Chapter 4: Just kidding

"So I, the Thousand-Household who manages money, came to negotiate a deal with you."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has ten Thousand-Household offices, corresponding to ten regular Thousand-Households. And the Thousand-Household of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is a regular Grade Five official position. By rights, an Embroidered Uniform Guard at Li Miao's level should appear in cases of raiding and exterminating high-ranking imperial officials or major local sects.

For someone like Yan Xiaosheng, who is called an underworld leader in the capital but is essentially a white glove, having a Thousand-Household come to handle him is giving him too much credit.

So when Yan Xiaosheng heard Li Miao say he wanted to negotiate a deal, his eyes lit up.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard was coming for him personally, he would have no chance of survival. But if they were still wary of the people behind him and wanted to bargain, perhaps he could keep his life.

Of course he didn't want to die; if he could negotiate, he could bargain, and maybe his life could be negotiated too.

But Li Miao waved his hand, directly dispelling his calculations: "Don't overthink it, you are definitely going to die."

Yan Xiaosheng's eyes dimmed, and it was a long time before he spoke: "Since I'm going to die anyway, what's the point of negotiating?"

He had already given up on fantasies and no longer maintained respect in his language.

He was just waiting for Li Miao to reveal a flaw so he could seize this weary-faced Thousand-Household.

Anyone whose internal energy has reached a certain level is naturally full of spirit, and their strength flows endlessly until they are exhausted; they don't easily reveal weariness. Seeing Li Miao's weary face, it was either that his cultivation wasn't good enough or his state was wrong.

His Wu Gong was at the level of a first-rate expert in the Jianghu; maybe he could really take Li Miao as a hostage and escape the capital.

As long as he escaped the capital, the world was vast; he could just hide somewhere, change his name, and with his Wu Gong, he would still be eating and drinking well.

"Listen to me finish," Li Miao lowered his head and sipped his wine, not even looking at Yan Xiaosheng. It seemed he hadn't noticed at all that Yan Xiaosheng's muscles were tense, his internal energy was running, and he was preparing to fight for his life.

"We have official business in a while, and we are short-handed, so those of us who usually stay in the capital have to go down and take a trip."

"Before we leave, the Commander's meaning is to kill those who have popped their heads up in the capital first, so that when everyone is gone, you won't cause trouble."

"Leader Yan, you are the most eye-catching one. But we who do the work investigated and found you serve too many people. Raiding your house and bringing out some big figures wouldn't look good."

"I mentioned it, saying this matter had to fall on you, and I was forced to do it, so I came to negotiate with you."

Speaking of this, Li Miao frowned, seemingly very dissatisfied with being sent to do this. The few Embroidered Uniform Guards guarding behind him saw this, signaled to each other, and secretly laughed.

Their Thousand-Household was good at everything—capable, high Wu Gong, literate and martial.

It was just that he only had four hours of energy a day; after that time, he would immediately look like he hadn't slept for three days and couldn't open his eyes, and wouldn't do any work no matter what. This time, if the Commander hadn't spoken personally and smashed a teacup, even the Regional Commander wouldn't have been able to order him around.

If it weren't for this lazy illness, he would probably have been a Regional Commander or even a Vice Commander long ago.

"It's like this: I can let you live for three more days," Li Miao said lightly to Yan Xiaosheng: "In these three days, you go and explain to those masters of yours, give them the money that should be given. As for the rest, find someone to pack it up and send it to us."

"This way, we don't have to bargain with your masters, and your masters don't have to be afraid of us finding anything out, isn't that a happy ending for everyone?"

"And then?" Yan Xiaosheng asked through gritted teeth.

"And then?" Li Miao glanced at him: "Then you just die."

"Die of a sudden illness in your own home. Remember to die miserably to scare those who haven't popped their heads up, so I can save some effort."

"Fuck," Yan Xiaosheng was almost laughed at by anger: "You Eagle Claws really don't speak human language; you take all the benefits, and I have to obediently commit suicide, and I have to die miserably—what the fuck am I getting out of this!?"

"You can leave five taels of silver for that unborn child of yours, that's it," Li Miao spread his hands toward him.

At this one sentence, Yan Xiaosheng's face froze instantly, but the next moment he acted like nothing had happened and looked at Li Miao strangely.

"I have never started a family, nor have I ever had any children."

"You bought a courtesan last month, didn't you? She's pregnant. Our people had a doctor check, it's guaranteed."

"You die, we receive the money, and we give her five taels of silver and let her go," Li Miao said seriously.

Yan Xiaosheng was silent.

His face changed repeatedly, sometimes hesitant, sometimes crazy, but in the end, a ruthless look occupied his face.

"Fuck your mother!"

He roared, his palms smashed the table, and he slammed toward Li Miao's chest!

What courtesan, what child—as long as he could live, what child couldn't he have in the future!?

Now he was going to use the Wu Gong he had practiced hard for thirty years to earn a life! He had to know that his name, "Vajra Iron Palm," was also piled up with human lives!

At this moment, his peripheral vision swept over the Embroidered Uniform Guards standing around, guarding against them attacking together to save Li Miao. But those people were looking at their noses and hearts, and didn't even move, watching his palms approach Li Miao's chest.

Bang!

A muffled sound, the palms printed on Li Miao's chest.

Teng teng teng teng!

It was Yan Xiaosheng who flew backward violently, his feet constantly unloading force, every step crushing the bluestone floor, retreating until he stopped against the wall, causing the wall to vibrate and dust to fall.

Wah!

Yan Xiaosheng opened his mouth, and a mouthful of blood gushed out. When he raised his head and exposed his chest, he saw a finger print on his chest, more than an inch deep; clearly, it had directly shattered his sternum.

And Yan Xiaosheng hadn't even seen Li Miao move!

At this moment, not only Yan Xiaosheng, but the remaining outlaws in the room showed expressions of horror.

Yan Xiaosheng's martial arts could be called first-rate in the martial arts world. Don't think there are many first-rate experts in the martial arts world; as long as one is a first-rate expert, they are ranked in a region at least the size of a province. There aren't many such people in the world.

These outlaws didn't rise up when the Embroidered Uniform Guard sealed the door, just to wait for Yan Xiaosheng to attack, so they could attack together, which would have a better chance of winning.

But in the blink of an eye, they hadn't even had time to gather their energy and stand up, and the battle was over.

This couldn't even be called a fight; it was naked crushing.

To be able to shatter the sternum of a first-rate expert with a casual move, and then take a palm strike and send the other party flying—what terrifying level had this Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household, who claimed to have been doing paperwork for twenty years, reached!?

Even giants like Wudang and Shaolin, could their presiding masters and sect leaders do this?

A young Embroidered Uniform Guard sneered: "Hmph! Does a mantis dare to block a chariot? Do you think the Embroidered Uniform Guard searches the world—besides our Thousand-Household, which other Thousand-Household could sit firmly in the capital for twenty years?"

"As long as our Thousand-Household is here, even if seventeen or eighteen more madmen like you come, don't think about causing any trouble in this capital!"

"Stop, stop," Li Miao, who was patting his chest and collar, waved his hand upon hearing this: "Stop bragging, I'm just too lazy to go out in the sun and rain, and my colleagues take care of me so I don't have to work hard. What blocking a chariot, what sitting firmly—you're giving me goosebumps."

After saying this, he cupped his hands at Yan Xiaosheng: "My underlings are joking, Leader Yan, don't go out and talk nonsense."

No one dared to take this as a joke.

Yan Xiaosheng coughed several times, spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood, and said dejectedly: "I've been messing around in this capital for over a decade, and I didn't even know there was a person like you."

"I've lived in vain for over forty years, thinking my daily hard practice had achieved something; today, seeing you, I know I was just a frog in a well."

He raised his finger and pointed at the indented finger print on his chest: "This finger broke my heart pulse; with my cultivation, I can just hold on for three days. Was this also intentional by you?"

"Coincidence, coincidence," Li Miao said, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

Yan Xiaosheng was silent for a long time before speaking: "One hundred taels."

"Don't talk about the joke of five or ten taels. I don't want much more; give my child one hundred taels so he can have money to settle down, and I will do as you say."

At this moment, his vitality was broken, and his only thought was to leave a descendant; his attitude softened. A dying person, having lost the thought of living, could negotiate anything.

But Li Miao shook his head, clearly not joking: "Just five taels. Not a penny more."

"You!"

Yan Xiaosheng's angry expression appeared; he had been in business for many years, and a cup of tea cost more than five taels of silver; when had he ever cared about such small money?

Thinking that this Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household was high-ranking and powerful, the bribes he usually received would only be more than his, and he wouldn't care about the difference between one hundred taels and five taels. Was this intentionally humiliating him?

"Didn't I just say? You do brothel and underworld business, abduct people, and buy and sell by force."

"Not counting the ones you scammed, among the people you bought with money, I found a number that is about mid-range," Li Miao spread his hands: "I didn't even count the children you bought by force for one or two coins. I followed your rules, don't say I'm bullying you."

"This is also because that child of yours hasn't been born and hasn't enjoyed the blessings brought by your sins; otherwise, I would have sold him directly to a brothel as a pimp, and the selling price would also be five taels."

"Fair, right?"

"You!" Yan Xiaosheng's trembling finger wanted to point at Li Miao, but his hand dropped weakly halfway.

"Fine. Five taels it is." He lost his strength and slowly sat down along the wall.

"Deal!" Li Miao clapped his hands, stood up, didn't look at Yan Xiaosheng again, and walked straight out.

Walking to the side of the two unconscious thugs who disposed of the body, he kicked them casually, directly breaking their necks.

The two thugs lost their breath directly; fortunately, they died quickly, which could be considered a fortunate thing.

The green woods heroes in the room didn't dare to resist and were locked up by several Embroidered Uniform Guards and escorted out.

Li Miao tucked his hands into his sleeves, walked out the door, and came to the sedan.

The young Embroidered Uniform Guard who had been bragging about him stepped forward quickly to lift the curtain, and Li Miao climbed in, closed his eyes, and leaned back to rest.

Outside the sedan curtain, the young Embroidered Uniform Guard asked softly: "Thousand-Household, is that courtesan really pregnant?"

"Pregnant with what? That Yan fellow has done all kinds of evil, and hasn't had a child in decades; how could it be such a coincidence that we caught it?" Li Miao said with his eyes closed: "Does someone like him want to leave a descendant?"

The young Embroidered Uniform Guard scratched his head and smiled honestly: "You still have ways, Thousand-Household. Then how should we handle that courtesan of his?"

Li Miao paused and said: "Let her go. When Yan's money is sent, you go and take a little out to help her settle down; it can be considered escaping the sea of bitterness."

"Just give... one hundred taels."

"Yes." The young Embroidered Uniform Guard promised, raised his hand to signal the troop to set off back to the Town-Suppressing Division. But he saw Li Miao lift the sedan curtain, the weariness on his face becoming more obvious, his eyes too lazy to open, his whole body slumped in the corner of the sedan, lazily saying.

"You guys take the people back to report; I'm going back to sleep."

"Ah? Thousand-Household, but the Commander is still waiting for you..." the young Embroidered Uniform Guard said in a dilemma.

"Forget him, I only do four hours of work a day; this was exchanged for my life back then, and the Commander promised me personally; today is enough to give him face."

"If he's not happy, you go to the bottom of my desk paperweight, take that note he signed back then, and show it to him..."

As he spoke, Li Miao's voice grew lower, and he said vaguely: "I only... work... eight hours..."

He had actually fallen asleep directly.

The young Embroidered Uniform Guard was helpless, but he also knew that as long as his Thousand-Household was asleep, he wouldn't wake up even if firecrackers were set off in his ear. He had no choice but to give a few instructions to the porters carrying the sedan, letting them send Li Miao home.

He himself led a troop back to the Town-Suppressing Division to be scolded.

Leaving only the brightly lit tavern, a few corpses, and Yan Xiaosheng waiting for death.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====