Chapter 419: Death

Zhao Wuji glanced at the head at his feet.

The second-in-command and the men he had taken with him were all here, not a single one missing. The expressions they had in life still lingered on their faces; there was not a hint of fear, only excitement, as if they hadn't even had time to realize their own deaths.

Zhao Wuji looked up.

A tall man, a dark-skinned youth, an infant in swaddling clothes.

He scanned Wu Mingxiao and gave a disdainful click of his tongue.

His Wu Gong, his physique, and even the expression of righteous indignation on his face were no different from the dozens of young heroes he had killed or captured before—he could not be the main target.

So, he nailed his gaze firmly onto Li Miao.

"Your Excellency... may I ask your name?"

To be able to instantly kill the second-in-command and several elite bandits, this level of martial power far exceeded the scope of ordinary Wu Lin folk. If he wasn't from a major sect, he had to be a famous big shot in the Wu Lin.

People like this were not easy to kill.

He wasn't afraid of Li Miao, because he had great confidence in the wild man's Wu Gong.

But the Wu Lin was not just about fighting and killing; the Wu Lin was about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

Friends, relatives, teachers, and sect brothers—the higher a person's Wu Gong, the more complex their connections and background, which could easily invite unexpected trouble. He did not want to make things too big, as it might ruin his plan to re-enter the Wu Lin.

Therefore, he still wanted to "test the waters" first.

Yet, Li Miao didn't even lift his eyelids as he spat out a single sentence.

"None of your business."

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched, and he forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

"Your Excellency... do not push people too far."

He kicked the second-in-command's head aside and walked down the steps with his blade, looking as if he were unable to contain his rage and intended to fight personally.

But secretly, he made a gesture to the wild man in the corner.

The wild man did not hesitate; he reached out to grab a long blade and moved toward Li Miao's back with a lightness that completely contradicted his size. The Lean Tiger also lowered its body, approaching Li Miao silently.

The footsteps and movements of this man and tiger were surprisingly similar.

The wild man's spine was hunched high, and his feet made no sound.

The Lean Tiger's gait seemed to follow some kind of pattern.

Zhao Wuji felt reassured, though he didn't show it on his face, and said to Li Miao in a deep voice.

"Is Your Excellency dissatisfied with how my stronghold operates?"

"Do you know that most of the people in my stronghold are starving refugees and displaced persons? If you destroy my stronghold, do you have a way to arrange for their survival? Can you, Your Excellency, bear the weight of these thousand lives?"

It was a moral kidnapping, delivered with ease.

He understood these so-called righteous people too well, because more than a decade ago, he had been a genuine righteous hero himself. It only took a few trivial lives to make them reveal their flaws.

With just a moment of distraction and hesitation, the wild man could pluck this person's head off!

Zhao Wuji waited confidently for Li Miao's answer.

He looked forward to seeing the look of shock and anger on Li Miao's face.

Just like the dozens of times before.

"None of your business."

Zhao Wuji's expression stiffened.

He even suspected he had misheard, but looking at Li Miao's lazy and mocking face, he couldn't find any other answer.

Did he really not care?

But if he didn't care about human lives, why bother raiding my nameless stronghold... Even if he wiped it out, what would it gain him? There was no fame and no profit. Could it be...

"Is Your Excellency perhaps lacking in some worldly wealth?"

"Do I look like I'm short on money?"

"Then could it be that my brothers have offended Your Excellency?"

"No grudges, no enmity."

Zhao Wuji's frown deepened.

"Then Your Excellency—"

"I just don't like the look of you."

Li Miao brushed off his sleeves and said nonchalantly.