of the tenth month.

Huguang Provincial Administration Commissioner, Xiangyang Prefecture.

Under Mount Wudang.

Gao Anyu turned over and dismounted, shielded his eyes with his hand to look at the mountain gate in front, and turned to say.

"Brother Cao, I still haven't figured it out."

"Auntie Zheng, Battalion Commander Wang, and Brother Gu stayed in Nanjing to stabilize the situation, but shouldn't we have followed Uncle Li to Shuntian? Why did he want us to come to Wudang?"

Cao Hanyan led the horse to the side of the road, tying the horse while saying.

"Because our Wu Gong is too poor."

"The matter came too urgently and too quickly. Following the Regional Commander, whether it's speed or fighting, we are a burden to the Regional Commander."

Gao Anyu felt lost after hearing this. Seeing him like this, Cao Hanyan comforted him with a smile.

"Brother Gao doesn't need to belittle himself. Our coming to Wudang is naturally useful... You know who our opponent is this time, right?"

Gao Anyu nodded, counting on his fingers.

"Hmm, civil officials, military generals, eunuchs, and Yingzhou."

Cao Hanyan drew his saber, looked at it, confirmed that the blade was sharp, sheathed it, and walked toward the Wudang Sect mountain gate, saying as he walked.

"That's right. This matter is no longer limited to the *Wu Lin*. The methods used by the opponent won't be as simple as drawing a saber and seeing blood."

"Yingzhou has three reliances: multiple Celestials, Profound Observation techniques, and an appearance identical to the Regional Commander. No matter which one of these three points is used, it can easily make the entire *Wu Lin* boil."

"The incident last year where the Ming Sect spread the Wedding Dress Divine Art and attracted *Wu Lin* people to gather in Shuntian is still in front of us. The Regional Commander naturally worries that they will repeat this method—this is the reason why we came to Wudang."

Gao Anyu nodded, half-understanding.

If these things were explained in detail, I'm afraid they wouldn't be finished by the time they reached the Wudang Sect, so Cao Hanyan just explained it briefly, and he naturally couldn't understand.

But he felt that since Cao Hanyan and Li Miao did this, it must be the most correct thing, so he just listened, and there was nothing to ask.

The two arrived outside the Wudang mountain gate.

A little Daoist priest flashed out from the gate and walked quickly to the two of them, cupping his hands: "Two lay Buddhists, sorry, today my Wudang has important matters, it is not convenient to entertain guests, please go back."

Cao Hanyan frowned and reached out to take out his token.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard... what important matter?"

As he revealed his identity, the little Daoist priest widened his eyes.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Why did the two lords come only now? Regional Commander Li has been here for a long time. The important matter in my Wudang is to entertain Regional Commander Li, right? Don't the two of you know?"

As soon as this was said, Cao Hanyan's face changed drastically!

He stepped forward to the little Daoist priest, reached out to hold him, and asked in a low voice.

"Which Regional Commander, Northern Administrative Office or Southern Administrative Office?"

The little Daoist priest seemed to realize something and replied in a low voice.

"The lay Buddhist is joking... the Southern Administrative Office doesn't get involved in the *Wu Lin*, so who else could it be? Naturally, it's the Regional Commander of the Northern Administrative Office, Lord Li Miao... is there something wrong?"

"Naturally, there is something wrong!"

Cao Hanyan's hand was already gripping the hilt of his saber.

Sure enough, Li Miao's prediction was correct!

With Wudang's inheritance, if someone came in disguise, it definitely wouldn't be hidden. If they didn't have the Wu Gong of the Celestial realm, Wudang would see through it at a glance.

Similar appearance, Celestial realm... who else could it be!

Yingzhou!

Cao Hanyan asked urgently.

"Little Daoist, can you speak in the sect?"

The little Daoist priest also replied in a low voice.

"I can, the current sect leader is my senior uncle."

Cao Hanyan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good... Little Daoist, listen carefully. The Regional Commander has never been to Xiangyang. Two days ago we just parted ways, and he is currently on his way to Shuntian. It is absolutely impossible for him to have come to Wudang."

"The Regional Commander in your sect is fake!"

He said this decisively, thinking the little Daoist would be shocked, and was already prepared to explain, but he didn't expect the little Daoist to become visibly excited.

"I knew it!"

Limiao waved his hands excitedly.

"I said it was fake, but Master and Senior Uncle wouldn't listen to me! Let's go, two lords, I will take you to see Master now and clarify this matter with him!"

Having said that, he led Cao and Gao into the gate.

Cao Hanyan asked as he walked.

"How did the Little Daoist know... that the Regional Commander was fake?"

Limiao said without looking back.

"Because that fake one praised my Taiyi Profound Gate Sword for being practiced well! Lord Li would never praise people; he would only say where I practiced poorly, he would never say I practiced well!"

"I haven't practiced this sword technique well for the past half year. Hearing that he came, I deliberately ran in front of him to let him pick out my faults, but he smiled and praised me. I don't believe he would praise me!"

"Lord Li who praises people is definitely fake!"

Cao Hanyan's face was embarrassed.

It seems that this little Daoist named Limiao really knows Li Miao.

Should this judgment method be called a heart of innocence, or a blind cat hitting a dead mouse? But it really made him unable to refute.

The three walked for a while and arrived at a courtyard in Wudang.

Limiao knocked on the door, and without waiting for an answer from inside, pushed the door and entered.

"Master!"

"I said I was right, that Lord Li is definitely fake! I brought witnesses, now you should believe me!"

"Hey, Senior Uncle, why are you here too?"

Cao Hanyan and Gao Anyu followed in.

In the courtyard, Limiao had already run to a stone table, dancing and gesturing to the two Daoists at the stone table.

Cao Hanyan looked closely.

Two Daoists, one fat and one thin, were sitting opposite each other drinking tea. Seeing Cao Hanyan and Gao Anyu enter, they were squinting and looking over.

It was the Wudang Sect Leader Zhiqing, and Limiao's master Zhisheng.

The two top experts of the Wudang Sect were actually both here.

Cao Hanyan stepped forward and cupped his hands.

"Two seniors, Embroidered Uniform Guard Cao Hanyan, greetings."

"The situation is urgent, I—"

Before he finished speaking, Wudang Sect Leader Zhiqing smiled and waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Hey, Lord Cao, don't be anxious, the journey was hard, come and drink some tea."

Cao Hanyan had no mind to drink tea and was about to continue, but suddenly realized—why were the two top experts of Wudang both here? If the Embroidered Uniform Guard Regional Commander came here, shouldn't the Wudang Sect Leader be entertaining him?

Could it be...

Zhiqing said with a smile.

"Lord Cao, don't be anxious. If it's about the fake Regional Commander... hehe, I'll take the Lord to the back mountain to have a look later."

"My grand-uncle is having a heart-to-heart talk with him."

————————

Wudang, back mountain, cave.

"The innate leads the *Zhou Tian*, covers the changes of *Zhou Tian*, I am the King..."

"The innate leads the *Zhou Tian*, covers the changes of *Zhou Tian*, I am the King..."

Two voices were echoing in the cave.

The ragged old Daoist sat cross-legged on the stone bed, muttering vague words.

In front of him, a figure identical to Li Miao sat cross-legged on the ground, also muttering, but his face was extremely ugly, as if he were having a nightmare.

Footsteps came from outside the cave.

Zhiqing and Cao Hanyan walked in.

Zhiqing bowed to the old Daoist.

"Grand-uncle."

The old Daoist opened his dim eyes and looked at Zhiqing with empty eyes, but didn't reply.

Zhiqing shouted again, and his gaze finally focused.

"What is it?"

Zhiqing said with a smile.

"Regional Commander Li of the Embroidered Uniform Guard invites you, he needs you to go to Shuntian."

"Oh."

After a long while, the old Daoist nodded slowly.

I don't know if it was because of this moment of distraction, but the fake Li Miao sitting cross-legged in front of him suddenly opened his eyes and squeezed a sentence out of his throat.

"You... don't want, Profound Observation technique... why... innate leads, *Zhou Tian*, covers... you don't want... changes of *Zhou Tian*..."

"Changes... I am... King..."

His eyes closed slowly again.

The old Daoist watched him for a long while, then turned to look at Zhiqing.

"Do you want it, Profound Observation technique?"

Zhiqing shook his head with a smile.

"Different paths, don't conspire together."

"Oh."

The old Daoist closed his eyes.

"I, depart tomorrow."

"In that case, the disciple takes his leave."

Zhiqing bowed and took Cao Hanyan out of the cave.