Chapter 385

The 24th year of Jiajing, October 13th.

Huguang Provincial Administration Commissioner, Xiang Yang Prefecture.

Under Mount Wudang.

Gao Anyu turned over and dismounted, cupped his hands to shade his eyes, aimed at the mountain gate in front, and turned to say.

"Brother Cao, I still haven't figured it out."

"Aunt Zheng, Battalion Commander Wang, and Brother Gu stayed in Nanjing to stabilize the situation, but shouldn't we have followed Uncle Li to Shuntian? Why did he want us to come to Wudang?"

Cao Hanyan led the horse to the side of the road, tied the horse while saying.

"Because our martial arts are too poor."

"The matter came too fast and too urgently. Following the Chief of the Guard, whether it is speed or fighting, is a burden to the Chief of the Guard."

Hearing this, Gao Anyu's expression became disappointed. Seeing him like this, Cao Hanyan smiled and comforted him.

"Brother Gao doesn't need to belittle himself. We came to Wudang naturally for a purpose... You know who our opponent is this time, right?"

Gao Anyu nodded, counting on his fingers.

"Hmm, civil officials, military generals, eunuchs, and Yingzhou."

Cao Hanyan drew his sword, looked at it up and down, confirmed that the blade was sharp, sheathed it, walked toward the Wudang Sect mountain gate, and said while walking.

"That's right. This time, the matter is no longer limited to the Jianghu, and the methods used by the opponent will not be as simple as drawing a sword and seeing blood."

"Yingzhou has three reliances: multiple Heaven-Man experts, Xuanlan cultivation methods, and an appearance identical to the Chief of the Guard. No matter which one of these three points is used, it can easily stir the entire Jianghu into a boil."

"Last year, the Ming Sect spread the 'Wedding Dress Divine Art' and attracted Jianghu figures to gather in Shuntian. The Chief of the Guard is naturally worried that they will repeat this method—this is the reason why we came to Wudang."

Gao Anyu nodded as if he understood.

If these things were explained in detail, I'm afraid they wouldn't be finished even after reaching the Wudang Sect, so Cao Hanyan just explained it briefly, and he naturally didn't understand.

But he felt that since Cao Hanyan and Li Miao did this, it must be the most correct thing, so he just listened, and there was nothing to ask.

The two arrived outside the Wudang mountain gate.

A little Daoist priest flashed out from the gate, walked quickly to the two, and arched his hands: "Two lay Buddhists, sorry, today our Wudang has important matters, it is inconvenient to entertain guests, please return."

Cao Hanyan frowned and reached out to take out his waist plate.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard... what important matters?"

As soon as he revealed his identity, the little Daoist priest widened his eyes.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Why did the two lords come now? The Chief of the Guard has been here for a long time. The important matter in our Wudang is to entertain the Chief of the Guard? Don't the two of you know?"

As soon as this was said, Cao Hanyan's expression changed suddenly!

He stepped forward to the little Daoist priest, reached out to hold him, and asked in a low voice.

"Which Chief of the Guard, Northern or Southern?"

The little Daoist priest seemed to realize something and replied in a low voice.

"Lay Buddhist is joking... The Southern Guard doesn't get involved in the Jianghu, so who else could it be? Naturally, it is the Chief of the Guard of the Northern Guard, Lord Li Miao... Is there something wrong?"

"Naturally, there is something wrong!"

Cao Hanyan's hand had already gripped the sword hilt.

Sure enough, Li Miao's prediction was correct!

With Wudang's inheritance, if someone came in disguise, it would definitely not be hidden. If there was no Heaven-Man realm martial arts, Wudang would also be able to see through it at a glance.

Similar appearance, Heaven-Man realm... who else could it be!

Yingzhou!

Cao Hanyan asked urgently.

"Little Daoist, can you speak in the sect?"

The little Daoist priest also replied in a low voice.

"I can speak. Little Daoist Li Miao, the current sect leader is my senior uncle."

Cao Hanyan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good... Little Daoist, listen carefully. The Chief of the Guard has never been to Xiang Yang. We just parted ways two days ago. He is currently on his way to Shuntian and it is absolutely impossible for him to have come to Wudang."

"The Chief of the Guard in your sect is a fake!"

He said this decisively, originally thinking that the little Daoist priest would be shocked, and had already prepared to explain, but he didn't expect the little Daoist priest to be visibly excited.

"I knew it!"

Li Miao waved his hand excitedly.

"I said it was fake, but Master and Senior Uncle wouldn't listen to me! Let's go, two lords, I will take you to find Master and clarify this matter with him!"

Having said that, he led Cao and Gao into the gate.

Cao Hanyan asked while walking.

"How did the little Daoist know... that the Chief of the Guard was fake?"

Li Miao said without looking back.

"Because that fake praised my Taiyi Xuanmen sword for being practiced well! Lord Li would never praise people. He would only say where I practiced poorly, and would never say I practiced well!"

"I haven't been able to practice this sword technique well for the past half year. Hearing that he came, I deliberately ran in front of him to let him pick out my faults, but he smiled and praised me. I don't believe he would praise me!"

"Lord Li who praises people is definitely fake!"

Cao Hanyan's face was embarrassed.

It seems that this little Daoist named Li Miao really knows Li Miao.

It's just this method of judgment... should it be called a heart of innocence, or a lucky guess? But it really made him unable to refute.

The three walked for a while and arrived at a courtyard in Wudang.

Li Miao knocked on the door, didn't wait for an answer from inside, and pushed the door in.

"Master!"

"I said I was right, that Lord Li is definitely fake! I brought witnesses, now you should believe me!"

"Hey, Senior Uncle, why are you here too?"

Cao Hanyan and Gao Anyu followed in.

In the courtyard, Li Miao had already run to a stone table, dancing and talking to the two Daoists on the stone table.

Cao Hanyan looked closely.

Two Daoists, one fat and one thin, were sitting opposite each other drinking tea. Seeing Cao Hanyan and Gao Anyu enter, they were squinting and looking over.

It was the Wudang Sect leader Elder Zhi Qing, and Li Miao's master Zhi Sheng.

The two top experts of the Wudang Sect were actually both here.

Cao Hanyan stepped forward and arched his hands.

"Two seniors, Embroidered Uniform Guard Cao Hanyan, greetings."

"The situation is urgent, I—"

Before he finished speaking, Wudang Sect leader Elder Zhi Qing smiled and waved his hand, interrupting his words.

"Hey, Lord Cao, no need to be anxious, you've worked hard all the way, come and drink some tea."

Cao Hanyan had no mind to drink tea and wanted to continue, but suddenly reacted—why are the two top experts of the Wudang Sect both here? Shouldn't the Wudang Sect leader be entertaining the Embroidered Uniform Guard Chief of the Guard who came here?

Could it be...

Elder Zhi Qing smiled and said.

"Lord, no need to be anxious. If it is for the matter of that fake Chief of the Guard... hehe, later the poor Daoist will take the Lord to the back mountain to have a look."

"My Martial Uncle is having a heart-to-heart talk with him."

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Wudang, back mountain, mountain cave.

"The innate leads the Zhou Tian, covering the changes of the Zhou Tian, I am the King..."

"The innate leads the Zhou Tian, covering the changes of the Zhou Tian, I am the King..."

Two voices were echoing in the mountain cave.

The ragged old Daoist sat cross-legged on the stone bed, muttering unclear words non-stop.

In front of him, a figure identical to Li Miao sat cross-legged on the ground, also muttering non-stop, but his expression was extremely ugly, as if he were in a nightmare.

Footsteps came from outside the cave.

Elder Zhi Qing and Cao Hanyan walked in.

Elder Zhi Qing performed a salute to the old Daoist.

"Martial Uncle."

The old Daoist opened his turbid eyes, looked at Elder Zhi Qing with empty eyes, but did not reply.

Elder Zhi Qing shouted again, and his gaze finally focused.

"What is it?"

Elder Zhi Qing smiled and said.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard Chief of the Guard Lord Li invites you, you need to go to Shuntian."

"Oh."

After a long while, the old Daoist nodded slowly.

I don't know if it was because of this moment of distraction, but the fake Li Miao sitting cross-legged in front of him suddenly opened his eyes and squeezed a sentence out of his throat.

"You... don't want the Xuanlan cultivation method... why... the innate leads, Zhou Tian, covering... you don't want... the changes of Zhou Tian..."

"Changes... I am... King..."

His eyes closed slowly again.

The old Daoist looked at him for a long while, then turned to look at Elder Zhi Qing.

"Do you want it, the Xuanlan cultivation method?"

Elder Zhi Qing smiled and shook his head.

"Different paths, no common ground."

"Oh."

The old Daoist closed his eyes.

"I, depart tomorrow."

"In that case, disciple takes his leave."

Elder Zhi Qing performed a salute and walked out of the mountain cave with Cao Hanyan.

(End of chapter)