“Uh—”
Deng Boxuan was cut off by Li Miao.
But he immediately changed his tone and smiled, “Yes, yes, yes, Deng was being presumptuous.”
“Lord Commissioner Bu of the Northern Garrison Division is also widely renowned!”
He secretly regretted being too presumptuous and accidentally committing a taboo. The Southern and Northern Garrison Divisions, though part of the same yamen, were in competition, and presumptuous flattery directed at the superior of a rival was truly inappropriate.
Then he heard Li Miao say, “I’m not under Bu Lei’s command either.”
“If you want to flatter my superior, direct your efforts towards Commander Lord Zhu, don’t flatter the wrong person.”
From an organizational standpoint, Li Miao belonged to the Northern Garrison Division, and his emolument was also disbursed by the Northern Garrison Division.
However, he was quite special.
Li Miao had been Commander Zhu Zai’s subordinate for over ten years, and Zhu Zai’s cultivation and trust in him over the years were evident to everyone in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards). Whenever Zhu Zai had a difficult task, he would directly assign it to Li Miao.
As for Li Miao’s temperament… those who knew, knew. The Northern Garrison Division had long since privately reached a consensus: don’t let Li Miao handle anything, otherwise, if the Commander assigns a task, he’ll use you as a shield and delay going.
If Zhu Zai throws his chopsticks at your face then, don’t cry injustice.
After all, the expenses of a Jinyiwei Commander’s office were considerable, and the Northern Garrison Division couldn't sustain a Jinyiwei Commander’s office that only listened to orders but didn't follow instructions. Gradually, Li Miao’s Jinyiwei Commander’s office became independent, and Li Miao’s emolument also began to be directly issued from Zhu Zai’s side.
The “treasury” where Li Miao usually took money also referred to Zhu Zai’s private treasury.
A child doesn’t feel bad selling his father’s land, so Li Miao took money from it freely, Zhu Zai had no objection, and no one else was qualified to interfere.
Returning to the present, everyone in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) knew about this, but Deng Boxuan didn’t, so he was momentarily stunned.
He thought to himself, “You are neither under the Southern Garrison Office nor the Northern Garrison Division. I still address you as ‘Lord,’ but you directly use my given name.”
“Which Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) are you from exactly? Is this still Great Shuo?”
Looking at the Jinyiwei Commander’s waist plaque hanging from Li Miao’s waist, it was truly authentic.
But that sentence, “My superior is Commander Lord Zhu,” was crystal clear.
Deng Boxuan thought, “This is a big deal.”
If this Jinyiwei Commander was on a mission from the Jinyiwei Commander, it meant there was someone the imperial court wanted to kill on Mount Tai at this moment.
Before tonight was over, most of the people in the room would leave. Without understanding Li Miao’s objective, even the people from the Songshan Sect, Hengshan Sect, and Hengshan Sect wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
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Deng Boxuan stopped speaking.
Master Zuo was not present, and he certainly wasn't going to be the one to stick his neck out. Originally, his Hengshan Sect was located in the south and had not participated in the suppression of the Mount Hua Sect, only wanting to use the name of the “Five Mountains Sword Sect” to develop itself.
Normally, he could be the peacemaker, but he wasn't willing to take the fall.
For a moment, everyone in the room stopped speaking, with only the occasional sound of Li Miao’s teacup lid clinking as he drank tea.
And the several martial arts factions seated near Li Miao were breaking out in cold sweat, standing stiffly, terrified of being noticed by Li Miao.
Why hasn't Zuo Lishan arrived yet!?
For him, the host, not to show up and leave us to face this, what kind of situation is this!?
Everyone secretly grumbled in their hearts.
Fortunately, a quick-witted Mount Tai Sect disciple had already noticed the unfavorable situation and had scurried off to report.
After a long silence in the room, someone finally entered from the back hall.
“Zuo has had a breakthrough in his recent quiet cultivation and lost track of time, neglecting everyone. I hope you will forgive me.”
The words arrived before the person.
The speaker, with a long sword at his waist, a serious and upright face, and impeccably dressed, wearing a glove on his right hand, walked to the center of the room and stood still.
It was Zuo Lishan!
At this moment, he was completely different from what Gao Ling had seen yesterday, having returned to his usual demeanor as “Zhenyue Sword,” with no trace of his previous day’s wild and inhuman appearance from head to toe.
At this moment, his gaze coldly swept over everyone in the room, first looking at Gao Ling, and then fixing his gaze on Li Miao.
Ignoring the astonished looks of the crowd, he walked straight towards Li Miao without looking sideways or greeting anyone else.
“Lord Li.”
Zuo Lishan took a few steps forward, stopping in front of Li Miao: “It’s been a long time.”
“Thank you, Lord Li, for your guidance a few days ago. Zuo has—benefited—greatly.”
Li Miao didn’t even lift his head: “You’re welcome, it was just a small matter.”
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Upon hearing this, Zuo Lishan’s eyes immediately became bloodshot, and it seemed as if something was faintly crawling beneath his long robe.
Li Miao’s single sentence almost caused his hard-won stable facade to crack.
A small… matter?
You injured me to the brink of death, crippled my right hand, forcing me to prematurely use the Ming Cult’s cultivation method and insanity worms—and it was just a small matter?
Zuo Lishan’s normal appearance at this moment was merely a disguise; his inner body and disposition were already completely different, and the deranged appearance he displayed in front of Gao Ling that day was certainly not faked. Internally, he had truly and utterly become a madman.
If that cultivation method had no side effects, and could allow a peak expert to advance further, why wouldn't the Ming Cult use it themselves?
The Ming Cult giving the item to Zuo Lishan was by no means out of kindness. Instead, they had delivered a trap into Zuo Lishan’s hands.
If you don't use it, you'll be stuck at the peak. If you do use it, you won't be able to hold your head up in front of my Ming Cult from now on, otherwise, if I spread the news, the insanity worms on your body and the Xenomorph true qi, different from Central Plains martial arts, won't stand up to scrutiny.
When Zuo Lishan saw Li Miao and Gao Ling, he was initially overjoyed: the only two people who had seen him severely injured that day had delivered themselves to his doorstep.
By silencing these two, he would have no more future troubles. As for the future accounts with the Ming Cult and the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), he could slowly maneuver.
If it were the usual Zuo Lishan, he would not have been impulsive. But the current Zuo Lishan, Li Miao’s understated remark, almost made him unable to resist exploding.
Zuo Lishan, suppressing the anger in his heart, nodded and said, “Lord Li may not expect repayment, but Zuo must acknowledge this kindness.”
“Since Lord Li has come to my Mount Tai Sect today, and Zuo has received such great kindness from Lord Li, I shall naturally do my duty as a host.”
“Your Lordship has an official position, and thus is naturally different from us common folk. My Mount Tai Sect has a private residence on the back mountain, far from other guest halls, so we martial artists will not disturb Your Lordship’s peace.”
“Lord Li, are you willing to stay the night here?”
At this point, even Mei Qinghe understood Zuo Lishan’s meaning.
A challenge.
Zuo Lishan had cultivated an evil art, making his martial arts even stronger than a peak expert, and his body, having been transformed by the insanity worms, was tougher and more bizarre than that of ordinary people.
Li Miao had intentionally held back that day, and based on the martial arts he displayed, Zuo Lishan felt he could now win.
So he was provoking.
He asked “are you willing,” but what he really meant was “do you dare.”
Do you dare to stay in a residence where no one else can hear anything, waiting for me to come find you tonight?
“Alright.”
Li Miao stood up: “Master Zuo’s hospitality is hard to refuse, so I shall stay here for another night.”