Chapter 478: Japanese Sword Technique

Kangfu County.

As a small county with a population of less than ten thousand, located in the prosperous Linjiang Prefecture, even the locals of Linjiang Prefecture had mostly never paid attention to it.

This small county was left behind, hidden in the mountains and forests, almost isolated from the outside world. Lives and deaths were firmly confined within it, like a pool of stagnant water that would not see change even after hundreds or thousands of years.

But today, the city gate became rarely lively.

"Wah—wah—"

On the official road outside the city gate, the crying of infants rang out in a chorus.

Several carts temporarily pieced together from wooden boards moved forward slowly. Wu Mingxiao was covered in sweat, rushing between the carts with two wooden buckets, feeding milk and wiping the bodies of the seventy-three infants on the carts.

Li Miao sat cross-legged on the leading cart, tapping his right hand on his knee, his left hand supporting his face, eyes closed to rest.

In front of him were dozens of battered, trembling bandits, carrying four arm-thick hemp ropes on their shoulders, pulling the carts slowly toward the city gate.

Thud.

One of the bandits seemed to be exhausted and fell forward.

Before his upper body hit the ground, Li Miao lifted his finger.

Swish!

A stream of true energy struck his acupoint.

"Ah!!!"

There was no blood, no injury, but the bandit suddenly tensed his whole body, his eyes wide open, his ten fingers digging firmly into the flesh of his own waist, not stopping even when he tore open the wounds on his body.

After three breaths, he suddenly relaxed his strength. Just as he wanted to catch his breath on the ground, he heard that lazy voice that made his hair stand on end coming from behind.

"Who told you to stop?"

"A slow horse needs ten whips; the merit lies in perseverance. Have you never heard of it?"

Li Miao said, eyes closed, tapping his knee.

"My next finger strike will make you hurt for an hour."

The bandit immediately climbed up from the ground and dragged the hemp rope forward with all his might.

The pain of those three breaths had almost made him chew his own tongue to pieces. If this pain lasted for an hour... compared to that, even death seemed trivial.

The remaining bandits were silent as cicadas, ignoring the sharp pain from their wounds, and exerted all their strength together.

Thus, the carts continued to move forward.

Shortly after, they reached the city gate.

Wu Mingxiao put down the infant in his hand and walked quickly to the city gate, reaching into his bosom to take out the travel permit.

But before he could get close to the city gate, a crowd of people emerged from within—all burly men with bulging muscles, wearing various colorful casual clothes, chests and bellies exposed, holding various weapons, and they surrounded Wu Mingxiao directly.

"Who are you!"

"What are you doing in our Kangfu County!"

"What is on the carts!"

The questions came in a string, not giving Wu Mingxiao any time to answer.

Their tone was fierce, and their weapons swayed wildly.

Normally, the city gate should be guarded by the local garrison, the Police Inspectorate, and yamen runners. But these people not only didn't wear uniforms, but their weapons were also of various shapes, and they had no interest in the travel permit, only asking questions incessantly.

Rather than government officials, they looked more like Jianghu people or guards for a wealthy family.

Wu Mingxiao immediately remembered what Li Miao had told him.

"When one's own flesh and blood are forcibly abducted and abandoned in the wilderness, even a clay figurine should make some noise, yet there is not a single piece of news from the outside."

"To be able to achieve this, either these people are all dead, or this Kangfu County, from the officials to the soldiers, has been firmly controlled by the instigator, blocking all news."

Li Miao opened his eyes a slit and looked at Wu Mingxiao's back.

"You should know what to do by now."

The crowd in front had already squeezed up to Wu Mingxiao.

"You brat, could you be a bandit from somewhere?"

This was the one playing the "good cop."

"Little brother, if you have any business, why not come into the city with us to see the Master and explain the situation? Just to avoid disturbing the common people, please hand over your weapons to us, and we will return them to you after the matter is clear, how about that?" ===== CHAPTER 479 =====