No one in the world knew more clearly what a mess Li Miao's comprehension was than Zhu Zai.
To compare him to a three-year-old child would be an overestimation; even a stone in a latrine pit would shake its head and say, 'This child cannot be taught.'
Him?
In half an hour, he created a martial art that could deceive a Celestial?
The Emperor wasn't possessed, but you were, right?
Actually, Li Miao simply hadn't received his "emolument" after finishing his work last night, and now it came in handy, so he used it to deduce this cultivation method; after all, it would be useful later.
But Zhu Zai didn't know about any "eight-hour workday," and he began to chatter with a frown.
"I told you, why did you run off to Shaolin to get involved with Xing Chi when you had nothing to do? There are so many female heroes around you, but there's no movement. Last time, when I followed Yin Minjun, there was no result either. You're over thirty and still don't have a wife. I've long felt that—"
"Alright, alright, alright, alright."
Li Miao said with a helpless smile.
"How many times do I have to say this? You don't understand the matters of Celestials, so don't just speculate here."
Li Miao raised his hand and wiped his face, secretly activating the "Biological Welding" cultivation method, and when he looked again, his appearance had already changed.
"Get ready, let's go eat."
Attending a banquet, an imperial family banquet, was naturally not as simple as just having a meal. Everything related to the Emperor involved endless troublesome rules.
By the time the two had changed into proper attire, the sky had already darkened.
Zhu Zai called for servants to prepare the carriage, and the two got in, heading towards the Imperial Palace.
Great Shuo's curfew began at The hour of Xu , and it was already not far from that time, so the pedestrians on the street gradually thinned out.
The imperial relatives generally lived not far away, and Huang Jin's notification was hasty, so after Zhu Zai's carriage traveled for a while, they began to meet several imperial relatives one after another. After exchanging greetings, they all headed towards the Imperial Palace together.
Suddenly, Li Miao, who had been leaning against the carriage frame with his eyes closed, opened them. He reached out, pulled open a slit in the curtain, glanced outside, and then quickly let it fall.
"What's wrong?"
Zhu Zai asked.
"Someone, a Celestial, quite a few of them."
Li Miao replied.
"They've been tracking each of the imperial relatives, looking aggressive, as if they're about to make a move."
"Huang Jin is there too."
Zhu Zai reached out and gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist.
"Is the Emperor really going to make a move?"
"It doesn't seem like it."
Li Miao shook his head.
"If he were going to make a move, it would naturally be more suitable inside the palace. And it doesn't look like they're targeting us; they've sent people to each of the imperial relatives' sides."
"The Emperor has no reason to make a move against all the imperial relatives."
Li Miao closed his eyes and listened to the movements outside for a while. With his hearing ability, the actions of those Celestials were clearly visible to him.
"No."
"Those Celestials aren't guarding the street, but the sides."
"We're not the target, we're the bait."
Zhu Zai's expression became extremely grim.
"Is the bait for the Ming Cult or Emperor Jianwen?"
"It should be Emperor Jianwen. The Ming Cult wouldn't bother killing a few imperial relatives without real power."
Li Miao twirled his fingers.
"That's right, when Emperor Jianwen killed Yin Ruihua last night, he consumed his flesh and blood. It seems it wasn't for venting anger,
but that 'consuming flesh and blood' itself held some meaning for him."
"And the Emperor also knows about this, deliberately gathering the imperial relatives on the street in the evening to use them as bait, which means the bloodline of the Zhu family is at least as attractive to Emperor Jianwen as that of Celestials."
Li Miao turned to look at Zhu Zai and smiled.
"Commander, your family is quite united."
"Ancestors eating descendants, and the head of the family using his clansmen as bait to fish for his ancestors—truly a model for the world."
Zhu Zai was not in the mood to joke with Li Miao. After a moment of contemplation, he said.
"Don't worry about the others. These few people are useful. If Emperor Jianwen comes, try to protect them secretly. If you can't, don't force it."
With that, he spoke out several names, all of them imperial relatives who could, would, and dared to do things.
"Alright, you just watch."
Li Miao responded, then closed his eyes again, listening to the movements outside.
A moment later, Li Miao said.
"They're here."
A cold wind suddenly rose, blowing through the buildings on both sides of the street, squeezing through gaps, emitting a chilling hiss.
Zhu Zai listened intently, but there was no unusual movement outside the carriage, only the continuous sound of the wheels grinding on the ground.
"You can just listen; you won't hear it."
Li Miao said.
"Three people have already died."
At the same time, on the rooftop on one side of the street, Huang Jin secretly frowned.
"It's almost at the palace gate, why haven't they come yet?"
"Lord Protector Wang, are there any other imperial relatives?"
The middle-aged man beside him pondered for a moment and replied.
"No, the ones in front have already entered the palace. This is the last batch."
"If you're asking, one family was lagging behind. Zhou Offering is following them, and they're not far, but I haven't heard any sounds."
"Go! Let's go see!"
Huang Jin pushed off with his foot and flew through the air towards the rear. In just a moment, he found the slowly moving carriage.
Zhou Offering flashed to one side and said.
"Yellow Eunuch, is something wrong?"
"Is there a situation?"
"No, I'm following alongside, not relaxing for a moment. The carriage has been moving at a constant speed, and I haven't heard any unusual sounds."
Huang Jin was silent for a moment upon hearing this, then raised a finger and pointed it at the carriage curtain from a distance.
This move carried no technique; it was purely a subtle burst of true qi, like a gentle breeze, opening a tiny slit.
Revealing three shriveled, terrified corpses.
Huang Jin's expression instantly darkened, and he turned to look at Zhou Offering.
"Impossible!"
Zhou Offering was a mixture of shock and anger.
"There were no pedestrians along the way, and the houses on both sides of the street were far away. I watched them enter the carriage, and no one approached afterward. How could this be!?"
"No—no!"
Zhou Offering was suddenly startled.
"Just now, I... my vision seemed to blur for an instant, just an instant—"
Huang Jin was suddenly alarmed.
"Go back, everyone go back!"
And at this moment, Li Miao raised his hand, pulled open the carriage curtain, looked at a carriage ahead, and then looked up at the rooftop to one side, sighing softly.
"Commander, your Old Zhu family really owes me thanks."
"If I hadn't been here today, these people would probably have been eaten by your family's old ancestor."
Inside the carriage ahead, Emperor Jianwen had already opened his mouth, revealing dry, black gums, and was biting down on the neck in front of him.
And on the rooftop on one side of the street, the offerings were completely unaware.
Li Miao already knew the reason why the imperial court suppressed Celestials and forbade them from appearing in the world.
Summoning, Vajra, "Jiezi", Stillness.
Vajra was best at annihilating armies and killing generals; Summoning was best at prolonged combat. If these two appeared on the battlefield, they would undoubtedly be a huge threat.
"Jiezi" absorbed all kinds of martial arts into one; if supported by extensive martial arts secret manuals, its upper limit was immeasurable.
And Stillness, clearly, was best at silently putting people to death!