Chapter 175

Not to mention how Zhi Sheng's emotions were fluctuating, let's talk about Li Miao's side.

Yang Tianyi's words revealed two pieces of information.

First, the Yang family has already put aside their hatred for Ji Tianrui and is cooperating with him to kill their way to Shuntian Prefecture.

Second, the Yang family's feud with the Zhu family of the Great Ming imperial house is far deeper than their feud with Ji Tianrui.

Jianghu rumors say that the founding emperor of the Great Ming was able to start his uprising only with the help of the Ming Sect's power. There is even a claim that he himself came from the Ming Sect. And since the founding of the Great Ming, almost all the leaders of the Ming Sect have had the surname Yang.

The Heaven-Man experts Li Miao has seen since stepping into the Jianghu are only from the imperial court and the Ming Sect.

If one connects these things... it becomes interesting.

Li Miao looked at Yang Tianyi and said faintly.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

"No."

Yang Tianyi shook his head, his hands forming claws like ten steel hooks. One hand was raised to his chest, the other pressed to his waist, his feet in a stable stance, his tiger eyes staring straight at Li Miao.

"I am just about to fight to the death with you, Lord Li."

Before the words had faded, a series of crisp sounds came from his whole body. His already unusually tall stature suddenly grew a few inches taller, and the veins on his arms bulged!

Zhi Sheng on the side changed color in horror.

What... is this!?

Peak... no, it's not, this sinew, bone, and strength far exceed the Peak!

It's simply inhuman!

"Lord Li! ——"

Zhi Sheng suddenly spoke, and just as he was halfway through, his pupils shrank!

Yang Tianyi's tall body was already in front of him!

"!!!"

It was too late to escape or dodge now!

Zhi Sheng let go of his sword and raised his hands into palms.

Yang Tianyi grabbed at his face with one claw.

Zhi Sheng's palm edge slanted upward, horizontally bracing against Yang Tianyi's arm.

"Four ounces... deflect a thousand pounds!"

The reason he abandoned his sword was that he realized the gap between the two, seeking life in death, attempting to use the essence of Taiji Fist—using softness to overcome hardness and borrowing force to strike—to make up for the gap between them.

But, the moment their arms collided, he understood.

He was wrong.

To deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces, the prerequisite is that one must have four ounces.

And the other party was far more than a thousand pounds!

The Taiji force had just reached his arm, attempting to stick to the other party's arm, when it was already suppressed by a massive, overwhelming force.

That giant claw was already in front of him!

"It's over."

Zhi Sheng watched helplessly as Yang Tianyi's claw drew closer and closer to his face.

In an instant, he resolved himself to die.

He actually lifted a foot and suddenly attacked Yang Tianyi's groin.

With force rising from the ground, his arm strength became scattered as he lifted his foot, and Yang Tianyi's claw descended even faster.

"Even if I die, I'll give you a hard one!"

"Lord Li, this is all I can do!"

Yang Tianyi didn't care about Zhi Sheng's death throes; he didn't even look at Zhi Sheng, his eyes fixed firmly on Li Miao.

Killing Zhi Sheng was to force Li Miao to save him.

To save others, he would have to reveal a flaw!

He knew he was no match for Li Miao, but the Yang family would never sit and wait for death!

Just in this split second of life and death.

"Heh."

Li Miao gave a light laugh.

With a flash, he was behind Zhi Sheng. Instead of saving him, he raised a palm and struck Zhi Sheng's heart.

Zhi Sheng was already waiting for death when he suddenly received a palm to the back of his heart.

A surge of vigorous, masculine true energy, indescribable in its power, poured into his heart meridian and reached his arm.

Li Miao's smiling voice came from behind.

"Daoist, punch him!"

The true energy circulated on its own within his body, following the exact path of Taiji Fist's true energy circulation.

Having practiced Taiji Fist for many years, Zhi Sheng knew this move by heart. Almost instinctively, he stomped his foot, which was attacking Yang Tianyi's lower body, onto the ground, and drew a small circle with the arm bracing Yang Tianyi.

"I can deflect it!"

Zhi Sheng's attempt actually deflected Yang Tianyi's claw, which had been difficult to shake just a moment ago!

Zhi Sheng pulled his right hand to his waist and clenched it into a fist.

That extremely masculine and rigid true energy seemed to understand his intent and began to circulate on its own.

His left palm swept away Yang Tianyi's arm.

His body turned.

His right fist struck out suddenly!

"Step forward... parry and punch!"

Contrary to what ordinary Jianghu people think, Taiji Fist is by no means just a simple fist technique of using softness to overcome hardness.

Combining yin and yang is the true Taiji. If you want softness, it can be as yin and soft as water; but if you want hardness, it can be as strong as a mountain!

This punch smashed directly into Yang Tianyi's chest!

Boom!!!

Yang Tianyi flew backward and smashed directly into the group of Ming Sect disciples. For a moment, flesh and blood flew, bones were broken, and he actually smashed several people to death!

Before Zhi Sheng could recover, he heard Li Miao say again from behind.

"Daoist, there's more."

Zhi Sheng was shocked, and he heard a shrill sound of wind coming from his side.

Looking sideways, he saw a short sword flashing with cold light already at his waist, slanting upward, covering both him and Li Miao.

In normal times, Zhi Sheng would definitely not have had time to block it.

But at this moment, he had incomparable confidence.

The right fist that had just sent Yang Tianyi flying suddenly pulled down, smashing toward the arm holding the short sword.

But unexpectedly, the short sword changed moves swiftly, the blade suddenly turned, and it came straight for his palm.

No matter how vigorous Zhi Sheng's true energy was, he was still a mortal of flesh and blood and could never clash with the short sword.

Zhi Sheng hurriedly changed moves, but the short sword also turned abruptly, following like a shadow, still coming toward his fist.

This person's moves, just like Yang Tianyi's sinew and bone, were at an inhuman level that exceeded the Peak!

Zhi Sheng couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Is my Peak expert status fake?

Why is everyone beating me up like a son!

What kind of Peak is my Peak!

The top of my head!?

Just as Zhi Sheng was sweating profusely with anxiety, Li Miao's voice came from behind again.

"Ignore him, slap his face."

"Okay!"

Zhi Sheng knew that as a Peak expert, he had completely lost the qualification to be a "person" in this fight.

Treating himself only as Li Miao's "weapon," he recklessly used a "grasping the sparrow's tail" move and slapped the face of the person holding the sword!

That person gave a ferocious smile.

Just tilting his head slightly, the short sword in his hand flashed.

When it appeared again, it was already at Li Miao's chest.

"Lord Li, you are too arrogant! You actually used this Peak old man to fight us!"

"You may be brilliant, you may be the only prodigy of this generation who can cultivate to the merging of three paths on your own, and perhaps one day in the future, you might really cultivate into a 'human immortal' like Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng!"

"But right now, you are still a mortal of flesh and blood like me!"

The blade reflected the moonlight, tinged with a ghostly blue color, clearly poisoned.

This person wanted to take advantage of the fact that Li Miao's true energy was connected to Zhi Sheng and could not be withdrawn in time, attempting to succeed with one sword strike!

Just as he was feeling smug, thinking that the arch-enemy whom even Ji Tianrui was cautious of was about to die at his hands.

Zhi Sheng's palm blurred for a moment.

When it appeared again, it was already stuck to his face.

With a "slap," he was sent spinning in the air several times like a spinning top.

This was no ordinary slap.

This was a Wudang-lineage slap, carrying the perfect "Sumeru" true energy, mysterious and profound, combining hardness and softness, yin and yang!

Stumble, stumble, stumble—

He tapped his sword on the ground, barely deflecting the force, and kept retreating.

"Pfft."

A mouthful of blood was spat onto the ground, bringing out half a mouthful of broken teeth.

Looking at his face again, the cheekbone on the right side was already shattered, his eyeball was bulging out of the socket, and his right eye was clearly blinded.

Li Miao leisurely withdrew his hand from Zhi Sheng's back, patted Zhi Sheng's shoulder, walked in front of him, and looked up and down at the assassin who had been slapped with a "Wudang-lineage slap."

Over there, Yang Tianyi had also recovered, threw away the corpse of the Ming Sect disciple pressing on him, spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood, and walked to the assassin's side to face Li Miao.

"One Vajra, one Jiezi."

"Your Ming Sect really is full of talent; how many more Heaven-Man experts are there?"

The assassin's face was smashed, and he could no longer speak.

Yang Tianyi, however, had no intention of hiding anything and answered directly.

"Not counting the two of us, there are about four or five more."

"Oh? So many?"

Li Miao twiddled his fingers.

"How come your Ming Sect has so many, while Shaolin and Wudang don't have a single one? Even though you are the ones who have never produced any immortals."

Yang Tianyi snorted coldly.

"Just cowards. They must have hidden a few Heaven-Man experts too, but they are just afraid of being discovered by the Zhu family. Hiding their heads and showing their tails, they have shamed the reputations of Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng and Patriarch Bodhidharma!"

"We attacked Shaolin with the intention of forcing them to bring out a few old things. If the Zhu family finds out, they will have to become 'rebels' just like my Ming Sect."

"But unexpectedly, even though Xingchi is dead, those old bald donkeys can actually endure not making a move!"

Yang Tianyi said this with a ferocious smile.

"However, it doesn't matter, it's fine."

"Let them hide, let them conceal!"

"Since none of them dare to be the first bird, then my Ming Sect will be!"

"I will break the Zhu family's archway!"

"I—"

"Alright, alright."

Li Miao waved his hand impatiently.

"I just asked one more question, and you're getting all worked up."

"There are only me and Daoist Zhi Sheng here; who are you giving this impassioned speech to?"

Yang Tianyi was choked by Li Miao's words, first showing a trace of anger on his face, and then looking at Li Miao with a solemn expression.

"Lord Li, I know you came to kill me, but I have been frank with you and said so much; haven't you understood yet?"

"Heaven-Man experts haven't appeared in the world for a long time because the Zhu family doesn't allow it!"

"My Ming Sect helped him establish the Great Ming, and we have made great contributions, yet we were labeled as rebels by him!"

"Lord Li, as long as you don't cripple your own martial arts or crawl on the ground to be a dog for the Zhu family, sooner or later, you will inexplicably become a 'rebel' too!"

"The Zhu family is definitely not a wise master! Lord Li, why not abandon the darkness for the light and go with us to Shuntian Prefecture to do a great deed! At that time, we might be able to carve out a territory, or even redefine the world!"

Yang Tianyi talked for a long time and finally got to the point.

He actually had the intention of persuading Li Miao to his side.

Before Li Miao could speak, Zhi Sheng on the side was already breaking out in a cold sweat.

Is this something a young man of seventy like me should be hearing?

Is it too late to say I'm deaf now?

If Li Miao is really persuaded to the other side, then he truly has no way to survive.

"Lord Li..."

Zhi Sheng lowered his voice and spoke quietly.

Li Miao waved his hand: "Daoist, rest assured."

Then he turned to look at Yang Tianyi and smiled.

"No wonder Ji Tianrui treated you as a discarded pawn and let you delay me."

"You're actually a fool."

"I have a Grade Five official position, and in two days I'll be a Grade Four Pacification Commissioner. If I don't want to work, I sleep; if I'm short on silver, I take it from the Commander's private treasury; after I kill people, the Commander cleans up the mess for me."

"I wake up at noon every day, a Company Commander helps me dress, and a Great Shaman serves me tea. I only work for four hours a day before going home to sleep."

"The Five Mountains sect leaders are my subordinates, the Shaolin abbot is my friend, and the princess of the Great Ming is my confidante."

"How much of a fool would I have to be... to go and be a rebel with you?"

Li Miao finished speaking and spread his hands.

Zhi Sheng on the side felt his eyebrows twitch.

What kind of Battalion Commander are you... even the Emperor himself isn't as comfortable as you, right?

Yang Tianyi on the opposite side was burning with anger and suddenly spoke.

"Lord Li knows I am not talking to you about these things!"

"Looking at your actions in Tai'an City that day, Lord Li, you are clearly not a pedantic person, nor are you one who follows the rules, so why use these words to fob me off!"

"You damn well know about the Tai'an affair, don't you?"

Li Miao lowered his hand.

His face was shrouded in shadow, and his expression could not be seen.

Zhi Sheng on the side suddenly felt a chill strike, freezing his nerves.

That was an incomparably cold... and incomparably pure, killing intent.

"I am indeed not a great saint."

"But, all the bad people in the world know that the more of their kind die, the more good people there are, and the more comfortable life can be."

"I don't care who sits on the throne, and this world can't be called a golden age... but I know that if you beasts of the Ming Sect who massacre cities sit on it."

"My life won't be comfortable either."

Li Miao stepped forward, slowly closing in on Yang Tianyi and the Heaven-Man assassin.

Yang Tianyi was shocked and actually took half a step back.

He had more than a hundred lives on his hands... yet he was terrified by the killing intent on Li Miao, feeling as if the surrounding space was frozen, and sweat seeped from his palms.

Li Miao approached slowly, speaking in a flat voice.

"The world should be occupied by those with 'virtue'."

"I am not a virtuous person, and I cannot create a virtuous person."

As he spoke, Li Miao had already walked in front of Yang Tianyi.

"But I also don't mind taking the opportunity to deal with beasts without virtue like Ji Tianrui, like the Ming Sect, and like you."

"Grind, you, into, dregs."

Pfft.

"Ugh!"

Blood splattered everywhere, Yang Tianyi retreated rapidly, crying out in pain. A huge gash had been opened in his chest and abdomen, and his wriggling internal organs could be vaguely seen.

The Heaven-Man assassin took advantage of Li Miao's move, the short sword in his hand vanished, and when it appeared again, it was already coldly approaching Li Miao's chest.

White Rainbow Piercing the Sun!

Li Miao raised his hand into a fist and smashed it toward the Heaven-Man assassin's head.

The sword hadn't arrived yet, but the fist had already reached him.

Boom!

The Heaven-Man assassin was hit on the shoulder, and his whole body suddenly dropped a head shorter.

Soil flew, and his legs below the calves were smashed directly into the ground.

He still wanted to resist, the short sword in his hand stabbing toward Li Miao's chest, but his wrist was pinched and broken by a palm, and the short sword fell powerlessly.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Li Miao seemed to be hammering a nail, smashing his shoulder with one punch after another.

He raised his hand to block, but even his arm was smashed and broken.

His legs went soft, his head tilted, his true energy dissipated, and he had already lost his breath.

And Li Miao was still smashing.

When Yang Tianyi used his healing method to roughly seal his wounds and looked up.

What he saw was Li Miao, who was showing a cold smile at him under the moonlight.

And in front of Li Miao, a small tree of flesh and blood planted in the ground.

(End of chapter)