Zhu Zai stared blankly at Li Miao.
Although Li Miao wore a composed, smug expression, his current state was quite dire.
His clothes were torn, revealing a muscular upper body covered in wounds that were either healing or had already healed. The most severe injury was around his waist and abdomen, the size of a large bowl, piercing him from front to back, as if someone had directly punched a hole through him with their arm.
On his heroic face, a long, narrow scar stretched from his right temple to behind his ear.
This was the second time Zhu Zai had seen Li Miao in such a disheveled state.
It reminded him of fifteen years ago, when Li Miao lay in his arms.
He had intended to scold him the moment he entered, but then he felt his heart clench, and his throat choked up.
"You, this—"
Zhu Zai's lips trembled, causing the beard on his face to quiver. His fingers, hidden within his long sleeves, involuntarily shook, but he forcefully clenched his fists to stop them.
Seeing Zhu Zai's distress, Li Miao also dropped his smile.
After his fight with Emperor Jianwen, he already knew that his "Eight-Hour Workday" was related to the Stillness realm, or at least originated from the same source. This was a significant gain.
Overjoyed, he habitually thought of teasing Zhu Zai.
But seeing the old man's expression, he knew he was genuinely distressed.
So, he lost the desire to tease the old man.
Emperor Jianwen was indeed formidable, capable of injuring him to such an extent. But for Li Miao, as long as he wasn't killed on the spot, a broken arm or leg was no different from clipping a fingernail.
"Alright, alright, I'm not going to die."
Li Miao waved his hand, then wiped his forehead, and the scar vanished.
"See, it's all minor stuff."
Zhu Zai's eyes widened first, then he abruptly turned his back to Li Miao, gritting his teeth and cursing.
"You beast!"
"Hey~"
Li Miao walked behind Zhu Zai, poking his head out to look at the old man's face.
"What is this, sir?"
"Get lost!"
Zhu Zai roared, then turned around, subtly wiping the corner of his eye. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then looked at Li Miao with a furious expression.
Li Miao spread his hands.
"Calm down, sir. I've gained a lot, and I just wanted to share the joy with you. Who told you to take it seriously?"
Zhu Zai felt blood rush to his head, his temples throbbing, causing a sharp pain in his brain.
Do you call what you just said human words!?
You dug up my family's ancestral grave last night, and you're "gaining a lot"?
And you want me to share the joy?
You deliberately kept your injuries untreated, making yourself look so miserable to come before me, wanting me to share the joy?
Joy my ass!
Zhu Zai's veins bulged.
Seeing that he was truly angry, Li Miao dared not tease him further, fearing he might anger the old man into something serious. He quickly composed himself, changed the subject, and spoke of the important matters.
"There are dozens of Celestial corpses in the Emperor's mausoleum, and a secret chamber for raising Gu worms."
"?""
"The Emperor might have been replaced by Ji Tianrui."
"!?""
"The Ming Cult dug up your ancestor from his grave."
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"Your ancestor came back to life, and my injuries are from him."
"!!!?"
"No, wait, you wait."
Zhu Zai raised a hand to pinch his brow, then tapped his forehead.
"I won't hold what just happened against you. But if these words are lies you made up to tease me, then get out of here for the New Year!"
"It's all true, no jokes."
Li Miao spread his hands.
"Hah!" Zhu Zai let out a long breath.
Though Li Miao was annoying, he wouldn't joke about serious matters. Zhu Zai also believed that Li Miao wouldn't speak carelessly without complete certainty.
However, these four sentences, each describing a world-shattering event, were too much for Zhu Zai, despite his long tenure in high office, to process all at once.
Li Miao chuckled.
"You think about it first. I've been running around all night, and now I'm hungry and tired. Are your family's cooks up yet? Can you get me something to eat to tide me over?"
Zhu Zai glared at Li Miao, then said helplessly,
"Go wait in the side room, I'll make arrangements."
With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Li Miao put down his chopsticks, stretched his shoulders, and let out a long sigh.
"Hah!" "It has to be your family's cook. I'm used to their food; no matter how good others cook, it's not as palatable."
Zhu Zai sat beside him, holding a bowl of plain congee, untouched. He was frowning, lost in thought, not hearing Li Miao at all.
He had been like this ever since Li Miao finished detailing the events of last night.
Seeing Zhu Zai motionless, Li Miao raised his hand and, with a subtle motion, the plate of pastries in front of Zhu Zai silently flew over. After eating, he used his internal energy to send it back to Zhu Zai's front.
When Zhu Zai finally finished his thoughts and reached for a pastry to fill his stomach, he found nothing.
Zhu Zai looked at the empty plate, then raised his head to look at Li Miao.
"Don't look at me, Commander. You were eating while thinking just now."
Li Miao spread his hands.
"I finished a long time ago. I've been waiting for you for ages."
Zhu Zai looked at Li Miao suspiciously but had no mind to argue with him. He sighed and said,
"I truly regret letting you handle that Five Mountains Sword Sect matter now."
"Forget it, it's not your fault. You didn't do it too poorly; you did it too well, so well that I can't even handle it."
Zhu Zai looked at Li Miao.
"What do you want to do?"
Li Miao chuckled.
"This isn't about me, it's about you."
Li Miao leaned back, hands behind his head, rocking his chair as he spoke.
"I'm just a martial artist; I only know how to kill and set fires. If I followed my nature, I would simply try to figure out if the Emperor was truly replaced. If he was, I'd find an opportunity to try and kill him."
"Anyway, he's in the open, and I'm in the dark. Even if I can't kill him, there's no loss."
"As for Emperor Jianwen or the Ming Cult, it's just a matter of waiting for them to show their heads and then going directly to kill them. There's nothing more to say."
Zhu Zai's expression turned cold.
"No."
"Not many people recognize Emperor Jianwen now, and besides, the current imperial relatives are not of his bloodline, so he can't stir up much trouble. The Ming Cult is also just a minor problem."
"However, the Emperor cannot be easily touched, even if he is fake."
Zhu Zai let out a long sigh.
"My Great Shuo has been passed down for nearly two hundred years. Even if I am one of the imperial relatives, I have to admit that perhaps my Zhu family's divine favor has come to an end."
"Factional disputes are constant in court, and the imperial taxes are increasingly insufficient. There are not many places left where one can work with peace of mind."
"Japanese pirates in the southeast have become increasingly severe in recent years, and the Tartars in the north frequently invade our borders. The garrisons are corrupt, and the practices of embezzling funds and exploiting soldiers are rampant."
"Great Shuo is leaking on all sides."
"If something were to happen to the Emperor now—I'm afraid it would lead to great chaos under heaven."
Li Miao nodded.
"I thought so too. Life isn't easy as it is, and I can't just rashly kick things over. Who knows how many people would be crushed then."
"So, what do you think? Who should I kill, how should I kill them, and when?"