Chapter 313

There are different breeds of lunatics, too.

Someone like Gao Anyu can be considered a specialty of the Jianghu. When he said "killing him was quite a thrill" just now, the excitement in his eyes didn't look faked.

When he meets someone with poor martial arts, he shows no respect at all; when he meets someone with high martial arts, he fawns and tries to befriend them, then begs them to fight him.

Although Cao Hanyan doesn't wander the Jianghu much, he has heard plenty of stories told by Yin Suqin, and lunatics of this breed are frequent guests in those tales.

A serial killer, a martial arts maniac.

Cao Hanyan took a step back, his hand moving slightly to rest near the hilt of his blade. His other hand tossed Shu Qingyi behind him.

Gao Anyu, however, frowned, then immediately smiled and said.

"Brother Cao, don't misunderstand."

He smiled enthusiastically.

"I was a bit abrupt just now, and perhaps I caused Brother Cao some displeasure."

"Although I really want to have a fight with Brother Cao, I don't want Brother Cao to misunderstand me—it is true that some have called me a lunatic, and I do indeed like to kill, but I don't kill just anyone."

"Didn't I spare the lives of those few pieces of trash just now?"

Gao Anyu patted his chest and said proudly.

"I am a good lunatic!"

Before Cao Hanyan could react, he heard a burst of laughter coming from inside the dilapidated temple.

"Hahaha, interesting, a good lunatic, that is interesting."

"Little Cao, your elders are right here. Now that you've made a new friend, why don't you bring him in to introduce him?"

Cao Hanyan's face turned bitter.

Gao Anyu, opposite him, was beaming with joy.

"Brother Cao, are those your elders from your sect inside? Is their sword technique as outstanding as yours? Is their martial arts even higher than yours?"

"Quick! Quick, take me in to see them!"

Cao Hanyan truly didn't know what to do.

Who else could be inside the ruined temple but Li Miao?

If he really let this lunatic go in and act disrespectfully by challenging Li Miao, what then? If he really is a "good lunatic" but ends up being slapped to death by Li Miao, Cao Hanyan feared he wouldn't be able to sleep for nights.

Cao Hanyan reached out to stop him, but Gao Anyu's eyes darted around. Taking advantage of Cao Hanyan's lack of guard, he flashed into the ruined temple and looked inside excitedly.

He saw a campfire burning in the center of the temple, with two people sitting beside it.

A woman, aged around thirty, with ordinary clothing and features. Her scabbard was resting by her feet, and she held a long sword in her hand, suspended over the campfire—it was actually skewered with a wild rabbit, which was sizzling with oil.

Opposite the woman was a wooden lounge chair that looked completely out of place in the ruined temple, still covered in untrimmed branches as if it had been made not long ago.

A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties sat on it, one leg crossed beneath him and the other dangling in mid-air. His left hand rested on the armrest, propping up his face, and he was looking over with great interest.

It was none other than the disguised Li Miao and Zheng Yi.

There was no help for it; Li Miao is now known to everyone in the entire Great Ming Jianghu. This trip was different from the one to find Xue Bangzhu; it was meant to be an undercover investigation.

If they didn't disguise themselves, he feared they wouldn't make it a few miles before the entire Jiangxi Wu Lin knew that Lord Li had arrived. If that caused a huge stir, how would they find the people from Penglai?

Gao Anyu, however, knew nothing of these matters.

Upon seeing Li Miao and Zheng Yi clearly, a look of disdain appeared on his face, and he sighed without the slightest attempt to hide it.

"Just them? I thought—"

Because Li Miao and Zheng Yi had both concealed their martial arts, Gao Anyu's realm was nowhere near enough to see through their true depths, and he only perceived them as two ordinary commoners.

Given his temperament, he naturally prepared to be "impolite" immediately.

"Brother Gao, don't be rude!"

Cao Hanyan followed him in and hurriedly interrupted in a stern voice.

"These two are my, my elders!"

He felt a bit guilty as he lied.

"If Brother Gao considers me a friend, you are not allowed to be rude to them!"

"Otherwise—I will never spar with you again!"

In his desperation, this was the only argument Cao Hanyan could come up with. As soon as he said it, he felt incredibly embarrassed, thinking it sounded as childish as a kid saying "I won't play with you anymore" during an argument.

Yet Gao Anyu actually looked visibly panicked, at a complete loss. He froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed deeply to Li Miao and Zheng Yi.

"The two of you, this junior Gao Anyu offers his greetings!"

"If there has been any rudeness or offense, I truly hope you can be magnanimous!"

After finishing, he reached into his robes again, as if to pull out something to apologize with, but came up empty once more, becoming anxious immediately.

In desperation, he bowed again until his head touched the ground, offering a deep salute to Li Miao and Zheng Yi.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really didn't bring anything today. Tomorrow I will go kill a few river pirates, steal their money, and then bring it to you two as an apology!"

"Could you two please help me persuade Brother Cao not to be angry with me, and not to refuse to fight me, please?"

Having said this, he looked up at Li Miao with a fawning expression.

Cao Hanyan was speechless.

Besides being a lunatic, why does this guy feel like he has the mental capacity of a child?

What on earth is his background?

Li Miao's gaze, however, became increasingly intrigued. He waved his hand and said with a smile.

"No matter, no matter."

"Since you are a friend of our Little Cao, come sit. It just so happens that your Aunt Zheng's rabbit is almost roasted; let's eat together."

Gao Anyu beamed.

"Yes!"

He answered, flashed to the side of the campfire, and knelt down with perfect posture. He tossed his strange long sword by his feet and stared at Li Miao and Zheng Yi with wide, round eyes.

"How should I address you two elders?"

He asked obediently.

"My name is Li Shu; you can just call me Uncle Li."

Li Miao teased with a smile.

"Her name is Zheng Yi; you can just call her Aunt Zheng."

"Yes, Uncle, Aunt!"

Gao Anyu shouted with perfect obedience. Li Miao laughed even more happily, but Zheng Yi's face turned awkward.

She was only in her twenties, about the same age as Gao Anyu, yet she was being addressed this way. She was immediately displeased, but she didn't dare argue with Li Miao, so she just glared at Gao Anyu, making him feel incredibly aggrieved.

By this time, Cao Hanyan knew that Li Miao's playful mood had struck again. He didn't dare say much, so he could only sigh, carry Shu Qingyi over, and sit down.

Then he heard Li Miao ask with a smile.

"Little Gao, right? Is your martial arts very good?"

When the topic of martial arts came up, Gao Anyu immediately raised his head proudly.

"That's right! Below the Peak Realm, I rarely meet an opponent!"

Li Miao asked again with a smile.

"And above the Peak Realm?"

"My chances of winning are two to eight... no, no, three, three to seven!"

Gao Anyu looked troubled and said hesitantly.

Li Miao continued to tease him.

"And what about the Heaven-Man Realm?"

"Uh... one, one... one to nine..."

Gao Anyu's voice grew quieter and quieter, until it was barely audible at the end, and he said with absolutely no confidence.

"Oh~ so that's how 'good' you are~"

Li Miao laughed.

Gao Anyu, however, became anxious, his face turning red as he said.

"Uncle Li, don't look down on me, I, I."

"Within ten years, I will definitely reach the Heaven-Man Realm! By then, it will be five to five, no, four to six..."

"No, two to eight! I'll be the eight, and the other Heaven-Man will be the two!"

At this point, he carefully glanced at Cao Hanyan and lowered his voice.

"Not counting you, Brother Cao; you and I are four to six!"

"You get the four, I get the six!"

Cao Hanyan was caught between laughter and tears, thinking to himself, I thank you for not forgetting to compensate for me while you're bragging.

The smile on Li Miao's face became even more pronounced. After laughing for a while, he lowered his voice, mimicking Gao Anyu's manner.

"Little Gao."

"Yes, please speak."

"I heard you speak so firmly just now about becoming a Heaven-Man within ten years; it sounds as if you have a Heaven-Man inheritance in your hands?"

Gao Anyu puffed out his chest.

"Of course I do!"

Cao Hanyan's face changed abruptly.

Li Miao, however, continued to ask with a smile.

"But how is it that I heard the Imperial Guard Pacification Commissioner established a rule that, apart from the 'Peak' sects, no one else in the Jianghu is allowed to possess a Heaven-Man inheritance?"

"Can you secretly tell me where this Heaven-Man inheritance of yours came from?"

(End of chapter)