“The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) are handling business. Those who don’t want to die can kneel now.”
Li Miao said.
Without a doubt, this was a blatant insult. Especially for people of the martial world who valued face more than life itself, this kind of condescending contempt was even harder to accept than a drawn blade and spilled blood.
The veins on the necks of several disciples from prestigious sects in the room bulged.
Of course, no one knelt, but no one dared to refute a single word either.
All because of Li Miao’s Jinyiwei Commander's waist token.
Execution first, report later; imperial authority granted. If it were one or two Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) showing up, there might still be room for building connections, bribing, and maneuvering. But when these imperial hounds appeared in formation at your doorstep, it meant the Emperor himself had nodded to your death.
Even though the martial world and the imperial court had always maintained a distant relationship, it didn't mean you could step forward and declare, “I am not a subject of His Majesty.” You only had your inner self if you could maintain your outer appearance.
Not giving face to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) meant not giving face to the imperial court, and not giving face to the Emperor.
If you were to act as a trailblazer for your own face now and cause trouble, even your sect master would, in order to give face to the imperial court, strike you dead with a single palm, calling you an unfilial beast.
This was the thought of the sect disciples. As for the lone Green Forest Road and underworld figures, they simply feared the violence of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were orphans with no parents, selected from a young age for their talent. The resources for their cultivation techniques and physical training were no less than those for inner disciples of prestigious sects, and they constantly engaged in life-and-death situations. They possessed talent, cultivation techniques, hard work, and no lack of experience in life-and-death combat.
It could be said that each of the dozen or so young men in black, strong attire blocking the door had reached a proficient level in both internal and external martial arts. And if you were to pick individuals from the martial world with similar internal and external cultivation to fight them one-on-one, few would survive against these people.
Kneeling was out of the question, but fear was real, and the atmosphere remained deadlocked.
Li Miao saw that no one responded for a long time, but he wasn't annoyed. He just chuckled lightly, “Oh, tough bones.”
Yan Xiaosheng, who had been holding his cup motionless for a long time, coughed a few times, revealing his characteristic kind smile. He descended from the main seat and walked towards Li Miao, smiling as he went, “Officer, officer, I don’t know where my humble establishment has offended you. I apologize to you.”
Before he finished speaking, halfway through his walk, a person flashed out from behind Li Miao and stared coldly at him, forcing him to stop.
Li Miao didn't even look at him, taking a few steps into the room. The row of Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) guarding the door also moved forward like a wall, forcing several people sitting near the entrance to hastily get out of the way. In their haste, they knocked over some tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, creating a clatter of noise.
Of course, some, who held themselves in high regard or for the sake of face, did not move.
Li Miao walked to one of the tables, looked down, and said with a sudden realization, “Isn’t this Grandmaster Gu of the Mount Hua Sect?”
Gu Jiao, “Clear Wind Sword,” stood up and cupped his hands towards him, neither obsequious nor arrogant: “Sir.”
“Grandmaster Gu, instead of practicing your sword within your sect, are you here in the capital to visit relatives or friends?”
“Friends.”
“Oh, what kind of friend are you visiting? Is he here in this room?” Li Miao asked earnestly.
It seemed like a casual question, but it could not be answered casually. Every question from the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) could be deadly.
Gu Jiao was silent for a long time, hesitating repeatedly, and finally sighed, saying, “No, he’s not.”
“That’s good. I heard your beloved daughter has been slightly ill these past few days. Grandmaster Gu, why don’t you hurry back to check on her?”
This single sentence made Gu Jiao, who had earned the title “Clear Wind Sword” in the martial world, turn ashen.
This sentence could be understood as: I know who is in your family and what their recent situation is.
Of course, it could also be understood as: You wouldn't want your beloved daughter to actually get sick, would you?
Li Miao leaned in, lowered his voice, and whispered in a tone that almost everyone in the room could hear, “I told you to kneel, but you wouldn’t.”
“I told you to scram, so you should scram, shouldn’t you?”
Gu Jiao's face was extremely grim. He gritted his teeth and hesitated for a moment, looking at Li Miao, then at Yan Xiaosheng, and finally, he raised his sleeve to cover his face and rushed out the door. The disciples of the Mount Hua Sect also followed him, scrambling out together.
Li Miao didn't care. He turned around and called out another person's name: “Grandmaster Hu of the Cao Gang, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Hu Shuang stood up with a grim expression, cupped his fists to Yan Xiaosheng, said, “Let’s go,” and then led his subordinates from the Cao Gang out the door.
These two were the most prominent figures in the room. Once they left, the remaining people from the second and third-rate sects in the room also hastily got up together and ran out behind Hu Shuang.
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) blocking the door made way. They were here for Yan Xiaosheng this time and couldn't be bothered with these people.
In a short while, the originally bustling tavern became empty, leaving only a few Green Forest Road and underworld fugitives who were being closely watched by the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), Yan Xiaosheng, Da De, who was Yan Xiaosheng's subordinate, and the two half-dead thugs who had disposed of the body.
Li Miao walked to the main seat, extended his leg, hooked a chair, and sat down.
He raised his hand and beckoned to Yan Xiaosheng, who had been standing still for a long time: “Section Chief Yan, come, sit, sit.”
Yan Xiaosheng walked over and sat opposite Li Miao. Behind him, the sound of fighting could be heard.
It was Da De, who, seeing the unfavorable situation, tried to rush out the door to escape. He was struck in the face by a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) scabbard, spitting out half his teeth. He was then pressed to the ground, a foot on the back of his head, his mouth and nose buried in the dirt, continuously emitting muffled whimpers.
Yan Xiaosheng didn't dare to look back, and Li Miao didn't pay attention either, waving his hand towards that side.
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A sound of blood splattering was heard, and a long, narrow blade pierced through a neck. Da De, who had been swaggering and beating people to death not long ago, twitched his limbs a few times and then fell silent.
The two thugs who disposed of the body fainted directly from fright.
Li Miao showed no reaction. He had been in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) for twenty years; a person dying in front of him was as common as breathing.
He picked up the wine pot, poured a cup for Yan Xiaosheng, and then one for himself.
“Section Chief Yan, do you know you won’t live?”
Yan Xiaosheng's face was ashen, and he nodded.
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) had come to his door, and they were looking for him, a leader of the underworld. It meant either confiscating his property or annihilating his family. With Li Miao's opening words, his last shred of hope vanished.
Li Miao nodded and continued, “This trip, normally, would be a Baihu’s job, not for me, a Jinyiwei Commander who handles documents.”
“But we investigated Section Chief Yan’s businesses and found that they are quite extensive. Brothels, illegal activities, scams, gambling dens—you’ve been involved in all of them. You must have made a lot of money over the years, haven’t you?”
Yan Xiaosheng, being from the underworld, knew at this point that this matter could not end well. He no longer maintained his amiable expression, and a reckless aura emerged. He picked up his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
He raised his sleeve to wipe his mouth and said with a hint of sarcasm, “I just earn a hard living; the big profits are taken by people like you, sir.”
“Yes, yes, that’s how it is. That’s why I came.” Li Miao poured another cup for Yan Xiaosheng.
“Logically speaking, your martial arts are on par with a second-rate sect leader. If you were outside, you might even become a local overlord. But to expand your business so widely in Yanjing City, martial arts alone aren’t enough.”
“We’ve also investigated thoroughly; you’re involved with quite a few people. Confiscating your property could easily expose some individuals, which would be too troublesome.”
“But we need both your life and your money.”
“So, as the Jinyiwei Commander who handles finances, I’m here to discuss a business deal with you.”