Chapter 35: Meeting

"Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Zuo Lishan set down his teacup and frowned.

"How many people?"

"Two, a man and a woman. The man is wearing official boots and the Embroidered Uniform Guard waist token. The woman is dressed in Jianghu attire and doesn't look like an official figure."

"How is their Wu Gong?"

"Far above mine, at least at the level of a first-rate Jianghu expert," Fei Junxuan replied.

Zuo Lishan pondered inwardly.

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard is an official organization and includes some noble children who are just idling away their time, anyone with first-rate Wu Gong would certainly have earned a rank.

But when the Embroidered Uniform Guard visits, they are usually swift and decisive, aiming to kill. To come and cause a scene single-handedly like this, without stating their purpose, is more like the tactics of street thugs coming to smash a place and grab territory, which is baffling.

"How old is the woman?"

"About twenty-something. She uses a sword, but she didn't really take action, so I can't tell her background."

"A first-rate expert in her twenties cannot be without a lineage... Describe her appearance."

Fei Junxuan described her. After all, he was a Jianghu person who had practiced martial arts since childhood, not a constable, so he could only give a general description like "willow-leaf eyebrows" and "apricot-kernel eyes."

But the more Zuo Lishan heard, the more familiar it sounded: "Why does this sound like... Mei Qinghe of the Huashan Sect?"

It had been nearly half a month since Zhao Ying came to visit the Taishan Sword Sect. Zuo Lishan had also sent people to confirm Mei Qinghe's identity, so he naturally had a concept of her appearance.

If it were anyone else, with Fei Junxuan's description, one could easily find seventy or eighty such people.

But a first-rate expert in her twenties is extremely rare; they are all direct disciples and trusted confidants of major sects, the very roots of their lineage.

With her age, weapon, and appearance all matching, and having appeared in the Qi-Lu region recently, it would be hard to find a second female expert.

"Why would she be mixed up with the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"The Huashan Sect... has found a backer?"

"Is this... the backer coming to find trouble for their subordinate?"

Zuo Lishan had indeed been planning to integrate the Five Mountains Sword Sects and had been thinking of using the Huashan Sect as the sacrificial lamb.

With Zhao Ying's visit, he intended to use this as an excuse to suppress the Huashan Sect at the upcoming Five Mountains Alliance meeting, at least to label them as having improper sect conduct, so that future actions would be justified and require less effort.

But if it involved the Embroidered Uniform Guard... he couldn't help but be cautious.

As for Zhao Ying, he didn't care.

He had indeed promised Zhao Ying to preside over justice and had already arranged for people to collect the benefits.

The Huwei Escort Agency was already set to become one of the Taishan Sect's assets.

But what justice is there for a third-rate force that has lost its leader? The martial arts world ultimately relies on martial arts. Zhao Ying lacked the seniority to convince his subordinates and had his sword techniques crippled, with less than ten percent of his martial arts remaining. The Huwei Escort Agency was already precarious and on the verge of collapse.

For the escort agency's guards, the Taishan Sect taking over the Huwei Escort Agency was beneficial and harmless. Not only would they have more confidence when going out on escort missions, but other forces would also show some respect for the Taishan Sword Sect, and they would even receive more silver than before.

Even if Zhao Ying were to rally the Huwei Escort Agency, he would only be met with an awkward silence.

This matter was already a foregone conclusion; regardless of whether Zuo Lishan broke his promise, Zhao Ying was powerless to change it.

"That Embroidered Uniform Guard said he would go again tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"I will go back with you."

"Ah?"

Fei Junxuan was stunned.

He had originally thought about explaining the situation to Zuo Lishan and sending a few experts down the mountain. Who would have thought Zuo Lishan would go himself?

Zuo Lishan's nature was like this; he didn't like back-and-forth haggling or wasting time and effort. He was most accustomed to using speed to overcome slowness, pushing all his chips forward at once, and smashing all calculations into a mess.

Since he had achieved success in his martial arts, he had been hard to find a rival among his peers, and after the age of thirty-five, it was even harder to find a situation that required him to take action. With his Wu Gong, he thought it would be enough to dissolve all the other party's schemes.

Zuo Lishan made his decision and did not hesitate, standing up to take his sword and going down the mountain with Fei Junxuan.

The sun set and rose, and time reached noon the next day.

The main gate of the Taishan Sect opened, the main hall was cleared of all items, and a table was placed in the center.

Zuo Lishan sat upright in front of the table, his sword placed diagonally beside his chair, and wine and food were prepared on the table.

The other Taishan Sect disciples had already left, and only Fei Junxuan stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the outside of the door.

The time had come.

Li Miao did not break his promise and crossed the threshold with Mei Qinghe.

Li Miao looked into the room, his gaze falling on Zuo Lishan's face. He looked him up and down and smiled: "I thought it would take a few days to see the real person."

"Is Sect Leader Zuo so free?"

Zuo Lishan was also observing Li Miao.

At the level of a top-tier expert, one can sense the flow of the other party's true energy, and without taking action, one can see the operation of the other party's strength, thereby judging the level of their Wu Gong.

But now, Zuo Lishan observed Li Miao carefully and could not perceive his Wu Gong at all, as if the person opposite him were an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts.

"His breath... why is it so light and short?"

For an expert with successful internal energy, a steady and long breath is best.

When fighting, no matter how good the Wu Gong is, one must change breath. The longer the breath, the fewer the flaws when changing breath during a fight. With Li Miao's breath, he would have to change breath within one or two moves; even a disciple who had just entered the door of martial arts would not be so short.

Looking at his exposed hands. A person who practices martial arts cannot avoid traces on their hands. Those who practice fist techniques have calluses on their knuckles. Those who practice palm techniques have calluses on their palms. Those who practice finger techniques have middle fingers shorter than others. Even those who practice high-level soft techniques leave traces on their fingernails.

But Li Miao's pair of hands looked more like those of a rich young master who had never touched manual labor; there wasn't a single trace to be seen.

Not to mention the true energy and strength in his body, there was no sense of it at all.

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon.

Zuo Lishan only thought that this person practiced some strange martial arts that were different from the Central Plains Jianghu. He secretly guarded himself, but his face did not reveal any strange color.

He didn't doubt that Fei Junxuan was lying; Li Miao must have Wu Gong. But in any case, as long as he was present, he wasn't afraid of the other party causing any waves.

"He is just using the identity of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and his strange martial arts to put on a show," Zuo Lishan thought.

How could he have imagined that the so-called "returning to simplicity" and "seeing the god without damage" would actually appear before his eyes?

The more a person achieves in their own field, the harder it is to jump out of their own conceptual limitations; Zuo Lishan was no exception.

Li Miao walked to the table and sat down, picking up the wine pot to pour himself a cup: "Sect Leader Zuo, do you have something you want to ask?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 36 =====