While Yongjie was locked in a life-and-death struggle with the three factions, the others weren't idle.
The three lone top masters exchanged glances and tacitly moved closer to each other.
The Cao Gang was a special case; they had spoken little since entering the Miao King's Tomb because, among the sects present, they were the weakest. At this moment, they wanted to ally with the Beggar Clan but hesitated.
They didn't belong to the same circle as the others. Strictly speaking, they were part of the Green Forest Road, with rough martial arts, a world apart from the established great sects with their long traditions.
Lao Qifeng sighed and turned to Li Miao, who was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, watching the show.
"Li Daxia, what are your intentions?"
Li Miao smiled, "Chief Lao, what makes you ask that?"
Lao Qifeng lowered his voice, "I mean, is Li Daxia from the Ming Cult or from the imperial court?"
"Oh?" Li Miao glanced at Lao Qifeng, noncommittal.
Lao Qifeng knew that if he didn't make himself clear, Li Miao would never be frank, so he spoke on his own.
"Li Daxia knows that my Beggar Clan disciples are spread across the land, unlike sects like Emei Sect, Qingcheng, and Kongtong, which focus on a single area."
"They don't know about the Tai'an incident, but I've received some news."
"Gu, Gu Soldiers, Miao people." Lao Qifeng looked into Li Miao's eyes.
"With Li Daxia's martial arts, it's impossible for him to be without a master, yet he's completely unknown in the martial arts world. And he knows so much about Witchcraft, appearing here mysteriously."
"Either he's from the Ming Cult or he's an imperial court secret agent."
Li Miao looked up at Lao Qifeng and chuckled, "What if I'm from the imperial court, and what if I'm from the Ming Cult?"
Lao Qifeng didn't answer immediately.
He pondered for a moment, prepared to make a move, and then spoke seriously.
"If it's the imperial court, Lao will pretend not to know."
"If it's the Ming Cult... then I'll have no choice but to fight Li Daxia to the death."
Li Miao said, "Oh?"
"Does Chief Lao have a grudge against the Ming Cult?"
"No grudges, no grievances."
"Then why do you want to fight me to the death?"
"Martial arts code of ethics."
"Heh." Li Miao chuckled lightly, "Chief Lao has become the Chief of the Beggar Clan, and you still believe in that?"
"The Beggar Clan's business isn't exactly clean, is it?"
Among all the beggars in this world, there is only one kind that is truly clean: those who are genuinely unable to survive and beg for a meal or a bowl of water.
How clean can the Beggar Clan be, an organization that makes begging a profession and a business? One doesn't need to think too deeply about the sordidness within it.
"Yes, I don't deny it," Lao Qifeng said.
"In the past, I wouldn't have any animosity towards members of the Ming Cult. If they were powerful, yielding would be acceptable. The Chief of the Beggar Clan is also a beggar; there's nothing he can't bend for."
"If I met them elsewhere, I could also turn a blind eye."
"But I will not allow a Ming Cult scoundrel to achieve his schemes in the Miao people's territory."
"If the Tai'an incident were to repeat, Lao would not be able to bear the weight of those lives."
Lao Qifeng stared intently at Li Miao.
"Slaughtering a city, harming the common people, everyone has the right to punish them."
This was the most basic, most fundamental logic of the martial artists of Great Shuo.
"What belongs to the martial arts world stays in the martial arts world, and what belongs to the common people stays with the common people."
The so-called martial arts code of ethics, among martial artists, often goes unpunished due to various interests and feuds. What kind of demon or bandit, like the Meishan Seven Devils, as long as they don't provoke someone they can't afford to, no one will intentionally interfere.
But when it involves the common people, especially atrocities like the Ming Cult's city slaughter, it will trigger the underlying rule of the martial arts world—"Involving the innocent, everyone has the right to punish them."
Li Miao laughed, "I knew it, among these people, Chief Lao and I get along the best."
"Don't worry, I am Jinyiwei."
Seeing Li Miao reveal his identity, Yin Minjun quickly stepped forward and said to Lao Qifeng, "Chief Lao, my sect leader was saved by His Excellency. Tens of thousands of people in Tai'an City are alive because of His Excellency."
"Ah." Lao Qifeng responded, his expression suddenly changing.
"Could it be... 'Four Seasons Commander' in person?"
This time, it was Li Miao's turn to change his expression.
"Say that again? What the heck?!"
"Four... Four Seasons Commander?"
"Which 'four'? Which 'seasons'?"
It wasn't until Lao Qifeng channeled his internal energy and carved those two characters onto the stone wall of the cave with his finger that Li Miao laughed weakly.
"What a terrible nickname, why not just call me 'Dead Servant Commander'..."
He knew it must be his nickname, "Four Seasons Commander," which had somehow spread and been mangled by these uncultured martial artists into such a crude nickname.
Indeed, after learning Li Miao's identity, Lao Qifeng cautiously said,
The original text can be found at 6#9@Book/Bar!
"Rumor has it in the martial arts world that the Ming Cult's two Left and Right Envoys, one Protector, two Banner Lords, and hundreds of disciples all died overnight at the hands of a Jinyiwei Commander..."
"I heard that this Commander has always guarded the capital and never leaves. This time, he left the capital, and anyone who sees him will surely die. He even has the title 'Four Seasons Commander' within the Jinyiwei..."
"I never thought it would be Your Excellency. Seeing you today, indeed—"
"Chief Lao, please stop for a moment, my head hurts a little."
Li Miao waved his hand, stopping Lao Qifeng's flattery.
He seemed to have lost all strength and means, and his usual indifferent expression, which seemed to take nothing to heart, now crumbled.
What kind of situation was this?
It was too unsophisticated.
If he had known, he would have first dragged out everyone in the Jinyiwei who spread his nickname and beaten them all, forcing them to come up with a better-sounding nickname before venturing into the martial arts world.
To be honest, Li Miao had cultivated his martial arts to such a degree and only then began to travel the martial arts world, so he certainly had expectations for his nickname in the jianghu.
He had even envisioned several possibilities.
Clear Wind Sword? Average.
White Cloud Sword? Not bad.
Number One Under Heaven? Good.
Universal Martial Scripture? Pretty good.
Even "Brute Vajra" would be fine!
The thought of martial artists seeing him in the future and asking, "Are you 'He Who Sees Must Die,' 'Four Seasons Commander,' in person?" made him want to abandon the Miao people's affairs and return to Shuntian Prefecture for work.
"Sigh—" For the first time, Li Miao let out a long sigh of "powerlessness."
"Forget it, let's talk business."
Li Miao glanced at Yongjie's side; it had already turned into a chaotic mess.
Seeing Lao Qifeng ignore them and keep talking to Li Miao, the Cao Gang thought the Beggar Clan was allied with Yongjie. After some thought, they actually began to aid Yongjie.
The three lone masters, however, helped neither side, fighting wildly within the fray. Li Miao observed closely; the three seemed to strike fiercely, but they were only using five or six parts of their strength, clearly planning to conserve their internal energy and reap the benefits of the struggle.
Li Miao watched the battle while speaking.
"I came here this time to cut off the inheritance of Witchcraft in the Miao people's territory."
"Chief Lao just spoke so righteously; I imagine you won't stand by and do nothing."
"Yes, this time the Miao people actively schemed against us, plus the Tai'an incident, my Beggar Clan naturally has to contribute. It's just..." Lao Qifeng hesitated.
Li Miao waved his hand, "I know what you want to say."
"The imperial court has been suppressing the Miao people for so many years, but they haven't been able to completely eradicate Witchcraft."
"But this matter, when done by the imperial court, is actually more difficult."
"Therefore, this matter still needs to fall upon the martial artists."