Chapter 129: Like this

Although Zhu Zai sighed, he knew that this was not the time for delay.

He turned his head to look at Li Miao and said, "Aren't you skilled in Wu Gong and possess great strength?"

"Perfect. Go and level this entire plot of land."

"Wan Tianzong must die in a few days; these traces cannot be left behind."

Li Miao raised his eyebrows: "What about that old Bu and that Cheng Yuanzhen? Should I just kill them while I'm at it?"

Zhu Zai waved his hand: "Keep them."

"Right now, the priority is how to frame the Ming Sect for this."

"Wan Tianzong and Cheng Yuanzhen must both die at the hands of Ji Tianrui. It is normal for Wan Tianzong to stay in his sedan chair all day and not see anyone. Cheng Yuanzhen, however, must live well for now and then die at the hands of Ji Tianrui, so as to provide some cover."

"Like this."

Zhu Zai looked at Li Miao.

"You cannot appear near me again, otherwise it will inevitably be linked to Wan Tianzong's death."

Li Miao twisted his fingers and thought for a moment, then said: "Perfect."

"You set off tomorrow and find someone to pretend that Wan Tianzong is still alive."

"Three days later, I will arrive at Shaolin. That just happens to be the day Master Xing Chi invites his fellow Ordinary Jianghu peers to witness him passing the position to his disciple."

"I will create some commotion so that everyone knows I only arrived at Shaolin that day, brushing past you without meeting."

Zhu Zai understood and added with tacit agreement:

"The Ming Sect besieged Shaolin in force just a few days ago; with so many people, they certainly couldn't have gone far."

"It is only natural for me to set off tomorrow to pursue them."

"Once the matter at Shaolin is settled, you will follow secretly."

"I will find people to impersonate you elsewhere and leave traces."

Li Miao nodded.

"In this way, once we find Ji Tianrui, we slaughter him. And kill Cheng Yuanzhen while we're at it."

"This matter will then be declared closed."

Zhu Zai nodded: "Let it be done this way."

"You clean up this mess; I will go find someone to impersonate Wan Tianzong and handle Bu Lei's corpse along the way."

"If anyone inside Shaolin hears the noise here, handle it yourself."

Having said that, he prepared to leave, carrying Bu Lei's corpse.

Li Miao, however, spoke up and stopped him: "Hey, wait a moment."

"The Hengshan Sect Elder Yin, who delivered the letter during the day—have her come back to find me."

Zhu Zai paused, turned his face to look at Li Miao, and sized him up from head to toe.

"Oh, Elder Yin, Yin Yin Minjun, is it?"

"Hmm..."

"Her background is clean, and her Wu Gong is decent. She is a bit older, but she is still a suitable match for you."

"Mei Qinghe and Gao Ling, whom you sent to the Shuntian Prefecture, are also quite good."

Li Miao laughed: "What are you thinking about?"

"She came to Shaolin with me; many people at the Miao King's Tomb saw it. I cannot let her leave with you."

"Three days later, she must arrive at Shaolin with me."

"You must handle everyone who saw her and Yong Jie during the day in advance."

Zhu Zai snorted coldly.

"This won't do, that won't do. Why not attend to both public and private matters at once?"

"If not for the circumstances, I shouldn't have let you stay at Shaolin Temple."

"Right!"

Zhu Zai seemed to remember something and looked at Li Miao fiercely.

"What is this about the confidante you mentioned tonight, whom I must pay respects to when I see her!?"

At that time, the situation was urgent, and Zhu Zai did not ask further.

Now that it was mentioned, he suddenly remembered Li Miao's words.

Li Miao spread his hands: "Don't worry about that; it's mutual affection, a fleeting romance."

"Hmph!" Zhu Zai snorted coldly.

"Do as you please. One more head-dropping matter won't make a difference."

Having said that, he used his Qing Gong and sped away.

Li Miao smiled, watching the old man go further and further away until he disappeared from his field of vision.

After a long while, he turned to look at the mess everywhere and sighed.

"A Heaven-Man Realm expert, three paths merged into one."

"After a fight, I still have to clean the floor myself."

"Truly, the morals of the world are declining."

Having said that, he raised his hand and pushed out a palm, leveling the deep pit containing Wan Tianzong's minced flesh.

————————

By dawn, the morning light was faint.

Li Miao finally stopped his work, looked left and right, and nodded.

"That should be about right."

The traces of his battle with Wan Tianzong last night had vanished without a trace.

In their place was a flat area half a foot lower than the surrounding ground, with the soil pressed as smooth as a mirror.

Li Miao flashed to the edge of the flat ground, raised his palm, channeled his true energy, and blew slowly across it.

This blew the loose soil from the surroundings onto the flat ground, gradually leveling it with the surroundings.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Li Miao stopped.

This place was now no different from the surroundings.

Yin Yin Minjun walked over, handed him a pot of tea and some snacks, and draped a cloak over Li Miao.

"My lord, you have worked hard all night; please rest for a while."

"It is cold; don't catch a chill."

When she draped the clothes, her hands seemed to be smoothing them out, touching Li Miao's shoulders a few times. The snacks were taken from Yin Yin Minjun's bosom; when Li Miao took them, they still carried her body heat and faintly emitted a fragrance.

Li Miao smiled and did not expose her.

With his Internal Energy Realm, even if he jumped into a snow pile and lay there for three days and three nights, he would not catch a chill.

Yin Yin Minjun was doing it on purpose.

He did not know what Zhu Zai had said to her last night, but since returning from there, Yin Yin Minjun was no longer as coy as before and had become much more proactive.

Li Miao did not refuse; he took the items and leaned against a tree to eat.

Yin Yin Minjun held the teapot and did not speak, acting like a little wife, adding tea for Li Miao on her own.

Li Miao finished the snacks and clapped his hands.

Yin Yin Minjun took a handkerchief from her bosom, intending to wipe the crumbs from the corners of Li Miao's mouth.

Li Miao glanced at her, raised his hand to stop her, wiped his mouth, and used his true energy to wipe away the crumbs.

Then he stood up and looked toward Shaolin.

"Elder Yin, I have to trouble you to rough it with me for a few days."

"Two days from now, we will be able to appear in public."

Yin Yin Minjun withdrew her handkerchief and said.

"I will listen to everything you say, my lord."

Li Miao said, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

"You have worked hard these past few days."

"Once the matter at Shaolin is finished, I must go and settle the matter with the Ming Sect."

"After that, perhaps I will return to Shuntian Prefecture, or perhaps I will wander around this Great Ming."

"By then, Elder Yin can return to the Hengshan Sect on your own. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will naturally have rewards for your hard work these past few days."

Li Miao did not say it explicitly, but Yin Yin Minjun understood clearly.

He was asking Yin Yin Minjun to consider clearly and not be deceived by that bad old man Zhu Zai's words.

He truly had no thoughts of starting a family for the time being, nor did he have the realization of being with one person for a lifetime.

He would not stay long in this Huguang region either.

Yin Yin Minjun was the number two figure of the Hengshan Sect. No matter how tempted she was, she would absolutely not be like a teenage girl, abandoning her sect to run around everywhere with Li Miao.

After a long while, Yin Yin Minjun smiled softly.

"Like this."

"I am also happy to be able to travel with you for a while, my lord."

After that, she just quietly watched Li Miao's back and did not speak again.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 130 =====