Chapter 360

An Ziyang led the Wu Lin people on a wild run. Mei Qinghe was severely injured after using "Sword Twenty-Three," but with the Gu insects An Ziyang fed her, her injuries were gradually healing, and she drew her sword to block the Wu Lin people attacking from behind.

The two charged left and right, running wildly through the capital with a dozen Wu Lin experts, waking up countless people, among whom were many Wu Lin people who had entered the city after receiving news from Yingzhou during this period.

When they came out to look, they saw a dozen figures chasing and fleeing.

"Those in front are An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe!"

"Those behind are a dozen senior experts... and Master Liaoxing from the Shuijin Monastery! He is also chasing!"

The Wu Lin people looked at each other, and a story instantly took shape in their minds.

"Profound View technique!"

"Chase!"

"Li Miao is not here... this is the perfect time!"

Countless black shadows leaped onto the roofs, joining the ranks of the pursuit.

These Wu Lin people belonged to different regions, sects, and factions; their Wu Gong varied in strength, their allegiances differed, and many had old grudges, so it was inevitable that there would be collisions, sabotage, and even fighting along the way.

Thus, the group behind An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe grew larger and more chaotic, gradually forming a long, tumultuous dragon that swept through the capital.

Added to the loud noises of the struggle between the fake Li Miao and the old Wudang Daoist over at Wang Gongchang.

The mighty sound waves gradually awakened half the capital.

Among them was the Minister of Justice, Lord Tang Lanzhou.

He was already an old man with graying temples, his sleep was naturally light, and coupled with what Li Miao had done during the day, he was now like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow, sitting up with a start the moment he heard the commotion.

His old wife on the bed was awakened by him.

"Husband..."

"Wife, wait a moment, don't make a sound, I will go out and take a look."

Tang Lanzhou put on his shoes, threw on an outer garment, pulled a short blade from under the bed, and walked out tremblingly.

Seeing him in this state, his old wife was scared pale, but she didn't make a sound. After getting out of bed, she took a pair of scissors from the dressing table, held them, and went up to hook her arm into Tang Lanzhou's.

"Husband... husband and wife are one."

Tang Lanzhou gritted his teeth and reached out to push open the bedroom door.

His gaze swept across the courtyard.

There were no Embroidered Uniform Guards as he had guessed.

He let out a long sigh, carefully identified the sounds for a while, and after confirming that the noisy sounds were coming from outside, he slowly helped his old wife sit down on the ground.

Tang Lanzhou was truly afraid.

Having been an official for many years and remaining upright, he relied on being cautious and pleasing everyone; he didn't offend anyone and didn't get involved in any major events that could be fatal, which is why he didn't participate in the forced abdication.

But he could no longer understand the current imperial court.

In one day, half of the heads of the Six Ministries were gone, three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were gone, and more than thirty officials who went to force the abdication were so scared they resigned. As the head of the Ministry of Justice, he was currently in a very conspicuous position.

He was truly afraid that tonight, Embroidered Uniform Guards would come to his door to kill him.

"Hah... I'm old."

He laughed at himself.

When he was young, he was also a strict enforcer of the law; it was precisely because he dared to uncover injustices that others dared not touch that he was appreciated and promoted by the late Emperor.

But after twenty-three years of the Emperor's tempering, he had lost the courage of his youth and had become an old, echoing parrot.

Just a little bit of wind and grass movement made him tremble with fear.

"After surviving this, I'll prepare to resign and return to my hometown... my wife is old, and I am old too. Let's vacate the position for young people with courage to sit in..."

Tang Lanzhou felt the urge to leave and patted his old wife's hand.

"Wife, help me up, let's go back to the room."

With this pat, his hand felt wet.

He sneered.

Could it be that his wife was already scared to tears?

It was his fault for failing her, causing her to worry and fear... In these decades of official life, not only did he show her little love, but he also left all the household matters to her. Having supported each other for decades, they had surprisingly few experiences of traveling together.

When she was young, she was also a spirited woman; now she has grown old with me... After I resign, I must take her to travel across the country and properly compensate her.

Tang Lanzhou turned his head with an apologetic look.

"Wife, don't be afraid, wait until—"

His voice suddenly choked.

No, no face. No face that he was familiar with.

At the height level with his gaze, there was a blank space.

"Where did my wife go... but her hand is still there..."

Tang Lanzhou's mind went blank for an instant, and he squeezed the hand hooked onto his arm twice. The skin, the size—it was indeed his wife.

But where was her face?

Tang Lanzhou slowly lowered his gaze.

Oh... it's here.

On the ground.

On the face was still that stubborn expression, although scared, she was trying to stay calm, not wanting him to worry.

"Wife?"

Tang Lanzhou reached out, wanting to smooth out the furrowed brows on that face.

"Wife, don't be afraid..."

The moment his fingertips were about to touch the furrowed brow.

*Bang!

A burst of scarlet exploded, and red and white matter splattered out.

It sprinkled onto his face.

Tang Lanzhou was stunned.

He stared over there for a long time, then his gaze moved to the headless corpse leaning on his shoulder, and finally, he looked down at the short blade in his hand.

Finally, he shifted his gaze to the courtyard.

There was a person there.

Flying fish suit, bear-skin cloak, gold-embroidered black gloves, ape-armed and wasp-waisted, heroic appearance, lazy demeanor, currently laughing with a mocking expression, looking at him with his hands behind his back.

"Visiting late at night, Lord Tang, please don't take offense."

"Well, I know the old lady is old and can't stay up late, so I sent her to sleep a little longer first, as long as she wants to sleep, so as not to delay me talking business with Lord Tang."

"Oh right, I deliberately restrained my strength; if you find a good coroner, the old lady's head can still be put back together, it might just look a bit ugly... a wife of humble origins, Lord Tang shouldn't mind, right?"

He spread his hands and tilted his head, laughing.

Tang Lanzhou stared at him for a while without speaking.

He stood up by leaning on the door frame, gasped for breath, tried hard to lift the headless corpse in his arms, leaned it against the door frame, and straightened its clothes.

Then he walked to the spot where the head had exploded, squatted down, and picked up the scattered head fragments into his arms.

At the same time, he said hoarsely.

"You are not Li Miao."

"Oh?"

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Lord Tang, what are you saying? Haven't you seen—"

"You are not, you are Yan Song's man."

Tang Lanzhou said hoarsely and firmly.

"Although the appearance, voice, figure, and even the clothing are exactly the same, you are not."

"I am the head of the Ministry of Justice, I have tried countless criminals, and I am best at reading people."

He picked up a head fragment with half an eyebrow, rubbed his fingertips over the eyebrow, and slowly smoothed it out.

"If Li Miao came to kill me himself, he wouldn't give me a chance to speak, let alone kill my wife. He is a proud criminal; killing an old man like me who is timid, any roundabout method is an insult to him."

"He would also never involve my wife; he disdains to do so."

"Your despicable method of attacking the heart only exposes your true colors."

Tang Lanzhou carefully placed the collected fragments into the headless corpse's arms, turned his head, gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, and stared fixedly at the man.

"You are a shameless villain, not at all worthy of being compared to Li Miao."

"Wearing someone else's face and feeling smug, becoming arrogant when facing an old person with no power to resist, you are a coward with nothing but brute force."

He walked slowly toward the man.

Not caring at all that the man's expression had gradually darkened with his words.