Chapter 614: Pitiful

A portrait of a person, composed of connective tissue similar to scars, extended from below Lady Xu’s collarbone until it disappeared into her lower abdomen.

The brushwork of the drawing was clear, not inferior to any master’s work, and the style was not freehand, but an extremely rare meticulous painting.

Wide robes and large sleeves, high crown and broad belt.

Although the face was blurry, judging from the outline, Master Monk should be an effeminate man with thin cheeks and clear brows, his temperament otherworldly, floating as if he were a celestial being.

Seeing Li Miao staring, Lady Xu showed anger, pulling her damaged clothing to cover her chest, coldness flickering in her eyes.

Li Miao narrowed his eyes slightly.

For a veteran Embroidered Uniform Guard like him, even if the face was blurry, it was enough for him to analyze a lot of information about Master Monk from the painting.

For example, the divine paintings containing the Supreme God Sword Art all came from Master Monk’s hand, so this was a self-portrait—self-portraits often have some distortion, but they also tend to express the painter’s true thoughts.

Master Monk’s attire was like a Confucian scholar, but his demeanor and movements were more like a Daoist priest.

"Master Monk was in Japan when he painted this, and besides, this painting was meant to be the foundation of Shinto inheritance, yet he painted himself in Confucian scholar’s clothes..."

Li Miao’s thoughts raced.

"So, these Confucian clothes were either clothes he was used to wearing, or clothes he hoped he would wear... After returning to the Great Ming, I will check ancient books and deduce based on the time; I should be able to filter out a few suspects from the Confucian scholars of that time."

"If the Sect Leader has other clues in her hands, combining them, I might be able to deduce his true identity."

"Also, did Lady Xu blurt out 'Supreme is heartless' earlier? Judging from the context, this sentence likely came from Master Monk’s mouth."

"There is a saying 'Supreme forgets emotion' in Daoist classics, but I haven't heard of 'Supreme is heartless'; it should be Master Monk’s original creation... Judging from Master Monk’s past actions, it is worthy of being called heartless, but what does 'Supreme' mean..."

The contemplation was long, but for Li Miao, who had carved investigation into his instincts, deducing the train of thought to this point took only an instant.

The struggle had not yet ceased.

Li Miao temporarily interrupted his deduction and looked at Lady Xu.

"Angry?"

"Just because I called him disgusting?"

Lady Xu’s expression was cold and hard, saying nothing.

Calmness is often because the core has not been touched.

Injury, pain, and even death would not shake this Heaven-Man who was older than An Qisheng. Although she wore the skin of a young girl, inside was a heart that had experienced thousands of years of struggle and had very likely fought against both Bodhidharma and Zhang Zhang Sanfeng.

But Li Miao had only cursed Master Monk as disgusting, a casual remark made without knowing the true situation of the painting, and it had already shaken her state of mind.

"A bit strange."

Li Miao rubbed his chin.

"Xu Fu, An Qisheng, you."

"Three Heaven-Men who have lived for a thousand years, you have eaten more shit than I have eaten imperial meals, and the life and death you have experienced should not be few... Why are you all so devoted to him?"

"Not to mention that lunatic An Qisheng who made himself schizophrenic."

He pointed at Lady Xu from a distance.

"You are clearly clear-headed, and Xu Fu was able to trick three thousand boys and girls and a huge fleet from the First Emperor, so he should also be a smart person."

"Why are you two so devoted to a person who hides his head and shows his tail?"

"Reality is not a storybook, and loyalty is not rootless duckweed; there must be a foundation... Just preaching and teaching is not enough to serve for a thousand years, right?"

Li Miao paused suddenly.

"Wait."

"Nature cultivation."

"An Qisheng had his memories about him erased, so can he also tamper with memories or emotions... Tsk."

Li Miao looked up.

"Hey."

"Do you think your mind is normal?"

He was just habitually talking trash, and he didn't think his casual deduction would hit any truth, but as his voice fell, his eyes narrowed.

Lady Xu’s reaction was a bit strange.

Normally, hearing Master Monk being casually manipulated by Li Miao, she should have developed killing intent just like before.

Lady Xu’s reaction was indeed like that.