Chapter 142

As soon as Li Miao said this, the room fell silent in an instant.

Only the top courtesan, in her struggle, kept making "he-he" sounds from her throat.

The wealthy young master, however, did not believe it at all.

He had considerable family wealth and always hung around in piles of powder; which of the top courtesans in the entire Huguang region had he not played with? How could he not even distinguish between men and women?

This top courtesan called Rui'er was not only not a man, but a woman among women! She was softer and more considerate than all the top courtesans he had seen and slept with before. If it weren't for that, how could he have lingered in her boudoir for half a month?

"Disguise? Does your Excellency think I am a rustic fool? How can you say such absurd things?"

The wealthy young master said coldly.

If it were a matter of sticking on a mustache or applying some powder to the face to make oneself look roughly different from usual, anyone walking the Ordinary Jianghu would know a trick or two.

But true "disguise" techniques had been lost in the Great Ming.

The reason was simple: this technique posed too great a threat to the imperial court.

At the founding of the dynasty, there was a person who obtained this technique from somewhere, and he was gifted; he secretly practiced it to a high level. He only knew this disguise technique but had no light-body skills or fighting methods, so he couldn't replace others. He wasn't a smart person either, and in his hunger and cold, he made a very, very stupid decision.

He disguised himself as the Prime Minister at the time and went to eat a bowl of wontons.

He didn't pay.

Heaven have mercy, that was the founding Prime Minister, a figure who was to have books written about him.

So, no one dared to really care about such a small matter.

So his courage grew, changing clothes, visiting brothels, riding horses and hurting people in the street, and even beating the officials who came to inquire. Just by that face, no one dared to argue with him.

When the matter reached the Emperor's ears, the Emperor was furious and had the Embroidered Uniform Guard bring the Prime Minister to the hall for questioning, earnestly asking him if he had been treated too poorly, if he needed gold and silver, and even hinting, "You don't have to be so clean; I understand the principle that water too clear has no fish. Be a little greedy, don't do these shameful things."

The Prime Minister was so ashamed he almost hit his head against a pillar.

Later, the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigated the matter, killed the person who knew how to disguise, and searched the world thoroughly, making such techniques a complete legend.

Thus, it was no wonder the wealthy young master didn't believe it.

And he hadn't just "seen" her; he had "used" her up and down, inside and out. How could she be a man?

Li Miao sneered and said no more, his true energy flowing into the top courtesan's body along his meridians.

Under the wealthy young master's pale gaze, the top courtesan seemed like a piece of paper being smoothed out; her muscles and bones rolled and shifted under her skin, and in just a moment, she became another person, clearly a thin, delicate man.

The wealthy young master was shocked at first, then looked at the man's face carefully and let out a long breath.

"That's good, that's good, he's a delicate one."

Men, he had played with too. Keeping a page boy was not rare in the Great Ming; as long as they were good-looking, it wasn't shameful.

It can only be said that rich people may not be as happy as poor people imagine, but the "happiness" of rich people is something poor people cannot imagine at all.

Li Miao frowned at his reaction.

He threw the person to the ground and stepped on his pelvis.

Crack!

"Ahhh!! —"

With a scream, the man grabbed wildly in the air and crawled on the ground, but his lower body had no reaction at all, flailing on the ground.

"You people of the Ming Sect all recognize me, so I won't say much more. You will die today, but how you die, how long you die, and whether you die into a pile, a lump, or a puddle still makes a difference."

"This kind of technique isn't something any Tom, Dick, or Harry can learn; you're a first-class expert, so your status isn't low."

"Tell me, where is Ji Tianrui?"

The top courtesan was already heart-dead; in his desperation, he looked up at the wealthy young master and said miserably: "An Lang, a hundred days of grace for one night of being a couple; for the sake of our half-month relationship, save me!"

The wealthy young master spat.

"Originally, as long as you were good-looking, I didn't care if you were a man or a woman. But I paid, you offered your beauty, and we were even; yet you deceived me."

"I paid to sleep with a woman, but you were a man; this is false advertising. My An family started in business, and we have no family tradition of being soft on those who cheat us."

Having said that, he bowed to Li Miao.

"Hero, thank you for your action. I, An Ziyang, have only ever been deceived by women; if the fact that I was deceived by a man for half a month were to spread, I'm afraid I would be ridiculed by my friends for many years."

"This sword was collected by my father and cuts iron like mud. The scabbard is sharkskin, and the hilt is ivory inlaid with jade; it is extremely precious, so I present it to you as a token of thanks!"

He put down his sword and walked out of the room.

When he reached the first floor, the procuress came up to ask what the commotion was about.

An Ziyang calmly threw a stack of silver notes and said: "A friend came, and we played a bit too hard. I've booked the place for today; no matter what sounds you hear, you are not allowed to disturb us." The procuress was overjoyed and nodded in agreement.

It wasn't until he went out the door and reached the street that An Ziyang's face relaxed, sweat pouring down like rain, and he gasped for breath. Then he ran toward the distance with all his might.

Li Miao watched him disappear from view with a smile and shook his head.

"Interesting, quite smart."

He turned back to the side of the top courtesan and kicked him in the chest.

"He—he—"

The top courtesan straightened his body abruptly, his eyes splitting, and let out a beast-like hiss.

Li Miao walked to a chair nearby and sat down, picked up a wine pot that was still intact, took a clean cup, and poured himself a drink unhurriedly.

"Today is the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month; in order to find you, I have killed thirty-seven Ming Sect bastards in these four days, and slaughtered over a hundred and forty rotten lives along the way."

"You must know where Ji Tianrui is; I have plenty of time and means."

Li Miao glanced at him and said faintly.

"Just hold on; in half an hour, I'll change to another method to torture you."

————————

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the morning light was faint.

Li Miao walked onto the street and stretched his back.

He walked in one direction.

After a while, he arrived outside an extremely luxurious and vast courtyard and lifted his foot to walk inside.

The gatekeeper at the door reached out to stop him and asked politely: "May I ask your name? If you are an acquaintance of the master, I can report it in advance to avoid neglecting a distinguished guest."

"It is my duty; if there is any offense, I hope you will forgive me."

The profession of gatekeeper requires the most discernment and is the least likely to hire someone arrogant. This person was clearly accustomed to this trade, and his words were watertight.

Li Miao scanned him and smiled silently.

THUD!

The gatekeeper flew backward, spraying a string of blood in mid-air; after hitting the ground, his head tilted, and he lost his breath.

"A second-class expert practicing the direct internal energy of the Ming Sect's Thick Earth Banner; do you think I'm blind?"

Li Miao said a word and walked inside as if no one was there.

"What's the commotion!?"

"Who!?"

A group of guards heard the movement and poured out of the side rooms, seeing the corpse on the ground first, their faces turning white. Then they looked at Li Miao, their hands trembling uncontrollably.

This is Quanzhou Prefecture, the An family residence!

Where did this fierce man come from, killing his way in directly!

Even if he were a hero of the green forest, acting so unscrupulously, is he not afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard coming to his door?

The lead guard hesitated for a moment and said to Li Miao with a stern face.

"Your Excellency, are you seeking wealth or revenge? If you are seeking wealth, I can report it to the master, and I will definitely satisfy you."

Li Miao didn't answer at all, squinting his eyes and scanning the surroundings.

He already had a clear understanding of the martial arts foundation of these guards.

Li Miao raised his hand into a palm and pressed it down into the void.

HUM!! ——

A hum.

Dozens of guards only felt a massive force suddenly applied to their bodies, like Mount Tai pressing down, impossible to resist. In an instant, like harvested wheat, they all knelt on the ground, and unable to support themselves, they all lay flat on the ground.

"Sorcery! Sorcery!" the lead guard shouted wildly in his heart.

This was not martial arts at all!

Li Miao didn't care, walked to the side of one person, raised his foot and stepped on his head, slowly pressing down.

"Is Ji Tianrui still here? You have three breaths to answer."

"One, two."

"Three."

THUD!

The head was crushed alive, red and white matter flying out, splashing onto the bodies and faces of the other guards.

Li Miao walked to the side of another person and raised his foot to step on his back.

"All of you have only three breaths of time."

"One, two."

"Three."

THUD!

The same thing happened repeatedly; in a moment, three or four people were dead without a whole body.

The lead guard's head was pressed so hard he couldn't turn it, only seeing a pair of boots walking past him constantly. Every time one passed, there was a "one, two, three," and then liquid splashed onto him.

Before they could even let out a wail or scream, they died on the ground.

He could neither see how Li Miao killed people nor determine if the next person to die would be himself.

He was terrified to the extreme; if he could still move, he would rather commit suicide than suffer such torture.

The boots passed in front of him for the fifth time.

They stopped in front of him.

"No! No... no!"

"Don't, don't..."

He struggled to speak: "I don't know any Ji Tianrui!!! Please! Don't kill me!!!"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow: "Of course I know you don't know."

"I want to ask you, what major events have happened in the mansion these past few days?"

"Has anyone's appearance remained unchanged while their behavior was different from usual? Or is there a place in the mansion where no one usually goes, that could hide about twenty or thirty people? Tell me about it."

————————

In the back hall of the mansion, in the study.

"Father, it's absolutely true!"

An Ziyang said to a pot-bellied, middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy merchant.

"That person said it clearly; he is looking for Ji Tianrui!"

"The people of the Ming Sect are hiding in our Quanzhou Prefecture!"

He walked around the room a few times and turned to the middle-aged man.

"Father, we cannot wade into this muddy water! Shaolin couldn't stop him, and Master Xing Chi has passed away!"

"If we get involved, I'm afraid our whole family will die!"

"Run! Forget the family business; as long as we are alive, we father and son can always make a comeback!"

The middle-aged man frowned, stroked his beard, and signaled An Ziyang to sit down.

"Chaos in a hurry; think clearly before making plans. Otherwise, it will be even more troublesome."

"What is the realm of that person's martial arts?"

An Ziyang reached out to pick up the tea bowl, drank it in one gulp, smoothed his breath, and then said.

"I don't know."

The middle-aged man said in surprise: "You don't know?"

"You have practiced martial arts since childhood and are now close to a first-class level; can't you even see his realm?"

An Ziyang smiled bitterly: "Yes, I just can't see it."

The middle-aged man pondered for a while and asked: "How did you run into that top courtesan? What did you say in between? Tell me in detail."

An Ziyang told him everything; the more the middle-aged man heard, the uglier his face became, his brows tightly knitted together.

He pondered for a moment and said sternly.

"It's ruined."

"I'm afraid we father and son have fallen into the Ming Sect's plan."

"Tell me in detail about the appearance of the person who exposed the top courtesan's identity."

An Ziyang described Li Miao's appearance; as the middle-aged man listened, a trace of imperceptible gloom flashed in his eyes.

He hesitated for a while, made a decision, and stood up abruptly.

"Disguise, even being able to imitate the difference between men and women so vividly... not good!"

"And what Ming Sect hiding in our Quanzhou Prefecture!"

"That damn Ming Sect is probably hiding in our own house!"

"Go, leave now! Don't bring anyone or anything; we'll use light-body skills to get on the roof and leave directly!"

An Ziyang's face turned pale at these words.

But he lost his mother when he was young and depended on his father; the two of them built this family business together and trusted each other's judgment implicitly.

Without a moment's hesitation, An Ziyang stood up abruptly, walked to the door with the middle-aged man, opened the door, and was about to use light-body skills to get on the roof and leave.

But they were both stunned in place.

At the door, Li Miao was holding a piece of silk torn from somewhere, standing on the steps, carefully wiping the red and white matter off his boots.

He looked up, saw the two, and smiled kindly.

"Oh? Are you two going out?"

An Ziyang didn't answer for a moment, looked up at the corridor outside the courtyard, and broke into a cold sweat.

On that corridor, scarlet liquid was splashed everywhere, but no corpses were to be seen.

Looking at the amount of liquid... I'm afraid there were two or three people.

An Ziyang's mind raced, and he managed to force a smile.

"Your Excellency, is there anything you need from me?"

"Are you dissatisfied with the sword I gave you last night? No matter, my An family has plenty of wealth and some reputation in the Ordinary Jianghu. In the backyard, there are weapons collected by my An family over the years, all kinds of weapons. Among them are several good swords, all famous divine weapons from the Ordinary Jianghu of the previous dynasty."

"If you are interested, I will give them all to you."

Li Miao glanced at him, smiled, and reached out to point at the middle-aged man.

"I didn't come to find you; I came to find him."

He turned to look at the middle-aged man standing aside and said faintly.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you afraid to see it's me?"

An Ziyang frowned first, then was shocked, and turned back to look at the middle-aged man.

"Father!"

The middle-aged man still didn't speak, his eyes staring fixedly at Li Miao.

(End of chapter)