Chapter 178

It was not that An Ziyang had never seen blood, nor that he had never killed anyone. Logically speaking, a little blood should not have been enough to startle him.

But a person's spirit is like a steel wire. No matter how hard it is, it cannot withstand being bent back and forth.

An Ziyang was truly tossed and turned by the things he had seen and heard within this short incense-stick's time. Having finally seen the adorable little girl Xiao Si, his heart had just begun to relax, yet suddenly seeing the blood on those snow-white little hands, how could he not be shocked?

Xiao Si, however, noticed An Ziyang's unusual reaction; she looked up, then lowered her head to look at her own hands.

"Oops, didn't wipe it clean..."

Suddenly, her sleeve moved.

It seemed as if a slender, living thing was wriggling beneath her clothing.

An Ziyang watched with his own eyes as a centipede the thickness of a finger crawled out from Xiao Si's sleeve, circled her wrist, and climbed onto her hand. Its mouthparts opened, and it lunged at the patch of blood.

"!!!"

An Ziyang's hand inside his sleeve clenched tightly.

He finally understood why Li Miao had wanted him to bring two Great Shamans and the Miao King's notes to this little girl who looked so harmless to both humans and animals.

This little girl was actually a Great Shaman!

Xiao Si, however, did not care.

She was not only a Great Shaman but also a human Gu. Merely raising a few bugs on her body was considered self-cultivation.

That blood wasn't hers either, and the Gu insects wouldn't die from eating it. She was too lazy to go find something to wipe it off, so she just let the Gu insects clean it up, which also saved her from having to find blood-food to feed them.

After only a moment, Xiao Si finished flipping through the notes and looked up at An Ziyang.

"Did my Battalion Commander bring anything else?"

An Ziyang hurriedly replied.

"There are also two Great Shamans transported from the Miao border, watched by two elders of the Beggar Gang, who are waiting outside the courtyard."

"Oh, good."

Xiao Si agreed and pondered for a moment.

"Let's do this."

"I'll accept the people and the items, but we have been separated from the Battalion Commander for several months now and don't know his current situation. I'll have to trouble you to tell us about it."

"Sect Leader Deng, go call everyone over. I'm going to find Brother Wang Hai."

"Little brother, what is your name?"

"An Ziyang."

"Oh, Brother An, wait here for a while; we're going to find people to come over."

"Good, good."

An Ziyang nodded and sat down.

Xiao Si and Deng Baixuan turned and left.

A moment later, everyone arrived one after another.

Mei Qinghe, You Ziang.

Deng Baixuan, Zhou Yingxue, Zhang Jingfeng, Liu Baiyun, Gao Ling.

There were also several Company Commanders under Li Miao, all of whom were top-tier experts.

Finally, Xiao Si walked in holding Wang Hai's hand.

Wang Hai walked to the main seat, sat down, and looked at An Ziyang.

"My name is Wang Hai. The Battalion Commander is away, so I am in charge here. You are older than me, so I will call you Brother An."

An Ziyang hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Lord Wang, you have served under Lord Li for many years; those who are capable come first, I dare not act as your senior in front of you."

Wang Hai waved his hand.

"Since we all serve under the Battalion Commander, we are brothers; there is no need for such formalities. The Battalion Commander himself doesn't like to set rules at home, so just be casual."

"The Battalion Commander went to the Miao border alone. We only received some vague news from the Guard Commander, so I must trouble you to tell us about it."

An Ziyang did not rush to speak; his eyes rolled, and he cast a glance at Wang Hai.

Wang Hai understood immediately and nodded.

"Everyone here is our own people, no need to worry, just speak."

Only then did An Ziyang explain in detail everything Li Miao had done during this period.

Including the matters of the Miao King and Ji Tianrui.

By the time he finished speaking in one breath and picked up a bowl of tea to moisten his throat, the room remained silent.

After a long while, Deng Baixuan let out a long sigh.

"Truly, before this, we were really frogs at the bottom of a well."

"Fortunately, we met Lord Li; otherwise, I'm afraid we would have spent our whole lives muddled in this Jianghu, only to die muddled one day."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Wang Hai raised a hand, interrupting everyone's lamentations.

"Everyone, these words can wait for later."

"Since the thieves of the Ming Sect are rushing to Shuntian Prefecture and the Battalion Commander is also on his way back, as his subordinates, we cannot just wait for things to happen."

"I will state three things first; everyone, remember them well."

Everyone quieted down and looked at Wang Hai.

"First, we are all subordinates of the Battalion Commander, so I won't hide anything."

"'Heavenly Humans' should be something hidden by the imperial court. We eat the official grain, so if you know, you know, but you must never leak the news."

Everyone nodded.

"Second, since the Ming Sect has 'Heavenly Humans' and not a few of them, we must never act alone from now on, nor can we act rashly, otherwise I'm afraid we will throw our lives away for nothing."

"Third, regarding the Battalion Commander's martial arts, everyone must absolutely not mention it to others."

Wang Hai scanned the people in the room, his gaze cold.

"There is a faint thread in the things just mentioned that leads to the Heavenly Humans and to the imperial court. None of you are fools; you should all know this in your hearts."

"I'll say the ugly things first: I, Wang Hai, only recognize the Battalion Commander in this life. If I find out who has done something to wrong the Battalion Commander... you all know the methods of Xiao Si and me."

Everyone's expressions changed, and they nodded repeatedly.

Only then did Wang Hai's expression soften, and he said slowly.

"Before the Battalion Commander returns, we must lay the groundwork so he doesn't have to go around looking for people to kill when he gets back."

"Brother Wang, Brother Li, Brother Zhang, Brother Qian. You go find the 'hooks' we buried in the capital, collect information, and see if there are large groups of strangers appearing inside or outside the city recently. Especially those with Miao border accents, or large groups of young, strong men, or those who have recently purchased large amounts of blood-food; all must be investigated carefully."

Several of Li Miao's trusted Company Commanders responded in unison and left to carry out the orders.

"The four Sect Leaders, take your disciples to investigate all the places where Jianghu people gather in the city. See if there are any outsiders who have entered the city recently, or if there is any unusual news. For example, any secret manuals, any grand events, etc., all must be noted."

Deng Baixuan, Liu Baiyun, Zhang Jingfeng, and Zhou Yingxue accepted the orders and left.

"You Ziang, your light-body technique is the best; even ordinary peak experts can't catch you. So your task is the heaviest."

"Brother An, you are also a true disciple of the Godly Thief Sect, and you have many methods. You and You Ziang go together to specifically check the civilian houses and charity halls outside the city. The Ming Sect has many people, and most of their manpower won't enter the city in advance, as it's easy to be exposed. These are the places most likely to hide them. You two be extra careful; if you discover anything unusual, just come back directly."

You Ziang and An Ziyang accepted the orders and left.

"Miss Mei, Elder Gao."

"I will be direct with you two: I don't trust the people who just went out very much. Only you two—one knows how to repay kindness and has received great favor from my Battalion Commander; the other is unencumbered and can only seek refuge under my Battalion Commander's sect."

"Therefore, you two must go with me and Xiao Si to do the most dangerous things."

Wang Hai stood up.

"We are going to find Ji Tianrui."

(End of chapter)