The leading young man's face turned ugly at these words.
He turned his head and bowed reluctantly.
"Headmaster Wu, our Huanhua Sword Sect has no enmity with your sect, so why do you speak so harshly?"
The man sneered.
"I just don't like your pretentious, pedantic mannerisms, what about it?"
"All day long you're reciting poetry and composing couplets, but I don't see any of you going to take the imperial examination. You're trying to act like scholars among us roughnecks, it's like a pig's nose stuck with a spring onion."
"Putting on airs! Hahahahaha—"
The leading young man's face turned ugly, but he couldn't retort.
The Huanhua Sword Sect, just by its name, suggests that its founding patriarch might have been a bit of a "literary youth." And the techniques they inherited were indeed a bit "that way."
For example, if Mount Tai Sect's "Dai Zong He Ru He" were in the Huanhua Sword Sect, it would be called "Dai Zong He Ru He, Qi-Lu Qing Wei Liao."
All of the Huanhua Sword Sect's techniques were two lines of poetry.
Moreover, according to the Huanhua Sword Sect's mental cultivation method, one had to recite poetry while performing the techniques.
Perhaps the Huanhua Sword Sect's patriarch thought this method was "very stylish." But this kind of behavior was very conspicuous and annoying in the martial arts world, where the average education level was slightly above prenatal education.
The reason was very simple—
What the hell are you pretending for?
We're all out in the martial arts world. Pigsy wearing glasses, what kind of cultured person are you pretending to be!?
Headmaster Wu's mockery was for this reason—he just didn't like them.
The Huanhua Sword Sect and Headmaster Wu's sect were similar in strength, both considered second or third-rate forces. These disciples who were chatting with Li Miao came by themselves, without an elder leading them, so Headmaster Wu became even more arrogant.
You few fledglings, I cursed you, so what?
The faces of the Huanhua Sword Sect disciples flushed, almost unable to resist stepping forward to fight.
The leading young man gripped his sword hilt, tightening his hold again and again.
He had brought his junior brothers and sisters down the mountain, so he couldn't act on his own impulses.
The situation was against them. If they fought, although it probably wouldn't be life-threatening, if any junior brothers or sisters were injured and their future progress was affected, he would be to blame.
Headmaster Wu saw that the young people didn't dare to act and burst out laughing.
After a while, the leading young man gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word: "Go."
With that, he turned to leave.
As he passed Li Miao, he bowed apologetically to Li Miao: "Brother Li, I'm sorry, I made you watch a joke."
"We'll meet again in the martial arts world."
The implication was that he was too embarrassed to continue traveling with Li Miao.
The few of them turned to leave, no longer wanting to participate in the Shaolin ceremony.
"Hey, hey, wait a minute."
Li Miao placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Since you call me 'Big Brother,' if I let these scoundrels curse me away, how can I continue to make a living in the martial arts world?"
"Wait, I'll go grab him and have a talk."
Li Miao's voice was not small.
The surrounding martial artists had already formed a circle, watching the show.
They thought it was going to end like this, but unexpectedly, Li Miao suddenly appeared. They all turned their heads and whispered among themselves.
"Who is this person? He's so arrogant, does anyone know him?"
"Don't know him, he's not from the Huanhua Sword Sect."
The leading young man suddenly turned around, wanting to persuade Li Miao not to be impulsive.
Although Headmaster Wu acted like a hooligan looking for trouble, he was a genuine second-rate master, just one step away from being first-rate.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Li Miao had already walked out and was standing in front of Headmaster Wu.
Seeing this, the leading young man felt anxious, drew his sword, and was about to step forward to help.
Li Miao was standing up for them; they couldn't just stand by and watch.
Li Miao didn't care in the slightest, reaching out to grab Headmaster Wu by the back of his neck.
"Come, come, come, you come here."
Headmaster Wu saw Li Miao's actions, which were ten times more arrogant than his own, and laughed in extreme anger.
"Where did you come from, you arrogant bird?"
"Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
With that, he suddenly raised both hands and intertwined them around Li Miao's outstretched right arm.
"Golden Snake Entwining Hand!"
The leading young man exclaimed, "So vicious!"
This move was precisely Headmaster Wu's famous martial art, and it was clearly a full-strength attack, intending to directly "twist" Li Miao's right arm off!
"It's over!"
Seeing Li Miao not dodge or evade, as if he hadn't noticed the viciousness of the move, the leading young man cried out in alarm and was about to flash forward to rescue him.
But he suddenly froze.
Because Li Miao had already grabbed Headmaster Wu by the back of his neck and lifted him up.
And Headmaster Wu's "Golden Snake Entwining Hand" was indeed wrapped around Li Miao's right arm, exerting force to entangle, making Headmaster Wu's face flush red.
Yet it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.
"Let go! Let go of the Headmaster!"
"You, you ambushed him! It's an unfair victory!"
Headmaster Wu's disciples had been standing by, arms crossed, watching the show, wanting to see how Li Miao would humiliate himself.
But they didn't expect such a situation. They all gripped their weapons, cursing incessantly, but not daring to step forward.
Li Miao seemed to have casually grabbed a wild dog, ignoring Headmaster Wu's desperate struggles in his hand and constant fierce attacks on his right arm, and carried him back.
Then, with a "thump," he propped him on the ground.
"Apologize, say you were wrong."
This startled Headmaster Wu greatly, filling him with both shock and anger.
Li Miao didn't humor him, reaching out and slapping him on the back of his head, making him stumble.
"Speak."
"You!"
Headmaster Wu suddenly turned his head, his face flushed.
He had suffered losses before and had given in before. Li Miao's martial arts were unfathomable, so he wasn't unable to bow his head.
But Li Miao's behavior was simply too disrespectful!
If he gave in, how could he ever face the martial arts world again?
Headmaster Wu was about to stick out his neck and say a few more harsh words, even if he was defeated, it would be justifiable later.
Li Miao glanced at him, then reached out and pressed down on his shoulder.
Thump!
With this, he directly pressed Headmaster Wu to his knees on the ground.
"Last night, a stubborn person kept me up, and I only slept for three hours. Now is precisely the time I hate stubborn people."
"You want to act tough, but you've picked the wrong time."
Li Miao squatted beside Headmaster Wu, watching him sweat profusely, his face ashen.
He reached out and grabbed Headmaster Wu by the back of his neck.
Thump!
He slammed him directly onto the ground.
"Just now, you cursed them three times."
"First, kowtow three times."
Thump!
Thump!
After three resounding kowtows, Headmaster Wu was already seeing stars and unable to speak.
His disciples, seeing their Headmaster humiliated, immediately surrounded them, cursing in unison.
Li Miao glanced at them, then turned to Headmaster Wu.
"The curses against them are done. Now for the curses against me."
"Seventeen, eighteen, twenty-two, twenty-five…"
He began to count.
Headmaster Wu didn't understand Li Miao's meaning at first, but after a moment of thought, he was shocked and enraged.
Li Miao was clearly counting the number of curses his disciples were shouting.
Once he finished counting, he would probably make him kowtow!
"Shut up!!!"
"Stop cursing!!"
Headmaster Wu was still held in Li Miao's hand, his head pressed to the ground, but he struggled to shout.
"Headmaster!"
"I told you to shut up!"
Finally, his disciples quieted down.
Headmaster Wu gasped for breath and quietly said to Li Miao.
"Your Excellency, I was blind."
"I understand now. Please let me go."
Li Miao shook his head.
"That won't do."
"Look at your disciples; even if they don't speak, they must be cursing me in their hearts."
Someone from the side walked out and said to Li Miao.
"Your Excellency, one should be lenient when possible."
This was the type of person who thought they had "face," speaking without feeling the pain, wanting to "say a few words" to appear "fair" and "righteous."
Li Miao didn't even raise his eyes, looking down at Headmaster Wu and saying.
"Fine, since someone thinks it's too much, I'll be a little lenient with you."
"They cursed me twenty-seven times verbally, so let's count the curses in their hearts as twenty-seven times too."
Thump!
Before Headmaster Wu could reply, Li Miao slammed his head onto the ground with a dull thud.
"One."