As soon as he spoke, Yongjie's demeanor changed.
Before he became a monk, his name was Tu Qingcang.
He was a top Master, the Manor Lord of Juyi Manor, known in the martial world as “Pillar of Heaven.”
Ah, of course, he couldn't transform, nor did he have a Spark.
This nickname was, firstly, due to his name, and secondly, it came from a line in Yuan Dynasty plays describing generals: “Pillar of Heaven, White Jade; Beam of the Sea, Purple Gold.”
Back then, he became famous with his self-created boxing style, “Heavenly Pillar Fist,” a reputation he hammered out with his own fists.
However, his personality back then was somewhat similar to Zuo Lishan's. Both were obstinate and arrogant. Yet, he wasn't as good at feigning as Zuo Lishan, so he had many enemies in the martial world.
But, until his disappearance, the Juyi Manor he established had always been the unyielding overlord of the Southern Martial World.
Simply because he was still there.
How could he be just a good-tempered monk who passively accepted everything?
As soon as the words “fight for it” left his mouth, his entire aura instantly became sharp and powerful.
He said “fight,” but what he clearly meant was “must obtain.”
Li Miao glanced at him, then said with a smile, “Alright, alright, let's talk after you can stand up on your own.”
Yongjie's aura suddenly dissipated, and he was left speechless.
Li Miao's personality had a minor flaw—he couldn't stand anyone showing off in front of him.
Ever since he left Shuntian Prefecture until now, anyone who put on airs in front of him, if they had a good relationship, would be choked by a remark; if the relationship was bad, they'd be directly beaten black and blue.
So, as soon as Yongjie showed signs of “I'm not pretending anymore, I'm going to reveal my benevolent mask,” Li Miao immediately shut him down with a single sentence.
Seeing Yongjie remain silent, Li Miao smiled and continued.
“However, we can put aside the talk of parting ways for now.”
“How does Master know that I'm not interested in this Jia Yi Divine Skill?”
Yongjie suddenly looked up.
Li Miao's trip to Miao Territory was, firstly, for Xiao Si, and secondly, to cut off the inheritance of Witchcraft.
In this era, such things posed too great a threat.
The incident in Tai'an City was only resolved smoothly because he was there. If the Ming Cult's plot had succeeded and common folk with insanity worms had escaped into the countryside, it could have easily become a great plague that emptied nine out of ten households.
And the tomb mentioned by the woman was the Miao King's Tomb.
Li Miao naturally had to go and see it.
It was all related to Miao Territory anyway, so it was on the way.
Yongjie didn't know Li Miao's plan, so he solemnly said to Li Miao, “Benefactor, are you changing your itinerary for the sake of this monk?”
“Benefactor's martial arts are already extraordinary; so-called divine skills and ultimate arts are of little use to Benefactor.”
“If not for the marvelous power transmission of this Jia Yi Divine Skill, this monk would not go either.”
Li Miao waved his hand: “Don't overthink it.”
“I have my own plans, and where I go is my choice.”
“Since our goals are still aligned, it means our fate is not yet exhausted. Master can rest assured and heal his injuries.”
“Once you've recovered, we'll set off immediately to explore that Miao King's Tomb.”
Two days later, Li Miao and Yongjie walked out of the city gate.
Yongjie looked back and sighed.
Li Miao smiled and said, “What's wrong, Master? Is your worldly attachment not yet severed? Do you miss that woman?”
Yongjie shook his head: “No.”
“This monk merely saw an old friend and recalled some things.”
Li Miao chuckled: “You still haven't chanted enough sutras.”
“That woman, don't you want to ask me to save her?”
Yongjie put his palms together: “This monk wants to save her, but cannot.”
“One reaps what one sows; retribution is swift. She is my kin, but also an enemy to others. Having done evil, she must repay it.”
“After this monk saves those he wishes to save, he will also seek out his creditors and return this life to them.”
Li Miao glanced at him: “You're really stubborn.”
“Don't forget to come find me for a drink before you die.”
Yongjie laughed: “Certainly, certainly.”
The two said no more and galloped towards the Miao King's Tomb.
They traveled day and night, enduring the elements, and after several days, they finally arrived at the legendary Miao King's Tomb.
This place was a desolate wilderness, usually devoid of human presence.
Now, however, it was bustling with people.
Before they even got close, the two saw many martial artists, wearing swords and sabers, all heading in the same direction.
Yongjie, however, suddenly stopped, a look of hesitation on his face.
“What's wrong?” Li Miao asked.
“Many people here recognize this monk,” Yongjie said.
“This monk originally intended to go to the villages in Miao Territory, as they are isolated from the Central Plains Martial World, so there would be no fear of being recognized. ”
“But right now, this place is full of Southern Martial World figures, including the leaders of several sects, all of whom have seen this monk in the past. Going in rashly might cause trouble.”
Yongjie looked conflicted.
Li Miao, however, smiled: “I thought you had a plan, but it turns out you forgot about this.”
“Come, disperse your Zhou Tian true qi, and close your eyes.”
Yongjie was obedient and immediately complied.
Li Miao stepped forward, his hand momentarily turning crimson and emitting wisps of white smoke, and he pressed it onto Yongjie's face.
“Ugh!”
Yongjie's body trembled, but he managed to endure without dodging.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, it hurts a bit, just bear with it,” Li Miao said casually.
Yongjie felt that Li Miao was probably trying to kill him; this wasn't just a bit of pain, it was excruciating!
What Li Miao used was precisely the method he used to reattach Liu Baiyun's severed arm, which could also be used for interrogation.
This method, in essence, connected qi and blood, reconnected meridians, and regenerated flesh and blood.
It could be used to reattach detached facial features, and naturally, it could also alter a person's original facial features.
After a while, Li Miao released his hand, and Yongjie's body went limp, panting heavily.
“Alright, that's much better now,” Li Miao said with a smile.
Yongjie steadied his breathing and found a puddle to look at his reflection; indeed, his face was completely unrecognizable.
“Let's go.”
Yongjie assented, and the two walked towards the crowded area.
Before they even got close, a young man walked over and sized them up.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, are you here for the tomb?”
“Precisely,” Yongjie replied.
“Oh, I see,” the young man said, “I am Yuan Li of the Kongtong Sect, pleased to meet you both.”
“May I ask your esteemed names and where you hail from?”
Li Miao glanced at him: “What, in this wilderness, do we need to show a pass to enter?”
The young man smiled and waved his hand: “Please don't misunderstand, gentlemen.”
“As you both know, this matter has spread throughout the martial world, and more and more people have arrived in recent days, a mixed bag of good and bad.”
“A few days ago, a bandit snuck in and, taking advantage of the crowd, took several lives.”
“So, our Kongtong, Emei Sect, and Hengshan Sect discussed it and decided this couldn't continue. Anyone coming hereafter must state their identity, to prevent villains from entering and putting everyone at unease.”
“As long as you two are not rogue martial artists or bandits, you can certainly enter.”
His words made sense, but Li Miao and Yongjie truly couldn't produce a proper identity.
Li Miao, not to mention, could enter by flashing his Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) badge, but that would surely cause an uproar.
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As for Yongjie, he didn't really have an identity he could reveal either.
He had secretly run away, and he was handling personal matters. If he revealed his monastic name, it would involve Shaolin, and he couldn't bring himself to do that.
He couldn't reveal his secular name either.
Because Kongtong had a grudge against him back then. Emei Sect also had a grudge against him. Most of the prominent sects in the entire Southern Martial World basically had grudges against him.
One could only say that before Yongjie became a monk, he was truly quite bad at dealing with people.
Li Miao saw the difficult expression on Yongjie's face and understood his predicament.
The disciple, seeing that the two were silent, moved his hand towards the pair of judge's pens at his waist: “Gentlemen, if you have no plausible background, please turn back.”
“The leaders of several major sects of the Southern Martial World are here; do not cause trouble, lest you lose your lives.”
The Kongtong Sect's martial arts were famously diverse, with traditions in sabers, spears, swords, staffs, fists, and legs. For instance, the judge's pens chosen by this young man were relatively uncommon in the martial world, and few people knew how to counter them, giving him an advantage in a fight.
So he wasn't afraid to act.
Li Miao glanced at him, thought for a moment, then said with a smile: “We are indeed rogue martial artists, without sect or school. But someone can vouch for our identities.”
“The Hengshan Sect has also sent people, haven't they? Who came?”
The young man, hearing that they didn't intend to fight, politely replied: “The Hengshan Sect leader went to attend the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting and has not yet returned. The one who came is Elder Yin Minjun of Hengshan.”
“Oh, go and inform her, tell her Li Miao has arrived, and ask her to come out and greet me quickly.”
Li Miao said calmly.
The young man, however, didn't move for a moment, scrutinizing Li Miao, thinking to himself: “What a big mouth!”
“You look only in your early thirties, and you're not a famous figure, yet you open your mouth and demand the Hengshan Sect's second-in-command come out to greet you, and ‘quickly’ at that?”
“Are you trying to trick me away so you can sneak in?”
However, being sent to handle welcoming duties, he wasn't without shrewdness.
First, he politely told Li Miao to wait, then turned and walked a few steps away, found a fellow disciple to give a few instructions, and then walked back, watching Li Miao and Yongjie.
He wanted to strike up a conversation and glean some information. But Li Miao couldn't be bothered with him, and Yongjie was a straightforward person, afraid of saying something wrong, so he also remained silent, leaving the young man ignored.
The young man grew increasingly displeased, wishing only to vent his frustration with a few sarcastic remarks once the Hengshan Sect inevitably denied knowing these two.
After a while, he heard a flurry of footsteps behind him.
The young man turned his head and saw a group of people rushing over, surprisingly all using lightness skills to run.
He focused his gaze.
Leading them was none other than Yin Minjun of the Hengshan Sect, accompanied by several elders of the Hengshan Sect.
Looking at the group behind them, the young man was momentarily speechless.
“The entire Hengshan Sect is here!?”
There were over a hundred people from the Hengshan Sect present, and at this moment, they all rushed over in haste.
The young man quickly made way.
He saw Yin Minjun exert her full lightness skill, “Ape-King Somersault Cloud,” the Hengshan Sect's signature technique, and flash before Li Miao, looking around.
Upon seeing Li Miao, she actually used the Hengshan Sect's protective lightness skill, “Ape-King Somersault Cloud,” to instantly appear before Li Miao.
Then she bowed deeply: “Li—”
“Hey.” Li Miao interrupted her before she could say “Lord Li.”
“Long time no see, Elder Yin. I'm just a rogue martial artist, it's not convenient for me to go in, so I trouble you to come and receive me.”
Yin Minjun was an experienced figure in the martial world, and upon hearing Li Miao's words, she immediately understood that he didn't want to expose his identity, and she promptly replied.
“Brother Li! It's my duty! My duty!”
“You have shown great kindness to my Hengshan Sect, a small matter like this, my Hengshan Sect will naturally handle it!”
“You've had a tiring journey, please follow me, we will prepare a welcoming feast for you.”
With that, Yin Minjun respectfully extended her hand and led Li Miao and Yongjie away.
Leaving the Kongtong disciple stunned in place.
It had been over a month since the Five Mountains Sword Sect incident. Deng Boxuan had been taken to Shuntian Prefecture by Wang Hai, but such a major event as their sect pledging allegiance to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) naturally involved sending disciples to relay the news back to the sect.
Yin Minjun was considered the second-in-command of the Hengshan Sect, in her thirties, and her martial arts were no less than Deng Boxuan's. With Deng Boxuan gone, she was in charge of the Hengshan Sect.
More than half of the message Deng Boxuan sent back to the sect was about Li Miao, praising him as unparalleled in heaven and earth.
Here are a few excerpts:
His martial arts are like those of a celestial being, unattainable. He turned the tide in a desperate situation, propped up a collapsing edifice, saved tens of thousands of common folk in Tai'an from suffering, and rescued the Five Mountains Sword Sect from peril. His appearance rivals Pan An, his righteousness rivals Guan Yu, his bravery rivals Zi Long, his wisdom rivals Zhuge… truly an unparalleled hero, a model for all under heaven!
This damn world should be surnamed Li! (This sentence was held back)
Of course, it's hard to say whether Deng Boxuan knew that the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) would pre-check the messages he sent back to his sect, and thus was flattering Li Miao.
But what Yin Minjun heard were all these effusive praises.
Now that she heard Li Miao had arrived, how could she not be nervous?
Putting aside everything else, Deng Boxuan was still in Shuntian Prefecture, in the hands of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).
Upon reaching the Hengshan Sect's encampment, Yin Minjun instructed her disciples to guard the perimeter, and she, along with the remaining elders, was about to kneel directly before Li Miao.
“Greetings, Lord Li!”
Li Miao raised his hand in a void, and a gentle stream of true qi lifted them up: “Alright, I don't have a habit of making people kneel.”
It's unknown who said, “Those who don't want to die can kneel,” when he went to arrest Yan Xiaosheng.
With that, he turned and sat down in the main seat.
The Hengshan Sect was a large and wealthy sect, playing the role of the financier among the Five Mountains Sword Sect. At this moment, they had even set up a large, spacious canopy in this wilderness.
“The matter in Tai'an has been resolved, and you need not mention it again. From now on, just serve the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) well.”
“Now, tell me about the situation at the Miao King's Tomb.”
Yin Minjun was still shocked by the profound true qi contained in Li Miao's seemingly light touch, and now hearing Li Miao's question, she hastily replied.
“Reporting, my Lord.”
“Currently, the major sects at this Miao King's Tomb include the Beggar Clan, Cao Gang, Emei Sect, Qingcheng, and Kongtong. A few days ago, we sent someone to invite Master Xing Chi of Shaolin, but there's no news yet.”
“Besides these sects, there are four or five lone Masters, such as 'Forest-Piercing Northern Leg' Huo Hong, 'Iron Fist Arhat' Cang Feifeng, and 'Rival Li Guang' Gong Yuanzhi.”
“A few days ago, several of our sects gathered some Masters and went down to investigate. It is indeed the Miao King's Tomb without a doubt. And there are many already corroded weapons, indicating that many martial artists died here years ago.”
“Judging by the craftsmanship of the weapons, the martial artists who died here back then were not weak, and the possibility of 'Jia Yi Divine Skill' being here is not low. However, there are simply too many venomous insects inside; with too few people, even high-level martial artists would find it difficult to defend against them.”
“Your Lordship has arrived at the perfect time. Tonight, several major sects are discussing countermeasures, and tomorrow we plan to open the tomb and enter together to explore.”